(All our songs this morning are from Singing the Faith (StF) or Hymns & Psalms (H&P) numbers will be given where available)
Welcome to our Sunday Service, today shared on paper across our circuit and with the congregation at Calverley Methodist Church and led by Stuart Ayrton, one of our Circuit Local Preachers.
Click on the blue links to follow them for bible readings and associated links
Call to worship
Come, embrace the risen Christ.
Come, embrace the Prince of peace.
Come, embrace his pierced hands.
Come, meet your Lord and your God.
Song – HP 590 Now in the name of him who sent
Prayers
Loving Lord,
We gather here, and in this moment, to worship you.
We come as we are – young and not so young, happy, sad,
Worried, carefree – full of faith or maybe struggling a bit.
And we know that, here in this place,
We will meet with you, and you will meet with us.
Risen Lord, together, may we discover more of you,
And experience your presence
Not only in our worship, but throughout our lives.
The disciples told Thomas, ‘We have seen the Lord!’
But that wasn’t enough for Thomas;
He’d already missed out once, and he needed to see for himself.
We gather today, determined not to miss out
On anything you have in store for us;
Our doors and hearts are open to you, O Lord.
Risen Jesus, meet us here today.
We need to meet you for ourselves.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Father God, you are always there for us,
Whether we feel it or not.
Lord Jesus, you come to us today, and say: ‘Peace be with you’;
We open our hearts and receive your perfect peace into our imperfect doubting lives.
Holy Spirit, you lead us to the fullness of joy;
We can’t wait to experience you more.
Come, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
A prayer of confession with response.
Lord, the disciples came together, even though they were afraid.
Forgive us for the times we keep ourselves to ourselves,
Whether through fear, or any other reason.
Unlock our hearts to you, Lord.
May we stop doubting and believe.
The disciples weren’t trying to lock you out;
They weren’t even expecting you.
Forgive us for the times when we, consciously or unconsciously, try to keep you at a distance–
When we just have ‘stuff’ that distracts.
Unlock our hearts to you, Lord.
May we stop doubting and believe.
Thomas really wanted Jesus to be alive, but he hung out for his own experience.
Forgive us for the times we take second-hand information
And miss out on the personal experience of the fullness of your presence.
Unlock our hearts to you, Lord.
May we stop doubting and believe.
Sometimes we do come, but without proper preparation,
Rushing into your presence, and not thinking much about what will happen next.
Unlock our hearts to you, Lord.
May we stop doubting and believe.
Assurance of forgiveness
Jesus freely gave the disciples power, through the Holy Spirit,
To forgive people’s sins.
And we thank you, God, for the touch of your spirit in our lives,
The assurance of forgiveness when we truly repent.
We unlock our hearts to you, Lord.
You grant us your peace.
Amen.
Song – HP 255/SOF347 Crown Him with many crowns
Meditation
Jesus appearing to the disciples gave them hope for the future and we too can find hope in the events that took place, so tonight as you retire to your bed put all your worries to rest for tomorrow will be another day filled with potential and hope for this we praise God.
We now hear the familiar Bible passage telling a story about the disciple Thomas, the disciple I have great empathy with, he is known as the doubting one. I have also heard him referred to as the honest one.
It is the gospel reading appointed for today
Reading
Song – HP202/StF305 Low in the grave he lay
Sermon
The risen Jesus appears among his disciples when Thomas is absent. Jesus breathes on them and says, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ A week later, Jesus appears again and speaks to Thomas directly. Thomas cries out, ‘My Lord and my God!’In the days following Jesus’ death and resurrection the rollercoaster ride of the disciples continues. They have moved from sorrow to joy, back to fear and then to faith sprinkled with some disbelief. We see Jesus addressing doubts, restoring faith, offering peace and the Holy Spirit.
At the end of each episode of a gripping TV drama series, viewers are often left wondering what happens next. They may be shown a few tantalising scenes from next week’s episode, or they might want to stream the whole series and watch it all at once, such is the power of the programme’s appeal. When we realise that the Easter story is even more compelling, we can’t help being drawn into its drama. We know what happened next in, as it were, episode two. But, many episodes further on, we may wonder what happens next in our lives.
