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I am tired and am trying to get out from under my assignments. Earlier tonight I turned in our group worship assembly on John 20:19-31 - Where Jesus appears twice after the resurrection - the believers are transformed, the church is formed - centered on Christ, and they are commissioned to go out. We have the confession of Thomas - ‘My Lord and My God!’ and the statement of Jesus ‘ You have seen and believed, Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.’ One thing I tried to do in composing this worship (in addition to the centrality of Christ) was to focus on the connectiveness of the church - temporally and geographically. I included a reading of the Phos Hilaron (see below) - read at vespers by early christians.
Phos Hilaron
O Gracious Light
Pure brightness of the everlasting Father in heaven.
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
And our eyes behold the vesper light,
We sing praises, O God:
Father Son and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times
To be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
And to be glorified through all the worlds.