Sunday 26 April 2026 - Forth Sunday of Easter – Year A

The Faith Action Programme would like to thank Rev Bill Taylor, retired Minister and a Chaplain for the Presbytery of Edinburgh and West Lothian, for his thoughts on Easter Sunday.

Introduction

I find familiar passages sometimes seem more daunting than the less well known! Of all the things that might be said, there's the question of choosing what to say. In addition to the texts an attempt to ‘read' the local context forms part of the worship team's task, whether members are offering prayers of intercession, an all-age talk or a sermon/reflection. For all of us, life is not the same since last we read Psalm 23! As we come to the Scriptures, I find it helpful to consider what affects us – from trends and the global media, to issues that matter locally – listening for God's Word to us today.

Reading the passages initially, I highlight words that somehow draw my interest, that engender a reaction, whether it be positive, puzzling or contentious! I will return to these after looking at different versions, Bible dictionaries, commentaries, etc. As well as examining the passage I try to allow the passage to examine me, the reader, and consider what lessons there are to be shared. Presenting some questions for further discussion or referring to various points of view can be important. This avoids issuing dogmatic statements and encourages listeners to think through issues for themselves. It's also important to recognise that not everyone who has come to worship will be interested in minute detail!

For a service of morning worship, I usually choose two of the readings, one from the New Testament. I may refer to the others, drawing on them to inform prayers or choice of praise.

Every Sunday is the Lord's Day, the day of Jesus' resurrection! Typically, the fourth Sunday of Easter focuses on The Good Shepherd, mindful of the Risen Jesus' command to Peter to ‘Feed my sheep' (John 21:17). In some traditions this is a Sunday when there's a focus on vocations. In the material a major theme is the call of Jesus to every follower to take part in His ministry or work.

Pastoral care is also a significant theme, both at an individual level and in the community care we offer.We celebrate how the Risen Christ knows us each by name. Christian communities are brought to life by the quality of care seen in our Lead Pastor Jesus. We are His flock but are also called, as shepherd collectives, to share Christ's compassion in a world of anxious discord, bearing witness to where green pastures and refreshing streams can be found. Sometimes this fellowship, our life together,will offer counter-cultural notes and call us to action for justice with those whose voices are little heard.

Acts 2:42-47

The devotion of these Followers of the Way, not yet known as Christians, is significant enough to warrant a mention, certainly Luke thinks this. It's a characteristic of their faith. They are focused, excited and engaged with the life that has come to them since the resurrection of Jesus and Peter's Pentecostal message! Here we have their priorities: the apostles' teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer.

Today the context in which churches find themselves in this part of the world is once again missional. That's an exciting place to be! Do we know what our priorities are? Do they reflect those that energised the first Christian communities?

The common life of the believers was remarkable. We are not to neglect Church attendance (Hebrews 10:25) but what they shared was a great deal more! Perhaps we underplay the importance of koinonia, the caring fellowship (v 42) that underpinned their life together. Their koinonia was an expression of shared values, to which considerable commitment was given and expected. (The story of Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5:1-11 relates to this.) Giving to those in need mattered more than holding on to possessions and property.

There are questions here about ‘the purpose of economic activity' and how money can be moved to where it is needed in our society and beyond. The Bible teaches that it is 'more blessed to give than to receive' (Acts 20:35), generosity and hospitality are met by joy and goodwill.

Koinonia, however, is not only the sharing of assets, but the Spirit behind that, the bond of affection in the Holy Spirit, which we celebrate each time we say: "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14 NIVUK).

Accompanied by wonders and signs, day after day, the Church grew in the number of "those who were being saved." This passage ends with a fascinating turn of words: Note the present tense! Salvation is an ongoing business, not an event in the past, though for many there has been a watershed moment; nor is salvation only for the future, though a new future is certainly a part of it. ‘Being saved' describes the ongoing transformational work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, which we are invited to live today and every day (2 Corinthians 6:1-2).

