ECC Worship for Sunday 23 April 2017 – Easter 2

Watchword for the Week

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. (1 Peter 1:3)

(Moravian Daily Texts 2017)

ORGAN PRELUDE

WELCOME and CALL to WORSHIP

(Verses from Psalm 16)

Protect me, O God; I trust in you for safety.

I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;

all the good things I have come from you.”

You, Lord, are all I have, and you give me all I

need; my future is in your hands.

I am always aware of the LORD’s presence;

he is near, and nothing can shake me.

And so I am thankful and glad,

and I feel completely secure, because you

protect me from the power of death.

I have served you faithfully,

and you will not abandon me

to the world of the dead.

You will show me the path that leads to life,

your presence fills me with joy

and brings me pleasure for ever.

Hymn 409 1-3 * Jesus is risen, alleluia!

People’s Choice Hymns are marked with an asterisk (*)

PRAYER of APPROACH

Glory be to you, O God,

Father of mercy, giver of life and hope:

We rejoice in your love and mercy.

Glory be to you, O God,

Saviour and Christ, giver of freedom and peace:

We rejoice in your love and mercy.

Glory be to you, O God,

Holy compassion, Spirit of glory and grace:

We rejoice in your love and mercy.

Forgive us, Lord Jesus,

that, like your first disciples,

we have so little faith,

we harbour doubts,

we hide away in fear.

When disaster comes,

and nothing makes sense,

and nothing feels right,

we feel abandoned by you, O God, and cry

to you to prove yourself a God of love.

When children cry

and their cries are not heard,

and they die from neglect,

we feel abandoned by you, O God, and cry

to you to prove yourself a God of love.

When peace breaks down,

and lives are maimed

by bombs and tanks and mines,

we feel abandoned by you, O God, and cry

to you to prove yourself a God of love.

When Jesus died

and was placed in the tomb,

the hope of all the earth destroyed,

we felt abandoned by you, O God, and cried

to you to prove yourself a God of love.

Hymn 409 4-5 * Go and tell others…

WORDS of ASSURANCE

Hear the words of grace: Jesus is raised.

Death is not the final word. God is love.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

CHILDREN’S TIME

SHARING GOD’S PEACE

SCRIPTURE READINGS

1 Peter 1:3-9 NT p. 294 (292)

St. John 20:19-31 NT p. 145

People may stand for the Gospel reading.

The word of God: Thanks be to God!

Hymn 395 What wondrous love is this?

(Hymn of the Month, April 2017)

SERMON Pastorin Heike Lengenfeld-Brown

Hymn 406 * They crucified my Saviour

(Offerings are gathered and brought forward)

DEDICATION PRAYER (responsive)