Wednesday of The 3rd Week of Easter, 29 April 2020

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

Almighty God, you gave your only Son to be for us both a sacrifice for sin and an example of godly living: Give us grace to thankfully receive his inestimable benefits, and to daily follow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again.”

A Reading from the Gospels: John John 6:35-40 (NLT)

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

A Reading from the Book of Acts: Acts 8:1-8 (NLT)

Persecution Scatters the Believers

A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.

Philip Preaches in Samaria

But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.
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Psalm 66 (You Are Great) – The Lovely

Come and see what our God has done,
what awesome miracles he performs for people!

Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth!
Sing about the glory of his name!
Tell the world how glorious he is.

Everything on earth will worship you;
they will sing your praises,
shouting your name in glorious songs.”

Come and see what our God has done,
what awesome miracles he performs for people!
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Closing: John 6:37

“Those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.”

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.