The Greeting

The light and peace of Jesus Christ be with you.

And also with you.

The glory of the Lord has risen upon us.

Let us rejoice and sing God’s praise for ever.

Alleluia. Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Words of Welcome and Introduction

Hymn

Thou, whose almighty word
chaos and darkness heard,
and took their flight;
hear us, we humbly pray,
and, where the gospel-day
sheds not its glorious ray,
let there be light.

Thou, who didst come to bring
on thy redeeming wing,
healing and sight,
health to the sick in mind,
sight to the inly blind,
O now to all mankind
let there be light.

Spirit of truth and love,
life-giving, holy Dove,
speed forth thy flight;
move on the water’s face
bearing the lamp of grace,
and, in earth’s darkest place
let there be light.

Holy and blessèd Three,
glorious Trinity,
Wisdom, Love, Might;
boundless as ocean’s tide
rolling in fullest pride,
through the earth far and wide,
let there be light.

Prayers of Penitence

In baptism we died with Christ,
so that as Christ was raised from the dead,
we might walk in newness of life.
Let us receive new life in him
as we confess our sins in penitence and faith.

cf Romans 6.4

We have lived by our own strength,
and not by the power of your resurrection.

In your mercy, forgive us.

Lord, hear us and help us.

We have lived by the light of our own eyes,
as faithless and not believing.

In your mercy, forgive us.

Lord, hear us and help us.

We have lived for this world alone,
and doubted our home in heaven.

In your mercy, forgive us.

Lord, hear us and help us.

May the Father of all mercies
cleanse us from our sins,
and restore us in his image
to the praise and glory of his name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Collect

(for The Sixth Sunday of Easter)

Let us pray.

God our redeemer,
you have delivered us
from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:
grant, that as by his death he recalled us to life,
so by his continual presence in us he may raise us to eternal joy;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

Reading(s) from the Bible

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, ‘Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, “To an unknown god.” What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 

The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. 

From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him – though indeed he is not far from each one of us. 

For “In him we live and move and have our being”; as even some of your own poets have said, “For we too are his offspring.” Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. 

While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.’

Acts 17: 22-31

This is the Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God.

Hymn

I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin
my hand will save.

I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?

(Refrain)

Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne my people’s pain,
I have wept for love of them.
They turn away.

I will break their hearts of stone,
give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my word to them.
Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord…

I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them.
My hand will save.

Finest bread I will provide
till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them.
Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord…

Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life.

Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’

John 6.40

Alleluia.

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 

They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’

John 14.15-21

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

An Easter Acclamation

Christ our passover has been sacrificed for us:

so let us celebrate the feast,

not with the old leaven of corruption and wickedness:

but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1 Corinthians 5.7b, 8

Christ once raised from the dead dies no more:

death has no more dominion over him.

In dying he died to sin once for all:

in living he lives to God.

See yourselves therefore as dead to sin:

and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6.9–11

Christ has been raised from the dead:

the first fruits of those who sleep.

For as by man came death:

by man has come also the resurrection of the dead;

for as in Adam all die:

even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

1 Corinthians 15.20–22

Glory be to God who made us
and to Christ who saved us
and to the Holy Spirit who keeps us in faith,

as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples
and said, ‘Peace be with you.’
Then were they glad when they saw the Lord. Alleluia.

John 20.19, 20

The peace of the risen Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

Hymn

Love is his word, love is his way,
feasting with all, fasting alone,
living and dying, rising again,
love, only love, is his way. 

(Refrain)

Richer than gold is the love of my Lord:
better than splendour and wealth.

Love is his way, love is his mark,
sharing his last Passover feast,
Christ at the table, host to the twelve,
love, only love, is his mark.

Richer than gold is the love of my Lord…

Love is his mark, love is his sign,
bread for our strength, wine for our joy,
‘This is my body, this is my blood.’
Love, only love, is his sign.

Richer than gold is the love of my Lord…

Love is his sign, love is his news,
‘Do this,’ he said, ‘lest you forget
all my deep sorrow, all my dear blood.’
Love, only love, is his news.

Richer than gold is the love of my Lord…

Love is his news, love is his name,
we are his own, chosen and called,
family, brethren, cousins and kin.
Love, only love, is his name.

Richer than gold is the love of my Lord…

Love is his name, love is his law,
hear his command, all who are his,
‘Love one another, I have loved you.’
Love, only love, is his law.