If we ever doubted that faith is relational, here we have it! Relating to God connects us with many people, the Cross is both vertical and horizontal. In this, the earliest expression of Church, we find a pastoral community – a therapeutic community it might be said – where people can be themselves, find acceptance and strength in following the Good Shepherd together.

Built of tears and cries and laughter,
prayers of faith and songs of grace,
let this house proclaim from floor to rafter:
all are welcome,
all are welcome,
all are welcome in this place. (CH4 198)

Psalm 23

Psalm 23 has grit! David wrote these words from his experience as a shepherd, a life lived largely outdoors, probably in the rocky Negev Desert, where green pastures and water are rare. Through the mountains there are narrow tracks – the right paths (v3) – that lead to replenishment. The terrain is variable and challenging, there are many deep ravines where the light is poor. But the shepherd is prepared, with a staff to lift the fallen or nudge the flock forward, and a rod to protect the vulnerable from predators on the way (v4). The shepherd is confident even when there are enemies present (v5).

The late Professor George Anderson in his translation of Psalm 23 renders the second phrase of v2 as "He leads me beside refreshing streams" (1). These words suggest a source of oxygenated, lively waters, which we understand immediately as refreshing and invigorating, life-giving and energising. Like me, you may be reminded of Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman who had come, by herself and at mid-day, to draw water from a well. "Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life'." (John 4: 13-14)

Sometimes it is difficult to set aside time to be still, to be mindful that God is with us in daily life. Yet in the stillness of prayer we find reassurance, the kindness of God (v6) inspiring us to follow more nearly the Good Shepherd, who leads the flock to life abundant and eternal.

In a psalm written from the desert I am intrigued that yet more liquids are referenced: the oil of anointing and the cup that overflows (v5b). Christians find connections here with the Sacraments of Baptism and Communion. At our baptism we are called to join in the ministry of Christ (the anointed one) in the world, with the help the Spirit brings. As we ‘lift up the cup of salvation' (Psalm 116:13) we are reminded of Paul's prayer to the Ephesians; " I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:18-19).

(1) George W. Anderson, Translator's Old Testament, The Psalms, British & Foreign Bible Society 1993

1 Peter 2:19-25

Peter wrote his letters to the diaspora of emerging Christian communities in what was Asia Minor, largely modern-day Turkey. A significant element of their experience was persecution as the Gospel message they shared was not welcomed by people with influence whose interests lay in supporting the status quo, nor by Imperial Rome. Peter wrote his first letter (possibly from Rome) at the time of the brutal policies of Nero. William Barclay gives the date as "about the year A.D. 67" (2). Peter, who was also crucified, understood what it was like to experience suffering and found meaning in it through the example of Christ (v21).

Strength is found through contemplating the passion of our Lord. Peter's words take us to the cross and to the scope of Christ's love drawing extensively on the last of Second Isaiah's four Servant Songs, Isaiah 52:13-53:12, referencing this in vs 22, 24 and 25.

I'm curious, how are we healed by the wounds Christ has endured (v24b)? Is it that healing comes through His solidarity and empathy with all who suffer? God's anointed understands suffering, not theoretically or from a distance, but from personal experience. Quoting Psalm 22:1, on the cross, Jesus cries: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). Knowing that Jesus experienced this, that God loves each one of us to the extent that God came here to this place – assures all who suffer – that God is beside us, with us and for us.

When we sing to God in heaven,
we shall find such harmony,
born of all we've known together
of Christ's love and agony. (CH4 694)

When the Risen Christ met His frightened disciples, He showed them His hands and side (John 20:20). Jesus not only confirmed His identity, but let his friends know what He had come through, giving hope to all who have been hurt or wounded.

Peter also sees the death of Jesus as atonement. "He himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness", v24a. Here Jesus is both ‘the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world' (John 1:29b) and the Shepherd.

There was no other good enough
to pay the price of sin;
He only could unlock the gate
of heaven and let us in. (CH4 380)

Because Jesus took upon Himself the weight of sin, His sisters and brothers no longer need to be held back by that load. We can journey on unburdened, knowing and sharing the love of those forgiven much (Luke 7:47). Sheep easily go astray, but the Good Shepherd and Guardian of our Souls calls us back.

"Why should I gain from all of this?
I cannot give an answer;
but this I know with all my heart,
His wounds have paid my ransom." (CH4 549)

(2) William Barclay, The Letters of James and Peter, The Daily Study Bible, Revised Edition. St Andrew's Press, 1987

John 10:1-10

There are two scenarios depicted here both of which give us an insight into the everyday life of shepherds at the time of the New Testament.

In the first figure of speech Jesus is the shepherd who comes to gather His flock. He is the bona fide shepherd known by the gatekeeper who grants Him access to the fold. At verse 11, not in today's selection, Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd. Shepherds worked together in co-operatives. They looked after a colleague's flock if per chance they had to head back into the hills to search for a lost sheep and shared the joy when the animal was found (Luke 15:4-7). Sheepfolds would be occupied by several flocks. When the time came, each shepherd would call their own sheep and such was the close connection between shepherd and sheep that there was no concern about a mix up. The sheep heard their shepherd's voice, recognised their call as they gathered the sheep together and led them out.

In the passage for today, Jesus' picture language invites us to consider how each of us has been so made that we have the capacity to recognise the Shepherd's voice and the freedom to respond. And the Shepherd does call out to His flock, to us! We can also hear the voices of the thieves and impostors, the illusions and preoccupations that would steal our attention and rob us of the abundant life that is the gift of the true Shepherd, the one who has the proper credentials and can lead us back to God.

In this passage too we sense the prophet Isaiah's influence:

But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine. (Isaiah 43:1)

And we are led again to the resurrection and how Mary recognised Jesus when He called her by her name (John 20:16).

We note the leadership style. The shepherd goes ahead (v4) and the sheep follow. Jesus asks Mary to tell His disciples that He is ‘going ahead' of them to Galilee and that they will meet Him there (Matthew 20:7). The Risen Lord goes ahead of His followers. How reassuring it is to sense that we go nowhere where Christ is not already, bringing His light to shine.

Then, because it seems His disciples are slow on the uptake, Jesus paints a similar but different picture. This time Jesus is the Gate (v9). It is through a relationship with Him that people will find an opening, a way to God again.

This second figure of speech also comes from shepherd practice at the time. A shepherd literally laid down across the entrance/exit of the fold, their body across the opening, as described in John 10:11 "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep". In so doing they were the line of defence against any predators, human or animal, who might snatch a sheep or harry the flock. The job was not without its dangers. Shepherds showed their dedication by literally acting as the gate to the pen.

This is the third of seven ‘I AM' statements in John's Gospel. Each one contains the name of God – ‘I am who I am' - as Moses discovered at the Burning Bush (Exodus 3: 14). In each of His ‘I am' sayings, and those listening would have been on to this straight away, Jesus is saying ‘I am God with you, among you, willing to lay down my life for you because I love you and so that you may have life.' God, who calls us each of us by name, reveals again God's own name.

I would ask the congregation if they can name the seven ‘I am' sayings of Jesus! Just out of interest! It could be part of a quiz. They are:

"I am the bread of life." (John 6:35).
"I am the light of the world." (John 8:12).
"I am the gate." (John 10:9).
"I am the good shepherd." (John 10:11).
"I am the way, the truth, and the life." (John 14:6).
"I am the true vine." (John 15:1).
"I am the resurrection and the life." (John 11:25)

Sermon ideas

For me the connecting idea across today's passages is the Ministry of Christ, the Good Shepherd. Every disciple is invited to be a part of this. As communities of faith being Church is about offering Christ's fellowship wherever we are.

Visual aids such as a Shepherd's crook help if you want to look a little at the work shepherds do. You might like to invite a shepherd to talk about, for example, their knowledge of the sheep in their care. I once invited a sheep farmer to bring a lamb to Church, which he did, but that was all people talked about for weeks!

