Archives June 2013

Text: Luke 9:51-62

In the name of the +Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Stopping on an almost deserted road in the wilderness of Ireland, I leaned out of the car and asked the farmer standing by the gate – “how do I get to Dublin?”

“Well Sorr, if I was goin’ to Dublin, I wouldn’t be starting out from here”

However, we seldom have the opportunity to choose our starting places on life’s journey, we have to make the best of where we’re at and travel in faith and hope. This morning, we consider the journey that Our Lord begins towards Jerusalem; a journey towards the Cross and towards the victory that is our salvation.

The disciples never had an easy discipleship; for every time that they thought they had got this discipleship thing cracked, Our Lord challenged them, undermined their cosy assumptions and brought them closer to an understanding of what it really means to be a Christian. Frequently we read in the holy scriptures about how they started from completely the wrong place, but through the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, they reached the final, blessed destination.

This morning’s reading  tells us that  “Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” The Original Greek is much more descriptive, and older translations render it as “He set his face towards Jerusalem”: You can probably imagine the look: fixed eyes on the horizon, the jaw firmly set, a steely determination in the eyes.

On their journey, they were to encounter much apathy, much hostility and much to challenge them. A good example is the encounter with the Samaritan village. There was no love lost between Samaritans and Jews. The Samaritan town’s refusal to receive Jesus was the result of centuries of ethnic and sectarian division, truly the modern Holy Land has learnt very little from history.

The response was also typically modern: James and John, to whom Jesus had given the nickname “Sons of Thunder” want to respond with violence: heavenly violence, and the destruction of the village, by the calling down of fire from heaven: the Biblical equivalent of Cruise Missiles, perhaps. They thought that would please Christ, and would please His Father.

But their request was not pleasing to God, or to His Son. His holy desire was not to blast them from the face of the earth, but as the Prophet Ezekiel says, “I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!” (Ezekiel 18:32).

Christ came to earth to save lives, not destroy them; to heal, not aggressively crush.

And so Jesus turns and walks on, giving the people of this region another chance on another day. He walks on, after a firm rebuke to the disciples; they are wrong-footed, challenged once more and brought closer to understand what it means to be a Christian.

We are all engaged on a Spiritual Journey: just as Christ was now heading towards Jerusalem, so we are heading towards the New Jerusalem, the heaven on earth promised to us in the book of Revelation. When ever I think that I understand what discipleship means, what being a Christian means, or even, heaven forbid, priesthood, or incumbency in the Church of England means, I find that I am challenged, and Jesus Christ and his Gospel is there to challenge me, to wrong-foot me and to bring me to a closer understanding of the Christian life.

We need therefore to realise that following Christ on His walk towards Jerusalem requires something special from us: most especially Commitment and Faith.

Commitment, because no one ever said that this journey would be easy: Christ indeed told his followers that they would be rejected, that they would have to pick up their cross and follow Him; when times are hard, and prayer is a chore rather than a delight, and when the pressures and temptations of the world just feel that bit too distracting, then I am reminded by this morning’s lesson that Christ understands this, and that he promised us no less; and I feel my commitment renewed.

It is very easy, especially in such supportive, positive surroundings as this to affirm our commitment to Christ, to be part of the crowd of witnesses, and to go with the majority; but  when Christ says “Follow me”, and the times are more difficult, the circumstance less convivial, and the people in the pub or at work, less understanding, I find myself identifying more with the man who wants to bury his Father first. The phrase “to bury one’s Father” is middle-eastern slang, and means to see off one’s responsibilities, to do the decent thing first. Christ asks for a little more than duty and the decent thing: he asks for everything.

The dead, He says, can bury their own; for Commitment to this journey, is more important, more pressing than ‘the decent thing’. It is, we are assured, much harder. This commitment, asked of us by Christ, is for real.

The journey also requires Faith, the well-spring which sustains us on our journey: it is the faith which was kindled in the apostles, and passed down through the ages in the body of the Church and it is Faith which we give thanks for with this morning’s Eucharist: Faith which nourishes, faith which guides and helps us through this journey.

I am speaking of the Faith which we need to nurture both in ourselves and within others, a faith which looks outwards and spreads throughout our community; a faith which needs to challenge the threats to it from outside: from the secular world, and from the ever-encroaching sectors within the church which seek to dilute the true Catholic Faith.

