Heavenly Father,
We celebrate today as we do on each Sunday, the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. His victory over the violence of people and the powers of the evil one, changes everything for us.
Praise the Lord!
Christ is Risen!
Hallelujah!
Jesus triumphed through the Cross and you have exalted Him above every name and every power. Thank you for this grace to confess that He is Lord. Thank you for the grace of forgiveness. Thank you for the grace that has brought us into your eternal communion, the communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We confess that we are dismayed by the troubles of this world and that our joy seems small. Oh Lord some of us are tired. In this world our bodies do betray us, our passions do mislead us, and our thoughts are coloured with arrogance and even lies.
But what shall we say in light of the resurrection? If you are for us who shall be against us? If you are with us what shall separate us from your love in Christ Jesus for us?
Yet we groan with Creation and Your Spirit, longing for Jesus to be revealed in us. Come Lord Jesus and do your good work. Come Lord Jesus and be revealed through us.
We lift up to you the peoples of Ukraine and Russia and ask for peace. Restrain the pervading madness of violence and uproot the lies that have shaped imperial ambitions. We lift up to you the people of Shanghai and the surrounding communities who are suffering through a pandemic lockdown; empower your church to speak hope to their neighbours and to serve them well. We lift up to you villages in Northern Nigeria who have suffered through terrible violence and loss; Lord bring peace, reveal yourself and change the hearts of those set on destruction as a solution; fortify your church there to love their neighbours well and to share the promise of life in Christ Jesus with everyone.
Lord we need you. You are the living God, and so we pray as Jesus teaches us:
(Please join me in the Lord’s Prayer.)
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever. Amen.