First Lutheran Church
1663 Main St W Barnstable, MA 02668
of9ice@9irstcapecod.org
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Sacred Journey Easter Season 2024 Welcome
please stand as you are able
P: Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
C: I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”
P: As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.
C: The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
P: The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
C: I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
P: Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my 9lesh also dwells secure.
C: For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.
P: You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy;
C: At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (from Ps 16)
Lectio continua—Reader:
from Psalm 44
O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old. For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me.
But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us.
In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever.
Yet you have made us the taunt of our neighbors, the derision and scorn of those around us. You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.
All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face at the sound of the taunter and reviler, at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.
All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten you, and we have not been false to your covenant. Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from your way; yet you have broken us in the place of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death.
If we had forgotten your name or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God discover this?
For he knows the secrets of the heart.
Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself!
Do not reject us forever! Why do you hide your face?
Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!
Please be seated after you have lighted a candle(s)
The Prayer
AM: Jesus says: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.”
C: Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.
P: If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
C: Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.
P: The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
C: Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening. (from Rev 3:20-21 & 1Sam 3:9)
Reflection
We center our hearts and minds on Jesus by pondering “obedience”:
from Genesis 22:1-19
God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!…Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the 9ire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!…Behold, the 9ire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.” And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.
Most of the gods of the ancient Near-East required human sacriUices, at least from time to time.
• Why would our God tell Abraham to sacri9ice Issac, then stop him?
• What does it say to us that Abraham was willing to do this?*
• Is his willingness commendable or reprehensible?
Most SS pictures of this present Issac as a young boy…however, most Rabbis suggest he was 32-37, which 9its in with the story much better.
• How does it change your understanding of this story, if Issac was a full grown man?
• Why do you think God refers to Issac as Abraham’s “only son”…when he’s clearly not?
• How had God “provided” for Abraham over the course of his life?
Consider the promise, “In your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.”
• discuss…
• What does this story say to us about faith and obedience?
• What “limits” or guidelines de9ine what we would do/not do for God? Where do those come from?
*Heb 11:19 “Abraham considered that God was able even to raise Isaac from the dead, from which, Diguratively speaking, he did receive him back”
Prayer in the Spirit:
AM: Lord we lift our hearts to you. May we carry the unity we share into every moment knowing we are one with the risen Christ.
C: Lord, we lift our eyes to you.
AM: As the sun sets, may these moments stay with us, reminding us to look for the beautiful colors of promise in your word.
C: Lord, we lift our prayers to you.
AM: As the chill of evening descends, remind us that you always enfold us; keep us, & work within us.
C: Lord, we lift our voices to you.
AM: Help us to realize afresh what your death and resurrection mean for us: forgiveness, freedom, and the knowledge that we walk with you through this fallen world into eternity.
C: Lord, we lift our hearts to you.
AM: Jesus, you rose from death, defeated darkness, and bathed the world in stunning resurrection light.
C: Lord, we want to share that light with the world. Amen.
We pause to surrender ourselves to God:
AM: The risen Christ meets us at the tomb, and turns our tears to joy.
C: We give you thanks, O God.
AM: Christ comes through our locked doors, and turns our fear to courage.
C: We give you thanks, O God.
We pause to ponder our fears
AM: Christ comes to daily life and work, and turns our failure to new vision.
C: We give you thanks, O God.
AM: Christ breaks the bread, and turns our despair to hope.
C: We give you thanks, O God.
We pause to ponder our failures
AM: If you were not risen, Lord Christ, to whom would we go to discover the radiance of the face of God?
C: We give you thanks, O God.
AM: If you were not risen we would not be here seeking your presence, communion, & new beginnings.
C: We give you thanks, O God.
We pause to ponder Christ’s victory
AM: Give us the energy to follow you right to the end of our earthly lives.
C: Amen.
~~We observe a few moments of Silence~~
(adapted from Brother Roger of Taize)
please stand as you are able
Communion
P: Christ is risen!
C: He is risen indeed!
P: Let’s celebrate this uncontainable life; let's open our hearts to the joy and wonder of in9inite possibility, of unquenched hope, of eternal resurrection.
C: We raise our voices and our hearts in worship to the God who lives.
Communion Song: repeated
P: Resurrection happened because Christ was
C: His love for the Father, and for humanity, is so strong.
P: Defying death, he refused to release His hold on life and love.
C: So now, we choose to remember so we too can truly live.
Verse
P: At supper on the night before He died Jesus took bread and blessed it. Then He broke it and gave it to His disciples saying: This is my body, broken so that you may know life. Eat it and remember Me.
P: After the meal Jesus took wine and blessed it. Then He gave it to His disciples saying: This is my blood, shed so that you may know life. Drink it and remember Me.
Verse
P: We join our hearts and lift our voices in prayer as Jesus taught us:
C: 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.
Verse for distribution
Please form a close circle around the Altar
AM: Filled with life, we now offer ourselves to be life-bringers in the world.
P: Touched by resurrection we pledge to resist death wherever we 9ind it.
C: Filled with hope we embrace the promise of eternity, and the call to make it known at every opportunity. Amen. ~adapted from John van de Laar © 2009 Sacredise
P: God has claimed us for his own.
C: He has brought us out of darkness, and made us light to the world. Amen.
First Lutheran Church
1663 Main St
W Barnstable, MA 02668
of9ice@9irstcapecod.org
Pastor: Rev Dr Derek J Cheek
Music Minister: Eric Williams
Of9ice Administrator: Laurie Fogel
Sexton: Chuck Fillian
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