On our journey, we may encounter a great number of challenges, much apathy, and even some hostility, much as the disciples did; it is a long and arduous journey, and one which can only be achieved through Commitment and with Faith.

Much is spoken about getting people through these doors, but little about Mission. If we do not engage in mission –each and everyone of us- then the Gospel message will be lost and countless souls in this place will be lost. I do not mean getting out a soapbox, distributing leaflets, knocking on doors, but the mission of companionship, the evangelism of kindness, the sharing of a journey, the engagement of “come and see what God can do for you”. It might mean rejection, it might mean a move out of our comfort zones, but that my dear friends is what the Gospel calls us to. Even if we risk it blowing up in our faces, at least we will have died trying to do God’s will on earth – notice that even the disciples had a hard time of it.

So, sometimes, when we in our anger and our less-than-Christian moments want to call down fire from heaven, and perhaps wish the destruction of our own, personal, Samaritan villages, it is right that Christ stops and rebukes us and with that rebuke in our ears we can turn gladly on our journey towards Jerusalem following our Lord and Saviour with that commitment, and this faith.

“I wouldn’t begin my journey from here Sorr”, but then again, would any of us given the choice; it is perhaps more important therefore for us to journey with Christ, and have faith in the final destination. Amen.

Text: Luke 8:26-39

In the name of the +Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I saw a recent cartoon (reproduced above and on the noticesheet) which gave four examples of people’s response to different kinds of illness: one character offers to sign another’s plaster cast for a broken bone, another proudly shows off a number of stitches, another panel proudly boasts of getting the flu, but when a character struggles with mental health issues, all is silent.

Unspoken are words of shame, of judgement, of isolation.

Some things have never changed.

The man described in the Scriptures as “possessed by a Legion of demons” is similarly isolated, banished, feared – forced into (like so many today) to be homeless as a result of his mental illness, the turmoil within him which boiled away and made him appear, to the ancient eye, filled with some external force which they could only describe as demonic.

Yet, even through the turmoil of his illness, this man could perceive the truth of the Christ and sense that God was present, the still small voice which could calm and heal and reconcile.

Christ in his dealings with this – what sensationalist newspapers today would write off as a “nutter” had nothing but compassion for those affected by mental illness, even though his care for them is couched in the language of demonization, what is clear is that Christ saw beyond the label, the outward form of the illness and saw the real person beneath, and sought to reach out to the man and pull him back to a reality free from what a number of very ill people whom I have cared for in the past have described as “their own personal hell”.

Emotive language about “Psychos” and “Nutters”, the tacit approval in girl’s magazines of Eating Disorders and the plain ignoring of the reality of Depression all serve to demonstrate that even though many in the UK might have moved on a little from speaking of demons themselves, we still demonise. Legion may as well be sleeping rough in Ford Park Cemetery tonight.

But Mental Health issues should not be ignored, sidelined or treated with silent embarrassment.

According to mental health charity, MIND

Nearly 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year. This means:

• around 300 people out of 1000 will experience mental health problems[1 every year in Britain
  • Compare this with approximately 2 per 1000 per year who will have a Stroke[2 and 6 per 1000 for Acute MI (heart attack)[3
  • 230 of these will visit a GP
  • 102 of these will be diagnosed as having a mental health problem
  • 24 of these will be referred to a specialist psychiatric service
  • 6 will become inpatients in psychiatric hospitals.
    • So note that the SAME incidence per 1000 people of those who receive hospital in-patient treatment as those having a “heart attack”, and how many many more will be dealing with their issues in other ways, or worse struggling on without any intervention at all
  • In prison, 70% of prisoners will have some form of mental health issue[4: the relationship between crime and drug/alcohol dependency is major and on top of that we add other mental health issues into a space ill-equipped to deal with it or them.

And yet, we are silent on the issue and so often when one in our community is affected by such issues, we turn our backs. Mental health issues are not the result of weakness or feebleness:

Alastair Campbell – a man open about his own battles with depression and alcohol dependency commented on Twitter recently:

 “To those asking what @stephenfry has to be depressed about, would you ask what someone has to be cancerous, diabetic or asthmatic about?”

We wouldn’t blame someone for getting Chicken Pox would we?

There is a special place of stillness within ourselves which can be found and wherein we might find God. The still small voice of God calls (quietly) to each and every one of us. When there is turmoil in our lives and in the lives of others around us, it is that still small voice which will call us to peace, and enable us to still at the foot of the Lord as his disciple.

