Third Sunday of Easter
**Please note this service is based on the format of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada. Unless otherwise indicated, all prayers come from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW). Hymns and other prayers have been sourced to give appropriate credit.
**NRSV translation used for the readings, unless otherwise stated.
Introduction
to the day
The disciples make a big splash and eat breakfast with the risen Jesus. Wading in the water (remembering baptism) and eating with Jesus (celebrating holy communion) is our weekly encounter with the risen Christ. Jesus asks us again and again: Do you love me? And Jesus invites us, again and again, to follow him, bringing the Easter life to others.
Thanksgiving
For Baptism
Alleluia!
Christ is risen.
Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!
In
the waters of baptism,
we
have passed over from death to life with Jesus Christ,
and
we are a new creation.
For
this saving mystery, and for this water, let us bless God,
who
was, who is, and who is to come.
We
thank you, God, for your river of life,
flowing
freely from your throne:
through
the earth,
through
the city,
through
every living thing.
You
rescued Noah and his family from the flood;
You
opened wide the sea for the Israelites.
Now
in these waters you flood us with mercy,
and
our sin is drowned forever.
You
open the gate of righteousness
and
we pass safely through.
In
Jesus Christ, you calm and trouble the waters.
You
nourish us and enclose us in safety.
You
call us forth and send us out.
In
lush and barren places, you are with us.
You
have become our salvation.
Now
breathe upon this water
and
awaken your church once more.
Claim
us again as your beloved and holy people.
Quench
our thirst; cleanse our hearts; wipe away every tear.
To
you, our Beginning and our End,
our
Shepherd and Lamb,
be
honor, glory, praise, and thanksgiving,
now
and forever.
Amen.
Gathering
Song – Christ Is Alive!
Let Christians Sing (ELW #389)
Greeting
The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and
the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
Canticle
of Praise
Prayer
of the Day
The
Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let
us pray.
Eternal and all-merciful God,
with all the angels and all the saints we laud your majesty and might. By the
resurrection of your Son, show yourself to us and inspire us to follow Jesus
Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Readings
A
reading from the Book of Acts 9:1-20
Meanwhile Saul, still
breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the
high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if
he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound
to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a
light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice
saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you,
Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and
enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were
traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no
one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see
nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three
days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Now there was a disciple in
Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He
answered, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street
called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul.
At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias
come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But
Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil
he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the
chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go,
for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and
kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must
suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid
his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you
on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled
with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his
eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after
taking some food, he regained his strength.
For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”
The
word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm
30
I
will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,
and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
O
Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
O
Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
restored me to life from among those gone
down to the Pit.
Sing
praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For
his anger is but for a moment;
his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping
may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
As
for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
By
your favor, O Lord,
you had established me as a strong
mountain;
you
hid your face;
I was dismayed.
To
you, O Lord, I cried,
and to the Lord I made supplication:
“What
profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the Pit?
Will
the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
Hear,
O Lord, and be gracious to me!
O Lord, be my helper!”
You
have turned my mourning into dancing;
you have taken off my sackcloth
and clothed me with joy,
so
that my soul may praise you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you
forever.
A
reading from the Book of Revelation 5:11-14
Then I looked, and I heard
the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and
the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,
singing with full voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb that was
slaughtered
to receive power and wealth
and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and
blessing!”
Then I heard every creature
in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in
them, singing,
“To the one seated on the
throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and
glory and might
forever and ever!”
And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.
The
word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel
Acclamation
The
Lord be with you.
And
also with you.
The
Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John 21:1-19
Glory to you, O Lord.
After these things Jesus
showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed
himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called
the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of
his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to
him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night
they caught nothing.
Just after daybreak, Jesus
stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus
said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.”
He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find
some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there
were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the
Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for
he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the
boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only
about a hundred yards off.
When they had gone ashore,
they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them,
“Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard
and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them;
and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come
and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?”
because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to
them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus
appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”
The
Gospel of the Christ.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
Provided by Pastor Steve Johnston, Trinity Lutheran, London, ON
Pastor Steve has just celebrated his 10th anniversary
at Trinity Lutheran Church, London, Ontario.
Is that a big number of years for a pastor at a
congregation? It certainly isn’t the biggest number of years by far. Some
pastors have had three decades at a single church. But 10 years is starting to get
big. The average time a pastor stays at one church is about 7 years.
This is Pastor Steve’s story about this Season of Easter 2022 … and some big numbers. But what is a big number? I will let him tell his story …
Guelph and Vaughan have 5 children. Is that a big number? Maybe yes, maybe no?
