Choral Eucharist with Holy Baptism on 27th September will be livestreamed and available online at Holy Trinity’s YouTube site from 10.55am on Sunday at https://www.youtube.com/live/1-S0I91O8Oc
PRELUDE: Improvisation on 'Adoro te devote'
WELCOME
Grace and peace to you from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
OPENING HYMN NEH 480 In Christ there is no east or west (Tune NEH 15 'St Stephen')
1 IN Christ there is no East or west,
In him no South or North,
But one great fellowship of love
Throughout the whole wide earth.
2 Join hands, then, brothers of the faith,
Whate'er your race may be;
Who serves my Father as a son
Is surely kin to me.
3 In Christ now meet both East and West,
In him meet South and North,
All Christlike souls are one in him,
Throughout the whole wide earth.
APPROACH TO GOD
I will go to the altar of God;
to the God of my joy and gladness.
My help is in the name of the Lord
Who made heaven and earth.
Turn us, O God and Saviour;
that your people may rejoice in you.
O Lord, show us your mercy;
and grant us your salvation.
Lord, hear our prayer;
give ear to our cry.
COLLECT FOR PURITY
We say together:
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy Name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
God is love and we are God’s children.
There is no room for fear in love.
We love because God loved us first.
Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith.
Silence
God our Father, we confess to you
and to our fellow members in the Body of Christ
that we have sinned in thought, word and deed,
and in what we have failed to do.
We are truly sorry.
Forgive us our sins,
and deliver us from the power of evil,
for the sake of your Son who died for us,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
KYRIE ELEISON
Lord, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy,
Christ, have mercy,
Christ, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy.
THE ABSOLUTION
God, who is both power and love,
forgive us and free us from our sins,
heal and strengthen us by your Spirit,
and raise us to new life in Christ our Lord.
Amen.
GLORIA IN EXCELSIS
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
Almighty God and Father,
We worship you, We give you thanks,
We praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
COLLECT:
Eternal God, you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order the ministries of angels and mortals. Grant that as your holy angels stand before you in heaven, so at your command that may help and defend us here on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
FIRST READING (Genesis 28: 10-17)
A reading from the Book of Genesis
Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
And the Lord stood beside him and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!"
At the end:
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
GRADUAL HYMN NEH 341 Blest are the pure in heart (Franconia)
Blest are the pure in heart,
For they shall see our God,
The secret of the Lord is theirs,
Their soul is Christ's abode.
The Lord, who left the heavens
Our life and peace to bring,
To dwell in lowliness with men,
Their pattern and their King;
Still to the lowly soul
He doth himself impart,
And for his dwelling and his throne
Chooseth the pure in heart.
Lord, we thy presence seek;
May ours this blessing be;
Give us a pure and lowly heart,
A temple meet for thee.
GOSPEL (John 1: 47-end)
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John
When the Gospel is announced:
Glory to Christ our Saviour.
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!"
Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you."
Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"
Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these."
And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."
At the end:
Give thanks to the Lord for his glorious Gospel
Praise to Christ our Lord.
SERMON
HYMN NEH NEH 237 Morning has broken (Bunessan)
During the Baptismal Hymn the candidates for baptism gather around the font.
1 Morning has broken
like the first morning,
blackbird has spoken
like the first bird.
Praise for the singing!
Praise for the morning!
Praise for them, springing
fresh from the Word!
2 Sweet the rain’s new fall
sunlit from heaven,
like the first dewfall
on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness
of the wet garden,
sprung in completeness
where his feet pass.
3 Mine is the sunlight!
Mine is the morning
born of the one light
Eden saw play!
Praise with elation,
praise every morning,
God’s re-creation
of the new day!
God is love. God gives us life. In Christ God reaches out to us. In baptism God calls us to respond. Do you accept this call?
the candidates say
We hear and accept God’s call to us. We ask for baptism.
God calls the Church to reflect Christ’s glory; in baptism to declare his new life. The care and encouragement of the Church are offered to all who are baptised, that they may grow in newness of life.