Christ reached out to the man in compassion and love, and if we too aspire to try and become more Christlike, so should we.

Amen

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnipHUBRMfU

 

Heavenly Father, for all those times this week when we have upset or hurt others
Lord have Mercy
Lord have Mercy

Lord Jesus, for those times when we have failed to help those around us
Christ have Mercy
Christ have Mercy

Holy Spirit, for those times when we have thought more about ourselves than the needs
Lord have Mercy
Lord have Mercy

Almighty God,
who forgives all who truly repent,
have mercy upon you,
pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you in life eternal,
through Jesus Christ, Our Lord
Amen

Luke 17:11-19

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance ¹³ and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master,have pity on us!”

¹⁴ When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

¹⁵ One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. ¹⁶ He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

¹⁷ Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55oU1gY4_ro

The Miracle Maker and a Cheesy Bryan Adams single – you can’t top the combination!

[vimeo 68235400

Newly remastered in HD and downloadable from Vimeo or the AgnusDei website

https://www.vimeo.com/68231859

Equipment: Strips of paper, Felt Pens. One or more voices say the following aloud:

The people write their intercessions on the strips of paper

Start handing out paper strips and pens

If you want to write down your prayers, what would it look like?
A shopping list?
Would it be more like a doodle?
Would your prayers form a little sketch?
A spider diagram?
A single word?

Logical in structure? Random or chaotic?
Does it matter?
Handing out finishes
Before you write anything down, pause and reflect.
What is your main worry?
What do you need to bring before God?

For yourself.
For others.
For the Church.
For the world.
For the poorly and the sad,
the lonely and the scared

We do not pray alone.
We join these prayers with all the others written tonight.
Weaved together. Linked. Joined.
Joined with the angels, the saints, the prophets, the patriarchs.
Joined with the prayers of our Blesséd Lady…

Hail Mary,Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of death.

How did they turn out?
No need to sign your prayers
God knows.
He knows your needs,
Your desires
Your concerns…
…and he listens.
He responds.

We join our prayers together in a big strip

These prayers are linked together, and form a chain of prayer which we offer to the Lord
Whether you prayed a picture, a list, a diagram, a single word…
God responds.

Maybe Yes
Maybe No
Maybe Not Yet

Not always the answer to your prayers that you want.
…but he answers.

Always.

Amen

Click here to play midi (opens in another window so you can sing along…)

We bring you bread
We bring you wine
Drawn of the best from field and vine
We bring ourselves
To meet the Divine
And in this sacrifice make known
the Christ who is ever present
in this mys-ter-y barely hid
So we proclaim the Lord’s perfect death
Until he comes to us again

This is my flesh
This is my blood
This is the true and living bread
In this is life
in all fullness
Eat of him and be sustained
Come to the altar of our God
Share in his life that has no end
So we proclaim the Lord’s perfect death
Until he comes to us again

Fr. Simon Rundell, 2013
from two inspired lines from Fr. Wealands Bell

The Admission to Holy Communion group have got to the stage where they explore repentance and forgiveness. This year it is in the context of a Team Eucharist and the whole congregation. For this reason, the usul readings for Ordinary 11 have been set aside.

Opening Hymn: Seek Ye First

Seek ye first the kingdom of God
And His righteousness;
And all these things shall be added unto you.
Hallelu, Hallelujah!

Ask, and it shall be given unto you;
Seek, and you shall find.
Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Hallelu, Hallelujah!

Mankind shall not live by bread alone,
But by every word
That proceeds out from the mouth of God.
Hallelu, Hallelujah!

In the name of the +Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

The Lord be with you
and also with you

Let us say together the words of the Entrance Antiphon, on screen or from our service sheets:

Lord, hear my voice when I call to you. You are my help; do not cast me off, do not desert me, my Saviour God. [Psalm 27:7,9

My dear friends, we are all happy that our young people are nearing the time when they will meet Jesus in the receiving of Holy Communion. We gather together today as the whole family of God to share in your worship and to be led by you, our young people.

At each and every special celebration we remember how Jesus died on the cross to free us from our sins – from the things we do wrong – so that we can live as his sons and daughters and then we celebrate in joy and forgiveness in that most holy sacrament of his body and blood.

By dying for us on the cross, Jesus broke down the barriers, and invites us to share with him: young or …not so young alike.

Today, we are going to think about Jesus’ friend Peter: Peter promised to follow Jesus, but he denied knowing him a few hours later.

