Family Communion: June 2014

Posted June 15, 2014 sprLeave a commentPosted in family, inclusive, mission, parish

Family Communion: 15th June 2014

See here for the Prezi and to download it. Or you can download a fully standalone version from here (zip file)

Gathering Song (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 (Ba Ba 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!

Gloria (Old Macdonald)

Glory be to God on high
To all on earth be peace
Lord God, Heavenly King
For you we praise and sing

O Lord God,
Lamb of God,
You take away
the sin of the world
Have mercy on us

You alone are the holy one
You alone are the Lord
You alone are the mo-ost high
Jesus Christ

In the Glory of God,
the Fa-a-ather
ever one
Always three
A-a-a-a-men

A-a-a-a-men!
Collect

Let us pray…

Thank you Lord for bringing us here
Together as friends and family

Thank you Lord so we can share
This special meal with you.

Amen!

Gospel: Listen 30 p64

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

Creed (to the tune of frere Jacques)

God our Father, God our Mother [or above all other
We believe, we believe
who created all things, who created all things
Earth and sea, stars and me.

Christ our Saviour, Christ our Saviour
We believe, we believe
Lived and died and risen, lived and died and risen
You and me, set us free.

Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit
We believe, we believe
Moving here among us, moving here among us
God right here, near as near.

Three in one, three in one
One in three, one in three
God revealing all things, God revealing all things
Dancing free, trinity.

Prayers (to the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down)

We thank you Lord for all we have
All we have, all we have
We thank you Lord for all we have
Which you give us

We pray to you for all our friends,
all our friends, all our friends
And all those who need our prayer
Come and help them

We pray for those who are sick or ill
sick or ill, sick or ill
sad or lonely, stressed or ill
Come and help them

Hail Mary full of grace
full of grace, full of grace
The Lord is with you, pray for us
Now and always

And to God we give our prayers
give our prayers, give our prayers
Hear us Lord and help us on
Now and always
Amen!

Peace

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 (Kum By Yah)

The Lord is here right now
His spirit with us

Lift up your hearts to him
We lift them up

It’s the right thing to do
Yes Jesus, O yes, we come in prayer

Lord of all life,
you created the universe,
where all living things reflect your glory.
You give us this great and beautiful earth,
to discover and to cherish.

You give us sun and moon and star-lit sky,
everything that gives us light,
light for our eyes, our hearts, our minds.

You made us all,
each wonderfully different,
to join with the angels
and sing your praise:
Sanctus (Kum By Yah)

Holy, Holy Lord, O Holy God
Our prayers are joined
By the Saints
Blessed is the one
Who comes in peace
Blessed is the Prince of Peace

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.

Memorial Acclamation (Kum By Yah)

Let us proclaim Of our faith

“Christ has died
And has arisen
Christ will come
To us again
O yes, he will return”

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.

Great Amen (Kum By Yah)

Amen, Amen
Let it be so,
Amen, Amen
Let it be so,
Amen, Amen
We say this now,
Amen, O yes, 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
Jesus said “Let the children come to me”

Prayer after Communion (Polly put the kettle on)

Thank you for the meal we eat
Thank you for the meal we eat
Thank you for the meal we eat
Christ brings us life

Now let us go from this place
Now let us go from this place
Now let us go from this place
To do his work

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

Maya Angelou RIP

Posted May 28, 2014 sprLeave a commentPosted in inclusive

Maya Angelou
20 January 1993

A Rock, A River, A Tree
Hosts to species long since departed,
Marked the mastodon.The dinosaur, who left dry tokens
Of their sojourn here
On our planet floor,
Any broad alarm of their hastening doom
Is lost in the gloom of dust and ages.

But today, the Rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully,
Come, you may stand upon my
Back and face your distant destiny,
But seek no haven in my shadow.

I will give you no more hiding place down here.

You, created only a little lower than
The angels, have crouched too long in
The bruising darkness,
Have lain too long
Face down in ignorance.

Your mouths spilling words
Armed for slaughter.

The Rock cries out today, you may stand on me,
But do not hide your face.

Across the wall of the world,
A River sings a beautiful song,
Come rest here by my side.

Each of you a bordered country,
Delicate and strangely made proud,
Yet thrusting perpetually under siege.

Your armed struggles for profit
Have left collars of waste upon
My shore, currents of debris upon my breast.

Yet, today I call you to my riverside,
If you will study war no more. Come,

Clad in peace and I will sing the songs
The Creator gave to me when I and the
Tree and the stone were one.

Before cynicism was a bloody sear across your
Brow and when you yet knew you still
Knew nothing.

The River sings and sings on.

There is a true yearning to respond to
The singing River and the wise Rock.

So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew
The African and Native American, the Sioux,
The Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek
The Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheikh,
The Gay, the Straight, the Preacher,
The privileged, the homeless, the Teacher.
They hear. They all hear
The speaking of the Tree.

Today, the first and last of every Tree
Speaks to humankind. Come to me, here beside the River.

Plant yourself beside me, here beside the River.

Each of you, descendant of some passed
On traveller, has been paid for.

You, who gave me my first name, you
Pawnee, Apache and Seneca, you
Cherokee Nation, who rested with me, then
Forced on bloody feet, left me to the employment of
Other seekers–desperate for gain,
Starving for gold.

You, the Turk, the Swede, the German, the Scot …
You the Ashanti, the Yoruba, the Kru, bought
Sold, stolen, arriving on a nightmare
Praying for a dream.

Here, root yourselves beside me.

I am the Tree planted by the River,
Which will not be moved.

I, the Rock, I the River, I the Tree
I am yours–your Passages have been paid.

Lift up your faces, you have a piercing need
For this bright morning dawning for you.

History, despite its wrenching pain,
Cannot be unlived, and if faced
With courage, need not be lived again.

Lift up your eyes upon
The day breaking for you.

Give birth again
To the dream.

Women, children, men,
Take it into the palms of your hands.

Mold it into the shape of your most
Private need. Sculpt it into
The image of your most public self.
Lift up your hearts
Each new hour holds new chances
For new beginnings.

Do not be wedded forever
To fear, yoked eternally
To brutishness.

