Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Readings

Acts 1:6-14 (NLT)

⁶ So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”

⁷ He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

⁹ After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. ¹⁰ As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”

¹² Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile. ¹³ When they arrived, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying.

Here are the names of those who were present: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the zealot), and Judas (son of James). ¹⁴ They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.

John 17:1-11 (NLT)

After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. ² For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. ³ And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. ⁴ I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. ⁵ Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.

⁶ “I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. ⁷ Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, ⁸ for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.

⁹ “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. ¹⁰ All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. ¹¹ Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.

Sermon – by Rev’d Jo Joyce

What does it mean that God understands humans and was fully human?

What does it mean for Jesus to pray for us as he does in this prayer for all believers?

What does it mean to belong? How often do we spend our time looking up at the sky expecting God to miraculously step in, when we need instead to get on with things ourselves?

All of these things struck me as I read our readings today…

I wonder how you approach bible readings? There are lots of ways; we can read reflectively asking God to speak, we can read for understanding or for study, we can read for worship. I often find though that bible readings make me think, and bring to mind loads of questions. What did it mean for those who originally heard these words? Why did the early church decide they were important enough to write down and protect? What might it mean now? What is God saying through this passage?

It is good to ask lots of questions, and not to always take the first answer. The more we think of a piece of scripture, rolling it around in our minds like a Rubik’s cube, the more we can discover – and a bit like me and Rubik’s cubes, the more questions can be raised!

But, that is a good thing! I don’t think scripture was ever meant to be easy. In Jewish culture there is a whole oral tradition that accompanies their written scripture; the word of God is designed to be wrestled with and debated, because as we engage our mind so we begin to learn more about God and more about those things that shape our original questions. And there are some big questions in these readings!

In our readings today we have ideas about the humanity of God and our own humanity. The ascension of Christ and the gathering into the Trinity of his humanity speaks of the incredible mystery of God, that Jesus fully God and fully man ascended to God and drew that humanity ‘up’ into heaven.

But also, we have ideas of belonging – that if we belong with Christ, in Christ we too somehow belong with God. This too is an enormous theological concept which it’s hard to get our minds around. How do we belong in God, does this, should this affect how we behave, how we live?

I wonder how my life might change if I remember that Jesus is praying for me, and for all believers. Does it bring a fresh confidence and an encouragement to know that? How might we all behave together towards each other and our neighbour if we had a fresh confidence that we belong with God? Does that bring new hope, drive out fear, bring comfort or peace, or does it challenge is to behave differently? What does it mean to belong with God – is it about being loved and feeling secure, or is it something more than that?

I think it is it kind of harsh that the disciples, left staring up into the clouds after the ascension, were asked what they were looking at, but I suppose we could think it was that more of a prompt, “and over to you now” sort of statement. How did they respond? After all they just witnessed something awe inspiring, and difficult to understand or explain. Were they galvanised into action? Into being the hands and feet of Jesus in the world? Should we be? We know that following the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost just a short while later the church began to grow exponentially. Sometimes I wonder what it would take to draw me to that level of action and engagement.

So many, many questions. Sometimes it’s hard to make sense of them, yet this must never put us off trying. If we are to learn from scripture, we need to recognise that this enquiring mindset will stand us in good stead. It will protect us from automatically taking the first interpretation given, it will help us understand scripture for ourselves, it will help us remember, reflect and draw out meaning and understanding. It’s always good to seek answers from those with more experience, and a range of interpretation of you can. It’s always good to recognise our own prejudices, our hopes our mindset that we bring, and its always important to pray that we might grow in understanding and hear God through the scriptures afresh. But by God’s grace, with an enquiring mind there is so much we can learn from and wonder at in these passages, and by doing that we can grow in faith and awe at the greatness of God.

I wonder what questions these passages bring to mind for you?

Intercessions

We bring before God our concerns for our world:
where there is war we pray for peace;
where there is sickness we pray for health;
where there is despair we pray for hope.
Cast all your anxiety on him,
because he cares for you.

