Welcome
The light and peace of Jesus Christ be with you.
And also with you.
God in Christ has revealed his glory.
Come let us worship.
Give him praise, you servants of the Lord.
O praise the name of the Lord.
Hymn 595 Tune Creator God
Safe in the Shadow of the Lord, Beneath His hand and power,
I trust in Him, I trust in Him, My fortress and my tower.
My hope is set on God alone, Though Satan spreads his snare,
I trust in Him, I trust in Him, To keep me in His care.
From fears and phantoms of the night, From foes about my way,
I trust in Him, I trust in Him, By darkness as by day.
His holy angels keep my feet Secure from every stone,
I trust in Him, I trust in Him, And unafraid go on.
Strong in the Everlasting Name, And in my Father’s care,
I trust in Him, I trust in Him, Who hears and answers prayer.
Safe in the Shadow of the Lord, Possessed by love divine,
I trust in Him, I trust in Him, And meet His love with mine.
Introductory prayer
Faithful one, whose word is life: come with saving power to free our praise, inspire our prayer and shape our lives for the kingdom of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Invitation
Jesus said, Before you offer your gift, go and be reconciled. As members of God’s family, we come together to ask our Father for forgiveness.
Confession
God our Father, full of grace and truth, you create us from nothing and give us life. You give your faithful people new life in the water of baptism. You do not turn your face from us, nor cast us aside. We confess that we have sinned against you and our neighbour. We have wounded your love and marred your image in us. Restore us for the sake of your Son, and bring us to your heavenly joy, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Forgiveness
May God, who loved the world so much, that he sent his Son to be our Saviour, forgive us our sins and make us holy to serve him in the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Collect
God our redeemer, you have delivered us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of your Son: Grant, that as by his death he has recalled us to life, so by his continual presence in us he may raise us to eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshipper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.’ And she prevailed upon us.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God. Acts 16: 9-15
Psalm, Deus misereatur (67)
1 God be merciful unto | us and | bless us; „
and shew us the light of his countenance, and be | merci·ful | unto | us
2 That thy way may be | known up·on | earth, „
thy saving | health a·mong | all | nations.
3 Let the people | praise thee · O | God, „
yea, let | all the | people | praise thee.
4 O let the nations re|joice · and be | glad; „
for thou shalt judge the folk righteously,
and govern the | nations up·on | earth.
5 Let the people | praise thee · O | God, „
yea, let | all the | people | praise thee.
6 Then shall the earth bring | forth her | increase, „
and God, even our own God, shall | give us | his | blessing.
†7 God | shall | bless us; „
and all the | ends · of the | world shall | fear him
Glory | be · to the | Father, „
and to the Son, | and · to the | Holy | Spirit;
as it | was in · the be|ginning, „
is now and ever shall be, | world with·out | end. A|men.
A reading from the Revelation to St John the Divine.
And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.
I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honour of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practises abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign for ever and ever.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Revelation 21: 10, 22 – 22: 5
Hymn 525 Tune let there be love
Let there be love shared among us, Let there be love in our eyes,
May now Your love sweep this nation, Cause us O Lord to arise;
Give us a fresh understanding of brotherly love that is real,
Let there be love shared among us, Let there be love
Let there be joy shared among us, Let there be joy in our eyes
May now Your joy sweep this nation, Cause us O Lord to arise;
Give us a fresh understanding of brotherly love that is real,
Let there be joy shared among us, Let there be joy.
Hear the Gospel of our Saviour Christ, according to St John.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.
‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.” If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.
This is the Gospel of the Lord. John 14: 23-29
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Statement of Faith
Let us declare our faith in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; he was buried; he was raised to life on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; afterwards he appeared to his followers, and to all the apostles: this we have received and this we believe. Amen.
Hymn 585 Tune Quem pastores
Jesus, good above all other, Gentle child of gentle mother,
In a stable born our brother, Give us grace to persevere.
Jesus, cradled in a manger, For us facing every danger,
Living as a homeless stranger, Make we thee our King most dear.
Jesus, for Thy people dying, Risen Master, death defying,
Lord in Heaven, thy grace supplying, Keep us to thy presence near.
Lord, in all our doings guide us; Pride and hate shall ne’er divide us;
We’ll go on with thee beside us, And with joy we’ll persevere!
Prayers of the People
Heavenly Father,
hear the prayer of the Church for its work and worship, as we look for the coming of the Kingdom. Keep all Christian people faithful in prayer, trusting that as we ask so we shall receive.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.
We pray that the will of God shall be done through all the world, until its people are made one in him. We pray for a new spirit among nations, that disputes shall be ended, differences reconciled and debts forgiven.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.
Come in blessing to us, to our families, friends and neighbours, and give us what we need day by day. Give grace to all in our community, to share generously the good things we are given with those who have little or nothing.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.
Bring hope and healing to all people and communities devastated by disease and hunger, violence and strife. We pray for the advancement of medical science and the preservation of human life.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.
Receive in mercy the souls of the departed and forgive the sins of their lives on earth. Grant them peace and joy for ever in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.
Looking for the coming of the kingdom among us, let us pray in the words that Jesus taught us
Our Father, who art in heaven:
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory
for ever and ever. Amen.
Hymn 503 Tune St Francis
Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is hatred let me bring your love
Where there is injury, your pardon Lord
And where there is doubt true faith in You.
O Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul
Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is despair in life let me bring hope
Where there is darkness only light
And where there’s sadness ever joy.
O Master grant that I may never seek….
Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
It is in giving to all men that we receive
And in dying that we are born to eternal life.
A prayer for our Parish
Heavenly Father, may your kingdom be increased by all we do in this our parish. Encourage us to share the good news of your Son with family, friend and stranger. Teach us to live according to your will and send your Holy and life-giving Spirit into our hearts, and the hearts of all people. This we ask through your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Acclamation
We go into the world to walk in God’s light,
to rejoice in God’s love and to reflect God’s glory.
Praise to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be with you and remain with you always. Amen.