The horizon leans forward,
Offering you space to place new steps of change.
Here, on the pulse of this fine day
You may have the courage
To look up and out upon me, the
Rock, the River, the Tree, your country.

No less to Midas than the mendicant.

No less to you now than the mastodon then.

Here on the pulse of this new day
You may have the grace to look up and out
And into your sister’s eyes, into
Your brother’s face, your country
And say simply
Very simply
With hope
Good morning.

Wedding Hymn to the tune of "Lord of the Dance"

Posted March 14, 2014 spr1 CommentPosted in inclusive, mission, parish, poetry

Karen asks for a new hymn for weddings to “Lord of the Dance” (or more accurately perhaps the old Shaker Hymn “T’is a gift to be simple”)

I hope this kicks off a collaborative process – first verse and chorus:

We come together to witness love
These two people joined by Above
We see in them
a spring of care
Spreading wide, both here and there

Love then, however it may be
Love will defeat the enemy
Marriage shows
When two people care
The love of God is always there.

Make this better… and add more verses!

Hymns and Readings for your wedding

Posted March 14, 2014 sprLeave a commentPosted in inclusive, mission, parish, poetry, sacraments, scripture

This is a small document containing suitable pieces of music for use in Church (especially coming in, during the signing of the registers and coming out of Church), suitable hymns and both scriptural readings as well as non-scriptural poems and reflections which work well in a Church wedding service.

You can download this as a pdf from here

Hymns & Readings for your Wedding

Choosing your hymns:

The hymns you sing at your wedding are your choice! The list that follows are some of those more often used, but you are not limited to these and there may be other hymns, readings or poems you prefer.

Most people like to choose hymns they know. This usually means they know the tune, and many hymns can be sung to different tunes. The important consideration is the words. Do the words of the hymn say what you want to say about your marriage? Worry about the tunes later! The first 3 are special wedding hymns set to well-known tunes.

Normally you would choose 3 hymns, though sometimes 2 or 4 are appropriate.

The clergy are always willing to help and advise in the choice of hymns. The priest conducting your service will want to discuss your choice of hymns with you a few months before the service. Most people find 5 or 6 they would like and then narrow it down to the required number when they talk in detail about the service. Remember that you are responsible for providing the words for the congregation to sing. Sometimes this can be done by using the church hymn books but not all the hymns are in the one hymn-book. Quite often couples provide a special service paper for their guests. Discuss the format of these with the clergy before you have them printed.

Music normally used at the entry of the Bride

1 BRIDAL MARCH Wagner
2 FINALE FROM ROYAL FIREWORKS Handel
3 ODE TO JOY (Symphony No 9) Beethoven
4 TRUMPET TUNE Charpentier
5 CORO FROM THE WATER MUSIC Handel
6 TRUMPET AIR AND INTERLUDE Vann
7 RONDEAU Purcell
8 MARCH FROM THE OCCASIONAL ORATORIO Handel
9 MARCH FROM SCIPIO Handel

Music which can be used on entry or departure

10 TRUMPET TUNE Purcell
11 TRUMPET VOLUNTARY Clarke
12 WAR MARCH OF THE PRIESTS Mendelssohn
13 GRAND MARCH FROM AIDA Verdi
14 TUBA TUNE Lang
15 TRUMPET VOLUNTARY Stanley
16 CANON IN D Pachelbel

Music normally used at the end of the Service

17 WEDDING MARCH Mendelssohn
18 TOCCATA Widor
19 ARRIVAL OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA Handel
20 THE WATER MUSIC Handel
21 NUN DANKET ALLE GOTT Karg-Elert
22 HORNPIPE Rawsthome
23 ALLA MARCIA Ireland
24 SORTIE III Lefebere~Wely

You can always use YouTube to hear all this music and these hymns once again.

Hymns

To the tune of “Jerusalem”
1
We gather here, we gather now,
drawn by the love we know and share.
We come to celebrate in our joy
the union of this special pair.
To them our hearts reach out with love,
on them the light of heav’n above
shines down in grace abundant and free
to bless them both eternally.

And we who join to wish them well,
offer them both our love and pray’r
that they may walk in fullness of life
the journey they have come to share.
That they may know if storms come near
that they have friends and fam’ly here
for we commit ourselves to pray
and love and cherish them each day

To the tune of “I vow to thee my country”
2
These vows of love are taken,
as rings of love received,
we witness here among us a mystery believed:
that in God’s holy presence a union has begun
and these your precious children
have now become as one.
For the things of earth and heaven
draw closer as we pray,
and in heav’n the angels celebrate with us
on earth today.

For all our many blessings
we offer thanks and praise,
for gifts of love and fellowship
our thankful hearts we raise.
God’s hand has held us safely and
brought us to this day,
God has guided and protected
and taught us on the way.
For the love we learn on earth
is the love we’ll find in heav’n
and the human love we celebrate
is love that God has giv’n.

To the tune of “Morning has broken”
3
God of all living,
Father, we praise you,
Full of Thanksgiving,
For so much love;
Now in this wedding,
Come down among us,
Pour out your blessing,
Heavenly dove.

With love’s true splendour,
Father, delight us,
Each giving honour,
With faithfulness;
And may the sharing,
Of this sweet union
Deepen our caring,
With tenderness.

May there be children,
Fruit of our loving,
True men and women,
With faith beside;
Grant us your keeping
In all our future,
Your love caressing
Bridegroom and bride.

4
Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!
His the sceptre, his the throne;
alleluia! His the triumph,
his the victory alone:
hark! The songs of peaceful Sion
thunder like a mighty flood;
Jesus out of every nation
hath redeemed us by his blood.

Alleluia! Not as orphans
are we left in sorrow now;
alleluia! He is near us,
faith believes, nor questions how:
though the cloud from sight received him,
when the forty days were o’er,
shall our hearts forget his promise,
“I am with you evermore”?
Alleluia! Bread of angels,
thou on earth our food, our stay;
alleluia! Here the sinful
flee to thee from day to day:
intercessor, friend of sinners,
earth’s redeemer, plead for me,
where the songs of all the sinless
sweep across the crystal sea.