We pray that you would be active in health care:
in the work of doctors and dentists, psychiatrists and psychologists, nurses and administrators, pharmacists and researchers.
Cast all your anxiety on him,
because he cares for you.

Guide our activity in the church:
may we find ways to grow;
may we always honour you;
may we serve our communities.
Cast all your anxiety on him,
because he cares for you.

We hold in your love those whom we love:
those who are sick;
those who are sorrowful;
those who need guidance and direction.
Cast all your anxiety on him,
because he cares for you.

Come to us, God of glory.
Hear us, heal us and shine through our lives.
Cast all your anxiety on him,
because he cares for you.
Amen.

(taken from the Roots website https://www.rootsontheweb.com/ )

A closing hymn as we pray and prepare for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit…

As we wait in silence,
make us ready for your coming Spirit.

As we listen to your word,
make us ready for your coming Spirit.

As we worship you in majesty,
make us ready for your coming Spirit.

As we long for your refreshing,
make us ready for your coming Spirit.

As we long for your renewing,
make us ready for your coming Spirit.

As we long for your equipping,
make us ready for your coming Spirit.

As we long for your empowering,
make us ready for your coming Spirit

The Liturgy for our Ascension Day Service can be found below. We hope it will help you worship God with us on this special feast day in the Church. Normally, the priest says the words in normal type and we respond with the words in dark type.

God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

The minister greets the people and introduces the service.

The Ascension Reading

At the end the reader says
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

The Collect

Let us pray that our risen and ascended Lord will lead us to eternal life.

Silence is kept.

Risen Christ,
you have raised our human nature to the throne of heaven:
help us to seek and serve you,
that we may join you at the Father’s side,
where you reign with the Spirit in glory,
now and for ever.
All   Amen.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Glory to you, O Lord.

At the end

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

The Creed

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is,
seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,

begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.

He has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Prayers of Intercession

Lord, in your mercy:
hear our prayer.

Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Peace

The minister introduces the peace

The peace of the Lord be always with you
and also with you.

We offer each other a sign of peace.

The Eucharistic Prayer

The Lord is here.
God’s Spirit is with us.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.

The priest continues to praise God

Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

The priest recalls the Last Supper

Great is the mystery of faith:
Christ has died:
Christ is risen:
Christ will come again.

The priest continues in prayer.

Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Looking for the coming of his kingdom,
as our Saviour taught us, so we pray
Our Father in heaven …

Breaking of the Bread

Lord, we died with you on the cross.
Now we are raised to new life.
We were buried in your tomb.
Now we share in your resurrection.
Live in us, that we may live in you.

Giving of Communion

I heard the voice of a great multitude crying, Alleluia.
The Lord our God has entered into his kingdom.
Blessed are those who are called to the supper of the Lamb.
Alleluia.

Prayer of Spiritual Communion

Thanks be to you, Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits you have given me,
for all the pains and insults you have borne for me.
Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally,
I ask you to come spiritually into my heart.
O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother,
may I know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly,
day by day.
Amen.

Reading

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

No responses are used at the end of the reading. Silence is kept.

Responsory

As we wait in silence,
make us ready for your coming Spirit.
As we listen to your word,
make us ready for your coming Spirit.
As we worship you in majesty,
make us ready for your coming Spirit.
As we long for your refreshing,
make us ready for your coming Spirit.
As we long for your renewing,
make us ready for your coming Spirit.
As we long for your equipping,
make us ready for your coming Spirit.
As we long for your empowering,
make us ready for your coming Spirit.

The Blessing

The Dismissal

Waiting expectantly for the promised Holy Spirit,
go in the peace of Christ. Alleluia, alleluia.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.

(c) 2000 Archbishops Council

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Readings

1 Peter 3:13-22

¹³ Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? ¹⁴ But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. ¹⁵ Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. ¹⁶ But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. ¹⁷ Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!

¹⁸ Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.

¹⁹ So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— ²⁰ those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. ²¹ And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

²² Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.

John 14:15-21

¹⁵ “If you love me, obey my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. ¹⁷ He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. ¹⁸ No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. ¹⁹ Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. ²⁰ When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

Homily

In a few days, we will be celebrating Ascension Day – the day we remember how Jesus left his disciples and returned to his place of glory in heaven. His followers were left with the task of sharing the good news of God’s hope, forgiveness and love with the world. The task of those first followers remains the task of every follower since. We too are to take what we have known and experienced of God’s transforming love and share it with others.

It is a daunting task. In our reading from the first letter of Peter, we get the impression that not everyone responded warmly to the disciples’ message. Jesus says that the world will not always recognize God’s Spirit at work in its midst. Again that may echo with disciples today if we have friends, family or neighbours who are – at best – politely dismissive of the faith we hold dear, or – at worst – downright hostile. And of course, we must not forget the many Christians globally who face genuine persecution and danger for following Jesus.

Both our readings have encouragements for us today as we do our part to share God’s love with the world. Peter is so practical, isn’t he? Just do what is right. Act with gentleness and respect – people will struggle to object to that! He has a point. When people cannot accept our beliefs, our kindness, generosity and goodness of heart sometimes have to do the talking. But again, what a tall order!

However, Jesus promises us that he does not leave alone and unsupported in the task that lies before us. He will send an Advocate – sometimes translated as Helper or Comforter or Mediator – the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will never lead us, will guide us, will help us continue Jesus’ work where we are called to serve.

As we draw to the end of Easter season, we are commissioned again, with those first followers, to go out into all the world with the love and good news of Jesus, sharing the Easter hope we have experienced. But we cannot do it on our own. So as Ascension and Pentecost approach, let us pray afresh for the gift of God’s Holy Spirit to fill us, comfort us, equip and guide us to be God’s people wherever we are.

Intercessions

Let us pray to God,
who alone makes us dwell in safety:

For all who are affected by coronavirus,
through illness or isolation or anxiety,
that they may find relief and recovery:
Lord, hear us,
Lord, graciously hear us.

For those who are guiding our nation at this time,
and shaping national policies,
that they may make wise decisions:
Lord, hear us,
Lord, graciously hear us.

For doctors, nurses and medical researchers,
that through their skill and insights
many will be restored to health:
Lord, hear us,
Lord, graciously hear us.

For the vulnerable and the fearful,
for the gravely ill and the dying,
that they may know your comfort and peace:
Lord, hear us,
Lord, graciously hear us.

We commend ourselves, and all for whom we pray,
to the mercy and protection of God.

Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

“Love never fails. Coronavirus impacts all of us. But love unites us all. As this virus spreads across the world, love rises up in response. You’ve already shown incredible kindness to your neighbours. Now is the time to reach out to your neighbours both near and far. Your love protects. From storms, from drought, and now from coronavirus. Your love protects our global neighbours battling the spread of this illness. Your love protects. With soap, clean water and medical supplies. By supporting us this Christian Aid Week you can reach out and protect more of your neighbours today. For over 70 years, we’ve been standing with the poorest of our neighbours, with people of all faiths and none, to stand up for dignity, equality and justice. Let’s stand together with our neighbours near and far.”
from the Christian Aid Week 2020 website.

St Paul’s Church has been supporting Christian Aid Week for decades because, just as we believe in loving our neighbours locally, we are committed to loving our neighbours globally. Part of that support is to join in prayer and worship with our neighbours worldwide and to hear their stories and learn more about their challenges and achievements. To find out about some of the incredible people CAW2020 supports, why not watch the video below:

Opening Hymn

Readings

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (NLT)

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. ³ If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

⁸ Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! ⁹ Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! ¹⁰ But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. ¹² Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

¹³ Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

Matthew  22:36-40 (NLT)

³⁶ “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

³⁷ Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Sermon by Rev’d Jo Joyce

The slogan for Christian Aid week is ‘Love never fails, corona virus impacts us all, but love unites us all.’

