reference

Easter initiates a new day. It anticipates a new heaven and a new earth. The risen Christ is making all things new. In the mystery of holy baptism God has made new people of us. Jesus invites us to see everyone in a new light—through the lens of love.

Prayer of the Day

O Lord God, you teach us that without love, our actions gain nothing. Pour into our hearts your most excellent gift of love, that, made alive by your Spirit, we may know goodness and peace, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

 

Readings and Psalm

Acts 11:1-18
Psalm 148
Revelation 21:1-6
John 13:31-35

 

First Reading: Acts 11:1-18

¹Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. ²So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, ³saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?” ⁴Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, ⁵“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. ⁶As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. ⁷I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ ⁸But I replied, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ ⁹But a second time the voice answered from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’ ¹⁰This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. ¹¹At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. ¹²The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; ¹⁴he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ ¹⁵And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. ¹⁶And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?” ¹⁸When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, “Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”

 

Psalm: Psalm 148

¹Hallelujah! Praise the Lord from the heavens;
 praise God in the heights.
²Praise the Lord, all you angels;
 sing praise, all you hosts of heaven.
³Praise the Lord, sun and moon;
 sing praise, all you shining stars.
⁴Praise the Lord, heaven of heavens,
 and you waters above the heavens.
⁵Let them praise the name of the Lord,
 who commanded, and they were created,
⁶who made them stand fast forever and ever,
 giving them a law that shall not pass away. 
⁷Praise the Lord from the earth,
 you sea monsters and all deeps;
⁸fire and hail, snow and fog,
 tempestuous wind, doing God’s will;
⁹mountains and all hills,
 fruit trees and all cedars;
¹⁰wild beasts and all cattle,
 creeping things and flying birds;
¹¹sovereigns of the earth and all peoples,
 princes and all rulers of the world;
¹²young men and maidens,
 old and young together. 
¹³Let them praise the name of the Lord,
 whose name only is exalted, whose splendor is over earth and heaven.
¹⁴The Lord has raised up strength for the people and praise for all faithful servants,
 the children of Israel, a people who are near the Lord. Hallelujah! 

Second Reading: Revelation 21:1-6

¹I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ²And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
 “See, the home of God is among mortals.
 He will dwell with them;
 they will be his peoples,
 and God himself will be with them;
 ⁴he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
 Death will be no more;
 mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
 for the first things have passed away.”
 ⁵And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ⁶Then 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 as a gift from the spring of the water of life.”

 

Gospel: John 13:31-35

³¹When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. ³²If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. ³³Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ ³⁴I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. ³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

What is important to you when you think about government? What about how the church and the state relate to each other? A task force is at work on a new social statement about civics and faith, and it wants to hear from you. This social statement was requested by the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. A key piece of this process is hearing from ELCA members about their priorities and perspectives. Social statements establish the basis for the ELCA’s public voice and policy decisions. They also serve as a teaching tool to help people discern and discuss their views on an issue. This month you can connect directly with the task force to let them know what’s important to you! Join members of the ELCA social statement task force for an ELCA-wide virtual listening event. The event will introduce what social statements are and how they’re developed. Then, participants will have a chance to share with task force members directly in breakout groups. The main questions will be: What themes, ideas or topics do you think the task force needs to talk about or consider for the social statement?What is important for the task force to consider in creating an effective social statement? There are two opportunities to participate: Tuesday, May 24, 7-8:15 p.m. Central time Wednesday, May 25, 7-8:15 p.m. Central time CLICK HERE TO REGISTER. To learn more about the social statement process, visit elca.org/civicsandfaith. For more on our preexisting social statements and study materials, including a new study guide on Faith, Sexism, and Justice: A Call to Action, visit elca.org/socialstatements. If you have any questions, email civicsandfaith@elca.org.

