Topic: Morning Prayer Easter 4
Time: Apr 25, 2021 11:00 AM Dublin
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The service leaflet is available here: Killiskey MP Sunday 25 April 2021
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KILLISKEY PARISH
MORNING PRAYER FOR USE ON SUNDAY – 25 APRIL 2021
THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
The Gathering of God’s People
THE GREETING
Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
INTRODUCTION
We have come together in the name of Christ
to offer our praise and thanksgiving,
to hear and receive God’s holy word,
to seek the forgiveness of our sins,
and to pray for the needs of the world,
that by the power of the Holy Spirit
we may give ourselves to the service of God.
O Lord, open our lips,
and our mouth will proclaim your praise.
Let us worship the Lord.
All praise to his name.
Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As once you ransomed your people from Egypt
and led them to freedom in the promised land,
so now you have delivered us from the dominion of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your risen Son.
May we, the first fruits of your new creation,
rejoice in this new day you have made,
and praise you for your mighty acts.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever.
Opening Hymn: CH327 “Christ is our corner-stone” (vs 1, 2 and 4)
Christ is our corner-stone,
on him alone we build;
With his true saints alone
the courts of heaven are filled:
on his great love
our hopes we place
of present grace
and joys above.
O then with hymns of praise
these hallowed courts shall ring;
our voices we will raise,
the Three-in-One to sing,
and so proclaim
in joyful song
both loud and long,
that glorious name.
Here may we gain from heaven
the grace which we implore,
and may that grace, once given,
be with us evermore,
until that day
when all the blessed
to endless rest
are called away.
Anon. 7th or 8th century Latin
- John Chandler (1792-1866) altd.
PENITENCE
Christ died to sin once for all, and now he lives to God. Romans 6: 10
Let us renew our resolve to have done with all that is evil
and confess our sins in penitence and faith.
O God, our loving Father in heaven,
we confess that we have sinned against you;
we have broken your commandments;
we have often been selfish,
and we have not loved you as we should.
For these, and all our sins, forgive us, we pray:
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
May the Father of all mercies
cleanse you from your sins,
and restore you in his image
to the praise and glory of his name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
SENTENCES OF SCRIPTURE
Your word is a lantern to my feet
and a light upon our path. cf Psalm 119:105
O Lord, your word is everlasting:
it stands firm for ever in the heavens. cf Psalm 119: 89
Let us then receive the word of the Lord:
so may the light of your presence shine into our hearts.
Proclaiming and Receiving the Word
The First Reading: Acts 4: 5-12
The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus is “the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.”
There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.’
Psalm 23: CH20 “The King of love my shepherd is”
The King of love my shepherd is,
whose goodness faileth never.
I nothing lack if I am his,
and he is mine for ever.
Where streams of living water flow
my ransomed soul he leadeth,
and where the verdant pastures grow
with food celestial feedeth.
Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
but yet in love he sought me,
and on his shoulder gently laid,
and home, rejoicing, brought me.
In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
with thee, dear Lord, beside me;
thy rod and staff my comfort still,
thy cross before to guide me.
Thou spread’st a table in my sight;
thy unction grace bestoweth;
and oh, what transport of delight
from thy pure chalice floweth!
And so through all the length of days,
thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
within thy house for ever.
Henry Williams Baker (1821-77)
metrical version of Psalm 23
The Second Reading: 1 John 3: 16-24
We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.
And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
Hymn before the Gospel: Thanks & Praise 60 “I will sing the wondrous story”
I will sing the wondrous story
of the Christ who died for me.
how He left His home in glory
for the cross of Calvary:
Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story
of the Christ who died for me,
sing it with the saints in glory,
gathered by the crystal sea.
I was lost, but Jesus found me,
found the sheep that went astray,
threw His loving arms around me,
drew me back into His way.
Days of darkness still come o’er me,
sorrow’s paths I often tread,
but the Saviour still is with me;
by His hand I’m safely led.
He will keep me till the river
rolls its waters at my feet;
then He’ll bear me safely over,
where the loved ones I shall meet.
Francis Harold Rowley (1854-1952)
The Gospel Reading: John 10: 11-18
‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.’
THE SERMON
COLLECT OF THE WORD
Jesus, good shepherd of the sheep,
by whom the lost are sought
and guided into the fold:
feed us and we shall be satisfied,
heal us and we shall be whole,
and lead us that we may be with you,
where you live and reign
with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Response to God’s Word
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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 again 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 PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
In joy and hope let us pray to the Father.
That our risen Saviour may fill us and all Christians
with the joy of his glorious and life-giving resurrection …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That isolated and persecuted churches
may find fresh strength in the good news of Easter …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That God may grant us humility
to be subject to one another in Christian love …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That he may help us provide for those
who lack food, work or shelter …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That, by his power, war and famine may cease through all the world …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That he may reveal the light of his presence
to the sick, the weak and the dying,
to comfort and strengthen them …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That, according to his promises, all who have died
in the faith of the resurrection may be raised on the last day …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That he may send the fire of the Holy Spirit upon his people,
so that we may bear faithful witness to his resurrection,
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father,
you have delivered us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:
grant that, as his death has recalled us to life,
so his continual presence in us
may raise us to eternal joy;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE COLLECT OF THE DAY
Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life:
Raise us, who trust in him,
from the death of sin to the life of righteousness,
that we may seek those things which are above,
where he reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Gathering our prayers and praises into one, we are bold to pray:
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 this day 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
for ever and ever. Amen.
Closing Hymn: CH644 “Faithful Shepherd, feed me”
Faithful Shepherd, feed me
in the pastures green;
faithful Shepherd, lead me
where your steps are seen.
Hold me fast, and guide me
in the narrow way;
so, with you beside me,
I shall never stray.
Daily bring me nearer
to the heavenly shore;
may my faith grow clearer,
may I love you more.
Hallow every pleasure,
every gift and pain;
be my only treasure,
all I hope to gain.
Day by day prepare me
as you see is best,
then let angels bear me
to your promised rest.
Thomas B Pollock (1836-96) altd.
Going out as God’s People
A THANKSGIVING
Blessed are you, Holy God,
creator, redeemer and life-giver;
you have spoken the world into being
and filled it with wonder and beauty.
For every blessing we have received
we give you thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, Holy God,
for people of every language and culture
and for the rich variety you give to life.
For every blessing we have received
we give you thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, Holy God,
for Jesus Christ our Saviour,
truly divine and truly human,
living and dying for us,
and going before us into heaven.
For every blessing we have received
we give you thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, Holy God,
for your Spirit, the fire of love burning in our hearts,
bringing us to faith, and calling us to holiness
in the Church and in the world.
For every blessing we have received
we give you thanks and praise.
We go into the world
to walk in God’s light,
to rejoice in God’s love
and to reflect God’s glory.
THE BLESSING
God the Father,
by whose glory Christ was raised from the dead,
raise you up to walk with him in the newness of his risen life:
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be with you and remain with you always. Amen.
THE DISMISSAL
We go in the peace of the Risen Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!