Online Worship Text April 11, 2021

 Online Worship Text
April 11, 2021
Second Sunday of Easter Season

Before we begin, gather a candle or small light, your Bible, a cross,  a piece of bread and a cup of juice or water. Place them at the center of a calm area in your home and gather comfortable seating for all who will join you. Place your phone, tablet  or computer where you can see and hear it. You may want to connect a charger, rather than rely on battery.

What symbol of Easter lifts your heart? An Easter lily? The empty tomb? A butterfly or dragon fly? The empty cross? Place something in your worship center today that lifts your heart with the Good News: Christ the Lord is risen today!!!!!


Welcome

Musical Meditation: “All Glory Laud and Honor”        Rev. Dean Phelps, guitarist
Neale 1854, public domain

Focus:

Lighting the Christ Candles  We light our candles or lights.
Voice One: In the beginning, God said,
Voice Two: Let there be light, and there was light!
Voice One: We light these candles today,
Voice Two: Because God is with us in this time and in all these places!


Call to Worship

Voice One: This is the message I have heard and now celebrate with you: Christ is risen!
Voice Two: He is risen indeed!

Voice One: Blessed are you who have not seen him,
yet truly believe and trust him.
Voice Two: See how good and delightful it is
when Christians gather together as one.

Voice One: The Lord has commanded a great blessing:
Voice Two: Life for evermore.
— written by Bruce Prewer, and posted on Bruce Prewer’s Homepage.


Invocation (based on John 20: 19-31)

Holy God,
For the gift of faith which sees beyond the present moment
and looks to an eternity, we thank you.
For the gift of faith, small as a mustard seed, which has power
within its simplicity, we thank you.
For the gift of faith, bestowed on those who would simply come,
hearts open in humility, we thank you. Amen
~ written by John Birch, and posted on his Faith and Worship website. http://www.faithandworship.com/


Scripture: John 20:19-33 & I John 1:1-2:2

John 20:19-33
When it was evening on that day, 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[b] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.


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[a] 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.

-New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Meditation

Invitation to the Table The bread and cup and placed on the table for the Lord’s Supper.

Prayer of Communion Elders this month are Kyle Sowers and Judy Halstead.
 

Words of Institution  We break the bread and lift the cup as the words are spoken.

The Lord's Supper We share in the bread and cup as we hear the music.

Communion Meditation: “Seek Ye First”                                      Mary Bondurant, keyboard
Lafferty, 1972, Chalice Hymnal p.354

Prayer of Thanksgiving: The Lord’s Prayer


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 and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.


Prayers of the People
Today O God we are reminded by your Holy Word of what people of faith are like—we are reminded of their joy and trust in you—we are reminded of how they care for one another and reach out to help their brothers and sisters—we are reminded of how your presence in their lives conquers their doubts and fears.  Lord, work strongly in us and conform our lives to the example of Jesus and of all those with a living faith—help us walk in your glorious light and rejoice in your saving truth….

Lord , hear our prayer....

Gracious God, we recall how the sadness of the disciples was turned to joy and of how their fear was turned to courage by your risen presence.  Help us show your present reality to all those around us who dwell in fear and sadness.  Help us, and the people of Christ everywhere, to bring comfort to those who grieve, strength to those who are ill, and blessings to all those in need…. 

Lord hear our prayer....

We pray, too, for those in special need of your presence this day—we ask that your Spirit may touch those we name before you in the silence of our hearts—that your Spirit might visit them and speak a word of healing, that your nameless servants in this world might bring unto them your comfort and your grace. We especially remember before you the spoken concerns on our prayer lists and the unspoken concerns of our own hearts...

Lord hear our prayer….

We thank you O God, for your power and presence in our lives.  Make us known as a people who share that power and presence, so that the glory we intend to give unto you may be given by all, and so that our joy may be compete in Christ Jesus our Lord .

Lord hear our prayer….

In the name of our risen Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray...
Amen.

— written by Rev.  Richard J. Fairchild, and posted on his Kir-shalom website.  http://www.rockies.net/


Challenge for Discipleship

Blessing     We speak in unison.
The Light that was in one place and at one time, is now in all places and all times, for God has placed the light in us.   We abide in peace!  And we go forth into the world as children of God!



Postlude: “Living Hope”                            Worship Lyrics video
Wickham, used with church CCLI License #