Thinking about how well the Good Shepherd knows each of us, you might like to talk about names, last names and forenames.

Many last names originate from trades people practiced, they signposted members of the community to whom they could go when they needed a particular piece of work done, e.g. Baker, Cooper, Falconer, Farmer, Shepherd, Smith, Taylor, Wright. ‘Christ', sometimes used as if it were a last name (though it is not) is a title that indicates the special work to which those anointed (mashiach in Hebrew, christos, in Greek) are called. In the Old Testament those anointed included: Kings, Priests, Prophets and the Servant of God in Isaiah. David, the shepherd King, was anointed by Samuel (1 Samuel 16:13); Aaron was anointed High Priest and his sons were to the priesthood (Exodus 40:13-15); Elijah the Prophet anointed Elisha as his successor; Jesus quoted from Isaiah in the Nazareth synagogue at the start of His ministry the passage that begins with:

"The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me;" (Isaiah 61:1a NRSV)

In Christian baptism or Christening, we are welcomed into the Church community and called to join Jesus in the work He is about in the world. As Jesus was anointed by the Spirit when He rose up out of the Jordan waters, so with the water of baptism we proclaim the Holy Spirit's anointing of all who are called to be witnesses to Jesus. And what is the work of the Christ with which the Spirit helps us to engage? It is to ‘bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to announce liberty to the captives and release to prisoners and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour'. (See Isaiah 61:1-2 & Luke 4:18-19.)

With a jug of water as a visual aid, you might like to invite listeners to recall the meaning of our baptism, the anointing of the Spirit which enables the Body of Christ, and every member of it, to share Christ with others.

Brother, sister let me serve you,
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace
to let you be my servant too. (CH4 694)

Baptism makes us part of the priesthood of all believers, calling us to care together in Jesus' name. For anyone not yet baptised this could be a reason to consider a discussion with their minister!

Baptism and Communion strengthen and renew the Body of Christ as we seek to work for the life of His kingdom ‘on earth as it is in heaven'. In many forms of Holy Communion in the Reformed tradition, we make a place to serve each other with the bread and wine, affirming the calling of each to minister Christ to others.

The famous words of St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) put it this way:
Christ has no body but yours,
no hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good.
Yours are the hands, with which He blesses all the world.

I find it fascinating to look at a dictionary of names and find out the meaning of first names, though some names can have sad meanings. Recalling the Risen Jesus saying ‘Mary!' (John 20:16a) we can celebrate the God who knows us each by name, who cares for every child of God, not in a general but in a particular way. Psalm 139 offers that perspective:

"O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways." (Psalm 139: 1-3)

You might find it worthwhile exploring ideas about how to build our common life, a shepherds' union perhaps!Mindful of the fellowship enjoyed in the early Church we know that a sense of belonging is an important initial step in encouraging people to explore faith further. How do we let people know there is a place for them? How do we practice hospitality and grow as a community of care? "I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold," Jesus said (John 10:16b). How can we engage with the world around us, receiving from others as well as giving? If your setting provides for some discussion, e.g. Café Church, or time in small groups, you might like to suggest people look at these questions together and share their ideas.

All of us bring the gifts with which God has blessed us. The experience of suffering brings with it a perspective we might not otherwise have, allowing us to better understand the pain others experience. A pastoral community that ‘weeps with those who weep', that expresses empathy, can open the door to joy. After years of exile in Babylon, Jeremiah spoke the word of the Lord, saying: "Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow." (Jeremiah 31:13)

Prayers

Gathering prayer / Call to worship

(I like to use verses from the Bible, and the Psalms in particular, as part of a Call to Worship. It creates a connection with the worship book Jesus knew so well).

Good Shepherd Jesus,
we hear Your voice calling us,
and gather to worship.

