The Fifth Sunday of Easter, 10 May 2020
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
We have beheld your glory, O God, in the face of Christ Jesus, your Son.
Enliven our faith, that through Christ we may put our trust in you.
Deepen our faith, that in Christ we may serve you.
Complete our faith, that one day we may live with you
in that place which Christ prepares for us,
where he lives with you now and always
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen
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Come Ye Disconsolate – Roberta Flack and Donnie Hathaway
Come, ye disconsolate, wherever ye languish,
Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel.
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish;
Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.
Joy of the desolate, light of the straying,
Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure!
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying,
“Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot cure.”
I said, earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot cure.
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A Reading from the Gospels: John 14:1-12 (NLT)
Jesus, the Way to the Father
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 
When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”
“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”
Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.
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Psalm 33 (Rejoice In The LORD O You Righteous) – Karl Kohlhase
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Prayers of Intercession:
Heavenly Father: You watch over those who fear you, those who rely on your unfailing love. Our hope is in you, Lord, hear our prayers –
+ for those whose hearts are troubled, that they may find their comfort in you….
+ for believers everywhere, that we may grow in our trust and awareness of your presence with us….
+ for those suffering the effects of this pandemic, that they may experience your calming closeness….
+ for those who are caring for the sick, that they may be protected from danger….
Heavenly Father: You watch over those who fear you, those who rely on your unfailing love. Our hope is in you, Lord, hear our prayers –
+ for joy-filled hearts that express your goodness and unfailing love….
+ for unwavering trust in the truth of your word, and your justice in all you do….
+ for awe at the wonder of your creation, spoken into being by your powerful word….
+ for confidence in your sovereignty, frustrating nations that reject you and blessing nations that revere you….
Heavenly Father: You watch over those who fear you, those who rely on your unfailing love. Help us to shine your light in the darkness, that all may see your goodness through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
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Goodness Of God – Bethel Music
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A Reading from the Epistles: 1 Peter 2:4-9 (NLT)
Living Stones for God’s House
You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.
And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. A s the Scriptures say,
“I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor,
and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”
Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.”
“He is the stone that makes people stumble,
the rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.
But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
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We Will Feast in the House of Zion – Sandra McCracken
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Closing: John 14:2-3 (NLT)
“I am going to prepare a place for you.
When everything is ready, I will come and get you,
so that you will always be with me where I am.”
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+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
The Peanut Gallery 