Alison had moved to one of the country’s most attractive regions 20 years ago, and told an old friend who was visiting: ‘This place is England’s best-kept secret, and we’d all like to keep it that way.’ Some hope! She complained about the growing number of visitors coming on holiday, and the new housing that was springing up. People were retiring there, and introducing their families to their new county. Once a place’s best-kept secrets are opened up, it’s as if the doors are unlocked to allow others to discover their delights – like Mary Magdalene back from the open tomb of Jesus, unlocking the story of her Lord as she shares it with all who will listen.
Jesus’ death and resurrection were incredible then, and now to us. Jesus had spoken of this, and there are some prophetic hints in the Old Testament, but still it tests the faith of many people. It cannot be explained or recreated like boiling an egg – which can be seen, predicted, and explained scientifically. Thomas found it so hard to believe, he needed physical proof. Thomas was destined to doubt forever but Jesus intervened. Jesus shows by his actions that Thomas mattered to him, and Thomas believed. Jesus acknowledges that many people will believe without having seen him.
‘Fake news’, increasingly prevalent today, has us questioning all we hear. How do we decide what is true when exploring the Easter story? Let’s unlock some of the evidence: The testimony of Mary Magdelene who finds the tomb empty and speaks to Jesus; the testimony of the disciples encountering Jesus whose hands and side they see; the testimony of Peter and the disciples talking to the people of Jerusalem – they were all there. Also, there were: the prophecies in the Old Testament telling of the Messiah who will not ‘taste death’; the changes in behaviour of the disciples from fearful to confident; the longevity of the story particularly for us today; the effect of the story on hearers who just know that they know. Jesus says, ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’
Most of us are probably familiar with the phrase ‘Fake news’. How do we decide what is true and what has been manipulated and presented as the truth – but isn’t?
The truth of the Easter story comes by way of testimony, starting with Mary Magdalene who finds the tomb empty and speaks to Jesus in the garden. Would she, a woman, be believed? In the time of Jesus, that was unlikely – women were generally of little status; but Jesus called her name and showed her he had indeed risen.
Then there was the testimony of the disciples locked in a room, afraid and disheartened. Jesus appeared to them, letting them see his hands and side, offering Peace and breathing the Holy Spirit on them. Their joy at being in his physical presence encouraged them and dispelled their fear.
Thomas perhaps represents many who find it difficult to believe unless they see it for themselves. His scepticism contrasts with the faith of the others, but is a common trait that many of us will share. Yet, Thomas too came to understand and believe.
Out into the wider community, as the weeks and months move on, there is the testimony of Peter and the apostles talking to the people of Jerusalem. They testified because they were there. Their eyewitness account of the death and resurrection of Jesus, and of his appearing to them after his death, was real and personal; it could be recounted with enthusiasm and confidence.
There is evidence in the behaviour of the disciples who changed from being fearful followers locked away, to talking and telling anyone they meet. They had been encouraged. They had received the blessing of Jesus and the Spirit had been breathed on them.
There is evidence of the longevity of the story as it has been preached in churches down the centuries and is still real to people today. Surely ‘fake news’ would have been found out by now.
Then there is the effect of the story on some who hear it and just know that they know. An inner realisation of truth, a faith that cannot be explained – but is real. As Jesus says to Thomas, ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’ For hundreds of years Jesus has not been seen physically, but people trust and believe, recognising the values he taught and accept them for themselves.
So how do we measure truth? How do we decide fake news or living reality? On what is our faith built? Maybe on a story – but more than a story. A living, life-giving relationship with Jesus who offers us his Peace and his Spirit.
Song – HP213/SOF314 This Joyful Eastertide
Prayers of Intercession
Gracious God, who hears the cries of the forgotten,
And sees those who are hidden: draw close.
We ask for your loving kindness to surround those
Who are struggling with anxieties, doubt or despair,
And we pray that they may know your peace.
We ask for your unfailing, powerful love to pierce
The outer shell of hearts grown hard,
For those who once whispered your name
But now seem unwilling to seek you.
We pray that your love might compel them
To draw near to you once more.
We think of those at a loss as to how to cope
With even the simple practicalities of life –
We pray for your empowering,
And for others to offer help in appropriate ways,
So that they might no longer feel alone.
Have mercy, gracious God, who defeats death and sin.
You overcome the darkness, you cannot be contained.
Fill our lives today with the power of your Spirit.
Amen.
Song – HP 452/StF 91 The God of Abraham Praise
Blessing
Lord Jesus,
Walk with us through this week,
Support us when we try to see the truth
In things that puzzle us.
Give us courage to search for answers,
And hold us in your unfailing and all-encompassing love,
Each and every day.
Amen.
