A 21st Century Africana Resource for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year A

Gathering Dance

"I Need You to Survive," by Hezekiah Walker and the Love Fellowship Choir, Family Affair II (compact disc).
(An easy-to-use sacred dance resource with step-by-step illustrations is Dancing Through the Christian Calendar, by Sylvia B. Bryant, a nationally renowned African American liturgical dance artist who danced for the Festival 2000 Bicentennial Program at the 1984 General Conference in Baltimore.)

Gathering Call Leader: Lord, before I could get in here, somebody said something to set me off. Help me to hold my peace. Don't let them steal my joy!

People: Lord, before I could get in here, I said something to somebody that set them off. Help me to hold my peace. Don't let me crush anyone's joy!

Leader: Now, Lord, help me count to ten, or take deep breaths in and out to get over that "small stuff" that I turned into "big stuff."

People: Yes, Lord, help us count to ten, or take deep breaths in and out to get over "our stuff" so we can focus on our Savior, Jesus Christ, "The blessed Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the whole world."

Opening Hymn "Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone?" UMH 424

Prayer of Confession
Together: God, you demand such hard things. How can you expect me to love those who abuse me? I'm not Your Son. I've got a little of his grace, but what you're talking about is too much for an ordinary person like me. What are you going to do about me? What are you going to do with me? Lord have mercy on old hardened me.

It's only been through your grace and mercy that I have found you. It was only when I put down my "dukes" and let you in that you showed me the power of what love could do. You sent Jesus into my life; Oh what a Wonderful Savior!

Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free? No, there's a cross for everyone, and there's a cross for me. Help me to pick up my cross and walk on by grace. Amen.

Assurance and Pardon Blessed is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are we because the Lamb of God has taken away our sins.

Hymn "A Charge To Keep I Have" UMH 413

Sermon and Worship Notes Acts 7:55-60 Stoning of Stephen. Possible sermon titles: "Defiant Praise" (focusing on overcoming adversity); "From Spirit to Spirit" (focusing on a Greater Good). Illustration: "If," by Rudyard Kipling.

Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 A call to be delivered. Hymn possibilities are "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less" (UMH 368); "A Mighty Fortress" (UMH 110); "When the Storms of Life Are Raging" (UMH 512).

1 Peter 2:19-25 Possible sermon title: "Masters and Mistresses for a Day." Thoughts: We all have to fight against becoming the oppressor. We oppress people from other lands, people who are homosexual, people who are poor or not as smart as we are, people who do not conform to Western standards of beauty or size, people with handicapping conditions, people whose native language is not English, people who are old, people who are young. Before we point our fingers at historic oppressors, let's look at intracultural oppression. Let's "Try a Little Tenderness" (possible sermon title) and let the commandment to "love our neighbors as ourselves" rule and reign over our lives; giving up the role of oppressor is even harder than giving up blame.

John 14:1-14 "Do not let your hearts be troubled ... Believe in God, believe also in me." Sermon suggestion: Help others believe any way you can (11) ... For example, through Wesley's Quadrilateral: Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience.

Sherrie Boyens-Dobbs is a Conference Approved Evangelist, the Assistant Dean of the New Brunswick Theological Seminary, and a clergy member of the Greater New Jersey annual conference.

"21st Century Africana Liturgy Resources: Worship Resources for he Fifth Sunday of Easter" Copyright © 2005 Sherrie Boyens-Dobbs. Used with permission.