Easter 3
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series II, Cycle C Gospel Texts
Liturgical Color: White
Gospel: John 21:1-19
Theme: Jesus Gives the Disciples a Lesson in Fishing; Jesus Pressures Peter to Make a Verbal Commitment about Love; Jesus Breaks Fast with the Disciples. Many people "love" (we love everything these days). We fish for fish; do we "fish" for human beings because we love both the lovable and the unloved?
The Community Of Faith, Hope, Love Gathers For Worship
Music for Preparation
"Prelude and Variation," Franck.
Recognizing Who God Is
Choral Invitation
"O Lamb of God," Weiss.
Pastoral Invitation
Pastor and Ministers
In the name of the risen Christ, welcome to the third Sunday of Easter. Yes, it's still Easter. As a matter of fact, every day is Easter; for every day, God calls us to new life, to new love, even as God called Peter and the disciples.
P: So, Jesus asks us, "Do you love me?"
M: Of course, Lord, you know that we love you.
P: Then Jesus says, "Be sensitive and caring of my world." Once again, Jesus asks, "Do you love me?"
M: Certainly, Lord, we do love you.
P: Then Jesus says, "Share your resources with those who have little or nothing." For a third time, Jesus asks, "Do you love me, friends?"
M: How many times do we need to tell you, Lord, before you believe us? We have said that we love you; what more do you want?
P: Then Jesus says, "Reach out to the least, last, lost, and lowest of this earth. Are you willing to do that? Beginning now? Today? Are you?"
M: Yes, we give you our word.
P: And all the people said ...
Hymn of Easter
"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name!" Stanzas 1-3, Edward Perronet, 1779, 1780; stanzas 2-3, alt. John Rippon, 1787; stanza 4, John Rippon, 1787. First tune: Oliver Holden, 1793; desc. Michael E. Young, 1979. Second tune: James Ellor, 1838.
Prayer of Praise
Have a layperson, a fisherperson, give the first half of the prayer; have a second person focus on the theme of love.
Realizing Who We Are
Introduction to the Act of Recognizing Our Humanity
On a scale of 1-10, how well do you love? Your mate? (Pause.) Your children or parents? (Pause.) Your neighbors? (Pause.) Your co-workers or fellow students? (Pause.) Those of different colors, or nationalities, or ...? (Pause.) Your enemies? (Pause.) Do we put conditions on our love? If so, when and how and with whom and why? (Two minutes of silence.)
Response
Prayer of confession: Lord, we admit that too often we live on the surface of life, tossing our nets in the wrong places for the wrong reasons. We are afraid of the depths to which Christ calls us, as we seek to hide many things deeply inside of us. At the same time, we are lazy, unkind, judging others by outward appearances and because they fail to live up to our standards. We are troubled by the thought that you see within us. And we find it hard to believe that you accept us as we are. Intellectually, we know that Jesus the Christ has shown us it is true, and we trust him. Help us, by Your Spirit, to live in the consciousness of this truth.
Choral Response
"You Are the Lord, Giver of Mercy" (Use a contemporary version of this response.)
Introduction to the Act of Receiving New Life
Here is the divine promise: Receive again, from God's energy, the life you considered alienated, lost, broken. Share again that life of love with the whole universe -- the truth of God's acceptance and reconciliation -- a message that most of the world still waits to hear -- in the name of God the Parent, God the Child, God the Spirit.
Response
Pastor and Ministers
Unison prayer: Because I can hide nothing from you, God, including myself, especially myself, and my favorite sin, I am open to you and your forgiveness. I rejoice that you have forgiven me. Remove from me the guilt which destroys, and the fear which betrays my trust in you, in the name of the Christ, the Master Fisherman and Master Lover.
P: Christ has set us free to live our lives.
M: The past is forgiven; the present is significant; the future is open.
P: I invite us to give thanks and to embrace life.
M: By God's power and presence, we seek a creative role in God's world.
P: Amen to that!
M: So be it! We're ready!
Choral Response
(Soloist) "God Is Love," C. J. Rivers, from Discovery in Song, Book One. (See Appendix I for address.)
Receiving The Biblical Truth
Message with the Children of All Ages
Use one or both scenes of today's Gospel. (1) Talk about fishing, and what's required to be a good fisherperson. Bring a net or fishing pole. Someone has said, "In order to catch a fish, you must know how to think like a fish." (2) Plan ahead to act out the second half. Use a child and someone to be "Jesus." Put the Scripture in a modern context, as "Jesus" asks the child three times the question Jesus asked Peter. Ask for the child's, then the children's, responses.
