Seventh Sunday of Easter – June 1, 2025

John 17:20-26

Sunday, June 1, 2025
Seventh Sunday of Easter

Thanksgiving for Baptism

Alleluia! Christ is risen.

Christ is risen, indeed. Alleluia!

In the name of ☩ the One

who was, who is, and who is to come.

Amen.

Baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, and called to live the baptized life, let us give thanks for the gifts of baptism.

Holy God, we give you thanks for the waters of baptism, waters that make a people your own, that restore to wholeness, and empower us to be witnesses in your name.

Baptized into you, O Living One,

make us one as you are one.

We give you thanks for the waters of baptism, waters that strengthen believers

and give new life to beloved servants of your church.

Waters that extend your boundless love

and cross barriers of our own making.

Baptized into you, O Living One,

make us one as you are one.

We give you thanks for the waters of baptism, waters that open the hearts of believers and give a voice in the night to those in captivity.

Waters that set your people on a new path, rejoicing in the Spirit’s power.

Baptized into you, O Living One,

make us one as you are one.

Grant us grace, love, and life, O Living One, that our every day is shaped by these waters that give us our very lives in you.

We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Crucified and Risen One.

Amen.

Gathering Song:

Bind Us Together

Prayer of the Day

O God, form the minds of your faithful people into your one will. Make us love what you command and desire what you promise, that, amid all the changes of this world, our hearts may be fixed where true joy is found, your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

First Reading: Acts 16:16-34

¹⁶ One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” ¹⁸ She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
¹⁹ But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. ²⁰ When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, “These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews ²¹ and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.” ²² The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. ²³ After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. ²⁴ Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. ²⁷ When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸ But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” ²⁹ The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” ³¹ They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ³² They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³ At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. ³⁴ He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.

Word of God. Word of Life.

Thanks be to God.

Psalm 97

¹ The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice;
let the multitude of the isles be glad.
² Clouds and darkness surround the Lord,
righteousness and justice are the foundations of God’s throne.
³ Fire goes before the Lord,
burning up enemies on every side.
⁴ Lightnings light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
⁵ The mountains melt like wax
before the Lord of all the earth.
⁶ The heavens declare your righteousness, O Lord,
and all the peoples see your glory.
⁷ Confounded be all who worship carved images and delight in false gods!
Bow down before the Lord, all you gods.
⁸ Zion hears and is glad, and the cities of Judah rejoice,
because of your judgments, O Lord.
⁹ For you are the Lord, most high over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.
¹⁰ You who love the Lord, hate evil!
God guards the lives of the saints and rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
¹¹ Light dawns for the righteous,
and joy for the honest of heart.
¹² Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
and give thanks to God’s holy name.

Second Reading: Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

¹² “See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

¹⁴ Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.
¹⁶ “It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
¹⁷ The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”
And let everyone who hears say, “Come.”
And let everyone who is thirsty come.
Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.
²⁰ The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
²¹ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.

Word of God. Word of Life.

Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia. I will not leave you orphaned, says the Lord. I am coming to you. Alleluia. (John 14:18)

The Holy Gospel according to John

Glory be to you O Lord

Gospel: John 17:20-26

Jesus prayed: ²⁰ “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹ that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, ²³ I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. ²⁴ Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
²⁵ “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. ²⁶ I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you O Christ

I in them and you in me…that they may become completely one.

Just before his arrest and crucifixion…Jesus prays for his church.
It is a perfect Sunday for this because last week…Thursday…marked Ascension Day.
Following his resurrection from the dead…Jesus walked among his disciples for 40 days.
So…there was a gap between when Jesus ascended into heaven and the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon the young church.
This Sunday falls in that “gap week.”

Jesus prays for his new church to be one.

He prays this prayer on the evening just before he is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Jesus knows that everything is about to change.
The day-to-day friendship he enjoys with his disciples will soon come to an end.
He is about to face the culmination of his mission and ministry: his death on the cross.
Only on the cross can he perfectly manifest the divine will and compassionate grace.
His crucifixion is where he will most clearly reflect the unquenchable love of his heavenly father.
This perfect oneness between Jesus and the Father is what he desires for his followers…his church.
I in them and you in me…that they may become completely one.
The Lord be with you.

When we look at the church on earth…we seem far from one.

We are fractured and divided.
Our many denominations are suspicious of each other.
We question one another’s faith…if they are really Christians.
We judge one another regarding orthodoxy…piety…and biblical purity…
We make judgements about who we admit at our communion table and who we exclude.

The Christian church is so very broad and diverse.

We sing different hymns…we adorn our sanctuaries differently…we baptize with varying amounts of water.
Are you still praying for us…Jesus?
I in them and you in me…that they may become completely one.

It is one thing to talk about Christian unity…

It is a very different thing to live it.
Even among Lutherans…we have a track record of fracturing whenever we come together:
In 1988…when three Lutheran bodies came together to form the ELCA…
There were congregations that either left or split apart over the merger.
Then in 2000 the ELCA entered into full pulpit and altar fellowship with the Episcopal church.
Lutheran pastors could serve in Episcopal congregations and vice versa.
It helped tremendously in providing clergy coverage for small parishes in remote areas.
But once again…this coming together in the name of Christ caused division and separation…there was fracturing.

So…we Lutherans are very good at dividing whenever we come together.

