Fifth Sunday of Easter
Theme: The meaning of love revealed
COLLECT
Gracious God,
your Son revealed the meaning of love:
increase in us that same love,
that all may know we are your disciples;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
READING from Acts 11: 1-18
The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that people who were not Jewish had accepted God’s word.
2 However, when Peter went to Jerusalem, the believers who insisted on circumcision began to argue with him.
3 They said, “You went to visit men who were uncircumcised, and you even ate with them.”
4 Then Peter began to explain to them point by point what had happened. He said,
5 “I was praying in the city of Joppa when I fell into a trance. I saw something like a large linen sheet being lowered by its four corners from the sky. The sheet came near me.
6 I looked into the sheet very closely and saw tame animals, wild animals, reptiles, and birds.
7 I also heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter! Kill these animals, and eat them.’
8 “But I answered, ‘I can’t do that, Lord! I’ve never put anything impure or unclean into my mouth.’
9 “A voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Don’t say that the things which God has made clean are impure.’
10 This happened three times. Then everything was pulled back into the sky again.
GOSPEL according to John 13: 31-35
34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
BENEDICTION
Go now, wherever the Spirit of God leads you.
Do not reject anything that God has accepted.
Show all people that you are Christ’s disciples
by loving one another
just as he has loved you.
And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen
COMMISSIONING/SENDING
Go in peace with courage to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ, Amen.
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