First Lutheran Church
1663 Main St W Barnstable, MA 02668
of9ice@9irstcapecod.org
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Sacred Journey
April 17, 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)
Please be seated
Lectio continua—Reader:
from Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
We will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with 9ire.
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
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Please be seated after you have lighted a candle(s)
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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)
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Reflection
We center our hearts and minds on Jesus by pondering “obedience”: from Gen 24:1-4, 10, 42-51
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh, that I may make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” […] “I came today to the spring and said, O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go, behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,” and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,” let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.’ “Before I had 9inished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel,.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.” Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from the LORD; we cannot speak to you bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has spoken.”
Abraham sends his most trusted servant (probably Eliezer) to Wind a wife for his 40 year-old son, Isaac. Eliezer formulates a plan to Wind a woman of worth for Isaac.
• DISCUSS Eliezer’s “test”…offering water to the camels, too.
Eliezer plies the young woman with jewelry and the show of wealth.
• Is he buying her affection?
• …and the consent of her dad?
This whole scenario is odd to us—
• do you think it is a good courting system?
• What can we learn from this story to apply to our lives?
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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
Hymn of the Evening
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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. (adapted from Brother Roger of Taize)
~~We observe a few moments of Silence~~
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
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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.
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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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