With the Psalmist we pray:

Let me hear of Your steadfast love in the morning,
for in You I put my trust.
Teach me the way I should go,
for to You I lift up my soul. (Psalm 143: 8)

Prayer of Approach

O God, how good it is to gather in Your presence!
More precious than gold or honey from the combe
are Your ways, bountiful God.

In this time of worship,
help us set aside all else,
that we may come into Your presence with wonder and awe.

You have made us for this,
to enjoy You and praise Your holy name.
Gladly we trust You,
seeing You for who You are in Jesus Christ.

Jesus, You have opened the door to heaven, flung wide the gates,
that all may enter the abundant life that is found with You.
Holy Spirit, helps us as we pray,
that we may recognise the Shepherd's voice
and understand the meaning of God's word to us today.

Speak to us Good Shepherd,
as individuals, but also as Your flock,
Your family gathered here,
that the bonds of fellowship we share may reach out to all.

Confession / Repentance

God of Grace,
You call but sometimes we do not hear.
We have been slow to understand,
distracted and invested by other calls upon our time, our minds, our hearts and souls.

Neither have we heard the cry of our neighbour,
especially those in need, as we might have done.

Humbly, we ask for Your forgiveness, Gracious God.
May Your mercy sweep over us,
let us hear those words of Jesus from the cross that declare ‘it is finished'
and we are set free from all that has made us less.

Confident in Christ –
Crucified, Risen and Ascended
who prays at God's right hand for us and all God's children,
grant that we might better love You
and look with renewed compassion upon a hurting world,
bringing the light of Your glory to shine with the hope that is found in You.

You might like to include a version of the Lord's Prayer, suggesting that people use the words they know best.

Our Father in heaven…

Thanksgiving / Gratitude

Gracious God,
we love You because You first loved us.
With gladness we thank You for the gift of Christ our Lord,
the life-gate through whom all may enter.

Thank You for Jesus' life and teaching,
for the way He walked alongside people and talked along the way,
for days of laughter and of excitement on the mountain tops,
for times of grief and of suffering in the deepest of valleys,
for His death upon a cross
and for His glorious resurrection
by which we know there is nothing that can ever separate us
from the love of God.
Gladden our hearts with that knowledge that Christ is here!

Thank You for the Spirit who makes us one.
Thank You for all who reflect Christ's light and offer hope.
In gratitude we offer our gifts,
all that we are and have in Your service, and for Your glory.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen

Prayer for others / Intercession

Following each petition you might like to invite a line of response such as:
Prayer Leader: God of Grace,
All: Graciously hear us

Praise be to You,
in love You have sought and found us and brought us home rejoicing!
Lord Jesus, present with us by Your Spirit,
You go before us in the adventure of faith.
Thank You that You have given gifts for the building up of the Body of Christ,
we pray for one another
as You call us to minister in Jesus' name where we are.
Grant that in our life together all may find the Good Shepherd's care.

Prayer Leader: God of Grace,
All: Graciously hear us

Risen Lord Jesus, whose perfect love chases fear away,
we pray for all who are challenged by life.
Especially we remember people who are oppressed in our world by war or injustice,
those who suffer because of their faith or beliefs,
people trapped in poverty, hungry or homeless.
We pray for the hurt and broken-hearted,
people who are unwell in body or in mind, at home or in hospital.
We pray for people in prison and for those who are the victims of crime.
And in quiet moments we offer prayers for any for whom we came to pray today.

Some silence

Lord Jesus, You are the true Shepherd who desires only what is good for Your flock,
the lamp from your staff gives light for all to see,
Your compassion sets us free and binds up our wounds.

Prayer Leader: God of Grace,
All: Graciously hear us

Risen Jesus, hopefully, confidently, because already it has begun in You,
we look to the day when the new earth and heaven will be complete
and there will be no more dying, or crying, or pain.
Creation itself will be set free from decay!
Until then let us be found faithful,
seeking peace, building bridges, working for justice,
to the glory of Your holy name.

