The Lord in risen! Alleluia!
Song
‘Here in this place’, by Christopher Grundy. If you have problems connecting, try this direct link to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9LZURdBJxE
Prayer
Let us pray.
We do worship you, O God, with gladness in our hearts and words of praise on our lips. For you have revealed the human face of your love in Jesus Christ, your Son, our Saviour.
Through him, you have gifted us with the Spirit of truth who enables us to be the human faces of your love wherever we worship, witness, and serve you.
Come to us now as we worship here together. As you have so graciously blessed us,
may we bless others in Jesus’ name and through the power of the Holy Spirit, your everlasting Spirit of truth. Amen
From the Bible
The Bible reading for today is from the Gospel of John 6:15-21. There is also a video of a dramatic re-enactment of the Gospel reading underneath.
John 14:15-21
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”
Dramatic readings from Lumo
Here is the dramatic re-enactment of the Gospel reading by the Lumo group (it includes some extra bits at the end). If you have trouble connecting you can go directly to YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBWSEEufavc
Message
The message is brought to you by Geoff Wellington of the Saltbush Community. In the time after the events of Easter and encounters with the risen Christ the disciples wrestle with how they will carry on. Will the absence of Jesus physically bring to an end the purposes of God. No says Jesus I will send an Advocate, the Paraclete, to be with you to help and enable you. Your task is to continue to follow my commandments in faith and love and carry on life in relationship with me and the community of faith.
What did you hear in the Word today? Where do you see the Paraclete at work? How might your Christian community practice “direction, meditation and testing” of the Paraclete’s promptings?
Before a time of prayer you may like to spend some time in silence sitting still. Close your eyes lightly. Sit relaxed but alert. Simply be still and open to God. You may prefer to do this while listening to the ‘Optional reflective music’ below.
Optional reflective music
‘There is a balm in Gilead’, sung by The Adventist Vocal Ensemble (the balm of Gilead is interpreted as a spiritual medicine that is able to heal). If you have problems connecting, try this direct link to YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fcMxI_6xsk
Prayers for Others
Let us pray,
Eternal God, where there is hope, you are there. Where there is compassion and the desire for wholeness, you are there. And where there is the struggle for peace, you are there.
You are there where the hungry are fed, and the poor empowered. You are there where there is delight in the trees of the land, or the depths of the seas. Wherever love is announced, you are there.
In that knowledge, and in our simple faith, we bring our prayers for your creation and for the people of this world.
O Christ we open ourselves in prayer for: your creation … Silence
For others we have heard about throughout our world …Silence
For other people we know and are close to …Silence
For our church and our wider community …Silence
For ourselves … Silence
Amen.
Blessing
Go out into the world, to love and serve the Lord. Bless us and the people we meet along the way. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Song
And can it be that I should gain’, by Wesley. If you have problems connecting, go directly to Vimeo at:
https://vimeo.com/714370622
Resources
The opening prayer and sermon are based on content in the Saltbush service for this week, which can be found at:
https://saltbushcommunity.uca.org.au/video/the-word/easter-6-the-advocate-john-14-15-21/