Home Church Resources – Easter 2 – Sunday 19th April

Theme: ‘Peace be with you’

Opening Hymn: CP157 The day of resurrection

A prayer of approach
As the disciples in the locked room reached out and touched you,
let us reach out and touch you today, living Lord Jesus.
Let us feel your scarred hands and feet.
Let us put our hands in your side.
Let us be still and know that you are our Lord and our God.
Amen

Psalm 150 

response: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise him with the sound of trumpets!

John 20.19-31
The risen Jesus appears among his disciples when Thomas is absent. Jesus breathes on them and says, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’. A week later, Jesus appears again and speaks to Thomas directly. Thomas cries out, ‘My Lord and my God!’

 

Reflection:

  • What difference does it make having Jesus in your life?
  • What experiences make you feel most ‘at peace’?

Anthem
He is risen, he is risen! Tell it with a joyful voice
text Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895) music Sir Sydney Hugo Nicholson (1875-1947)


Prayers of intercession
based on the today’s gospel

Heavenly Father, we pray for all the places in the world that need your peace:
places where wars and viruses continue to threaten the stability of the nations;
and the lack of peace has caused so much destruction;
places where people have to flee their homes, their families destroyed, lives lost.
Lord, bring your peace which passes all understanding.

Give wisdom to world leaders:
to presidents, prime ministers, politicians of all governments,
that they may strive for lasting peace and true justice,
not putting personal ambitions before the needs of their people.
Lord, bring your peace which passes all understanding.

We pray for those who need peace of mind:
those weighed down by the stresses and strains of everyday life,
or who suffer with anxiety, or are oppressed by worry and fear;
for those who find it hard to let go of things and simply trust.
Lord, bring your peace which passes all understanding. Amen.

Collect for today:

Risen Christ for whom no door is locked, no entrance barred: open the doors of our hearts that we may seek the good of others and walk the joyful road of sacrifice and peace to the praise of God the Father. Amen.

Affirmation of Faith:

We 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.
based on 1 Corinthians 15.3-7

Closing Hymn: 150 Love’s redeeming work is done

 

Blessing

Organ Voluntary

Sontata No. 3 in A Major, 1st movement Con moto maestoso (Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy) Organist: Stephen Brown