Gathering

We are witnesses,
to the love God has poured into us.
We are witnesses of God’s love,
sharing it with each person we meet.
We are witnesses to everyone we encounter,
little children like us, sisters and brothers in God’s family.

Hymn

Confession & Words of Assurance

Loving God: Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, we come. Yet we know we come with doubts and fears. We know we come in ignorance. We know we have failed You, Your creation and Your people, in many ways. Trusting in Your love, we turn again to You. As we open our hearts to Your mercy and forgiveness, grant us Your peace.

The Spirit of Christ is among us wherever we gather, and the nature of Christ is revealed within us. We are becoming more and more like Christ each day. Let us live joyfully as God’s people.

Story Time

Scripture

Jesus appears to the disciples

Luke 24 ³⁶ While they were saying these things, Jesus himself stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ³⁷ They were terrified and afraid. They thought they were seeing a ghost.

³⁸ He said to them, “Why are you startled? Why are doubts arising in your hearts? ³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet. It’s really me! Touch me and see, for a ghost doesn’t have flesh and bones like you see I have.” ⁴⁰ As he said this, he showed them his hands and feet. ⁴¹ Because they were wondering and questioning in the midst of their happiness, he said to them, “Do you have anything to eat?” ⁴² They gave him a piece of baked fish. ⁴³ Taking it, he ate it in front of them.

⁴⁴ Jesus said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law from Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. ⁴⁶ He said to them, “This is what is written: the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and a change of heart and life for the forgiveness of sins must be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things.

Sermon

 Prayers

God of Resurrection, when we are blinded by anger, You pour out your love for all to see; when we wonder what tomorrow will bring, You call us to trust in You; when sadness fills our lives, You plant gladness in our hearts. God of Easter: touch us with Your grace.

You show us Your hands, so we may reach out
to mend the broken; You show us Your feet, so we may walk with those the world passes by; You show us Your face, so we may know what our siblings look like. Risen Christ: touch us with Your compassion.

You open our eyes, so we may see God’s love; You open our minds, so we may welcome God’s Word; You open our lips, so we may be God’s witnesses.
Spirit of Hope: touch us with Your peace.

All of these prayers and so may more we pull together and pray the prayer tradition has taught us…

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,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.