Service of the Word
Friday 27th March 2020
5th Week of Lent
If possible gather with family or individually and go through this service at 10am on Friday 27th March, and know that you are worshipping with your St Thomas family.
Brothers and sisters in Christ. The situation around the world with the COVID-19 pandemic is changing at an alarming rate. We can feel that we are standing on shifting sands. But throughout it all we know that we have a rock and a foundation that does not move. As we continue to worship together as a community through this online service remember always who and what is the source of your strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2
Select one person to be the service leader, they will lead with the regular text and everyone else will respond with the text in bold.
Prepare your hearts and minds for worship with the following worship song.
Either sing along or listen quietly.
Gathering
Grace, mercy and peace
from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ
be with you
All: and also with you
This is the day that the Lord has made.
All: Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Absolution
Confession
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led
by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted
by the devil. Let us confess our sins remembering before God the
times when we have fallen from temptation into sin.
(a moment of silent reflection)
God our Father,
we come to you in sorrow for our sins.
For turning away from you,
and ignoring your will for our lives;
Father, forgive us:
All save us and help us.
For behaving just as we wish,
without thinking of you;
Father, forgive us:
All save us and help us.
For failing you by what we do
and think and say;
Father, forgive us:
All save us and help us.
For letting ourselves be drawn away from you
by temptations in the world about us;
Father, forgive us:
All save us and help us.
For living as if we were ashamed to belong to your Son;
Father, forgive us:
All save us and help us.
We pray together
All: Lord, direct our thoughts, and teach us to pray.
Lift up our hearts to worship you in spirit and in truth,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
May the Father of all mercies
cleanse us from our sins,
and restore us in his image
to the praise and glory of his name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All: Amen
Thanksgiving
Blessed is the Lord,
All: for he has heard the voice of our prayer;
therefore shall our hearts dance for joy
All: and in our song will we praise our God.
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
Let us pray with one heart and mind.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
So may the light of your presence, O God,
Set our hearts on fire with love for you;
Now and forever.
All: Amen
Readings
Old Testament Reading - Ezekiel 37:1-14
The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.
New Testament Reading - Romans 8:6-11
The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.
Affirmation of Faith - Apostle's Creed
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge
the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
The Peace
Since we are justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has given us access to his grace.
(Romans 5.1,2)
The peace of the Lord be always with you
All: and also with you
Let us share with one another a sign of God's peace.
Intercessions
Collect for the 5th Week of Lent
Most merciful God,
who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ
delivered and saved the world:
grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross
we may triumph in the power of his victory;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
Spend a few minutes bringing to God your own concerns and needs
As our saviour taught us, so we pray:-
All: 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.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power
and the glory are yours.
Now and for ever. Amen
Sermon (gospel will be read during sermon)
27 Mar 2020 Dan Brown
All: In darkness and in light,
in trouble and in joy,
help us, heavenly Father,
to trust your love,
to serve your purpose,
and to praise your name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
All: In the name of Christ. Amen
Dismissal
I pray God's Blessing upon you all now and in the weeks to come - Revd Charlie
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you all.