Second Sunday of Easter 2020

Sunday 19 April: Second Sunday of Easter

Today, we meet from our own homes, at 10.30 a.m. via Zoom meeting ID: 664-485-330. You’ll also need a password code, which you can get from Revd Andrew Dowsett in advance by calling or texting him on 07783-760-012.

The Greeting

In the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

The Lord be with you

and also with you.

Alleluia. Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

We join in the Prayer of Preparation, acknowledging that God knows the desires of our

hearts, including those that are temporarily on hold, and those that through the

circumstances of our lives may never be fulfilled.

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.

We confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness.

In baptism we died with Christ,

so that as Christ was raised from the dead,

we might walk in newness of life.

Let us receive new life in him

as we confess our sins in penitence and faith.

Jesus Christ, risen Master and triumphant Lord,

we come to you in sorrow for our sins,

and confess to you our weakness and unbelief.

We have lived by our own strength,

and not by the power of your resurrection.

In your mercy, forgive us.

Lord, hear us and help us.

We have lived by the light of our own eyes,

as faithless and not believing.

In your mercy, forgive us.

Lord, hear us and help us.

We have lived for this world alone,

and doubted our home in heaven.

In your mercy, forgive us.

Lord, hear us and help us.

Almighty God,

who forgives all who truly repent,

have mercy upon you,

pardon and deliver you from all your sins,

confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,

and keep you in life eternal;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The Collect prayer for today, the Second Sunday of Easter

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.

We listen to God’s word to us.

Reading          Acts 2:14a, 22-32

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say.

‘You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know—this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. For David says concerning him,

“I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;
therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
moreover, my flesh will live in hope.
For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One experience corruption.
You have made known to me the ways of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.”

‘Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying,

“He was not abandoned to Hades,
nor did his flesh experience corruption.”

This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.

Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live,

and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.’

Alleluia.

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

Glory to you, O Lord.

Gospel reading           John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

We reflect together on what we have heard, in the context of our own shared lives.

We respond to God’s word, joining in this Affirmation of Faith.

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.

We pray for the Church and the world.

In joy and hope let us pray to the Father.

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, according to his promises,

all who have died in the faith of the resurrection

may be raised on the last day …

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.

Heavenly Father,

you have delivered us from the power of darkness

and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:

grant that, as his death has recalled us to life,

so his continual presence in us may raise us to eternal joy;

through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Our service concludes with the Blessing and Dismissal, as the Church is sent out into the world, to be met by the risen Jesus and share his love with others.

God the Father,

by whose love Christ was raised from the dead,

open to you who believe the gates of everlasting life.

Amen.

God the Son,

who in bursting from the grave has won a glorious victory,

give you joy as you share the Easter faith.

Amen.

God the Holy Spirit,

who filled the disciples with the life of the risen Lord,

empower you and fill you with Christ’s peace.

Amen.

and the blessing of God almighty,

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be among you and remain with you always.

Amen.

He is not here. He is risen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.

In the name of Christ. Amen. Alleluia, alleluia.

Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is included in this service, is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2000.

Common Worship: Times and Seasons, material from which is included in this service, is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2006.

Easter Day 2020

Sunday 12 April: Easter Day

Today, we meet from our own homes, at 10.30 a.m. via Zoom meeting ID: 664-485-330. You’ll also need a password code, which you can get from Revd Andrew Dowsett in advance by calling or texting him on 07783-760-012.

The first Easter day was truly disorienting. Perhaps this year, we might enter into the Great Story more fully than ever before…

This has become for the Church a day of great rejoicing, on which we light candles from the new Paschal Candle, and renew our baptismal vows. This year, we cannot light candles from the Paschal Candle, but might nonetheless light a new candle in our homes. You may also like to have to hand a glass or shallow bowl of water, for the renewing of our baptismal vows.

We begin with the Service of Light

Christ yesterday and today,

the beginning and the end,

Alpha and Omega,

all time belongs to him,

and all ages;

to him be glory and power,

through every age and for ever. Amen.

This is the day when our Lord Jesus Christ passed from death to life.

Throughout the world Christians celebrate the awesome power of God.

As we hear his word and proclaim all that God has done,

we can be confident that we shall share his victory over death

and live with him for ever.

