ST ALBANS AND WELWYN CIRCUIT SERVICE FOR 16th APRIL 2023
PREPARED BY REV ROSEMARY MUTOPO
Call to worship
Risen Christ, Christ of peace, God of new birth, you invite us to come as we are. So, we have come as fearful disciples, doubting Thomases, rejoicing psalmists! seeking your truth, that we might trust. Show us your ways of life full of gladness, rejoicing and hope! Christ is risen He is risen indeed!
Hymn StF 296 Christ has risen while earth slumbers
John L. Bell (b. 1949) and Graham Maule (b. 1958)
Opening Prayers
Uniting and glorious God of all people, we bring our honour and adoration to you. You are the giver of new life and strength. We owe each breath to you, and you are the reason for our hope. We come seeking your love, light and truth, that we might courage and trust. We, your children ask that you make us anew as we seek to proclaim the Easter gospel, that in you is life which conquers death.
Merciful God, we confess that too often we have failed you. We have lived our lives as of those not worthy to be called your children. Although you show us the way, too often we have chosen to wander far in our own way. With repentant hearts we turn to you God, as we seek your forgiveness. We ask that you transform us and you re-make us so that we will live as your children portraying your love, mercy and peace. With thankful hearts we give you all our thanks and praise. Amen.
Hymn StF 316: When Easter to the dark world came
H. Hamilton (1886–1958)
Reading John 20 vs 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.’ 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
From John’s gospel, we get a glimpse into the life of the first disciples of Jesus immediately after the resurrection. The gospel story is more than a resurrection account. It is also a story about ten frightened disciples locked away in an upstairs room in Jerusalem.
The disciples of Jesus had locked themselves up in a room out of fear of the Jewish leaders. They were afraid of being arrested by the Romans or Jewish authorities. It could also be that the disciples were experiencing more than fear of the authorities. They must have also been struggling and battling with anxiety and failure or shame. Remember, these were the group that had moved closest to a Messiah who had performed many miracles and even raised people from the dead. Now, he had gone and they had been left. What would the community think of them? The disciples were not just hiding, but were locking themselves in.
It is in this setting that Jesus comes and stands among them and says something quite amazing, he says “Peace be with you”. The Hebrew greeting “shalom,” implies more than just surface-level peace – it is a deep and holistic sense of well-being. Isn’t peace something that we all are seeking? The young and the old, men and women are all in search of Peace. The only difficulty is that we end up searching for peace in the wrong places. We will try out temporary ways, we go for a vacation abroad or buy a bigger house or car or the latest I-phone or even try out different medications. But this inner peace always eludes us.
The source of peace is Jesus himself. And while Jesus’ gift of peace is always available to us, somehow, we do not experience it. The main reason for this is our distance from God caused by our sins. Imagine you are talking to a friend. When you are standing close to each other, you can hear him or her clearly. But as you keep moving further away, your friend’s voice will continue to get fainter and fainter to a point where you won’t be able to hear them anymore. This is what sin does to our relationship with God. God’s voice, his peace keeps growing fainter as we keep going further away from him.
Is this not true with us? Sometimes, we tend to bolt ourselves in. We become prisoners of our sins, shame and self-perceptions. Sometimes like the disciples we try to hide from the world, from our shame and disappointments in ourselves by locking the doors of our hearts to the outside world and not letting anyone in. The good news is that, no matter the chains, locks and keys and inspite of the barred doors of our hearts, Jesus stands in our midst and pronounces a peace that surpasses all understanding. Jesus says, ‘Peace be with you.’
Whilst in that locked room, troubled and in fear, the Risen Christ appears and gives the disciples the inner peace they are longing for. Jesus still announces peace to the friends who had let him down, denied and deserted him and even doubted his resurrection. Jesus comes to his disciples with peace and in peace. He does not read them their wrong doings and mistakes. He does not remind them of any of it or condemn them for abandoning him in his final hours of agony, torture and crucifixion. No, instead he says, ‘Peace be with you.’ I am made to think that if only Judas had not killed himself, if only he had held on in his shame like Peter and the rest of them. On this day he could have also received the peace and be free. If only he had known the love.
I am sure Jesus is saying, even if you deserted me, denied and abandoned me during the time I needed you most, that has not taken away my love for you. I still love and I am here at a time you need me most. On that day in the locked room, the disciples were not only given the peace but they also experienced Jesus’ presence as he joined them in the room. Not only did they experience the peace and presence but they also experienced the power of the Risen Lord as he entered the locked room without any keys.
The disciples received all these as they assembled together but one person missed out on this encounter with the Risen Lord; Thomas. He was not present in the room. Thomas missed on these blessings and experience that could never be duplicated but I am comforted in that the Risen Christ still returned days later just to assure Thomas that indeed it was he who had been crucified and risen. He still had the wounds that told the story.
We have a living Christ who will always come to our rescue. Our peace and hope for our salvation and resurrection lies completely within the Risen Christ’s resurrection.
Hymn StF 492: Christ be my leader by night as by day
Timothy Dudley-Smith (b. 1926)
Prayers for others and the world (Intercessions)
Through the power of the resurrection, we offer our prayers for God’s people to be fed by your faithfulness and be nourished by your presence. We pray for today’s God’s disciples especially those in countries where following you is forbidden and are forced meet behind locked doors for fear of persecution, torture and death. We pray for those whose faith is being tried and tested almost beyond what they can endure. We pray for the people of this world especially those who long for peace, for freedom from oppression and for justice. We pray that the good news of resurrection, new life and salvation will reach into even the darkest places of suffering. Lord, bring justice and peace. God of hope and life, we pray for ourselves, our families, our neighbours and friends that we may see the risen Christ in them and that they might see him in us too. We pray for those who are frail, sick, wounded, distressed, lonely or anxious, that they may know Christ’s healing presence and peace alongside them. Loving God, we offer these prayers to you trusting that you hear us and answer us in your love and compassion. Amen.
We bring all our prayers together as we say the Lord’s Prayer… AMEN.
Hymn StF 489: All I once held dear, built my life upon
Graham Kendrick (b. 1950)
The Blessing
As the risen Christ stood among his disciples, he stands in our midst and says, ’Peace be with you!’ May this peace of the risen Christ remain with you now and always. Amen.
