Cycle A Easter 3

5/4/2014 Confession

Sunday Title:  Birth of the Church

Sermon Title: Why wait for Pentecost?

Previously:  

Sunday Title:  Mother’s Day

Sermon Title: Completely change the way you think and act

Sunday Title:  Walkabout Sunday

Sermon Title: “Walking and Witnessing”

Sunday Title:  Yearning Sunday 

Sermon Title: “Do we really yearn for the truth?” 

Sunday Title:  Eastern Conference Seminarians Sunday   

Sermon Title: “Within the Heart”

Scripture Cuttings:

Acts 2:14a, 36-41 ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”

Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me?  I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.

1 Peter 1:17-23 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ....

Luke 24:13-35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Confession:

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  Let us open hearts before our God. (listen for hinges on opening hearts)

  O Lord...

C: you know all our crooked ways

you see the corruption of our generation,

  we don’t.

We see other people’s sin,

  and wrap ourselves in self-righteousness,

    and the promise of your grace.

We close our ears to the power of your word

  and we think breaking your bread is only a routine.

Because we do not want to go where you will lead us,

  we squelch our yearning for you

    and extinguish the burning of our hearts.

Forgive us Lord for what we will admit.

Save us Lord from what we dare not name.

    (pause for reflection and self-examination)

P:  God is faithful and true and we may come to trust God through the Son: Jesus Christ. Repent, remember your baptism! For in Christ we have been ransomed from all our futile ways, not with good works but with the precious blood of Christ. For Christ's sake our sins are forgiven. We are purified and may live in obedience to the truth and love one another with a pure heart. To the glory of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

-or-

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  Let us honestly expose our hearts to God. (pause)

  O Lord we trust our very self to you...

C: we hear your call to repent and be baptized,

  we know you desire to save us

    from the corruptness of our generation, 

      and our hearts do ache for your word to open our eyes.

But Lord we are too busy to respond to your call,

  we are coerced by the sly techniques of these times,

    and we allow caution to make us slow of heart,

      slow to believe and trust in you.

Save, O Lord, your people.

Forgive us the sins we know in our heart.

Save us from the sins we hide. (pause for reflection and self-examination)

P:  Lord our ways are futile...

C: our conduct is empty.

P:  Our God is merciful and ransoms us with the precious blood of God’s own son Jesus Christ. For Christ's sake our sins are forgiven. We are born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed and we are called to obedience to the truth, and genuine mutual love. In the name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

Cycle A Easter 2

4/27/2014 Confession

Sunday Title:  Door Sunday

Sermon Title: Life in his name.

Previously:  

Sunday Title:  Believe Sunday

Sermon Title: Anyone hear from Missouri?

Sunday Title:  Absolution Sunday

Sermon Title: "My Lord and my God!"

Scripture Cuttings:

Acts 2:14a, 22-32  …God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.

Psalm 16 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

1 Peter 1:3-9 Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

John 20:19-31 “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to [Thomas], “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Confession:

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  Let us be honest with our God-

   the God who does not abandon us.

  (pause for reflection: honest- without our disguise)

  Lord God...

C: we hide ourselves

  away from your judgment.

    And why not, our sin is before us.

We are champions of anxiety and fear.

  We fear change even in the light of your constant love.

    We fear authority so much as to resist even You.

      We fear proclaiming your peace to the world,

in word and in deed even though you give us the Holy Spirit.

  We doubt the very good news that is to transform us,

    asking for proof of your love and your glory.

Forgive us Lord for the sins we know,

save from the sins we hide. (pause for reflection and self-examination)

P: Do not doubt but believe. In true faithfulness Jesus Christ died for these very sins of ours. He is risen!

C: He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

P:  Our sins are forgiven for Jesus’ sake. In receiving the Holy Spirit we may know this. As well as the blessing of believing in the resurrection and living true life in Christ name.

So that we may all say:

C: My Lord and My God! Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

Cycle A Resurrection of Our Lord

4/20/2014 Confession

Sunday Title:  Resurrection of Our Lord

Sermon Title: “Where do we go from here?”

Previously:  

Sunday Title:  Resurrection of Our Lord

Sermon Title: “This Changes Everything!”

Sunday Title:  Resurrection of Our Lord

Sermon Title: “Is life different now?”

Sunday Title:  Resurrection of Our Lord

Sermon Title: “Friendly Fear”

Jeremiah 31:1-6 I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. Again I will build you, and you shall be built,

Psalm 118:1-2, 13-24 I was pushed back and about to fall,  but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my song;    he has become my salvation.

Colossians 3:1-4 So if you have been raised with Christ,

seek the things that are above, where Christ is….

Matthew 28:1-10 …as the first day of the week was dawning…. …suddenly there was a great earthquake;

for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  There is Good News here today,

but we need to be honest with God

to understand what it means for us.

  (pause for reflection: honest- without our disguise)

  Lord God...

C: we are not like the first witnesses of the Resurrection.

We have not allowed You in the true center of our lives.

  Unlike the women going to the tomb early in the morning,

    we become discourage by large obstacles.

We do not trust you to roll away the stones,

  that keep us from bringing your Good News to all people.

In fact, we can even let early mornings

  deter us from being willing servants of Jesus.

Lord we are disconnected

  and not ready for your Glory.

Forgive us Lord for the sins we know,

save from the sins we hide. (pause for reflection and self-examination)

P:  There is Good News this morning, because we do not own a single fear, or doubt, or hesitation, the Lord our God does not overcome. It is by God’s own faithfulness that Jesus Christ died for our sins and that he was buried and that he was raised on the third day. For Christ's sake our sins are forgiven. By the power of the Holy Spirit we too are to become witnesses- apostles to proclaim the Resurrection of our Lord so that all may believe. To the Glory of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

Cycle A Palm Sunday

4/13/2014 Confession

Sunday Title:  Hero Sunday 

Sermon Title: “Holding out for a Hero”

Previously:  

Sunday Title:     I have not written a confession for Passion Sunday 

Sermon Title:     

Scripture Cuttings:

Isaiah 50:4-9a The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.

Philippians 2:5-11 …so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Matthew 21:1-11 The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  Let us take this time to be honest with God. (pause)

  O Lord...

C: too often we ask you to be our champion

  over the enemies we choose.

We don’t pay attention to the enemies you choose.

We fight poverty by accumulating wealth

  while following the lives of the rich and famous.

We fight injustice by denouncing the famous

  who escape punishment,

    instead of rejecting the rush to judgment

      that only quenches community fear.

We closely follow lives of athletically and artistically skilled 

  and neglect our relationships with family, friend, neighbor.

Save, O Lord, your people.

Hosanna! Save us from the sins we know in our heart.

Hosanna! Save us from the sins we hide.

    (pause for reflection and self-examination)

P: God is faithful! God saves! The one sent in the name of the Lord does come to save. Jesus Christ comes to empty himself, being faithful to the point of death, even death on the cross.(For Christ's sake our sins are forgiven). It is in this God that we may trust and with the Holy Spirit we too may forsake all other distractions, living faithfully to the glory of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

during Lent the Absolution may be withheld