Home Worshipping
Easter Sunday 5 2nd May 2021
The Service
The above video is 18 minutes & 28 seconds long
The First Hymn
Welcome!
Have you ever compared the way we enter a time of worship, and then leave? Maybe our arrival could be described as deliberate, reverential, thoughtful, cheerful, hopeful, even exciting. And what about the way we leave? More relaxed? Feeling healthier? Bright? Determined? Purposeful? The way we arrive and depart speak of our expectations and experience of worship. Something to think about as we now prepare to worship.
Psalm 22: 25-31
From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever!
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.
For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.
To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.
Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord,
and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.
Acclamation
O Lord our God,
how majestic is your name;
the earth is filled with your glory.
O Lord our God,
you are robed in majesty;
you’ve set your glory
above the heavens.
O Lord our God,
you have established your throne.
You reign in righteousness
and splendour.
The Collect Prayer
Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: grant that, as by your grace going before us you put into our minds good desires, so by your continual help we may bring them to good effect; through Jesus Christ our risen Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
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 15:1-8 (I am the Vine, and you are the branches.)
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.
You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
Thought for the Day
“We are now well into the Easter season. We have moved on from the early excitement of the resurrection. We have enjoyed the news that the risen Lord is with us. We have re-visited some of Jesus’ teaching and, with the power of hindsight, we have understood them more clearly. There is a certain sense of unease, however, as we begin to wonder how long this honeymoon season is going to last. Jesus’ teaching is now equipping us for what will be happening next. There is a tension in the air - a healthy tension, but nevertheless a real tension as we brace ourselves for the next move.” These words could well describe the thoughts of the disciples as well as our own.
We have been re-living those amazing weeks that followed the resurrection of Jesus. We have been following the Bible stories of Jesus meeting the disciples. One of the last encounters is when Jesus restores Peter to a position of leadership. Now I would like to imagine a further encounter. In my mind’s eye I see a late evening setting. The disciples have been enjoying Jesus’ company around a camp-fire. As the other disciples wander off, only Jesus and Peter remain as they watch the last of the flames flickering over the glowing embers. Then Peter breaks the silence as he turns to Jesus and asks, ‘What next?’. I would like to think that Jesus’ reply would echo the words in our reading today from John 15. My imaginary setting gives these words an urgency. They are serious. Our lives depend on them.
Jesus urges us to stay close to him. More than that, we are to be totally entwined with him to the point of being indistinguishable. Utter unity. Why? Because we have a stunning choice. To live with Jesus means to be in tune with the divine plan for our lives, to flourish, even to be glorious. The alternative is to be like dead wood. The contrast is harsh. But maybe that’s the point…the contrast.
At the very beginning of his ministry Jesus contrasted what he was offering and what had been on offer as wine versus water. His was the light that put everything else in the shade. The bread he gave was real bread. His gift was true life. At every turn we are presented with a contrast.
Here’s another imaginary moment: I see myself asking Jesus, “Are you saying that all that glitters ain’t gold?’. Jesus replies, ‘You can find gold in this life, but you will have to stay very close to me. Very close indeed.’
There is an urgency in what Jesus is saying. He doesn’t want me to use his words to condemn anyone or to dismiss anybody else’s efforts. These are words directed straight at you and me: Let’s live. Hold tight. Let’s do this.
Let us Pray
O God, your Son remained with his disciples after his resurrection, teaching them to love all people as neighbours. As his disciples in this age, we offer our prayers on behalf of the universe in which we are privileged to live and our neighbours with whom we share it.
Open our hearts to your power moving around us and between us and within us, until your glory is revealed in our love of both friend and enemy, in communities transformed by justice and compassion, and in the healing of all that is broken. Amen.
We pray for your blessing on us as a church as we open up again for Services. We pray that all who claim the faith may be united in praise, prayer and Christian action wherever they choose to worship you each day. 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
Bible Readings for the Week
Monday: Isaiah 5:1-7; Galatians 5:16-26
Tuesday: Isaiah 32:9-20; James 3:17-18
Wednesday: Isaiah 65:17-25; John 14:18-31
Thursday: Isaiah 49:5-6; Acts 10:1-34
Friday: Isaiah 42:5-9; Acts 10:34-43
Saturday: Deuteronomy 32:44-47; Mark 10:42-45
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
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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.