Join the global wave of prayer between Ascension and Pentecost in which Christians from many denominations pray for more people to come to know the love and peace of Jesus Christ. You are invited to take part from 9-19 May 2024 and to do so in your own way. We hope you do because you will be joining in with Christians from churches from over 85 different denominations and traditions in over 172 countries around the world.For those of you who need or want it, the Church of England website has a range of resources to support you in this wave of praying. See also what the Archbishop has to say about it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSa3TemZwS0
4th Sunday of Easter Readings: Acts 4v5-12; Psalm 23; 1 John 3v16-end; John 10v11-18. Let us pray: May the words of my mouth, and the thoughts and meditations of all our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. A Word: In the 23rd psalm, we hear that the Lord is our shepherd. A good shepherd who leads the sheep to food and water. A good shepherd who stays with the sheep at times of danger. A good shepherd who loves, serves and blesses the sheep. A good shepherd who seeks and searches for the sheep in order to bring them back home to God. This is a psalm that tells us all we need to know about God, for God is a shepherd who wants to help, guide and save us – his sheep. In the gospel of John, we hear Jesus describe himself as the “Good Shepherd”. A shepherd who puts the sheep before himself, a shepherd who knows his sheep, a shepherd who will do whatever it takes to keep his sheep safe. For, the good shepherd is someone who loves the sheep, someone who wants to take good care of the sheep, someone who will put themselves in danger in order to defend and protect the sheep. This reading tells us that being a good shepherd is important because the sheep will only trust good shepherds and when they trust those who are shepherding them, they will follow them wherever they go. Understanding what it means to be a good shepherd is vital for the church in this day and age because Jesus told his disciples that there are many who need to be gathered up and joined together as one huge flock. Gathering up everyone that God is calling into one flock is something that can be done, probably through a miracle, because as we hear in Acts, Jesus is the chief cornerstone - the one in whose name everyone can be saved. But, to play our part in this gathering, we must be good shepherds. For as Jesus warned in the gospel of John, the sheep do not trust bad shepherds because they know that bad shepherds do not care what happens to them and that bad shepherds will not do what is needed to protect them. For bad shepherds do not love them and are only there to take what they want for themselves. However, being a good shepherd is well within our reach, for as we hear in the letter of John, it is a calling to live like Jesus, who loved and sacrificed his life for us. A calling that John’s letter tells us is one in which we must stop being self-critical so that we can begin to live boldly before God. A bold people who are do what pleases God, by believing in Jesus and keeping God’s command to love other people. I believe that this is our calling. A calling to be good shepherds. Good shepherds working for God. Good shepherds who care for others and serve them diligently and faithfully, just like Jesus did for us. Let us pray: Most merciful God, we give you thanks for your son Jesus who suffered on the cross to deliver and save the world. Help us to live like he did, so that we can be servants of others in the world for which he died. Teach us how to be Good Shepherds in this generation, teach us how to love and care for others and help us to gather your people into your one true sheepfold. Amen Thank you for joining us.
3rd Sunday of Easter Readings: Acts 3v12-19; Psalm 4; 1 John 3v1-7; Luke 24v36b-48. Let us pray: May the words of my mouth, and the thoughts and meditations of all our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. A Word: In Luke we hear about an appearance of the risen Jesus to his disciples. This took place in Jerusalem, after the two disciples who had met with Jesus earlier on the road to Emmaus had returned and were telling the others about it. As the disciples shared this and other accounts of meeting with Jesus, Jesus appeared amongst them saying “Peace be with you”. Jesus also asked them why they were afraid and doubting that he was there amongst them? Jesus went on to show them his hands and his feet and to ask for food, that he ate in their presence. After this Jesus explained the law of Moses, the psalms and the books of the prophets to them, so that they would be able to make sense of all that had occurred. Jesus told them that it was all planned and prophesied in advance - his suffering, his death and his rising again. All of this so that repentance and forgiveness of sins could be proclaimed in Jesus’ name to all nations by all of the disciples who were his witnesses. In Acts, in a time after Jesus ascended into heaven, we hear Peter telling the crowds that he had been able to perform the miracle of making a man able to walk because of God. For the God who raised and glorified Jesus had lent his power to Peter, in the name of Jesus. The same Jesus who had been turned against and crucified by those who should have known better. The same Jesus who was the Messiah, the one foretold by the prophets. After telling them all of this, Peter invited the crowd to ask forgiveness for their sins, turn back to God and have their sins wiped away, because of Jesus. In the letter of John, we hear that God loves us so much that not only can we be called his children but also, one day, see him as he really is. John reminds us that because of this we have hope and must purify ourselves by turning away from sinful living and doing what is right. The Psalm is an ancient prayer, asking God for rescue from shame as well as to put gladness in their hearts and shine the light of God upon them. It is a prayer that closes with confidence to sleep restfully because the Lord will keep them safe. The reading from Luke tell us that God has everything in hand, all the good and the bad things in life. The reading from Acts tells us that God has power to do miracles and wants us to turn back to him for forgiveness of our sins. The letter from John tells us that God’s love for us far outweighs our sinfulness and that all God hopes is that we will turn back by trying to avoid sin and actively do what is right. The psalm is a prayer that God has answered, is answering and will always answer, for all God wants is to rescue us, fill us with joy and make us bright with godly light. This is why the message of the Church is good news. For none of us deserve God’s love, it is offered to us freely and is ours for the taking – subject only to returning into a covenanted life of keeping God in mind, trying to avoid sinning, actively living in line with God’s instructions and repenting each time we fail. I believe that this is a great, glorious and undeserved gift – a gift we should grasp with surprise and delight. A gift we should tell others about – so they can have it too. Let us pray: Most merciful God, we give you thanks for your son Jesus who suffered on the cross to deliver and save the world. Help us to live like he did, so that we can be servants of others in the world for which he died. Teach us how to share the message of Good News that because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the entire world is able to rejoice in the power of all he accomplished for us. Amen Thank you for joining us.
Welcome Let us remember that after Jesus rose from the dead, he was seen by his disciples. Let’s hear what from John 20v11-18 (NRVSA): Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.Let us pray: As we hear about Jesus' resurrection appearances, help us to hold back our doubts and to supend our disbelief, so we can ponder the wondrous possibilities of an all powerful God, a God who loves us so much he came to show us the way to live and die, so we can be with you in eternity. AmenLords’ prayer 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. AmenThe Grace May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all, now and evermore. AMENThank you for joining us today. Happy Easter – Jesus is Risen