Dramatizing the Scripture
See Message with the Children of All Ages.
Proclamation of the Good News
Peter had it right: "Let's go fishing; why stick around here? It's over!" (1) No permanent idleness. They weren't going to stick around forever dreaming of what might have been. Disappointed, yes. Devastated? Not for long. (2) Suddenly, this stranger shows up. They did what he told them to do. No argument. No excuses. Is that how we respond to the Christ? (3) After things got back to normal, Jesus invited them to "come and have breakfast." Life would take on different dimensions forever.
Response
"This Is the Feast of Victory," adapt. John W. Arthur, 1978; Richard Hillert, 1978.
Responding To What We Believe
Stewardship Challenge
Pastor and Ministers
P: We determine our love for God and the world, not so much by what we say, but by what we do. So, I invite you to keep on opening your hearts, minds, wills, and pocketbooks to God's Word.
M: We will be honest and open to God's leading.
P: Great! We continue to praise God; on behalf of God's world, we give as we have received.
M: Right on! Let it be so, in you and me.
Charge to the Congregation
The time for "fishing" and loving is now, not two hours from now, not tomorrow, not just when we get around to it, but now. God gives us a multitude of opportunities to know and experience reality, truth, power, love. We can play all the games we want, saying, "Later, Lord, later." Now is the hour!
Hymn of Commitment
"Love Divine, All Loves Excelling," Charles Wesley, 1747; Rowland Hugh Prichard, 1831.
Meditation
Someone said to a nurse in a smallpox hospital, "You must have a great enthusiasm for humanity to carry you through such work as this." "Enthusiasm for humanity!" she exclaimed. "That would not keep me here one hour. It is the love of Christ that constrains us" (from Missions).
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: Medley of Easter hymns.
Response to the Prayer of Praise: "Now Let Us Sing," anonymous, from Folk Encounter. (See Appendix I for address.)
Response to the Scripture: "For your gracious blessings, for your wondrous word, for your loving kindness, we give thanks, O Lord." (Make up your own tune.) Or, "Brother James' Air,"aarr. Jacob.
Offertory: "A Prayer for the Innocent," McKay.
Music for Dismissal: "Carillon for a Joyful Day," McKay.
Gospel: John 21:1-19
Theme: Jesus Gives the Disciples a Lesson in Fishing; Jesus Pressures Peter to Make a Verbal Commitment about Love; Jesus Breaks Fast with the Disciples. Many people "love" (we love everything these days). We fish for fish; do we "fish" for human beings because we love both the lovable and the unloved?
The Community Of Faith, Hope, Love Gathers For Worship
Music for Preparation
"Prelude and Variation," Franck.
Recognizing Who God Is
Choral Invitation
"O Lamb of God," Weiss.
Pastoral Invitation
Pastor and Ministers
In the name of the risen Christ, welcome to the third Sunday of Easter. Yes, it's still Easter. As a matter of fact, every day is Easter; for every day, God calls us to new life, to new love, even as God called Peter and the disciples.
P: So, Jesus asks us, "Do you love me?"
M: Of course, Lord, you know that we love you.
P: Then Jesus says, "Be sensitive and caring of my world." Once again, Jesus asks, "Do you love me?"
M: Certainly, Lord, we do love you.
P: Then Jesus says, "Share your resources with those who have little or nothing." For a third time, Jesus asks, "Do you love me, friends?"
M: How many times do we need to tell you, Lord, before you believe us? We have said that we love you; what more do you want?
P: Then Jesus says, "Reach out to the least, last, lost, and lowest of this earth. Are you willing to do that? Beginning now? Today? Are you?"
M: Yes, we give you our word.
P: And all the people said ...
Hymn of Easter
"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name!" Stanzas 1-3, Edward Perronet, 1779, 1780; stanzas 2-3, alt. John Rippon, 1787; stanza 4, John Rippon, 1787. First tune: Oliver Holden, 1793; desc. Michael E. Young, 1979. Second tune: James Ellor, 1838.
Prayer of Praise
Have a layperson, a fisherperson, give the first half of the prayer; have a second person focus on the theme of love.
Realizing Who We Are
Introduction to the Act of Recognizing Our Humanity
On a scale of 1-10, how well do you love? Your mate? (Pause.) Your children or parents? (Pause.) Your neighbors? (Pause.) Your co-workers or fellow students? (Pause.) Those of different colors, or nationalities, or ...? (Pause.) Your enemies? (Pause.) Do we put conditions on our love? If so, when and how and with whom and why? (Two minutes of silence.)
