The Gathering

Our worship begins at the sound of the bell, please stand as the sacred ministers enter, during which the introit hymn is sung.

Praise, O praise our God and King;
Hymns of adoration sing:
For his mercies still endure
Ever faithful, ever sure.

Praise him that he made the sun
Day by day his course to run:
For his mercies still endure
Ever faithful, ever sure.

And the silver moon by night,
Shining with her gentle light:
For his mercies still endure
Ever faithful, ever sure.

Praise him that he gave the rain
To mature the swelling grain:
For his mercies still endure
Ever faithful, ever sure.

And hath bid the fruitful field
Crops of precious increase yield:
For his mercies still endure
Ever faithful, ever sure.

Praise him for our harvest-store;
He hath filled the garner-floor:
For his mercies still endure
Ever faithful, ever sure.

Glory to our bounteous King;
Glory let creation sing:
Glory to the Father, Son,
And blest Spirit, Three in One.

Words: H. W. Baker (1821-1877)
Music: from ‘Hymn Tunes of the United Brethren’ (1824)
adapted by J. B. Wilkes (1785-1869)
Hymn Tune: MONKLAND

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

Amen.

The Greeting

Grace, mercy and peace
from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ
be with you

and also with you.

Words of Welcome

Invitation to Confession

As those who know the generosity of God,
let us confess our sins,
especially the ways in which we take creation and God’s gifts
for granted.

Silence is kept.

Lord, you delight in creation, its colour and diversity;
yet we have misused the earth
and plundered its resources for our own selfish ends.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

You have brought order out of chaos,
light in darkness, good out of evil,
but we have preferred darkness
in words and deeds which dishonour God’s holy name.

Christ, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

You have showered us with blessings,
but we have been grudging towards others
and lacking in generosity in word and deed.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

May the God of love and power
forgive you and free you from your sins,
heal and strengthen you by his Spirit,
and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Gloria in Excelsis

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

The Collect

The president introduces a period of silent prayer with the words ‘Let us pray’.

God our Father,
you never cease the work you have begun
and prosper with your blessing all human labour:
make us wise and faithful stewards of your gifts
that we may serve the common good,
maintain the fabric of our world
and seek that justice where all may share
the good things you pour upon us;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

The Liturgy of the Word

Please sit.

A reading from the book of Deuteronomy.

For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey, a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper. You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you.

“Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes that I am commanding you today. When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them and when your herds and flocks have multiplied and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock. He fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you and in the end to do you good. Do not say to yourself, ‘My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today.

Deuteronomy 8.7-18

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Please stand as the gradual hymn is sung and at the end of the hymn we remain standing and turn to face the place where the Gospel is proclaimed.

For the fruits of his creation.
thanks be to God;
for his gifts to ev’ry nation,
thanks be to God;
for the ploughing, sowing, reaping,
silent growth while we are sleeping,
future needs in earth’s safe keeping,
thanks be to God.

In the just reward of labour,
God’s will is done;
in the help we give our neighbour,
God’s will is done;
in our world-wide task of caring
for the hungry and despairing,
in the harvests we are sharing,
God’s will is done.

For the harvests of his Spirit,
thanks be to God;
for the good we all inherit,
thanks be to God;
for the wonders that astound us,
for the truths that still confound us,
most of all, that love has found us,
thanks be to God.

Words: F. Pratt Green (1903-2000)
Music: F. A. Jackson (1917-2022)
Hymn Tune: EAST ACKLAM

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus said ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches.

‘Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my 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.’

John 15.1-17

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Please sit after the preacher leads us in prayer.

Affirmation of Faith

Please stand with the president.

Let us declare our faith in God.

We believe in God the Father,
from whom every family
in heaven and on earth is named.

We believe in God the Son,
who lives in our hearts through faith,
and fills us with his love.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
who strengthens us
with power from on high.

We believe in one God;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Prayers of Intercession

Following an invitation to pray from the intercessor we kneel or sit to pray.

The response to the bidding:

Lord, in your mercy.

Hear our prayer.

At the end.

Merciful Father,

accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

The Liturgy of the Sacrament

Please stand with the president.

The Peace

You shall go out in joy and be led back in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Isaiah 55.12

The peace of the Lord be always with you

and also with you.

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

This is usually a handshake shared with those near you.

Preparation of the Table

The table is prepared and bread and wine are placed upon it.

A hymn is sung. During this hymn a collection, our financial offering in support of the work of the Church both at St. Mary’s and across our diocese, is taken.

You can place cash or giving envelopes in the collection plates as they are passed around. If you would prefer, or if you miss the plate, you can also give by tapping your contactless card or device on the giving kiosk by the door as you leave, or on our donations page.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flow’r that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings.

All things bright and beautiful, …

The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset and the morning,
That brightens up the sky.

All things bright and beautiful, …

The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them ev’ry one.

All things bright and beautiful, …

The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows for our play,
The rushes by the water,
We gather ev’ry day:

All things bright and beautiful, …

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.

All things bright and beautiful, …

Words: C. F. Alexander (1818-1895)
Music: English traditional melody
Hymn Tune: ROYAL OAK

Taking of the Bread and Wine

Wise and gracious God,
you spread a table before us;
nourish your people with the word of life
and the bread of heaven.

Amen.

The Eucharistic Prayer (A)

Please kneel or sit.

The Lord is here.

His Spirit is with us.

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.

It is indeed right, it is our duty and our joy,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
holy Father, almighty and eternal God.
For you have created the heavens and the earth,
and formed us in your own image.
In the fullness of time you sent forth your Son, your eternal Word,
who laid down his life for our salvation
and rose from the grave, the first-fruits of your new creation.
You send forth your holy and life-giving Spirit
to give life to our mortal bodies
and to renew the face of the earth.
Therefore with all the heavenly hosts,
we give voice to everything that you have made,
and sing the eternal 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.

Accept our praises, heavenly Father,
through your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ,
and as we follow his example and obey his command,
grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit
these gifts of bread and wine
may be to us his body and his blood;
who, in the same night that he was betrayed,
took bread and gave you thanks;
he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.

In the same way, after supper
he took the cup and gave you thanks;
he gave it to them, saying:
Drink this, all of you;
this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of me.

Therefore, heavenly Father,
we remember his offering of himself
made once for all upon the cross;
we proclaim his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension;
we look for the coming of your kingdom,
and with this bread and this cup
we make the memorial of Christ your Son our Lord.

Great is the mystery of faith:

Christ has died:
Christ is risen:
Christ will come again.

Accept through him, our great high priest,
this our sacrifice of thanks and praise,
and as we eat and drink these holy gifts
in the presence of your divine majesty,
renew us by your Spirit,
inspire us with your love
and unite us in the body of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him, and with him, and in him,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
with all who stand before you in earth and heaven,
we worship you, Father almighty,
in songs of everlasting praise:

Blessing and honour and glory and power
be yours for ever and ever.
Amen.

Silence is kept.

The Lord’s Prayer

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us.

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.

Breaking of the Bread

The president breaks the consecrated bread.

We break this bread
to share in the body of Christ.

Though we are many, we are one body,
 because we all share in one bread.

The Agnus Dei is sung as the bread for the distribution is broken.

Jesus, Lamb of God,
have mercy on us.

Jesus, bearer of our sins,
have mercy on us.

Jesus, redeemer of the world,
grant us peace.

Invitation to Communion

Jesus is the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world.
Blessed 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.

The president and people receive communion. All baptised Christians are welcome to receive the sacrament. Please follow the guidance offered by the stewards.

If you are not baptised, or would prefer to not receive then do still come forward for a blessing bringing this book with you so the president knows your intention.

The sacrament is available in both kinds, however if you wish to only receive the bread please do so and then return to your place. Receiving in one kind is still considered to be full communion by the Church of England. Please do not dip bread in the wine (sometimes called ‘intincting’).

Today our Eucharist is offered to help us consider our care for the Environment. The weeks around this time of year have been designated by the Church as Creationtide so the prayers printed here to be used during the distribution are themed accordingly.

Lord, show us how to do things well today,
So that others may not suffer,
Here and there,
Now and in the future.
Show us how to make our contribution
As we change the way we live,
Travel, make and consume,
Distribute and sell,
Use and reuse
Energy and products.
Show us how to do simple things well in our home,
Places of work and daily lives.
Show us how to protect the world you made,
In all it’s diversity and goodness,
From our carbon emissions –
Global warming and climate change,
Rising temperatures and sea levels,
The displacement of peoples, environmental poverty,
Harm and destruction.
Show us how and show us why,
So that alone and with others
Our contribution will make a difference.
Amen

Robin Morrison (From “A Heart for Creation” Chris Polhill)

Choir Anthem

Fairest Lord Jesus, Lord of all creation,
Jesus, of God and Mary the Son;
Thee will I cherish, thee will I honour,
O thou my soul’s delight and crown.

Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,
Robed in the verdure and bloom of spring.
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
He makes the saddest heart to sing.

Fair are the flowers, fairer still the sons of men,
In all the freshness of youth arrayed:
Yet is their beauty fading and fleeting;
My Jesus, thine will never fade, will never fade.

Words: German 17^th century
translated by L. S. Stevenson (1870-1960)
Music: Silesian folk song (1842)
arranged by M. How (1931-2022)

A hymn is sung.

God, whose farm is all creation,
take the gratitude we give;
take the finest of our harvest,
crops we grow that all may live.

Take our ploughing, seeding, reaping,
hopes and fears of sun and rain,
all our thinking, planning, waiting,
ripened in this fruit and grain.

All our labour, all our watching,
all our calendar of care,
in these crops of your creation,
take, O God: they are our prayer.

Words: L. T. J. Arlott (1914-1991) alt.
Music: J. L. Steiner (1688-1761)
Hymn Tune: GOTT WILL’S MACHEN

O Lord, hear my prayer,
O Lord, hear my prayer:
When I call, answer me.
O Lord, hear my prayer,
O Lord, hear my prayer.
Come and listen to me.

Music: J. Berthier (1923-1994)

The Post Communion Prayer

Please stand with the president who introduces a time of silent prayer with the words ‘Let us pray’.

Creator God,
send your Holy Spirit to renew this living world,
that the whole creation,
in its groaning and striving,
may know your loving purpose
and come to reflect your glory;
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A hymn is sung.

For the beauty of the earth,
for the beauty of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us 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 flow’r
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,
pleasures pure and undefiled:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For each perfect gift of thine,
to our race so freely giv’n,
graces human and divine,
flow’rs of earth and buds of heav’n:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For thy Church which evermore
lifteth holy hands above,
off’ring up on ev’ry shore
her pure sacrifice of love:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

Words: F. S. Pierpoint (1835-1917)
Music: G. Shaw (1879-1943) adapted from a folk song
Hymn Tune: ENGLAND’S LANE

The Dismissal

An Act of Commitment

‘While all creatures stand in expectation, what will be the result of our liberty.’

Thomas Traherne

As the whole of creation
looks with eager longing
for the redemption of humankind,
let us pledge ourselves anew to serve our Creator God,
the Father who is the maker of all things,
the Son through whom all things are made,
and the Holy Spirit, the giver of life,
who renews the face of the earth.

Lord of all life and hope,
we pledge ourselves to care for creation,
to reduce our waste,
to live sustainably,
and to value the rich diversity of life.
May your wisdom guide us,
that life in all its forms may flourish,
and may be faithful in voicing creation’s praise.

The Blessing

May God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the source of all goodness,
pour his blessing upon all things created,
and upon us his children,
that we may use his gifts to his glory
and the welfare of all peoples;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.

Amen.

The Dismissal

Go in peace and may the commitment we have made this day be matched by our faithful living.

Thanks be to God.
Amen.