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Online every Tuesday at 8 pm
30 June 2020
Music
Preparation
Reading: OT
Poem from John Donohue
Reading NT
Matthew 8.23-27
Silence
Music
Gospel Canticle
Prayers
The Lord’s Prayer
The Conclusion
Music
23 June 2020
Music
Preparation
Reading: OT/Poem
Music
Reading NT
Silence
Music
Latin text | English translation | |
Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est. Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor. Exsultemus, et in ipso jucundemur. Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum. Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero. Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est. Simul ergo cum in unum congregamur: Ne nos mente dividamur, caveamus. Cessent iurgia maligna, cessent lites. Et in medio nostri sit Christus Deus. Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est. Simul quoque cum beatis videamus, Glorianter vultum tuum, Christe Deus: Gaudium quod est immensum, atque probum, Saecula per infinita saeculorum. Amen. | Where charity and love are, there God is. The love of Christ has gathered us into one. Let us exult, and in Him be joyful. Let us fear and let us love the living God. And from a sincere heart let us love each other (and Him). Where charity and love are, there God is. Therefore, whensoever we are gathered as one: Lest we in mind be divided, let us beware. Let cease malicious quarrels, let strife give way. And in the midst of us be Christ our God. Where charity and love are, there God is. Together also with the blessed may we see, Gloriously, Thy countenance, O Christ our God: A joy which is immense, and also approved: Through infinite ages of ages. Amen. |
Gospel Canticle
Prayers
Collect
The Lord’s Prayer
The Conclusion
Music
16 June 2020
Music
Venite Adoremus: Come, let us worship, let us worship God Almighty.
You O God are our Saviour and Lord, in our stumbling be our shield. In our tiredness be our rest, in our darkness be our Light.
Preparation
The Lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.
All Amen.
Our help is in the name of the Lord
All who made heaven and earth.
A period of silence for reflection on the past day may follow.
The following or other suitable words of penitence may be used
All Most merciful God,
we confess to you,
before the whole company of heaven and one another,
that we have sinned in thought, word and deed
and in what we have failed to do.
Forgive us our sins,
heal us by your Spirit
and raise us to new life in Christ. Amen.
O God, make speed to save us.
All O Lord, make haste to help us.
All Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Alleluia.
Music
Nader: My God By U
Psalm 33
1 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, •
for it is good for the just to sing praises.
2 Praise the Lord with the lyre; •
on the ten-stringed harp sing his praise.
3 Sing for him a new song; •
play skilfully, with shouts of praise.
4 For the word of the Lord is true •
and all his works are sure.
5 He loves righteousness and justice; •
the earth is full of the loving-kindness of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made •
and all their host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers up the waters of the sea as in a waterskin •
and lays up the deep in his treasury.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; •
stand in awe of him, all who dwell in the world.
9 For he spoke, and it was done; •
he commanded, and it stood fast.
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to naught; •
he frustrates the designs of the peoples.
11 But the counsel of the Lord shall endure for ever •
and the designs of his heart from generation to generation.
12 Happy the nation whose God is the Lord •
and the people he has chosen for his own.
13 The Lord looks down from heaven •
and beholds all the children of earth.
14 From where he sits enthroned he turns his gaze •
on all who dwell on the earth.
15 He fashions all the hearts of them •
and understands all their works.
16 No king is saved by the might of his host; •
no warrior delivered by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; •
for all its strength it cannot save.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord
is upon those who fear him, •
on those who wait in hope for his steadfast love,
19 To deliver their soul from death •
and to feed them in time of famine.
20 Our soul waits longingly for the Lord; •
he is our help and our shield.
21 Indeed, our heart rejoices in him; •
in his holy name have we put our trust.
22 Let your loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, •
as we have set our hope on you.
All Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Scripture Reading
Matthew 5.43-end
‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Silence
Music
Due Tramonti : Einaudi
The following responsory may be said
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
All Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
For you have redeemed me, Lord God of truth.
All I commend my spirit.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
All Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Gospel Canticle
The Nunc dimittis (The Song of Simeon) is said or sung
All Save us, O Lord, while waking,
and guard us while sleeping,
that awake we may watch with Christ
and asleep may rest in peace.
1 Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace: ♦
your word has been fulfilled.
2 My own eyes have seen the salvation ♦
which you have prepared in the sight of every people;
3 A light to reveal you to the nations ♦
and the glory of your people Israel.
Luke 2.29-32
All Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
All Save us, O Lord, while waking,
and guard us while sleeping,
that awake we may watch with Christ
and asleep may rest in peace.
Prayers
Today in the Church we celebrate the life of Richard, Bishop of Chichester in the 13th century.
Richard was an excellent model of a diocesan bishop, accessible, generous and yet fair in his dealings with those in need of correction.
