Worship Resources for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Easter V
Acts 8:26-40
Psalm 22:25-31
1 John 4:7-21
John 15:1-8
Call to Worship (inspired by I John 4)
One: Beloved, let us love one another.
Many: But love is HARD!
One: Yes, yet this is love: God sent Jesus for us.
Many: Since God loved us so much, we seek to love one another.
One: God’s Son is savior of the world!
Many: God is love! So we come to worship God, and act out that love.
Opening Prayer
Holy God, thank you for the love you have for each one of us, for all people, and for all your creation! Teach us once more how to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who shows us the Way of love through his life, his death and his resurrection to abundant life. AMEN
Moment for Stewardship
In John 15, Jesus reminds the disciples “Keep my commandments and abide in my love…I have said these things to you so my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete”.
Eleanor Roosevelt is remembered as saying “(s)ince you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness you are able to give.”
Today, let your joy grow as you bring your gifts to share with this congregation. Our ministries both here and around the world are actions we take, knowing they help us give joy to others.
So bring your tithes, offerings and gifts as signs of your desire to abide in the love of Jesus. It’s one way to have complete joy!
Prayer of Thanksgiving
God of all good gifts, thank you for this opportunity to share the abundance you have provided for us. Receive this offering and all who have contributed. Then help us make good decisions as we put it into action. May your joy abound in us as we continue to grow as followers of Jesus the Christ, who gave life itself so we might participate in abundant life. AMEN
Invitation to Communion
Jesus reminds his followers to “abide in me”. One way of “abiding” is to stay close. We come close to Jesus when we pray, when we sing, and perhaps most clearly, when we gather at this Table of remembrance. Here we bring all we know of Jesus to the front of our memories. Here we come close to Jesus through our sense of sight, of touch, of taste, and of hearing. In the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the cup, we are connected most clearly to Jesus.
So come to this Table!
Abide with Jesus as we share in this feast. There is no lack – only the provision of the elements which are symbols of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.