I in them and you in me…that they may become completely one.
Often…when we talk about unity…what we really mean is:
I want us to be one. I want you to become just like me. Adopt our ways…our beliefs. If you all would just become like us…then we could all be one.

But unity does not mean uniformity.

Paul spoke of the human body…it is one body comprised of many parts.
You need all the diverse parts for the body to function as a unified whole.
It is our diversity that allows us to fulfill our purpose.

If you have ever been on a team or part of an organization where all the parts are humming…it is an incredible experience.

You really do become one.
You become part of something bigger than yourself.
On a sports team…as part of a choir or a band…on a church council…on a volunteer crew…at your job as part of a work team.
Or maybe you felt it here at church…when we are all singing a beloved hymn or during communion or the sharing of the peace.
I in them and you in me…that they may become completely one.

My friend’s…great grandfather…C J Albrecht…was a minister at St. Paul Lutheran Church in New Ulm, MN.

My friend told me a story about his great grandfather.
In those early days…there were only two brands of Christians in New Ulm:
Lutherans and Catholics.
This was in horse and buggy days.
It was before there were telephones.
So…life was lived in a much smaller circle.

With no other clergy around…my friend’s great grandfather and the Catholic priest in New Ulm met together on the first Tuesday afternoon of every month.

The two men enjoyed being able to converse with another clergy person.
The topics of their conversation varied and covered many things.
They shared the struggles their congregations were facing.
They spoke of local and current events.
They discussed who was ailing and who was dying.

Well…at one of these meetings…one of the two gentlemen mentioned that their parish was considering the purchase of some bells for their church tower.

No kidding…said the other man…so are we. Tell me…where are you thinking of getting your bells?
Well…we were thinking that we would order the bells from Ulm, Germany.
No kidding…said the other man…So are we.
And so…between the two pastors…it was decided that a total of 16 bells would be purchased.
8 for the Catholic church and 8 for the Lutheran church.
Each bell would peal its own distinct note…
But together they would ring in harmony with one another.

It is amazing what these two pastors achieved and the time in which they did it.

This was way before Vatican II and there was a clear line of demarcation between Protestant and Catholic.
And yet…these two men of different stripes came together.
The image of these pealing church bells is a powerful image of what unity in Christ is about.
Each bell peals its own distinct note.
No one forces the note to be anything other than what it is.
But as all the bells ring together…
The full richness and depth and harmony of their combined reverberations increase God’s glory.
I in them and you in me…that they may become completely one.

Mother Teresa said:

Christ has no body now on earth but yours…no hands but yours…no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ is to look out on a hurting world. Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which he is to bless now.

Talk about what you believe…and you have disunity.

Talk about who you believe in…and you have unity.
Together we are members of the Body of Christ. It is in acting on Christ’s behalf that we become one in him and with the Father.

Song of the Day:

One Bread, One Body

Prayers of Intercession

God of resurrection and new life, we come before you in prayer for the church, the world, and all who are in need.

A brief silence.

Welcoming God, you invite all people to come and encounter your love. Give your church open hearts and minds to embrace all who seek your presence. Increase the capacity for cooperation between denominations and congregations. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Creating God, your might is seen in storms and in silence. Where drought threatens, bring rain. Where waters flood, ease them back. Where fire, earthquake, hurricane, or tornado destroy, shelter your people and restore your land. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Discerning God, fill the hearts of leaders with your passion for justice and mercy. Call the nations of this world to tables of peace and collaboration. Encourage governments to seek avenues of collective benefit and joy. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Abiding God, all people are held in your care. Accompany survivors of abuse, trauma, and exploitation. Strengthen our resolve to listen and advocate on behalf of all who are unnoticed. Hear our prayers for those close to our heart especially: John & Lisa Mountain, Terry Vernon, David & Carol Beazley, Margaret Miller, Bill Treichler, Shirley Treichler, Hope Garrett, Julia Busby-Morgan, Lisa (Bob & Doris’s daughter. Chad Rudzik, June Gust, Vicki Salzgeber, Jason Salzgeber, John Satino (June’s son’s dad), David Wilfong, Clinton Nelson, Stacey Bryant, Pam Hendry, Erin Shayota, Michael Bender, Don Bevers, Rick Lauber, Keith Waldron, Holly Lapinski, John Shaffer, Jan Johnson. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Rejoicing God, be with this congregation as summer begins in the northern hemisphere. Keep travelers safe. Keep the vulnerable cool. Invigorate summer ministry efforts in our community, and support the well-being of children and young people (VBS and Summer Camps). Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Awaken new life in this place. Open our hearts to ways you are calling us to be at work in the world and our community. We pray for neighboring congregations and ministry sites especially: Church of God – SDA – Bay Point Christian – St. Barts – Blessed Trinity…St. Matthew…DayStar Life Center…Canguros Day School. Give us courage to boldly share your love for all people beyond our walls. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Loving God, the beginning and the end, you are with us throughout our lives. In gratitude for the saints who have died, we look toward your coming again among us. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

We commend these and all our prayers to you, O God, trusting that you are always with us, in the name of Jesus Christ, our risen Savior.

Amen.

Pray with me:

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 trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.

Amen.

Blessing

The triune God, who was, who is, and who is to come, Sovereign, ☩ Savior, and Spirit, light our way with resurrection dawn, now and always.

Amen.

Sending Song:

In Christ there is No East or West

Dismissal

Alleluia! Christ is risen.

Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Go in peace. In Christ we are made new. Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!