A couple of weeks after resurrection day, the disciples seem confused and aimless. Peter decides to go back to what he knows best—fishing—and the others go with him. There, the risen Jesus arrives, ready †o cook them all breakfast on the beach, and to engage Peter in the most important conversation of his life. Join us as we welcome back the Scapegoats to lead us in song, and as we, too, gather around the table of our risen Lord.
Join us throughout this Easter Season as we wonder together what it might mean to life be an Easter people. Join us in our beautiful sanctuary, or right here online. Worship is live-streamed; videos are available here or on Youtube following the service.
Wandering Heart
Here’s My Heart
Psalm 133; John 21:1-19
Union Presbyterian Church
April 7, 2024
Sharing the Light of Christ, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Liturgist: Cindy Surrena Preacher: Rev. Pat Raube
Welcome Rev. Pat Raube
Announcements Cindy Surrena
Prelude Colin DeLap
“In Christ Alone,” Stuart Townend.
© 2002, Thankyou Music.
Used by permission, CCLI License #CSPL068847
* Call to Worship (responsive) Cindy Surrena
Jesus said,
“Follow me.”
Jesus said,
“Take heart, it is I: do not be afraid.”
Jesus said,
“Forgive seventy times seven.”
Jesus said,
“Feed my sheep.”
In response, we say:
“Here’s my heart.
Take and seal it.
Seal it for thy courts above.”
Let us worship God with all our hearts.
* Hymn #291 W & R
“Alleluia No. 1,” Donald Fishel
©1973, Word of God Music
Used by permission, CCLI License #CSPL068847
Alleluia, alleluia! Give thanks to the risen Lord,
Alleluia, alleluia! Give praise to his name!
Jesus is Lord of all the earth.
He is the King of creation.
Alleluia, alleluia! Give thanks to the risen Lord,
Alleluia, alleluia! Give praise to his name!
Spread the good news o’er all the earth;
Jesus has died and has risen.
Alleluia, alleluia! Give thanks to the risen Lord,
Alleluia, alleluia! Give praise to his name!
We have been crucified with Christ.
Now we shall live forever.
Alleluia, alleluia! Give thanks to the risen Lord,
Alleluia, alleluia! Give praise to his name!
Come, let us praise the living God,
Joyfully sing to our Savior.
Alleluia, alleluia! Give thanks to the risen Lord,
Alleluia, alleluia! Give praise to his name!
* Call to New Life
* Prayer for Wholeness and Peace (responsive)
Gracious God,
Like Peter, we crawl out of the boat only to sink.
You tell us your truth and we push it away.
We ask about forgiveness and are surprised by abundance.
We profess our faith and deny it three times.
We run to the empty tomb and leave in silence.
Over and over again,
we find ourselves wandering along the journey of faith.
Tether us to your heart.
Forgive our surprise, our denial, and our limited imaginations.
Call us out of the boat once more. We are eager to return to you.
With humble hearts we pray, Amen.
* Words of Assurance
Friends, the grace of our God knows no end.
When we stumble, when we fall, when we deny God or cause harm,
Jesus meets us where we are and offers us a second chance.
Let us rest in this good news.
Does God love us?
Yes, yes, yes. God loves us.
We are forgiven. Thanks be to God for a love that never ends.
* Sharing of the Peace
May the peace of God be with you.
And also with you.
Let us share a sign of God’s peace with one another.
Scripture Psalm 133
How good and pleasant it is
when kindred live together in unity!
It is like fine oil upon the head,
flowing down upon the beard,
upon the beard of Aaron,
flowing down the collar of his robe.
It is like the dew of Hermon
flowing down upon the hills of Zion.
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing:
life forevermore.
Time for Young Disciples Rev. Pat Raube
Music: “Christ Is Risen! Shout Hosanna!” Brian Wren
©1986, Hope Publishing Co. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Anthem The Scapegoats
“Come As You Are," David Crowder, Matt Maher, Ben Glover
©2014, Thankyou Music
Used by permission, CCLI license #CSPL068847
Come out of sadness, from where you’ve been.
Come, broken-hearted; let rescue begin.
Come find your mercy; oh, sinner, come kneel.
Earth has no sorrow that heaven can’t heal.
Earth has no sorrow that heaven can’t heal.
So, lay down your burdens, lay down your shame.
All who are broken, lift up your face.
Oh, wanderer, come home; you’re not too far.
So lay down your hurt, lay down your heart; come as you are.
There’s hope for the hopeless and all those who’ve strayed.
Come sit at the table, come taste the grace.
There’s rest for the weary, rest that endures.
