Easter 5: Eternal Life and a Jar of Pennies

Sunday, May 7, 2023
10:30 AM 11:30 AM 10:30 11:30

Union Presbyterian Church 200 E Main St Endicott, NY, 13760 United States (map)

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The Rev. Jeff Kellam, Pastoral Associate for Union Presbyterian Church, steps in for the ailing pastor with a beautiful sermon about the connection between eternal life and a jar of pennies—but mostly about eternal life, and exactly what Jesus means by that term.

Join us as we continue in our celebration of the Easter season. We would love to see you in our beautiful sanctuary, or to have you join us right here online. You are invited!

Easter 5: Eternal Life and a Jar of Pennies

1 Peter 2:2-10; John 17:1-11

Union Presbyterian Church

May 7, 2023

Sharing the Light of Christ, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Liturgist: Barbara Ann Dailey Preacher: Rev. Jeff Kellam

Announcements Barbara Ann Dailey

Prelude     Colin DeLap 

“Here I Am To Worship,” Mark Hayes

Used by permission, CCLI License #CSPL068847

Welcome Rev. Jeff Kellam  

* Call to Worship Barbara Ann Dailey

Gather us, O God.

There is room for us all.

Dwell with us, O God.

Show us the way.

Guide us, O God.

We give thanks and praise for Christ,

our way, our truth, and our life.

* Hymn  #656 W & R “Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord,” Paul Baloche

Used by Permission. CCLI License #CSPL068847

(2x:) Open the eyes of my heart, Lord,

Open the eyes of my heart,

I want to see you, I want to see you.

To see you high and lifted up,

Shining in the light of your glory;

Pour out your power and love

As we sing, “Holy, holy, holy.”

(2x:) Open the eyes of my heart, Lord,

Open the eyes of my heart,

I want to see you, I want to see you.

To see you high and lifted up,

Shining in the light of your glory;

Pour out your power and love

As we sing, “Holy, holy, holy.”

(2x:) Holy, holy, holy,

Holy, holy, holy,

I want to see you.

* Call to New Life

* Prayer for Wholeness and Peace  

You send us, God, our Creator, but we hedge and hesitate. Forgive our fear and excuses. We are witnesses of your grace and glory, but allow others to silence our praise. We imprison ourselves with doubt and shame and fail to shine your light for all to see. Forgive our fears. Free our testimony. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

* Words of Assurance  

With the whole church:

We affirm that we are made in God’s image,

befriended by Christ, and empowered by the Spirit.

With people everywhere:

We affirm God’s goodness at the heart of humanity,

planted more deeply than all that is wrong.

With all creation:

We celebrate the miracle and wonder of life and the unfolding purposes of God, forever at work in ourselves and the world. Thanks be to God. Amen!

* Sharing of the Peace   

May the peace of God be with you. 

And also with you. 

Let us offer one another a sign of God’s peace. 

Scripture 1 Peter 2:2-10

Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture:

“See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
    a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

This honor, then, is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the very head of the corner,”

And

“A stone that makes them stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Once you were not a people,
    but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
    but now you have received mercy.

Time For Young Disciples Rev. Jeff Kellam

Music: “Come Into His Presence,” Lynn Baird

Used by permission, CCLI License #CSPL068847

Scripture John 17:1-11

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

”I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.

And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.

Response This is the Good News we have received, in which we stand,

and by which we are saved.

Thanks be to God!

Sermon “Eternal Life”

Affirmation of Faith 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.

Hymn #403 W & R “Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life” (Public Domain)

Come, my way, my truth, my life:
Such a way as gives us breath;
Such a truth as ends all strife;
Such a life as conquers death.

Come, my light, my feast, my strength:
Such a light as shows a feast;
Such a feast as mends in length;
Such a strength as makes his guest.

Come, my joy, my love, my heart:
Such a joy as none can move;
Such a love as none can part;
Such a heart as joys in love.

The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper/ Prayers of the People

The Invitation

The Great Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Sanctus “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord,” Joseph Roff

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.      

Holy, holy, holy Lord,

God of power and might,

Heaven and earth are full of Your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is He who comes

In the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest,

Hosanna in the highest.

The Words of Institution

The Holy Spirit

Prayers of the People

Response: We pray to you O God: Hear our prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

The Communion

Music: “Give Thanks,” Henry Smith.

Used by permission, CCLI License #CSPL068847

“More Precious Than Silver,” Lynn DeShazo

Used by permission, CCLI License #CSPL068847

Prayer After Communion

Gracious God, you have fed us at your table and bound us together in the body of Christ, confirming your promises to us. By your Spirit, give us the strength to serve you faithfully in our everyday lives, at work and at play. Help us to see you in the face of every stranger, until that day when all the world celebrates together at your banquet table. Amen.

* Hymn  #715 W & R “Now Let Us From This Table Rise” Fred Kaan

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.       

Now let us from this table rise,
Renewed in body, mind, and soul;
With Christ we die and rise again,
His selfless love has made us whole.

With minds alert, upheld by grace,
To spread the Word in speech and deed,
We follow in the steps of Christ,
At one with all in hope and need.

To fill each human house with love,
It is the sacrament of care;
The work that Christ began to do
We humbly pledge ourselves to share.

Then give us grace, Companion God,
To choose again the pilgrim way;
And help us to accept with joy
The challenge of tomorrow's day.

* Benediction

Postlude  Colin DeLap 

“Let Everything That Has Breath,” Mark Hayes.

Used by permission, CCLI License #CSPL068847

Where an * is indicated, please rise in body and/or in spirit.

“W & R” ~ the red Worship and Rejoice hymnal.

“PH” ~ the blue Presbyterian Hymnal

Some prayers for this service have been taken and adapted from Liturgy for May 7, 2023 by the Rev. Teri McDowell Ott, courtesy of Presbyterian Outlook.