Prayer Leader: God of Grace,
All: Graciously hear us

"Now may the God of peace,
who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great shepherd of the sheep,
by the blood of the eternal covenant,
make you complete in everything good
so that you may do His will,
working among us that which is pleasing in His sight,
through Jesus Christ,
to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:20-21)

Blessing / Closing prayer

"Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep…
Do not be overcome evil by evil
but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12: 15 & 21)

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

Now let us bless one another with the words of the Grace:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all.
Amen.

Musical suggestions

God Welcomes All (GWA) is the new supplement to Church Hymnary Fourth Edition. This exciting new collection features over 200 hymns and songs in a wide range of styles by writers from Scotland and around the world.

The full music and words-only versions are now available; and digital resources, including the expansion of the existing Church of Scotland music website, will be published in due course, with streaming functions and further information on each song; backing tracks; and lyric videos. God Welcomes All is available to order from https://chbookshop.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9781786225573/god-welcomes-all

Our online music resource is on the Church of Scotland website; you can listen to samples of every song in the Church Hymnary 4th edition (CH4) and download a selection of recordings for use in worship. You will also find playlists for this week and liturgical seasons and themes on the Weekly Worship and Inspire Me tabs.

You can find further musical suggestions for this week in a range of styles on the Songs for Sunday blog from Trinity College Glasgow.

• GWA 170 – "What a gift of grace is Jesus, me Redeemer" – This hymn relates to both pastoral care and atonement. See vs 2 & 3. "To this I hold: my Shepherd will defend me. Through the deepest valley he will lead. Oh the night has been won and I shall overcome! Yet not I, but through Christ in me" (v2).

• GWA 59 – "Listen for God who speaks within our hears" – Relates to the John passage from the Gospel

• GWA 204 – "In Christ we life and in Christ we die" - Relates to Acts passage

• GWA 79 – "Were I the perfect child of God" – Relates to 1 Peter above

• CH4 548 – "Approach my soul the mercy seat" – None can perish here in the place where Jesus answers prayer. One of John Newton's hymns that celebrates God's amazing grace. A suitable hymn with which to begin.

• CH4 196 – "Come, now is the time to worship" – A short hymn of approach, describing the purpose of the service: "Come, now is the time to give your heart."

• CH4 543 – "Longing for light, we wait in darkness" – A hymn that expresses solidarity with all who experience challenging times. An appropriate hymn for before prayers of intercession or indeed as a prayer of intercession.

• CH4 394 – "Brother, sister, let me serve you" – If you want to run with the material that explores the meaning of baptism, or, more generally, the calling of every Christian, this is a good fit. It also keys in with themes of empathy and a caring community.

• CH4 14, 15 or 16 – "The Lord is my shepherd" – Why not sing Psalm 23 to a tune less often sung by the congregation? Doing so often supports further reflection. If the tune you choose is unknown, however, it's an idea to practice the first verse beforehand!

• CH4 462 – "The King of Love my Shepherd is" – This is a paraphrase of Psalm 23. Verse 5 speaks about the table God has provided and references anointing by the rarely used word ‘unction'.

• CH4 180 – "Give thanks with a grateful heart" – Celebrating the gift of Jesus Christ, God's Son, and the response of faith: "And now let the weak say, ‘I am strong! Let the poor say, ‘I am rich because of what the Lord has done for us!'

• CH4 380 – "There is a green hill far away" – This Passiontide hymn draws us close to the suffering of Jesus, that as we contemplate it we may know how dearly we are loved.

• CH4 549 – "How deep the Father's love for us" – A hymn that focuses on the passion of Christ and tells how in an unfathomable exchange Christ has accomplished forgiveness for us.

• CH4 559 – "There is a Redeemer" – We are invited to acclaim Jesus as ‘precious Lamb of God, Messiah' and in the chorus to celebrate the gift of the Spirit who has been left with us until God's work on earth is done.

