Worship at St. John's Concord

of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer together with certain women, including Mary, the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers. Christ is risen, the word of life. >> Hallelujah. Thanks be to God. >> We will read a portion of Psalm 68 responsively. Let God rise up. Let his enemies be scattered. Let those who hate him flee before him. >> Let the wicked perish God. >> But let the righteous be joyful. Let them exalt before God. Let them be jubilant with joy. >> Sing to God. Sing praises to his name. Lift up to him. His name is the Lord. Be exed. >> Father of orphans and protector of widows. Is God in his holy habitation. >> God home to live in. He leads out the prisoners to prosperity. But the rebellious live. Oh God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness of Cadia, >> the earth wait, the heavens pour down rain at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, at the presence of God, the God of Israel. >> Rain in abundance, oh God, you showed abroad. You restored your terriage when you when it languished. your foundy. >> Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth. Sing praises to the Lord. Selia >> writer in the heavens heavens. He sends out his voice. >> Ascribe power to God whose might majesty is over Israel and whose power is in the skies. >> Also is God in his sanctuary. The God of Israel. He gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God. The second reading is from first Peter beginning with the 12th verse chapter 4. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you are sharing God's sufferings so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his joy when his glory is revealed. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed. But the spirit of glory, which is the spirit of God, is resting on you. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God so that he may be may exalt you in due times. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves. Keep alert. Like a roaring lion lion. Your adversity the devil prowls around looking for someone to to devour. Resist him steadfast in your in your faith. For you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are going to are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, and strengthen and establish you. To him, the power forever and ever. Amen. Christ is risen. This is the word of God. Word of life. >> Hallelujah. Thanks be to God. Lord and Savior open your sin until our glor. >> The Holy Gospel according to John. >> Glory to you, Lord. >> After Jesus had spoken these words to his disciples, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. glorify your son so that the son may glorify you since you have given him authority over all people to give eternal life to all whom you have given him and this is eternal life that they may know you the only true God in Jesus Christ whom you you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now father glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. I have made your name known to those whom you gave me gave me from the world. They were yours and you gave them to me and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you. For the words that you gave to me, I have given to them and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf. I am not asking on behalf of the world but on behalf of those whom you gave me because they are yours. All mine are yours and yours are mine and I have been glorified in them and now I am no longer in the world but they are in the world and I am coming to you. Holy father protect them in your name that you have given me so that they may be one as we are one. The gospel of the lord. >> Praise to you Christ. >> In the name of God who is father, son and holy spirit. Amen. Well, as I mentioned earlier, you might have missed it, but Thursday was a significant day in the church. It was Ascension Day, and this is 40 days after Easter, after those resurrection appearances, after the the shared meals, after the invitation, you know, to stay because it's almost evening after all of this. And then Jesus ascends back into heaven. And then this coming Sunday, next Sunday, it is Pentecost Sunday. A rather significant day in the church, of course, when we get the the gift of the of the Holy Spirit and and the wind and the fire and all of that good stuff. But today, today is a bit of a weird day. We're kind of we're in the middle. And you know, I happen to think that the middle, this in between time, it's often a time where uh things can be kind of a little messy. It's the messy middle. It can be, you know, maybe in your life, you might be experiencing a time like this, a liinal space where it can be difficult to to feel like your faith is strong. In our first reading, the disciples are standing standing there and they're just wondering what in the world is coming next. Jesus has risen, yes, but now he's ascended, which that means that he's leaving. And it's it's kind of a, you know, it's a funny read. If you go back and look at it, they are literally staring up into the sky until the angels finally ask them, "Why do you stand why do you stand looking toward heaven?" And in John's gospel this morning, we hear Jesus praying just before his crucifixion. This is his dying prayer. God the son praying to God the father. We overhear this very intimate conversation. And as Jesus is preparing for his suffering for is suffering and is preparing for his death as he's preparing to die for the world, he doesn't have this this prayer that's talking about the the triumph of God, the the success of God. He's not asking for for comfort or from, you know, escape or rescue. Jesus in this dying prayer prays for for all of his people. Prays for all of us that they that we may be one. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me so that they may be one as we are one. It's pretty significant that that is the prayer that Jesus prays as he prepares to leave his disciples behind. And I really do think that there is something very important for us in taking a moment and pausing and reflecting on this that this is in fact the prayer Jesus's dying prayer is dying wish for for the world from the cross. This particular passage is very important in uh accuminism which basically means how different Christians work together and and find unity and what's rather significant is that of course through the story of of the ascension despite coming back and and ministering to to his disciples despite the the fish meals over some hot coals despite the the bread breaking all of that Jesus doesn't stay put. It's it's the uncomfortable part that we celebrate with the ascension. Jesus, he doesn't stay put really any time. Jesus didn't stay put in the tomb. Jesus didn't remain at that dinner table along the Emmas road when the hearts were burning and the disciples were just amazed at what had happened. Jesus didn't remain in the upper room to to comfort his disciples. Jesus ascended. Wouldn't it just be easier, nicer if Jesus stuck around, you know, forever in flesh and blood and walked around and and was able to be with his disciples and was able to be with us? Wouldn't it be easier if Jesus simply remained physically here exactly as he did following the resurrection? It would be pretty helpful, wouldn't it? Jesus could help solve all the theological disputes. He could help solve arguments and he could help solve every sort of doubt. But Jesus is not interested in maintaining the status quo. Jesus is not interested in in in just appealing to to primal human happiness. Jesus, the risen Christ, is on the move. Jesus keeps on moving. Jesus ascends because the work of God, the work that God is doing in the world, it's it's much bigger than one place, than one room, than than one part of Galilee. The ministry of Jesus Christ is for the whole world. It's much more significant than just traveling somewhere across the world to to meet with the man. This is Jesus the Christ. And that means for us, for the for the body of Christ, the people of God, that that the church too can never remain stagnant, that the church can not ever just be a museum for the past. And that's always the temptation, I think, for religious people, for for faithful people, for good people to to want to stay exactly where they are when something good is going on, to preserve what felt comfort comfortable to them. you know, to stare up into the sky and instead of maybe stepping forward to where the Holy Spirit may be leading. One of my favorite stories in all of scripture. It's a story of the transfiguration. It's a beautiful story. Peter, James, and John, they're up on the the mountain and Jesus transforms. He changes shape right in front of them. And then they see Moses and Elijah. And it all comes together that Jesus in their presence with Moses and Elijah is fulfilling both the law and the prophets. And then what do they do? What is the immediate next thing that we hear when they witness this amazing thing? They want to build dwelling places right there. They want to freeze that moment in time where everything has become perfectly clear, where it all makes sense, where they're they're feeling fully embraced by God, where God is right in front of them, where the law that they are clinging to has made it clear, where the prophets prophe prophecy has been made true. This is a good thing. Let's hold on to it. But Jesus keeps them moving. And yet Jesus knows something else, too. Jesus knows that this movement, this Holy Spiritguided movement is something that most certainly can cause division. Change can cause division and fragmentation. Fear can make communities turn inward and towards turn towards each other. You know, I actually heard this great quote recently on a podcast and it was talking about churches and and their particular ministries and it is this essentially when when church members they they focus on their inner community and they focus on what's happening inside their church exclusively, they tend to maybe bump into each other. But when churches start looking outward, start going out into their community, they're much more likely to bump into Jesus. Jesus is very much trying to to remind them to remind us always that we're not looking for uniformity. When we when he says one, uniformity, that's not it. Unity is a very different thing. Uniformity says that everyone must think alike, speak alike, vote alike, worship alike, prefer the same things and approach the world in exactly the same way. Uniform. But unity is much deeper than this uniformity. Unity is much deeper than just sameness or or duplication. Unity is what happens when very different people are held together by someone greater than themselves. And for us that someone is Christ. The disciples themselves were hardly uniform. Thomas, we know about Thomas. Despite the bad rap, he wanted all sorts of proof, right? James and John, they argued about greatness. And of course, Peter was uh had a bit of an issue with denying. And yet, these are exactly the people that Jesus has called together that Jesus calls the body of church, the early church. The church has never been united because everybody just perfectly agrees on everything. The church is united because Christ con refuses, absolutely refuses to let go of imperfect people, to let go of sinners, to let go of human beings, to let go of you and me. That is the the miracle. That's the great gift of being church, of being the body of Christ together. Because left to ourselves, left to ourselves, we are most certainly likely to fragment and to to get divided pretty quickly. We like to put ourselves in certain camps and certain corners and we like to sort ourselves into certain types of tribes. We like to convince ourselves that anyone maybe a little bit different than us must somehow then that person must be the enemy. We see it everywhere in the world today. We see this in politics. We see this in families. We see this in communities. And yes, we even do see this in some churches. But in John's gospel, Jesus has a very different prayer. A prayer for us. A prayer for unity. Jesus prays that his people would remain together because we're following the father. We're remaining together in the name of the father. And notice this. Jesus does not command unity here as a task or as just something to check off the list or accomplish. Jesus prays this unity into being. And I think that really does matter because the unity of the church is not something that we create