Description
John 15:1-8
Jesus, in the Gospel of John, makes another “I am” statement. I am the true vine. Jesus compares the Father to a gardener who prunes branches to make them more fruitful. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. We must remain in each other to bear fruit. Indeed, if the branch does not remain in the vine, it will be thrown away into the fire and burned. It is to the Father’s glory to bear much fruit.
We Lift Our Hearts in Worship
[Preservice options include video countdowns, worship song videos, welcomes), CDs, or live music.]
Welcome & Time of Greeting
Time of Praise and Worship
Goodness of God
Ben Fielding, Brian Johnson, Ed Cash, Jason Ingram, & Jenn Johnson, © 2018 Alletrop Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) SHOUT! Music Publishing Australia (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Fellow Ships Music (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) So Essential Tunes (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) Bethel Music Publishing
The Way
Ben Smith | Daniel Bashta | Pat Barrett, © Heritage Worship Publishing (Admin. by Bethel Music Publishing) Capitol CMG Genesis (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Housefires Sounds (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Go Forth Sounds (Admin. by Heritage Worship Publishing) Bread & Wine Sounds (Admin. by Watershed Music Group)
Forever Reign
Jason Ingram & Reuben Morgan, ©2009 SHOUT! Music Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Sony/ATV Timber Publishing (Admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC) Windsor Hill Music (Admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC) West Main Music (Admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC)
[Traditional Options]
At The Lamb’s High Feast
EH 174; ELW 362; LBW 210; LSB 633; LW 126; RS 578
O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright
CHH 105; ELW 308; LBW 76; LSB 395; LW 73; NCH 158; PH 69; UMH 247; WAR 230
Dearest Jesus We Are Here
ELW 443; LBW 187; LSB 592; LW 226; PH 493
Invocation
Pastor / Worship Leader
We are branches, rooted in the vine of Christ.
Worshipers
We come because we seek to abide in Christ.
Pastor / Worship Leader
The branches that remain in the vine bear much fruit.
Worshipers
We come because we long to be spiritually vibrant, alive, and productive.
Pastor / Worship Leader
If we abide in Christ, then Christ’s words will abide in us.
Worshipers
We come because we strive to be faithful disciples.
Pastor / Worship Leader
We gather for worship now to the glory of the One God: Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer. Amen!
Worshipers
Hallelujah! Amen!
Opening Prayer / Theme Introduction
Pastor / Worship Leader
Holy Spirit, give us the courage of Philip who took the time to share his faith with a curious stranger.
Heavenly Father, we are the people that were yet unborn when the Psalmist in exultation exclaimed: “future generations will be told about the Lord.” May we care about the yet unborn, and may our faith be as strong as the Psalmists. Lord Jesus Christ, help us love one another, for when we do so, we are loving you. Holy Spirit, we dare ask you to help us love more fervently, to love when love is hard to do, and to remember that when we love, it is only possible because you first loved us. Lord Jesus Christ, apart from you we cannot bear fruit for the kingdom. Abide in us for the sake of your church and help us be your love-filled disciples. Holy Spirit, when we see violence, help us also see the sadness of your heart, and seek to be your peacemakers in our everyday lives. Lord Jesus, healer of bodies and healer of souls, hear the names of those in need of your touch. Help us listen closely to your Word, even as you listen closely to our prayers. Amen.
Worshipers
Amen!
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor / Worship Leader
Jesus said: “I am the vine; you are the branches.” Let us pray.
Worshipers
We thank you, gracious God, for Jesus Christ the true vine, with his roots eternally grounded in you. We rejoice that by grace we have been grafted into him, to be branches on a vine which bears the loveliest of all the fruits of earth. Yet we confess that all is not well with the way we live.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Please forgive us for the occasions when we have been the ones to introduce disease into the vine,
preferring its contamination to the vigour of health.
Worshipers
Forgive us for neglecting to draw deeply on the source of Life, for our tendency to wander instead of growing on the framework you provide, for being content, and sometimes even proud of, a few sparse or undersized fruits, for the apathy which lets us to go through some seasons without bearing any fruit.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Have mercy on us. Please do not lose patience or sever us completely from the true vine. Rather heal our diseases, discipline, and train our wandering tendrils, prune our unfruitful branches, and cut away our diseased ones.
Worshipers
May we remain in Christ and he in us, through all the changing seasons of life. Let us delight in bearing the fruits of love which are our true purpose and joy. For your Name’s sake.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Jesus said: “If you reside in me, and my words reside in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.” Friends, we have asked for forgiveness and correction. It has been truly done for us. It is being done for us. And it will be done for us.
Worshipers
Thanks be to God!
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Acts 8:26-40
Angels continue to play a major role. Philip is instructed by an angel to go to the desert road, where he meets an Ethiopian eunuch. The eunuch is reading from the book of Isaiah about a man being led like a sheep to the slaughter. Philip explains the passage and tells the man about Jesus. The eunuch believes and Philip baptizes him. And then the Holy Spirit takes Philip away to where he will continue to preach the Gospel.
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” 30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. 31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” 34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
