Services for the Seventh Sunday of Easter (Sunday after ascension)

Hawkesdale:        9.00am Service with Holy Communion

Warrnambool:    11.00am Service with Holy Communion

Readings:             Acts 16:16-34

                              Revelation 22:16-17, 20-21

                              John 17:20-24

The sermon this week is based on the second reading, Revelation 22:16-17. On the church scene today, there are not a few congregations which claim that they, in their services, do things just like the very first Christians.  The fact that they have “recaptured” the worship of the early Christian churches distinguishes them, so they claim, from all those other churches which, over the years, have introduced all kinds of additional paraphernalia, like a dead, boring liturgy, thereby stifling the Holy Spirit and spontaneity in worship.  However, when you look more closely at these services, which, it is claimed, reproduce worship as it was conducted in the very first Christian churches, you discover that, in truth, they have more in common with certain pietistic revivalist traditions, originating in America during the 19^th and 20^th centuries, than with the services conducted by the very first Christians.

So, how did Christians during the first century conduct their services?  You might like to come along on Sunday to find out more.