Richer than gold is the love of my Lord…

Love is his law, love is his word:
love of the Lord, Father and Word,
love of the Spirit, God ever one,
love, only love, is his word.

Richer than gold is the love of my Lord…

Prayers of intercession

Written by Marsha Thorndike

Risen Lord, you are our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. We turn to you now in our need knowing you will hear our prayer. Let us pray.

God our Father, as this lethal virus has crossed continents and made our world seem smaller, we pray for all people and countries affected. We pray especially at this time for the Anglican Church in Korea, for the Most Reverend Moses Nagjun Yoo, Primate of Korea and Bishop of Daejeon and for all who worship there.

God our Father, in our Diocese we pray for all who work for the NHS in whatever capacity, for scientists working on a vaccine, for supermarket staff, for teachers, for delivery drivers and postal workers, for those who empty our bins and for all key workers. May we value them as they selflessly continue their day-to-day work outside the home in support of us all. We ask Lord for your blessing on them and keep them safe.

Lord in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

Dear Lord we pray for Elizabeth our Queen, for her government, ministers and advisors. Grant to leaders in healthcare and governance wisdom that they make the right decisions for the well-being of our nation.

Lord in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

In our parish of St. Mary, we give thanks for and ask for your blessing Lord on all who are helping neighbours and those in isolation. May our neighbourhoods be places of trust and friendship where all are known and cared for. Help us to be socially connected when we have to be physically distant. We pray at this time for the residents of Knightshill.

Lord in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

God of compassion, be close to those who are suffering in mind, body or spirit. We pray especially for

George Brown
Ginny Camponi
Tom Heaphy
Jennifer Moad

and those afflicted with Covid-19 together with any others known to us for whom we pray in a moment of silence.

In their loneliness be their consolation, in their anxiety be their hope and in their darkness be their light. 

Lord in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

God of eternity by Christ’s cross and resurrection we have the promise of life eternal with you. We pray for those who have recently died

Geoffrey Rinder
Edward Fryer
Walter Tordoff
Norah Fountaine
Paul Ross
Paul David Ward

and those who have succumbed to coronavirus. 

And we hold in our prayers those whose anniversary of death falls at this time

Laura Hope
George Hewitt.

May they rest in your peace and grant to those who mourn comfort in their grief. 

Lord in your mercy

hear our prayer.

In this time of Covid-19, we pray;

When we aren’t sure Lord, help us be calm.

Help us to reach out with our hearts when we cannot hold in our arms.

Help us to love as perfectly as we can, knowing that perfect love casts out all fear.

United with the whole Church across the world, let us pray with confidence using the words our Saviour taught us:

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.

Hymn

O Jesus, I have promised
to serve thee to the end;
be thou for ever near me,
my Master and my friend:
I shall not fear the battle
if thou art by my side,
nor wander from the pathway
if thou wilt be my guide.

O let me feel thee near me:
the world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
the tempting sounds I hear;
my foes are ever near me,
around me and within;
but Jesus, draw thou nearer,
and shield my soul from sin.

O let me hear thee speaking
in accents clear and still,
above the storms of passion,
the murmurs of self-will:
O speak to reassure me,
to hasten or control;
O speak and make me listen,
thou guardian of my soul.

O let me see thy foot-marks,
and in them plant mine own;
my hope to follow duly
is in thy strength alone:
O guide me, call me, draw me,
uphold me to the end;
and then in heav’n receive me,
my Saviour and my friend.

Closing Prayer, Responses and Blessing 

God our Father, whose Son Jesus Christ gives the water of eternal life: may we thirst for you, the spring of life and source of goodness, through him who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.

Amen.

Alleluia. Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He has given us new life and hope.
He has raised Jesus from the dead.

God has claimed us as his own.

He has brought us out of darkness.
He has made us light to the world.

Alleluia. Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

The Blessing

God, who through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ
has given us the victory,
give you joy and peace in your faith;
and the blessing of God Almighty
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
rest upon you, your homes and those whom you love this day and always.

Amen.

With the power that raised Jesus from the dead at work within you, go in the peace of Christ. Alleluia, alleluia.

Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.


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“Here I am, Lord”
Dan Schutte
© 1981, OCP

“Love Is His Word Love Is His Way”
Anthony Milner and Luke Connaughton
© McCrimmon Publishing Co. Ltd

CCL licence: 668063