Today’s service continues our Easter witness series. Our reading is taken from Acts 7: 54 to 8: 1 as we look at the stoning of Stephen. The service is designed to be used in conjunction with the order of service email earlier but also available to download here.
Watch the whole service on YouTube by following this link.
Welcome and Call to worship
Welcome to this our 9th virtual Sunday morning service and this coming after a week when we have seen the message change from stay home to stay alert. Where stay alert seems to mean stay at home if you can, work from home if you can but if you can’t then go back to work but don’t use public transport, and also go out and get as much exercise as you can, we may or may not need to wear face coverings as many other countries have introduced or do. It’s all a bit confusing isn’t it therefore well done for applying common sense and staying in and joining our service today. Our message simple, it is consistent, and it will not be confusing, it is this that salvation come through faith in Jesus Christ. In the beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5 we read in v8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Today we continue our Easter witness’s sermon series taking the theme of I see Jesus and Mark will be opening that up using Acts 7: 54 to 8:1 for us later. For now shall we come before our Lord and saviour in prayer as we start to give him our praise to his glory.
Opening prayer
Lord may our worship be acceptable to you, may it lift our spirits, may it be time of renewal and refreshment as we give you the praise you are worthy of. We thank you for your sacrifice for us so that we might be reconciled with the father. We also recognise that we fall short or go astray through our praise and worship may we recall your love for us, the excitement of first meeting you and centre ourselves on the path you have laid out before us. Amen.
Confession
Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his sacrifice we have been healed. Let us acknowledge our failures, disobedience, and return to the Lord with remorse and faith.
Lord God, we have sinned against you; we have done evil in your sight. We are sorry and repent. Have mercy on us according to your love. Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us from our sin. Renew a right spirit within us and restore us to the joy of your salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
God is slow to anger and full of compassion. He forgives all who humbly repent and trust in his Son as Saviour and Lord. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Opening song
Reading:
Acts 7: 52 – 8:1
Stephen is Killed
54 When they heard these things, they became furious and ground their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look!” he said. “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 But they covered their ears, shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent. 58 When they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him, and the witnesses laid their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 They continued to stone Stephen while he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 Then he fell to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he died. 8 1 And Saul agreed completely with killing him.
Saul Begins to Persecute the Church
Now on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Reflection
by Rev. Mark Elvin
Prayers of intercession
Lord we lift before you families and friends, those we love but are unable to be with as we are all scattered to our own homes during this pandemic we pray for their health and protection. We also lift before you and give thanks for those who are still working so that we might receive treatment and the supplies we need. We thank you for the Drs, nurse and others in the blue light services. We lift before you those who are easy to forget who provide care in nursing homes or in peoples own homes and for all those in the social care setting who sometime seem to have been forgotten about but who are a new front line. We thank you for those who work in the supply chain to provide equipment and food that is needed. Lord protect and guide the farmers, food producers, retailer workers, HGV and delivery drivers, the cleaners doing deep cleans so that we can get on top of this virus. We thank you for the bus and train drivers who enable other key workers to get to work and now as well those who are being encouraged to go back to work.
We pray for those known to us who are physically, spiritually or mentally unwell during this lockdown and we pray for those who are treating them and supporting them, making sure they have all they need to restore them to full health.
We pray for our politicians and other world leaders who struggle to find a solution to the pandemic problem. Lord guide their thoughts that their decisions are fair, just and effective in dealing with the pandemic, help all of us not to put up barriers and simply look after ourselves. May we always be concerned about our fellow man and all you have created. Lord guard and protect us as we go about doing your will this week, we ask this for your names sake. Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Shall we join together in the prayer our Lord taught us
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.
Closing song
Closing prayer and blessing
Go forth into the world in peace; be of good courage; hold fast that which is good; render to no one evil for evil; strengthen the fainthearted; support the weak; help the afflicted; honour everyone; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit; 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 joy and peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
And finally, to close, and yes, pure indulgence on my part Josh Groban singing You raise me up. Enjoy, God bless you until we can meet again, other than virtually that is. And I’ll see some of you in a bit at our virtual after church coffee time. Thanks to Louise for hosting the coffee morning. God be with you all.