Our ability to love one another, to care for and uphold one another is part of our common humanity. Its why in many ways the separation we have endured over these past weeks is made all the harder as we are separated from those we love, from friends and family.

The situation we find ourselves in at present means the ways we often give or receive love, become difficult or even impossible: if we feel loved when someone hugs us, or when we spend quality time with a friend, or receive a gift or a kind word, or if we show love when we help someone we are going to struggle. But even though we are apart, we are not loved any the less. We can see that love each week when we clap for those who care for us, when we get a friendly phone call or a smile from someone we pass in the street.

Jesus said love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and love your neighbour as yourself. But what does that actually mean? As I have been reflecting on this, one of the things that comes to mind is that we have to work at it… To love God with our whole selves, our emotional, spiritual and intellectual selves is hard. It takes focus. If I am to do this, I really need to put some effort in, to deliberately take time to pray, to read the bible or to grow spiritually in other ways.

And it’s the same with loving my neighbour. No longer can I rely on those things that might come easily to me. If I am going to love my neighbour, I am going to have to work at it. I need to think about what I can do safely that will demonstrate care for those around me. Because there is always someone, even if we live alone there are always others we can show love to. That might be encouraging our neighbour over the fence, smiling to those we see when out and about, ringing a friend or acquaintance to encourage them, praying for the person who delivers our shopping, or making a rainbow or putting teddies in our front window. This doesn’t take away from the fact that it is hard to give or receive love at the moment, but making that effort might make a difference for someone’s day, it might encourage them in ways we will never know.

St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians where he talks about love is one of the most famous passages in the bible. Often read at weddings and funerals it expresses just how important love really is. Here love is not a wishy-washy thing, surround by hearts and pink fluffiness, but it is hard, steely and determined to see through the tough times. Love is the strongest of our emotions. It causes us to stop and put another first, in fact it is so important is it that Jesus urges us to do this with our enemies as well as our friends, he even said no greater love can we have for another than to lay down our life for our friends, a sacrifice that tragically some of our key workers have had to make.

So, what might it mean to love our neighbour this Christian Aid week? How can we show that love unites us all? Well of course supporting and encouraging one another and those who are struggling at home through things like foodbank is important, but we also need to remember that the challenge we face now is a global one. That the crisis for those in developing countries, without proper access to healthcare and sanitation, and without the ability to store food or clean water, means that they will be far more exposed to the dangers that the virus poses.  It’s not possible to socially isolate if you live with your whole family in a single room home in an urban slum. That is why its so important that we look out from our own situation to care for our neighbours further afield. This Christian Aid week we are working together to support our neighbours both near and far as well as we can. To show the love of God for all people, wherever they may be, through our actions, through our prayers and through raising money in all sorts of creative ways. It can be so easy to feel like we have nothing to offer, when in fact we have the greatest gift of all – love. Let that be our motivation to care for those who will be hit hardest at this time.

As St Paul says; ‘Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.’ However hard it may be to know love and to offer love at this time we are still encouraged to pursue it. However hard it might be to understand this, he assures us that faith hope and love last forever – and that the greatest of these things is love.

Reflective Hymn

Reflection and Prayers

Look at your hands. Have a good look.
However your hands look to you, they are most
certainly clean in these days of regular hand washing
to prevent spreading the coronavirus.
Our hands really are the most remarkable and useful
tools, involved in so much of what we do and how we
do things, even in these days of social distancing.
The psalmist writes of committing his spirit into
God’s hands, and at times of being in God’s hands.
He also describes his desire to be delivered from the
hands of his oppressors and from a hidden invisible
net that threatens to entangle him.