Alleluia! King eternal,
thee the Lord of Lords we own;
alleluia! Born of Mary,
earth thy footstool, heaven thy throne:
thou within the veil hast entered,
robed in flesh, our great high priest;
thou on earth both priest and victim
in the Eucharistic feast.

5
At the name of Jesus
every knee shall bow,
every tongue confess him
king of glory now;
’tis the Father’s pleasure
we should call him Lord,
who from the beginning
was the mighty word.

At his voice creation
sprang at once to sight,
all the angel faces,
all the hosts of light,
thrones and dominations,
stars upon their way,
all the heavenly orders,
in their great array.

Name him, brothers, name him,
with love as strong as death,
but with awe and wonder
and with bated breath:
he is God the saviour,
he is Christ the Lord,
ever to be worshipped,
trusted, and adored.

In your hearts enthrone him
there let him subdue
all that is not holy,
all that is not true:
crown him as your captain
in temptation’s hour;
let his will enfold you
in its light and power.

Brothers, this Lord Jesus
shall return again,
with his Father’s glory,
with his angel train;
for all wreaths of empire
meet upon his brow,
and our hearts confess him
king of glory now.

6
Come down, 0 love divine,
seek thou this soul of mine,
and visit it with thine own ardour glowing;
0 comforter, draw near,
within my heart appear,
and kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.

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 he become the place
wherein the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling.

7
Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
forgive our foolish ways
Reclothe us in our rightful mind,
in purer lives thy service find,
in deeper reverence praise.

In simple trust like theirs who heard,
beside the Syrian sea,
the gracious calling of the Lord,
let us, like them, without a word
rise up and follow thee.

O Sabbath rest by Galilee!
O calm of hills above,
where Jesus knelt to share with thee
the silence of eternity,
interpreted by love!

Drop thy still dews of quietness,
till all our strivings cease;
take from our souls the stain and stress,
and let our ordered lives confess
the beauty of thy peace.

Breathe through the heats of our desires
thy coolness and thy balm;
let sense be dumb let flesh retire;
speak through the earthquake wind and fire,
0 still small voice of calm.

8
Father, hear the prayer we offer:
not for ease that prayer shall be,
but for strength that we may ever
live our lives courageously.

Not for ever in green pastures
do we ask our way to be;
but the steep and rugged pathway
may we tread rejoicingly.

Not for ever by still waters
would we idly rest and stay;
but would smite the living fountains
from the rocks along our way.

Be our strength in hours of weakness,
in our wonderings be our guide;
through endeavour, failure, danger,
Father, be thou at our side.

9
For the beauty of the earth,
for the beauty of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around as lies:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For the beauty of each hour,
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon and stars of light:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For each perfect gift of thine,
to our race so freely given,
graces human and divine,
flowers of earth and buds of heaven:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For thy Church that evermore
lifteth holy hands above,
offering up on every shore
this pure sacrifice of love:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

10
Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising,
give me joy in my heart, I pray;
give me joy in my heart, keep me praising,
keep me praising till the break of day.

Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
sing hosanna to the King of kings!
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
sing hosanna to the King!

Give me peace in my heart, keep me loving,
give me peace in my heart, I pray;
give me peace in my heart, keep me loving,
keep me loving till the break of day:

Give me love in my heart, keep me serving,
give me love in my heart, I pray;
give me love in my heart, keep me serving,
keep me serving till the break of day:

11
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
holy, holy, holy,! merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns
around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
which wert and art and evermore shall be.

Holy, holy, holy!
though the darkness hide thee, .
though the eye of sinful man
thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy, there is none beside thee
perfect in power, in love, and purity,

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty!
All thy works shall praise
thy name in earth and sky and sea;
holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed trinity.

12
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the ancient of days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, not wasting, thou rulest in might;
thy justice like mountains high soaring above
thy clouds which are fountains
of goodness and love.

To all life thou givest, to both great and small;
in all life thou livest, the true life of all;
we blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
and wither and perish; but naught changeth thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all laud we would render: 0 help us to see
’tis only the splendour of light hideth thee.

13
King of glory, king of peace, I will love thee;
and, that love may never cease, I will move thee.
Thou hast granted my request, thou hast heard me;
thou didst note my working breast,
thou hast spared me. Alleluia!
Wherefore with my utmost art , I will sing thee,
and the cream of all my heart , I will bring thee.
Though my sins against me cried,
thou didst clear me,
and alone, when they replied,
thou didst hear me. Alleluia!

Seven whole days, not one in seven,
I will praise thee;
In my heart, though not in heaven, I can raise thee.
Small it is, in this poor sort to enrol thee:
e’en eternity’s too short to extol thee. Alleluia!

14
Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us
o’er the world’s tempestuous sea;
guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us,
for we have no help but thee;
yet possessing every blessing,
if our God our Father be.

Saviour, breathe forgiveness o’er us:
all our weakness thou dost know;
thou didst tread this earth before us,
thou didst feel its keenest woe;
lone and dreary, faint and weary,
through the desert thou didst go.

Spirit of our God, descending,
fill our hearts with heavenly joy,
love with every passion blending,
pleasure that can never cloy:
thus provided, pardoned, guided,
nothing can our peace destroy.

15
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
whose trust, ever childlike,
no cares could destroy,
be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
your bliss in our hearts,
Lord, at the break of the day.

Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
whose strong hands were skilled
at the plane and the lathe,
be there at our labours, and give us, we pray,
your strength in our hearts,
Lord, at the noon of the day.
Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.

Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
whose voice is contentment,
whose presence is balm,
be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
your peace in our hearts, Lord,
at the end of the day.

16
Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.

Jesu, thou art all compassion,
pure unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.

Come, almighty to deliver,
let us all thy grace receive;
suddenly return, and never,
never more thy temple leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy host above;
pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.

Finish then thy new creation:
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation,
perfectly restored in thee;

Changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.

17
Make me a channel of your peace
where there is hatred let me bring your love;
where there is injury your pardon, Lord;
and where there’s doubt, true faith in you.

Oh, Master, grant that I may never seek
so much to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love with all my soul,

Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there’s despair in life let me bring hope;
where there is darkness, only light;
and where there’s sadness, ever joy.

