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Intercessions for Second Sunday of Easter Year B: 12 April 2015

 

The Collect

Almighty Father, you have given your only Son to die for our sins and to rise again for our justification: grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness that we may always serve you in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

¶ The Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: Acts 4.32-35

The whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

 

Psalm 133

Refrain: Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

Behold how good and pleasant it is * to dwell together in unity.
It is like the precious oil upon the head, * running down upon the beard,
Even on Aaron’s beard, * running down upon the collar of his clothing.
It is like the dew of Hermon * running down upon the hills of Zion.
For there the Lord has promised his blessing: * even life for evermore.

Refrain: Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

 

Second Reading: 1 John 1.1-2.2

We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life – this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us – we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But 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.

 

Gospel Reading: John 20.19-31

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.

Jane Williams has the following (search ‘vitality’ here): ‘The task that Jesus gives his followers is an awesome one. He sends them out to build a fellowship that is strong through its truthfulness. They know they lied about their own capabilities…and they know that their lies led to the disintegration of the fellowship at the cross of Christ. Now the new fellowship must be different. It must be based not on any foolish and unrealistic estimates of their own strength but on the vision of the searching and gentle God who has called them. It must give people a chance to glimpse what genuine fellowship, the life of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, might be like. Very occasionally the Christian community can mirror that life, as in Acts 4, but more often it can only bear witness to the fact that the fellowship is made up of people who know their own weaknesses, and have needed and continue to need, the forgiveness of God in Christ.”

Let us pray in faith to the Father, who raised his Son from the dead.

Prayers of Intercession

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, grant to your Church the spirit of unity, that we may dwell together in your love and so bear to the world the salve of your healing and the dew of your blessing. And fire your Church with longing to speak your word: the earthly rulers of your time hoped to seal you forever in a tomb, but your word could not be contained and burst forth in splendour. Help us now to echo and re-echo the good news down the ages.

Lord, raise us to new life in your love: in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

¶Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

Lord, bless us with the gift of understanding each other. As we share stories, whether of grief or anger, joy or laughter, may we delight in this blessing. Like the very beauty of holiness itself, a sense of your presence in our places of prayer, you surprise us by restoring your creation when we are looking in the other direction. May we all hear your invitation to share in the hospitality of your table  and in your cosmic dance of life.

Lord, raise us to new life in your love: in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

¶The local community

Lord, you bring peace to our communities. Give us we pray the desire for harmony amongst us, and reconcile any conflict. Strengthen the fearful and the lonely. And open our hearts to share with each other all that we have of our riches, our time and our talents.

Lord, raise us to new life in your love: in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

¶Those who suffer

Lord, your absence leaves us paralysed but your presence is overwhelming: breathe on us with your abundant life that where we cannot see we may have courage to believe. Where we are in mental distress, may your presence alleviate our pain and give us hope for the morrow. And when we are in physical pain, may your presence help us distance ourself from our anguish.

Lord, raise us to new life in your love: in your mercy, hear our prayer

 

¶The communion of saints

Lord, our hope is in you, in life, in death and to eternity. We rejoice with all who have entered into the fullness of life eternal, and we pray especially for….  May we, with them, have a share in your eternal kingdom.

Merciful Father, accept these prayers…

 

Prayer after Communion

Lord God our Father,
through our Saviour Jesus Christ
you have assured your children of eternal life
and in baptism have made us one with him:
deliver us from the death of sin
and raise us to new life in your love,
in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above): Invitation to Confession (Easter Day until Eve of Ascension) © 1988 Continuum (Mowbray) (Adapted) Some material included in this service is copyright: © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA Some material included in this service is copyright: © The Archbishops’ Council 2000 Collect (2nd of Easter) © The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)

1 comment on this post:

minidvr said...
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Thanks Laura

11 April 2015 08:17

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