Psalm 16 - loddonmallee.unitingnow.net · Web viewThe word “Lord” is the equivalent of the Old...

Worship Sunday April 19th 2020 (EASTER 2A)

Prepared by the Loddon Mallee Worship Collective -

collated and written by Tanya Dunbar (Heathcote UC) & Libby Gregory (Swan Hill UC)

Although you have not seen him, you love him;

and even though you do not see him now,

you believe in him and rejoice

with an indescribable and glorious joy...

(1 Pet 1:8)

THE LIGHT -

Look around in your fear!

God's light shines in the darkness.

The darkness fades like the waning light.

Look about you in your worries!

God's glory is all around.

Our hearts stir with gladness.

Look up and be delighted!

Christ's star has risen in the sky.

We follow the light of the world.

(from Abingdon Worship 2015)

CALL TO WORSHIP

When doors were shut and the world was kept out,

the risen Christ found the disciples.

When the church and the world yearn to gather again, yet all are constrained,

He finds us! Alleluia!

When fear grew and new questions were found,


When faith leads us into new questions about life,

He finds us! Alleluia!

When suffering remained and the city was hostile,


When the risen Christ gathers with us his followers,

He finds us! Alleluia! Amen!

© adapted from Brian Cole – used with permission

OPENING PRAYER

Loving generous God,

we give thanks for your presence with us in our lives.

Today we are reminded of the many times

we have doubted and feared.

Remove our fears with the memory

of the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Remind us once more that, through all our troubles, doubts, and fears,

your power, mercy and love remain with us. Amen.

(Tanya Dunbar)

SONG: Come People of The Risen King

Come, people of the risen King,Who delight to bring Him praise.Come, all and tune your hearts to singTo the Morning Star of grace.From the shifting shadows of the earthWe will lift our eyes to Him,Where steady arms of mercy reachTo gather children in.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Let every tongue rejoice!One heart, one voice, O Church of Christ, rejoice!

Come, those whose joy is morning sunAnd those weeping through the night.Come, those who tell of battles won,And those struggling in the fight.For His perfect love will never change,And His mercies never cease,But follow us through all our daysWith the certain hope of peace.


Come, young and old from every land,Men and women of the faith.Come, those with full or empty hands,Find the riches of His grace.Over all the world, His people sing,Shore to shore we hear them callThe Truth that cries through every age;‘Our God is all in all’.


(Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend Copyright © 2007 Thankyou Music)

© Copied with permission CCLI Licence #5010074

Here is the link to the song with Stuart Townend - https://youtu.be/LNlP8Sy23XE

1

ANOTHER SONG OF WORSHIP - TIS 121 God Himself Is Present

11

1 God himself is present,

let us now adore him

as with awe we come before him.

God is in our midst, now

in our hearts keep silence,

worshipping in deepest reverence.

Him we know,

him we name,

come and let us make him

our renewed surrender.

2 O majestic Being,

I would praise you duly

and my service render to you

in the selfsame spirit

as the holy angels,

ever standing in your presence.

Grant me now

so to strive

evermore to please you,

dearest God, in all things.

3 Let your glorious light, Lord,

permeating all things,

reach my face and eyes to touch them;

as the tender flowers

open out their petals,

to the sun their hearts unfolding,

so may I,

calm in joy,

hold your rays from heaven,

power within me working.

4 Lord, make me your dwelling,

let my heart and spirit

be for you an earthly temple:

come, Immediate Being,

my whole life illumine,

so I'll always praise and love you,

so where'er

I may be

there I may perceive you,

ever bow before you.

Gerhard Tersteegen 1697-1769 Translator/Honor Mary Thwaites 1914-93

© Copied with permission CCLI Licence #5010074

PRAYER/SONG OF THANKS

Thank You For The Night (Hope Is Our Song 128)

If reading this on a computer, click on the text to hear the song. Or visit https://loddonmallee.unitingnow.net/?p=380

1 Thank you for the night

that will bring us to dawn,

Alleluia, bright is our Redeemer.

2 Thank you for the light

that reveals where we are,

Alleluia, kindly is our Comforter.

