Sunday 4th April 2021 (Easter Day)
All the videos, apart from the songs, were recorded at the morning service on Easter Day 2021.
Before you begin, take a moment to pray. Ask your heavenly Father to show you the grace of Jesus, and to fill you afresh with his Holy Spirit. Think of a few other members of the church (if you are from St George’s) and pray also for them.
Start of Service
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He has given us new life and hope.
He has raised Jesus from the dead.
God has claimed us as his own.
He has brought us out of darkness.
He has made us light to the world.
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Confession and first bible reading
The first Bible reading is Genesis 3:17-24, and comes after the confession.
Jesus Christ, risen Master and triumphant Lord,
we come to you in sorrow for our sins, and confess to you our weakness and unbelief.
We have lived by our own strength, and not by the power of your resurrection.
In your mercy, forgive us. Lord, hear us and help us.
We have lived by the light of our own eyes, as faithless and not believing.
In your mercy, forgive us. Lord, hear us and help us.
We have lived for this world alone, and doubted our home in glory.
In your mercy, forgive us. Lord, hear us and help us.
This is the message of faith that we proclaim:
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
May the God of love and power forgive us and free us from our sins,
heal and strengthen us by his Spirit,
and raise us to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Collect (set prayer for today)
Lord of all life and power,
who through the mighty resurrection of your Son
overcame the old order of sin and death
to make all things new in him:
grant that we, being dead to sin
and alive to you in Jesus Christ,
may reign with him in glory;
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit
be praise and honour, glory and might,
now and in all eternity.
Amen.
bible readings, sermon and prayers
This is one video but it contains three readings, the sermon in three parts, and the prayers.
After the sermon, take time to respond to God’s Word to you. Whenever we hear from God a good practice is to think of TSP (“teaspoon”):
T for Thank You - what do you need to praise God for?
S for Sorry - what do you need to confess?
P for Please - what do you need to ask of God, for yourself and others?
creed
Do you believe in God the Father?
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
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 to heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
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.
commissioning and blessing
All of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death.
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
through the glory of the Father,
we too may live a new life.
If we died with Christ,
we believe that we will also live with him.
The death he died, he died to sin once for all,
but the life he lives, he lives to God.
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin
but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Offering ourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life,
we pray together:
God of Life,
who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son
to the death of the cross,
and by his glorious resurrection
have delivered us from the power of our enemy,
grant us so to die daily to sin
that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his risen life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that great shepherd of the sheep,
through the blood of the eternal covenant,
make you perfect in every good work to do his will,
working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.
Go in the peace of Christ. Alleluia, alleluia.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
If you are not a regular member of St George’s but want to connect with us, please please contact us via this page. We have Evening Prayer using Zoom every day (except Saturdays) at 5pm and you are welcome to join us. Contact us for details. Our Prayer page gives you Bible readings and reflections for each day and many of us are finding these such an encouragement.
Find out more about hope during the coronavirus pandemic.