Lectionary Readings
Acts 8:26–40
Philip meets an Ethiopian eunuch, who asks to be baptized.
Psalm 22:25–31
In the great congregation I will praise the Lord, my deliverer.
1 John 4:7–21
Let us love one another; we love because God first loved us.
John 15:1–8
Jesus says: I am the vine, you are the branches; abide in me.
— Gathering —
Opening Sentences
Jesus is the vine and we are the branches.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
We are made to bear the fruit of Christ’s love
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Friends, let us believe and abide in love.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Prayer of the Day
Holy One,
we thank you for your gift of guidance.
Jesus taught us the blessed lesson
that to dwell with you is not an obligation.
It is a joy.
We abide in you by striving to live in love.
May we be the bounty of the fruit of the vine
to feed your people with righteousness and justice.
May we bring to the world
the grace afforded unto us. Amen.
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Thanksgiving For Baptism
At the baptismal font:
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
O Lord our God, we give you thanks
for the new life you raise up in us
through the mystery of our baptism—
the sorrow of the heavy cross,
the surprise of the empty tomb,
the love that death could not destroy.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
poured out upon us in baptism,
fill us with the joy of resurrection,
so that we may be a living sign
of your new heaven and new earth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession and Pardon
At the baptismal font:
The Spirit of God helps us in our weakness,
interceding with sighs too deep for words.
Romans 8:26
Trusting in God’s grace, let us confess our sin.
O Christ, you are the true vine,
and you have made us your branches.
In your grace, we find strength,
and in your love, we are set free.
Forgive us, O God, when we do not live
as people who have been freed,
when we act as if the Easter story
did not turn the world upside down.
Forgive us, O God, when we do not live
as people who are your branches,
when we forget that we are rooted in you
and bound to one another by your spirit.
Forgive us, O Christ, our one true vine,
and teach us to abide in you.
Lifting water from the font:
Hear the good news of God’s promise:
I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.
Acts 2:17, 21
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
Thanks be to God.
— Word —
Prayer for Illumination
At the lectern or pulpit:
Living God, with joy we celebrate
the presence of your risen Word.
Enliven our hearts by your Holy Spirit
so that we may proclaim the good news
of eternal and abundant life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture
Before the readings:
O dry bones,
hear the world of the Lord.
Ezekiel 37:4
After the readings:
This is the good news
which we have received,
in which we stand,
and by which we are saved.
Thanks be to God.
1 Corinthians 15:1–2
Sermon
Ascription of Praise
After the sermon:
All authority and power and dominion
to the name that is above all names—
Jesus Christ our Lord—
now and in the age to come. Amen.
Ephesians 1:21
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Affirmation of Faith
Season of Easter, Ascension of the Lord
New life in Christ takes shape in a community
in which people know
that God loves and accepts them
in spite of what they are.
They therefore accept themselves
and love others,
knowing that no one has any ground
on which to stand,
except God’s grace.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.22
Prayers of Intercession
Sovereign God,
dominion belongs to you alone.
Bowing our hearts before you,
we make our prayer.
We pray for the health of the earth . . .
May future generations rejoice in its bounty.
God of our salvation, answer us with grace.
We pray for the leaders of nations . . .
Prod them to seek the good of all.
God of our salvation, answer us with grace.
We pray for the church . . .
Build it with love which comes from you.
God of our salvation, answer us with grace.
We pray for neighbors who are hungry . . .
Satisfy them with food and justice.
God of our salvation, answer us with grace.
We pray for our enemies . . .
Show them your saving grace.
God of our salvation, answer us with grace.
Sovereign God,
you are the vinegrower,
and Christ is the true vine.
Nurture us in him to bear good fruit
to the glory of your holy name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
— Eucharist —
Invitation to Offering
At the communion table:
How does God’s love abide in anyone
who has the world’s goods
yet refuses to help a sister or brother in need?
Remembering God’s great love for the world,
let us offer our lives to the Lord.
1 John 3:16–17
Prayer of Dedication
At the communion table:
Eternal God, take and use these gifts
for your purpose in the world—
giving food to the hungry,
hope to the despairing,
and new life to the dead.
Teach us to live each day for you,
so that future generations
will know your goodness
and praise your glory;
in the name of Christ our Lord. Amen.
Psalm 22:25–31
Great Thanksgiving
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.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God:
All the ends of the earth turn to you and worship you, O Lord.
The poor eat, and they are satisfied; those who seek you praise your name.
