Friday of Easter Week, 21 Apr – John 21:1-14 ~ no turning back

Friday of Easter Week

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

Opening Prayer

Our God and Father, through our risen Lord, your Son Jesus Christ, you have given us a message of hope and a person to live for.

Free our faith from triviality and routine and fill us with his Spirit of courage, that we may learn to live with the insecurities of the change of renewal ever-demanded by the gospel and by the needs of the times.

May our Christian living bear witness to the name of him by whom we are saved, Jesus Christ, our risen Lord.
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Reading: John 21:1-14 (NLT)

Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. Several of the disciples were there — Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.

Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”

“We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.

At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. He called out, “Fellows,have you caught any fish?”

“No,” they replied.

Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.

Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them — fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.

“Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.

“Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.
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Reflection & Prayer:

Lord Jesus: on Easter, you changed everything – you broke our bondage to sin and death and opened the gates of heaven to all who would repent and believe in your name. Your resurrection authenticated our faith and trust in you – “the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

+ Why is it, Lord, that after the wonder of Easter I go back to business as usual?
+ Why is it, Lord, that I fall back into my old routines that get me nowhere?
+ Why is it, Lord, that after you call me to join you in your work I go back to mine?
+ Why is it, Lord, that I would rather return to the past than move ahead into the future?

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

+ Thank you, Lord, for your loving-kindness and patience with me.
+ Thank you, Lord, for taking the initiative to renew our relationship.
+ Thank you, Lord, for your providing for all my daily needs – physical and spiritual.
+ Thank you, Lord, for your constant companionship on the journey, come what may.

Lord Jesus: you have called me by name and I have decided to follow you as best I know how. Strengthen me with your Spirit as I face my insecurities, and grant that what I celebrate in worship may be carried out in my life.

Soli Deo gloria!
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“No Turning Back” – Brandon Heath


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Concluding Prayer

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.  – Psalm 118:1 (NLT)

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

Morning Prayer: 10 Apr – Acts 4:1-12; John 21:1-14 ~ no other name

Friday after Easter

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

Opening sentence and prayer:

God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.
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Almighty, ever-living God, You offer the covenant of reconciliation to mankind in the mystery of Easter. Grant that what we celebrate in worship we may carry out in our lives. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
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A Reading from Acts: Acts 4:1-12 (NLT)

While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning. But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of believers now totaled about 5,000 men, not counting women and children.

no other name 2014
Hillsong Takes Over New York City’s Times Square With ‘Jesus,’ ‘No Other Name’ Campaign.

The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,

‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
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This is the day which was made by the Lord: let us rejoice and be glad, alleluia.
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A Reading from the Gospels: John 21:1-14 (NLT)

Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. Several of the disciples were there — Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.

Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”

“We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.

Appearence on Lake Tiberias Duccio Di Buoninsegna, 1308-11 Museo Dell'Opera Del Duomo, Siena, Italy
Appearence on Lake Tiberias
Duccio Di Buoninsegna, 1308-11
Museo Dell’Opera Del Duomo, Siena, Italy

At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?”

“No,” they replied.

Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.

Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them — fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.

“Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.

“Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.
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Canticle

Christ, as a light illumine and guide me. Christ as a shield overshadow me. Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.

Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing:

May the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

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