Richard’s prayer has remained in wide use in the centuries since his death:
Thanks be to Thee,
My Lord Jesus Christ
for all the benefits thou hast given me,
for all the pains and insults which thou hast borne for me.
O most merciful redeemer,
friend and brother,
may I know thee more dearly
and follow thee more nearly
day by day.
Richard Bishop of Chichester
The Collect
Silence may be kept.
Visit this place, O Lord, we pray,
and drive far from it the snares of the enemy;
may your holy angels dwell with us and guard us in peace,
and may your blessing be always upon us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All Amen.
May the Spirit pour upon you as you sleep,
work in you as you dream, take the frowning from your brows, and wake you up refreshed.
The Lord’s Prayer may be said.
The Conclusion
In peace we will lie down and sleep;
All for you alone, Lord, make us dwell in safety.
Abide with us, Lord Jesus,
All for the night is at hand and the day is now past.
As the night watch looks for the morning,
All so do we look for you, O Christ.
The Lord bless us and watch over us;
the Lord make his face shine upon us and be gracious to us;
the Lord look kindly on us and give us peace.
All Amen.
Music
I will lay me down in peace and sleep
Music
Welcome
On Sunday, it was Trinity Sunday, celebrating God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Creator, Redeemer and Guide.
The nature of the Trinity is such that we find it so difficult to articulate,
but the trisagion prayer is really resonant.
Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.
Preparation
The Lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.
All Amen.
Our help is in the name of the Lord
All who made heaven and earth.
A period of silence for reflection on the past day may follow.
The following or other suitable words of penitence may be used
All Most merciful God,
we confess to you,
before the whole company of heaven and one another,
that we have sinned in thought, word and deed
and in what we have failed to do.
Forgive us our sins,
heal us by your Spirit
and raise us to new life in Christ. Amen.
O God, make speed to save us.
All O Lord, make haste to help us.
Silence
All Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Alleluia.
OT Reading
Isaiah 40
The Lord Has No Equal
12 Who else has held the oceans in his hand?
Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers?
Who else knows the weight of the earth
or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?
13 Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord?
Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?
14 Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice?
Does he need instruction about what is good?
Did someone teach him what is right
or show him the path of justice?
15 No, for all the nations of the world
are but a drop in the bucket.
They are nothing more
than dust on the scales.
He picks up the whole earth
as though it were a grain of sand.
16 All the wood in Lebanon’s forests
and all Lebanon’s animals would not be enough
to make a burnt offering worthy of our God.
17 The nations of the world are worth nothing to him.
In his eyes they count for less than nothing—
mere emptiness and froth.
18 To whom can you compare God?
What image can you find to resemble him?
19 Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold,
overlaid with gold, and decorated with silver chains?
20 Or if people are too poor for that,
they might at least choose wood that won’t decay
and a skilled craftsman
to carve an image that won’t fall down!
21 Haven’t you heard? Don’t you understand?
Are you deaf to the words of God—
the words he gave before the world began?
Are you so ignorant?
22 God sits above the circle of the earth.
The people below seem like grasshoppers to him!
He spreads out the heavens like a curtain
and makes his tent from them.
23 He judges the great people of the world
and brings them all to nothing.
24 They hardly get started, barely taking root,
when he blows on them and they wither.
The wind carries them off like chaff.
25 “To whom will you compare me?
Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.
26 Look up into the heavens.
Who created all the stars?
He brings them out like an army, one after another,
calling each by its name.
Because of his great power and incomparable strength,
not a single one is missing.
27 O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?
O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?
28 Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
29 He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
30 Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
Today the church celebrates the life of St Columba, the Irish monk who founded Iona, and he writes of God the creator:
At once, when the stars were made, lights of the firmament,
the angels praised for His wonderful creating
the Lord of this immense mass, the craftsman of the Heavens.
With a praiseworthy proclamation, fitting and unchanging,
in excellent symphony they gave thanks to the Lord
not out of any endowment of nature, but out of love and choice.
All Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Music
Come Down O Love Divine
Scripture Reading
In Jesus’ long conversations with his disciples before he went to Jerusalem and the cross, he talks of the way that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are.
John 14
15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
Music
If ye love meThomas Tallis
The following responsory may be said
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
All Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
For you have redeemed me, Lord God of truth.
All I commend my spirit.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
All Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Gospel Canticle
The Nunc dimittis (The Song of Simeon) is said or sung
All Save us, O Lord, while waking,
and guard us while sleeping,
that awake we may watch with Christ
and asleep may rest in peace.
1 Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace: ♦
your word has been fulfilled.
2 My own eyes have seen the salvation ♦
which you have prepared in the sight of every people;
3 A light to reveal you to the nations ♦
and the glory of your people Israel.
Luke 2.29-32
All Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
All Save us, O Lord, while waking,
and guard us while sleeping,
that awake we may watch with Christ
and asleep may rest in peace.