Make me a channel of your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
in giving to all men that we receive,
and in dying that we’re born to eternal life.

18
O worship the king all glorious above;
o gratefully sing his power and his love;
our shield and defender, the ancient of days,
pavilioned in splendour and girded with praise.

The earth with its store of wonders untold,
almighty, thy power hath founded of old;
hath ‘stablished it fast by a changeless decree,
and round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.

Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
and sweetly distils in the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust and feeble as frail,
in thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail;
thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end!
Our maker, defender, redeemer, and friend.

O measureless might; ineffable love,
while angels delight to hymn thee above,
thy ransomed creation, though feeble their lays,
with true adoration shall sing to thy praise.

26
Praise, my soul, the king of heaven;
to his feet thy tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
who like me his praise should sing?
Praise him! Praise him!
Praise the everlasting king.

Praise him for his grace and favour
to our fathers in distress;
praise him still the same for ever,
slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Praise him! Praise him!
Glorious in his faithfulness.

Father-like, he tends and spares us;
well our feeble frame he knows;
in his hands he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes.
Praise him! Praise him!
Widely as his mercy flows.

Angels, help us to adore him;
ye behold him face to face;
sun and moon, bow down before him;
dwellers all in time and space.
Praise him! Praise him!
Praise with us the God of grace.

28
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England’s mountain green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England’s pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England’s green and pleasant land.

Readings

Song of Solomon 2.10-13; 8.6,7

My beloved speaks and says to me:
‘Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away;
for now the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtle dove
is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away.’

Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm;
for love is strong as death,
passion fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
a raging flame.
Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If one offered for love
all the wealth of one’s house,
it would be utterly scorned.

1 John 4.7-12

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

1 Corinthians 13

If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Philippians 4.4-9

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Matthew 5.1-10

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
cont
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’

John 15.9-17

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.’

Poems & Other Readings

Yes, I’ll Marry You

Yes, I’ll marry you, my dear,
And here’s the reason why;
So I can push you out of bed
When the baby starts to cry,
And if we hear a knocking
And it’s creepy and it’s late,
I hand you the torch you see,
And you investigate.

Yes I’ll marry you, my dear,
You may not apprehend it,
But when the tumble-drier goes
It’s you that has to mend it,
You have to face the neighbour
Should our labrador attack him,
And if a drunkard fondles me
It’s you that has to whack him.

Yes, I’ll marry you,
You’re virile and you’re lean,
My house is like a pigsty
You can help to keep it clean.
That sexy little dinner
Which you served by candlelight,
As I do chipolatas,
You can cook it every night!

It’s you who has to work the drill
and put up curtain track,
And when I’ve got PMT
it’s you who gets the flak,
I do see great advantages,
But none of them for you,
And so before you see the light,
I do, I do, I do!

Pam Ayres

Wedding Haiku

I promise to love
and will gladly honour you
but obey? no way!

Tracy Davidson

A reading from “the Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran

Then Almitra spoke again and said, “And what of Marriage, master?” And he answered saying:

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore. You shall be together when white wings of death scatter your days. Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God. But let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous,
but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.

The Art of Marriage

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens: A good marriage must be created.
In the art of marriage the little things are the big things…

It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say “I love you”
at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,
it should continue through all the years.

It is having a mutual sense
of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love
that gathers in the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude
of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation
and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience,
understanding and a sense of humour.

It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow. It is finding room for the things of the spirit. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.

It is not only marrying the right partner, it s being the right partner. It is discovering what marriage can be, at its best.

Wilfred A. Peterson.

My Luve’s like a red, red rose

O my Luve’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June:
O my Luve’s like the melodie,
That’s sweetly play’d in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare-thee-weel, my only Luve!
And fare-thee-weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ ’twere ten thousand mile!

Robert Burns

Marriage Joins Two People

Marriage is a commitment to life, the best that two people can find and bring out in each other.
It offers opportunities for sharing and growth
that no other relationship can equal.
It is a physical and an emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime.
Within the circle of its love, marriage encompasses all of life’s most important relationships.
A wife and a husband are each other’s best friend,
confidant, lover, teacher, listener, and critic.
And there may come times when one partner is heartbroken or ailing, and the love of the other may resemble the tender caring of a parent or child.

Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life.
Happiness is fuller, memories are fresher, commitment is stronger, even anger is felt more strongly, and passes away more quickly.
Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life
is unable to avoid. It encourages and nurtures new life, new experiences, new ways of expressing
a love that is deeper than life.

When two people pledge their love and care for each other in marriage, they create a spirit unique unto themselves which binds them closer
than any spoken or written words. Marriage is a promise, a potential made in the hearts of two people who love each other and takes a lifetime to fulfill.

Edmund O’Neill

What is love?

Love is just not looking at each other and saying
“You’re wonderful.” There are times when we are anything but wonderful. Love is looking out in the same direction, it is linking our strength to pull a common load, it is pushing together towards the far horizons, hand in hand. Love is knowing that when our strength falters, we can borrow the strength of someone who cares. Love is a strange awareness
that our sorrows will be shared and made lighter by sharing; that joys will be enriched and multiplied
by the joy of another. Love is knowing someone else cares that we are not alone in life.

Walter Rinder

Eskimo Love Song

You are my husband, you are my wife
My feet shall run because of you
My feet dance because of you
My heart shall beat because of you
My eyes see because of you
My mind thinks because of you
And I shall love, because of you.

Irish Blessing

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

May God be with you and bless you;
May you see your children’s children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.

May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near.

May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you.

The solution…

Posted March 1, 2014 sprLeave a commentPosted in inclusive

I read those heart-rending stories of LGBT people isolated by Evangelical Christianity. To me, the answer is clear: find an inclusive progressive anglocatholic parish, receive the sacraments and know that God loves you for who you are.