Peter was very sorry when he realised what he had done. After the resurrection, Jesus forgave Peter and he became the great apostle who travelled all over the known world to teach people the good news.

It is this good news which leads us to sing that wonderful hymn of praise: the Gloria!

Gloria (t: Cwm Rhonda)

Glory be to God in heaven,
songs of joy and peace we bring,
thankful hearts and voices raising,
to creation’s Lord we sing.
Lord, we thank you,
Lord, we bless you,
glory be to God our King,
glory be to God our King

Lamb of God, who on your shoulders
bore the load of this world’s sin,
only Son of God the Father,
you have brought us peace within.
Lord, have mercy,
Christ have mercy,
now your glorious reign begin,
now your glorious reign begin.

The Collect

Let us pray

Almighty God,
our hope and our strength,
without you we falter.
Help us to follow Christ
and to live according to your will.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Reading: Mark 14:27-31

Jesus told them, “You’re all going to feel that your world is falling apart and that it’s my fault. There’s a Scripture that says,

I will strike the shepherd;
The sheep will go helter-skelter.
“But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you, leading the way to Galilee.”

Peter blurted out, “Even if everyone else is ashamed of you when things fall to pieces, I won’t be.”

Jesus said, “Don’t be so sure. Today, this very night in fact, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

He blustered in protest, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” All the others said the same thing.

This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Jesus, we want to be your friends but, like Peter, we make promises that we do not keep. We let you down by not loving God or other people. Help us to remember the things that we have done wrong that have hurt you and our friends, and to be sorry for them. Amen

Second Reading (Based on Mark 14:26-31, 66-72)

Jesus was taken to the high priest’s house. Peter followed from a distance and went into the courtyard of the high priest’s house. One of the high priest’s servant women came by. She looked straight at him and said, ‘You, too, were with Jesus of Nazareth.’

But he denied it. ‘I don’t know him. I don’t understand what you are talking about,’ he answered and went out into the passage. Just then a cock crowed.

The servant woman saw him there and began to repeat to the bystanders, ‘He is one of them!’ But Peter denied it again.

A little while later, the bystanders accused Peter again, ‘You can’t deny that you are one of them, because you too are from Galilee.’

Then Peter said, ‘I swear that I am telling the truth! May God punish me if I am not! I do not know the man you are talking about!’

Just then a cock crowed a second time.

Then Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, ‘This very night before the cock crows twice you will say three times that you don’t know me.’

And Peter broke down and cried.

This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

As quiet music is played, The Priest invites the people to move to a quiet place to write or draw their sins or the sins of the world on pieces of flashpaper. As each person finishes they come to the front and place their paper in the Balti dish.

Prayer – said together

Dear Jesus,

Like Peter, we have let you down by not loving you or other people.
Like Peter, we are sorry.
Please forgive us and make us your friends again.

Amen

God of mercy and power, forgive our faults and give us your grace to walk with you today and every day, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

A light is set to the ‘sins’ in the balti dish as our sins are forgiven.

Absolution

(If you’re happy…)

You’re forgiven and you know it, so clap your hands
You’re forgiven and you know, so you really ought to show it,
You’re forgiven and you know it, so clap your hands

Jesus loves you and you know it, so stamp your feet
Jesus loves you and you know it, so you really ought to show it
Jesus loves you and you know it, so stamp your feet

If you believe that God forgives you, say “We do” “We do”
When you say that you are sorry, you no longer have to worry
God takes away your sin, so say “Amen”. Amen!

Hymn: God forgave my sin in Jesus Name

God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name,
I’ve been born again in Jesus’ name;
And in Jesus’ name I come to you
To share His love as He told me to.

He said: ‘Freely, freely, you have received,
Freely, freely give;
Go in My name, and because you believe
Others will know that I live.’

All power is given in Jesus’ name,
In earth and heaven in Jesus’ name;
And in Jesus’ name I come to you
To share His power as He told me to.

He said: ‘Freely, freely, you have received,
Freely, freely give;
Go in My name, and because you believe
Others will know that I live.’

Third Reading (Mark 16:1, 5-7; John 21: 15-17, 19b)

First reader

After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene, Salome and Mary the mother of James brought spices to put on Jesus’ body… The women went into the tomb, and on the right side they saw a young man in a white robe sitting there. They were afraid.

