The Gathering
Welcome in the name of Christ.
God’s grace, mercy and peace
be with you
and also with you.
Words of welcome and introduction
Hymn
Teach me, my God and King,
in all things thee to see;
and what I do in anything
to do it as for thee.
A man that looks on glass,
on it may stay his eye;
or, if he pleaseth, through it pass,
and then the heav’n espy.
All may of thee partake;
nothing can be so mean
which, with this tincture, ‘For thy sake’,
will not grow bright and clean.
A servant with this clause
makes drudgery divine;
who sweeps a room, as for thy laws,
makes that and the action fine.
This is the famous stone
that turneth all to gold;
for that which God doth touch and own
cannot for less be told.
Prayers of Penitence
Dear friends,
as we prepare to celebrate the mystery of God’s love,
revealed in Word and Sacrament,
let us call to mind our need for healing and forgiveness
as we confess our sins.
Silence is kept.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we have sinned against you
and against our neighbour
in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry
and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
who died for us,
forgive us all that is past
and grant that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name.
Amen.
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
A specially composed prayer for the day is introduced with the words
Let us pray.
Silence is kept.
Let your merciful ears, O Lord,
be open to the prayers of your humble servants;
and that they may obtain their petitions
make them to ask such things as shall please you:
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.
Bible reading
A reading from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans.
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy.
For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.
Romans 11: 1–2a, 29–32
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn
Will you come and follow me
if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know
and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown,
will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown
in you, and you in me?
Will you leave yourself behind
if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind
and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare
should your life attract or scare,
will you let me answer prayer
in you, and you in me?
Will you let the blinded see
if I but call your name?
Will you set the pris’ners free
and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean,
and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean
in you, and you in me?
Will you love the ‘you’ you hide
if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside
and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found
to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound
in you, and you in me?
Lord, your summons echoes true
when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you
and never be the same.
In your company I’ll go
where your love and footsteps show.
Thus I’ll move and live and grow
in you, and you in me.
The Gospel
Alleluia, alleluia.
We do not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
cf Matthew 4:4
Alleluia.
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Glory to you, O Lord.
Then Jesus called the crowd to him and said to them, ‘Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.’
Then the disciples approached and said to him, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees took offence when they heard what you said?’ He answered, ‘Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.’
But Peter said to him, ‘Explain this parable to us.’ Then he said, ‘Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?
But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.’
Jesus went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.’ But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.’ He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ But she came and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’ He answered, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’ She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’
Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.
Matthew 15.10–28
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
The Sermon
The Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is,
seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
Gracious God, Lord of all, we thank You that we can come to You in prayer, that for all Your greatness and wonder, and holiness, we can speak with You as to a friend.
We join with other churches today to pray for the Scottish Episcopal Church, The Most Reverend Mark Strange – Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church and Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness.
In our diocese we pray for the Bishops’ and Archdeacons’ PAs, and other members of staff who are based in our area offices.
Lord in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We thank You Lord for all who are working hard to develop a successful vaccine for COVID-19. We pray for all those in the fields of research, science and medicine.
Lord in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for Father Matthew and Lynne, for their families and loved ones, and for all participating in Midweek Musings. For all our local charity shops – that they may be able to recover and continue to aid those in need.
And we pray for the residents of Woodland Hill.
Lord in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We give thanks for the A Wing and a Prayer project at Ripon Cathedral. Each angel reflecting the prayers offered for those who have lost their lives to the Coronavirus. And those in the NHS and other frontline services risking their own lives for the sake of others.
In a moment of silence, we offer our own prayer to join those angels in Ripon.
Lord in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for our community Lord – for the congregation of our Church, for our neighbours. For those giving aid to others. We thank You for our local shops working hard to make their establishments safe for us.
Lord in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We thank You for our own country and those elected to office as members of Parliament – those who serve in government debating policies and making decisions. Give them wisdom, insight and patience that each may be equipped to honour the trust placed in them.
Lord in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Loving God, we bring before You the sick and suffering of our world, all those wrestling with illness in body, mind or spirit, including;
George Brown
Ginny Camponi
Tom Heaphy
Jennifer Moad
Mike Jackson
Lynne Pickersgill
Christine Oates
Lord in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for all who mourn – for all who have recently died including;
Brian Thornhill
Jean Cleminson
And on the anniversary of his death;
Malcolm Boom
Lord in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Almighty and everlasting God, we thank You for Your constant kindness, Your unfailing love, Your ceaseless provision of our needs. We thank You for Your mercy, Your forgiveness, Your amazing grace offered to us in Jesus Christ. We thank You for the joy, the hope, and the life You have given to us in Him.
Merciful Father,
Accept these prayers for the sake of Your son,
our saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
The Peace
We are all one in Christ Jesus.
We belong to him through faith,
heirs of the promise of the Spirit of peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you
and also with you.
Hymn
Let all mortal flesh keep silence
and with fear and trembling stand;
ponder nothing earthly minded,
for with blessing in his hand
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
our full homage to demand.
King of kings, yet born of Mary,
as of old on earth he stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
in the body and the blood.
He will give to all the faithful
his own self for heav’nly food.
Rank on rank the host of heaven
spreads its vanguard on the way,
as the Light of light descendeth
from the realms of endless day,
that the pow’rs of hell may vanish
as the darkness clears away.
At his feet the six-winged seraph;
cherubim, with sleepless eye,
veil their faces to the Presence,
as with ceaseless voice they cry.
Alleluia, Alleluia.
Alleluia, Lord Most High.
The Eucharist
The bread and wine are brought to the altar and this prayer is said.
Blessed be God,
by whose grace creation is renewed,
by whose love heaven is opening,
by whose mercy we offer our sacrifice of praise.
Blessed be God for ever.
The Eucharistic Prayer
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.
You are worthy of our thanks and praise,
Lord God of truth,
for by the breath of your mouth
you have spoken your word,
and all things have come into being.
You fashioned us in your image
and placed us in the garden of your delight.
Though we chose the path of rebellion
you would not abandon your own.
Again and again you drew us into your covenant of grace.
You gave your people the law and taught us by your prophets
to look for your reign of justice, mercy and peace.
As we watch for the signs of your kingdom on earth,
we echo the song of the angels in heaven,
evermore praising you and singing:
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.
Lord God, you are the most holy one,
enthroned in splendour and light,
yet in the coming of your Son Jesus Christ
you reveal the power of your love
made perfect in our human weakness.
Amen. Lord, we believe.
Embracing our humanity,
Jesus showed us the way of salvation;
loving us to the end,
he gave himself to death for us;
dying for his own,
he set us free from the bonds of sin,
that we might rise and reign with him in glory.
Amen. Lord, we believe.
On the night he gave up himself for us all
he 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.
Amen. Lord, we believe.
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.
Amen. Lord, we believe.
Therefore we proclaim the death that he suffered on the cross,
we celebrate his resurrection, his bursting from the tomb,
we rejoice that he reigns at your right hand on high
and we long for his coming in glory.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
As we recall the one, perfect sacrifice of our redemption,
Father, by your Holy Spirit let these gifts of your creation
be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ;
form us into the likeness of Christ
and make us a perfect offering in your sight.
Amen. Come, Holy Spirit.
Look with favour on your people
and in your mercy hear the cry of our hearts.
Bless the earth,
heal the sick,
let the oppressed go free
and fill your Church with power from on high.
Amen. Come, Holy Spirit.
Gather your people from the ends of the earth
to feast with Blessed Mary and all your saints
at the table in your kingdom,
where the new creation is brought to perfection
in Jesus Christ our Lord;
by whom, and with whom, and in whom,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Silence is kept.
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.
The president breaks the consecrated bread.
Every time we eat this bread
and drink this cup,
we proclaim the Lord’s death
until he comes.
Invitation to Communion
God’s holy gifts
for God’s holy people.
Jesus Christ is holy,
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
After all present have received the sacrament and the aumbry replenished the Post Communion Prayer is said.
God of our pilgrimage,
you have willed that the gate of mercy
should stand open for those who trust in you:
look upon us with your favour
that we who follow the path of your will
may never wander from the way of life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Hymn
Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heav’n 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 ev’ry trembling heart.
Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit
into ev’ry troubled breast;
let us all in thee inherit,
let us find thy promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning,
Alpha and Omega be;
end of faith, as its beginning,
set our hearts at liberty.
Come, almighty to deliver,
let us all thy grace receive;
suddenly return, and never,
never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts 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 heav’n we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.
The Blessing and Dismissal
May God, who in Christ gives us a spring of water
welling up to eternal life,
perfect in you the image of his glory;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.
Go in the peace of Christ.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Take our quick survey on returning to the church building.
Please join us for a drink and a chat after the service in our virtual meeting space.
whitkirkchurch.org.uk/meet/coffee
or join by phone
Call: 020 3957 2953
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“Will You Come And Follow Me”
© 1987 WGRG, Iona Community, Glasgow G51 3UU, Scotland
Arrangement © 1996 Kevin Mayhew Limited
“The Addington Service”
© 1973 Royal School of Church Music
“Sung Responses for Eucharistic Prayer ‘F’”
© 2020 G. H. Taylor
“Festival Finale”
© 1993 Kevin Mayhew Limited
CCL licence: 668063