Easter Day
Easter 2B
Easter 3B
Easter 4B
Easter 5B
Easter 6B
Easter 7B
Pentecost
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Easter 2B LECTIONARY GENERATED LITURGY Second Sunday of Easter, Year B. Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 133; 1 John 1:1-2:2; John 20:19-31. Recommended text - NRSV. Hymns are from the Australian Hymn Book (AHB) or Together in Song (TIS) or Sing Alleluia (SA) unless otherwise indicated. Worship Leader - normal type. Congregational responses - bold type Permission is granted to churches to use this material in services of worship This liturgy remains the property of Moira B Laidlaw Additional resources for Easter 2B: "Magic" light bulb - from any Magic Shop; Scripture in Song CMC Australasia, Unit 9/147 Marshalltown Road Grovedale, Victoria 3216; NEW JOURNEYS SONGBOOK, JBCE, Melbourne, 1991; AS ONE VOICE, Willow Connection P/L, Dee Why, 1992; BORROWED LIGHT, Thomas H Troeger, Oxford University Press, New York 1994; BE OUR FREEDOM, LORD, ed Terry C Falla, Openbook Publishers, Adelaide, 1994; JESUS OUR FUTURE, Bruce D Prewer, Openbook Publishers,Adelaide,1998. CALL TO WORSHIP: based on John 20:19 - 22. When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week ...Jesus came and stood among the disciples 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." Let our rejoicing be heard far and wide as we witness to our belief in the risen Lord. TIS 380/AHB 303: "Yours be the glory, risen, conquering Son" PRAYER OF APPROACH We worship you, O God, aware that we are a group of people at differing stages in our journeys of faith. Our experiences of you have been shaped by diverse happenings, teachings and relationships throughout our lives. At times we move between faith and doubt, certainty and unbelief. So today, we rejoice in the word of the gospel where John declares that he has written his gospel to confirm and strengthen our belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that in believing, we might have life in his name. We worship you, O God, with praise and thanksgiving for that gift of life made possible through Jesus' death and resurrection. Strengthen and confirm our belief in Jesus in this time of worship here today. May we know the blessings of his peace within us and the breath of his Spirit upon us. We offer this prayer and our worship in Jesus' name and for his sake. Amen A WORD WITH THE CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE An extremely effective children's talk can be made if it is possible to purchase a "light bulb" from a "magic" shop. These light bulbs have a battery inside but no visible buttons or switches . The bulb lights up when connection is made through discreetly touching the metal end of the bulb with a ring on your finger. Children and adults express great doubt when told that the light bulb will light up when you blow on it, scratch your ear etc... Doubt turns to amazement when you do what you have promised. Then, reveal how you did it - by making the connection between the power of the battery and the metal of your ring. Say that it was okay to doubt that you could do it because they had never seen this happen before. Tell the story of Thomas and how he doubted that Jesus had risen from the dead. It is only when Thomas makes the connection that Jesus really is alive - is the Son of God, that his doubt disappears. Likewise, when we make that connection also, we are enlightened with the truth that Jesus is alive, is the Son of God. SCRIPTURE IN SONG 409: King of Kings and Lord of Lords"-sung as a round TIS 362/AHB280: "Jesus Christ is risen today" AS ONE VOICE 63: "We walk by faith" NEW JOURNEYS SONGBOOK 83: "Jesus, stand among us" EPISTLE: 1 John 1-2:2 PRAYER OF CONFESSION We gather here as a fellowship of people who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord. One of the major marks of this fellowship is the sense of joy we experience as we gather to worship God , to give thanks for Jesus Christ and to witness to the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Yet, we admit that there are times when we feel afraid, abandoned, and lonely; when faith leads to doubt and questions rather than a sense of joy or peace of mind. Lord Jesus Christ, unlike those first disciples, we cannot touch you or see you, and so it is all too easy to become downcast and given to despair. Forgive us when, like the disciples, we find the truth of Easter hard to believe. Come to us, risen Christ, come through the closed doors of our hearts and minds and take away our fears and doubts; Come to us, risen Christ, breathe on us and fill us with the joy and peace of your presence. Bless us all as people who have not seen you, but who believe that you are truly the risen Christ, Son of God. Amen ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS Hear the good news: "If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness"....and ... if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 1:9,2:1b,2. NRSV Thanks be to God. Amen PASSING THE PEACE: The peace of the risen Christ be with you. And also with you. Invite people to share a sign of peace with those round about. FIRST READING: Acts 4: 32-35 GOSPEL: John 20:19-31 SERMON TIS 649/Borrowed Light 119: "These things did Thomas count as real" TIS 376/AHB 299: " I know that my Redeemer lives" TIS 363: "My daughters and sons hear tell" AHB 281: "O sons and daughters let us sing" TIS 691: "Faith will not grow from words alone" SUGGESTIONS FOR PRAYERS OF THANKS AND FOR OTHERS "A Litany for the Times" page 67 in Jesus our Future "Love that leads to Awareness" Page 175 in Be our Freedom, Lord THE LORD'S PRAYER OFFERING OFFERTORY PRAYER Gracious and loving God, you raised Jesus from the dead, disclosing forever your great love for the world. We respond to such love with these gifts and our lives and pray that you will bless them. Send us out in the power of the Holy Spirit to reveal your love in all we do and say. We pray in the name of our risen Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen TIS 650/SA 14 "Brother, sister, let me serve you" TIS 409/AHB 322: "O breath of life come sweeping through us" BENEDICTION Go with the great love of God enfolding you, the deep peace of Christ within you and the living breath of the Spirit inspiring you. THREEFOLD AMEN ADVANCE NOTICE Reprinted from UC Information - No 13 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity This year the WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY is being extended to become TEN DAYS of PRAYER FOR RECONCILIATION AND CHRISTIAN UNITY. Dates: Friday, 26th May (Sorry Day) to Sunday, 4th June (Pentecost). The original texts for the resources came from Ireland. Our Christian sisters and brothers in Ireland wanted to share the insight that new relationships between divided communities often begin in small gatherings of two or three. It was out of that experience that they chose the verse, Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them (Matthew 18:20), as the theme. For resources online see: http://www.ncca.org.au/departments/faith_and_unity/weekofprayer. Resources can also be ordered from Queensland Churches Together, ph: (07) 3369 6792 or email qctadmin@tpg.com.au. A flyer and order form is also available there. Why not organize an ecumenical gathering around the Ten Days of Prayer for Reconciliation and Christian Unity? Heather den Houting, SRA & International Mission Consultant |