The Second Sunday of Easter
Centering Practice
We invite you to slow down, breathe, and connect with God, each other, and yourself.
Friends, this is the second Sunday of the Easter season. God invites us into resurrection life in Christ. Today, we will center ourselves as Easter people:
- Stand and extend arms upward as sign of gratitude & receiving from God
- Extend arms outward as sign of sharing hope & new life with others
Call to Worship
Adapted from the Brief Statement of Faith
In life and in death, we belong to God.
Through the transforming grace of our risen Lord,
the steadfast love of God,
and the faithful presence of the Holy Spirit,
We are brought from darkness into light,
called to live and share the resurrection.
Amen.
Worship Song
Great Things
Come let us worship our King
Come let us bow at His feet
He has done great things
See what our Savior has done
See how His love overcomes
He has done great things
He has done great things
O Hero of Heaven
You conquered the grave
You free every captive and break every chain
O God, You have done great things
We dance in Your freedom, awake and alive
O Jesus, our Savior, Your name lifted high
O God, You have done great things
You’ve been faithful through every storm
You’ll be faithful forevermore
You have done great things
And I know You will do it again
For Your promise is “Yes and amen”
You will do great things
God, You do great things
Kingdom Come w Build My Life
God, let Your kingdom come
May Your will be done
God, let Your kingdom come
Earth is groaning and we are longing
For Your kingdom to come
All creation and all of heaven
Join their voices as one
Hope is stirring, joy arising
As we look to the day
When all injustice will bow
And every voice will cry out
Holy is Your name
I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken
Prayer of Confession
O God,
In raising Jesus from the grave,
You showed us Your power to defeat sin and death.
For our doubts, grant us deeper faith;
When we despair, fill us with hope;
In our sorrow, be near to us.
Hear us, O God, we pray:
— Moment of silent prayer —
God of resurrection,
Breathe Your Spirit upon us,
making us awake and alive to Your presence.
Amen.
Assurance of God’s Love
Prayers of the People
Today, we will pray in triads (groups of 3). Please hold conversations until later. Each person will choose one of the following areas, and pray in the following way:
- We pray for our church, that we would be filled with ____________ so that we _______________
- We pray for our neighbors, that they would know _______________ and discover __________________
- We pray for our world, that You would heal _________________ and bring Your _______________ to all who are in need
Offering Prayer
Announcements
- Thanks for worshiping with us today! We hope you experience meaningful connection with God and others in our community. If you’re visiting for the first time today, we’d love to get to know you better. Please take home a visitor’s card with QR code so that we can stay in touch & build a relationship!
- Thanks for worshiping with us today! We hope you experience meaningful connection with God and others in our community. If you’re visiting for the first time today, we’d love to get to know you better. Please take home a visitor’s card with QR code so that we can stay in touch & build a relationship!
- Youth Group: Yang will lead our Youth Group Bible study today!
- Art & Faith Camp: Let’s continue to pray for this great day of creativity, faith, and outreach coming up on Sunday, May 25th from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. We need volunteers! Please talk to Ann Leong if you’d like to help out!
Passing of the Peace
Let’s greet each other at this time!
Family Praise
The Shrink Song
Scripture Reading
Revelation 1:4-8
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.
7 Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. So it is to be. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
Together: Thanks be to God.
Sermon
The Season of Easter
Pastor Jeya
Reflection questions:
- Why is this one of the first lectionary passages we hear about during the Easter season?
Worship Song
Open Up (reprise)
May Your love
Cause us to open up
Cause us to open up our hearts
May Your light
Cause us to shine so bright
That we bring hope into the dark
All that we do without love
It means nothing
Grant us the courage to give
As You’re calling
Make me an instrument
Of Your peace
Where there is hatred
Let me sow love
Where there is darkness
Let me shine light and…
Hope for the hopeless
Your love is
Strength in our weakness
Your love is
Anchor & Hope Church 