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Earth Day (Easter 3-C)

Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook, Series IV, Cycle C
Soul Motion
The Easter story is about the triumph of creativity.
We are all entombed with large boulders blocking our escape
and liberation to the extent our creativity is blocked or stifled.
-- Matthew Fox, Creativity

Call To Worship
Leader: Ah. Sunday again. The earth is announcing the coming of spring and summer! We can depend upon nature's cycles, though there are always some surprises along the way.

People: We thank God for the productivity of the land, for the beauty of flowers, and for the coming crops which nurture animals and humans.

Leader: We sing to the Holy One, expressing our gratitude for divine presence which strengthens us for daily tasks.

People: We have called to God; God knows our needs. We are not silent; God sustains us in times of sorrow and brings us to a place of joy. We sing to the Holy One.

Leader: We are not silent for God restores our sense of well-being. We give thanks and we tell others of Holy imagination, apparent in the ecosphere.

People: We actively care for our planet home!

Prayer Of Thanksgiving (Leader or Unison)
Living God -- we are alive! We praise you for the breath of life! We recognize your goodness each day as we enjoy our family and friends. We appreciate work to do that has meaning and allows us to be consistent in our thoughts and our behavior. Thank you for this earth home and for the miracles of water, land, and air. For this hour, we are alert for your voice. Amen.

Call To Confession (Leader)
Today is Earth Day. Ever imagine what the mistletoe thinks about the ozone layer? Ever consider what an earthworm thinks when it runs into a plastic bag? Ever wonder what goes through a homeless person's mind when she sees television commercials for SUVs while she's in the laundromat? Alone, we cannot change our culture. But alone, we can be careful with the land that is ours, with the waste we generate, with the poisons we choose, with the animals we eat. Our words and our behaviors announce the beliefs that motivate us. Check in with yourself and with the Holy. Is your living a consistent, integrated whole? Now is time for that conversation. Pray the printed prayer with me and then make your private prayers.

Community Confession (Unison)
Renewing God -- how grateful we are for the life and teachings of Jesus, grateful that he was willing to live beyond boundaries of society and the death-cave!

We know the friends of Jesus kept on telling his story despite the orders of the city council.

We, too, want to be on the side of right and justice, fairness and life-abundant.

Reveal to us the shadows in our souls; help us make changes till we walk in your light. Amen.


Sermon Idea
The Revelation passage raises the question of how we imagine the universe. How do twenty-first-century people of faith articulate their awe and loyalty to the Mystery we call God? The gospel of John is that delightful story of Jesus telling his friends to try fishing on the "right side." Thinking about Earth Day, the sermon might explore "the right side" of the food chain, "the right side" of the wet lands, "the right side" of global trade practices, "the right side" of poverty, and so on. The question none of the friends of Jesus dared ask was "Who are you?" Are we also avoiding that question because we fear the consequences of acknowledging that God is Creator of all and that much of the all is very slow to be replenished? Are we afraid to ask because we suspect we know some of the answers about "the right side" of many issues?

Contemporary Affirmation (Unison)
Jesus of Nazareth had the courage to challenge the institutions of his day.
He had the strength and wisdom to make heaven a viable option.
In spite of suffering and death, he was faithful to his vision;
His teachings have influenced all the world.
He imaged God as divine parent, as divine and benevolent ruler, and as creator of all the world.
We believe that God is still creating and welcomes us to participate to make heaven available on earth.
Through life and death, God is with us, even when we are afraid.


Offertory Statement (Leader)
The planet is God's. We are God's. Let us be generous with our material possessions, with our money, and with our time.

Doxology
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow, tune: OLD HUNDREDTH
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise God, all creatures here below.
Praise God, above you heavenly hosts.
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.

Prayer Of Thanksgiving (Leader or Unison)
Energy of the Universe -- thank you for adequate moneys and time to be caretakers of this building and the earth. As your faithful people, we use what we have to serve you. Love the earth and all creatures through us. Amen.

Intercessory Prayers (Leader or Readers)
God of Blue Birds and Chicken Hawks -- thank you for the breath of life. Thank you for the April showers that prepare the soil for seeds. Let desert places, too, produce sufficient food for the inhabitants. We grieve for the animals that are losing their homes. Help us humans not to be so greedy for space. Give us compassion and generous hearts so we might share the planet and wisely use its resources.

God of Polar Bears and People -- we marvel at the way life adapts to changes in nature. But we humans on this continent seem to be resisting the necessary changes so animals can share the earth with us. We realize that each species must produce its next generation. We are glad for our children. May they learn a simple lifestyle "so others may simply live." Help us to mentor them with love and thoughtful guidance.

Creator of Magma and Thunderbolts -- what a universe that grabs our imaginations! We humans tend to think we own the cosmos and we have manipulated it to make some people rich. Forgive our religious arrogance that has contributed to pollution and poverty. Open our eyes to the incredible balance of the ecosphere. Halt human greed and competition that maim the earth. Open our minds to the cruelty we perpetuate with chemicals, with animal industries, and with continual light and noise. Give us courage not to participate with the destruction of your world.

