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
Alleluia, alleluia,
hearts to heav’n and voices raise;
sing to God a hymn of gladness,
sing to God a hymn of praise:
he who on the cross a victim,
for the world’s salvation bled,
Jesus Christ, the King of Glory,
now is risen from the dead.
Christ is risen, Christ the first-fruits
of the holy harvest field,
which with all its full abundance
at his second coming yield;
then the golden ears of harvest
will their heads before him wave,
ripened by his glorious sunshine,
from the furrows of the grave.
Christ is risen, we are risen;
shed upon us heav’nly grace,
rain, and dew, and gleams of glory
from the brightness of thy face;
that we, with our hearts in heaven,
here on earth may fruitful be,
and by angel-hands be gathered,
and be ever, Lord, with thee.
Alleluia, alleluia,
glory be to God on high;
alleluia to the Saviour,
who has gained the victory;
alleluia! to the Spirit,
fount of love and sanctity;
alleluia, alleluia,
to the Triune Majesty.
Prayers of penitence
Jesus Christ, risen master and triumphant Lord,
we come to you in sorrow for our sins,
and confess to you our weakness and unbelief.
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 Second Sunday of Easter)
Let us pray.
Risen Christ,
for whom no door is locked, no entrance barred:
open the doors of our hearts,
that we may seek the good of others
and walk the joyful road of sacrifice and peace,
to the praise of God the Father.
Amen.
Reading(s) from the Bible
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
On the day of Pentecost, Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd,
‘You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know – this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.
For David says concerning him, “I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will live in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One experience corruption.
You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.”
Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, “He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption.” This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.’
Acts 2: 14a, 22 – 32
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.
Hymn
A brighter dawn is breaking,
and earth with praise is waking;
for thou, O King, most highest,
the pow’r of death defiest.
And thou hast come victorious,
with risen body glorious,
who now forever livest,
and life abundant givest.
O free the world from blindness,
and fill the earth with kindness,
give sinners resurrection,
bring striving to perfection.
In sickness give us healing,
in doubt thy clear revealing,
that praise to thee be given
in earth as in thy heaven.
Gospel
Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.
Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live,
and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.’
John 11.25,26
Alleluia.
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Glory to you, O Lord.
When it was evening on the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them 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. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book.
But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
John 20: 19 – end
This is the Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
Preached by Lynne Pickersgill
An Easter Anthem
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.
Hymn
This joyful Eastertide,
away with sin and sorrow,
my love, the Crucified,
hath sprung to life this morrow.
Refrain
Had Christ, that once was slain,
ne’er burst his three day prison,
our faith had been in vain:
but now hath Christ arisen,
arisen, arisen, arisen.
My flesh in hope shall rest,
and for a season slumber:
till trump from east to west
shall wake the dead in number. …
Death’s flood hath lost its chill,
since Jesus crossed the river:
lover of souls, from ill
my passing soul deliver. …
Prayers of intercession
Written by James Black
Ending with…
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.
Closing Prayer, Responses and Blessing
God of our salvation,
you have restored us to life,
you have brought us back again into your love
by the triumphant death and resurrection of Christ.
Continue to heal us,
as we go to live and work
in the power of your Spirit,
to your praise and glory.
Amen.
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Blessed are those who have not seen him
and yet have believed.
He is our Lord and our God.
We have seen his glory,
the glory which he had as the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth.
The Lord says to us, ‘Do you love me?’
Our hearts reply, ‘You know that we love you.’
Jesus says, ‘Whoever comes to me shall never hunger.
Whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’
This is the Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world.
Jesus is the resurrection and the life:
those who believe in him shall never die.
Yes! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Hymn
The strife is o’er, the battle done;
now is the Victor’s triumph won;
O let the song of praise be sung:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Death’s mightiest pow’rs have done their worst,
and Jesus hath his foes dispersed;
let shouts of praise and joy outburst:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
On the third morn he rose again
glorious in majesty to reign;
O let us swell the joyful strain:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Lord, by the stripes which wounded thee
from death’s dread sting thy servants free,
that we may live, and sing to thee:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
The strife is o’er, the battle done;
now is the Victor’s triumph won;
O let the song of praise be sung:
Alleluia, alleluia, 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 and those whom you love
now and always.
Amen.
He is not here. He is risen.
Go in the peace of Christ. Alleluia, alleluia.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.