Our hands have become even more significant in
these days of physical distance. We might long to
hold the hand of a person we can no longer touch.
We pray for the hands of medics to bring healing and
comfort. We are grateful for hands stacking shelves
and delivering groceries and post. And we are extra
wary of everything our hands touch that comes from
outside our own home.

This Christian Aid Week we also think of how our
hands can be far from idle. Though not handing
out envelopes or hosting Big Brekkies or the many
things we usually busy ourselves with this week, our
hands can still reach out virtually to our neighbours
around the world. Neighbours in refugee camps
and cramped living conditions, neighbours without
adequate hand-washing facilities, neighbours who
face the devastating impact of coronavirus with even
less of the medical resources we have struggled to
access here.

We reach out by clasping our hands together in
prayer for our neighbours, and holding our hands
open before God as we declare our needs and
concerns for their wellbeing and our own.
We also reach out by participating in this digital
Christian Aid Week, through making our online
donations and sharing the stories from Christian Aid
partners, working on the ground to be the hands and
feet of love in action.

Let us pray together using our open hands:

God our refuge,
we come to you with open hands,
some of us with hearts full of questions,
some of us bruised by bereavement,
some of us fearful of what the future holds,
all of us stunned by the events of this year.
Draw close to us now in each of our homes
as we place our honest questions and hopes
into your open, resurrected, yet scarred hands.
God in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

With the honesty of the psalmist,
the wrestling questions of Job,
and the lament of the prophets,
we bring to you our questions or our silence.
(Hold your index finger and, in silence, ask
the question that most burdens your heart or
simply sit in silence before God. Hold the
silence together.)
God in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Hear the cry of our hearts, Lord,
silent and aloud,
for bereaved neighbours, near and far.
Comfort those pained by being absent,
and hold close those who are hurting alone.
(Hold your ring finger and pray for comfort for those you
know who are bereaved or simply sit in silence before
God. Hold the silence together.)
God in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

In this season of Easter,
renew us with resurrection hope
that while weeping lingers in this night,
joy will come with the morning.
(Hold your middle finger and in the silence tell God what
you are most looking forward to in the future or simply
sit in silence before God. Hold the silence together.)
God in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

On this Christian Aid Week Sunday,
we pray for and with communities
across the world who are
most vulnerable to coronavirus.
We pray for people living in refugee camps
and city slums,
with limited sanitation facilities,
who are unable to wash their hands regularly,
and have little opportunity to isolate from others.
We pray for Christian Aid partners
working to provide soap and buckets,
communicating clear, accurate information,
raising the voices of the most vulnerable
and ensuring they are kept as safe as possible.
(Hold your thumb as you pray for the most vulnerable,
those closest to God’s heart, or
simply sit in silence before God. Hold the
silence together.)
God in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

For those of us who are self-isolating,
which can sometimes feel like we aren’t doing
anything,
remind us that we are all doing our part,
and saving lives by staying at home.
(Hold your little finger and ask God for what you need,
or simply sit in silence before God. Hold the silence
together.)
God in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

We pray for much wisdom and resources
for those in local and national authority
for all frontline and key workers
here in Britain, Ireland and across the world.
(Put your hands together and pray for the many
frontline workers and volunteers and for Christian
Aid partners working to help others across the world,
or simply sit in silence before God. Hold the silence
together.)
God in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

As we have clapped to honour them,
we clap our hands now in praise
of your glorious creation,
and with the hope that the first shoots
of another possible world are coming into view.
(Clap your hands in praise of God’s glorious creation
and with the hope of new possibilities for the world.)
God in your mercy,
hear all our prayers.
Amen.

Prayers from the CAW2020 Order of Service

If as a response to the worship and prayer we have shared, you do want to support Christian Aid this week, you can donate online using the link below:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stpaulsstockingfordcaw2020

Closing Hymn

Alleluia, Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

Opening Hymn

Readings

Acts 2:42-end (NLT)

⁴² All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

⁴³ A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. ⁴⁴ And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. ⁴⁵ They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. ⁴⁶ They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— ⁴⁷ all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

John 10:1-10 (NLT)

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! ² But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

⁶ Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, ⁷ so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. ⁹ Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. ¹⁰ The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

Sermon

What does a rich and satisfying life mean to you?

