Sunday Worship
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Second Sunday of Easter. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 at St Agnes' and 11.15 at St Thomas'.
If you are unable to be with us in person, you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Alleluia, Sing to Jesus"
Today's Gospel
John 20:19-31 Jesus Appears to the Disciples
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’
Jesus and Thomas
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’
The Purpose of This Book
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
Reflection
As I have been reflecting on all that has ‘been’ over Lent and Easter, there is so much to be grateful for – God has been at work in Leesfield for sure!
A particular highlight for me has been the children from all our primary schools attending ‘Experience Easter’ – together with children from Clarksfield Primary (Oasis), over 240 children have come through the doors of church to learn more about Jesus and the ultimate sacrifice he made. Their questions were consistently amazing and have made me think about so many aspects of Easter.
Our gospel reading today sees the resurrected Jesus, still performing miracles. His disciples are locked into a house ‘for fear of the Jews’. Of course, they were reeling that they have lost Jesus, and so could not be overtly ‘out and about’, as they have a bounty on their head, so they are covertly locked away.
Jesus miraculously appears to them, in a locked room, and says ‘Peace be with you’. He then shows them his wounds and they rejoice when they believe it is him. He then breathes the Holy Spirit upon them, and they are gifted the ability to forgive sins. (This will antagonise those who believe they have disposed of Jesus, as ‘absolution’ or ‘forgiveness of sin’ is a gift only bestowed by God under the old laws).
As I was reading ahead this week, the news was also on the television. Threats were being made, ‘annihilation of entire nations’ an agenda item. The contrast of everything we have experienced and prayed for at Easter suddenly exposed and vulnerable in the most volatile way.
I wondered where is the ‘locked room’ for the people who are at risk from this scenario? Being covert is not so easy when you cannot see your attacker as they are in another land. I imagined Jesus going to those innocents, fearful of the next drone attack or bomb, and blessing them with ‘Peace’, then breathing the ‘Ruach’ the very breath of God onto them and leaving the Holy Spirit for protection and guidance.
How would he be received amid the current conflict, I wondered? Jesus, in admonishing Thomas for his disbelief, tells his disciples, ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet come to believe’ - all that is needed is faith. A fact that we all need to be reminded of sometimes.
John finishes his chapter, telling the reader that these things are written so we can believe Jesus is the Messiah. His miracles were and are still amazing, death could not contain him, and the promises of a resurrected life for all who believe just as longed for now as then. His disciples needed their faith to be sharpened to believe he was with them, Thomas needed proof - we are no different. When our faith is weakened, when it feels the world is spiralling out of control, we need to be back in that locked room and remind ourselves of the events of ‘Easter’.
Aggressors and loud voices will come and go, but the ‘Ruach’ breathed into us, the very breath of God, is enough to make us rejoice that our leader is the saviour of the world, and to him we must pray for those who have no locked room just now. Rev Kirsten
Our Prayers
Heavenly Father
Your son Jesus appeared to his disciples in a locked room
And they rejoiced when they believed.
Help us share that news with the whole world,
especially where there are no locked rooms for safety.
In the beautiful name of Jesus.
Amen.
Today's final hymn is "God Forgave my Sin in Jesus' Name"
Notices
Today the Parish Electoral Roll opens until the 26th April. Please see the poster below for details.