• CH4 692 – "Jesus put this song into our hearts" – A happy song that rejoices in the harmony that comes from Jesus' teaching; it also speaks about Jesus turning sorrow into dancing.

• CH4 547 – "What at a friend we have in Jesus" – This well-known hymn still connects with life's varied experiences, tells of Jesus' empathy and offers encouragement: "Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share?"

• CH4 198 – "Let us build a house where love can dwell" – Acknowledges the journey of faith, with hopeful words that touch the shared experience of human life – ‘tears and cries and laughter'.

• CH4 749 – "Soon and very soon" – Celebrating the good future - that in the resurrection of Jesus has already started - when there will be no more crying or pain or death. (Revelation 21:3-4)

• CH4 191 – "Do not be afraid for I have redeemed you" – Links in with the Shepherd's particular care, his knowledge of each of his flock by name. Based on Isaiah 43:1-4

• CH4 532 – "Lord, you have come to the seashore" – Picks up this theme: "gently smiling, you have spoken my name." The second verse connects with the sharing of possessions and the fellowship described in Acts 2

• CH4 512 – "To God be the glory, great things he has done!" – A rousing hymn, a big sing with which to conclude the service! The first verse particularly relates to the Gospel passage celebrating the gift of God's Son, who "opened the life-gate that all may go in. Praise the Lord!"

• MP 1008 – "The Lord's my Shepherd" – The chorus in this version by Stuart Townend invites trust whilst celebrating the ‘endless mercy and goodness that leads us

• A suggested playlist of songs from CH4 throughout Easter can be found on the Church of Scotland website.

Reflecting on our worship practice

Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, the way we worship has changed and we need to reflect on the changing or newly established patterns that emerged and continue to emerge as a result of the disruption.

We can facilitate worship for all by exploring imaginative approaches to inclusion, participation and our use of technologies in ways that suit our contexts. This is not an exhaustive list, but some things we could consider are:

• Framing various parts of the worship service in accessible language to help worshippers understand the character and purpose of each part. This is essential for creating worship for all (intergenerational worship) that reflects your community of faith.
• Holding spaces for reflection and encouraging prayer to be articulated in verbal and non-verbal ways, individually and in online breakout rooms.
• In online formats the effective use of the chat function and microphone settings encourages active participation in prayer, e.g. saying the Lord's Prayer together unmuted, in a moment of ‘holy chaos'.
• While singing in our congregations is still restricted, we can worship corporately by using antiphonal psalm readings, creeds and participative prayers.
• Using music and the arts as part of the worship encourages the use of imagination in place of sung or spoken words.
• Use of silence, sensory and kinaesthetic practices allow for experience and expression beyond regular audio and visual mediums.

The following questions might help you develop a habit of reflecting on how we create and deliver content and its effectiveness and impact, and then applying what we learn to develop our practice.

• How inclusive was the worship?
  Could the worship delivery and content be described as worship for all/ intergenerational?
  Was it sensitive to different "Spiritual Styles"?
• How was the balance between passive and active participation?
• How were people empowered to connect with or encounter God?
  What helped this?
  What hindered this?
• How cohesive was the worship?
  Did it function well as a whole?
  How effective was each of the individual elements in fulfilling its purpose?
• How balanced was the worship?
  What themes/topics/doctrines/areas of Christian life were included?
• How did the worship connect with your context/contemporary issues?
  Was it relevant in the everyday lives of those attending and in the wider parish/ community?
  How well did the worship connect with local and national issues?
  How well did the worship connect with world events/issues?
• What have I learned that can help me next time I plan and deliver worship?

Useful links

You can listen to samples of every song in the Church Hymnary 4th edition (CH4) and download a selection of recordings for use in worship in our online hymnary.

You are free to download, project, print and circulate multiple copies of any of this material for use in worship services, bible studies, parish magazines, etc., but reproduction for commercial purposes is not permitted.

Please note that the views expressed in these materials are those of the individual writer and not necessarily the official view of the Church of Scotland, which can be laid down only by the General Assembly.