Cycle A Easter 6

5/25/2014 Confession(s)

Sunday Title:  Greater - Still Sunday

Sermon Title: Believing to Love

Previously:  

Sunday Title:  Love Sunday

Sermon Title: Still with this Love thing.

Sunday Title:  Test Sunday

Sermon Title: “Cram for the Exam”

Sunday Title:  Religious Sunday

Sermon Title: “What is our Religion?”

Sunday Title:  Advocate? Sunday

Sermon Title: "Love or a deep appreciation"

Scripture Cuttings:

Acts 17:22-31 Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, "Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way.

Psalm 66:8-20 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer.

1 Peter 3:13-22 Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence.

John 14:15-21 If you love me, you will keep my commandments.... They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.

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:  With the Spirit of truth let us faithfully return to our God. (pause)

  O God...

C: you give to us life and breath and all things,

  still we lay claim to these gifts as exclusively our own.

From you come the boundaries of our living place,

  yet we do not seek your expansive love.

You allot the time for our existence,

  and we pin our hopes for a heavenly future on you,

but we fail to live the present in faith.

Save us Lord from the sins we know in our hearts.

Save us Lord from the sins we hide.

    (pause for reflection and self-examination)

P:  Our God is a righteous God. Still with mercy God sends Jesus the Christ to us the unrighteous. Christ suffered for our sins, once for all. For this Christ was put to death but is raised. Just the same our relationship with God is made alive, and for Christ's sake our sins are forgiven. With the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, we may turn from our sins with a good conscience and live in the love of God. 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!

-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 seek our right relationship with God. (seek in reflection)

  Merciful Lord...

C: you have made our hearts open and hungry for you,

so we search for meaning in our lives

  but don’t look to you for meaning.

You have given us your church and your word,

    as well as your Son, and the Holy Spirit.

But we squander your gifts.

  We put them away in hidden shrines,

    hoarding our knowledge of salvation in private pieties.

We try to limit your love to Sunday morning

  and other church events made for those most like us.

Now we think of ourselves as extremely religious

  as long as it does not involves suffering or sacrifice.

Forgive us the sins we are willing to know.

Save us from the sins we will not reveal.

     (pause for reflection and self-examination)

P:  The God who made heaven and earth and everything in it, longs to love us. God sent Jesus Christ to reveal himself to us. For the sake of God’s Son our sins are forgiven. If we know him and love him, we will keep his mandate of love. And we will know the Spirit of truth who abides in us 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!