On Easter morning this year, the “Ontario” Family (yes, you guessed it … I changed all of their names to cities and towns in Ontario), all FIVE of the TOWN kids gathered with me under the 9 ft Grand piano.
Is nine feet a big number? It is pretty big for a basketball player, but for a grand piano 9 feet is the about the biggest you can get.
Anyway, the 5 TOWN kids gathered under the 9 foot grand piano for the children’s message.
It wasn’t a new word, but wasn’t one that we have used in the last 6 weeks of Lent. Those TOWN kids are pretty smart and have been coming to church all of their lives.
Yes, you guessed right again. It is the Alleluia word.
But I was asking them to guess how many times we would say that word that Easter morning. And the TOWN kids gave their best estimations…
Kearney said 1,000,
Timmins said (or rather exclaimed) 777,
Newmarket guessed 509,
Goderich, being one of the older TOWNS and who had developed a better numeric sense, said 53 to which I interjected with my guess of 153 (because that is a special number for me),
and then Ajax, the oldest TOWN kid, guessed 190.
I am and sure you have number in your head now, too.
I didn’t know what the number would be even though I am the pastor, and I planned the worship service, including Wendy’s singing the “modified with Christian lyrics” version of Leonard Coen’s song, “Hallelujah”.
But having done this message before with others in other towns, my guess would be in the ballpark. Ajax’s guess was pretty close.
My assigned “keep of the clicker” recorded 199 Alleluias that morning.
Is that bigger than your guess? Is that a big number?
Maybe if I state it another way, that is about 1 Alleluia every 30 seconds. I think that is a big number.
Not all of the “Alleluias” where the same size.
Some, where sung by one person, but the rest were said by the 60 people gathered in-person plus the 41 viewers on the YouTube live stream, and when they all answered my, “He is risen!” with their, “He is risen indeed! Alleluia”…that is a 100 fold bigger than Wendy’s single voiced, “Alleluia”.
But what if we measured in decibels? (That’s the scale that measure loudness).
I would said, that Wendy at her loudest, beats the 100 voices. She was powerful – in decibels and in emotion! But let’s stick with the number of times the Alleuia was heard.
My guess of 153 was in the ballpark, but why 153? That is a very precise number is it not?
The disciples from our Gospel story have gone back to their pre-meeting-Jesus career…and they went fishing, and all night long they caught nothing, nada, rien, zilch. No matter what language you say it in…they caught NO fish. Now that is a small number.
But Jesus calls out to them from the shore, “try the right side”. They do, and they fill the net to bursting…“153 of them”…BIG ones.
The Greek word for big is “megalōn”. That even sounds big, doesn’t it?
So 153 is a big number – The net was full, AND THAT IS THE POINT.
Many scholars have tried to explain the 153, and they really can’t. It isn’t symbolic like 40 or 7 or 12 (I’m talking days or disciples here).
153 could well have been 777, or 509, or 199. It is JUST A BIG NUMBER. THAT is the point.
But is still means something…I would say it means, with Jesus and his blessing we will be abundantly blessed. But blessed in what?
Let me tell you a different story. I have a spiritual director.
What’s a Spiritual Director? I hear you ask. It is a faithful friend, and I mean, a friend who shares their faith in God just like your faith. But it is a spiritual friendship.
The director doesn’t give you guidance or advice like a councilor or a therapist, but rather will ask you open and honest questions about your faith feelings, and questions to make you go, “Hmmm?” Someone who will walk and talk with you about how the Holy Spirit is speaking to you and someone encouraging you to speak back to God.
Here's how it happened for me a few weeks ago. I was on a Zoom call with Doug, my spiritual director, (that is his real name), and I told him I was very tired and not in a good place to sit and ponder what the Holy Spirit might be saying to me.
I reckon the Spirit would have said to me, “Isn’t time to go and rest now Steve?”
So asked Doug to read my favourite Bible story for me. He did…it was the Gospel of John text we just heard in today’s worship.
Doug read at a gentle pace. He told me not to analyze it or try to work out what it means, (Pastors do that a lot, by the way), but rather let the words wash over me as if I was hearing it for the first time. Then we sat in silence for a minute or so, and then he read it a second time.
“This time”, he said, “listen and see what word or words seem to stand out or shimmer. This is the time let the Holy Spirit guide you to something in the passage.”
As Doug read the story again about the disciples who went fishing all night long, who ended up with a big catch and who then had breakfast with Jesus on the beach, the phrase, the shimmered for me was, “so many fish”.
Those were the words that stood out. By the way, Doug had used The Message translation.
