Collect for: Sixth Sunday of Easter
O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
New Testament
Acts 17:22-31
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, 'Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious;
23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:
24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.
25 Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.
26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,
27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'
29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising.
30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,
31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.'
Officiant: The Word of the Lord. The People: Thanks be to God.
Psalm
Psalm
66
1 Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
2 Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious.
3 Say to God, 'How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
4 All the earth shall worship You And sing praises to You; They shall sing praises to Your name.'
Selah 5 Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.
6 He turned the sea into dry land; They went through the river on foot. There we will rejoice in Him.
7 He rules by His power forever; His eyes observe the nations; Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves.
Selah 8 Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
9 Who keeps our soul among the living, And does not allow our feet to be moved.
10 For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.
11 You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs.
12 You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
13 I will go into Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows,
14 Which my lips have uttered And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals, With the sweet aroma of rams; I will offer bulls with goats.
Selah 16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
17 I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue.
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.
19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!
*At the end of the Psalms this is sung or said Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: * as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
New Testament
1 Peter 3:8-20
8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;
9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
10 For 'He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.
11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.'
13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?
14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. 'And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.'
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,
19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,
20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
Officiant: The Word of the Lord. The People: Thanks be to God.
Gospel
John 14:15-21
Introduction to the Gospel:
Deacon:
The Lord be with you.
People:
And also with you. Or And with your spirit
Deacon:
May the Lord be on our minds, on our lips, and on our hearts as we hear His Holy Gospel. The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint John.
People:
Glory to You, Lord Christ.
Deacon:
We are reading from John's Gospel chapter 14, beginning at verse 15.
15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever --
17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
19 A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.
20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.'
After the Gospel reading, the deacon elevates the book and says:
Deacon:
The Gospel of the Lord.
People:
Praise to You, Lord Christ. Prayers of the People
Prayers of the People for: Sixth Sunday of Easter
Brothers and sisters, Jesus has torn the veil that stood between us and the Father, and as a result, we now have complete access to Him.
Therefore, let us bring our needs and those of the whole world to the Father of us all. That the Church will remain faithful and obedient to God's Word and calling.
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
That we will remember the suffering Church and those on the mission field with our prayers and resources.
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
That nations will strive to live in peace with one another.
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
That those who live in fear will be overcome by the peace which only God can give.
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
That God will work miraculously in our lives that our children will desire to come to know Him in the deepest way.
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
That we will glorify God through our obedience and bear much fruit for His Kingdom.
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
For our own special intentions. (Pause)
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, in You we live and move and have our being. Hear our prayer and give us the grace to be a thankful people for all You have done for us through Christ our Lord. AMEN