Greeting
Praise God! For the Lord our God the almighty reigns!
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him the glory.
Happy are those who have been invited
to the wedding-feast of the Lamb.
Amen. Praise the Lord!
Hymn For all thy saints O Lord 461 Carlisle
God shows his love for us
in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Let us then show our love for him
by confessing our sins in penitence and faith.
Come, let us return to the Lord and say:
Lord our God,
in our sin we have avoided your call.
Our love for you is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that goes away early.
Have mercy on us;
deliver us from judgement;
bind up our wounds and revive us;
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May the God of love
bring us back to himself,
forgive us our sins,
and assure us of his eternal love
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
God of love, you give us St. Valentine as an example of love. As we gather to celebrate the feast of this loving and caring saint we ask you to bless our friendships. May the love and affection we share with each other, always come from a sense of care and respect. May we always follow the example of your Son, Jesus Christ, who is Lord forever and ever. Amen.
A reading from the book of the Prophet Hosea
‘Come, let us return to the Lord;
for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us;
he has struck down, and he will bind us up.
After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord;
his appearing is as sure as the dawn;
he will come to us like the showers,
like the spring rains that water the earth.’
What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that goes away early.
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt-offerings.
Thanks be to God.
Hosea 6.1-6
Psalm 85
1 Lord, you were gracious to your land; ♦︎
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the offence of your people ♦︎
and covered all their sins.
3 You laid aside all your fury ♦︎
and turned from your wrathful indignation.
4 Restore us again, O God our Saviour, ♦︎
and let your anger cease from us.
5 Will you be displeased with us for ever? ♦︎
Will you stretch out your wrath from one generation to another?
6 Will you not give us life again, ♦︎
that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your mercy, O Lord, ♦︎
and grant us your salvation.
8 I will listen to what the Lord God will say, ♦︎
for he shall speak peace to his people and to the faithful,
that they turn not again to folly.
9 Truly, his salvation is near to those who fear him, ♦︎
that his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth are met together, ♦︎
righteousness and peace have kissed each other;
11 Truth shall spring up from the earth ♦︎
and righteousness look down from heaven.
12 The Lord will indeed give all that is good, ♦︎
and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness shall go before him ♦︎
and direct his steps in the way.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
A reading from the first Epistle of St John
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Saviour of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgement, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, ‘I love God’, and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
1 John 4. 7-21
Hymn 636 May the mind of Christ my Saviour Stockton
Hear the Gospel of our Saviour Christ, according to St John.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
John 15.1-17
Let us declare our faith in God.
We believe in God the Father,
from whom every family
in heaven and on earth is named.
We believe in God the Son,
who lives in our hearts through faith,
and fills us with his love.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
who strengthens us
with power from on high.
We believe in one God;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Hymn 20 The King of love my shepherd is Dominus regit me
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
We pray for the family of the Church,
for loving relationships,
and for the life of families around us.
Jesus, Lord of love,
in your mercy, hear us.
Jesus, born in poverty and soon a refugee,
be with families today who are poor
and live in hunger and want …
Jesus, Lord of love,
in your mercy, hear us.
Jesus, as you grew in wisdom and in favour with
God and the people
in the family of Joseph the carpenter,
bring wisdom and the presence of God
into the work and growth of families today …
Jesus, Lord of love,
in your mercy, hear us.
Jesus, as you blessed marriage in the wedding at Cana,
be with those preparing for marriage
and with those who come to the end of
their resources …
Jesus, Lord of love,
in your mercy, hear us.
Jesus, as you healed Peter’s mother-in-law,
bring healing to those in our families who are ill today …
Jesus, Lord of love,
in your mercy, hear us.
Jesus, when you were dying you called Mary and John to
care for one another.
Provide today for those who lose their families:
the bereaved and childless, orphans and widows …
Jesus, Lord of love,
in your mercy, hear us.
Jesus, as you ate breakfast on the beach with
your disciples
after you were raised from the dead,
bring the whole Church on earth and in heaven
into your risen presence to eat at the eternal banquet.
Jesus, Lord of love,
in your mercy, hear us,
accept our prayers
and be with us always.
Amen.
Lord, remember us in your kingdom,
as we pray in the words you gave 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.
To crown all things there must be love,
to bind all together and complete the whole.
Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts.
Concluding Prayer
Eternal God, we offer our thanks that through our earthly lives
you speak of your eternal life.
We rejoice in the wonder of creation,
the gift of human life
and the many blessings that our relationships bring.
Renew in us the fruits of your Holy Spirit;
that love, joy and peace may abound in our homes,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Heavenly Father,
we offer you our souls and bodies,
our thoughts and words and deeds,
our love for one another.
Unite our wills in your will,
that we may grow together
in love and peace
all the days of our life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
God the Holy Trinity
make you strong in faith and love,
defend you on every side,
and guide you in truth and peace;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.
Hymn 634 Blaenwern
