Worship for Sunday 20th April 2025, by Rev. Sharon Read

A reminder of the journey through Holy Week:

Palm Sunday Matthew 21:1-11(Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem)

Holy Monday: Matthew 21:12-19 (Jesus cleanses the temple)

Holy Tuesday: Matthew 21:23-46 (Jesus rebukes the Pharisees)

Holy Wednesday (Also known as Spy Wednesday): Matthew 24:1-36 (signs of the end times)

Maundy Thursday: Matthew 26:20-75 (The Last Supper and Jesus’ arrest)

Good Friday: Matthew 27:1-61 (the crucifixion of Jesus)

Holy Saturday: Matthew 27:57-66 (the burial of Jesus)

Call to worship:

Come and join the celebration –
Jesus Christ is risen today!
Come and hear the amazing news –
Jesus’ death is not the end!
Come and share the joy and freedom –
our sins are forgiven in Jesus’ name!
Alleluia!

Creator God,
you who scattered the stars
and filled the deep oceans,
come, God, be with us here.
Saviour God,
you who suffered for us
and danced from death to new life,
come, God, be with us here.
Spirit God,
you who are as wild as the wind
and fill our hearts with fire,
come, God, be with us here.
Amen.

STF 309 see what a morning, glorious bright

Prayers

We exalt you, risen Lord.
We worship and adore you.
From cross to cave, beaten but not broken;
from thorns to throne; from grave to glory,
we exalt you, risen Lord.
We worship and adore you.

Father God, forgive our lapses of faith,
when we fail to read, meditate on and understand the Scriptures.
We’re sorry for the days when we neglect to look beyond the cross and wallow in the darkness of despair.
Lord of life, we’re sorry for not always living in the light and hope of your resurrection,
for not noticing you in all aspects of life.
Lord, many people turned against you,
hence your path to the cross.
Forgive us when we turn our backs on people in need.
Your Holy Spirit helps us live the resurrection life.
Forgive us when we fail to live in the power
of your cross and empty tomb.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit living in unity,
may we live in unity with you.
May we live the resurrection life and help others shine on the path of faith.

Holy Lord and Saviour, your blood shed on the cross cleanses us from all sin.
We live in the light of your forgiveness now and forever.

The tomb is empty, the stone rolled away.
Jesus is alive!
We give thanks and praise you, Lord.
We see you in nature, we see you in people.
Jesus is living!
We give thanks and praise you, Lord.
Evidence abounds.
We see you in changed lives and hearts.
Share the good news – Jesus is alive!
We give thanks and praise you, risen Lord.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

STF 298 Christ the Lord is risen today

Bible Reading: Luke 24:1-12

24 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. ²They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. ⁵In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ⁷‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” ⁸Then they remembered his words.

⁹When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. ¹⁰It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. ¹¹But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. ¹²Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

Reflection:

Every where I have travelled recently, I have been spotting newly born lambs. Its definitely a sign of Spring and new life. It goes hand in hand with blossom appearing and daffodils sprouting and other spring flowers. Lambs and indeed chicks are often associated with Easter because it’s a time of year when the lambs are born. What better symbol is there of new life. It helps us to understand that the good news of Easter is not just that Jesus came back from the dead, but that God invites us all to share in that new life. The association with lambs and chicks can make Easter feel safe, cute and fluffy, but really these are dramatic and disruptive events: the disciples are in turmoil – their leader has been killed and there hasn’t even been time to bury him properly. Then the women go to the graveside and it looks like his grave has been robbed – his body has gone – what can it all mean? Suddenly, angels appear and there is Jesus himself, looking like a gardener. Can it be that he is alive and going to be with God the Father? It can be hard to understand and make sense of it all.

Shepherds will tell you that lambing time is one of hard work and emotion; sometimes lambs are lost, most often in the first 48 hours of life. The Easter lamb is an image of vulnerability and suffering, as well as the joy and promise of new life. This speaks into our daily struggles with hope, and an insistence that things can change. War, injustice, poverty, disaster, climate change – we face many challenges in our world that don’t have simple, straightforward solutions. We need voices of hope and transformation, which disturb and disrupt the status quo and bring us closer to the new life of love, peace and justice that God longs for us all to experience.

So, the Easter story is one of disturbing and disruptive energy. We have moved from the suffering of Good Friday, through the silence and emptiness of Saturday to new life bursting in and disrupting everything, even death itself. As shepherds do, Mary kept watch, and so became the first to notice the amazing events. And the news she brought disrupts everything. As Peter explains to Cornelius, Jesus overcame death, fulfilling the prophecies about the Messiah and brings forgiveness to all who follow him.

Where does this story lead us next? Where do we find God, this disruptive spirit, in the world today? Mary’s example shows us the importance of watching and waiting, so we recognise the signs. And we can look to Jesus’ teachings and ministry for some clues. Today is a day to celebrate new life and then to go and look for signs of it and that disruptive spirit of God in our daily lives.

Questions to ponder:

You may want to pick some blossom or a daffodil or another item of spring from the garden. As you hold it, notice how it feels and smells, what do the leaves look like. Reflect with God on the Easter story and ask yourself:

Where have you seen new life in the world?

Where have you have met Jesus in your life?

How does it feel to be offered new life in Jesus?

STF 314 This jo0yful Eastertide

Prayer of dedication (can be used at the offering)

We’re seekers and lookers,
searching for you, Lord.
Help us to see you, Lord,
in the old and the new,
in the noise and the quiet,
among the suffering and the outcast,
in the light and the darkness.

On this Easter Day we offer our gifts of money on a plate or by standing order and in offering this gift we offer ourselves to you as we seek to spread the good news
of new life for all.
Amen.

Prayers of intercession

Lord God, our hearts fill with joy today at the most wonderful news ever: Jesus is alive!

We thank you for all the signs of life that we see around us: sunshine, blossom on the trees, baby birds and animals, buds peeping through the ground; new life blooming everywhere. Thank you for the smell of spring, the warmer days and the lighter nights – all pointing towards the regeneration that comes from you.