Circuit Service for Sunday, 19 April 2020 – Sunday after Easter Day
From the Reverend Sue Stilwell, Associate Presbyter in the St Albans and Welwyn Circuit, working on the de Havilland Project, and Chaplain to Methodist Homes in Letchworth
CALL TO WORSHIP
Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.’ (1 Peter 1:3)
Almighty Father, you have given your only Son to die for our sins and to rise again for our justification; grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness that we may always serve you in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
SONG OF CELEBRATION!
The day of resurrection Singing the Faith – 311 Tune Ellacombe
The day of resurrection!
Earth, tell it out abroad; the Passover of gladness, the Passover of God. From death to life eternal, from earth unto the sky, our Christ hath brought us over, with hymns of victory.
Our hearts be pure from evil, that we may see aright the Lord in rays eternal of resurrection light; and listening to his accents, may hear so calm and plain his own “All hail!” and, hearing, may raise the victor strain. |
Now let the heavens be joyful!
Let earth her song begin! The round world keep high triumph, and all that is therein! Let all things seen and unseen their notes in gladness blend, for Christ the Lord hath risen, our joy that hath no end.
St John of Damascus (675- 750) Translated by John Mason Neal ( 1811-1866)
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PRAYER
Almighty God, your Son has opened for us a new and living way into your presence. Give us new hearts and constant wills to worship you in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM 16
1 Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.
2. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.
5 Lord you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
READING: John 20: 19-31 The disciples are locked behind closed doors.
Jesus Appears to His Disciples
19 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!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Jesus Appears to Thomas
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 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.”
26 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!” 27 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.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
The Purpose of John’s Gospel
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 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.
HYMN Holy Spirit Breath of Heaven 381 Singing the Faith 381 by Geraldine Latty ( 1963-)
Holy Spirit, breath of heaven,
Holy Spirit, breathe on us, Breathe us to a quiet stillness Where we trust your love for us
Holy Spirit, breath of heaven, Holy Spirit, breathe on us. Breathe us to a quiet stillness Where we find your place for us. |
Holy Spirit, breath of heaven,
Holy Spirit, breathe on us, Breathe us to a quiet stillness Where we know that you are God, |
TALK
I recently received a lovely email from a member of one of the Circuit’s churches thanking me for my work as a Chaplain with MHA (Methodist Homes). It was not only a lovely email but also most welcome and timely. Many of you will be hearing in the news that the focus of care for the vulnerable with Corona Virus is now turning towards the community and the Social Care Sector. I am not personally as outspoken as some have been about this delay and do not consider it to be a deliberate ploy to forget the vulnerable elderly. I do however believe that the delays are because we have all been taken by total surprise with this pandemic and what have been considered to be the most urgent needs have been addressed first. It’s too easy to place the blame on others at these times. Having said that, the change in focus has happened because what has been emerging in many Care Homes has now become desperate as the virus finds its way through the closed doors of our Care Homes infecting both vulnerable residents and staff. The Chief Executive of MHA Sam Monaghan has been very open that all care providers are experiencing these problems, including MHA and we have seen in the organisation now both deaths of staff and residents. It is a crashing blow as members of ‘our family’ die, and families feel detached as the Homes are closed to visitors.
The reading from John’s Gospel today couldn’t be more apposite… we read that the Disciples meet behind closed doors in fear of reprisal and their own lives. They have just witnessed the death of their friend Jesus, could they be next? Their fear is justified, as our fear is understandably justified in the present climate. Like the disciples we have seen loved ones in our communities affected by this virus and the impact it has had on their lives, the lives of others, their families, friends and church communities. All our fears are justified.
But something quite amazing happens, as they are gathered together. Jesus suddenly comes to them and standing among them says ‘Peace be with you’. His identity is realised by the disciples (except Thomas) and we read that they rejoiced when they saw Him. Breathing on them, Jesus says ‘receive the Holy Spirit’. For them this is the moment of belief and understanding that Jesus is Alive!
Whilst we may all be apart and behind our closed doors, we do all share in hope in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, so today let us each wait on Jesus to come into our homes and listen for his words of encouragement ‘Peace be with you’ and we respond ‘and also with you’. Jesus is with us behind our closed doors as indeed He is in our Care Homes, our communities and in the hearts of all who reach out to care for others.. Amen.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we pray today for ourselves, for our neighbours and for those known to us.
Give us hope in these difficult times, and help us to know and really experience the power of your healing love.
As we navigate the turbulent waters, give us your peace. Calm the tumult of our hearts and the confused thoughts in our minds.
Be with us Lord behind our closed doors as you were with the disciples behind theirs. Breathe on us your Holy Spirit so that we may all serve you as you call us to do.. help us to love our neighbours and keep us mindful always to the needs of others.
Keep us safe Lord, we pray.
Amen.
A time for prayers for your own churches, neighbourhoods, family and friends …………
We also remember all who live in Care Homes and those who care for them and today we also remember the work of Methodist Homes and all chaplains in Homes and in Hospices and Hospitals
We link our prayers with those of Christians in every place in every land as we say
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Hymn: Thine be the Glory Singing the Faith – 313
1 Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son, endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won; angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away, kept the folded grave-clothes where thy body lay:
Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son, endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won |
2 Lo, Jesus meets us,
risen from the tomb; lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom; let the Church with gladness hymns of triumph sing, for her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting:
3 No more we doubt thee, glorious Prince of Life; life is naught without thee: aid us in our strife; make us more than conquerors through thy deathless love; bring us safe through Jordan to thy home above. |
Edmond Budry (1854-1932)
translated by Richard Birch Hoyle (1875-1939) Reproduced from Singing the Faith |
BLESSING
God the Father, by whose love Christ was raised from the dead, open to you who believe the gates of everlasting life.
God the Son, who in bursting the grave has won a glorious victory, give you joy as you share the Easter faith.
God the Holy Spirit, whom the risen Lord breathed into his disciples, empower you and fill you with Christ’s peace.
And the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you now and always. Amen.
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