Tuesday of Easter Week, 14 April 2020 – John 20:11-18, Acts 2:14,36-41, Psalm 33:17-21 ~ “Believe and be baptized!”

Tuesday of Easter Week, 14 April 2020

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

Opening:

O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that we, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus Christ,
our hope, our light, and our salvation.

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A Reading from the Gospels: John 20:11-18 (NLT)

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.

“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

“Mary!” Jesus said.

She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

“Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.
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Acts 2:14,36-41 (NLT)

Peter Preaches to the Crowd

Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this….

So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”

Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”

Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”

Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.
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I Will Wait- based on Psalm  33  – Joshua Huff

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Closing: (NLT) – Psalm 33:20-21 (NLT)

We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

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

Tuesday of Easter Week, 18 Apr – John 20:11-18 ~ “I have seen the Lord!”

Tuesday of Easter Week

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

Opening Sentences

God of life, I profess my faith in Jesus and recognize him as my Lord and Savior. May I be attentive to him when he speaks his Good News to me for it is a message of life. And, may I also hear his voice when he cries out to me in people in need or, simply, when he speaks to me in people who express their joys and hopes, their love and their faith. I ask this through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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Reading: John 20:11-18 (NLT)

Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.

“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

“Mary!” Jesus said.

She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

“Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.
__________

Prayer:

Lord Jesus: the world seems to be crumbling around me; I am surrounded by news of death and disasters, pain and suffering, disillusions and betrayals. Break through all this noise and speak to me a word of life, of hope, of help, and of healing.

+ Call me by name that I may hear your voice and see your handiwork around me.
+ Increase my understanding that I may discern the movement of your spirit in new ways.
+ Give me persistence as I seek your presence, your loving-kindness, your mercy and grace.
+ Lift me out of the mud and mire – set my feet on solid ground and steady me as I press on.

Lord Jesus: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to receive the heavenly prize for which you are calling me. Make me a messenger of the Good News of the Kingdom – the time of the Lord’s favor has come – our God reigns!

Soli Deo gloria!
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“Your Eyes” – Darlene Zschech

Turn my eyes to You | I turn away from the things of this world | God I look to You | I run towards the prize of my heart

I know Your eyes are on me | You won’t turn Your face away | Only love within Your gaze

And all my heart is on You | I will rest under Your shade | All my hope is in Your Name

I lift my hands to You | Bring the purest worship l have | For I’m at home in You | I soar upon the wings of Your love

As I live and, as I move | All of my hope it, is in You God | There is nothing, I can bring | Only Jesus, to You I cling

For You are risen, and I am with You | You have spoken, and I am whole | In every fiber, of my being | Will declare that, You are Lord

You are Lord, You are Lord | For You are Lord, You are Lord | For You are Lord, You are Lord | For You are Lord, You are Lord
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Blessing

We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone. – Psalm 33:20-22 (NLT)

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