The president lights the Easter Candle, saying

May the light of Christ, rising in glory,

banish all darkness from our hearts and minds.

The light of Christ.

Thanks be to God.

All light their candles

We join in the great Easter Acclamation, and the Gloria

Alleluia. Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Glory to God in the highest,

and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King,

almighty God and Father,

we worship you, we give you thanks,

we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,

Lord God, Lamb of God,

you take away the sin of the world:

have mercy on us;

you are seated at the right hand of the Father:

receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One,

you alone are the Lord,

you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,

with the Holy Spirit,

in the glory of God the Father.

Amen.

Now we pray the Collect, the prayer for this Sunday

Let us pray that we may walk in the risen life of Christ in glory.

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.

We listen to God’s word to us

Reading          Acts 10:34-43

Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Gospel reading           John 20:1-18

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

The angels asked, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’

Does not being able to gather with other Christians to celebrate Easter make you weep? Then weep! And, what else, in all this strangest of times, has caused you to weep?

Through our tears, how might we meet Jesus in a new way?

Peter declared that Jesus went about doing good. What have we learned about going about doing good in these days, when we can only go about at all under restrictions?

Having heard and received God’s word to us, we join in reaffirming our baptismal faith

In baptism, God calls us out of darkness into his marvellous light. To follow Christ means dying to sin and rising to new life with him. Therefore I ask:

Do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God?

I reject them.

Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil?

I renounce them.

Do you repent of the sins that separate us from God and neighbour?

I repent of them.

Do you turn to Christ as Saviour?

I turn to Christ.

Do you submit to Christ as Lord?

I submit to Christ.

Do you come to Christ, the way, the truth and the life?

I come to Christ.

May almighty God who has given you the desire to follow Christ

give you the strength to continue in the way.

The president stands before the water of baptism and says

Praise God who made heaven and earth,

who keeps his promise for ever.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give thanks and praise.

Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ

was baptized in the river Jordan,

we thank you for the gift of water

to cleanse us and revive us.

Saving God,

give us life.

We thank you that through the waters of the Red Sea

you led your people out of slavery

to freedom in the Promised Land.

Saving God,

give us life.

We thank you that through the deep waters of death

you brought your Son,

and raised him to life in triumph.

Saving God,

give us life.

Bless this water, that your servants who are washed in it

may be made one with Christ in his death and in his resurrection,

to be cleansed and delivered from all sin.

Saving God,

give us life.

Send your Holy Spirit upon them,

bring them to new birth in the household of faith

and raise them with Christ to full and eternal life;

for all might, majesty, authority and power are yours,

now and for ever. Amen.

Saving God,

give us life.

Brothers and sisters, I ask you to profess the faith of the Church.

Do you believe and trust in God the Father?

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit?

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting.

Amen.

Each member of the congregation is invited to renew their commitment to Christ by dipping their finger in water and making the sign of the cross with it on their forehead.

The president says

Almighty God,

we thank you for our fellowship in the household of faith

with all who have been baptized in your name.

Keep us faithful to our baptism,

and so make us ready for that day

when the whole creation shall be made perfect in your Son,

our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Amen.

May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith,

that you may be rooted and grounded in love

and bring forth the fruit of the Spirit.

Amen.

Prayers of Intercession

In joy and hope let us pray to the Father.

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, according to his promises,

all who have died in the faith of the resurrection

may be raised on the last day

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.

Heavenly Father,

you have delivered us from the power of darkness

and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:

grant that, as his death has recalled us to life,

so his continual presence in us may raise us to eternal joy;

through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Rejoicing in God’s new creation,

as our Saviour taught us, so we pray

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.

Conclusion

Alleluia. Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He has given us new life and hope

by raising 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.

Go in the peace of Christ. Alleluia, alleluia.

Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.

Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is included in this service, is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2000.

Common Worship: Times and Seasons, material from which is included in this service, is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2006.

Palm Sunday 2020

Sunday 5 April 2020: Palm Sunday

Today, we meet from our own homes, at 10.30 a.m. via Zoom meeting ID: 664-485-330. You’ll also need a password code, which you can get from Revd Andrew Dowsett in advance by calling or texting him on 07783-760-012.

Today, churches traditionally parade with palms. This year will be very different. We have provided a palm cross for you. If you can get outside for daily exercise, you might like to go for a ‘palm procession prayer walk’ around the neighbourhood at some point today. If you can’t, you might do so in your mind’s eye.

As we come to worship at a familiar time, if not a familiar building, you might like to light a candle, a reminder that Christ the light of the world is with us. Take a moment to still yourself. We then begin with the Prayer of Preparation, which reminds us that God knows our desires—to join with others today, if we could; to receive bread and wine, which, physically, we cannot; to be of service to our neighbour…

Prayer of Preparation

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.

Now we come to Confession, confessing our need for God. We confess for ourselves, and on behalf of our neighbours; and receive God’s mercy. Doing so is the antidote to judging others in anger.

‘Kyrie’ Confession

God be gracious to us and bless us,

and make your face shine upon us:

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

May your ways be known on the earth,

your saving power among the nations:

Christ, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

You, Lord, have made known your salvation,

and reveal your justice in the sight of the nations:

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Absolution

The Lord enrich you with his grace, and nourish you with his blessing;

the Lord defend you in trouble and keep you from all evil;

the Lord accept your prayers, and absolve you from our offences,

for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

Amen.

Now we pray the Collect, the prayer for this Sunday.

Collect prayer for today

True and humble king,

hailed by the crowd as Messiah:

grant us the faith to know you and love you,

that we may be found beside you on the way of the cross,

which is the path of glory.

Amen.

Having prepared ourselves, we listen to God’s word to us, and respond in conversation.

Reading          Philippians 2:5-11

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death—

even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Gospel reading           Matthew 21:1-11 and 26:14-27:66

Traditionally, we have had two readings from the Gospels on Palm Sunday: the Gospel of the Palms at the beginning of the service, and the long telling of the Gospel of the Passion. We would encourage you to read this longer passage, Matthew 26:14-27:66, in your own time today, or over the coming days. For now, we shall hear the Gospel of the Palms, from Matthew 21:1-11.

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them immediately. This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,

‘Tell the daughter of Zion,

Look, your king is coming to you,

humble, and mounted on a donkey,

and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,

‘Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest heaven!’

When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’

How does it feel to be emptied, to be humbled?

(How) have we seen Jesus come to us, in these days, in unexpected ways?

How might we make do with whatever is to hand to proclaim him our king this day? What creative ways can we come up with between us? Might we colour-in paper palms and place them in our window, cut leaves from our garden to decorate our house, make leaf-shaped biscuits to share with family, read a story*?

*In A.A. Milne’s The House at Pooh Corner, ‘Chapter Six in which Pooh invents a new game and Eeyore joins in’, the donkey Eeyore is bounced into the river and can only wait until he is rescued. A good story to revisit in isolation today, about finding simple pleasure in life, and finding ourselves bounced into unexpected situations.

What is Jesus directing us to do today?

Having heard and received God’s word to us, we join in affirming our shared faith.

Affirmation of Faith

Let us declare our faith in God.

We believe in God the Father,

from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.

We believe in God the Son,

who lives in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit,

who strengthens us with power from on high.

We believe in one God;

Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Prayers of Intercession

We take time to pray for the needs of the world, the life of the Church, our community, and all those on our hearts this day.

Today, we are not able to receive bread and wine physically, but we receive them spiritually, if we desire to do so (remember the Prayer of Preparation). And so we take a moment to do so, saying the Post Communion Prayer.

Post Communion Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ,

you humbled yourself in taking the form of a servant,

and in obedience died on the cross for our salvation:

give us the mind to follow you

and to proclaim you as Lord and King,

to the glory of God the Father.

Amen.

As we conclude, receive this blessing:

May the Father,

who so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

bring you by faith to his eternal life.

Amen.

May Christ,

who accepted the cup of sacrifice,

in obedience to the Father’s will,

keep you steadfast as you walk with him the way of the cross.

Amen.

May the Spirit,

who strengthens us to suffer with Christ,

that we may share in his glory,

set your minds on life and peace.

Amen.

And the blessing of God almighty,

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be among you and remain with you always.

Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

In the name of Christ. Amen.

Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is included in this service, is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2000.

Common Worship: Times and Seasons, material from which is included in this service, is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2006.