3 Thank you for the wind

when we open the door,

Alleluia, cleansing breath of God from afar.

4 Thank you for the sea

that surrounds and enfolds,

Alleluia, God our refuge and Mother.

5 Thank you for the sky

when we lift up our heads,

Alleluia, high and free our Saviour.

6 Thank you for the earth

giving sweetness for all,

Alleluia, God our life, our Sustainer.

Jenny Mcleod © Copied with permission CCLI Licence #5010074

(mp3 recording used with permission of Philip Garside Publishing NZ.)

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Everything we hold on to, (clench fists)

that holds us, shapes us, controls us,

and makes us doubt your presence -

help us let go now (open hands)

and receive your Holy Spirit.

The memories of hurt, (clench fists)

that speak loudly to us, that cripple us, dull us,

and make us doubt your presence -



The words that linger, (clench fists)

that have found a home in our reasoning,

that haunt us, echo in us,

and make us doubt your presence -



The acts we have done, (clench fists)

that have hurt and abused others,

that linger in us and hound others,

and make us doubt your presence

help us let go now open hands)


DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS

To every one of us who doubts that God says,

‘Here are my wounds. Touch.’

And God is with us in our greatest hurt – calling us.

In every confession we make God says, “I am listening.”

For God is full of grace;

enough for us to let go of all destructive and divisive things,

and still be held by the hands of heaven.

In all our doubts, through God’s unending grace -

OUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.

THANKS BE TO GOD!

© adapted from Brian Cole - used with permission

Psalm Reading: 16 (NRSV)

Psalm 16 - Song of Trust and Security in God

1 Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

2 I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord;I have no good apart from you.’

3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble,in whom is all my delight.

4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows;their drink-offerings of blood I will not pour outor take their names upon my lips.

5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;you hold my lot.

6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;I have a goodly heritage.

7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;in the night also my heart instructs me.

8 I keep the Lord always before me;because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;my body also rests secure.

10 For you do not give me up to Sheol,or let your faithful one see the Pit.

11 You show me the path of life.In your presence there is fullness of joy;in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

CONTEMPLATION – adapted from Psalm 16

(from Taizé songs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glQv3Ra4KrE this link has beautiful singing and evocative pictures)

Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord;I have no good apart from you.’

(from Taizé songs)

In God alone my soul can find rest and peace,

in God my peace and joy.

Only in God my soul can find its rest,

find its rest and peace.

As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble,in whom is all my delight. The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;you hold my lot.

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;in the night also my heart instructs me.

I keep the Lord always before me;because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

In God alone my soul can find rest and peace,

in God my peace and joy.

Only in God my soul can find its rest,

find its rest and peace. (Taizé songs)

Therefore, my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;my body also rests secure.

You show me the path of life.In your presence there is fullness of joy.

In your presence there is fullness of joy.

(Libby Gregory)

He is Risen - He Qi

GOSPEL READING - John 20:19-31

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

19 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.’

20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

21Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’

22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

Jesus and Thomas

24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So 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.’

26 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.’

27Then 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.’

28Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ 29Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’

The Purpose of This Book

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But 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.

REFLECTION

(Tanya Dunbar)

When I read through the readings this week the word HOPE kept resonating with me. All through this week’s readings we find people in all sorts of circumstances. But no matter what the circumstances we find ourselves in, God is there. God promises to never leave us or forsake us.

The story from John 20:19-31 of Jesus appearing to the disciples in the upper room after he was resurrected, and Thomas’s reaction of doubt because he hadn’t seen the physical evidence of the scars, really spoke to me of hope and the current situation we are facing.

The disciples were hiding for fear of political repercussions, the door was locked, and 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 had seen the Lord. Wow! What an experience that would have been - to see Jesus defeat the grave and win the victory once and for all. Jesus gave the disciples his peace that surely would have calmed their fear.

Later Jesus says to the disciples “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me so, I send you. After he said this, he breathed on them and said, “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.”

