Dorcas Heard the Voice of Life – 8 May 2022 – Fourth Sunday of Easter

Some people see worship as primarily praise and adoration. . . Some people believe giving gifts to God, sacrificial giving, meeting the needs of the hungry and poor, is the truest expression of love for God. Some people believe that acts of service, caring for others, praying for and anointing the sick in healing ministries, are the best way to show God love and honor and obedience. For some, it is in touching God through sacraments, bread and wine, water of baptism, dance, incense, and candles, that love is expressed. God hears all of this as love and worship. We have trouble when we cannot see another person’s worship-love language as true worship in spirit and truth. That’s not a problem in an environment in which everyone pretty much agrees that a particular worship language is the right one. That’s part of why we have denominations and distinct Christian movements. Birds of a feather flock together.

Love and respect for each other is how we practice achieving our ultimate aim in worship. This love and respect for each other is at least an attempt to avoid a worship that God finds distasteful. Our ability to form a worshipping community together, with our differences, is the hallmark of who we are called to be as we are set free in Christ to worship God, grow in faith, and serve others in love. –– Mark Adams

John 10:22–30

Religious leaders were eager to know who Jesus believed himself to be. He wouldn’t say exactly, and it vexed them as it does us. He kept pointing to his actions as if to say Here is who and what I am. Look!

The disciples who gathered at Tabitha’s deathbed honored someone in whose works they saw evidence of her faith and love for others. Through the voice of one of Jesus’ followers (who was certainly known to her since Peter came to her at the call of the others) she heard Jesus’ call.

So it is with the body of Christ today. Through the words we speak to each other as members of one body, we raise each other up out of weary, dead places. We belong to the Shepherd we follow, whose voice calls to us as it did to Tabitha. –– Melinda A. Quivik

Acts 9:36–40

How does Peter continue the mission of the risen Christ (Acts 9:36– 43)? How do we continue that same mission today? –– John Paul Salay

Revelation 7:9–17

Worship in glory will be amazing. Multitudes beyond counting, from everywhere, every nation, every tribe, every people group, cleansed by Christ, standing before the king of kings, with festal branches in hand. . . They move from standing with branches in hand to falling on their faces before the throne and worshipping God. . . .

There are multiple visions like this throughout Revelation. . . . Above all, the center of heavenly worship, the center of heaven itself, is God. The attention of worship is upon God: seeing what God is doing, has done, and will do, and responding with joy and reverence. –– Mark Adams

Mark Adams is superintendent of the Sierra Pacific Conference of the Free Methodist Church.

Melinda Quivik, an ordained ELCA pastor (who served churches in Montana, Michigan, and Minnesota) and former professor of worship and preaching, is the Editor-in-Chief of Liturgy, a writer, and a preaching mentor with Backstory Preaching at backstory-preaching.mn.co.

John Paul Salay is Loyola University’s Minister of Liturgy and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).

Homily Service 43, no. 2 (2009): 117–129.