It might be hard to imagine a rich and satisfying life when we are living under such restrictions. Unable to visit loved ones, unable to hang out with friends, unable to touch and hug and comfort each other, unable to get away from home and some of the problems or simple boredom we experience there. Yet perhaps, in some of the enforced simplicity of lockdown, you have rediscovered some of the things that truly matter: relationships, making food, watching nature, enjoying exercise and fresh air.

Jesus said that he came to bring those who follow him a rich and satisfying life. And the early church community certainly seemed to have that. They devoted themselves to Jesus’ teaching, gathered regularly for worship and prayer, shared fellowship (which I always think of as the kind of friendship which helps you follow Jesus) and cared for those in need. As they did these things, they showed their neighbours something of God’s goodness. As they did these things, they saw God work among them in amazing and unexpected ways.

We may not be able to gather in our churches for worship as we used to, but we can still try and live as the early church did. We can use this time to devote ourselves to following Jesus, to prayer and to worship in our homes. We can support one another in friendship. We can care for each other, sharing with those in need what we have and receiving from others what we need in our turn. In these simple ways, we might show the love of God to our neighbours. And perhaps, as God is gracious, we might see God do amazing things among us and around us.

There can be rich and satisfying life, even in lockdown, when Jesus is involved…

Music for Reflection

Intercessions

Loving God, we pray for those whose lives are empty;
for all who feel alone and unloved;
for those whose lives lack purpose.
Lord of love,
bring them abundant life.

We pray for those whose lives are filled with anger and bitterness;
for those who cannot let go of the past,
and so have no present or future.
Lord of love,
bring them abundant life.

We pray for those whose lives are filled with anguish and pain;
for those who suffer depression;
for those who are afraid or anxious;
for those who cannot see a way forward.
Lord of love,
bring them abundant life.

We pray for those who are unwell;
for those who watch someone they love suffering ill health;
for those who care for those who are sick.
In a moment of quiet we name before you those we know who are struggling today.
Lord of love,
bring them abundant life.

We pray for those who have died
and those walking the hard and lonely path of grief.
Lord of love,
bring them abundant life.

Loving God, may your abundant life
fill our world, our church and ourselves,
in the name of Jesus.
Amen.

Closing Hymn

Alleluia, Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

Opening Hymn

Readings

Acts 2:14a, 36-41

¹⁴ Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd… ³⁶ “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” ³⁷ Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” ³⁸ Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” ⁴⁰ Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” ⁴¹ Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. (NLT)

Luke 24: 13-35 

¹³ That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. ¹⁵ As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. ¹⁶ But God kept them from recognizing him. ¹⁷ He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. ¹⁸ Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.” ¹⁹ “What things?” Jesus asked.

“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. ²⁰ But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. ²¹ We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago. ²² “Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. ²³ They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! ²⁴ Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”

²⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. ²⁶ Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” ²⁷ Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

²⁸ By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, ²⁹ but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. ³⁰ As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. ³¹ Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!

³² They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” ³³ And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, ³⁴ who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.”

³⁵ Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. (NLT)

Sermon

Today’s gospel reading of Jesus’s appearance to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, is a reading that I love. Here we have Jesus casually making himself known to these two friends – a story that I bet they recited excitedly for the rest of their lives.

I think it teaches us all a valuable lesson, that even in the strangest of times, God comes in unexpectedly, when we aren’t even looking. There were of course rumours of hope – but they were just that, rumours. These two disciples had known the desperate sadness of Jesus in whom they had put all their hope being arrested and crucified. They must have been crushed, but then that day there had been rumours that he had risen, that there had been visions of angels, that some women friends of theirs had met him – surely that can’t be true? It must have been a rollercoaster of emotions.

