The Sunday Lectionary Readings for SUNDAY, May 26, 2019 - Sixth Sunday of Easter (Rural Life Sunday)

Symbol of Peace with Eye of Providence  --Sacred Heart Church, Komarom, Hungary

The Sunday Lectionary Readings

SUNDAY, May 26, 2019 - Sixth Sunday of Easter

(Rural Life Sunday)

(Revised Common Lectionary Year C)

Rural Life Sunday
The American custom of observing Rural Life Sunday on the Sixth Sunday of Easter has its roots in the ancient custom of “Rogation Days”—from the Latin word rogare “to ask”, which reflects the beseeching of God for the appeasement of his anger and for protection from calamities. In the days between Easter 6 and Ascension Thursday, Christians in farming communities would “ask a blessing” on their fields, their seeds, their farm animals and their own labor, that their planting would flourish, and result in a good harvest. It was a joyful, hopeful time of community prayer for the land.

Opening - Litany of Creation

In the beginning, when God created the universe, the earth was formless, desolate, and covered by darkness. Then God commanded, "Let there be light", and light appeared.
And God was pleased with what he saw.
Then he separated the light from the darkness, the earth from the sea.
And God was pleased with what he saw.
God made the sun to rule over the day and the moon and stars to rule over the night.
And God was pleased with what he saw.
"Let the water be filled with many kinds of living beings, and let the air be filled with birds."
And God was pleased with what he saw.
Then God commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life."
And God was pleased with what he saw.
God created human beings, making them to be like himself, and put them in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals. "I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat; but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food."
God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased.
Then the Lord God placed man and woman in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and to guard it.
The earth is the Lord's, and all that is in it belongs to the Lord! Praise be to God, Creator of heaven and earth!

A Prayer of Invocation

Come, Lamb of God, light our path as we gather today. Open the gates of our minds and our hearts that your word may penetrate to the depth of our being. Lead us to the river of the water of life And refresh us for the work you have set for us. Sit us down under the tree of life and let us rejoice in the diversity of its fruit and witness to the healing of nations. Show us your glory, Sovereign One as we come to worship you. Amen.

The Collect (Book of Common Prayers)

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.

Prayer of Confession

Creator God, we confess that all to often we have ignored and denied your Lordship of the land entrusted to us by assuming the right to do with as we please, by taking more from it than we have returned to it, by taking for granted its productivity, by denying justice to many who have labored on the land, by wanting food for less than it costs to produce.

We confess that material values, rather than kingdom realities, have often determined our relationship. We have been more interested in our neighbor's land than in our neighbor. We have harbored bitterness and resentments because of economic problems. We are not reconciled to some who have hurt us, even members of your body.

Lord of the church, have mercy on us. Grant us peace with you and with each other in Christ. Amen.

Words of Assurance

Before industry, before economy, before agriculture, before all the systems of our own creation, there was Love. There is still Love. God’s love for us knows no beginning and no end. Give thanks, for we are a loved and forgiven people. Amen.

First Reading

Acts 16:9-15

16:9 During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

The Conversion of Lydia
11 We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. 13 On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. 14 A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. 15 When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us.

Psalm 67

The Nations Called to Praise God
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make God’s face to shine upon us,
that His way may be known upon earth,
Her saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for God judges the peoples with equity
and guides the nations upon earth.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.

The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God continue to bless us;
let all the ends of the earth revere the God of all Creation.

Second Reading

Revelation 21:10, 22—22:5

21:10 And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.
...
The River of Life
22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; 4 they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

The Gospel

John 14:23-29

14:23 Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

25 “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

or

John 5:1-9

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
5:1 After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2 Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. 3 In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. [4 for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and stirred up the water; whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was made well from whatever disease that person had.] 5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.

Now that day was a sabbath.

Here ends the Lessons

Click HERE to read today's Holy Gospel Lesson message

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; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. 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. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He 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.

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank you that we are a family in Christ. Help us to share his love and legacy with everyone that we encounter this week. May we lavish Christ’s abounding goodness upon our families, friends and colleagues. Holy Spirit, come and equip us in our workplace, guide us in our school life, and inspire us in our neighborhood. May we be your hands and feet to the needy, your words of affirmation to the oppressed and your arms of comfort to the lonely.

Thank you for choosing to use us to bring your kingdom here on earth.

Amen.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.
Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.”