Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Second Sunday of Easter. Our church services are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11 am at St Thomas'.
If you're not able to be with us in person, you can find the Gospel reading for today, a reflection and a prayer below.
Our first hymn this morning is "Open our Eyes, Lord, We Want to See Jesus"
Today's Gospel
John 20:19-31 Jesus Appears to His 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."
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."
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
It is quite common for people to look at the obvious message here which could probably be summed up with the adage, ‘seeing is believing’. Thomas (doubting Thomas), is often given a bad reputation for not believing his friends when they shared their news that they had seen Jesus. But if you take a look at Luke’s version of the first meeting, you will see that the other disciples were also disbelieving and had doubts in their hearts even though they saw Jesus stood before them in flesh. They also needed physical confirmation that Jesus was indeed risen. Luke even describes how frightened and terrified they were.
When Jesus first appeared, Thomas was not with the other apostles, he was alone, probably still deeply grieving the loss of Jesus and I suspect his mind was in a dark place as he tried to handle this on his own. Contrast this with the other apostles, they struggled to understand what was taking place until Jesus opened their eyes and minds to spell it out to them. But they also had the benefit of mutual support. As a group their belief would be mutually reinforced and over time they would convey that message to wider groups as the beginnings of Christianity took shape. The faith began to grow even for those who had not seen the risen Lord in person.
For those who are able to get out and about, ask yourself, ‘why do you bother coming to church on a Sunday?’ After all, you can read the bible at home and study reflections online or sing along to your favourite hymns on the radio, TV or even your smartphone.
I suspect that most folk come to church because there is a sense of community. It is a place where we can safely share our faith and by doing so we reinforce each other’s belief in the Risen Lord. It’s an opportunity to strengthen and support each other’s faith. But if we are going to get the best from our community we need to make sure that we engage with everyone and mix with all who are there. Young people and not so young, new faces and more familiar faces. Are there people in church who you have never spoken to? If so, why not makes an effort to introduce yourself to someone new at a service. Jesus entered the house through a closed door to meet with his disciples. Let him enter your locked heart and give you the confidence to talk with someone different so that we can grow his loving community in our church. Paul
Our Prayers
Father God, Your Son gave the gift of the Holy Spirit to His disciples,
He empowered them to spread your word and forgive the sins of others.
Lord we pray that we too will be filled with the Holy Spirit,
and that though the power of the risen Lord,
He will overcome our fears and doubts so that we may grow your kingdom here in Lees.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Alleluia, Alleluia, Give Thanks to the Risen Lord"
