| The Collects and Readings for Fourth Sunday
of Easter, 22nd April 2018 Collect Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life: raise us, who trust in him,
from the death of sin to the life of righteousness, that we may seek those things which are above, where he reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Psalm 23 Acts Ch 4:
v. 5-12
5
The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas,
John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 When they had made the prisoners stand in
their midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do this?" 8 Then Peter, filled with
the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are questioned today because of a
good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of
you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.
11 This Jesus is 'the stone that was rejected
by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.' 12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by
which we must be saved." 1 John Ch 3: v. 16-24
16
We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us--and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 17
How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses
help?
18 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 19
And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him 20 whenever our hearts
condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn
us, we have boldness before God; 22 and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and
do what pleases him.
23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son
Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 All who obey his commandments abide in him,
and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
John Ch 10: v. 11-18
11
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not
the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away--and the wolf snatches them
and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.
14
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
15 just as the Father knows me and I know
the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must
bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason
the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I
lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command
from my Father." Post Communion Collect
Merciful Father,
you gave your Son Jesus Christ to be the good shepherd, and in his love for us to lay down his life and rise again: keep us
always under his protection, and give us grace to follow in his steps; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayers -
we have been asked to remember in our prayers:
David
Aked-Walker, Father Mike, Katie Hakin, Carole Harrington, Lynda Hinton, Diane Jones, Rev’d John Knight, Jill Knight,
Philip Le Roux, Sylvia Reynolds, and James Wagstaffe
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