I love this John 21 story – this is the one I want read at my funeral, this is the story that gives me joy and hope every time I read it. When I am down, I read this and there is Jesus on the beach. When I think about the abundant life we are promised, I think, “I want to have that breakfast on the beach with Jesus”.
This a post resurrection story, this is us as much as it is about those disciple back then.
We are living in post resurrection times. This story is for all of us. Breakfast on the beach with Jesus. I love this story.
BUT…that wasn’t what the Holy Spirit made shimmer in Doug’s second reading. It was, “So many fish”.
Doug read the passage again. This time he asked me to ponder what, “So many fish” means to me at this time?
He read, we sat in silence for a minute or so. I said, “Each of the fish is a time in my 15 years of ordained ministry, where I have brought, or shared, joy with one of my flock.” No, I don’t own them, but I am their pastor and their shepherd.
We sat again in silent contemplation.
Doug read the story again this time asking what is God, or the Holy Spirit, or Jesus, saying to you now? After this reading I didn’t know what to say, so my Spiritual Direction said, “Jesus asked the disciples to bring some of those fish over to the fire…what fish are you going to bring to Jesus?”
Can you imagine this conversation happening for you?
Can you imagine being gifted with such a good spiritual friend who reads scripture to you and then could coaxes you along to bring some joyful big fish to Jesus for the two of you to share?
You may have worked out which spiritual practice Doug was using. It isn’t modern thing. This idea of scriptural reflection goes back to the 3rd century. It is called Lectio Divina which is Latin for "Divine Reading" or Holy reading.
Look it up in Wikipedia and you will read that, “it is a traditional monastic practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God's word.”
This practice doesn’t treat scripture as texts to be studied, but more as the living word and personal revelation to the individual.
For me…that day…I was surprised at what the Holy Spirit brought to my understanding of those three words, “So .. many .. fish”.
So try that at home. Read the passage again and I’d like you ponder Doug’s question to me.
“What fish will you bring to Jesus?”
What in your life, stands in for one or two of those BIG fish?
What big fish will you share with Jesus?
And then later today…tell someone…what BIG fish did you bring to Jesus.
Amen.
Hymn of the Day – I Know that My Redeemer Lives! (ELW #619)
Nicene
Creed
Let us confess our faith as we say together the Nicene
Creed.
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the
Father,
God from God, Light from
Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were
made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy
Spirit and the virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified
under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was
buried.
On the third day he rose
again
in accordance with the
scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right
hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no
end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father
and the Son,
who with the Father and the
Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the
prophets.
We believe in one holy
catholic and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection
of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Prayers
of Intercession
Set free from captivity to sin and death, we pray to the God of resurrection for the church, people in need, and all of creation.
Holy One of new
beginnings, fill us with new life. Send us into the world as you sent your
apostles Philip and James, to invite people to come and see your wondrous acts
in Christ.
God, in your
mercy,
hear our prayer.
Revive
ecosystems along coastlands that have been devastated by natural forces and
human negligence. Reestablish plant and animal life that purifies air and water
and that feeds humans and other living creatures.
God, in your
mercy,
hear our prayer.
Accompany
laborers who get little rest from their work. Give them hope when they struggle
to produce what they need. Give all who labor fair treatment and just wages.
God, in your
mercy,
hear our prayer.
Restore all
people who cry to you for help. Turn their mourning into dancing, clothe them
with joy, and put a testimony of healing and praise on their lips.
God, in your
mercy,
hear our prayer.
Be present to
faithful ones who are persecuted for following you. Sustain them by your faithfulness
and give them strength in the name of Jesus.
God, in your
mercy,
hear our prayer.
Join our voices
with angels, creatures, and all the saints in praising Christ and bestowing
upon him all blessing and honor and glory. Reveal Christ’s glory to us and
through us in our worship.
God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
In your mercy, O
God, respond to these prayers, and renew us by your life-giving Spirit; through
Jesus Christ, our Saviour.
Amen.
Peace
The peace of Christ be with
you always.
And also with you.
Hymn of Thanksgiving – O Living Bread
from Heaven (ELW #542)
Thanksgiving
for the Word
Let us pray.
O God of justice and love, we
give thanks to you that you illumine our way through life with the words of
your Son. Give us the light we need, awaken us to the needs of others, and at
the end bring all the world to your feast; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and
Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever.
Amen.
Lord’s
Prayer
Gathered into one by the Holy
Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who
sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
Blessing
God, the Author of life,
Christ, the living Cornerstone,
and the life-giving Spirit of adoption,
☩ bless you now and forever.
Amen.
Sending Song – What Wondrous Love Is This (ELW #666)
Dismissal
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Go in peace. Tell what God has done.
Thanks be to God.
