St Peter's Online: This Sunday

Sunday May 15

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Notices
Opening Hymn: And Can It Be That I should Gain
Sentence of the Day
Collect of the Day
Lesson
Epistle
Gradual Hymn: Be Still, For The Presence Of The Lord
Gospel
Sermon
Prayers & Intercessions
Anthem: And I Saw A New Heaven
Closing Hymn: Ye Servants Of God

Notices

Fisherfolk Newsletter & Pew Sheet for Sunday May 15

Opening Hymn: And Can it be That I should Gain

Sentence of the Day

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. As I have loved you, you also should love one another.
John 13:34

Collect of the Day

Make us glad we pray you, gentle God,
to give each other your loving care;
make us happy to receive it.
May there daily grow within us
a generous, trusting spirit.
This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Lesson

Acts 11:1-18

¹ The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ² So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him ³ and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

⁴ Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: ⁵ “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. ⁶ I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. ⁷ Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’

⁸ “I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’

⁹ “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.

¹¹ “Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. ¹² The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. ¹⁴ He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’

¹⁵ “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

¹⁸ When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

Epistle

Revelation 21:1-6

¹ Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ⁶ He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.

Gradual Hymn: Be Still, For The Presence Of The Lord

Gospel

John 13:31-35

³¹ When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. ³² If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

³³ “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Sermon by Vicar Stuart Goodin

In 1988 our house was built for us in Mana, part of what is now Porirua City. This felt a massive and scary step for us: the timing somewhat forced upon us by circumstances; the choice of location and builder determined largely by what we could afford and the financing arrangements available. Poring over the builder’s plans and reading the specification, we tried to imagine what it would be like when it was finished, tried to imagine ourselves living in it. Read more...

Prayers & Intercessions

Prayers of the people for Sunday May 15

Anthem: And I Saw A New Heaven

 

Closing Hymn: Ye Servants Of God