Do you accept this call?
we all say
We hear and accept God’s call.
PROFESSION OF FAITH
This is a Creed, a statement of faith and hope, stated by all.
Do you believe in God the Father,
who made the world?
I believe.
Do you believe in God the Son,
who redeemed humanity?
I believe.
Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit,
who gives life to God's people?
I believe.
This is the faith of the Church.
This is our faith. We believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
COMMITMENT TO CHRISTIAN LIFE
In Christ, God has given us a new nature, that we might be renewed in the image of Love.
As disciples of Christ, will you proclaim the God of love by word and deed, serving Christ in all people?
all
With the Help of God, we will
Will you work for the Kingdom of Peace, serving God in all Creation?
With the Help of God, we will
This is the calling of the church.
This is our calling, to live and work for the God of Love.
THE BAPTISMAL PRAYER
During this prayer the water is poured into the font.
Lord God, well-spring of life, you use the gift of water to declare your saving power.
In the beginning your Spirit moved
over the face of the waters.
By the gentle dew, the steady rain,
you nourish and give increase to all that grows;
you make the desert a watered garden.
In the life-giving rivers and the rainbow
Israel discerned your mercy.
You divided the Red Sea
to let them pass from slavery in Egypt
to freedom in the Promised Land.
In the waters of Jordan,
Jesus was baptised by John
and anointed by the Holy Spirit,
that he might bring us to the
glorious liberty of the children of God.
all
Bring those who are baptised in this water,
with Christ through the waters of death,
to be one with him in his resurrection.
Send your Holy Spirit to sustain them,
with all your people,
to be hope and strength to one another
and to the world.
THE BAPTISM
I Baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, that you be counted as a child of God, one of the company of heaven.
ANOINTING WITH CHRISM
The baptised is anointed with oil, as were the Kings of the Old Testament, as a sign that we are all a Royal Priesthood.
God Almighty, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, has regenerated you by water and the Holy Spirit.
He Himself Marks you with the oil of Salvation, anointed on the forehead, as of the kings of old.
May the Spirit of God be in you,
wisdom and understanding keep you,
the love of God encircle you,
and God’s truth lead you into all freedom. Amen.
GIVING OF LIGHT A lighted candle is given:
The light of Christ scatter the darkness from your heart and mind.
Christ go before you to guide your steps.
Christ be within you to renew your vision.
Christ shine from you
to give joy to the world.
The liturgy of Baptism ends with the sharing of the peace.
We meet in Christ’s name
Let us share His peace.
OFFERTORY HYMN NEH 383 Jesu, lover of my soul (Aberystwyth) (omit verse 3)
1. Jesu, Lover of my soul,
Let me to thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high:
Hide me, O my Saviour, hide
Till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide,
O receive my soul at last.
2. Other refuge have I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on thee;
Leave, ah, leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me.
All my trust on thee is stayed,
All my help from thee I bring;
Cover my defenceless head
With the shadow of thy wing.
4. Plenteous grace with thee is found,
Grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound,
Make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art,
Freely let me take of thee,
Spring thou up within my heart,
Rise to all eternity.
PRAYERS OF OFFERING
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation.
Through your goodness we have this bread to offer
which earth has given and human hands have made.
It will become for us the bread of life.
Blessed be God for ever.
Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation.
Through your goodness we have this wine to offer,
fruit of the vine and work of human hands.
It will become the cup of our salvation.
Blessed be God for ever.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
Worship and praise belong to you, Father,
in every place and at all times.
All power is yours.
You created the heavens and established the earth;
you sustain in being all that is.
In Christ your Son, our life and yours
are brought together in a wonderful exchange.
He made his home among us
that we might for ever dwell in you.
Through your Holy Spirit
you call us to new birth
in a creation restored by love.
As children of your redeeming purpose,
we offer you our praise,
with angels and archangels
and the whole company of heaven,
singing the hymn of your unending glory:
SANCTUS AND BENEDICTUS
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of thy glory.
