Service

Opening sentences

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

We meet in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.

Risen Christ,

who filled your disciples with fresh hope and peace;

fill our hearts with hope and peace, that we might be strengthened to
live well the lives you have given us.

Amen.

Song

Amazing Grace (My chains are gone) by Chris Tomlinson

Reading St. Luke 24 from verse 36

Jesus Appears to His Followers

While the two men were saying these things to the other followers, Jesus himself came and stood among them. He said to them, “Peace be with you.”

This surprised the followers. They were afraid. They thought they were seeing a ghost. But Jesus said, “Why are you troubled? Why do you doubt what you see?

Look at my hands and my feet. It’s really me. Touch me. You can see that I have a living body; a ghost does not have a body like this.”

After Jesus told them this, he showed them his hands and his feet. The followers were amazed and very, very happy to see that Jesus was alive. They still could not believe what they saw. He said to them, “Do you have any food here?” They gave
him a piece of cooked fish. While the followers watched, he took the fish and ate it.

Jesus said to them, “Remember when I was with you before? I said that everything written about me must happen everything written in the Law of Moses, the books of the prophets, and the Psalms.”

Then Jesus helped the followers understand these Scriptures about him. Jesus said to them, “It is written that the Messiah would be killed and rise from death on the third day. You saw these things happen you are witnesses.

Somethings to consider in the reading

• Each time the risen Jesus appears to his followers, he increases their faith and their understanding. Here it is not just that he is alive in some spiritual way as a ghost, but he is alive physically.
• How would you respond in this situation? What questions would you have for Jesus about this?
• Once the disciples have had this new sort of encounter with the risen Jesus, the purpose of their lives comes into clearer focus. One way or another, their core purpose now is to witness to the fact that Jesus is alive; they will all do this in different ways, but the core purpose is the same.
• What core purpose does God have for your life. How do your ambitions fit into that? Are there things to let go of, in order to embrace what God has for you?

HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh 1921-2021

Revd Ruth’s comment:

The Duke of Edinburgh has been described as a man of deep faith and a man of service.

He had to let go of his own ambitions in order to fulfil his God given purpose of supporting the Queen.

This can’t have been easy, and maybe his vital role of service has been hidden in plain site.

May we learn from this example…
Serving the purpose of God is never about being applauded by others, but about being where God wants us to be.

Merciful Father and Lord of all life, we praise you that we are made in your image and reflect your truth and light. We thank you for the life of His Royal Highness PHILIP, Duke of Edinburgh, for the love he received from you and showed among us.

Above all, we rejoice at your gracious promise to all your servants, living and departed, that we shall rise again at the coming of Christ. And we ask that in due time we may share with your servant Philip that clearer vision, promised to us in the same

Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hymn

The Lord is my Shepherd by Francis Rous

Prayers of Intercession

Click here for Instrumental Music

Listen as long as you want.

Use the time to thank Jesus for all he has done for you. And to tell him the things that sit heavily on you heart today.

Our Father who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name,
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done,
On Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil,
for Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory,
Now and forever,

Amen

Song

O God our help in ages pat by Isaac Watts

The blessing and dismissal

Alleluia, Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
All our problems we send to the cross of Christ.
All our difficulties we send to the cross of Christ.
All evil works we send to the cross of Christ.
All our hopes we set on the risen Christ;
and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
With the risen life of Christ within you, go in the peace of Christ. Alleluia, alleluia.
Thanks be to God, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Contact

To contact Chaplaincy email kmpt.chaplaincy@nhs.net