Fourth Sunday of Easter
May 11, 2025
Acts 9:36-43
Psalm 23
Revelation 7:9-17
John 10:22-30
Our gracious, eternal God, as we bow our hearts in your presence we bow in need of your graciousness. We live in a world where there is often little tolerance and compassion among human kind. We do not do well with diversity. Our history is replete with rejecting behaviours which have shut out people due to their religious beliefs, due sometimes to the color of their skin, due sometimes to their national origin, due sometimes to their sexual orientation, and due sometimes just to stubborn dislike. We bow in need of your forgiveness and grace.
Forgive us our rejecting behaviours. Forgive us the rigid attitudes of our hearts which would shut out even one of your children.
We pray that you would change our hearts. Drive out the fears which so easily beset us. For fear is always what causes us to retreat from and reject others and it is fear that holds us back from embracing them.
Give us a heart like Jesus, a receiving and gracious heart.
Give us hearts which reach out to embrace others.
Give us wide open arms to embrace the pain of the exile in our midst.
Give us the will to be a church which is a gathering of the wounded, the vulnerable; yes, and also of the hopeful, those who are hopeful of a new and exciting life and a new community in Jesus the Christ.
We also bring before you the great pain and travail of our broken and war-torn world. Be with the wounded and the suffering. Be among the grieving. Be with soldiers who have served too long and yet must stay on duty because they cannot be relieved. Be with the sadistic who find delight in others’ suffering. In all of that sinfulness may a new world be born. Amen
May 11, 2025
Acts 9:36-43
Psalm 23
Revelation 7:9-17
John 10:22-30
Our gracious, eternal God, as we bow our hearts in your presence we bow in need of your graciousness. We live in a world where there is often little tolerance and compassion among human kind. We do not do well with diversity. Our history is replete with rejecting behaviours which have shut out people due to their religious beliefs, due sometimes to the color of their skin, due sometimes to their national origin, due sometimes to their sexual orientation, and due sometimes just to stubborn dislike. We bow in need of your forgiveness and grace.
Forgive us our rejecting behaviours. Forgive us the rigid attitudes of our hearts which would shut out even one of your children.
We pray that you would change our hearts. Drive out the fears which so easily beset us. For fear is always what causes us to retreat from and reject others and it is fear that holds us back from embracing them.
Give us a heart like Jesus, a receiving and gracious heart.
Give us hearts which reach out to embrace others.
Give us wide open arms to embrace the pain of the exile in our midst.
Give us the will to be a church which is a gathering of the wounded, the vulnerable; yes, and also of the hopeful, those who are hopeful of a new and exciting life and a new community in Jesus the Christ.
We also bring before you the great pain and travail of our broken and war-torn world. Be with the wounded and the suffering. Be among the grieving. Be with soldiers who have served too long and yet must stay on duty because they cannot be relieved. Be with the sadistic who find delight in others’ suffering. In all of that sinfulness may a new world be born. Amen