I wonder if you have ever encountered God in places you didn’t expect, or been in situations that felt hopeless which God turned around? I think its particularly important at the moment when we can’t meet together to remember that God isn’t just to be found in our churches, but that we can have meaningful encounters with God in all sorts of places.

One of the stories that I find really encouraging is the story of Brother Lawrence. He was a monk who lived in France in the mid-1600s. In his early life he was a soldier and fought in many wars, but he was so traumatised by the experience that at the age of 26 he left the army and fell back on the faith he had as a child. Today we would probably say he had PTSD. He joined a monastery as a lay brother at the very bottom of the order as a kitchen hand, running errands, fetching things, it was hard work and long hours. He was really self-conscious of his rough upbringing and his not very holy language, he worried that he was clumsy and broke everything, but gradually through his work he found peace. And he became known as someone whose practice of the presence of God in everyday life made God real to those around him – so much so that one of his fellow brothers wrote down the conversations that he had with him, which became a book, which can still be bought today.

I love this quote from a history of Christian figures:

‘For Brother Lawrence, “common business,” no matter how mundane or routine, was the medium of God’s love. The issue was not the sacredness or worldly status of the task but the motivation behind it. “Nor is it needful that we should have great things to do. . . We can do little things for God; I turn the cake that is frying on the pan for love of him, and that done, if there is nothing else to call me, I prostrate myself in worship before him, who has given me grace to work; afterwards I rise happier than a king. It is enough for me to pick up but a straw from the ground for the love of God.”’[1]

For Brother Lawrence, doing the washing up or sweeping the floor was Holy ground. This was where he encountered God, in the mundane work of daily life. It was like that too for our disciples on the road to Emmaus. Maybe they were walking home from Jerusalem after the festival. After all the excitement of what they had hoped for had been stripped away in the crucifixion. They didn’t meet God in the hubbub of worship in the temple, they met him on a dusty road, and they recognised him, in their own home, in the simple act of sharing a meal.

It’s a strange time at the moment as we worship separately in our own homes. But let’s not think that this is a time of spiritual loss. For, like Brother Lawrence, each of us can encounter God in our everyday lives. In the boring routine things, we do each day. Its all a question of perspective. Like him we too can invite God in, to join us the tasks that we do. We can turn the washing up into a time of prayer, we can ask that God would be revealed in the small things each day, and recognise that whatever we do, however insignificant or small it feels, it can be part of our worship. I would like to encourage you to join me in praying through the small things this week, and together, like Brother Laurence and the Disciples on the road to Emmaus, we too can encounter God in some unexpected places.

---

[1] https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/innertravelers/brother-lawrence.html

Reflection Hymn

Intercessions

Living Lord,
we bring to you the needs of the world.
Lord in your mercy
hear our prayer.

We pray for those who consider themselves to be strangers and outcasts.
Help us always to value the stranger, whatever the cost,
not sitting comfortably and ignoring people we think don’t fit in,
not taking the easy way.
Until our homes and churches can be places of welcome,
may our hearts be places of hospitality and love,
that all may have the chance to recognise and see you
in the warmth of our prayers and concern.
Lord in your mercy…

We pray for countries where food is in short supply.
May we farm sustainably and eat sensibly,
so there is enough to feed the whole planet.
May we also support our Foodbanks and neighbours in need.
We remember all those struggling with food poverty during this crisis.
We remember all food distributors, shop assistants and delivery drivers.
Help us not to be selfish, but always to consider others.
Lord, we long for the day when all in society will be equal.
May we be a part of making that happen.
Lord in your mercy…

We pray for those who are lonely and have no one to eat with them.
We remember especially those in lockdown alone.
When this is over, may we open our doors to our neighbours,
may love and friendship flourish,
may all enjoy the feast.
Lord in your mercy…

Risen Christ, friend, companion, healer:
as I walk the road in front of me
be by my side and never leave. 
Amen.

Closing Hymn