good news

Sermon: Not the End of the Story–An Easter Sermon – Mark 16:1-8

This gospel tells us that the male disciples flee in the garden of Gethsemane, and the same word, flee, is used to describe how the women react when they see the empty tomb. The women are described as trembling. They are afraid. But the good news that this gospel writer is sharing about is not dependent on what people do…the good news is about Jesus Christ. About the kingdom that he is proclaiming. A kingdom that cannot be stopped by anything. Not even by his own followers betraying him. Can you see how this gospel would resonate with a church that was experiencing great persecution, a church that was afraid?

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God our Captain Congregational Prayer

God of beauty, thank you for golds and blues.
Thank you for the yellow golds of poplars and hostas,
thank you for the red golds of oak trees in the sun,
thankyou for the dusty gold of stubble fields.
And for blues:  thank you for the deep cobalt blue of the lake,
the bright high blue of the sky
the cloudy blue of a baby’s eyes.
[substitute colours that you see in your location]
Your colours amaze us, as do the textures,
smells, tastes and sounds of this great world.
Thank you for giving us life and breath on this beautiful day. 

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God of Gardens Congregational Prayer

God of gardens,
thank you for the garden of [name your area]
for tree peonies and white lilacs,
for graceful roses, and sweet honeysuckle [name the flowers that bloom in your area]
For fields carpeted in green, for vegetables growing, for fruit setting,
for the whole wide earth teeming with life everywhere we look,
for the birds that sing choruses of praise every morning.
The kingdom of God is like this;
beautiful and rich and many faceted,
blooming in hearts around the world for those who have eyes to see.
The news tells us every horrible thing that happens,
but you bring good news:
that people do love each other, that people do help each other,
that you care for us, that we can make a difference.

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Congregational Prayer for Doubters

You call us to be people of faith,
yet we are often people with doubts.
We doubt that love can grow again in relationships
where anger and bitterness reign supreme.
You know the strength of love and the power of prayer:
help us to be faithful lovers.
We doubt that peace can come in Israel and Palestine;
where hatred and racism are so powerful.
You know that peace is growing there:
help us to be faithful peacemakers.
We doubt that the hungry can be fed in countries experiencing drought,

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About Carol Penner

I am a Mennonite pastor currently teaching theology at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. I’ve served congregations in Ontario and most recently, Alberta.

I love to write and to lead worship! If you are finding my writing helpful, I would love to hear from you! Feel free to use or adapt the material here, it is all written by me. If printing material, please credit “Copyright Carol Penner www.leadinginworship.com” (and say whether you modified it). If publishing, please contact me for permission. Contact me at carol@leadinginworship.com

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