Welcome to Easter Communion for Sunday April 11th
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Alleluia. Christ is
risen.
He is risen indeed.
Alleluia.
Song: O Happy Day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlWPGWfIvwU
We meet in the name of
the Father,
and the Son and the
Holy Spirit
Amen
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are
open,
all desires known,
and from whom no
secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of
our hearts
by the inspiration of
your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly
love you,
and worthily magnify
your holy name;
through Christ our
Lord.
Amen.
Christ our Passover
lamb has been sacrificed
for us.
Let us therefore
rejoice by putting
away all malice
and evil
and confessing our sins
with a sincere and true
heart.
Almighty God, our
heavenly Father
we have sinned against
you,
through our own fault,
in thought, and word
and deed and in what we have left undone.
We are heartily sorry
and repent of our sins.
For your Son our Lord
Jesus Christ’s sake,
forgive us all that is
past;
and grant that we may
serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your
name.
Amen
May Almighty God
have mercy upon you,
forgive you your sins,
and bring you to
everlasting life.
Amen
Song:
The Collect
God of glory,
by the raising of your
Son
you have broken the
chains of death and hell:
fill your Church with
faith and hope;
for a new day has
dawned
and the way to life
stands open
in our Saviour Jesus
Christ. Amen
First Reading: Acts 4:32-35
The Believers Share
Their Possessions
32 The group of believers
was one in mind and heart. None of them said that any of their belongings were
their own, but they all shared with one another everything they had. 33 With
great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and God poured rich blessings on them all. 34 There
was no one in the group who was in need. Those who owned fields or houses would
sell them, bring the money received from the sale, 35 and
turn it over to the apostles; and the money was distributed according to the
needs of the people.
This is the word of the
Lord
Thanks be to God
Song: In Christ Alone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENtL_li4GbE
Gospel Reading John 20:19-30
19 It was late that Sunday
evening, and the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, because
they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Then Jesus came and stood among
them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 After saying this,
he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at
seeing the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be
with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.” 22 Then
he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If
you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are
not forgiven.”
24 One of the twelve
disciples, Thomas (called the Twin), was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So
the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
Thomas said to them,
“Unless I see the scars of the nails in his hands and put my finger on those
scars and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later the
disciples were together again indoors, and Thomas was with them. The doors were
locked, but Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with
you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here,
and look at my hands; then reach out your hand and put it in my side. Stop your
doubting, and believe!”
28 Thomas answered him,
“My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “Do
you believe because you see me? How happy are those who believe without seeing
me!”
30 In his disciples'
presence Jesus performed many other miracles which are not written down in this
book. 31 But these have been written in order that you may
believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through your
faith in him you may have life.
Sermon: Transformation
After the joy of Easter
Sunday, our bible readings take us through what happened next. The resurrection wasn’t just an extraordinary
event, defying the rules of nature. When Jesus came back to life, everything
changed.
Our world is
transformed.
The disciples are
transformed.
I wonder if we can put
ourselves in the disciples’ place. They were hiding, terrified that they would
be found and killed, lost without Jesus as their leader; disappointed, let
down- so many things. And then on the first Easter morning, Mary and the other women come
running in with this mad story that the body has gone- and maybe Jesus is alive
again. Peter and John go to check it out. They find an empty tomb- but… I’m
sure at that moment none of it made any sense at all. I wonder what the conversation would have
been for the next few hours? How did they cope? Dare they believe any of what
some of them had seen?
And then Jesus turns
up. Jesus addresses their fears. He reassures them. He shows them his hands and
side. It’s really him. Not a ghost or a hallucination; Jesus is back from the
dead.
I expect there were
thousands of questions but what we hear is this. Jesus breathes on them, Jesus brings peace to frightened, dismayed,
lost people. He brings peace.
And he brings a command
and responsibility- not that they do too much about that just yet! Their
transformation is amazing but it doesn’t happen in an instant. What Jesus gives
to them is for them but not for them to keep for themselves alone.
•
Frightened
to Joy-filled
•
Confused
to Convinced
•
Hiding
to Sent out
•
Spirit-filled
and empowered.
Thomas is transformed
But what about Thomas? He wasn’t there? There are a few hints about Thomas in John’s gospel. He is the one, when Jesus goes back into danger (John 11:16 to raise Lazarus from the dead), who says that he is willing to go and die with Jesus. Impressive loyalty, if a bit pessimistic. Thomas also speaks up at the last supper (John 14:5) to express everyone doubts- we don’t know where you’re going so how can we know the way? Perhaps Thomas had just gone off on his own after the seeming disaster of Good Friday; he wasn’t about to be swayed by near hysterical accounts of Jesus come back to life again. He needed concrete evidence; he needed to see for himself.
And yet Jesus meets
Thomas and shows his scars. Thomas falls down in recognition and worship. He
wasn’t someone who wilfully disbelieved; he just wanted the evidence. So Jesus
gives him what he needs- and Thomas responds with worship. The rumours are that
Thomas went onto be a missionary- taking the encounter he had with Jesus to the
furthest reaches on his world.
From the outset, Jesus
brings peace to his followers and he gives a command- as the Father has sent
me, so I send you. And he sends them together. The peace he gave, the life he
gives, was not for that one small group of followers. It was for all. And in
Acts, we have the first community of new believers. They didn’t just grasp hold
of a new idea or truth. The reality of Jesus’ new life changed them. The Holy
Spirt transformed them, they became a new community- based on love, and mutual
sharing so that no-one was in need. It was all founded on the experience of the resurrection. Because
Jesus died, they were forgiven. Because he rose again, they received new life-
and the Holy Spirit changed them. God
does not speak to us as individuals for us to carry on with our individual lifes’
journeys- but to mould us together into a community. We follow Jesus together,
share together support each other together.