The man said, ‘Don’t be afraid! You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, who was nailed to a cross. God has raised him to life, and he isn’t here… Now go and tell his disciples, and especially Peter, that he will go ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there just as he told you.’

Second reader

When Jesus and his disciples had finished eating, Jesus asked, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than the others do?’

Simon Peter answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I do!’

‘Then feed my lambs,’ Jesus said.

Jesus asked a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’

Peter answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you!’

‘Then take care of my sheep,’ Jesus told him.

Jesus asked a third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’

Peter was hurt because Jesus had asked him three times if he loved him. So he told Jesus, ‘Lord, you know everything. You know I love you.’

Jesus replied, ‘Feed my sheep…’ Then he said to Peter, ‘Follow me!’

This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Affirmation of Faith

Let us affirm our faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Though he was divine,
he did not cling to equality with God,
but made himself nothing.
Taking the form of a slave,
he was born in human likeness.
He humbled himself
and was obedient to death,
even the death of the cross.
Therefore God has raised him on high,
and given him the name above every name:
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow,
and every voice proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

Philippians 2.6-11

The Peace

God has made us one in Christ. He has set his seal upon us, and as a pledge of what is to come has given the Spirit to dwell in our hearts.

The peace of the Lord be always with you
and also with you

Let us offer one another a sign of peace

Offertory: We come to your feast

We place upon your table a gleaming cloth of white
the weaving of our stories, the fabric of our lives;
the dreams of those before us, the ancient hopeful cries
the promise of our future: our needing and our nurture
lie here before our eyes.

We come to your feast, we come to your feast:
the young and the old, the frightened, the bold,
the greatest and the least.
We come to your feast, we come to your feast
with the fruits of our lands and the work of our hands,
we come to your feast.

We place upon your table a humble loaf of bread:
the gift of field and hillside, the grain by which we’re fed;
we come to taste the presence of him on whom we feed,
to strengthen and connect us, to challenge and correct us,
to love in word and deed.

We come to your feast, we come to your feast:
the young and the old, the frightened, the bold,
the greatest and the least.
We come to your feast, we come to your feast
with the fruits of our lands and the work of our hands,
we come to your feast.

We place upon your table a simple cup of wine:
the fruit of human labour, the gift of sun and vine;
We come to taste the presence of him we claim as Lord,
His dying and His living, His leading and His giving,
His love in cup outpoured.

We come to your feast, we come to your feast:
the young and the old, the frightened, the bold,
the greatest and the least.
We come to your feast, we come to your feast
with the fruits of our lands and the work of our hands,
we come to your feast.

We gather round your table, we pause within our quest,
we stand beside our neighbours, we name the stranger “guest”.
The feast is spread before us, you bid us come and dine:
in blessing we’ll uncover, in sharing we’ll discover
your substance and your sign.

We come to your feast, we come to your feast:
the young and the old, the frightened, the bold,
the greatest and the least.
We come to your feast, we come to your feast
with the fruits of our lands and the work of our hands,
we come to your feast.

Pray, my brothers and sisters, that this our sacrifice may be acceptable to God the almighty Father.
May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his Church.

Prayer over the gifts

Lord God,
in this bread and wine
you give us food for body and spirit.
May the eucharist renew our strength
and bring us health of mind and body.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

Preface

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 thanks and praise

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God,
we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks.

We see your infinite power
in your loving plan of salvation.
You came to our rescue by your power as God,
but you wanted us to be saved by one like us.
Mankind refused your friendship,
but man himself was to restore it
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Through him the angels of heaven offer their prayer of adoration
as they rejoice in your presence for ever.
May our voices be one with theirs
in their triumphant hymn of praise:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

Eucharistic Prayer 2 for Children

Father, on the night before he died,

Jesus shared a meal with his friends.
He took the bread, and thanked you.
He broke it, and gave it to them, saying:

Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this to remember me.

After the meal, Jesus took the cup of wine.
He thanked you, and gave it to them, saying:

Drink this, all of you.
This is my blood,
the new promise of God’s unfailing love.
Do this to remember me.

Christ is the bread of life:
When we eat this bread and drink this cup
we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus,
until you come in glory

Father, as we offer this bread and wine,
and remember his death and resurrection,
send your +Holy Spirit,
that we who share these gifts
may be fed by Christ’s body and his blood.

Pour your Spirit on us
that we may love one another,
work for the healing of the earth,
and share the good news of Jesus,
as we wait for his coming in glory.

