Home Worshipping 19th April 2020
Opening Comments
This video is 50 Seconds long
The First Hymn
Worshipping at Home19th April 2020
After his resurrection Jesus appeared to his disciples for forty days. In this Easter season we remember those extraordinary encounters and pray that we may know his presence in our lives.
Psalm 111: 1-4
Praise the Lord.
I will extol the Lord with all my heart
in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
Great are the works of the Lord;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.
Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
Acclamation
Let us worship our Lord Jesus Christ
whose passion burns for our salvation.
He gave up the glory of heaven.
He embraced human life.
He lived among us as Saviour.
He has won for us the glory of heaven.
Alleluia!
The Collect Prayer
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
Sharing the Peace
We are the Family of God; In the one Spirit we were all baptised into one body.
Let us then pursue all that makes for peace and builds up our common life.
(At this point please think of others and in your heart send them the message: Peace be with you.)
Bible Reading
John 20:19-31
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’
Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’
But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’
Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’
Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Thought for the Day
We are being told that after the Lock down restrictions are lifted life cannot go back to the way it was. We are encouraged to consider a ‘new normal’. In this new normal we will have to be more careful about hygiene and more caring towards one another. There may well be new routines regarding everyday life. More deeply, I predict our attitude towards life itself will change. We will see life as more fragile. We will no longer behave as though we were invincible and immortal. Jolted by the disturbing possibility of our own untimely demise we may well want to adjust our thinking so that we will be better equipped in the future to deal with such a crisis. I am always challenged by the words of a hymn that say: ‘Teach me to live that I may dread the grave as little as my bed’. How do we get to that strong position of faith?
In our gospel reading we have the story of Thomas meeting the risen Lord. Thomas is an inspiration because he arrived at that enviable position of faith we long for. Thomas believed and declared ‘My Lord and my God!’ Such was his faith that he went on to be a martyr. What convinced Thomas?
Thomas was a no-nonsense man. He was loyal to Jesus but we often read that Thomas was not afraid to voice his opinion! When he heard his friends talking about Jesus risen from the dead he had questions that needed answering. Thomas was not afraid to doubt. What we have to remember, however, is that Thomas was also not afraid to be convinced. He also understood the implications of faith. Faith is not an easy sop but rather it is a demanding way of life. By believing we recognise Jesus as ‘My Lord and my God’. Making a commitment to believe involves learning to live a ‘new normal’. Let’s be inspired by Thomas. Dare to doubt, dare to be convinced, dare to believe, dare to commit.
Lets us Pray
The above video is 2.45 minutes long
(Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.)
The Blessing
This video is 28 Seconds long
Our Second Hymn
Bible Readings for the week:
Monday: Judges 6:36-40; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Tuesday: Jonah 1:1-17; 1 Corinthians 15:19-28
Wednesday: Jonah 2:1-10; Matthew 12:38-42
Thursday: Isaiah 25:1-5; 1 Peter 1:8b-12
Friday: Isaiah 26:1-4; 1 Peter 1:13-16
Saturday: Isaiah 25:6-9; Luke 14:12-14
If you have any concerns, please contact us
Henley in Arden The incumbent/priest in charge John Ganjavi
telephone 01564 792570 or email Incumbent/ Priest in charge
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I believe if you keep your faith, you keep your trust, you keep the right attitude, if you're grateful, you'll see God open up new doors.