shorelinefamily@church

A talk to help us understand God's Word.

Welcome to our Service of Worship as God's family. You may like to look through this order of service before the service begins.

Welcome and introduction

God's Family Gathers

Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you

All: and also with you.

Saying sorry to God before we begin worship is really important.

We admit that we sometimes say terrible things. We use words to hurt others.

We twist our words to avoid telling the truth.

We grumble and moan.

All: Father, forgive us.

We do foolish and silly things.

We take what we want without thought for others. We insist on our own way.

We cheat and find shortcuts.

All: Father, forgive us.

God's Family Listens

We hear God's Word in a reading from the Bible.

The Bible is the most important book. It tells us how God wants his people to live and how he wants his world to be. It also tells us about God himself.

At the end of the reading you will hear the words:

This is the Word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God!

God's Family Prays

Praying together is really important. Prayer is about telling God how we feel and also listen to how he feels too.

During the prayers you will hear the words:

Lord in your mercy

All: Hear Us

We end our prayers by saying together the family prayer

Our Father who art in heaven

Hallowed be thy name

Thy kingdom come thy will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil For thine is the kingdom the power and the glory Forever and ever. Amen

God's Family Goes

Before we go, we say what we believe:

All: We believe in God the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.

We believe in God the Son, who lives in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with power from on high.

We believe in one God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Minster will give us God's Blessing before we go

The Readings

Sunday 11 April 2021

First reading

Acts 4.32–35

Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Second reading

1 John 1.1 – 2.2

We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life — this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Gospel

John 20.19–31

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.