Earth has no sorrow that heaven can’t cure.
So, lay down your burdens, lay down your shame.
All who are broken, lift up your face.
Oh, wanderer, come home; you’re not too far.
So lay down your hurt, lay down your heart; come as you are.
Come as you are. Fall in His arms. Come as you are.
There’s joy for the mourning. Oh, sinner, be still.
Earth has no sorrow that heaven can’t heal.
Earth has no sorrow that heaven can’t heal.
So, lay down your burdens, lay down your shame.
All who are broken, lift up your face.
Oh, wanderer, come home; you’re not too far.
So lay down your hurt, lay down your heart; come as you are.
Scripture John 21:1-19
After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he had taken it off, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.
When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them, and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”
Response Holy Wisdom, Holy Word:
Thanks be to God!
Sermon “Here’s My Heart”
Statement of Faith Wandering Heart: Here’s My Heart
We believe in a God who shows up in our lives—
surprising and catching us off-guard in the best of ways.
We believe in a God who cares for God’s people—
a shepherd who longs for her sheep to be fed and tended.
We believe in a God who took on flesh—
a God whose love changed the world as we know it.
We believe that this here-and-now God invites us out of the boat,
calling ordinary people like Peter, like us, into a life of service and community.
And so we give our hearts. We give our whole hearts and nothing less.
Hymn #68 W & R
“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”
(Public Domain)
Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above;
Praise his name–I'm fixed upon it–
Name of God's redeeming love.
Here I raise to thee an altar,
Hither by thy help I've come;
And I hope, by thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wand'ring from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Bought me with his precious blood.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to thee;
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O, take and seal it;
Seal it for thy courts above.
Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
The Invitation
The Lord be with you!
And also with you!
Let us lift up our hearts!
We lift our hearts to the Lord!
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God!
It is right to give our thanks and praise!
The Great Thanksgiving
Prayers of Joy and Concern
The Words of Jesus
Invocation of the Spirit
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 during Communion:
“How Deep the Father’s Love For Us,” James Koertz
©1995, Thankyou Music
Used by permission, CCLI License #CSPL068847
Prayer After Communion
God of those who wander and those who stand firm,
of those who have courageous days
and those who have questioning days,
those who have days of deep joy
and those who have days when the pain of the world feels too great to bear:
we thank you for meeting us here this day.
We thank you for coming close,
so close that you become a part of us
through this simple and powerful meal.
Let the memory of this meal remain with us:
let us remember how you feed us every day.
Let the memory of your great love remain with us:
let it give us a great and overwhelming joy
that compels us to share your love everywhere, with everyone.
With grateful hearts we pray: Thank you, and Amen.
Hymn #309 W & R
“Christ the Lord is Risen,” Tom Colvin, Kevin R. Hackett
©1969, Hope Publishing Co. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Christ the Lord is risen!
Christ the Lord is risen! Jesu.
Christ the Lord is risen!
Christ the Lord is risen! Jesu.
He has conquered death.
He has conquered death. Jesu.
He has conquered death.
He has conquered death. Jesu.
Sin has done its worst.
Sin has done its worst. Jesu.
Sin has done its worst.
Sin has done its worst. Jesu.
He is King of kings.
He is King of kings. Jesu.
He is King of kings.
He is King of kings. Jesu.
He is Lord of lords.
He is Lord of lords. Jesu.
He is Lord of lords.
He is Lord of lords. Jesu.
All the world is his.
All the world is his. Jesu.
All the world is his.
All the world is his. Jesu.
Come and worship him.
Come and worship him. Jesu.
Come and worship him.
Come and worship him. Jesu.
Christ our Lord is risen!
Christ our Lord is risen! Jesu.
Christ our Lord is risen!
Christ our Lord is risen! Jesu.
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Jesu.
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Jesu.
Benediction
Beloved wanderer,
as you leave this place,
may you carry your curious heart on your sleeve.
May you look for God in every face.
May you find the courage to get out of the boat,
to run to the tomb,
and to speak of your faith.
And when the world falls apart,
may you hear God’s voice deep within,
saying, “Take heart, it is I, be not afraid.”
You are called.
You are blessed.
In both your ups and your downs,
you always belong to God.
Go now in peace.
Go trusting that good news.
Amen.
Postlude Colin DeLap
“The Day of Resurrection,” Lloyd Larson.
©2017, Lorenz Publishing Co. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
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
“Words for Worship” by the Rev. Sarah Are Speed, some adapted |A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org.
Cover Image: “Feed My Sheep” by Rev. Nicolette Peñaranda| A Sanctified Art | sanctifiedart.org