through perfect behavior, through everyone just getting along through endless agreement. If that were the case, I think it's more than safe to say that the church would have collapsed a very long time ago. The church, the church is held together by the ongoing work of Christ, the ongoing presence of Christ here in our lives. Even now, the ascended Christ is most certainly still praying for his people, praying for us, still interceding, still gathering a bunch of unlikely people together in a place like this on a Sunday morning, still gathering us and and forgiving us, still calling us, still feeding us, still holding together what we left on our own would most certainly divide and and have fall apart. It's important though because the burden does not rest entirely on us. It's not about us and our perfect behavior. Jesus ascends but he does not abandon the church. He does not abandon his people. He gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit. He continues praying for us. He continues acting for us. He continues drawing people together around these ordinary things, water and wine and bread. And then he makes them extraordinary with his very promises. Week after week this happens. Christ still does this strange and this holy thing to to the people of God who would otherwise have very little reason to come together. Young and old, lifelong believers and and questioners and doubters, people who are carrying grief and people who are carrying joy, saints and sinners. And maybe that is what we really need to hear on an in betweeneen type of Sunday, on a messy middle type of Sunday. That the church, it does not belong to us. The future does not entirely depend on us and our perfect behavior. Christ has ascended, yes, but he's gone ahead of us and even now most certainly is still praying for us that they may be one. And somehow by his very grace, by his very promises made known to us through these tangible and real simple ordinary things, the sacraments, we are one. Thanks be to God. And amen. I come with joy, a child of God, forgiven, love, and free. The life that Jesus spirity in Christ in Christ as Christ. The love that made us strangers now our friends and strangers now our friends. The spirit of the rising Christ sing together and together all the joy the love that uses us. With the whole church, we confess our faith. We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontious Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. And his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy, Catholic, and apostolic church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. Trusting in the risen Christ who prays for the church and gathers us into one. Let us pray for the church, the world, and all in need. For the church throughout the world, that we may be one in Christ, not through sameness or fear, but through the love and mercy of God that holds us together across every difference. Hear us, oh God. Your mercy is great. for bishops, pastors, deacons, church mi mu musicians, and all who serve your people. Renew them with courage and joy as they proclaim the good news of the risen Christ. Hear us, oh God. Your mercy is great. >> For the nations of the world and all people with positions of power and authority. Guide leaders in the ways of wisdom, justice, and peace. Break down walls of hatred, violence, and division. Hear us, oh God. Your mercy is great. >> For this earth you love, for fields and gardens, for farmers and farm workers, for rain in due season, and sunshine for growth, that all creation may flourish according to your goodness. Hear us, oh God. Your mercy is great. >> For graduates beginning new chapters in life, bless them with curiosity, humility, and hope. Lead them in paths of purpose and remind them that wherever they go, you go with them. Hear us, oh God. >> For those who are lonely, grieving, anxious, sick, or struggling today. Surround them with your healing presence and the care of your people. Especially we pray for those we now name out loud or in the silence of our hearts. Hear us, oh God. Your mercy is great. >> For St. John's for the saints who built this congregation through generations of worship and witness and for the new things you are calling us toward even now. Keep us faithful in sharing your love. Hear us, oh God. >> Your mercy is great. >> Into your hands, oh God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy through Jesus Christ, our savior and lord. Amen. And now may the peace of the risen Christ be with you all. >> And also with you. Please share a sign of God's peace. Thank you. Great job. He's making Nothing else. Use your words. Stay. Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, descend on us, descend on us, be here in Jesus name. Come of heaven, Oh God of heaven, he s on us. He said on us we gather here in Jesus name. Lord of mercy, word of mercy on us. He stand on us. We gather here in Jesus name. Come to unite us. to the us on us. We gather here in Jesus name. >> Come to inspire us to inspire us on us. They send on us. We gather here in Jesus name. is the blessings. Praise him. Praise him host. Praise father, son. Holy Ghost. Let us pray together. Merciful God, accept the fruits of our labor, gathered to give you glory. You have set a table before us, a glimpse of that great day when we will hunger and thirst no more. Nourish us with the body and blood of Jesus that goodness and mercy may follow us and bless the world you love. In the name of Jesus, amen. >> The Lord be with you. >> And also with you. >> Lift up your hearts. >> We lift them to the Lord. >> Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. >> It is right to give our thanks and praise. It is indeed right, our duty and our joy that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, for the glorious resurrection of our savior Jesus Christ, the true pascal lamb, who gave himself to take away our sin, who in dying has destroyed death and in rising has brought us to eternal life. And so with Mary Magdalene and Peter and all the witnesses of the resurrection, with earth and sea and all their creatures, and with angels and archangels, cherubam and saraphim, we praise your name and join their unending hymn. Holy, holy, holy, Yeah. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Holy living and loving God, we praise you for creating the heavens and the earth. We bless you for bringing Noah and his family through the waters of the flood, for freeing your people Israel from the bonds of slavery, and for sending your son to be our redeemer. We give you thanks for Jesus who living among us healed the sick, fed the hungry, and with a love stronger than death gave his life for others. In the night in which he was handed over, our Lord Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat. This is my body given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me." And again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people, for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me. Remembering therefore his lifegiving death and glorious resurrection, we await your promised life for all this dying world. Breathe your spirit on us and on this bread and cup. Carry us in your arms from death to life that we may live as your chosen ones, clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Through him all glory and honor is yours, Almighty Father, with the Holy Spirit in your holy church both now and forever. Amen. And now, as our savior Christ taught us, we are bold to say, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen. Come to the table of new life. Receive the risen Lord. You may be seated. body of Christ. Christ Christ. Christ. Christ. Christ. Body of Christ. Body of Christ. Christ. Body of Christ. Body of Christ. Body of Christ. body. Christ The body of Christ body Christ. Body praise God. against Christ. Body of Christ. Christ. Christ. Body of Christ. Body of Christ. Body Christ. Body of Christ. Body of Christ. Body of Christ. Christ. Christ. Justice. And now may the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace. Amen. Let us pray together. Holy God, through this meal, you have made your home among us and are making all things new. Send us now to speak peace to anxious hearts, to love our enemies, and to bring your healing to the nations in the name of Jesus. Amen. I invite you to be seated at this time. And I also believe I'm inviting Susan Hayes forward. Uh at this time, we would like to recognize our recent graduates. So if you are a graduate, please come forward. I believe we have both of the mills to come forward. Please all suited up too. Wonderful. This is great. So Susan has a has a brief word and then I will uh lead us in in prayer. Well, I am here to say congratulations to you both from the women of the church. We are proud of who you are. First of all, who you are and we are and we are proud of all that you have accomplished. My goodness. Um, we've watched you grow since newborn babies. You do realize that, don't you? And after all these years, look, just look at what you've become. Oh my goodness, Elizabeth. busy in high school, behind the scenes in drama productions, all the academic uh accomplishments you made, just so successful. So successful. And Meredith, oh my goodness, I've seen pieces of your artwork and it is unbelievable. You got it, girl. You've got it. Yes. So heading into into Meredith in graphic arts, leaving Meredith for your own classroom. Oh my gosh. So exciting. So exciting. There will be endless, endless opportunities for both of you to share God's love as you move ahead. Endless opportunities. He has amazing plans for you. He does. He has amazing plans for you. And we will keep you in our prayers as you walk that path with him. So, Elizabeth, we have we have a blanket to remind you of the love of St. John's. We have a cross to remind you of the love of Jesus. And we have a devotional book to give you strength and courage to move through each day. >> And we have a Bible >> and across. >> Thank you. >> Thank you so much. >> Yes. >> This is the real first test of graduation. Being able to carry all of that back >> and give a hug without knocking. >> Yes. And there it is. You have a little something here. >> Here you are, too. >> Oh, thank you so much. >> It's a little verse to encourage you in your work and to remind you that if you do it in God's name, you will be successful. >> Thank you. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you, Susan. Today we celebrate with these graduates and give thanks for this important milestone in their lives. We know the years behind this moment have required dedication, sacrifice, perseverance, and no shortage of hard work. As a congregation, we are so proud of you. Your gifts, your curiosity, your compassion, your resilience, and your commitment have already blessed the world around you. And as Christians, we remember that learning itself is a gift from God. The God who created minds to wonder and explore has been at work in you through every classroom, every challenge, every mentor, and every opportunity. No diploma can fully define your worth because your deepest identity is not found in achievement, but in the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Still, today is a day of joy, a day worth celebrating. And so, we are happy to do that. Wherever your path leads next, new jobs, further study, new cities, new callings, or seasons of discernment, know that this congregation is cheering you on, and you carry the prayers of this whole community. At this time, I invite everyone to stand. Let us pray. Gracious God, we thank you for these graduates and for the many gifts you have nurtured within them. Bless them in this season of transition and possibility. May they use their knowledge and talents in ways that serve their neighbors and reflect your love in the world. And remind them always that wherever they go, you go with them. Amen. Thank you. And now may Almighty God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit bless you all now and forever. Amen. By the morning the praise and the everlasting day by the breaking of the bread and the glory By the story, by the way, in the lies, by the tree, all the earth, all The feeling of the Christ of the Lost by the Lord. Glory to the sea. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Go in peace. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. >> Thanks be to God. >> Hallelujah. Yeah. Hey, it took us forever to break down all that equipment, man. Yeah.