Christ is Risen!
Welcome to your online worship for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 14, 2023.
I do want to say this week, I feel that we have reached an important symbolic milestone in our church’s day to day ministry as we recover from the impact of the pandemic. This week, Bishop Todd has announced the end of the remaining diocesan protocols.
Importantly, he does acknowledge that there remains many steps that we individually and as a community can continue to to take to be careful and protect ourselves and our community from the continuing threat of contagious illness like Covid-19 and influenza. The ending of the mandatory protocols is a sign of our progress away from the deadly threat that we faced during the height of the pandemic. You can read the Bishop’s announcement here.
Today’s Opening Sentence
“If you love me, you will keep my word, and my Father will love you, and we will come to you.” – John 14.23
Today’s Reading – John 14:1-14
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 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.”1
Your Online Message and Prayers
Click on the above image to view our online worship on YouTube.
Reflection questions for the week:
- At some point in our lives we have had to strike out on our own. Leaving our home and out from under the authority of our parents. Reflect on the those times when our choices and decisions truly became our own. What were your guiding principles in making those decisions?
- We are bombarded by the voices that call us to action by appealing to our anger and hurt. How do we discern what is right? How do we identify when we are being used or misled?
- Sometimes we make mistakes and hurt others who we are in community with. We do break God’s commandments for us. How have you been able to seek restoration successfully in your life with the communities that you have been part of?
- Every community is made up of fallible and imperfect people. But there are still times when together in community we can achieve moments of true blessedness and be examples that reflect God’s Love and Jesus compassion. Reflect on when you have experienced those moments in your life. What conditions helped create and encourage those Good Works?
This week music is provided by Ryan Van Dijk, our Music Director, and the choir. Thank you to them all for their ministry of music!
A continued reminder that if you are at all uncomfortable being in-person for worship, or if you are not feeling well, please join us here online.
Thank you again for joining with your parish family in our online worship today.
Find out how you can support our ministry and good work in the community here.
God Bless you and have a blessed week. Be well!
Peace,
The Rev’d Canon Rob Park
- Scripture quotation is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.