The gift of new life, of eternal life, is the gift of the risen Christ. It is the promise of Jesus. It was true for Dorcas in Joppa. It was true for those “who have come out of the great ordeal” in the Revelation vision. It is true for us and for all the baptized: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Prayer of the Day

O God of peace, you brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of the sheep. By the blood of your eternal covenant, make us complete in everything good that we may do your will, and work among us all that is well-pleasing in your sight, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Readings and Psalm

Acts 9:36-43
Psalm 23
Revelation 7:9-17
John 10:22-30

First Reading: Acts 9:36-43

³⁶Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. ³⁷At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. ³⁸Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” ³⁹So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. ⁴⁰Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. ⁴¹He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. ⁴²This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. ⁴³Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.

Psalm: Psalm 23

¹The Lord is my shepherd;
 I shall not be in want.
²The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures
 and leads me beside still waters.
³You restore my soul, O Lord,
 and guide me along right pathways for your name’s sake.
⁴Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil;
 for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 
⁵You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
 you anoint my head with oil, and my cup is running over.
⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
 and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

Second Reading: Revelation 7:9-17

⁹After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
 “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
¹¹And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹²singing,
 “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
 and thanksgiving and honor
 and power and might
 be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
 ¹³Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” ¹⁴I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
 ¹⁵For this reason they are before the throne of God,
  and worship him day and night within his temple,
  and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
 ¹⁶They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
  the sun will not strike them,
  nor any scorching heat;
 ¹⁷for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
  and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
 and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Gospel: John 10:22-30

²²At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. ²⁴So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” ²⁵Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; ²⁶but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. ²⁷My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰The Father and I are one.”

The disciples make a big splash and eat breakfast with the risen Jesus. Wading in the water (remembering baptism) and eating with Jesus (celebrating holy communion) is our weekly encounter with the risen Christ. Jesus asks us again and again: Do you love me? And Jesus invites us, again and again, to follow him, bringing the Easter life to others.

Prayer of the Day

Eternal and all-merciful God, with all the angels and all the saints we laud your majesty and might. By the resurrection of your Son, show yourself to us and inspire us to follow Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Readings and Psalm

Acts 9:1-6-20
Psalm 30
Revelation 5:11-14
John 21:1-19

First Reading: Acts 9:1-20

¹Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ²and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” ⁵He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ⁶But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” ⁷The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. ⁸Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
 ¹⁰Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” ¹¹The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, ¹²and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” ¹³But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; ¹⁴and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” ¹⁵But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; ¹⁶I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” ¹⁷So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, ¹⁹and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
  For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, ²⁰and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

Psalm: Psalm 30

¹I will exalt you, O Lord, because you have lifted me up
 and have not let my enemies triumph over me.
²O Lord my God, I cried out to you,
 and you restored me to health.
³You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead;
 you restored my life as I was going down to the grave.
⁴Sing praise to the Lord, all you faithful;
 give thanks in holy remembrance. 
⁵God’s wrath is short; God’s favor lasts a lifetime.
 Weeping spends the night, but joy comes in the morning.
⁶While I felt secure, I said,
 “I shall never be disturbed.
⁷You, Lord, with your favor, made me as strong as the mountains.”
 Then you hid your face, and I was filled with fear.
⁸I cried to you, O Lord;
 I pleaded with my Lord, saying,
⁹“What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit?
 Will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?
¹⁰Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me;
 O Lord, be my helper.” 
¹¹You have turned my wailing into dancing;
 you have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.
¹²Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing;
 O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever. 

Second Reading: Revelation 5:11-14

¹¹Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹²singing with full voice,
 “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered
 to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
 and honor and glory and blessing!”
¹³Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing,
 “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
 be blessing and honor and glory and might
 forever and ever!”
¹⁴And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

Gospel: John 21:1-19

¹After [he appeared to his followers in Jerusalem,] Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. ²Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. ³Simon 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.
 ⁴Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶He 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. ⁷That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. ⁸But 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.
 ⁹When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. ¹⁰Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹So 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. ¹²Jesus 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. ¹³Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
 ¹⁵When 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.” ¹⁶A 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.” ¹⁷He 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. ¹⁸Very 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.” ¹⁹(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

In spite of all we have heard and all we have seen, it is often hard to believe. Because it is hard to believe, we will invest ourselves in the Easter mystery for fifty days (a week of weeks). Because it is hard to believe, John the evangelist will provide sign after sign celebrating Jesus’ victory over death. Because it is hard to believe, the risen Jesus will return to us again and again in the mystery of holy communion, inviting us to touch and taste his presence, and offering us his peace.

Prayer of the Day

O God of life, you reach out to us amid our fears with the wounded hands of your risen Son. By your Spirit’s breath revive our faith in your mercy, and strengthen us to be the body of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Readings and Psalms

Acts 5:27-32
Psalm 150
Revelation 1:4-8
John 20:19-31

First Reading: Acts 5:27-32

²⁷When they had brought [the apostles,] they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, ²⁸saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.” ²⁹But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. ³⁰The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ³²And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Psalm: Psalm 150

¹Hallelujah! Praise God in the holy temple;
 praise God in the mighty firmament.
²Praise God for mighty acts;
 praise God for exceeding greatness. 
³Praise God with trumpet sound;
 praise God with lyre and harp.
⁴Praise God with tambourine and dance;
 praise God with strings and pipe.
⁵Praise God with resounding cymbals;
 praise God with loud clanging cymbals.
⁶Let everything that has breath
 praise the Lord. Hallelujah! 

Second Reading: Revelation 1:4-8

⁴John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
  Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, ⁵and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
  To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, ⁶and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
 ⁷Look! He is coming with the clouds;
  every eye will see him,
 even those who pierced him;
  and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.
 ⁸“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

Gospel: John 20:19-31

¹⁹When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

 ²⁴But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
 ²⁶A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” ²⁸Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

 ³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Bread for the World is working to get members of Congress to sign on to a Dear Colleague Letter requesting $300 million in additional spending for international food aid. They are hoping to get NH Rep. Ann Kuster to sign onto this letter. Sam Cooper-Wall is Rep. Ann Kuster’s Legislative Aid on Food and Agriculture. He can be reached in DC at 202-225-5206.

Bread for the World is asking for support in the following ways:

1. Call DC and ask to speak to Sam.  If they don’t get him, leave a message.  Ask that Rev. Kuster sign on to the Jacobs, McGovern “Dear Colleague Letter” that she signed onto last year requesting robust funding for the Global Nutrition and Maternal and Child Health Accounts in Fiscal 2023.
2. Personalize the email below and send with this attachment to Sam Cooper-Wall at sam.cooper-wall@mail.house.gov
3. Reach out to Paul Manganiello to let him know you’ve taken these actions, so that he can let Bread for the World know how many calls and emails of support they’ve rallied. Every bit of support helps!

Here’s the Sample eMail Message:

Hi Sam,

On behalf of our Bread for the World members in the district, I wanted to make sure you saw the Dear Colleague letter below from Reps. Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Jacobs (D-CA), McGovern (D-MA) and Kim (R-CA). The Dear Colleague asks for signers to a letter to the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee calling for robust funding for the global Nutrition and Maternal and Child Health Accounts in fiscal year 2023. We are grateful your boss has supported previous efforts to address global malnutrition, including signing a letter last year asking for increased funding in FY 2022 for the global nutrition account. We hope Rep. Kuster will do so again by signing on to the letter below!

Rates of severe malnutrition are increasing due to rising food prices, increasing humanitarian situations and disruptions from the pandemic. We’ve included a one-pager on how this investment of at least $300 million in the Global Health Nutrition sub-account will help meet the growing need for nutrition programming and prevent the negative impacts of increasing conflict and instability on malnutrition from further multiplying. With an annual investment of $300 million, the United States government would save the lives of more than 30,000 children annually.

In addition, this funding could annually:

• Prevent stunting for more than 553,000 people.
• Cure more than 12 million women from anemia.
• Support mothers to breastfeed more than 5.5 million additional children.
• Provide life-saving treatment for 3,000,000 kids.

Continue reading Help End Hunger: A Request from Bread for the World