It’s the Third Sunday of Easter – 18 April 2021.
This is the time in the Christian calendar when the main scriptural readings all come from Acts (of the Apostles – i.e. the actions of the followers of Jesus in the immediate aftermath of his death and resurrection).
Ths week it’s Acts 3:12-19. The other Lectionary readings for this week are: Psalm 4;
1 John 3:1-7; and Luke 24:36b-48.
With the resumption of face-to-face services at St James from 04 April 2021, we are in a period of ‘hybrid’ services with an in-person element and a video/remote element via this website. For the video service, which you will find below, we post the main reading from Acts, the service of readings, prayers and the sermon (led by Rev. Geoff McKee), and a Musical Selection from our director of music, Katherine Robertson.
The main reading from Acts.
Acts 3:12-19 (New International Version)
12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
17 “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.