Response
Prayer of confession: Lord, we admit that too often we live on the surface of life, tossing our nets in the wrong places for the wrong reasons. We are afraid of the depths to which Christ calls us, as we seek to hide many things deeply inside of us. At the same time, we are lazy, unkind, judging others by outward appearances and because they fail to live up to our standards. We are troubled by the thought that you see within us. And we find it hard to believe that you accept us as we are. Intellectually, we know that Jesus the Christ has shown us it is true, and we trust him. Help us, by Your Spirit, to live in the consciousness of this truth.
Choral Response
"You Are the Lord, Giver of Mercy" (Use a contemporary version of this response.)
Introduction to the Act of Receiving New Life
Here is the divine promise: Receive again, from God's energy, the life you considered alienated, lost, broken. Share again that life of love with the whole universe -- the truth of God's acceptance and reconciliation -- a message that most of the world still waits to hear -- in the name of God the Parent, God the Child, God the Spirit.
Response
Pastor and Ministers
Unison prayer: Because I can hide nothing from you, God, including myself, especially myself, and my favorite sin, I am open to you and your forgiveness. I rejoice that you have forgiven me. Remove from me the guilt which destroys, and the fear which betrays my trust in you, in the name of the Christ, the Master Fisherman and Master Lover.
P: Christ has set us free to live our lives.
M: The past is forgiven; the present is significant; the future is open.
P: I invite us to give thanks and to embrace life.
M: By God's power and presence, we seek a creative role in God's world.
P: Amen to that!
M: So be it! We're ready!
Choral Response
(Soloist) "God Is Love," C. J. Rivers, from Discovery in Song, Book One. (See Appendix I for address.)
Receiving The Biblical Truth
Message with the Children of All Ages
Use one or both scenes of today's Gospel. (1) Talk about fishing, and what's required to be a good fisherperson. Bring a net or fishing pole. Someone has said, "In order to catch a fish, you must know how to think like a fish." (2) Plan ahead to act out the second half. Use a child and someone to be "Jesus." Put the Scripture in a modern context, as "Jesus" asks the child three times the question Jesus asked Peter. Ask for the child's, then the children's, responses.
Dramatizing the Scripture
See Message with the Children of All Ages.
Proclamation of the Good News
Peter had it right: "Let's go fishing; why stick around here? It's over!" (1) No permanent idleness. They weren't going to stick around forever dreaming of what might have been. Disappointed, yes. Devastated? Not for long. (2) Suddenly, this stranger shows up. They did what he told them to do. No argument. No excuses. Is that how we respond to the Christ? (3) After things got back to normal, Jesus invited them to "come and have breakfast." Life would take on different dimensions forever.
Response
"This Is the Feast of Victory," adapt. John W. Arthur, 1978; Richard Hillert, 1978.
Responding To What We Believe
Stewardship Challenge
Pastor and Ministers
P: We determine our love for God and the world, not so much by what we say, but by what we do. So, I invite you to keep on opening your hearts, minds, wills, and pocketbooks to God's Word.
M: We will be honest and open to God's leading.
P: Great! We continue to praise God; on behalf of God's world, we give as we have received.
M: Right on! Let it be so, in you and me.
Charge to the Congregation
The time for "fishing" and loving is now, not two hours from now, not tomorrow, not just when we get around to it, but now. God gives us a multitude of opportunities to know and experience reality, truth, power, love. We can play all the games we want, saying, "Later, Lord, later." Now is the hour!
Hymn of Commitment
"Love Divine, All Loves Excelling," Charles Wesley, 1747; Rowland Hugh Prichard, 1831.
Meditation
Someone said to a nurse in a smallpox hospital, "You must have a great enthusiasm for humanity to carry you through such work as this." "Enthusiasm for humanity!" she exclaimed. "That would not keep me here one hour. It is the love of Christ that constrains us" (from Missions).
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: Medley of Easter hymns.
Response to the Prayer of Praise: "Now Let Us Sing," anonymous, from Folk Encounter. (See Appendix I for address.)
Response to the Scripture: "For your gracious blessings, for your wondrous word, for your loving kindness, we give thanks, O Lord." (Make up your own tune.) Or, "Brother James' Air,"aarr. Jacob.
Offertory: "A Prayer for the Innocent," McKay.
Music for Dismissal: "Carillon for a Joyful Day," McKay.