Prayers
Intercessions and thanksgivings may be offered here.
Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.
The Collect
Almighty God,
who filled the heart of Columba
with the joy of the Holy Spirit
and with deep love for those in his care:
may your pilgrim people follow him,
strong in faith, sustained by hope,
and one in the love that binds us to you;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Silence may be kept.
Columba’s prayer was for three gifts:
purity, wisdom and prophecy
The gift of the soul is prophecy, he says, we may not have asked for such a gift and yet it is one that we all need at all times, none more than now:
for it enlarges our vision, that we may see.
enlarge our vision O God, that we may see.
Silence
Visit this place, O Lord, we pray,
and drive far from it the snares of the enemy;
may your holy angels dwell with us and guard us in peace,
and may your blessing be always upon us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer may be said.
The Conclusion
In peace we will lie down and sleep;
All for you alone, Lord, make us dwell in safety.
Abide with us, Lord Jesus,
All for the night is at hand and the day is now past.
As the night watch looks for the morning,
All so do we look for you, O Christ.
[Come with the dawning of the day
All and make yourself known in the breaking of the bread.]
The Lord bless us and watch over us;
the Lord make his face shine upon us and be gracious to us;
the Lord look kindly on us and give us peace.
All Amen.
Music
Welcome
Preparation
The Word of God
Psalm 143
Scripture Reading
They asked the abbot Macarius, saying, “How ought we to pray?” and the old man said, “There is no need of much speaking in prayer, but often stretch out your hands and say, ‘Lord, as Thou Will and as Thou knowest, have mercy upon me.’ But if there is war in your soul, add, ‘Help me.’ And because He knows what we need, He shows us His mercy.”
Gospel Canticle
Prayers
The Collect
Collect
but with others to support me
I will stand my ground.
I do not see the way
but with others to walk it with me
I can make a path.
I do not possess the truth
but with others to witness to what they know
I will be able to discern what is right.
I cannot master all the skills
but with others who will lend their accomplishments
I can do enough.
I cannot carry every burden
but with others to share it
I may bear my own load.
I cannot meet all the needs
but with others to nourish and replenish me
I will be able to give enough.
I am not invincible
but with others to reach out a hand
I may learn from my mistakes and start again.
The Conclusion
and in our souls take up Thy rest;
come with Thy grace and heavenly aid
to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.
O heavenly gift of God Most High,
O fount of life and fire of love,
and sweet anointing from above.
Thou, finger of God's hand we own;
Thou, promise of the Father,
Thou Who dost the tongue with power imbue.
and make our hearts o'erflow with love;
with patience firm and virtue high
the weakness of our flesh supply.
and grant us Thy peace instead;
so shall we not, with Thee for guide,
turn from the path of life aside.
the Father and the Son to know;
and Thee, through endless times confessed,
of both the eternal Spirit blest.
Who rose from death, be glory given,
with Thou, O Holy Comforter,
henceforth by all in earth and heaven. Amen.
Psalm 91
Psalm 134
The Collect:
The Lord’s Prayer Traditional Form
on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
And lead us not into temptation,
The Conclusion
Intro
Reading 1
1 John 3.1-10
Music
Psalm
How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!
my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
Silence
Reading 2
Music
Prayers
Saviour, bless us and redeem us.
Song of Simeon
Blessing:
Music and leaving
Intro
In our Christian calendar we are approaching Ascension Day.
For several weeks after the Resurrection, Jesus has come in and out of the disciples' lives, giving them reassurance, restoration, teaching, and breakfast!
Reading 1
John 16:7
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth:
it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate
will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
The Holy Spirit to go amongst us, at home, on our gardens, in our walks, in our meetings with friends, colleagues and neighbours.
Silence
Psalm
84
How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns,
even faints, for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young – a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of
Baka, they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.
Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob.
Look on our shield, O God; look with favour on your anointed one.
Better is one day in your courts than
a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents
of the wicked.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favour and honour; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.
We miss our own parish church, the quiet homeliness of it, the ancient stones and beautiful glass, we give thanks to God for its beauty, serenity and its memories that speak to us, of those who have gone before us, and those around us and those new joining us.
Silence
Music
Be still my soul
So this week I was particularly struck by an email from someone in our parishes who said how thankful she was for home at this time, for a place of love and quietness, for contentment.
Reading 2
Psalm 128
1 Blessed are all those who fear the Lord, •
and walk in his ways.
2 You shall eat the fruit of the toil of your hands; •
it shall go well with you, and happy shall you be.
3 Your wife within your house
shall be like a fruitful vine; •
your children round your table,
like fresh olive branches.
4 Thus shall the one be blest •
who fears the Lord.
5 The Lord from out of Zion bless you, •
that you may see Jerusalem in prosperity
all the days of your life.
