Thomas the Apostle
Thomas is mentioned among the number of the Apostles in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke but it is in John’s gospel that his significance is revealed. Firstly, he is heard encouraging the other disciples to go to Judæa with Jesus; then, not knowing what Jesus meant when he talked about where he was to go elicited the answer that Jesus was himself the Way. But probably most famously he was the Apostle notably unconvinced by reports of the resurrection of Jesus, causing Jesus to show him the marks in his hands and feet and side. Thomas then proclaims the words that have been described as the great climax to John’s gospel by saying to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” EH
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/3zrpr54f
Bring your hand and feel the place of the nails,
and do not be unbelieving but believing, alleluia. John 20
Gracious God,
your goodness surpasses everything else.
Uphold us day after day,
and teach us night after night,
that we may follow in the path of life
and be filled with resurrection joy;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. BCW2018
Music: https://tinyurl.com/ycn4djk5
O Lord, open my lips.
And my mouth will declare your praise.
Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
make haste to help me, O Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to you, O Christ, Alleluia!
HYMN: Thomas H Troeger ©
Tune: Kedron https://tinyurl.com/9ka2nkc7
1 These things did Thomas count as real:
the warmth of blood, the chill of steel,
the grain of wood, the heft of stone,
the last frail twitch of blood and bone.
2 The vision of his skeptic mind
was keen enough to make him blind
to any unexpected act
too large for his small world of fact.
3 His reasoned certainties denied
that one could live when one had died,
until his fingers read like braille
the markings of the spear and nail.
4 May we, O God, by grace believe
and thus the risen Christ receive,
whose raw imprinted palms reached out
and beckoned Thomas from his doubt.
PSALMS
Psalm 15 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y88d98g2)
1 Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle *
or who shall rest upon thy holy hill?
2 Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life *
and doeth the thing which is right,
and speaketh the truth from his heart.
3 He that hath used no deceit in his tongue,
nor done evil to his neighbour *
and hath not slandered his neighbour.
4 He that setteth not by himself,
but is lowly in his own eyes *
and maketh much of them that fear the Lord.
5 He that sweareth unto his neighbour,
and disappointeth him not *
though it were to his own hindrance.
6 He that hath not given his money upon usury *
nor taken reward against the innocent.
7 Whoso doeth these things *
shall never fall.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 16 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ydhl4u74)
1 Preserve me, O God *
for in thee have I put my trust.
2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord *
Thou art my God, my goods are nothing unto thee.
3 All my delight is upon the saints, that are in the earth *
and upon such as excel in virtue.
4 But they that run after another god *
shall have great trouble.
5 Their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer *
neither make mention of their names within my lips.
6 The Lord himself is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup *
thou shalt maintain my lot.
7 The lot is fallen unto me in a fair ground *
yea, I have a goodly heritage.
8 I will thank the Lord for giving me warning *
my reins also chasten me in the night-season.
9 I have set God always before me *
for he is on my right hand, therefore I shall not fall.
10 Wherefore my heart was glad, and my glory rejoiced *
my flesh also shall rest in hope.
11 For why? thou shalt not leave my soul in hell *
neither shalt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.
12 Thou shalt shew me the path of life;
in thy presence is the fulness of joy *
and at thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 17 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yahr8qsc)
1 Hear the right, O Lord, consider my complaint *
and hearken unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence *
and let thine eyes look upon the thing that is equal.
3 Thou hast proved and visited mine heart in the night-season;
thou hast tried me, and shalt find no wickedness in me *
for I am utterly purposed that my mouth shall not offend.
4 Because of men’s works, that are done against the words of thy lips *
I have kept me from the ways of the destroyer.
5 O hold thou up my goings in thy paths *
that my footsteps slip not.
6 I have called upon thee, O God, for thou shalt hear me *
incline thine ear to me, and hearken unto my words.
7 Shew thy marvellous loving-kindness,
thou that art the Saviour of them which put their trust in thee *
from such as resist thy right hand.
8 Keep me as the apple of an eye *
hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
9 From the ungodly that trouble me *
mine enemies compass me round about to take away my soul.
10 They are inclosed in their own fat *
and their mouth speaketh proud things.
11 They lie waiting in our way on every side *
turning their eyes down to the ground;
12 Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey *
and as it were a lion’s whelp, lurking in secret places.
13 Up, Lord, disappoint him, and cast him down *
deliver my soul from the ungodly, which is a sword of thine;
14 From the men of thy hand, O Lord,
from the men, I say, and from the evil world *
which have their portion in this life,
whose bellies thou fillest with thy hid treasure.
15 They have children at their desire *
and leave the rest of their substance for their babes.
16 But as for me, I will behold thy presence in righteousness *
and when I awake up after thy likeness, I shall be satisfied with it.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 15 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-15-1.mp3)
1 LORD, who may dwell in your tabernacle? *
who may abide upon your holy hill?
2 Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right, *
who speaks the truth from his heart.
3 There is no guile upon his tongue;
he does no evil to his friend; *
he does not heap contempt upon his neighbor.
