Liturgy for the Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year C, Luke)
Scripture Readings – Fifth Sunday of Easter
First Reading – Acts 11:1–18
Peter defends his decision to baptize Gentile believers, explaining how the Holy Spirit was poured out on them just as it was on Jewish believers. God’s grace breaks boundaries, expanding the early church’s vision of who belongs.
Psalm – Psalm 148
A cosmic call to praise: sun, moon, stars, sea creatures, and all people are invited to worship the Lord who created and sustains all things.
Second Reading – Revelation 21:1–6
John shares a vision of a renewed creation—God’s dwelling is with humanity, where death is no more, and everything is made new. These words offer comfort, hope, and assurance of God’s restoring future.
Gospel – John 13:31–35
On the night of his betrayal, Jesus gives his disciples a new commandment: love one another as he has loved them. This love becomes the defining mark of Christian community.
Call to Worship
One: Come, not because you have all the answers, but because you are willing to listen.
All: We come to seek God’s voice, and to offer our lives as worship.
One: Come, not just with your Sunday best, but with your whole, honest self—your hopes, questions, fears, or needs.
All: We come asking for grace, to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
One: Come, as members of one body, each with gifts to offer, each with a place in God’s work.
All: We come to belong, to serve, and to be shaped by the grace of our great God.
One: Let us worship the God who calls us, and gives us abundant grace and leadership.
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, we thank you for the mercy that meets us every morning, for the grace that holds us steady, and for the help you give when we don’t know what comes next. Thank you for the insight that comes and for the challenges that push us toward deeper trust. As we gather today, open our hearts to your call, and shape us into people who live as offerings of love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Merciful God, you have called us to offer our lives as living sacrifices, but we confess that too often, we hold back. We live small when you’ve called us into something fuller. We shrink from challenge, we doubt our gifts, and we think too little of the power of your Spirit within us. Forgive us our fear, hesitation, and the ways we settle for less. Renew us, reshape us, and lead us in your way. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon – Scripture
Ezekiel 36:26
A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Leader: Friends, believe the good news of the gospel: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven, reshaped, and made new.
All: Thanks be to God!
Prayer of Illumination
Gracious God, as we open your Word, open us. Quiet the noise within and around us so we may hear your voice clearly. By your Spirit, give us insight, challenge, and grace, that we may be renewed in mind and heart to live as your people. Amen.