Hosanna, Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Glory and thanksgiving be to you,
most loving Father,
for the gift of your Son born in human flesh.
He is the Word existing beyond time,
both source and final purpose,
bringing to wholeness all that is made.
Obedient to your will he died upon the Cross.
By your power you raised him from the dead.
He broke the bonds of evil
and set your people free
to be his Body in the world.
On the night when he was given up to death,
knowing that his hour had come,
having loved his own,
he loved them to the end.
At supper with his disciples
he took bread and offered you thanks.
He broke the bread, and gave it to them, saying:
“Take, eat. This is my Body:
it is broken for you.”
After supper, he took the cup,
he offered you thanks, and gave it to them saying:
“Drink this, all of you.
This is my Blood of the new covenant;
it is poured out for you, and for all,
that sins may be forgiven.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
We now obey your Son's command.
We recall his blessed passion and death,
his glorious resurrection and ascension;
and we look for the coming of his Kingdom.
Made one with him, we offer you these gifts
and with them ourselves,
a single, holy, living sacrifice.
Hear us, most merciful God,
and send your Holy Spirit upon us
and upon this bread and this wine,
that, overshadowed by his life-giving power,
they may be the Body and Blood of your Son,
and we may be kindled with the fire of your love
and renewed for the service of your Kingdom.
Help us, who are baptised into the
fellowship of Christ's Body
to live and work to your praise and glory;
may we grow together in unity and love
until at last, in your new creation,
we enter into our heritage
in the company of the Virgin Mary,
the apostles, and prophets,
and of all our brothers and sisters
living and departed.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
with whom, and in whom,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory be to you,
Lord of all ages,
world without end. Amen.
THE FRACTION
The living bread is broken for the life of the world.
Lord, unite us in this sign.
As our Saviour Christ has commanded and taught us,
we are bold to say;
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.
AGNUS DEI
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
Have mercy, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
Have mercy, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
Grant us, grant us peace.
INVITATION
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Happy are we who are called to share this supper.
Lord, I am not worthy to receive you,
but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
Communion Hymn: NEH 308 Thee we adore, O hidden Saviour, thee (Adoro Te)
1 Thee we adore, O hidden Saviour, thee,
Who in thy Sacrament art pleased to be;
Both flesh and spirit in thy presence fail,
Yet here thy presence we devoutly hail.
2 O blest memorial of our dying Lord,
Who living bread to men doth here afford!
O may our souls for ever feed on thee,
And thou, O Christ, for ever precious be.
3 Fountain of goodness, Jesu, Lord and God,
Cleanse us, unclean, with thy most cleansing blood;
Increase our faith and love, that we may know
The hope and peace which from thy presence flow.
4 O Christ, whom now beneath a veil we see,
May what we thirst for soon our portion be,
To gaze on thee unveiled, and see thy face,
The vision of thy glory and thy grace.
THANKSGIVING AND SENDING OUT
Give thanks to the Lord, he is gracious.
And his mercy endures for ever.
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
Loving God,
your steadfast purpose is the completion of all things in your Son.
May we who have received the pledges of the kingdom,
live by faith, walk in hope and be renewed in love,
until the world reflects your glory and you are all in all;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
BLESSING:
The peace of God which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God
and of Jesus Christ our Lord:
And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen
DISMISSAL
Let us go in peace, to love and serve the Lord.
In the Name of Christ. Amen.
FINAL HYMN : NEH 368 Guide me, O thou great Redeemer (Cwm Rhondda)
1 Guide me, O thou great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty,
hold me with thy powerful hand:
bread of heaven,
feed me till I want no more.
2 Open now the crystal fountain
whence the healing stream doth flow;
let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through:
strong deliverer,
be thou still my strength and shield.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan
bid my anxious fears subside;
death of death, and hell's destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side:
songs of praises
I will ever give to thee.
ORGAN VOLUNTARY: Pièce d'Orgue, BWV 572 (Bach)