6 May you see your children’s children, •
and may there be peace upon Israel.
- the contentment of domesticity.
Music
Find rest my soul
Prayers
Song of Simeon
Save us, Lord, while we are awake, protect us while we sleep, that we may keep watch with Christ and rest with him in peace. Amen.
At last all-powerful Master, you give leave to your servant to go in peace, according to your promise. For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared for all nations, a light to enlighten the Gentiles and give glory to your people, Israel.
Save us, Lord, while we are awake, protect us while we sleep, that we may keep watch with Christ and rest with him in peace. Amen.
Blessing:
May God grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. Amen.
Music
The Ground: Ola Gjeilo.
A candle is lit.
Lighten our darkness, Creator, Redeemer and Friend.
I’m thinking about distance tonight.
We have had to think a lot about this business of near and far and how near and how far, in recent weeks.
I was listening to Simon Armitage, our Poet Laureate this week and he has two very different poems on distance and I want to include them tonight.
Many of the Psalms deal with distance. feeling the distance of God is a common human experience, and was even the experience of the man that God called his friend, King David.
Psalm 13
1 O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?
How long will you look the other way?
2 How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
with sorrow in my heart every day?
How long will my enemy have the upper hand?
3 Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!
Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.
4 Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”
Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love.
I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
6 I will sing to the Lord
because he is good to me.
Silence
Poem :
All Right? Simon Armitage
Music
and from an album by
Sara Groves: called
All Right Here : You Cannot Lose My Love
Psalm
84
How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns,
even faints, for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young – a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of
Baka, they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.
Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob.
Look on our shield, O God; look with favour on your anointed one.
Better is one day in your courts than
a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents
of the wicked.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favour and honour; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.
Silence
Poem:
Dear London: Simon Armitage
God doesn’t, like an unwelcome lover, sit on our shoulder, directing our every move.
God is the great respecter of persons, calling us, but allowing us to answer. Loving us but letting us demonstrate our willingness to be loved.
Psalm 91
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”
Music
Jesu, Joy of man’s desiring: Chloe Agnew
Prayers:
Great God of closeness and distance,
give us faith to see you when you are not visible,
let us trust in your unfailing love
We pray this night
for those now safe within their walls,
for those who watch and those who wake, for all who work and all who
sleep,
for your name’s sake.
Bless, Christ, this night
our friends, our thoughts, our memories,
our neighbours near and far,
in fear, in peace, in rest and hope.
We recall our neighbours here
those who will wake to work, to pressure, who may have power to change lives
near and far away and those with power to care for lives near and far away.
We pray for all who live in tense
homes who strive for reconciliation amid demands and expectations;
who pay a price in drink, drugs, Internet or finance.
We pray for their children.
We pray for those who sleep without a
roof, for refugee and stranger, for those who support and those who turn away,
for those who seek new paths through life,
for those who know loneliness, loss, and languishing,
We pray, good Lord that here this
night there may be peace
and the sleep of restfulness,
that we may wake refreshed
and explore again the gift of life in its fullness.
We say:
Spirit of the living God, present with us now, enter into us, body, mind and spirit, and heal us of all that harms us, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
Song of Simeon:
Save us, Lord, while we are awake, protect us while we sleep, that we may keep watch with Christ and rest with him in peace. Amen.
At last all-powerful Master, you give leave to your servant to go in peace, according to your promise. For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared for all nations, a light to enlighten the Gentiles and give glory to your people, Israel.
Save us, Lord, while we are awake, protect us while we sleep, that we may keep watch with Christ and rest with him in peace. Amen.
Blessing:
May God grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. Amen.
Music and leaving
The Ground: Ola Gjeilo
5 May 2020
Intro music
from Jacob and Luke Fitzgerald: Fauré: Après un Rêve
A candle is lit. (do light one in your own space)
Lighten our darkness, Creator, Redeemer and Friend.
Opening poem
For those who are exhausted: A Blessing
John Donohue
Music
In beauty may I walk - Voces 8
NT Reading
John 10:24-30
The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
Silence
Psalm
84How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young – a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.
Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob.
Look on our shield, O God; look with favour on your anointed one.
Better is one day in your courts than a
thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents
of the wicked.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favour and honour; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.
Silence
Music
NT Reading
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
Music
Shackleton's cross - Howard Goodall
Prayers:
Song of Simeon:
Save us, Lord, while we are awake, protect us while we sleep, that we may keep watch with Christ and rest with him in peace. Amen.
At last all-powerful Master, you give leave to your servant to go in peace, according to your promise. For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared for all nations, a light to enlighten the Gentiles and give glory to your people, Israel.
Save us, Lord, while we are awake, protect us while we sleep, that we may keep watch with Christ and rest with him in peace. Amen.
Blessing:
May God grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. Amen.
Music and leaving
UK Blessing