EASTER DAY
Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord’s resurrection, may, by your life-giving Spirit, be delivered from sin and raised from death; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

On Palm Sunday the crowds cried, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who come in the name of the Lord!” as they strew their palm branches before Jesus. On Good Friday a crowd would cry, “Crucify him!” What a stark change in the course of one week.

How does Holy Week help us understand true, biblical hospitality, and seek to offer and extend it to others?

Almighty and everlasting God, in your tender love for us you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon himself our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and come to share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

In 1 Corinthians 10, the Apostle Pauls tells us God will provide “a way of escape” to those Christians who are tempted to sin. Where does this way of escape come from? Have you ever considered that you may be the “way of escape” God has appointed for your brother or sister in Christ?

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Discipleship - that process by which we follow Jesus and become like him in following him - is a process which necessarily takes place in relationship. Relationship to God. Relationships with other Christians. And Biblical Hospitality is the most natural place for those relationships to flourish. Listen as Sam and Summer Behar share how Biblical Hospitality and Discipleship go hand-in-hand - at home and on the mission field.

Heavenly Father, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you: Look with compassion upon the heartfelt desires of your servants, and purify our disordered affections, that we may behold your eternal glory in the face of Christ Jesus; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Bread and Wine. Two very ordinary things. Yet, for Christians they are more than they appear. Through bread and wine Jesus offers us himself and a place at the Feast of Zion.

Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities that may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Big Picture of the Bible sheds light on how Hostility welcomes people all the way home.

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations, and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

We continue to look at the Sermon on the Mount and how the Indicatives of the Gospel (What the Gospel said is true about we who are in Christ) empower us to keep the Imperatives of the Gospel (those things which christians should do).

In the first week of our discussion on Biblical Hospitality we define Biblical Hospitality in light of the Scriptures and how the world usually thinks about hospitality.

Enjoy this Q&A with our diocesan bishop, the Right Rev’d Steve Wood.