Faith & Worship

The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) offers a three-year cycle with four readings for every Sunday in the Church Year.

These readings are:
A Lesson from the Hebrew Scriptures (or Acts during the Season of Easter)
A Psalm
A Lesson from the Epistles or Acts
A Lesson from the Gospels

The following prayers follow a traditional form using the pattern of ACT (Adoration, Confession and Thanksgiving).

There is also an opening prayer which can be used at the beginning of a service.

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Second Sunday of Easter

Acts 5:27-32; Psalm 118:14-29; Revelation 1:4-8; John 20:19-31

OPENING PRAYER

Into your presence we come,
God of Grace and Peace,
who was, and is and ever shall be
the eternal One.
Into fellowship we come,
bound together in the love
that died and rose again for us,
our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

ADORATION

This world would silence your name
but we will not be quiet.
This world would deny your name
but we will speak it out.
God of all beginnings,
who breathed and this world lived,
who spoke and this world moved,
who loved and brought us to a garden,
a gift of grace to provide for our needs.
God of our Salvation,
who chose a people for his own,
who spoke the Word of Life,
who poured out love, and in a garden
showed the world what love could be.
This world would silence your name
but we will not be quiet.
This world would deny your name
but we will speak it out.


CONFESSION

You call us to be your voices in this world
and we stay silent.
You call us to be your hands in this world
and we keep them hidden.
You call us to be your feet in this world
and we go our own way.
When we meet those who are doubting
and say nothing, forgive us.
When we meet those who need your touch
and do nothing, forgive us.
When we are called to take up your cross
and carry nothing, forgive us.
Breathe life into these bones
bring freedom to these lives
that we might declare
with heart and soul and voice
that you are our Lord and our God. Amen

THANKSGIVING

For peace which passes understanding,
shalom,
your desire
for all that is good and fruitful,
all that makes us whole,
we thank you.

For grace that we do not deserve,
freedom,
your forgiveness
for all that is wrong in our lives,
all that separates us from you
we thank you.

For life poured out on a cruel Cross,
Salvation,
your mystery
of love by which all might become
the children of a heavenly King
we thank you.
Amen.

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