Collective Worship and School Teaching for Ash Wednesday

Posted February 24, 2014 spr2 CommentsPosted in inclusive, mission

Download: Teaching Powerpoint on Ash Wednesday

Prezi at https://prezi.com/ky6mdfof8yqx/

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You can work out the words from these slides. I am working with each year group from Reception through to Year 6 (skipping some bits for the littler ones obviously) and covering all this in 30 mins per year group, based on the following outline

Outline

Each theme below to be differentiated for each year group. Each session requires access to Powerpoint and Sound Playback and space for some movement and ritual for each yeargroup. Fr. Simon will produce these materials.

Introduction and Welcome
Purpose of the Session
Recall Pancake Day / Shrove Tuesday
Identify today as Ash Wednesday
Set Ash Wednesday in context of Lent, Holy Week and Easter
Describe Ashing: where the ashes come from and what they are used for
Burn a Palm Cross with a blow torch to make the link clear
Doing Bad Things
- The reality of bad things in the world, in the playground
- How bad things affect relationships
- How people feel when bad things are done to them (Golden Rules?)
- Opportunity to recap whichever rule system is used in school
Bad things make God sad = sin
The effect of saying sorry and meaning it
The promise of forgiveness
The reality of grace
Opportunity for personal reflection on our actions
- Including guided silence and reflection with music and images (visual)
- Ritual with stones and large pot of water (supplied by Fr. Simon) and/or cairns of stones scattered and then rebuilt depending on year group (kinaesthetic)
- Task: Draw/Paint/Collage in small groups/individually (decided by class teachers) pieces to offer reflecting on Ash Weds.

Examples might be:

Ink ripple prints recalling the water/stones ritual earlier
Charcoal as an art medium, recalling the Ash
Collage of news items/internet images of things for society to repent about (older age group)
…or of course any others thought up by Young People, Art Manager, Class Teacher etc!

This is then followed by Collective Worship for KS1 and then KS2 which ends with the ashing of all the children who want it.

Act of Worship at the end of the school day

Prezi at https://prezi.com/vwgxe5axq6-l/

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Gathering Song: King of Kings, Majesty

Mr Davey recaps the day’s Ash Wednesday activities

Collect

Lord,
protect us in our struggle against evil.
As we begin the discipline of Lent,
make this day holy by our self-denial.
Grant 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.

Gospel: John 21:1-19

Options include: I could simply retell the story in the idiom of the next book: Frontline Evangelism with Youth People (yes, that is a plug)

1 Later, Jesus appeared again to his followers by Lake Galilee. This is how it happened: 2 Some of the followers were together—Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the two sons of Zebedee, and two other followers. 3 Simon Peter said, “I am going out to fish.”

The other followers said, “We will go with you.” So all of them went out and got into the boat. They fished that night but caught nothing.

4 Early the next morning Jesus stood on the shore. But the followers did not know it was Jesus. 5 Then he said to them, “Friends, have you caught any fish?”

They answered, “No.”

6 He said, “Throw your net into the water on the right side of your boat. You will find some fish there.” So they did this. They caught so many fish that they could not pull the net back into the boat.

7 The follower Jesus loved very much said to Peter, “That man is the Lord!” When Peter heard him say it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around himself. (He had taken his clothes off to work.) Then he jumped into the water. 8 The other followers went to shore in the boat. They pulled the net full of fish. They were not very far from shore, only about 100 yards. [b 9 When they stepped out of the boat and onto the shore, they saw a fire of hot coals. There were fish on the fire and some bread there too. 10 Then Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish that you caught.”

11 Simon Peter got into the boat and pulled the net to the shore. It was full of big fish—153 of them! But even with that many fish, the net did not tear. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat.” None of the followers would ask him, “Who are you?” They knew he was the Lord. 13 Jesus walked over to get the bread and gave it to them. He also gave them the fish.

14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his followers after he was raised from death.

15 When they finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these other men love me?”

Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Take care of my lambs.”

16 Again Jesus said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Then Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

17 A third time Jesus said, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was sad because Jesus asked him three times, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you!”

Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep. 18 The truth is, when you were young, you tied your own belt and went where you wanted. But when you are old, you will put out your hands, and someone else will tie your belt. They will lead you where you don’t want to go.” 19 Then he said to Peter, “Follow me!”

This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Fr Simon’s Homily: Washed Clean
See an example given at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPyfwtUecNk

Example text (I always ad lib this, so this is just a guide):

Tools: (supplied by Fr. Simon)
2 Clear Glass Bowls
1 small bottle of Iodine
1 bottle of Film Fixer
1 Purificator or Handkerchief

Preparation:
Fill the two bowls with approximately 1 litre of water, in one bowl have approximately 150-200mls of fixer in the bottom [adding the water could be part of the story

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

I want to show you something quite special this afternoon, something that illustrates very clearly what God does for us.

I have here, in these very bowls, some water, as you can see: plain ordinary water. Now these two bowls represent the world, and as the world is over 70% water, it is quite right that they are full of water.

Now, here I have a handkerchief, a plain ordinary handkerchief, and I think, even, that it’s clean. This handkerchief represents us, people in the world; and as you can see, when I dip it into the clean water, it stays nice and bright and shiny.

However, the world isn’t really as clean as all that is it? There are lots of nasty things going on, people killing each other and hating each other, simply because they live in the wrong part of town, or because they have different colour skin; people arguing and stealing and telling lies, all things that make God very sad about the wonderful world that he created: failing to love God, failing to follow God’s laws and failure to treat other people as we want to be treated.

So, to show this, I am going to add a few drops of some of this badness into the bowl of water, just a little, because I am sure that there is just a little bit of badness in the world, not a lot, but see what happens – the little bit of badness spreads throughout the earth and makes the water all mucky and brown.

What happens when I dip the nice clean hankie into the water now [put hankie in iodine solution, and it goes black – it makes it dirty and stained: we are affected by the badness in the world, and we are marked by it; see how the hankie goes black – and sometimes we even make the badness worse by adding our own badness: a bit of lying, a bit of cheating, a bit of stealing and a bit of failing to love God as we should.

Now, in this other bowl, we have a slightly different world, a world which is touched with the love of Jesus Christ in it: he loves each and every one of us, no matter how black and dirty we think we may me, no matter how clever we are or how we look, he simply loves us no matter what

Watch what happens now, if I take the cloth that is us, marked with sin, and put it in the Jesus bowl, [put cloth in fixer bowl, and it will turn clean again it takes away our sin, and makes us clean again, and you can see that the hankie has gone back to white again, as it has been touched by the love of Jesus.

However, and I think this is the clever part, this story does not just end with the wiping clean of us, and the making of us clean from sin: watch what happens when I take the cloth that has encountered the love of Jesus, and put it back in the dirty, sinful old world again [put the cloth from the fixer back in the iodine solution – the iodine will clear and the ‘water’ will be clean again, the love of Christ which has changed you, has the power to change the world, and the effect of sin can be overcome.

Let us Pray:

Dear Lord, we know that there are so many bad things that happen in the world, but help us to see that these bad things are not caused or made by you, but that they are the result of people turning away from you, and going their own way without listening to your commandments. We know that you feel for each and every one of us, when something bad happens and to show that love for us, you sent your Son, Jesus Christ to take away that sin, that badness for us. We saw with wonder and amazement, the really cool way that you wiped out our sin, and we ask, Dear God, that through us, showing the love of Christ in the way we treat each other, can make this world once more, sinless and clean.

Amen.

Forgiveness Song

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.

God loves you. God forgives you. God takes away your sin.

Fr. Simon recaps on forgiveness and grace and teaches a very silly song on forgiveness:

You’re forgiven and you know it, so clap your hands
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 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”
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!

Simon Rundell (2011), Creative Ideas for Sacramental Worship with Children, Canterbury Press

Lord’s Prayer (to the tune of 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.

Liturgy of Ashing

Dear friends in Christ, let us ask our Father to bless these ashes which we will use as the mark of our repentance.

(Silent prayer)
Lord, bless the one who asks your forgiveness
and bless + all those who receive these ashes.
May they keep this Lenten season in preparation for the joy of Easter.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
Amen

The Ashes are sprinkled with Holy Water and then we say the grace together

The +grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with us all evermore. Amen

Blessing

Christ give you grace to grow in holiness,
to deny yourselves, take up your cross, and follow him;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the +Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

Our service is ended. Go in the peace, love and forgiveness of Christ.
Thanks be to God.

Every person, beginning with the priests are offered to be ashed. They are then given a small prayer card. They are ashed with the words:

Remember you are dust and to dust you will return.
God loves you. God forgives you. God restores you through Jesus Christ

They are then given a small prayer card which says the same. If anyone declines Ashing, they will be offered a prayer of blessing and a card. If they decline both, they will be offered a card.

Recessional Video (as the children are ashed)

Video: Prayer from the Heart (John Taverner/Bjork) modified for Ashing

( http://vimeo.com/37030597 )

END

School Mass: 24th January 2014 Light in the Darkness

Posted January 24, 2014 sprLeave a commentPosted in alt.worship, family, inclusive, scripture, teaching, youth

Gathering Song:

=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnPVJYTW9s8

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 (ba ba 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…

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for all you do for us.
Help us to be a light for those who are sad
Just as you are a light for the world
Amen

Gospel

“I am the light of the world, the light that shines in the darkness”

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

Take a candle. Turn out all the lights. Speak of the world as dark and scary. Light candle and speak of Jesus being the light in the darkness. The darkness runs away from the light.

There is nothing so scary that the light of Christ cannot dispel. We each have a light of faith inside us. All we have to do is light them from the light of the world and there will be nothing we cannot face. Ever.

When you take your light into other places, you light up the world with the love of Jesus. Spread the light.

Peace

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

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 (Kum By Yah)

The Lord is here right now
His spirit with us

Lift up your hearts to him
We lift them up

It’s the right thing to do
Yes Jesus, O yes, we come in prayer

Lord of all life,
you created the universe,
where all living things reflect your glory.
You give us this great and beautiful earth,
to discover and to cherish.

You give us sun and moon and star-lit sky,
everything that gives us light,
light for our eyes, our hearts, our minds.

You made us all,
each wonderfully different,
to join with the angels
and sing your praise:

Sanctus (Kum By Yah)

Holy, Holy Lord, O Holy God
Our prayers are joined
By the Saints
Blessed is the one
Who comes in peace
Blessed is the Prince of Peace

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.

Memorial Acclamation (Kum By Yah)

Let us proclaim Of our faith

“Christ has died
And has arisen
Christ will come
To us again
O yes, he will return”

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.

Great Amen (Kum By Yah)

Amen, Amen
Let it be so,
Amen, Amen
Let it be so,
Amen, Amen
We say this now,
Amen, O yes, 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 like that
Share the food of God.

Prayer after Communion (Polly put the kettle on)

Thank you for the meal we eat
Thank you for the meal we eat
Thank you for the meal we eat
Christ brings us life

Now let us go from this place
Now let us go from this place
Now let us go from this place
To do his work

Blessing (Sing a Song of Sixpence)

The Lord be with you
And also with you

Bow your heads and pray for God’s blessing

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

Nursery Rhyme Mass in School for Epiphany 2: Behold the Lamb

Posted January 17, 2014 sprLeave a commentPosted in alt.worship, inclusive, mission, parish

Gathering Song

Behold the Lamb (CJM)

=http://youtu.be/4-53FUtoHgM

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 <Ba Ba Blacksheep>

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…

(The response is: I come to do your will)

Here I am, Lord
I come to do your will

I waited for the Lord, and He stooped down to me
Here I am, Lord
I come to do your will

He put a new song in my mouth
Here I am, Lord
I come to do your will

God does not ask for sacrifices and offerings
Instead, here am I
Here I am, Lord
I come to do your will

Creative Ideas for Children’s Worship, Year A: Sarah Lenton

The Gospel from St John Chapter 1

One day John saw Jesus walking towards him and John said to his friends, ‘Do you see that Man? He is the Lamb of God!

‘God told me to baptize people in the River Jordan. I knew that one of them would turn out to be the Messiah, but I didn’t know which. And then Jesus came to be
baptized, and I saw the Holy Spirit come down like a dove from Heaven and hover over Him, and I realized who He was.’

‘I’m telling you the truth,’ said John, ‘Jesus is God’s Chosen One.’

