Collect, Readings and Prayers for the Fifth Sunday of Easter

Collect

Almighty God,

who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ

have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life:

grant that, as by your grace going before us

you put into our minds good desires,

so by your continual help

we may bring them to good effect;

through Jesus Christ our risen Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Genesis 8:1-19

The Flood Subsides

8 But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and all the domestic animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided; ² the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, ³ and the waters gradually receded from the earth. At the end of one hundred and fifty days the waters had abated; ⁴ and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. ⁵ The waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared.

⁶ At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made ⁷ and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. ⁸ Then he sent out the dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; ⁹ but the dove found no place to set its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took it and brought it into the ark with him. ¹⁰ He waited another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark; ¹¹ and the dove came back to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. ¹² Then he waited another seven days, and sent out the dove; and it did not return to him any more.

¹³ In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and saw that the face of the ground was drying. ¹⁴ In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. ¹⁵ Then God said to Noah, ¹⁶ ‘Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. ¹⁷ Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.’ ¹⁸ So Noah went out with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. ¹⁹ And every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out of the ark by families.

Acts 7:55-60

Standing before the high priest and the council, ⁵⁵Stephen filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ⁵⁶ ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’ ⁵⁷ But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. ⁵⁸ Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ ⁶⁰ Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died.

I Peter 2:2-10

² Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

⁴ Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and ⁵ like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For it stands in scripture:

‘See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
    a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’

⁷ To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,

‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the very head of the corner’,

⁸ and

‘A stone that makes them stumble,
    and a rock that makes them fall.’

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

⁹ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

¹⁰ Once you were not a people,
    but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
    but now you have received mercy.

John 14:1-14

Jesus the Way to the Father

14 Jesus said to his disciples: ¹‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way to the place where I am going.’ ⁵ Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ ⁶ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’

⁸ Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’ ⁹ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? ¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. ¹² Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it’.

Prayers

Lord, as we bring to you our prayers of intercession, we ask you to open our ears to hear your voice, open our eyes to behold your glory, open our hearts to receive your grace, open our lips to show forth your praise.

• Loving God, you said, "Let not your hearts be troubled." Today we have brought our troubled hearts to you for comfort, for healing, for encouragement. We know you love us, but sometimes we don't trust ourselves to you. Loving God, you said, "Let not your hearts be troubled." Today we have brought our troubled hearts to you for comfort, for healing, for encouragement. We know you love us, but sometimes we don't trust ourselves to you. Today, we pray that we might feel your presence as near as our very breath and be willing to follow your leading, whatever that may lead us. May we open our hearts and minds for the comfort you have especially for us and respond with gratitude. Amen.

​​​​​​​        God, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen:

You place us in your creation, and you command us to care for it.

Your works declare glory and splendour, and you call us to praise and reverence.

Where we have degraded or destroyed earth's bounty, forgive us.

Where we have taken beauty and majesty for granted, have mercy upon us.

Where we have become estranged from the creatures with whom we share this planet, grant us your peace.

Renew us and refresh us with the winds of your spirit, and sustain us with the bread of life. In the name of Jesus Christ, and for the sake of the new creation, we pray. Amen.

• God of love,
  As we see and hear the news of the devastating violence wrought upon
  and within the Middle East,
  we hold your broken world before you in prayer,
  We pray for lives lost, for people who mourn, and for those living in fear
  We pray for people stranded and in need of safe routes and safe harbours.
  We long for peace and pray that those who wage war might exchange weapons for words.
  Help us to know how to pray, how to speak and how to act,
  that we might remember our call to follow the Prince of Peace,
  In whose name we pray,
  Amen

• In the light of the attacks on the Jewish communities and individuals and the demonstrations and strong feelings held by many against the actions of Israel in Gaza and the West Bank,  we pray for our country and the deep divisions emerging within it. Grant us, Lord God, a vision of our land as your love would make it: - a land where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or poor;- a land where the benefits of civilized life are shared, and every one can enjoy them; - a land where different races and cultures live in tolerance and mutual respect; - a land where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love. And give us the inspiration and courage to build it. Amen

• We pray for those involved in the industrial and commercial life of our nation. Remove barriers of mistrust, bitterness, prejudice which sometimes exist. Help us not to undermine and belittle others by speaking badly of them or criticising them in an unjust manner. Give to all a spirit of tolerance and understanding, and an earnest desire to seek after you, that all may work for the common good. Amen 

• We pray for your church today, gathering all around the world in tiny churches and great cathedrals to praise you and to hear your holy word.
  Give us a sense of expectation as we come to our own church and inspiration as we go. We ask you to bless those who preach, and teach the message of your salvation, those who care for the buildings and the churchyards, and for all church officers  Guide support and encourage them Lord as they seek to support the members of their churches and to reach out to those who do not yet know you, with their love and prayers.  Amen

• God of the living past,

We thank you for the vision you gave

To those who built our churches

Following their example,

Help us to see

That we cannot live in the past, but that we must grow from it

Reaching out to today and tomorrow.

God of the exciting present,

Help us to become the church

You want us to be now.:

People of all ages

Worshipping with joy,

Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ,

Serving with love,

Learning the Christian way

Offering hope to all.

God of the beckoning future,

We wait for your surprises;

Help us to hear your call

To take the risks of faith.

Weave new patterns of ministry

From the gifts we offer.

Amen

• Lord we bring you our prayers for our families, for those that are growing up that they may increase in wisdom and love, for those facing changes, that they may meet them with hope, for those that are weak that they may find strength, for those with heavy burdens that they, may carry them lightly. Amen
   
• Lord we pray for all those recovering from surgery and for those in pain. You show yourself to those that are vulnerable and make your home with the poor and the weak of this world. We pray that you will protect the healthy, calm the frightened, give courage to those in pain, strengthen those who care for the sick, Console the bereaved and comfort the dying and give to the dead eternal life. Jesus Christ is the light of the world, a light which no darkness can quench. You turn our darkness into light and in your light shall we see light. Amen

• A prayer of Julian of Norwich whose Feast Day is 8^th May. 

In you, Father all-mighty, we have our preservation and our bliss.

In you, Christ, we have our restoring and our saving.

You are our mother, brother, and Saviour. In you, our Lord the Holy Spirit, is marvellous and plenteous grace.

You are our clothing; for love you wrap us and embrace us.

You are our maker, our lover, our keeper.

Teach us to believe that by your grace all shall be well, and all shall be well,

and all manner of things shall be well. Amen

• Lord as we delight in the rich variety of your creation we offer you our lives and as we go out today we pray that in our dealings with others that we may always remember the words of your son Jesus
  A new command I give you “love one another” As I have loved you so you must love one another, by this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. Amen

• Eternal God, in whom is all our hope in life, in death and in all eternity; grant that, rejoicing in the eternal life which is ours in Christ, we may face whatever the future holds in store for us calm and unafraid, always confident that nether death nor life can part us from your love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen