Regular services at St Mary's

 

Sunday Service of the Word

Ascension Sunday May 24th 2020

Public worship is suspended in the Church of England. We invite everyone to join together in a Service of the Word at the time of our main Sunday Service 9:30 am, though you are welcome to pray this service at whatever time suits you.

To worship with us, please listen to the audio file and join in the responses in bold.

Listen to the Service of the Word

God has gone up with a shout,
The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

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


Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, for forty days we have been celebrating with joyful hearts the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, his bursting from the tomb and his defeat of the power of sin and death. He appeared to his disciples many times and told them about the kingdom of God.
Today we recall how he left this earth and returned to his Father, ascending into heaven to take his throne over all dominions and powers. Trusting in his reign over all creation, and submitting to his kingly yet loving rule, we offer him the praise worthy of his name.

Prayers of Penitence

A time of silence and self-examination may be kept.

Jesus Christ, risen Master and triumphant Lord, we come to you in sorrow for our sins,

and confess to you our weakness and unbelief.

We have lived by our own strength,
and not by the power of your resurrection. In your mercy, forgive us.
Lord, hear us and help us.

We have lived by the light of our own eyes, as faithless and not believing.
In your mercy, forgive us.
Lord, hear us and help us.

We have lived for this world alone, and doubted our home in heaven. In your mercy, forgive us.
Lord, hear us and help us.

May the Father of all mercies
cleanse us from our sins,
and restore us in his image
to the praise and glory of his name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The Gloria

Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

The Collect

Let us pray that our risen and ascended Lord will lead us to eternal life.
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that as we believe your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ
to have ascended into the heavens,
so we in heart and mind may also ascend
and with him continually dwell;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Readings

A reading from the prophet Daniel 
As I watched,
thrones were set in place,
   and an Ancient One took his throne;
his clothing was white as snow,
   and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames,
   and its wheels were burning fire.
A stream of fire issued
   and flowed out from his presence.
A thousand thousand served him,
   and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him.
The court sat in judgement,
   and the books were opened.
I watched then because of the noise of the arrogant words that the horn was speaking. And as I watched, the beast was put to death, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. As I watched in the night visions,
I saw one like a human being
   coming with the clouds of heaven.
And he came to the Ancient One
   and was presented before him.
To him was given dominion
   and glory and kingship,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
   should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
   that shall not pass away,
and his kingship is one
   that shall never be destroyed.

This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This’, he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’
So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’
This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.

The Gospel


Alleluia, Alleluia
Go and make disciples of all nations, says the Lord. Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Alleluia

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke
Glory to you, O Lord.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’
Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

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

 

Sermon

You can listen to the sermon on the audio file.

The Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Intercessions

These responses are used

Lord in your mercy
hear our prayer

And at the end:
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers,
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

 

Canticle

All nations shall come and worship you, O Christ,
and share in the feast of your kingdom.

Great and wonderful are your deeds,
Lord God the Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
O ruler of the nations.
Who shall not revere and praise your name, O Lord?
for you alone are holy.
All nations shall come and worship in your presence:
for your just dealings have been revealed.

To the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honour and glory and might,for ever and ever. Amen.

All nations shall come and worship you, O Christ,
and share in the feast of your kingdom.


The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, so we pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.

Notices

Sunday May 31 will be Pentecost Sunday, when every year we dress for church in red, the colour of the Holy Spirit. Church won't be open this year so please, instead, take a photo of yourself wearing something red and email it to us by Friday 29th at the latest to be displayed on the parish web site.

Hymn

Hail the day that sees him rise Alleluya!
Glorious to his native skies; Alleluya!
Christ, awhile to mortals given, Alleluya!
Enters now the highest heaven! Alleluya!

There the glorious triumph waits; Alleluya!,
Lift your heads, eternal gates! Alleluya!
Christ hath vanquished death and sin; Alleluya!
Take the King of glory in. Alleluya!

See! the heaven its Lord receives, Alleluya!
Yet he loves the earth he leaves: Alleluya!
Though returning to his throne, Alleluya!
Still he calls mankind his own. Alleluya!

See! he lifts his hands above; Alleluya!
See! he shows the prints of love: Alleluya!
Hark! his gracious lips bestow Alleluya!
Blessings on his Church below. Alleluya!

Still for us he intercedes; Alleluya!
His prevailing death he pleads; Alleluya!
Near himself prepares our place, Alleluya!
Harbinger of human race. Alleluya!

Lord, though parted from our sight, Alleluya!
Far above yon azure height, Alleluya!
Grant our hearts may thither rise, Alleluya!
Seeking thee beyond the skies. Alleluya!

There we shall with thee remain, Alleluya!
Partners of thine endless reign; Alleluya!
There thy face unclouded see, Alleluya!
Find our heaven of heavens in thee. Alleluya!

 

The Blessing

God the Father,
who has given to his Son the name above every name, strengthen you to proclaim Christ Jesus as Lord.
Amen.

God the Son,
who is our great high priest passed into the heavens, plead for you at the right hand of the Father.
Amen.

God the Holy Spirit,
who pours out his abundant gifts upon the Church, make you faithful servants of Christ our King.
Amen.

And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.

 

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Music scholarships at St Mary'sCalendar

May
3 Fourth Sunday of Easter
10 Fifth Sunday of Easter
17 Sixth Sunday of Easter
24 Ascension Sunday
31 Pentecost

June
7 Trinity Sunday
14 Corpus Christi
21 Trinity 2
28 Trinity 3