And Joseph becomes
Barnabas, what a wonderful nickname- the one who encourages!
And we are to be
transformed.
After Jesus encourages Thomas and meets his
needs- Jesus also brings a challenge to us. We do not have the privilege that
Thomas had- of seeing Jesus in the flesh, but Jesus knows that. He brings us
the challenge- we might not see him as Thomas did but we have Thomas’ evidence.
We can know as certainly as Thomas did.
We can know for sure
that we can believe too. We might not know every detail but we know enough to
decide.
And this is not being
forced to believe something that isn’t true or something unpleasant but
necessary. This is an offer of life.
What we believe
Let us declare our
faith
in the resurrection of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ died for our
sins
in accordance with the
Scriptures;
he was buried;
he was raised to life
on the third day
in accordance with the
Scriptures;
afterwards he appeared
to his followers,
and to all the
apostles:
this we have received,
and this we believe.
Amen.
Our Prayers
In joy and hope we
pray.
We pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That our risen Saviour
may fill us with the joy of his glorious and life-giving resurrection …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That isolated and
persecuted churches may find fresh strength in the good news of Easter …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That God may grant us
humility to be subject to one another in Christian love …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That he may provide for
those who lack food, work, or shelter …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That by his power war
and famine may cease through all the world …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That he may reveal the
light of his presence to the sick, the weak and the dying,
to comfort and
strengthen them …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That he may send the
fire of the Holy Spirit upon his people,
so that we may bear
faithful witness to his resurrection,
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
Song: When I survey the wondrous cross
https://www.godtube.com/popular-hymns/when-i-survey-the-wondrous-cross/The Peace
The Risen Christ came and stood among
his disciples and said,
Peace be with you.
The they were glad when
they saw the Lord.
Alleluia
The peace of the Lord
be always with you.
And also with you.
Holy Communion
The Lord is here.
His Spirit is with us.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the
Lord.
Let us give thanks to
the Lord our God.
It is right to give
thanks and praise.
And now we give you thanks
because through him you
have given us eternal life and delivered us from the bondage of sin and the
fear of death
into the glorious
liberty of the children of God.
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might
Heaven and earth are
full of your glory
Hosanna in the highest
Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord
Hosanna in the highest
We praise and bless
you, loving Father,
through Jesus Christ,
our Lord;
and as we obey his
command,
send your Holy Spirit,
that broken bread and
wine outpoured
may be for us the body
and blood of your dear Son.
On the night before he
died he had supper with his friends
and, taking bread, he
praised you.
He broke the bread,
gave it to them and said:
Take, eat; this is my
body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance
of me.
When supper was ended
he took the cup of wine.
Again he praised you,
gave it to them and said: Drink this, all of you;
this is my blood of the
new covenant,
which is shed for you
and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as
you drink it, in remembrance of me.
So, Father, we remember
all that Jesus did,
in him we plead with
confidence his sacrifice
made once for all upon
the cross.
Bringing before you the
bread of life and cup of salvation,
we proclaim his death
and resurrection
until he comes in
glory.
Dying you destroyed our
death,
rising you restored our
life:
Lord Jesus, come in
glory.
Lord of all life,
help us to work
together for that day
when your kingdom comes
and justice and mercy
will be seen in all the earth.
Look with favour on
your people,
gather us in your
loving arms
and bring us with all
the saints
to feast at your table
in heaven.
Through Christ, and
with Christ, and in Christ,
in the unity of the
Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory
are yours, O loving Father, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily
bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who
sin against us.
Lead us not into
temptation
but deliver us from
evil.
For the kingdom, the
power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
We break this bread
to share in the body of
Christ.
Though we are many, we
are one body,
because we all share in
one bread.
Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us
Alleluia! Let us keep
the feast!
Prayer of Spiritual
Communion
Thanks be to you, Lord
Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits
you have given me,
for all the pains and
insults you have borne for me.
Since I cannot now
receive you sacramentally,
I ask you to come
spiritually into my heart.
O most merciful
redeemer, friend and brother,
may I know you more
clearly,
love you more
dearly,
and follow you more
nearly, day by day. Amen
Song: What a beautiful
name https://youtu.be/r5L6QlAH3L4
Father of all,
we give you thanks and
praise,
that when we were still
far off
you met us in your Son
and brought us home.
Dying and living, he
declared your love,
gave us grace, and
opened the gate of glory.
May we who share
Christ’s body live his risen life;
we who drink his cup
bring life to others;
we whom the Spirit
lights give light to the world.
Keep us firm in the
hope you have set before us,
so we and all your
children shall be free,
and the whole earth
live to praise your name;
through Christ our
Lord. Amen.
The Blessing
God the Father, by
whose glory
Christ was raised from
the dead,
strengthen you to walk
with him in his risen life;
and the blessing of God
Almighty
Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, be with you now
And remain with you
always.
Amen
Song: How Deep the Father’s Love for Us https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzQj7XvKFmA&ab_channel=ScottBacher
Dismissal
Alleluia. Christ is
risen.
He is risen indeed.
Alleluia.
Praise the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He has given us new
life and hope.
He has raised Jesus
from the dead.
God has claimed us as
his own.
He has brought us out
of darkness.
He has made us light to
the world.
Alleluia. Christ is
risen.
He is risen indeed.
Alleluia.