Healing God -- no one of us wants to suffer with disease; no one of us wants to wear Job's shoes; no one of us wants sleepless nights. We dread facing our mortality and the pain that often precedes our dying. Sustain us as we live fully day and night until we join you in eternity. Be undeniably present with us and heal our discomforts. Soothe us with inspiring images, stimulating music, and graceful friends. Amen.

Benediction/Charge (Leader)
Life is not a dead end;
It is a surprising journey to God.
Say "Yes" to life.
Laugh each day and unwind the threads of the world.
Notice new life around each corner.
Make new dreams and cultivate a glad heart!
Embrace the earth as a gift from God and
Save the wrappings!

Music
All Things Bright And Beautiful
Words: Cecil Frances Alexander, 1848
Music: English melody (17th century); adapt. Martin Shaw, 1915
ROYAL OAK

O God Of Earth And Space
Words: Jane Parker Huber, 1980
Music: Hebrew melody; adapt. Thomas Olivers and Meyer Lyon
LEONI

Sing With Hearts
Words: Jonathan Malicsi, 1983
Music: Kalinga melody
INTAKO

Thank You, God, For Water, Soil, And Air
Words: Brian Wren, 1973
Music: John Weaver, 1988
AMSTEIN
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John Jamison
Object: This is a role play activity.

Note: You will need to select six children to play roles in this activity. If you have a smaller group, you might ask some older youth or even adults to play the parts of the two attackers and the man being attacked. I will give suggestions for how they can play their roles, but feel free to help your children make the story as fun and memorable as you can. I have used boys and girls in the various roles, but you can change those however you want to change them.

* * *

The Immediate Word

Dean Feldmeyer
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Christopher Keating
George Reed
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
For July 13, 2025:
  • Samaritans Among Us by Dean Feldmeyer based on Acts 2:1-21. Samaritans were despised and dismissed by the original audience who first heard Jesus tell this parable. Who are the Samaritans in our lives and how does this parable apply today?

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
I say, “You are gods,
    children of the Most High, all of you;
nevertheless, you shall die like mortals
    and fall like any prince….”
(vv. 6-7)

There have been any number of brother-sister acts that achieved a measure of fame. Take the Carpenters, famed for their singing, musicianship, and songwriting skills. Also worthy of mention are John and Joan Cusack who have acted together in over sixteen films.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Wayne Brouwer
An ancient legend tells of a remote mountain village where people used to send their senior citizens out into the woods to die. The villagers had an eye to the future; they felt that those beyond a certain age would only slow down progress or use up valuable resources to no economically profitable end. Those who reached a certain age weren’t “put out to pasture” or “put out of their misery”; they were simply put out of other people’s way.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Amos 7:7-17 and Psalm 82
The tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It is more than 2,700 feet high—over half a mile tall. It has 160 floors and is twice as tall as the Empire State Building in New York City. It is home to the world’s fastest elevator which reaches speeds of forty miles an hour. The Burj Khalifa also hosts the world’s highest outdoor observation deck (on the 124th floor) and the world’s highest swimming pool (on the 76th floor).

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Mabel hummed a familiar hymn tune as she made her way to church. She always enjoyed her Sunday morning walk. It was one of the few times she felt safe to walk alone through the inner city, for she knew nobody would be up at 7.45 in the morning. Today was a particularly beautiful morning, with blue sky, warm sunshine, and the song of a few intrepid blackbirds who still inhabited the city.

SermonStudio

James Evans
Often, a distinction is made between the pastoral or priestly work of the church and the prophetic work. Pastoral care has to do with the care of souls, the offering of comfort in times of loss. The priestly character of pastoral work seeks to mediate the presence of God to those who are hurting.

Schuyler Rhodes
Trusting is never easy. Even in the best of relationships, people step into trust slowly. There is wariness -- questioning -- worry. What happens if trust is betrayed? What if this doesn't work? Sometimes it's like a dance. We step in and out of trust, moving to the rhythms of fear. For many, the routine is achingly familiar. Indeed, it's not easy to trust.
John Jamison
It was back in the days when the railroad was the most common mode of transportation. There were automobiles, and some airplanes, but the steam locomotive was the way most folks traveled and the way that most of the goods were distributed around the country. After dinner, people sat in the drawing room and listened to the radio programs, fading in and out from some faraway location, over the magical broadcasting signal.
Robert Leslie Holmes
Not many tourists to Washington, D.C., look for the Federal Bureau of Standards offices. It's the Capitol and the White House, the Supreme Court Building or the Smithsonian most of us want to see when we go there. Yet, at the Bureau of Standards offices something very important is stored, something that impacts your life and mine every single day. Have you ever bought the materials for a new project? When you did, most likely you purchased so many inches or feet or yards. Or, you stopped to buy gasoline for your car and purchased it at a certain price per gallon.
David O. Bales
I have the two best jobs in the world. I teach social studies at Leon Griffith Junior High School (a fairly small junior high) and I am Sunday School Superintendent at Calvary Presbyterian Church (an enormous church school). Each job is my vocation. I tell people that at school they'll find my room where the halls cross. At church they can look but probably won't find me. I'll be in someone's classroom. At each job I practice what I most deeply believe: it's how you see the world that determines how you respond to it. I'll give you an example, actually, two examples.
Erskine White
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed,
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
(Stuart K. Hine)

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