How do you treat the people who weren’t there for you? Who let you down? Who blew it – with you? How good is the church at reinstating people after they’ve blown it? This is the day the Lord has made. Let us agree to rejoice in this day. I invite you to get a Bible – in print or electronic – and start working through all or part of the prayers, scripture reading, questions, and devotional reading below. May the Lord bless you as you do so. And may the Spirit of God work in each of us to shape us to be a little more like Jesus, today.

— Praise God with Me: (1)
Almighty and everlasting God,
you have willed to restore all things
in your well-beloved Son, our Lord and King.
Grant that the people of earth,
now divided and enslaved by sin,
may be freed and brought together
under the gentle and loving rule of Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.

— Let us read and reflect on Scripture:
Come Holy Spirit, help us to hear your still, small voice as we read your word:
John 21:1-19
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”

— Answer these four questions:
What does this passage say about God?
What does this passage say about people?
As a result of this reading, what is one step God is inviting you to take?
Who is one person you will tell about that step today?

— With a Heart of Prayer, Let us Respond: (2)
While we were still weak,
at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—
though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.
Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath of God.
For if while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

— Let’s Gather Wisdom from One Who Walked with Christ before us: (3)
William Law made a lasting impact upon eighteenth-century England with his book, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life. In it Law urges that every day should be viewed as a day of humility. And how does he suggest we do this? By learning to serve others. Law understood that it is the discipline of service that brings humility into the life. If we want humility, he counsels us to, “… condescend to all the weaknesses and infirmities of your fellow-creatures, cover their frailties, love their excellencies, encourage their virtues, relieve their wants, rejoice in their prosperities, compassionate their distress, receive their friendship, overlook their unkindness, forgive their malice, be a servant of servants, and condescend to do the lowest offices to the lowest of mankind.” The result, then, of this daily discipline of the flesh will be the rise of the grace of humility.

— Receive this blessing as we begin this day: (4)
Lord God,
you have declared that your kingdom is among us.
Open our eyes to see it,
our ears to hear it,
our hearts to hold it,
our hands to serve it.
This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen

Sources:
(1) From The Worship Sourcebook, 2004, Faith Alive Christian Resources.
(2) From Romans 5:6-10 NRSV as found in The Worship Sourcebook, 2004, Faith Alive Christian Resources.
(3) From Celebration of Discipline, Richard J. Foster
(4) From The Worship Sourcebook, 2004, Faith Alive Christian Resources.