The Holy Gospel

John 8:21-30

 Dispute Over Who Jesus Is

Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”

This made the Judeans ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”

But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”

 

“Who are you?” they asked.

 

“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”

 

They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” Even as he spoke, many believed in him.

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The Word of the Lord

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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Lord’s Prayer ( New Translation from the Aramaic) 

1. O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos, 

2. Focus your light within us – make it useful 

3. Create your reign of unity now 

 4. Your one desire then acts with ours, as in all light, so in all forms. 

5. Grant what we need each day in bread and insight. 

6. Loose the cords of mistakes binding us, as we release the strands we hold of others’ guilt. 

7. Don’t let surface things delude us, But free us from what holds us back. 

8. From you is born all ruling will, the power and the life to do, the song that beautifies all, from age to age it renews. Truly – power to these statements – may they be the ground from which all my actions grow: Amen. 

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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ The Prayers of the People

God calls us to offer up the world’s concerns

in petition for others.

Let us therefore pray for the church, the world,

and those in need, saying,

Hear us, O God; your mercy is great.

 

Blessed are you, sovereign God:

you do not abandon what you have created

but continue to make your grace known among us.

We thank you for those you have chosen

to speak your reconciling word in this age,

and we pray for the faith to receive it.

Hear us, O God; your mercy is great.

 

Blessed are you, caring God:

you hear the cries of the poor,

you see the tears in the eyes of all who mourn,

you know the pain of those in anguish,

and you come to the side of the lonely.

Call your church to compassion and service.

Hear us, O God; your mercy is great.

 

Blessed are you, God of peace:

you call us to make warfare cease

and to place our trust in the One who bears us up.

Give comfort and courage to all refugees.

Raise up peacemakers among all peoples

and confound those who place their fortunes in weapons.

Hear us, O God; your mercy is great.

 

Blessed are you, God of justice:

you desire that all be one.

Erase prejudice and class divisions,

bring strength to those who are persecuted,

and heal those who believe that destruction is

the path of righteousness.

Hear us, O God; your mercy is great.

 

Blessed One, turn us to your ways.

Make us bold.

Increase our passion for what is good.

Hear us, O God; your mercy is great.

Into your hands we place the welfare of all
for whom we pray. We trust in your mercy;

through your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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