The next day John was standing talking to his disciples and Jesus went past again. ‘Behold the Lamb of God!’ said John. And the two disciples left John and followed Jesus.

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

Why did John call Jesus a ‘lamb’? Well, it wasn’t because Jesus was cute.
Let’s think about lambs in Jesus’ time. People liked them then, just as much as we do. Jesus talks about holding little lambs close to His chest.
But of course people ate lambs then, just like us, and they did
something else – they sacrificed them . . .

Sacrifice

All ancient peoples sacrificed animals. They built an altar – very like the altar we have in church – and they killed an animal and cooked it.
They thought that the gods could smell the delicious smell of roast meat that went up to into the sky. Then they ate the rest of the animal themselves. Well, the Jewish people didn’t think that God wanted to smell roast meat. But they sacrificed lambs anyway.

They did it at their great feast of Passover and when they wanted to say ‘sorry’. They felt they could pile up all their sins on the lamb’s back and kill the lot – all the sins, all their guilt – and, of course, the lamb.

And John realized, that’s just what Jesus was going to do. He’d be everybody’s Lamb; innocent, nice and good. And He’d carry our sins on His back, get killed – and take them away. That’s why we still call Jesus ‘the Lamb of God’. We do it at every Eucharist.

Let’s learn that bit of the Eucharist now…

Just hold the lamb for a minute and pass it to your neighbour.
It’s nice, isn’t it? You know, the Jews always felt sorry for lambs, even when they sacrificed them.

Jesus knew He was the Lamb of God.
He knew He’d be sacrificed.
But that was OK – He loved us so much, He was prepared to accept
that. People have never forgotten that John the Baptist called Jesus the
‘Lamb of God’.

O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world
Have mercy upon us
O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world
Have mercy upon us
O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world
Grant us peace.

Creative Ideas for Children’s Worship, Year A: Sarah Lenton

Peace

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

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 (Kum By Yah)

The Lord is here right now
His spirit with us

Lift up your hearts to him
We lift them up

It’s the right thing to do
Yes Jesus, O yes, we come in prayer

Lord of all life,
you created the universe,
where all living things reflect your glory.
You give us this great and beautiful earth,
to discover and to cherish.

You give us sun and moon and star-lit sky,
everything that gives us light,
light for our eyes, our hearts, our minds.

You made us all,
each wonderfully different,
to join with the angels
and sing your praise:

Sanctus (Kum By Yah)

Holy, Holy Lord, O Holy God
Our prayers are joined
By the Saints
Blessed is the one
Who comes in peace
Blessed is the Prince of Peace

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.

Memorial Acclamation (Kum By Yah)

Let us proclaim Of our faith

“Christ has died
And has arisen
Christ will come
To us again
O yes, he will return”

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.

Great Amen (Kum By Yah)

Amen, Amen
Let it be so,
Amen, Amen
Let it be so,
Amen, Amen
We say this now,
Amen, O yes, 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)

We now share communion

Prayer after Communion (Polly put the kettle on)

Thank you for the meal we eat
Thank you for the meal we eat
Thank you for the meal we eat
Christ brings us life

Now let us go from this place
Now let us go from this place
Now let us go from this place
To do his work

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.

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

Sermon: Holy Family Year A, 2013

Posted December 28, 2013 spr1 CommentPosted in inclusive, mission, parish, politics, scripture, teaching

Listen (preached at S. Mary the Virgin, Bickleigh)

Text: Matthew 2:13-15; 19-23

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

With the birth of the Christ child still fresh in our ears, we move away from the crèche and towards the reality of living in the presence of a living God. We quickly move from the crystal starlight over the stable scene to a scene of warnings, dreams and severe human suffering.

For Mary and Joseph, the consequences of caring for their small infant son, the Emmanuel – the God with us – meant further dislocation and further isolation. This faithful couple, always ready to follow God, were being led away from everything and everyone that would support them while they cared for this child. Our Gospel moves us from the gentleness of the incarnation to the harsh reality of life.

These new parents had to flee from their homeland and their people and go to a strange land that did not know them. They became aliens, immigrants forced to flee away rather than run home to their village. For the families in Bethlehem and surrounding communities the consequences were much worse. Small children were slaughtered because a ruler was tricked by some wise elders from a distant tribe. There was blood everywhere. The awful reality of the slaughter of the Holy Innocents is recalled by the Church yesterday, whilst today this genocide forces the Saviour of us all to become an Asylum Seeker. The consequence of human anger with access to absolute power is clear in our Gospel today. The word of God made flesh reminds us today of the responsibility we have to the innocent and the alien. How easily we forget this lesson. The next time we read one of those poisonous newspaper articles about Asylum Seekers we should remember the story of the Christ-Child and his experience.

The harsh reality of the genocide inherent in the slaughter of the Holy Innocents invites us to move our gaze from the pastoral crèche scene, the wise men and sheep, to the world to which God came. We are invited to see the same broken world that is about us today. We are called to witness this same world, full of terror, in which angry and selfish political leaders even today destroy innocent lives.

Jesus came into the midst of terror and enters into our terror.

We, like Our Lady and St. Joseph, are called to move out from soft places, from warm rooms and safe havens, to the places where innocence is challenges, where faithful tender lives are at risk, and carry the God incarnate to alien places so that we might all be free.

A friend was recently in an airport waiting for a connecting flight. In the next row sat a family of six, mother, father and four small children. They were all dressed quite inappropriately for the season and the location: they huddled together, sleeping fitfully and speaking very little. When they did, it was a strange and unfamiliar language. As they boarded the plane, it was obvious that they were very confused by the seating and signs. My friend tried to help them as best she could but there was little was of communicating except by pointing.

This family of refugees were coming to a place where very little was familiar. How could they raise their children, find their way, communicate their basic needs? And yet they came with a weary willingness to protect and care for their little ones, to find a new life, despite all of the challenges and dislocation that were behind and in front of them.

This is what love does within in each of us. It gives us the courage to take on responsibility for the innocent. Love incarnate empowers us to turn away from the comforting familiar, in order to let love incarnate thrive.

Here is our call, our responsibility this Christmastide and all through the year. God with us, Emmanuel, encourages us to face the power of this world in order to protect the vulnerable and the needy.

