The Fifth Sunday of Easter
Centering Practice
We invite you to slow down, breathe, and connect with God, each other, and yourself.
- Inhale and hold hands to heart: We’re loved by God
- Exhale and hands outward: We’re open, Lord
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
Oh Our Lord
We behold the breaking dawn
The light that shines over everyone
We look to You, we long for You, oh Lord
We behold the rising sun
The earth awaits, Your hope has come
We look to You, we long for You, oh Lord
Oh, oh, oh, our Lord
Oh, oh, oh, our Lord
How majestic is Your name in all the earth
We behold the falling rain
Like waters rise, flood this place
We reach for You, we cling to You, oh Lord
Oh, Your name is a light in the darkness
Oh, Your name is the word of truth
Oh Your name, oh Your name
Here For You
Let our praise be Your welcome
Let our songs be a sign
We are here for You, we are here for You
Let Your breath come from heaven
Fill our hearts with Your life
We are here for You, we are here for You
To You our hearts are open
Nothing here is hidden
You are our one desire
You alone are holy
Only You are worthy
God, let Your fire fall down
Let our shout be Your anthem
Your renown fill the skies
We are here for You, we are here for You
Let Your Word move in power
Let what’s dead come to life
We are here for You, we are here for You
Prayer of Confession
Holy God, the First and the Last,
beginning and end of all things,
You are worthy of all our praises.
For the ways we close our hearts,
to You and to others around us;
For the times our vision becomes too small;
For our lack of compassion;
Forgive us, O God, we pray:
— Moment of silent prayer —
Holy Spirit,
Forgive us and and fill us anew
with Your breath of life,
so that all may know Your transforming love.
Amen.
Assurance of God’s Love
Prayers of the People
We invite you to get into groups of 2 and simply share 1 joy and 1 sorrow with each other (whether personal or somewhere in the world). Once we’ve all shared, we will pray out loud together:
Thank You, Lord, for our joy.
Be with us, Lord, in our sorrow.
Amen.
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!
- Art & Faith Camp: We’re excited to host this great day of creativity, faith, and outreach next Sunday, May 25th from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Please take a flyer and share with your friends!
- Church Without Walls: We will have a CWOW gathering on Sunday, June 15th at 10:30 am. A picnic lunch will be provided. Location details coming soon!
- 10:02 Prayer: Our staff team and core team will be praying daily at 10:02 for our church, our communities, and our world (based on Luke 10:1-2) from now to Advent. If you’d like, we invite you to set a reminder to join us in prayer — whether in the morning or evening!
- Church Retreat: We will have our church retreat on September 20th and 21st (Saturday and Sunday). We’ll be in town at Marina Village. More details to come, but please block off those dates on your calendars!
Passing of the Peace
Let’s greet each other at this time!
Family Praise
Ask Seek Knock
Blessing of the Children
Worship Song
Open Space
Pull me in closer
Close to your heart
May I be a pure reflection
of all You are
Love that is patient
Love that is kind
And love that keeps no offenses
or wrongs in mind
Make me like Jesus
Make me like Jesus
My heart is an open space
For You to come and have Your way
I’m open, I’m open
You’re faithful to find me
Right where I am
Though even in my wandering
You call me friend
And mercy receives me
and lifts me to my feet
And I’m caught up in
the wonder and the mystery
Of knowing Jesus
Of knowing Jesus
Do whatever You want to do
And say whatever You want to say
Move however You want to move
And change whatever You want to change
Scripture Reading
Acts 11:1-18
1 Now the apostles and the brothers and sisters who were in Judea heard that the gentiles had also accepted the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, 3 saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?” 4 Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners, and it came close to me. 6 As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I replied, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9 But a second time the voice answered from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’ 10 This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. 11 At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. 12 The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; 14 he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?” 18 When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, “Then God has given even to the gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
Together: Thanks be to God.
Sermon
The Season of Easter: Open-Hearted Change
Pastor Dan
Reflection questions:
- As we begin, we invite you to share with a neighbor a couple of questions about how you navigate change personally — keeping in mind, these are not loaded with value, as if you’re “supposed” to answer one way or another!
- On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = very easy, 5 = very difficult), how do you feel internally when you face change?
- On the same scale, how do you externally handle change?
- If your numbers were different, what do you think caused that? And for each of you, how did it feel to think about how you handle change in your life?
How do these passages reflect openness or change?
- Psalm 148:1-14
- Revelation 21:1-6
- John 13:31-35
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 