Church at Home Third Sunday of Easter 1 Before the Service Welcome as we worship God together from across the Diocese of Oxford in Church at Home on the third Sunday of Easter. We are delighted that our own Revd Guy Elsmore, Archdeacon of Buckingham, will be presiding for us. Our preacher is the Revd Will Pearson-Gee, Rector of Buckingham. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed ideas, prayers and action to this week’s service. Contributions come from across the diocese: St Mary’s, Chipping Norton, Christ the Cornerstone, Milton Keynes, St Mary’s, Greenham, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, the Benefice of Tilehurst, Reading, Finchampstead and California, Wokingham, and St Matthew’s, Oxford. This week, our Gospel passage shows the disciples reacting to the appearance of the Risen Christ - their fear and doubts are quelled by Christ’s words. In our passage from Acts, Peter addresses the crowd having healed a lame man: he explains what the power of God can do through his followers and offers the opportunity to repent. Together these readings show us what it means to follow Christ and to be Easter people. As lockdown restrictions lift and many churches across the diocese begin to meet again in church buildings, our thoughts and prayers remain with all those affect by COVID-19, those who are suffering or recovering from coronavirus, and those who remain isolated and unable to attend their local churches. 1 Images before the service Come Holy Ghost, Our Souls Inspire Sung by the choir of Keble College, Oxford The Rt Revd Gavin Collins was consecrated as the Bishop of Dorchester this week. “It was a deeply impactful moment as I prepare to take on my new ministry as a bishop” said Bishop Gavin. Look out for the full photo gallery on the diocesan website from Monday 19 April. The Gathering He is Here ReSound Worship Greeting President In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. All Amen. President The Lord be with you. All and also with you. President Alleluia, Christ is risen! All He is risen indeed, Alleluia! The president welcomes the congregation gathered online and introduces the service. Hymn Amazing grace how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now am found, Was blind but now I see. Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved, How precious did that grace appear, The hour I first believed. 2 Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come, Tis grace that brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home. When we’ve been there 10,000 years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, Than when we first begun. Amazing Grace John Newton (1779) Performed by the worship group at St Mary’s, Chipping Norton Confession President Christ died to sin once for all, and now he lives to God. Let us renew our resolve to have done with all that is evil, and confess our sins in penitence and faith. All Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that we have sinned, in thought, word and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. In your mercy, forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen. 3 Absolution President Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. All Amen The Gloria Gloria from the Missa De Angelis Performed by the clerks of Christ Church Cathedral Choir Gloria in excelsis Deo et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te, benedicimus te, adoramus te, glorificamus te, gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam. Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to men of good will. We praise You, we bless You, we adore You, we glorify You, we give You thanks for Your great glory. The Collect President Let us pray. Silence is kept. President Risen Christ, you filled your disciples with boldness and fresh hope: strengthen us to proclaim your risen life and fill us with your peace, to the glory of God the Father. All Amen. 4 The Liturgy of the Word We listen to God speaking through the Scriptures. Reading Acts 3.12-19 (NRSV) Read by Adam Edwards, St Mary’s Greenham Reader A reading from the book of Acts. When Peter saw that the people had gathered together, he addressed them, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made this lame man walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you. “And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out. Reader This is the word of the Lord. All Thanks be to God. Gradual Hymn Now the green blade riseth, from the buried grain, Wheat that in dark earth many days have lain; Love lives again, that with the dead has been: Love is come again like the wheat that springeth green. In the grave they laid Him, Love who had been slain, Thinking that He never would awake again, Laid in the earth like grain that sleep unseen: Love is come again like wheat that springeth green. 5 Forth He came at Easter, like the risen grain, Jesus who for three days in the grave was lain; Quick from the dead the risen One is seen: Love is come again like wheat that springeth green. When our hearts are wintry, grieving or in pain, Jesus’ touch can call us back to life again, Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been: Love is come again like wheat that springeth green. Now the Green Blade Riseth John Macleod Campbell Crum (1958) Performed by Adrian Yardley, Christ the Cornerstone, Milton Keynes Gospel Reading Mark 24.36b-48 (NRSV) Read by the Revd Polly Falconer BAME Development Enabler for the diocese and assistant curate in the Benefice of Tilehurst Deacon Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark. All Glory to you, O Lord. While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence. Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. 6 Deacon This is the Gospel of the Lord. All Praise to you, O Christ. Reflection The Revd Will Pearson-Gee Rector of Buckingham Parish Church Affirmation of Faith President Let us affirm our faith in God. All We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.