SERVICE SHEET FOR EASTER 6
Sunday May 9th
LOVE ONE ANOTHER
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
Grace and peace to you from God the Father,
and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen
OPENING HYMN
God is Love: let heav'n adore him;
God is Love: let earth rejoice;
let creation sing before him,
and exalt him with one voice.
He who laid the earth's foundation,
he who spread the heav'ns above,
he who breathes through all creation,
he is Love, eternal Love.
God is Love: and he enfoldeth
all the world in one embrace;
with unfailing grasp he holdeth
every child of every race.
And when human hearts are breaking
under sorrow's iron rod,
then they find that selfsame aching
deep within the heart of God.
God is Love: and though with blindness
sin afflicts the souls of all,
God's eternal loving-kindness
holds and guides us when we fall.
Sin and death and hell shall never
o'er us final triumph gain;
God is Love, so Love for ever
o'er the universe must reign.
APPROACH TO GOD
Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast.
Not with the old leaven of corruption and wickedness;
But with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Christ being raised from the dead dies no more;
Death has no more dominion over us.
O be joyful in the Lord, all his people;
Let us serve the Lord with gladness.
COLLECT FOR PURITY
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.
GLORIA to the setting in F by Harold Darke
Glory be to God on high,
and in peace, good will toward men.
We praise thee, we bless thee,
we worship thee,
we glorify thee,
we give thanks to thee for thy great glory.
O Lord God, heavenly King,
God the Father almighty.
O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ:
O Lord God Lamb of God,
Son of the Father,
that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father,
have mercy upon us.
For thou only art holy;
thou only art the Lord;
thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost,
art the Most High,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
FIRST READING read by Jane Stevenson - Acts 10:44-48
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
10:44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word.
10:45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles,
10:46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said,
10:47 "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"
10:48 So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.
GRADUAL HYMN
Come down, O Love divine,
Seek thou this soul of mine,
And visit it with thine own ardour glowing;
O Comforter, draw near,
Within my heart appear,
And kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.
O let it freely burn,
Till earthly passions turn
To dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
And let thy glorious light
Shine ever on my sight,
And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.
Let holy charity
Mine outward vesture be,
And lowliness become mine inner clothing;
True lowliness of heart,
Which takes the humbler part,
And o'er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.
And so the yearning strong,
With which the soul will long,
Shall far outpass the power of human telling;
For none can guess its grace,
Till it become the place
Wherein the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling.
GOSPEL read by Caroline Green - John 15:9-17
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John
15:9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.
15:10 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.
15:11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
15:12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
15:13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.
15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.
15:15 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.
15:16 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.
15:17 I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.
ALLELUIA
SERMON
ANTHEM - A Gaelic blessing, music by John Rutter
INTERCESSIONS led by John Wood
OFFERTORY HYMN
How shall I sing that majesty
which angels do admire?
Let dust in dust and silence lie;
sing, sing, ye heavenly choir.
Thousands of thousands stand around
thy throne, O God most high;
ten thousand times ten thousand sound
thy praise; but who am I?
Thy brightness unto them appears,
whilst I thy footsteps trace;
a sound of God comes to my ears,
but they behold thy face.
They sing, because thou art their Sun;
Lord, send a beam on me;
for where heaven is but once begun
there alleluias be.
Enlighten with faith's light my heart,
inflame it with love's fire;
then shall I sing and bear a part
with that celestial choir.
I shall, I fear, be dark and cold,
with all my fire and light;
yet when thou dost accept their gold,
Lord, treasure up my mite.
How great a being, Lord, is thine,
which doth all beings keep!
Thy knowledge is the only line
to sound so vast a deep.
Thou art a sea without a shore,
a sun without a sphere;
thy time is now and evermore,
thy place is everywhere.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
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 him thanks and praise.
Worship and praise belong to you, Almighty God,
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 forever 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 to the setting by Harold Darke in F
Holy Holy Holy, Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of you glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
CONSECRATION PRAYER
Glory and thanksgiving be to you, most loving creator,
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.
AGNUS DEI
LORD’S PRAYER
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.
Jesus Lamb of God. Have mercy on us.
Jesus bearer of our sins. Have mercy on us.
Jesus Redeemer of the world. Give us peace.
INVITATION
Behold the lamb of God, behold Him, who takes away the sins of the world.
Happy are we who are called to share in this supper.
Lord I am not worthy to receive you but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
COMMUNION HYMN
Bread of the world in mercy broken,
wine of the soul in mercy shed,
by whom the words of life were spoken,
and in whose death our sins are dead;
look on the heart by sorrow broken,
look on the tears by sinners shed;
and be they feast to us the token
that by thy grace our souls are fed.
THANKSGIVING AND SENDING OUT
Let us give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious.
And his mercy endures for ever.
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
Father, 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 by love,
until the world reflects your Glory, and you are all in all;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
BLESSING to which we respond:
Amen.
DISMISSAL
Let us go in peace, to love and serve the Lord
In the name of Christ.
Amen.
FINAL HYMN
Forth in thy name, O Lord, I go,
My daily labour to pursue;
Thee, only thee, resolved to know,
In all I think or speak or do.
Thee may I set at my right hand,
Whose eyes mine inmost substance see,
And labour on at thy command,
And offer all my works to thee.
Give me to bear thy easy yoke,
And every moment watch and pray,
And still to things eternal look,
And hasten to thy glorious day;
For thee delightfully employ
Whate’er thy bounteous grace hath given,
And run my course with even joy,
And closely walk with thee to heaven.