Three days before Christmas, a Tory MP, Mr Mark Pritchard tweeted:

He’s probably right: The Church should preach a little more gospel and a little less politics. We should be focussing on Jesus, after all – not involving ourselves in the grubbiness of the world. For one thing, church people are hopeless at claiming expenses. And so I go to the Gospel. And I read…

From the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 25

“the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

Now the thing is, if you feed the hungry – that is a political act. If you set up a food bank (and the churches have, quite a lot), that’s a political act. If you wonder why there’s so many people needing food banks, that’s a political thing to think.

If you see someone who needs clothing, and you sort them out with some clothes, that’s a political act as well. I’m sure David Cameron would think that was part of his “Big Society”. After all, now he’s dropped the term, there’s a lot of Big Society, on a small scale, about. There has to be.

If someone is sick – and you don’t even necessarily know them – but you’re there for them anyway, that’s a political act. You’re saying you won’t allow them to lie there in hospital on their own, if you can do anything about it. And if someone is in prison, and you visit them, then that’s a political statement. You’re saying that it’s not good enough just to stick people in chokey and throw away the key. You’re making the walls porous – keeping people in society that others would want to keep locked out.

Jesus’s birth, in the first place, is a political act – God siding with the poor, the dispossessed, the homeless. And the belief that he will come back and judge the nations is not a piece of apocalyptic wish-fulfilment – it’s saying that the ones who rule, the ones who abuse, the ones who push down, will one day be judged. More fairly than they have judged, as well. Which might or might not be good news. Apocalyptic is always political.

The incarnation is political – Christ taking on human flesh in this grubby world. Not standing, shining, off in glory but arguing with priests, politicians, taking on kings and local rulers. Walking through the middle of all the mess, that people can choose to follow his way, or not. Demanding justice – isn’t that a political concept? Being the Prince of Peace – isn’t peace a political idea?

Consider the Magnificat “the mighty being cast down from their thrones and the lowly lifted up” – each Evensong – each night – this radical call to action is heard.

And then – all the people that Jesus knocked about with, and who followed on from him. I mean, clearly Churches shouldn’t get involved in equal opportunities – after all, just ask St Paul:

Gal 3:28: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”

So I did what Mr Pritchard wanted. I’ve looked straight at the Gospel. And do you know what, it’s full of politics? I guess he’s going to be disappointed, and it calls us to something far more. It challenges us in the not-very-fluffy reality of the Incarnation

This Love made Flesh challenges us to see the face of God in each refugee, each alien, each immigrant, every stranger, every sick person, every hungry person, every prisoner, every one.

The Prince of Peace calls us to look away from the comfortable and the pastoral to see the stark reality of suffering and terror in our world. We are called to see with the eyes of the Word of God – eyes which see everyone as relatives, tribal members, kin, family, equally welcomed at God’s table.

May these days of Christmas be times of looking outward, seeking the family which has been left outside, bringing home those who have been refugees, aliens and strangers.

As later in his ministry, Matthew recalls this fleshy-God saying “whenever to visited or welcomed or cared for one such as these, then you did the same to me”. The Refugee, the Asylum-Seeker, the Poor, sick, frightened or destitute remain, and it is our Christian duty to shelter the next Holy Family which flees for survival to our land.

Amen.

with credit to the Archdruid for reminding me what this is all about and the Twitter-troll who accused me of being a communist this week when I mentioned library closures. I pulled these things together with him in mind.

The public is wrong…

Posted December 14, 2013 spr2 CommentsPosted in inclusive

We seem to have such strange public perceptions: we love to stigmatise and alienate. I read this week (http://theconversation.com/british-people-are-wrong-about-everything-heres-why-16018) that out of every £100 of Benefit, the public believes about £24 of it is obtained fraudulently whereas in reality the figure is about 70pence. Everytime I pass a newsstand I glimpse the front page of the Daily Express – a paper which is, and I find it hard to admit this – worse than the Daily Mail in its xenophobia, racism and utter disgust for anything that isn’t WHITE and ENGLISH. It makes me ashamed to be British really.

(do you see the formula above: Massive indignant headline and huge picture of a photogenic woman – bread and circuses all the way, and a little bit sexist as well I fear)

Christian values should be one of welcome, of acceptance, of caring for the stranger, the widow, the orphan, the refugee. We do not know whether those who come to our shores, or reside sheltering under our freedoms are Angels (Genesis 18:1-2). Treat them as you would wish to be treated: without grudging, but with welcome and love. Oh, and stop buying the Daily Express – it really doesn’t represent what this country is about; and Richard Desmond should learn that.

Family Communion: 15th June 2014

Maya Angelou 20 January 1993

Hymns & Readings for your Wedding

Hymns

Readings

Poems & Other Readings

Outline

Act of Worship at the end of the school day

Gathering Song:

Penitential Rite (ba ba blacksheep)

Absolution (If you’re happy…)

Collect

Gospel

Peace

Prayer over the gifts

Preface (Kum By Yah)

Sanctus (Kum By Yah)

Eucharistic Prayer 2 for Children

Memorial Acclamation (Kum By Yah)

Great Amen (Kum By Yah)

Lord’s Prayer (Pop Goes the Weasel)

Agnus Dei (3 blind mice)

Prayer after Communion (Polly put the kettle on)

Blessing (Sing a Song of Sixpence)

Gathering Song

Penitential Rite <Ba Ba Blacksheep>

Absolution (If you’re happy…)

Collect

The Gospel from St John Chapter 1

Peace

Prayer over the gifts

Preface (Kum By Yah)

Sanctus (Kum By Yah)

Eucharistic Prayer 2 for Children

Memorial Acclamation (Kum By Yah)

Great Amen (Kum By Yah)

Lord’s Prayer (Pop Goes the Weasel)

Agnus Dei (3 blind mice)

Prayer after Communion (Polly put the kettle on)

Blessing (Sing a Song of Sixpence)

(do you see the formula above: Massive indignant headline and huge picture of a photogenic woman – bread and circuses all the way, and a little bit sexist as well I fear)

Maya Angelou
20 January 1993