May 11, 2025
Fourth Sunday of Easter
John 10:22-30 | "The Works Testify"
Call to Worship
One: Transformative Creator, you envelope us with examples of community 
ALL:  We are witness to Jesus’ up close and personal attempts to learn about and be with the people
One:  You want us to know that what happens outside of our church building matters to G-d’s people.
ALL:  Continue to work in and through us to build towards collective flourishing
One: Call us into living—
ALL:  Call us into being curious, approachable, and loving towards all Your creation

Invocation
Creator of the Collective, let us begin by sitting in silence so that we can feel the presence of You in one another (be silent for 30 seconds)…  open up all our senses to be more available to the possibility of the Creator’s reflection in one another and let us be ready to build up a world, one in which we become agents of change.  Open our hearts, O G-d, and help us to feel the brokenness of your world so we can begin again. Amen.

Prayer for Transformation and New Life
Holy One, We ask ourselves: Who do we say that we are? How do we show up against an oligarchy that allows discrimination, war, genocide, violence, transphobia, and poverty run rampant amongst G-d’s people. When we experience tension, give us the courage to feel into that tension and to invite a feeling of love and kindness and grace the way that Your Son showed us time and time again. Be with us in this and all the hard moments still to come.  Amen.

Words of Grace
Beloved, let us go forth today and all the days with the courageous belief that we can truly recognize the Holy One in the other and then act accordingly.  By grace, Creator will move us towards the transformation where ats of love, humility, curiosity, faith, abundance, and hope are on display for all to witness.  

Invitation to Generosity
We’ve heard G-d’s call to us – to be abundant with our gifts of grace, love, forgiveness and time.  And so let us be abundant in our giving so that the work of the church can be carried out beyond this building.

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Dedication
Collective Creator we thank you for the gifts of the people – from our ancestors to our elders to those who have still yet to come, we share what we have so that all can flourish and follow you. Amen.

Benediction
Blessed people, go forth this week knowing that we are in this world together and that collective flourishing is possible.  It begins with listening and paying attention to all that is around you and then inviting others to come alongside – so do just that, slow down and marvel at G-d’s creation.

The Works Testify: Service Prayers for the Fourth Sunday of Easter was written by (Rev. ellie Hutchinson, who serves as the Minister for Congregational and Community Engagement for the United Church of Christ.