4 In his sight the wicked is rejected, *
but he honors those who fear the LORD.
5 He has sworn to do no wrong *
and does not take back his word.
6 He does not give his money in hope of gain, *
nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
7 Whoever does these things *
shall never be overthrown.
Psalm 16 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-16.mp3)
1 Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; *
I have said to the LORD, “You are my Lord,
my good above all other.”
2 All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, *
upon those who are noble among the people.
3 But those who run after other gods *
shall have their troubles multiplied.
4 Their libations of blood I will not offer, *
nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.
5 O LORD, you are my portion and my cup; *
it is you who uphold my lot.
6 My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; *
indeed, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the LORD who gives me counsel; *
my heart teaches me, night after night.
8 I have set the LORD always before me; *
because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.
9 My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; *
my body also shall rest in hope.
10 For you will not abandon me to the grave, *
nor let your holy one see the Pit.
11 You will show me the path of life; *
in your presence there is fullness of joy,
and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
Psalm 17 (Gregorian Tone 6, alt.)
1 O Lord, hear a cause that is just, *
pay heed to my cry.
Turn your ear to my prayer: *
no deceit is on my lips.
2 From you may my justice come forth. *
Your eyes discern what is upright.
3 Search my heart and visit me by night. *
Test me by fire, and you will find no wrong in me.
4 My mouth does not transgress as others do; †
on account of the words of your lips, *
I have avoided the paths of the violent.
5 I kept my steps firmly in your paths. *
My feet have never faltered.
6 To you I call; for you will surely heed me, O God. *
Turn your ear to me; hear my words.
7 Display your merciful love, †
you who will deliver from their foes *
those who trust in your right hand.
8 Guard me as the apple of your eye. †
Hide me in the shadow of your wings *
9 from the violent attack of the wicked.
My foes encircle me with deadly intent. *
10 Their hearts tight shut, their mouths speak proudly.
11 They advance against me, and now they surround me. *
Their eyes watch to strike me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion ready to claw, *
like some young lion crouched in hiding.
13 Arise, O LORD, confront them, strike them down! *
Let your sword deliver my soul from the wicked!
14 Let your hand, O LORD, deliver me *
from those whose portion in life is of this world.
What you have stored up for them fills their bellies †
may their offspring be sated with its plenty *
and let them leave what is left for their young.
15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness *
when I awake I shall be filled
with the vision of your presence.
PRAYER
O God our dwelling place,
in Christ you made your home among us.
Lead us in the paths of truth and integrity
until you bring us to your holy mountain
and we live forever in your presence;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. BCW2018
THE WORD OF GOD
The Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, make sure that you appear before Pharaoh and do all the amazing acts that I’ve given you the power to do. But I’ll make him stubborn so that he won’t let the people go. Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my oldest son. I said to you, “Let my son go so he could worship me.” But you refused to let him go. As a result, now I’m going to kill your oldest son.’”
During their journey, as they camped overnight, the Lord met Moses and tried to kill him. But Zipporah took a sharp-edged flint stone and cut off her son’s foreskin. Then she touched Moses’ genitals with it, and she said, “You are my bridegroom because of bloodshed.” So the Lord let him alone. At that time, she announced, “A bridegroom because of bloodshed by circumcision.”
The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the desert to meet Moses.” So he went, and Aaron met him at God’s mountain and greeted him with a kiss. Moses told Aaron what the Lord had said about his mission and all the signs that the Lord had told him to do. Then Moses and Aaron called together all the Israelite elders. Aaron told them everything that the Lord had told to Moses, and he performed the signs in front of the people. The people believed. When they heard that the Lord had paid attention to the Israelites and had seen their oppression, they bowed down and worshipped.
HYMN: Ruth C Duck ©
Tune: Festal Song https://tinyurl.com/2535nwzr
1 Arise, your light is come!
The Spirit’s call obey;
show forth the glory of your God,
which shines on you today.
2 Arise, your light is come!
Fling wide the prison door;
proclaim the captive’s liberty,
good tidings to the poor.
3 Arise, your light is come!
All you in sorrow born,
bind up the brokenhearted ones
and comfort those who mourn.
4 Arise your light is come!
The mountains burst in song!
Rise up like eagles on the wing;
God’s pow’r will make us strong.
One day, when we were on the way to the place for prayer, we met a slave woman. She had a spirit that enabled her to predict the future. She made a lot of money for her owners through fortune-telling. She began following Paul and us, shouting, “These people are servants of the Most High God! They are proclaiming a way of salvation to you!” She did this for many days.
This annoyed Paul so much that he finally turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to leave her!” It left her at that very moment.
Her owners realized that their hope for making money was gone. They grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the officials in the city center. When her owners approached the legal authorities, they said, “These people are causing an uproar in our city. They are Jews who promote customs that we Romans can’t accept or practice.” The crowd joined in the attacks against Paul and Silas, so the authorities ordered that they be stripped of their clothes and beaten with a rod. When Paul and Silas had been severely beaten, the authorities threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to secure them with great care. When he received these instructions, he threw them into the innermost cell and secured their feet in stocks.
Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. All at once there was such a violent earthquake that it shook the prison’s foundations. The doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose. When the jailer awoke and saw the open doors of the prison, he thought the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul shouted loudly, “Don’t harm yourself! We’re all here!”
The jailer called for some lights, rushed in, and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He led them outside and asked, “Honorable masters, what must I do to be rescued?”
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your entire household.” They spoke the Lord’s word to him and everyone else in his house. Right then, in the middle of the night, the jailer welcomed them and washed their wounds. He and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He brought them into his home and gave them a meal. He was overjoyed because he and everyone in his household had come to believe in God.
HYMN: Henry Alford
Tune: Dunlap’s Creek https://tinyurl.com/y8hxak72
1. We walk by faith, and not by sight;
no gracious words we hear from him
who spoke as none e’er spoke;
but we believe him near.
2. We may not touch his hands and side,
nor follow where he trod;
but in his promise we rejoice;
and cry, “My Lord and God!”
3. Help then, O Lord, our unbelief;
and may our faith abound,
to call on you when you are near,
and seek where you are found:
4. That, when our life of faith is done,
in realms of clearer light
we may behold you as you are,
with full and endless sight.
Thomas, the one called Didymus, one of the Twelve, wasn’t with the disciples when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We’ve seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my finger in the wounds left by the nails, and put my hand into his side, I won’t believe.”
After eight days his disciples were again in a house and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus entered and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand into my side. No more disbelief. Believe!”
Thomas responded to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus replied, “Do you believe because you see me? Happy are those who don’t see and yet believe.”
CANTICLE Te Deum
(Chant by Joe Cox: https://tinyurl.com/y6ud7vva)
We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud,
the Heavens and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the apostles praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee.
The noble army of martyrs praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee,
the Father, of an infinite majesty,
thine adorable, true, and only Son,
also the Holy Ghost the Comforter.
Thou art the King of glory, O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man,
thou didst humble thyself to be born of a Virgin.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death,
thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants,
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy saints,
in glory everlasting.
THE PRAYERS LCA
Lord our Father, as Jesus entered the locked room to show his disciples the beginning of a new world, so enter our hearts and move us to faith in Jesus as the Risen One. Convince us of the reality and significance of the resurrection, and free us from all manner of fears and phobias. Give us courage in the face of death, knowing that this is the gateway to new resurrected life for those who trust in Christ.
Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayer.
Be with your church throughout the world so that its preaching and works of love may continue to testify to our Lord’s resurrection. Wherever your church is faithless and lacking in courage to do the work that Jesus has given, visit it and build it up with your Spirit. Be with all our pastors so that they may listen well and then speak with Christ’s authority.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.
Bring peace to all parts of the earth. Wherever nations are at war and people are divided, visit and bring true reconciliation. Protect all people in these nations, and help them to influence their country for the good of all.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.
Wherever homes are disrupted by anger and bitterness, and wherever relationships are distorted and dulled, visit and bring peace and harmony. Wherever young people are gathered in your name, visit and guide them with your holy word and wisdom.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.
Visit and comfort the sick and suffering too, dear Lord. Heal and strengthen weak bodies, calm and correct confused minds. We pray for those we know with particular needs including (insert names). Support them all with your great love and mercy, and be with those others known to us and whom we now name in our hearts…
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, we present these prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is risen from the dead, and who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
(Plainsong Mode 2: https://tinyurl.com/yctqq8cf)DL
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today the bread of life;
and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Loving God,
you call us to do justice and love kindness:
we thank you for the witness of Washington Gladden;
and we pray that, following his example of faithfulness to the Gospel,
we may be ever mindful of the suffering of those who are poor
and work diligently for the reform of our communities;
through Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen. HWHM
Music: https://tinyurl.com/y9efvwm5
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen. 2 Cor. 13:14
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BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
DL © Daniel Lawson; used with permission.
1 Excerpt from https://www.first-church.org/WashingtonGladden.aspx
HWHM Holy Women, Holy Men © 2010 The Church Pension Fund.
BCW2018 Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 2018
LCA from the Lutheran Church of Australia’s LCA Worship Planning Page.
The main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.
The traditional-language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language versions of Psalm 15 and 16 are from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and are sung by Ryland Angel. Psalm 17 is from The Abbey Psalms and is from the Chants & Rants YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@chantsandrants
Musical links are usually either to artists’ albums posted on Spotify or to recordings made available at smallchurchmusic.com. Audio stripped from YouTube videos is footnoted accordingly above.
Compilation © 2025 Stephen T. Benner. All links worked at the time they were created, but I cannot accept responsibility for their content or any damage resulting from their use. The linked content is under the control of the respective content creators and is subject to change at any time. Any copyright texts included in this compilation are provided for non-commercial purposes related to study or worship. Please contact the respective copyright holders for permission to use the texts in other contexts.
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