Hindering God

Good Morning and Welcome to Worship! Worship is often the first place that new people come into contact with this growing com- munity of faith. And so, if you are joining us for the first time, I say to you what is said every Sunday: You are welcome here. Here is a place where all are welcome. For such is the love of God for God’s Very Good Creation.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise God, all creatures here below; praise God above, ye Heav'nly host: praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Surprising God, you make all things new. Long ago you called your church to a love beyond all social and cultural differences and gave them the gift of your Holy Spirit to open their hearts to enact such love. Give us that same spirit of openness, that we too might discern new directions in our day for your dream to reconcile and heal all creation. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

In this season of Easter, in which we celebrate God making all things new, let us offer our prayers and thanksgivings for the community and the world.

For the well-being of your creation, that we may promote its ability to offer praise to you through spacious skies, bountiful seas, verdant lands, and precious creatures great and small.

For the life of the church, that our generous witness may broaden your table as all find a place to live and grow in love.

For the welfare of your world, that all leaders and people young and old will strive to live together in harmony while serving the common good.

For all who suffer any violence, pain or grief, that they will know the comfort of your presence as you wipe every tear from their eyes.

For the love made known to us in Jesus through this community, for this and all other blessings we give you thanks and praise.

For all who have died, that you will bring them to the fullness of your joy, where mourning and pain will be no more.

For so many blessings, and for answered prayers, we give you thanks through Jesus in white name we pray. Amen.

God of promise, your word made flesh in Jesus is trustworthy and true. By the power of your Holy Spirit, may it rise up in us this day like a gift from the spring of the water of life to refresh our thirsty souls. Amen.

Acts of the Apostles 11:1-18 ¹Now the apostles and the brothers and sisters who were in Judea heard that the gentiles had also accepted the word of God. ²So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, ³saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?” ⁴Then 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. ⁶As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. ⁷I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ ⁸But I replied, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ ⁹But a second time the voice answered from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’ ¹⁰This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. ¹¹At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. ¹²The 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. ¹³He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; ¹⁴he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ ¹⁵And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. ¹⁶And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷If 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?” ¹⁸When 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.”

In Acts 11:1-18, Peter, led by the Spirit, discloses God’s new directions to heal creation. And the church reconfigures its social boundaries. The Gentiles, who were excluded from the church in Jerusalem because their eating habits were judged to be vile and unclean, are now included by the reconciling work of the Spirit. Where is God’s Spirit opening us to new direction in mission this day?

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another — just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. Let us with gladness offer to God the gifts of our labor, life, and love. Amen.

Loving God, we give you thanks for the ministry of reconciliation to which you call us in the name of Jesus. Accept these gifts for your mission to heal all creation. May these gifts be a testament to your love for us as we share them in love for you. Amen.

May God who has made us a new creation together give us the grace to grow in faith, hope, love, justice and witness. Go forth in peace to love and serve the Lord. Amen.