Fifth Sunday of Easter
In Place of the Old Testament Lesson – Acts 11:1-18
Monologue (Peter)
I have been questioned of late because I – Simon Peter - went to the house of a non-Jew and had dinner with him. I would like to explain this:
I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. Then I heard a voice telling me, 'Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.'
I replied, 'Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'
The voice spoke from heaven a second time, 'Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.' This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.
Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. Six other believers also went with me, and we entered the man's house.
He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, 'Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He will bring you a message through which you and everyone in your family will be saved.'
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized withwater, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?"
It appears then that God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life… even as he has granted it unto us.
[If this passage is central to your service (sermon), if your building logistics will allow, consider hanging a sheet by its four corners somewhere in the room… over the pulpit or even the congregation. You don’t ever have to refer to it, but its looming presence will speak loudly to the story.]
Psalm 148
ResponsiveReading from Psalm 148
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens!
Praise him from the heights!
Praise him, all you angels!
Praise him, all you hosts of heaven!
Praise him, sun and moon.
Praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens.
You waters above the heavens, praise him.
Let them praise the name of the Lord, for it was at his command they were created.
Praise the Lord, you creatures of the deep!
Let fire, hail, snow, frost and stormy winds join in the praise.
Mountains and all hills!
Fruit trees and cedars!
Wild animals and all cattle!
Creeping things and flying birds!
Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and women, old and young together!
Let them praise the name of the Lord!
Yes, let them praise the name of the Lord!
God has raised up a Redeemer for his people, for his faithful ones, for those who are close to him.
Praise the Lord!
Hymn/Song Suggestions:
“Praise the Lord! Ye Heavens Adore Him”
“Praise Him! Praise Him!”
“All Creatures of Our God and King”
“Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven”
Anthem – “Praise Psalm” (Anna Laura Page)
Epistle – Revelation 21:1-6
Responsive Reading from Revelation 21:1-6
[This one might work better as a two-person dramatic reading; it could also be read by one reader as John… see below]
Leader: The words of John from the Revelation: I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
People: I saw the HolyCity, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Leader: I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with the people of the earth, and God will live with them.
Leader: They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
People: He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Leader: There will be no more death or mourning.
People: No crying or pain.
Leader:The old order of things has passed away.
People: I am making everything new!"
Leader: Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. It is done.
People: I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.”
Leader: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
Revelation 21:1-6
Monologue (John)
There came a time when I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the HolyCity, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with people of the earth, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.”
Responsive Reading
Leader: I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
People: I saw the HolyCity, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Leader: I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with people of the earth.
People: He will live with them and they will be his people.
Leader: God himself will be with them and be their God.
People: He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Leader: There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.
People: The old order of things will have passed away.
Leader: He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
People: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.
Responsive Reading from Revelation 21:22-27
Leader: The Holy City of New Jerusalem does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
People: The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.
Leader: On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.
People: The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.
Leader: Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful.
People: The only ones to enter are those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Song Suggestions:
“I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light”
“No Night There”
“The HolyCity” (solo)
Anthem:
“No More Night” (Walt Harrah) – oldie/ several arrangements out there. It still works.
Gospel – John 13:31-35
This is based on the longer passage that comes before today’s Gospel reading:
Dramatic Reading from John 13:1-17, 31b-35for Four Readers
Reader 1:Before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
Reader 2: The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him.
Reader 1: During supper -- knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God --Jesus got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself.
Reader 2:Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.
Reader 1:He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
Peter: "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
Jesus: "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
Peter: "You will never wash my feet."
Jesus: "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me."
Peter: "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!"
Jesus: "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you."
Reader 1:Jesus knew who was to betray him; that’s why he said, "Not all of you are clean."
Reader 2: After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them,
Jesus: "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.'
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Reader 1: Let us hear these words from the Lord.
Reader 2: And let us follow this teaching and his example.
All: Amen.