For honour and praise belong to you, Father,
with Jesus your Son, and the Holy Spirit:
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen

Lord’s Prayer

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.

We break this bread
to share in the body of Christ
Though we are many, we are one body,
because we all share the one bread

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, grant us peace

Come not because you are strong,
but because you are weak.
Come not because any goodness of your own
but because you need mercy and help.
Come because you love the Lord a little
and would like to love him more.
Come because he loves you
and gave his life for you.

This is the lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world.
Blesséd are those who are called to his supper
Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

Communion Antiphon

One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. [Psalm 27:4

Prayer after Communion

Lord,
may this eucharist
accomplish in your Church
the unity and peace it signifies.
Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Notices

• Banns
• School Mass Friday 12:20 lunchtime

Blessing

The Lord be with you
And also with you

Bow your heads and pray for God’s blessing

The peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds
in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his Son 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.

The mass is ended. Go in the peace of Christ.
Thanks be to God.

Recessional: Thine be the Glory

Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son;
endless is the victory, thou o’er death hast won;
angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave clothes where thy body lay.
Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son,
Endless is the vict’ry, thou o’er death hast won.

Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
Lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let the Church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing;
for her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting.
Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son,
Endless is the vict’ry, thou o’er death hast won.

No more we doubt thee, glorious Prince of life;
life is naught without thee; aid us in our strife;
make us more than conquerors, through thy deathless love:
bring us safe through Jordan to thy home above.
Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son,
Endless is the vict’ry, thou o’er death hast won.

END

Gathering Song (to the tune of Here we go round the Mulberry Bush)

We gather round in this holy space
Holy Space, filled with grace
We gather round in this holy space
To do what Jesus taught us

We hear the stories of our King
Eternal life, for us he’ll win
We share his meal and pray with him
And do what Jesus taught us.

In the name of the +Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

The Lord be with you
and also with you

Penitential Rite (to the tune of Baa Baa Blacksheep)

Just like lost sheep we have gone astray
Done bad things and run away
So we come to say sorry
Make things better as you see
Loving Jesus make anew
Our lives so we can be like you.

Absolution (If you’re happy…)

You’re forgiven and you know it, so clap your hands
You’re forgiven and you know, so you really ought to show it,
You’re forgiven and you know it, so clap your hands

Jesus loves you and you know it, so stamp your feet
Jesus loves you and you know it, so you really ought to show it
Jesus loves you and you know it, so stamp your feet

If you believe that God forgives you, say “We do” “We do”
When you say that you are sorry, you no longer have to worry
God takes away your sin, so say “Amen”. Amen!

Collect

Let us pray…

Father, we rejoice in the gifts of love
we have received from the heart of Jesus your Son
Open our hearts to bless us with his love
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit
One God, world without end. Amen.

Gospel: The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

from Frontline Evangelism with Young People

This bloke was going through a rough part of town. It wasn’t his town, and he didn’t really belong here. You can think of your own local tensions: football teams, chav and grunge, colour of skin, there’s no end of examples. Whatever it was, he was out on his own, in a vulnerable place, in the wrong place.

He got set upon, beaten, robbed and left in a bleeding, bruised pile on the pavement. As our victim was lying there, he thought he could see someone coming down the street dressed in a dog-collar – the local priest – he was saved! But the local priest had so much on his mind, Masses to say and masses to do and he just looked past the man on the ground – a head so far in the clouds that he couldn’t see the need in front of him.

A little while later, our victim lying there with bruised and swollen eyes thought he could see one of his own – the same football shirt, the same dress code, the same hairstyle or cap or whatever we choose to show our individuality with by being just like all our mates – he was saved! But his brother in fashion didn’t want to get blood on him, didn’t want to get involved, didn’t want to put aside his plans for the day and deal with
it – his life was already far too full to bother with this need.

When the victim thought that was it, that the end was near, there came another standing over him. Different. Different colour football shirt, different colour skin, different style of music coming over the iPod. Different. This means trouble, this means the end.

But the stranger, the man who had no ties to our victim, was the one to help him up, to get him to the hospital, to sort out the paperwork and the police, to help the victim get his life back together. He went out of his own way to make a difference to the victim, went the extra mile. Saw out what was right.

Which of these three, asked Jesus, was like a neighbour?

The one who showed him kindness, they answered. Not the one whom everyone expects to be holy. Not the one who seemed to be from the same family, the same mindset, the same tribe. The one who looked beyond the badges and the labels and saw the need of another human being.

Jesus then gave those to whom he told this story a simple command: Go then, and do likewise.

This is the Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, O Christ

Peace (to the tune of This Old Man)

Here we are
One in Christ
Gathered here
Ain’t this nice?
So let us share a sign of peace
A kiss or hug before the feast…

The peace of the Lord be always with you
and also with you

Let us offer one another a sign of peace

Pray, my brothers and sisters, that this our sacrifice may be acceptable to God the almighty Father.
May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his Church.

Prayer over the gifts

Heavenly Father, we thank you for these gifts,
Bread and Wine, fruit of the earth
We pray you will change them
as you change us
by the power of your Holy Spirit

Preface

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 thanks and praise

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God,
we do well always and everywhere to give You thanks
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Lifted high on the cross,
Christ gave His life for us,
so much did He love us.
From His wounded side flowed blood and water,
the fountain of sacramental life in the Church.
To His open heart the Saviour invites all
to draw water in joy from the springs of salvation.

Now, with all the saints and angels,
we praise you for ever:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

Eucharistic Prayer 2 for Children

Father, on the night before he died,
Jesus shared a meal with his friends.
He took the bread, and thanked you.
He broke it, and gave it to them, saying:

Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this to remember me.

After the meal, Jesus took the cup of wine.
He thanked you, and gave it to them, saying:

Drink this, all of you.
This is my blood,
the new promise of God’s unfailing love.
Do this to remember me.

Christ is the bread of life:
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again!

Father, as we offer this bread and wine,
and remember his death and resurrection,
send your +Holy Spirit,
that we who share these gifts
may be fed by Christ’s body and his blood.

Pour your Spirit on us
that we may love one another,
work for the healing of the earth,
and share the good news of Jesus,
as we wait for his coming in glory.

For honour and praise belong to you, Father,
with Jesus your Son, and the Holy Spirit:
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen

Lord’s Prayer (Pop Goes the Weasel)

Our Father, who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy na-a-ame.
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread
Forgive us all our si-i-ns
As we forgive
all those us who sin
or trespass against us

Let us not be drawn into
Any kind of temptation
Deliver us
from the evil one
Amen, Amen, Amen.

Agnus Dei (3 blind mice)

Lamb of God, Lamb of God
You take away, the sin of the world
Have mercy on us, Lamb of God
Don’t let us stray away from the flock
You take away the sin of the world
So grant us peace

Come and eat, come and drink
You’re welcome here, come quite near
Share in his body and blood with us
It tastes like wine and bread but just
Know that inside it’s not quite thus
Share the food of God.

Communion Antiphon:

“Go then, and do likewise” (cf Luke 10:37)

Prayer after Communion:

Father,
may this sacrament fill us with love,
draw us closer to Christ your Son
and help us to recognise him in others
We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Lord.
Amen.

Blessing (Sing a Song of Sixpence)

The Lord be with you
And also with you

Bow your heads and pray for God’s blessing

May the Lord now +bless you
And keep you all safe
Send you out from here
In a state of grace
Take what we have learned
About Jesus our King
And do what he has taught us
To make the world a better thing.

Go, the Mass has ended
But our service has begun
We heard it straight from Jesus
What it means to live as one
With him now up in heaven
Looking from above
Blessing us in all our work
Let’s go and share his love.

The Mass is ended.
Go in the Peace of Christ.
Thanks be to God

Written and performed by the genius who is Fr Wealands Bell, this wonderful, powerful and evocative sketch was found on an old tape (yes, tape) and digitised. Apologies for the quality, but it was a long time ago…

=http://youtu.be/3Ub3ZYzMBeE

 

This sketch appears with the permission of the author in my forthcoming book Creative Ideas for Frontline Evangelism with Young People which you can pre-order from here.

 

“As a practising Christian, perhaps I may make the point to the Bishops’ Benches, including to the most reverend Primate, that there is every reason why, in time, the Anglican Church should come to accept that, although I recognise that it may take some time. The character of love which marriage reflects—that it is faithful, stable, tough, unselfish and unconditional—is the same character that most Christians see in the love of God. Marriage is therefore holy, not because it is ordained by God, but because it reflects that most important central truth of our religion: the love of God for all of us.”

Lord Jenkin of Roding

My Lords, I pray that you heard the prophetic voice, but I fear your ears were stopped by fear of reaction. The Spirit in in this.