Jesus again identified himself with the Father. He told the disciples by whose authority he did his work. Then he passed the job to the disciples of spreading the gospel of salvation around the world. Whatever God asks us to do, remember: (1) our authority comes from God, and (2) Jesus has demonstrated by his words and actions how to accomplish the job he has given us. As the Father sent Jesus, Jesus sends his followers and sends us. Jesus breathed on them the Holy Spirit to lead them in carrying on his work.

But Thomas was not with them when Jesus came, so the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” Thomas responded, “Unless I see the marks of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in the side, I will not believe.”

We can understand Thomas’ response. It was easy for the other disciples to believe they had seen Jesus in the flesh. They witnessed first-hand the scars in his hands and side. They had no reason to doubt. But Thomas missed seeing Jesus physically and he wanted proof. Are we any different from Thomas when we are told something but must believe it without proof? We tend to question or doubt and we want the physical evidence.

Well, Jesus returns to show evidence to Thomas. He returns to the disciples a week later again in the upper room. Again, with the door locked he enters and says, “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! Thomas made a great confession of faith.

This short phase has a lot of meaning to it. The word “Lord” is the equivalent of the Old Testament word “Yahweh” which is the name for God himself. When he says, “and my God.” Thomas is making a divine claim. Not only is Jesus the Master and Teacher, but he is himself God.

Jesus said to Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Jesus says to us all we are blessed if we can believe without seeing.

What offers us encouragement in this passage is that God offers hope to people in seemingly hopeless circumstances. like those depicted in our readings this week.

The disciples were feeling hopeless because they had seen their close friend and leader Jesus, arrested, put on trial, found guilty, and sentenced to death on the cross. Jesus was crucified. They were fearing for their own lives, so they fled the scene. They were hiding for their own safety. It was incredibly tense. If they killed Jesus for treason, then they might come after those who followed him and listened to what he taught.

We are living with the threatening reality of the covid-19 virus. We are living in fear, and with doubt, and uncertainty. Many people are finding it hard having to keep socially isolated, not being able to see their loved ones, or have any physical contact. Some have lost their jobs and are worrying about how they are going to pay rent or their mortgage. Health care workers are concerned about trying to protect us and wanting to keep the people close to them safe. Some women are at risk of violence in their own homes. Homeless people are particularly vulnerable.

Because Covid-19 happened so quickly it has been hard to adjust. Circumstances and rules are changing daily, even hourly, at times.

Just like Thomas people have so many doubts, questions, fears, uncertainty, and concerns. They want answers. They need reassurance. They need hope. As people with doubts, like Thomas, we can share these emotions with the Lord in prayer. He is there to listen and respond. Share your feelings with others. Don’t be afraid to say, ‘This is how I am feeling.’ We all need each other’s support during this difficult time. It is okay to have questions and doubts. They can help us grow in faith. We don’t have to believe everything we hear and accept it as the truth.

Let us remember that ‘As God was with Jesus, so God will be with us.’

The words of the hymn ‘God gives us a future’ really address the situation we are facing now. God will provide all we need. We must put our faith and trust and hope in him. God will bring us through this. In the words of the song ‘Fear and doubt and habit, must not hold us back. God gives hope and insight and the strength we lack.’

We are already seeing positive signs of hope. Governments are working together. Countries are helping each other. People are being treated equally. The virus doesn’t discriminate regarding who gets it and who doesn’t.

We are doing new ways of being church and more people have the opportunity to hear of God’s love for them than ever before. We are having to re-assess things and see what is important. Things will be different. People perhaps will be more appreciative of what they have. Perhaps they will cherish time with loved ones more.

Let us remember in all of this, God only wants what is best for us. God gave his son because he loved us, the world, so much. God won the victory over darkness, just like Jesus is the sign of light overcoming the darkness, fear, and uncertainty in this situation.

Praise God my hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Two songs that speak of HOPE and a direction that really spoke to me as I was preparing this message:

Music – In Christ Alone My Hope is Found Stuart Townend

Live worship featuring Stuart Townend, taken from mission worship -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCeSOY5tisI

Hymn: TIS 687 God Gives A Future

ALSO there is a YouTube clip that shows the love of a sister to help her brother speak and communicate, even though doctors had told the family he never would. This is such an emotional video to watch.

Golden Buzzer! Sing Along With Us put on the GREATEST show in Emotional Audition BGT 2020

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DNfMs2ZWvzM

OFFERING - You’re invited to place your weekly offering in a bowl or envelope and pray:

PRAYER (1 Peter 1)

God of great mercy, accept our offerings,given out of what is more precious than gold—our faith in you, giver of hope and life.And through these gifts, reveal the risen Christin acts of mercy, love, and joy.

Amen

© Ministry Matters – used with permission

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE – (John 20:19 and Psalm 16:11)

We pray to the God we know as safety and peace...

When we’re told to stay indoors,

and our lives are suddenly disrupted and less certain,

we look for the signs of Peace;

the Peace that is Christ with us in community.

We pray for people behind closed doors -

people nearby and around the world

who are lonely and confused by their confinement:


who are fearful and at risk in their restriction:


whose health is jeopardized by the overwhelming, current crises.

We pray that all may know the signs of Peace;


We pray for people who have no shelter and no doors to close -


whose homes and sense of place are destroyed by extremes of nature:


whose stability and safety are turned upside down by conflict:


who are in turmoil because of economic and social uncertainty.

We pray that all may know the signs of Peace;


We pray for the people, including ourselves, who can make a difference -

people who offer comfort and reassurance;

people who provide secure shelter, food relief, and access to health care;

people who plan and help rebuild structure and trust.

We pray that all will find these signs of Peace;


May we see the path of life,

and know the presence of God that is fullness and joy.

Amen.

(Libby Gregory)

As the part of the world-wide community of Christ we pray THE LORD’S PRAYER

COMMISSION AND BLESSING

We know the risen Christ

in the kindness of friends and neighbours;

we see the risen Christ

in the people faithfully providing life-giving and crucial services;

Christ in community is our hope and strength. (derived from 1 Peter 1:8-9)

We go now to share the Good News that Christ is risen!

We go now believing that the risen Christ lives in us!

May the love of God surround and keep us;

may the peace of Christ fill us;

and may the Holy Spirit breathe new life into us always!

Amen

© Ministry Matters – Used with Permission

SONG - TIS 755 You Shall Go Out With Joy

You shall go out with joy

and be led forth in peace,

and the mountains and the hills

shall break forth in singing.

There’ll be shouts of joy,

and the trees of the field

shall clap, shall clap their hands;

and the trees of the field shall clap their hands,



and you’ll go out with joy.

Steffi Geiser Rubin 1950 © Copied with permission CCLI Licence #5010074

Other Music for Sunday 19 April 2020

TIS 179 Praise with Joy the World’s Creator

TIS 242 I Danced in The Morning/ Lord Of The Dance

TIS 730 Halle Halle Hallelujah

TIS 370 Christ the Lord is Risen Today

TIS 380 Thine Be the Glory

TIS 547 Be Thou My Vision

TIS 613 Lord of All Hopefulness

TIS 691 Faith Will Not Grow from Words Alone

TIS 687 God Gives Us A Future

Contemporary

Come People of The Risen King – Stuart Townend https://www.stuarttownend.co.uk/song/come-people-of-the-risen-king

Amazing Love – Graham Kendrick

Blessed be your name – Matt Redman

Come let us worship – Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves

What a friend – Matt Maher

Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) - Chris Tomlin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-4NFvI5U9w

You Never Let Go – Beth & Matt Redman

There is a Redeemer - Stuart Townend

There is a Hope – Stuart Townend

OF EXTRA INTEREST - Dr Val Webb speaking on the theme - In Defence of Doubt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2J6RPToH7s

Comments or suggestions can be sent to [email protected],or on our website at loddonmallee.unitingnow.net

Children’s Activity Pages

Activities Easter 2A - 19 April 2020

Jesus Appears! From BibleStoryCard Learning System(tm) Coloring Book © 1996 Wesleyan Publishing HouseUsed by permission. Additional BibleStoryCard resources available by calling 1-800-493-7539or visiting online http://www.wphonline.com

Sermons4Kids.com

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