Revised Common Lectionary Readings for April 27, 2025

Revised Common Lectionary Readings (Three-Year Cycle)

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for April 27, 2025 By Revised Common Lectionary Readings, Sunday, April 27, 2025 12:00 AM First Reading Acts 5:27-32 27When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, 28saying, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man's blood on us." 29But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than any human authority. 30The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him." Psalm Psalm 118:14-29 14The LORD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. 15There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: "The right hand of the LORD does valiantly; 16the right hand of the LORD is exalted; the right hand of the LORD does valiantly." 17I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD. 18The LORD has punished me severely, but he did not give me over to death. 19Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD. 20This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it. 21I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 22The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. 23This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 24This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25Save us, we beseech you, O LORD! O LORD, we beseech you, give us success! 26Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD. 27The LORD is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar. 28You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you. 29O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures for ever. Second Reading Revelation 1:4-8 4John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. 8"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. Gospel John 20:19-31 19When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." 24But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." 26A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." 28Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 29Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." 30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. Read more »

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Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World

We can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Between Monday, April 21 and Sunday, April 27, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.

• Monday, April 28, 2025 - That we all recognize that our actions impact others.
• Tuesday, April 29, 2025 - That the world unites in care for those affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
• Wednesday, April 30, 2025 - That workers be paid a living wage.
• Thursday, May 1, 2025 - That youth value honesty and respect in all their relationships.
• Friday, May 2, 2025 - That leaders put aside their pride and ambition for the good of their country.
• Saturday, May 3, 2025 - That the leaders of the church maintain their focus on Jesus Christ and his teachings. 
• Sunday, May 4, 2025 - That we look past their differences and unite as a country.

WCC NEWS: Christians pack Notre Dame cathedral to mark the common celebration of Easter in 2025

Christians from all of France’s main church traditions packed the newly restored Notre Dame cathedral in Paris to celebrate Easter Sunday together, which in a rare occurrence is being marked in 2025 on the same day by Eastern and Western churches.  Photo: Stephen Brown/WCC 23 April 2025  “It is a joy to see you all on this day when we, Christians of all denominations, celebrate the resurrection of our Lord,” said the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, in his welcome to the congregation.  Eastern and Western churches have since the 16th century used different calendars to calculate the date of Easter, and 2025 is one of the years when they coincide. “May the Lord hear our prayer that the time may soon come when all Christians will celebrate Easter together,” said Archbishop Ulrich.  The year 2025 also marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, the first ecumenical council gathering the whole of Christendom, which addressed the need for a common celebration of Easter. The council marked the transition from Christians being a persecuted minority to becoming a church recognized by the Roman Empire. “At a time when Christians were beginning to experience peace, this council was important for many reasons, first and foremost because it brought together the bishops of the known world, of the world that had been evangelized,” said Archbishop Ulrich.   “It was a landmark moment,” he said, ”that made it possible to express the unity of faith in Christ, the unity of faith in the one who is truly the son of God, truly God.” Such unity prefigures the unity that God desires for the whole of the world, a still troubled world for which Christians intercede even as they celebrate together the resurrection of the Lord, said Archbishop Ulrich.  The service included readings, prayers, and short homilies by representatives of Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, Baptist, Evangelical, and Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and of the Community of Taizé, as well as the singing of a hymn specially composed to mark the Nicaea anniversary.  Worshippers were sprinkled with holy water that had been blessed during the paschal vigil as a sign of the unity of all Christians. The service was the first large ecumenical gathering in the cathedral since it was reopened in December 2024 after five years of work to restore the building, which was badly damaged by a huge fire in 2019. Video (in French) of the service by KTO television WCC publication "Towards a Common Date for Easter" WCC interview, Easter 2025 - His Eminence Metropolitan Job of Pisidia: “the proclamation of Christ’s resurrection gives meaning to life”  “Christians, rise up in joy!” WCC Easter message brings hope that enters a broken world Nicaea 2025 See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland

Looking into the lectionary - Remembering Pope Francis

May 4, 2025 Third Sunday of Easter  Acts 9:1-6, (7-20); Psalm 30; John 21:1-19 There is a scene in “The Big Lebowski” that I cannot help but recall when reading Acts 9:1-6, (7-20), Psalm 30, and John 21:1-19. The Dude and his friend Walter Sobchak have been charged with bringing a ransom to the people who kidnapped Jeffrey Lebowski’s wife and then returning safely with her in tow. Everything goes horribly wrong and as they stand in the street watching the kidnappers drive away, having failed to achieve this modest task, Walter turns to The Dude and says (I’m paraphrasing), “Ahh screw it, dude. Let’s go bowling.” More than we’d care to admit, we are all Walter Sobchak, desperately trying to pretend like none of this is really happening. Rather than engage with the wreckage of our present circumstances, we do what we’ve always done. Thankfully, the saints who have come before us who faced similar situations did not keep their heads in the sand for as long as we may want.. John 21: 1-19 doesn’t include it, but it’s not hard to imagine Simon Peter saying, or at least thinking, “Ahh screw it” after the crucifixion and the strange visits from a resurrected Jesus to the hiding disciples. What else is there for him to do? But upon recognizing the resurrected Jesus on the beach, Simon Peter does something completely different, jumping from the boat and swimming to shore. And then the resurrected Lord puts an even finer point on it: there is a belt fastened around you, and it will take you where you do not wish to go (v.18). Peter’s life will be different now. ... Thank you to this week's writer, Andy Greenhow. Read the rest of the commentary on the website. Order of worship — May 4, 2025, by Andy Greenhow Pope Francis, charismatic reformer and disruptor, dies at 88 by Christian Iosso The scroll and the lamb (April 27, 2025) by Mark Hinds  A call to recover the original Easter vision in an age of mass incarceration by Chris Hoke  Want the worship resources for April 27, 2025? You can find them here. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... Praying Easter would happen again "I’ve never stepped into the mouth of an empty tomb, but I have walked into my grandmother’s one-bedroom apartment three days after she died," writes Lisle Gwynn Garrity. The many lives of Stony Point Center Christian Iosso reflects on Stony Point Center's 75 years of faith, friendship and formation — and their recent anniversary celebration. Reflecting on Jesus’ last words and unspoken truths What are we supposed to do about climate change? Reproductive rights? Gun violence? Jesus addresses none of these pressing issues in his last words to the disciples, but that doesn't mean we're left to find solutions on our own, writes Ron Byers. Now’s the time to act The days after Easter hold a unique opportunity for pastors to engage their community, writes Raymond R. Roberts. Love for Easter-only worshippers How Andrew Taylor-Troutman's investment in a theology of belonging has liberated him from resentment. The invitation of the Marys Eliza C. Jaremko looks at Mary the Mother of God and Mary the sister of Martha in the resurrection narrative. Appreciate These Things: Eight Ways of Cultivating Compassion How can we preserve our tender hearts yet be vulnerable enough to engage with the “other” in this current climate? Amy Pagliarella reviews Jill Duffield's new book. Cross A poem from the acclaimed poet Marjorie Maddox. Why did Jesus die? Churches grapple with the mystery of atonement In recent decades, some Christians have moved away from the theory of penal substitutionary atonement, which summons up the idea of an angry God who needs to be appeased. — Kathryn Post The Outlook is hiring! Presbyterian Outlook is looking to hire a remote WordPress & SEO specialist for 100-Hour Contract Project.

Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World

We can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Between Monday, April 14 and Sunday, April 20, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.

• Monday, April 21, 2025 - That we approach our differences with both faith and commonsense.
• Tuesday, April 22, 2025 - That our leaders work for unity and cooperation.
• Wednesday, April 23, 2025 - That our public officials accept that great leaders are servants. 
• Thursday, April 24, 2025 - That families read their Bible and attend worship services together.
• Friday, April 25, 2025 - That our judges would value the principles reflected in the Old and New Testaments.
• Saturday, April 26, 2025 - That doctors and nurses communicate compassion and concern to their patients. 
• Sunday, April 27, 2025 - That we respect and honor their parents and raise their children with compassion.

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, April 13, 2025

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service ...: As we approach Easter, Christians all over the world focus their attention on the cross and tomb. And because of this, the usual challenge t...

Sunday's Message - Beside(s) Jesus: The Pharisee Nicodemus

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: Sunday's Message - Beside(s) Jesus: The Pharisee N...: As we approach Easter, Christians all over the world focus their attention on the cross and tomb. And because of this, the usual challenge t...

WCC NEWS: WCC invites all to support vision for common Easter date

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, in a video message, invites all to support the vision for a common Easter date among Christians from all church traditions. WCC invites all to support vision for common Easter date 17 April 2025 This year, Easter falls on 20 April for Eastern and Western churches.  “Since the 16th century, Eastern and Western churches have used different calendars to calculate the date of Easter, and only rarely do they coincide,” says Pillay. "This year, however, in a rare and beautiful convergence, Eastern and Western churches will proclaim together on that very same day the central mystery of our faith: Christ is risen!” The year also marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. “As we commemorate the 1700th anniversary of this historic council, this alignment of Easter dates feels more than coincidental,” says Pillay. “It feels providential—a sign of hope and unity in our time.” The WCC has published a new document: Towards a Common Date for Easter.  “Drawing on the voices of Oriental, Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant theologians, this paper encourages churches to engage in dialogue and cooperation within their own contexts,” explains Pillay. “A common celebration of Easter, the most important feast in the Christian calendar, is a powerful symbol of visible unity.” Pillay warmly invites people in their own contexts to support this vision. “May it inspire you to join in the effort to advocate for a common Easter date—so that, in the not-too-distant future, Christians around the world may proclaim, each year, on the very same day and with one voice: The Lord is risen!" “Christians, rise up in joy!” WCC Easter message brings hope that enters a broken world WCC publishes Faith and Order paper encouraging churches to work for common celebration of Easter Full publication: Towards a Common Date for Easter WCC “Faith and Order Update” available Faith and Order Update – April 2025 WCC Easter message 2025  See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland