Worshipping at Home 24th April 2022
Home Worshipping 

Easter 2 - 24th April 2022 

The First Hymn
Welcome!

People often wonder whether they will be welcome in church because their faith is not very clear and strong. The church’s door is open to everyone – to anyone who for whatever reason feels drawn to Jesus. On the day of Resurrection, Jesus’ followers were afraid, incredulous and baffled by the day’s events. It took time for them to believe in the risen Lord. Today the Church offers a place where we can all go to spend time, and to take time, as we make our journey towards faith.


Psalm 133 

How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.
It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life forevermore.

Acclamation

Our Lord Jesus Christ, 
risen from death,
we praise you 
for the gift of life and hope.
You came to Mary 
in the garden,
And turned her tears into joy.
The came to the disciples 
in the Upper Room,
and turned their fear into courage.
For your love and mercy 
we give you thanks.

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 (Jesus appears to the disciples)

 

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

As the saying goes, ‘Seeing is believing’. It is all very well for other people to tell us extraordinary stories of amazing events, but we often reserve judgement until we have checked things out for ourselves. This was Thomas’ view when the other disciples told him that they had seen the risen Lord. He reserved judgement until he had seen the evidence for himself. Now let’s turn the phrase around and say, ‘Believing is seeing’. It’s the same meaning as the original saying, but at the same time there is a different feel to it. Believing in Jesus as the risen Lord is not an easy matter, so how can it be facilitated? Many a testimony talks about an ‘aha’ moment, a time when the penny drops, a time when we see clearly. ‘I was blind, but now I see’. 

There is a message in the way the Gospel writers tell the resurrection stories. They want us to know that their experience can be our experience. We don’t just have to take their word for it. We may well begin by hearing/reading their words. We may then study what we have learnt. But at that point, full of knowledge and understanding, we need to remember John’s words in our reading today. The evangelist wants us to journey from knowing and understanding to believing. And it is through believing, and not just understanding or accepting, that we have life. However subjective it may sound, the Gospel writers are inviting us to experience Jesus – to have that spiritual moment that can only be described as “I have seen, and now I believe. I bow my knee and declare, ‘My Lord, and my God.’”

Let us Pray

Lord God, we rejoice in the knowledge that at Easter love overcame, emerging from a cold tomb, all the truth, majesty and creativity of a living God, transforming a broken heart, making a quiet return, in a still and sorrowful garden. Together we praise you for the grave stone rolled away, the release of redemptive love. We recall with thanksgiving how Jesus, resurrected and restored, comforted a weeping woman, spoke with travellers on a journey, and met with his faithful friends. With them we bow down before Christ alive, and acknowledge that the saviour is here, that the word of God has come alive, and that the extraordinary transformation of heaven and earth is complete. Amen.

O God, you raised up Jesus Christ as your faithful witness and the first-born of the dead. By your Holy Spirit, help us to witness to him so that those who have not yet seen may come to believe in him who is, and was, and is to come. 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.

(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

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, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always.


Amen.

 The Second Hymn

If you have any thoughts, questions or concerns, please contact us

Henley in Arden The incumbent/priest in charge John Ganjavi
telephone 01564 792570 or email Incumbent / Priest in charge

For a full list of church contact details please click here
Contact Us

 We’re here to help!

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.
Share by: