Easter 3 Morning Worship -- Emmaus Road

Please note this is in the format of the Anglican Church of Canada, the collect, prayer over the gifts, Lord’s prayer all come from the Book of Alternative Services other sources have been noted

Prayers and Hymns found on line have been sourced and/or linked

** this is for personal use as the church is unable to gather in our houses of worship but together we can worship in our own homes. Our hymn selections for today have been suggested by Rachel Cameron the music director of St. Paul's Anglican Church (Fort Garry Winnipeg)
Sentence of the Day:  
Lord Jesus, open to us the scriptures; make our hearts burn within us while you speak.

           Luke 24.32

Gathering                          (from Celebrations along the Way, Dorothy McRae-McMahon )
Journeying on the road, before we reach our home.
You find us and join us, O Christ
Within our anxious musings, between our sadder longings,
You find us, O Christ
There in the brokenness, there in the nearness of our heart space,
You find us and join us, Jesus Christ 
Let us worship our God

Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing choirs of angels! Alleluia!
Christ our king is risen.  Alleluia!
Exult, all creation!  Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendour! Alleluia
Christ our king is risen.  Alleluia!
Christ has conquered!  Glory fills you!
Christ our king is risen.  Alleluia!
Darkness vanishes forever!  Christ dispels the darkness of our night!  Alleluia
Christ our king is risen.  Alleluia!

Hymn

Psalm 116

I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.

Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.

Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I pray, save my life!”

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.

The Lord protects the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.

Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.

I walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

I kept my faith, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted”;

I said in my consternation, “Everyone is a liar.”

What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me?

I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord,

I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.

O Lord, I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your serving girl. You have loosed my bonds.

I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the Lord.

I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people,

in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!

As the scriptures are read, we allow God’s word to speak to us, and ponder its meaning in our lives.  Hear these words of Scripture:

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (2:14-41)

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ “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. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.
Listen to the leading of the Spirit                             R: Thanks be to God

Canticle               (from Celtic Daily Prayer Book 1)
Christ, as a light illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield overshadow me.
Christ under me; Christ over me on my left and my right.
This day be within me and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
in the mouth of each who speaks to unto me.
This day be within and without me,
Lowly and meek, yet all powerful.
Christ as a light; 
Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me on my left and my right.

A Reading from the first letter of Peter (1:17-23)
If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.
Listen to the leading of the Spirit                             R: Thanks be to God

Hymn

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Luke (24:13-49)
R: Glory to you Lord Jesus Christ
Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence. Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
The Gospel of Christ       R: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

Homily

Affirmation of Faith        (from Celebrations Along the Way, Dorothy McRae-McMahon)
On the road we find our God walking alongside
as though knowing where we are going,
travelling with our questions and fears,
opening for us wisdom,
from one who knows the journey,
who has never really left the road of life
for the greener fields of heaven.

In our minds we find our God,
lifting the veil from the mysteries,
calling us away from easy fantasies,
joining us on our way,
measured step by honest step,
looking reality in the face,
in the counting of the cost of risen life.

In our hearts we find our God,
responding to our need
for company which stays towards the night,
sharing our table
and taking the things we know
in hands which break and bless
and give all that we need
for the lifting of our lives in hope.  Amen

** Although not physically at our church buildings to share our offering together I would encourage you to set you offering of money and food aside so that it can be mailed, dropped off or placed in the church once services resume** Please remember ministry is still taking place


Offering Hymn

Prayer over the gifts

Creator of all, you wash away our sins in water, you give us new birth by the Spirit, and redeem us in the blood of Christ. As we celebrate the resurrection, renew your gift of life within us. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the risen Lord. Amen

Prayers of Intercession

Lord of the Emmaus Road, we thank you for this good news, in the journey today you listen to the disappointment, grief and fear of the disciples, your journey is one of listening. Remind us to quietly listen to the stories of others, to really hear what they need to share with us, to listen to what is not being said. Walk with us, listen to our story and let us hear yours from the empty tomb. The Lord is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia

Lord of our hope, be present with us when we are filled with despondency when our plans and our hopes fall apart around us. Remind our weary souls of your presence. Walk with us, listen to our story and let us hear yours from the empty tomb. The Lord is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia

Lord of our journeys, help us to listen to the stories that you have opened to us in the scripture so that we are inspired anew by the vitality and truth that we find in the scriptures. Walk with us, listen to our story and let us hear yours from the empty tomb. The Lord is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia

Lord of open doors, you accepted the hospitality of all who offered. You ate and drank with sinners and outcasts. You found a warm welcome among strangers who urged you to stay longer. Help us to live your example by welcoming the stranger into our midst for it is when we welcome others we find we have entertained angels unawares. Walk with us, listen to our story and let us hear yours from the empty tomb. The Lord is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia

Lord of grief, you walked with the disciples on the road letting them pour out their anguish over your death, help us to know that you still walk this journey, still listen to those who are grieving and offer hope and comfort in the things that are familiar and through the shared memories.  Help all those who mourn on this hard, lonely road know that they never travel alone because you are with them.   The Lord is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia

In the broken bread and the blessed wine, the companions on the journey to Emmaus recognized you. Let our eyes be opened to see you and be aware of you in the familiar events around us and through us showing your presence to others in the world. Walk with us, listen to our story and let us hear yours from the empty tomb. The Lord is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia

(by K. Laldin)

Together we pray as Jesus taught us: Our Father ….

Collect of the Day

O God, your Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread. Open the eyes of our faith, that we may see him in his redeeming work, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Hymn 

Dismissal and Blessing

We leave this time of prayer in the company of God.  May we always know God's presence, may we always trust God's grace and mercy and may we always find the risen Christ in the meal that we share.

Thanks be to God! Alleluia!!

What is your claim to fame Thomas?

What is your claim to fame?  Every year on the Second Sunday of Easter we hear the story of Thomas.  It is a story that every one knows, it is a moniker that through countless centuries has stuck and it is one that does not appear, at least at first glance, to be very complimentary.  Poor Thomas!  He had the misfortune to not be present when Jesus appeared that first time.  In the first appearance, he offered his wounds as evidence of his identity to those present and when they tell Thomas he says well I want to see it too -- the proof!  And with that the moniker stuck!

Does this indicate that Thomas had a faith that was weaker than all others?  I don't see how that connects after all he gave up everything to follow Jesus just like the others had.  He wasn't around for the events of Good Friday, but then neither were the rest of the disciples.  When the women came with the news that Jesus was not in the tomb then like the others he likely would have run off to see for himself; so in many ways I think Thomas gets a bad rap for wanting proof.

More than this though I think Thomas is a fabulous example for the rest of us. Tell me you've never doubted something...tell me you haven't required proof...tell me that seeing for yourself has never crossed your mind or been uttered by you.  Thomas on so many levels is us.  He brings the human element to this story and as such has his own special, delayed Easter.  Thomas is probably my favourite disciple.  He lets us see that it is ok to have doubts, it is ok to raise questions and it is perfectly fine to struggle with faith even if everyone else around us is excited and pumped up from their experience.  He reminds us that not everyone will have exactly the same experience but when our time comes it will be special, challenging and profound in an entirely different way.

The other piece that we are not told is why Thomas was not with the others when the first appearance takes place, nor are we told where he is or what he is doing.  He is separated from his community as well as the leader that he has been with for the past few years.  Is he feeling lost and alone?  Does he need time to himself to come to terms with what this loss means for him personally?  Is he feeling separated from his community?  Again all pieces that we can relate to on some level.

And then Jesus appears again, signals out Thomas and issues an invitation to not merely look and see for himself but to reach out and touch the wounds.    And Thomas is reminded with this interaction that he is not alone.  Not alone in the struggle, not alone in the doubt and most importantly perhaps not alone on the journey as Jesus reminds Thomas that he did not leave him.  And through Thomas, with our doubts, fears, insecurities and struggles we too are reminded that the same promise is offered to us.  Jesus extends not merely his hands and wounds for viewing but he extends an invitation to all of us to hope, to love and to joy.  Will we, like Thomas, accept the invitation?

St. Thomas the Apostle

“We do not know… how can we know the way?”
Courageous master of the awkward question,
You spoke the words the others dared not say
And cut through their evasion and abstraction.
Oh doubting Thomas, father of my faith,
You put your finger on the nub of things
We cannot love some disembodied wraith,
But flesh and blood must be our king of kings.
Your teaching is to touch, embrace, anoint,
Feel after Him and find Him in the flesh.
Because He loved your awkward counter-point
The Word has heard and granted you your wish.
Oh place my hands with yours, help me divine
The wounded God whose wounds are healing mine.

Malcolm Guite

Sounding the Seasons

Morning Worship for the Second Sunday of Easter -- Doubting Thomas

Please note this is in the format of the Anglican Church of Canada, the collect, prayer over the gifts, Lord’s prayer all come from the Book of Alternative Services, Wee Worship and the New Zealand Prayer Book

Prayers and Hymns found on line have been sourced to give appropriate credit

** this is for personal use as the church is unable to gather in our houses of worship but together we can worship in our own homes.  Our hymn selections for today have been suggested by the music director, Rachael Cameron,  of St. Paul's Anglican Church (Fort Garry Winnipeg)

It is true: the Lord is Risen

                                                                                               Luke 24:34
Gathering

Great is the Lord and worthy of all praise.
Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honour, power and might, be to our God for ever an ever! Amen            (from the New Zealand prayer Book Morning Worship)

Great and Wonderful
 Great and wonderful are your deeds O Lord God the almighty: just and true are your ways O Sovereign of the nations.

 Who shall not revere and praise your name O Lord?: for you alone are holy

 To the one who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb: be blessing and honour, glory and might for ever and ever.  Amen

Opening Responses
O God, you summon the day to dawn, you teach the morning to waken the earth
Great is Your Name, Great is Your Love

For you the valleys shall sing for joy, the trees of the fields shall clap their hands.
Great is Your Name, Great is Your Love

For you the monarchs of the earth shall bow, the poor and the persecuted shout for joy.
Great is Your Name, Great is Your Love

Your Love and your mercy shall last forever, fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise
Great is Your Name, Great is Your Love

(A Wee Worship Book 1999)

Song/Hymn        I Come with Joy
Listen here

Psalm 16
REFRAIN: God will not abandon me to the grave.

Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; I have said to the Lord, "You are my Lord, my good above all other."  All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, upon those who are noble among the people. R 

But those who run after other gods shall have their troubles multiplied. Their libations of blood I will not offer, nor take the names of their gods upon my lips. R 

O Lord, you are my portion and my cup; it is you who uphold my lot. My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; indeed, I have a goodly heritage. R

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; my heart teaches me, night after night. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand I shall not fall. R 

My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; my body also shall rest in hope. For you will not abandon me to the grave, nor let your holy one see the Pit. R 

You will show me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore. R 

As the scriptures are read, we can allow God’s word to speak to us, and ponder its meaning in our lives.  Hear these words of Scripture:

A READING FROM THE  ACTS OF THE APOSTLES (2:14A, 22-32) 

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."
Listen to the leading of the Spirit                             R: Thanks be to God

The Steadfast Love of the Lord (Lamentations 3:22-26)

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases: God’s mercies never come to an end

They are new every morning: your faithfulness O Lord is great
You are all that I have: and therefore I will wait for you
You O Lord are good to those who wait for you: to all those who seek you
It is good to wait in patience: for the salvation of the Lord
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be forever. Amen

A READING FROM THE FIRST LETTER OF PETER  (1:3-9)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith - being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. 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, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Listen to the leading of the Spirit                             R: Thanks be to God

Hymn    Jesus Came the Heavens Adoring
Listen here

THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN (20:19-29)
R: Glory to you Lord Jesus Christ
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 that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
The Gospel of Christ       R: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

The Homily      
The homily has been provided today by The Reverend Mark Moote

Greetings to you who have made a choice to read something about low Sunday.  That is what many clerics have traditionally called the first Sunday of the Easter season due to the attendance of fewer people sitting in the pews especially when compared to the number who attend on the day of Resurrection or as many call it Easter.  And since we cannot congregate in any of our churches for the foreseeable future this will definitely skew the statistics for the lowest attendance on the first Sunday after Easter – grin.  By the way, if we are completely honest, we are not sure of the root meaning of the word, Easter.  Many refer to an English Bishop Bede or to early German or even earlier Latin roots but it is clear that most modern minds accept that it is a Christian reference to the day Jesus came back and was seen first by Mary Magdalene and then the apostles.  I like the fact that the biblical scriptures of the New Testament, specifically the four gospel accounts by name, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, give the first honour to Mary.  There are some minor variations in the four versions of the gospel accounts however, there is no evidence detrimental to the main fact that a woman was the first person to witness that Jesus was alive.

We are in progress throughout many countries of the contemporary world to seek an egalitarian perspective on the topic of gender.  This is a concern and there are glimpses of it with the Canadian cabinet and other local governments but there is much progress needed.  It gives me hope that even the most ancient documents revered by Christians support this goal.  I am also very pleased to be in a parish that is led by our incumbent Karen Laldin who has been with us since our former pastor was elected Bishop.  Geoff Woodcroft was with us 16 years and was one of many men who served the parish of St. Paul, Fort Garry.  Now we have the opportunity to explore the faith under the guidance of Karen whom we pray will feel our love amidst her ministry with us.

What response was awaiting Mary Magdalene when she would attempt to report the Resurrection and what would she face when she went to share this news.  Obviously, she had a ministry that was difficult. And we are without a doubt in difficult times as we are hunkered down in isolation and fear about how long this edict of social and or physical distancing will last, let alone whether you or I might contract this quite deadly virus.  So, if we are to survive or even better still thrive on the thrill and joy that belongs to those who believe in the risen Christ, then what is our task?  Shall we engage in promoting the news of Resurrection on Ebay by selling T-shirts or some other paraphernalia? And believe you me, there is a plethora of such – I checked – lol.

It is my suspicion that whatever seems to motivate our behaviour, it needs to be something that is within our personal profile which is to say something that fits our character.  You can say that you were born under an astrological sign which encourages you to do or say things in a certain manner or that your personality is extroverted and so that means you like to be up in front of a crowd.  Whatever, you have life and in the years you have, it behooves you to express yourself.  My hope is that you do it with love.  My experience tells me that there is virtual unanimity throughout the globe for the operation of kindness to others which is relatively easy to determine for each person who would like the same from others.

So, in times like this which are at least uncertain, we can still connect by email, telephone and even snail mail.  It is a time to extend concern for those who are wondering much the same as everyone else, what’s next?

Dare I say, we will have another day which may be true for many although not all – now is all we ever really have so, take the current moment to pray for guidance to reach out to someone today.

AMEN

Anthem  And Mary laid her baby down          Music accompaniment Rachel Cameron                                                                                               Vocals  Trish Steadman
Listen here

Affirmation of Faith                                                                 written by Peter K. Perry of

First Olympia United Methodist Church

We believe in an astounding God, who surprises us on Easter morning, who reveals through an empty tomb how overflowingly full of God the creation is. We believe in God, who is light in the darkness, who never gives up on love, who is always working for our good, who weeps when we weep and laughs when we laugh, who calls us to be more than we are as God relentlessly transforms our tears into alleluias.

We believe in the Christ, present at and in the creation, heard in the words of prophets, enfleshed in the birth of a long-sought Messiah, alive in the lessons taught to disciples, not stuck in a tomb of despair, nailed to cross, or buried in the past, but living forever, and walking with us on our journeys today, seen in our stories, present in everything we can see, touch, and imagine.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the invisible presence of God, the joy, hope, and peace of possibilities opening all around us all the time. We believe the Spirit calls us to community, to compassion, to welcome, and to acts of mercy and justice, so that the whole world will quiver with wonder and hope.

We are people of faith in the risen Christ, and we see our Christ in everyone and in everything. We strive to live in such a way that the world will see Christ rising again, in us and through us, with the message of Easter. God cannot be contained; Not by books, not by traditions, not by institutions, and not by tombs. God lives. Christ is risen. Alleluia. Amen.

Offering Hymn Be thou my Vision

Listen here

** Although not physically at our church buildings to share our offering together I would encourage you to set you offering of money and food aside so that it can be mailed, dropped off or placed in the church once services resume** Please remember ministry is still taking place

Prayer over the gifts

God of grace, you have freed us from our sins and made us a kingdom in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Accept all we offer you this day, and strengthen us in the new life you have given us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Prayers of Intercession                                          (from A Wee Worship Book)

Let us Pray.
Holy God, though this world depends on your grace it is governed by mortals. So we pray for those who walk the corridors of power in the parliaments of this and other lands, whose judgements we value or fear:

(NAMES MAY BE SAID ALOUD)

May they always consider those they represent, make decisions with courage and integrity, and resist any temptation to abuse the trust placed in them. Lord hear us.

Response: Lord Graciously Hear us

We pray for those who hold key positions in the worlds of finance, business, industry, those whose decisions may profit some or impoverish many

(NAMES MAY BE SAID ALOUD)

May they always value people higher than profit; may they never impose burdens on the poor which they would not carry themselves; and may they never divorce money from morality or ownership from stewardship. Lord hear us. 

Response: Lord Graciously Hear us

We pray for those in the caring professions, who look after and listen to kind, cruel and cantankerous folk and for those making decisions regarding the nation’s health and welfare

(NAMES MAY BE SAID ALOUD)

May they always sense the sanctity of life and every person’s uniqueness; may they help and heal by their interest as well as their skill; and may they be saved from tiredness and an excess of demands. Lord hear us. 

Response: Lord Graciously Hear us

And let us remember those for whom we are responsible and to whom we are accountable in what we do today.

(NAMES MAY BE SAID ALOUD)

May we show them the thoughtfulness, tolerance and kindness of Jesus. Lord hear us. 

Response: Lord Graciously Hear us

Lord, hear our prayers, and if today we might be the means by which you answer the prayers of others, then may you find us neither deaf nor defiant, but keen to fulfil your purpose, for Jesus’ sake. AMEN

Together we pray as Jesus taught us: Our Father ….

Collect of the Day

Almighty and eternal God, the strength of those who believe and the hope of those who doubt, may we, who have not seen, have faith and receive the fullness of Christ’s blessing, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

A Prayer together                                                           (from the Church in the Philippines)

Lord, in these times, when we fear we are losing hope or feel that our efforts are futile, let us see in our hearts and minds the image of your resurrection, and let that be our source of courage and strength. With that, and in your company, help us to face challenges and struggles against all that is born of injustice. Amen

Hymn Jesus is Risen

Listen here

Closing blessing   Listen here      (by Fischy Music)

As we go now, from this moment 

As we leave behind our time together. 

May we walk with, one another 

May we help each other on the way.

As we go now, from this moment 

As we go into the future together. 

May we treasure one another, 

May we realise how precious we are 

May we realise how precious we are 

May we realise how precious we are.

The Easter Challenge

You believe because you can see . . . .

Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.

                                                                                      John 20:29

Every year it happens:

earth shakes her sleepy head,

still a bit wintered and dull,

and feels new life stirring

Every year cocoons give up their treasures,

fresh shoots push through brown leaves,

seemingly dead branches shine with green,

and singing birds find their way home

Every year we hear the stories

empty tomb, surprised grievers,

runners with news and revelation,

unexpected encounters,

conversations on the road,

tales of nets filling with fish,

and breakfast on a seashore

And every year

the dull and dead in us

meets our Easter challenge:

to be open to the unexpected,

to believe beyond our security,

to welcome God in every form,

and trust our own greening

 Joyce Rupp
out of the ordinary 2000

Easter Sunday Celebration

This front part of the service for today is from the Celtic Daily Prayer 1994
For today’s service we can each prepare a candle at home all you will need is
A Candle, Pillar style if you have it
4 small nails and 1 larger nail, (push pins work very well)
A hammer
If you do not wish to prepare a candle then you can just light a candle.

For the Sunrise and the lighting of the new fire:

King of the brightness and of the sun,
You alone know the reason for our being,
be with us every day,
be with us every night,
be with us each night and day,
with us every day and night.

 From Saltair

If you have lit a fire to mark this occasion then at the time indicated you will be able to light your candle. Otherwise a lighter will suffice!

Preparing our Candle
Christ behind us in all of our yesterdays.
Christ with us in our today,
Christ before us in all our tomorrows,
Alpha and Omega, Christ, Lord of all!

By the wounds and the blood of the Lamb, May God guard and keep us.



For those who we wish to prepare a candle we will do it here.  I found it helpful to the the candle marked where I was going to put the nails in.

Notes for how it will be formed
*the four small nails will be in the shape of a cross to signify the wounds in the hands, feet and head.  
*larger nail in the centre of the cross you have formed to signify the spear piercing the heart of Jesus
* each sentence can be read by different readers or alternated if there are two persons.  

As you prepare to place the first small nail a reader says:

1.       Praise be to the blood of the Lamb in his forgiving power,

For each consecutive nail as it is hammered in:

2.       Praise be to the blood of the Lamb in his cleansing power

3.       Praise be to the blood of the Lamb in his saving power

4.       Praise be to the blood of the Lamb in his releasing power

5.       Praise be to the blood of the Lamb in his victorious power

By the wounds and blood of the Lamb, may God guard and keep us

Now the candle is prepared and ready
to be lit.  Once lit  and put in a place for us
to be able to see it we all proclaim:

Christ is Risen.  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

Exsultet

Leap and spin, you powers of heaven

Burst into explosive songs of joy, all you companies of angels.

Let the throne of God be surrounded with the praises of all that has life.

The earth glories in her Maker.

Now mountain and valley glow in splendour;
the sea on the shore whispers the praises of Jesus.

Rivers stream through thirst soil, bringing news of gladness – the Redeemer is Risen.  
His glory fills the earth.

The trees thunder their praises, and loudly clap their hands.

Sound a trumpet through all the earth.

Our Morning Star is alive!

Risen in splendour, he is among us; the darkness is driven back.

We, his people, join in the dance of all creation.

We praise the blood of the Lamb that has bought our freedom and reversed the curse of

disobedience and wilfulness.

Jesus is the true Lamb that was slain, whose blood is on the door of our hearts, whose blood

is the protection of the homes of all believers.

May the Sun of Justice which never sets find this flame still burning;

May Christ the Morning Star who came again from the dead find his light
brightly burning in our hearts.

In me, Lord, Let there be light.

The Song of Moses

I will sing to the Lord for He has triumphed gloriously.

The horse and rider are thrown into the sea.

The Lord my God, my strength, my song,

Is now become my victory.

The Lord is God and I will praise Him;

My father’s God and I will exalt Him.  

                   ----------                ----------                 ----------                ------------

The Proclamation of the Word

A READING FROM THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES     10:34-43
Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ - he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.              
Listen to the Leading of the Spirit      R: Thanks be to God

PSALM 118:1-2, 14-24
REFRAIN On this day the Lord has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his mercy endures for ever.

Let Israel now proclaim, "His mercy endures for ever." REFRAIN 

The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. 

There is a sound of exultation and victory in the tents of the righteous: 

"The right hand of the Lord has triumphed! the right hand of the Lord is exalted! the right hand of the Lord has triumphed!" REFRAIN 

I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. 

The Lord has punished me sorely, but he did not hand me over to death. REFRAIN

Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter them; I will offer thanks to the Lord.

"This is the gate of the Lord; he who is righteous may enter."
I will give thanks to you, for you answered me and have become my salvation.

The same stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. REFRAIN 

This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.

On this day the Lord has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

A READING FROM THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE COLOSSIANS  3:1-4  
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hid-den with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.                

Listen to the Leading of the Spirit                   R: Thanks be to God

Hymn

THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO 
ST. MATTHEW     28:1-10

R: Glory to you Lord Jesus Christ
After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
The Gospel of Christ              R: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

Reflection

An Affirmation of faith for the Renewal of our Baptismal Promises:
From Celtic Daily Prayer (Book one)

I call all heaven to witness today
that I have put on Christ.

I choose no other Lord
than the maker of heaven and earth.

This day I walk with Him
and He will walk with me.

I fasten to me this day
that same Jesus
who came to us as flesh and blood
and was himself baptised in the Jordan River.

He died upon the cross to rescue me,
broke free from death, its conqueror.  
He left us, to return the more certainly.  
All these truths and their power
I fasten close to me this day.

Resist my own selfishness and sin,
refusing to live as a slave to riches,
pleasure or reputation,
rejecting Satan and all his lies,
I call on heaven to witness today
that I have put on Christ.

Hymn

** Although not physically at our church buildings to share our offering together I would encourage you to set you offering of money and food aside so that it can be mailed or arranged to be dropped off or placed in the church once services resume** Please remember ministry is still taking place 

Prayer over the Gifts
God our strength and salvation, receive all we offer you this day, and grant that we who have confessed your name, and received new life in baptism, may live in the joy of the resurrection, through Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen

Prayers of Intercession                             Easter Prayers by the Reverend Mark Moote

Alleluia Christ is Risen - the Lord is Risen indeed Alleluia+

The Vigil is over and the Light is bright in the glory of Resurrection - let us shout for joy - Alleluia+

The battles of life are ever raging especially throughout the world with the current pandemic but the war of good versus evil is over and done - Alleluia+

We pray that those on this planet who fear for freedom may one day see the light - Alleluia+

We continue to seek justice in all our interactions with others in a changing milieu and culture - Alleluia+

We pray for those who have less and need more to sustain the essence of life - Alleluia+

We pray for people we do not know and the ones we know who need special consideration: (please offer your petitions in your heart).....in the name of the risen Lord we pray - Alleluia+

May the fire of the Holy and life giving spirit be with us all this day and forevermore - Amen and Alleluia+

Collect of the Day

Lord of life and power, through the mighty resurrection of your Son, you have overcome the old order of sin and death and have made all things new in him. May we, being dead to sin and alive to you in Jesus Christ, reign with him in glory, who with you and the Holy Spirit is alive, one God, now and for ever.  Amen

Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Saviour taught us,

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen

Dismissal 

Let us bless the Lord. 

Thanks be to God. Alleluia

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing 

through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Hymn

Good Friday

The service has been provided below for you to follow.  Here is the YouTube link(just below) that you can participate in at home or  sit and listen.

May your Good Friday be quiet and contemplative as you listen once again to our story.

WORDS OF WELCOME & CALL TO WORSHIP: (Isaiah 53:1-3)

          The Lord be with you.
All     And also with you.
          We gather here to worship God.

All     We gather to remember how Jesus suffered and died for us and to thank God 

          for his love and his mercy

          Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
All     He grew up before God like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.

          He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that 

          we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, 

          and familiar with suffering.

All     Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we 

          esteemed him not.

HYMN  When I Survey the Wondrous Cross #386 v: 1,3,4
When I survey, the wondrous cross

on which the Prince of glory died,

my richest gain I count but loss,

and pour contempt on all my pride.

See, from his head, his hands, his feet,

sorrow and love flow mingled down;
did e'er such love and sorrow meet,

or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

that were an offering far too small;

love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.

PRAYER OF INVOCATION

Let us pray.

All     Merciful God - as we remember how your son Jesus bore our sins in his 

          body on the cross, how  seven times he spake, seven words of love, we ask 

          you to bless our hearing. Father, as we recall how all three hours His silence 

          cried for mercy on the souls of all, we ask you to help us to understand the 

          mystery of your love, and make us into a people who are ever more worthy 

          of it. Amen.

THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF JESUS

THE FIRST WORD      Luke 23:33-34

When they came to the place called "The Skull", they nailed Jesus to the cross there, and the two criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Jesus said "Forgive them, Father! They do not know what they are doing."

Meditation on the First Word

Song      Calvary                                 Spiritual: Arranged by Janet Sullivan Whitaker

THE SECOND WORD      Luke 23:39-43
One of the criminals hanging there threw insults at him: "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" The other one, however, rebuked him, saying: "Don't you fear God? Here we are all under the same sentence. Ours, however, is only right, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did; but he has done no wrong." And he said to Jesus, "Remember me, Jesus, when you come as King!" Jesus said to him, "I tell you this: Today you will be in Paradise with me." 

Meditation on The Second Word

Song      Too Long Ago                       Words and Music by Gordon Light

                                                              Common Cup Company

THE THIRD WORD      John 19:25-27
Standing close to Jesus' cross were his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing there; so he said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that time the disciple took her to live in his home. 

Meditation on the Third Word

Song       At The Cross Her Vigil Keeping

THE FOURTH WORD      Mark 15:33-34
And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Elo-i, elo-i, lama sabach-thani?" which means, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

Meditation on the Fourth Word

Song      Sorrowing Song                                    Robin Mann
                                                                             Together in Song #689


THE FIFTH WORD      John 19:28
After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the scripture), "I thirst."

Meditation on the Fifth Word

Song      Will I lose you to the Wind                   Words and Music Gordon Light

                                                                              The Common Cup Company

THE SIXTH WORD John 19:29-30
A bowl was there, full of cheap wine mixed with vinegar, so a sponge was soaked in it, put on stalk of hyssop and lifted up to his lips. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, "It is finished"

Meditation on the Sixth Word

Song      Bitter was the Night                              Sydney Carter


THE SEVENTH WORD      Luke 23:46
Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last.

Meditation on the Seventh Word


Song      To Calvary                                            James Koerts
                                                                            Published by Lorenz Company

Responsive Reading: Isaiah 53-4-6,9
L         Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed

          him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.
All     But he was wounded for our transgressions and he was bruised for our iniquities. 

          Upon him was the chastisement that made us whole.
L        All we like sheep have gone astray; each of us has turned to our own way; 

          and the Lord has laid upon him the iniquity of us all.
All     He was assigned a grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death, 

          although he had done no violence nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Prayer of Dedication
          Lord God, you have given us everything.
All     You have not held anything back.
          Help us in like manner to give of ourselves
All     Sanctify us in Christ's name.
          Bless us and all that we think, feel, say, and do that we, like Jesus, 

          may be a blessing unto others,
All     We ask this and all things that we ask of you through him,

          saying the prayer that he taught us... Our Father....

HYMN:  There Is A Green Hill Far Away     202 v. 1, 3, 5
There is a green hill far away
outside a city wall,

where the dear Lord was crucified
who died to save us all.

He died that we might be forgiven, 

he died to make us good,

that we might go at last to heaven,
saved by his precious blood.

O dearly, dearly, has he loved,

and we must love him too,
and trust in his redeeming blood,
and try his words to do.

BENEDICTION



Service and Meditation copyright - Rev. Richard J. Fairchild - Spirit Networks, 1999-2006

Music *Used with permission from One License 605236

Gethsemane Watch -- Holy Thursday

Be still and know that I am God

For your Gethsemane Watch it will  be helpful to have a cross and a candle

Reflective Song  Watch and Pray (Taize)




As we gather let us reflect upon these words:

Come to this time in faith for all the earth is a dwelling place for God
Silence for reflection

Come to this moment with hope that we too can watch and pray with Jesus through the night
Silence for reflection

Allow gentleness to fill your space as we feel and are filled with the grace of the Spirit
Silence for reflection

Life enters a resting place, a place of peace.  As we turn to God and rejoice in hope let our cross and our candle be signs to us of the presence and faithfulness of God.

Before our God
As we turn to you this day, O God, if there are issues in our lives which cause us to lower our eyes and to cover our faces in your presence:  Forgive us
If we as your churches have been a faltering witness to your love:  Forgive us.  We wait in faith for your renewal.  Amen

Celebrations along the Way 

Dorothy McRae-McMahon

Suggested Reading     Matthew 26:17-35
On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?’ He said, ‘Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, “The Teacher says, My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.” ’ So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal.
When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve; and while they were eating, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.’ And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, ‘Surely not I, Lord?’ He answered, ‘The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.’ Judas, who betrayed him, said, ‘Surely not I, Rabbi?’ He replied, ‘You have said so.’
While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’
When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Then Jesus said to them, ‘You will all become deserters because of me this night; for it is written,
“I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.”
But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.’ Peter said to him, ‘Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.’ Peter said to him, ‘Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.’ And so said all the disciples.

Gracious God, we thank you for this time together, to reflect on your word, to journey through the week and arrive in the upper room, to share a meal together with those that we love. May we know your strength and with you know and share the presence of God through acts of compassion and love.

Suggested Reading   Matthew 26: 36-46

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. Then he said to them, ‘I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.’ And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.’ Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ Again he went away for the second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’ Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.’

Lord it is done, the betrayer has fulfilled the prophecy, you have been led away, your followers have scattered. We too have run in the opposite direction for fear of what lies before us. Help us to remain here -- to watch and pray.


I will lie down in peace and take my rest
for it is God alone that I dwell unafraid

Let us bless the Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, life-giver

Let  us praise and exhault God above all for ever.

May God's name be praised beyond the furthest star

glorified and exalted above all for ever.

(from the New Zealand prayer book)

Eternal Spirit,

Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,

source of all that is and that shall be

Father and mother of us all,

Loving God, in whom is heaven:

The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!

the way of your justice be followed by the people of the world!

Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!

Your commonwealth of peace and freedom

sustain our hope and come on earth.

With the bread we need for today, feed us.

In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.

In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.

From trials too great to endure, spare us.

From the grip of all that is evil, free us.

For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, 

now and forever.  Amen

(from the New Zealand Prayer book)

Silent time for Prayer

And when you are ready to conclude the silence:

(please adapt the following prayer to the time of day that you are observing your Gesthamene Watch, however it obviously works best at night)

Lord,

 it is night.

Th night is for stillness.

     Let us be still in the presence of God.

It is night after a long day.

     What has been done is done;

     what has not been done has not been done

     let it be.

The night is dark.

     Let our fears of the darkness of the world and of our own lives rest in you.

The night is quiet.

   Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,

          all dear to us,

          and all who have no peace.

The night heralds the dawn.

     Let us look expectantly to a new day,

         new joys,

          new possibilities.

In your name we pray.

(from the New Zealand Prayer Book)