Even those who sleep in the dust bow down before you.
Therefore we praise you, joining the song
of the universal church and the heavenly choir:
A Sanctus (“Holy, holy, holy”) is sung.
Blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior:
Christ is the true vine, and you, O God, are the vine grower.
He is the vine, and we are the branches.
In Christ, we bear fruit; apart from him, we can do nothing.
The words of institution are included here.
Remembering your goodness and grace,
we offer ourselves to you with gratitude
as we share this joyful feast.
A Memorial Acclamation (e.g., “Christ has died”) is sung.
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us
and upon this bread and cup;
make us one in the body and blood
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Let us love one another, for love is from you, O God; you are love.
Fill us with your perfect love that casts out all fear,
so that we may love all people, just as you have first loved us.
Through the Lord Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Spirit,
we bless you, God of glory,
now and forever.
An Amen is sung.
Lord’s Prayer
Breaking the Bread
Communion of the People
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Prayer after Communion
At the communion table:
Thank you, O God, for giving us communion
with our risen and glorious Lord.
Now send us out to be a sign
of the new life that has come into the world;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
— Sending —
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Blessing and Charge
At the doors of the church:
May the love of the holy triune God—
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—
abide with you forever. Alleluia!
1 John 4:13–16
Now go forth in Jesus’ name,
remembering his new commandment
to love one another,
just as he has loved us. Amen.
1 John 3:23
In the Vineyard
Jean François Millet, 1852
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
- Christ Is Alive! (TRURO) GTG 246 (AE)
- Here in This Place (GATHER US IN) GTG 401 (AE)
- God Welcomes All (THEMBA AMEN) GTG 399 (AE)
- We Know That Christ Is Raised (ENGELBERG) GTG 485 (A)
WORD
- We Are One in the Spirit (THEY’LL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS) GTG 300 (E)
- Take Me to the Water (TAKE ME TO THE WATER) GTG 480 (A)
- Be Thou My Vision (SLANE) GTG 450 (G)
- God of the Sparrow (ROEDER) GTG 22 (E)
EUCHARIST
- For Everyone Born (FOR EVERYONE BORN) GTG 769 (AE)
- All Who Hunger, Gather Gladly (HOLY MANNA) GTG 509 (AG)
- Holy Spirit, Come to Us (TUI AMORIS IGNEM) GTG 284 (G)
SENDING
- May the God of Hope Go with Us (ARGENTINA) GTG 765 (G)
- Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (HYFRYDOL) GTG 366 (E)
- Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ (LINSTEAD) GTG 526 (G)
- Heaven Is Singing for Joy (ALEGRÍA) GTG 382 (E)
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 22:25–31
Metrical
- Let Our Praise Be Your Welcome [IRREGULAR] GWA 48
- Amid the Thronging Worshipers [BOVINA] PAS 22E
Responsorial
- He Is King of Kings GTG 273
- Lord, in You I Trust PP 38
Organ Music
- “Three Global Songs,” LINSTEAD, Jamaican folk tune, adapt. Doreen Potter, arr. John A. Behnke, HOPE (M)
- “I Danced in the Morning,” SIMPLE GIFTS, Augsburg Organ Library: Easter, arr. J. Wayne Kerr, AF (ME)
- “Meditation on LLANFAIR,” from Wondrous Love, arr. Brenda Portman, SAC (M)
- “XI. Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier,” Twenty Preludes and Postludes, op. 78, Sigfrid Karg-Elert, IMSLP (M)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
- “The Fruit of the Vine,” Mark Patterson, CGA, SAB, pno (E)
- “May This Fruit Abound in You,” Victor Johnson, CGA, SATB, pno (E)
- “I Am the True Vine,” Arvo Pärt, Universal Editions, SATB div, acap (A)
- “Love One Another,” John Bell, GIA, SATB, acap (M)
- “Ubi Caritas,” Ola Gjeilo, WAL, SATB, acap (M)
- “I Sat Down Under His Shadow,” Edward Bairstow, OUP, SATB, acap (A)
Art
- Baptism of the Eunuch, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1626 (VDL)
- Jesus as the True Vine, Eastern Orthodox icon, Byzantine and Christian Museum, Athens (VDL)
- In the Vineyard, Jean Fran.ois Millet, 1852–53 (VDL)
- Sun, Edvard Munch, 1909 (VDL)
- Lift Every Voice and Sing, or, The Harp, Augusta Savage, 1939 (VDL)
