Circuit Service – 7th April 2024
Hymn Singing the Faith 30 – Jesus, stand among us
Prayers
Loving God, we come into your presence filled with wonder and awe because we know you are at work in our lives. You know each one of us by name, you know everything about us and you hold us in your great love and care always pouring out to us your limitless mercy and grace. We thank you for your resurrection power which gives us freedom and life.
Lord, we often fall short in the way we live our lives. In the things we say and do and in those words we choose not to say or things we choose not to do. Help us to set our eyes and our hearts on you afresh. We thank you that you are ever ready to forgive us for our failings. We rejoice in your glorious words of mercy that our sins are forgiven, and we may go in peace. Amen
Hymn Singing the Faith 316 – When Easter to the dark world came
Reading John 20 v 19-31 – Jesus Appears to His Disciples
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Jesus Appears to Thomas
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
The Purpose of John’s Gospel
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Hymn Singing the Faith 272 – The Servant King
Reflection by “Thomas”
Thomas is my name, known first as “the twin” but now always as doubting Thomas but what a story of faith and assurance I have to tell.
But I get ahead of myself so let me start at the beginning.
What a journey we had been on, sometimes hard and confusing sometimes so wonderful as to be hard to believe. Following Jesus, hearing his teaching, although always asking questions as we so often didn’t see what he was really saying. We did see the sick healed, the dead raised to life. In fact if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes I would never have believed it.
Perhaps it would be best to share, with you, some of the events I especially remember.
The first was when we were out in the country, we heard that Jesus’ friend Lazarus had died. Oh boy we didn’t want to go back to Judea. The Jews there had tried to stone Jesus when we had last been there and we told him we couldn’t possibly go back. But Jesus was determined and so I told the others we had better go with him so that we could all die together. When we arrived Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
And Martha said “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” We went to Lazarus’ tomb and he told us to roll the stone away and Lazarus came out. Many who saw what Jesus did believed in him then. I believed in him with all my heart but if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I never would have believed it.
The second thing I remember was when we had come into Jerusalem it was amazing the crowds shouting and singing. Throwing their cloaks and branches in front of Jesus. After all we had been through if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it.
Then we met with Jesus and he told us all of the terrible things that were going to happen we didn’t want to believe it. We were quite upset by his talk but he reassured us “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” and I said “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” and he answered “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” To be honest I still didn’t really understand but Jesus was there, and it seemed to make sense of a sort.
Then that awful week… Judas, one of us, betrayed him and he was tried, convicted and sentenced to death. They crucified him, it was over, nothing more to do than hide and hope they forgot about us, his followers. We locked ourselves away keeping well out of sight not attracting attention. Then Mary in her grief “saw” Jesus well we were all sceptical. Was she hysterical or wishing what she hoped to be true?
Then Jesus appeared to the others of course I wasn’t there. They all saw Jesus and his wounds or so they said. Overactive imagination, wishful thinking, hard to believe without seeing with your own eyes. In fact, I said it right out if I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I would not believe it. They were annoyed with me the same as Mary had been with all of us but if it were true they had seen Jesus then all I wanted was the same opportunity.
Then Jesus appeared again. He looked straight at me and said “Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand here in my side. Stop doubting and believe.” What could I say other than “My Lord and my God!”. Jesus said to me “You believe because you see me. Great blessings belong to the people who believe without seeing me!” We had forgotten so much he had told us, so many of the things he had done but suddenly it all made sense. So I suppose when all is considered “doubting” is a fair name for me, indeed I had questions and wanted answers.
I have been an illustration in many stories and sermons since that day. A source of explanation that it is not wrong to have questions, an illustration of how we must believe without physically seeing but not without seeking answers. What a powerful image.
On reflection it seems to me that if my doubt has allowed anyone else to believe in Jesus, then my name of doubting Thomas has been worth more to the world and everyone of those who believed, than I could ever have imagined. I haven’t seen it, but I believe it!
Hymn Singing the Faith – 446 I will offer up my life
Intercessions
Loving God, we praise you for the resurrection of your Son Jesus. May our lives show that we believe in the triumph of the cross. Through our works of love let us continue to declare our Lord’s resurrection. Give us courage to speak boldly of you and strengthen us with your Spirit. (Short Silence)
Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer
We pray for peace in our troubled world. In the silence we speak our own prayers for the world remembering Israel and Palestine, Ukraine and Russia, Yemen and so many places where there is conflict and war. We pray for the people of Taiwan following the earthquake there…. (Short Silence)
Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer
Loving God we pray for those we know and love who need our prayers at this time because they are unwell in body, mind or spirit. Heal and strengthen weak bodies, calm confused minds and reassure the lonely with your company. We raise before you those names we have on our own hearts…. (Short Silence)
Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer
We remember before you those who have died and those of us left to mourn them. Help us to always remember that death could not hold your Son Jesus Christ and that new life for him means new life for all who believe in Him. (Short Silence)
Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer
We offer these prayers in the all powerful name of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen
Hymn Singing the Faith 313 – Thine be the glory
Blessing
As we continue our walk with God, we offer him all our doubts and fears. What joy is ours when we hear those wonderful words of assurance that his blessing will rest upon us, now in this very moment, for the remainder of our lives and on into everlasting life. Hallelujah! Amen.
