Lectionary readings for the 6th Sunday in Lent (Palm Sunday):
Entry into Jerusalem:
The Passion:
Circuit Worship: Sunday, 29th March
Call to Worship and Opening Prayer (for a recording, see below)
Grace and peace to you from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us worship God.
Please say with me the prayer of approach:
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy Name,
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reading
Ezekiel 37: 1–14
Reflection (for a copy of the text, see below)
Prayer (for a recording of the prayer, see below)
We bring our prayers to God our Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Let us pray.
God our Creator, you have made all things and all people, and so we pray for your world. At a time of fear and crisis, we pray for human solidarity. Give wisdom, we pray, to those in leadership, in this country and across the world, and grant wisdom too to those who wield influence through the media. And as our attention is focussed on the health emergency, keep us mindful of other needs, eclipsed by the concentration on the pandemic.
B: Lord, in your mercy:
R: Hear our prayer.
God our Redeemer, your loving purpose is to heal our diseases. So we pray for those who are sick, at home or in hospital, for those who are vulnerable or afraid, and for all who are working so hard to bring care, relief and healing. Encourage and sustain all in the health service, in this country and across the world. Inspire and bless those who are developing vaccines. May their efforts speedily bear fruit.
B: Lord, in your mercy:
R: Hear our prayer.
God our Reconciler, you restore relationships and build community. We pray that you will show us how to overcome isolation and how to care for one another, even in these times of involuntary separation. Bless your Church, in these weeks of impaired fellowship, and show us how even this hard experience can help us to come closer to you.
B: Lord, in your mercy:
R: Hear our prayer.
(Quietness for our own prayers).
B: Lord, in your mercy:
R: Hear our prayer.
We say together the prayer that Jesus gave 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.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Final Blessing (for a recording, see below)
We affirm our enduring community in Christ as we say the Grace together:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.
Lectionary: Sunday, 29th March
Lectionary readings for the 5th Sunday in Lent:
Circuit worship: Sunday, 22nd March
Opening Prayer (for a recording of the prayer, see below)
Holy God, source of all our life,
we gather today in a new and strange way.
Help us to know that, even though we are not together in our churches,
we are still together in you.
Even though we keep our physical distance,
we are together in spirit.
We are reminded that your creation is beyond our control.
And yet you have made us little less than the angels.
Who are we that you are mindful of us?
And yet we know you are Love.
And, safe in the knowledge of that love, we can draw close.
We know we have not always lived in your way.
We have not always loved our neighbour.
We have not always loved ourselves.
But we know you forgive us, you accept us,
even when we find it hard to forgive ourselves,
to accept ourselves.
You sent your Son, Jesus Christ,
to live our life,
to know our vulnerability,
to share even in our death,
so that when we find ourselves in the valley of the shadow of death,
when we know our own vulnerability,
we can know Christ with us,
walking alongside us,
leading us towards your fullness of life.
You send your Spirit,
breathed among us even when we keep our breath to ourselves,
uniting us with each other and with you,
giving us the strength to live in your love.
And so we gather, even though we are physically distant.
We gather to worship you, Spirit, Son and Father,
to bring our praise and our rage,
our worry and our love,
knowing that your abundant grace brings more healing than we can possibly imagine.
Amen.
Readings
Psalm 23
John 9: 1–41
Reflection (for a copy of the text, see below)
Prayer
Keep a time of open prayer, or silence, and bring all your concerns to God. Be honest about how you feel. Lift people up before God. Ask for God’s help. Pray for the people of your church and of the place where you live. Be willing for God to open your eyes to how God’s love can become even more a part of your life. You may wish to close with the Lord’s Prayer.
The Grace
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore.
Amen.
Lectionary: Sunday, 22nd March
Lectionary readings for the 4th Sunday in Lent:
