The fifth Sunday of Easter

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.

Alleluia, alleluia,
Hearts to heav’n and voices raise;
Sing to God a hymn of gladness,
Sing to God a hymn of praise:
He who on the cross a victim
For the world’s salvation bled,
Jesus Christ, the King of Glory,
Now is risen from the dead.

Christ is risen, Christ the first-fruits
Of the holy harvest field,
Which will all its full abundance
At his second coming yield;
Then the golden ears of harvest
Will their heads before him wave,
Ripened by his glorious sunshine,
From the furrows of the grave.

Christ is risen, we are risen;
Shed upon us heav’nly grace,
Rain, and dew, and gleams of glory
From the brightness of thy face;
That we, with our hearts in heaven,
Here on earth may fruitful be,
And by angel-hands be gathered,
And be ever, Lord, with thee.

Alleluia, alleluia,
Glory be to God on high;
Alleluia to the Saviour,
Who has gained the victory;
Alleluia to the Spirit,
Fount of love and sanctity;
Alleluia, alleluia,
To the Triune Majesty.

Words: C. Wordsworth (1807-1885)
Music: A. S. Sullivan (1842-1900)
Hymn Tune: LUX EOI

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.

Alleluia. Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Words of Welcome

Prayers of Penitence

Christ died to sin once for all, and now he lives to God.
Let us renew our resolve to have done with all that is evil
and confess our sins in penitence and faith.

cf Romans 6.10

Silence is kept.

Most merciful God,
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we confess that we have sinned
in thought, word and deed.
We have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
In your mercy
forgive what we have been,
help us to amend what we are,
and direct what we shall be;
that we may do justly,
love mercy,
and walk humbly with you, our God.
Amen.

The president says:

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’.

Risen Christ,
your wounds declare your love for the world
and the wonder of your risen life:
give us compassion and courage
to risk ourselves for those we serve,
to the glory of God the Father.

Amen.

Please sit.

The Liturgy of the Word

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

The apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticised him, saying, ‘Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?’ Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, ‘I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.” But I replied, “By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.” But a second time the voice answered from heaven, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, “Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.” And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, “John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?’ When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, ‘Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.’

Acts 11.1-18

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Please stand as the gradual hymn is sung. During the hymn a procession will make its way to the centre of the nave from where the Gospel for the day is read. To symbolise our desire to turn to Christ in our daily lives, at the end of the hymn we remain standing and turn to face the place where the Gospel is proclaimed.

An upper room did our Lord prepare
For those he loved until the end:
And his disciples still gather there,
To celebrate their risen friend.

A lasting gift Jesus gave his own:
To share his bread, his loving cup.
Whatever burdens may bow us down,
He by his cross shall lift us up.

And after supper he washed their feet
For service too, is sacrament.
In him our joy shall be made complete –
Sent out to serve, as he was sent.

No end there is! We depart in peace,
He loves beyond our uttermost:
In ev’ry room in our Father’s house
He will be there, as Lord and host.

Words: F. P. Green (1903-2000)
Music: Somerset folk song
collected by C. Sharp (1859-1924)
arr. N. Tredinnick (b. 1949)
Hymn Tune: O WALY WALY

Gospel Reading

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

Glory to you, O Lord.

During the supper, when Judas had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you cannot come.” I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’

John 13.31-35

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Please sit after the preacher leads us in prayer.

The Nicene Creed

Please stand with the president.

Let us declare our faith in God.

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

Following an invitation to pray from the intercessor we kneel or sit and the response to the bidding is:

Lord, in your mercy.

Hear our prayer.

Then 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

The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples
and said, ‘Peace be with you.’
Then were they glad when they saw the Lord. Alleluia.

John 20.19,20

The peace of the Lord be always with you

and also with 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.

O Jesus, I have promised,
To serve thee to the end;
Be thou for ever near me,
My Master and my friend:
I shall not fear the battle
If thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If thou wilt be my guide.

O let me feel thee near me:
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.

O let me hear thee speaking
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will;
O speak to reassure me,
To hasten or control;
O speak and make me listen,
Thou guardian of my soul.

O Jesus, thou hast promised,
To all who follow thee,
That where thou art in glory
There shall thy servant be;
And, Jesus, I have promised
To serve thee to the end:
O give me grace to follow,
My Master and my friend.

O let me see thy foot-marks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in thy strength alone:
O guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then in heav’n receive me,
My Saviour and my friend.

 Words: J. E. Bode (1816-1874) 
 Music: W. H. Ferguson (1874-1950) 
 Hymn Tune: WOLVERCOTE  

Taking of the Bread and Wine

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation.
In your loving care you spread before us the table of life
and give us the cup of salvation to drink.
Keep us always in the fold of our Saviour and our Shepherd,
your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The Eucharistic Prayer

Please 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, our duty and our joy,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
almighty and eternal Father,
and in these days of Easter
to celebrate with joyful hearts
the memory of your wonderful works.
For by the mystery of his passion
Jesus Christ, your risen Son,
has conquered the powers of death and hell
and restored in men and women the image of your glory.
He has placed them once more in paradise
and opened to them the gate of life eternal.
And so, in the joy of this Passover,
earth and heaven resound with gladness,
while angels and archangels and the powers of all creation
sing for ever the hymn of your glory.

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, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness;
grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit,
and according to your holy will,
these gifts of bread and wine
may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ;

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.

Great is the mystery of faith:

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

And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross,
his perfect sacrifice made once for the sins of the whole world;
rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension,
and looking for his coming in glory,
we celebrate this memorial of our redemption.
As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving,
we bring before you this bread and this cup
and we thank you for counting us worthy
to stand in your presence and serve you.

Send the Holy Spirit on your people
and gather into one in your kingdom
all who share this one bread and one cup,
so that we, in the company of Blessed Mary,
St. Dunstan, St. Alcuin and all the saints,
may praise and glorify you for ever,
through 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.

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 is broken for distribution.

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

Alleluia. Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.

Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

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’).

To the words “The Body/Blood of Christ” the communicant replies “Amen”.

For those at home it might be helpful to use this prayer during the distribution.

God of glory,
whose Beloved took the shadow road
and found life in the darkness:
may his love be our law,
undimmed by the fear
that condemns what it does not understand;
slipping through the hands
of those who cling to sacred power;
making us witness
to the power of new birth;
through Jesus Christ, the Firstborn.
Amen.

Choir Anthem

‘A new commandment’

A new commandment I give unto you:
That you love one another as I have loved you.
By this shall all men know that you are my disciples
If you have love, if you have love for one another.

Music: R. J. Shephard (1949-2021)

One or two communion hymns may be sung during the distribution as time allows.

Please remain seated.

Abba, Father, let me be
Yours and yours alone.
May my will for ever be
More and more your own.
Never let my heart grow cold,
Never let me go.
Abba, Father, let me be
Yours and yours alone.

Words & Music: D. Bilbrough (b. 1965)
Music arrangement: C. Tambling (1964-2015)

O thou, who at thy Eucharist didst pray
That all thy Church might be for ever one,
Grant us at ev’ry Eucharist to say,
With longing heart and soul, ‘Thy will be done.’
O may we all one bread, one body be,
Through this blest sacrament of unity.

For all thy Church, O Lord, we intercede;
Make thou our sad divisions soon to cease;
Draw us the nearer each to each, we plead,
By drawing all to thee, O Prince of Peace:
Thus may we all one bread, one body be,
Through this blest sacrament of unity.

We pray thee too for wand’rers from thy fold;
O bring them back, good Shepherd of the sheep,
Back to the faith which saints believed of old,
Back to the Church which still that faith doth keep:
Soon may we all one bread, one body be,
Through this blest sacrament of unity.

So, Lord, at length when sacraments shall cease,
May we be one with all thy Church above,
One with the saints in one unbroken peace,
One with thy saints in one unbounded love:
More blessèd still, in peace and love to be
One with the Trinity in unity.

Words: W. H. Turton (1856-1938) based on John 17
Music: W. H. Monk (1823-1889)
Hymn Tune: UNDE ET MEMORES

The Post Communion Prayer

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

Eternal God,
whose Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life:
grant us to walk in his way,
to rejoice in his truth,
and to share his risen life;
who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.

Amen.

God of truth,
we have seen with our eyes
and touched with our hands the bread of life:
strengthen our faith
that we may grow in love for you
and for each other;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Please stand as a hymn is sung.

Lord, enthroned in heav’nly splendour,
First begotten from the dead,
Thou alone, our strong defender,
Liftest up thy people’s head.
Alleluia, alleluia,
Jesu, true and living bread.

Here our humblest homage pay we.
Here in loving rev’rence bow;
Here for faith’s discernment pray we,
Lest we fail to know thee now.
Alleluia, alleluia,
Thou art here, we ask not how.

Though the lowliest form doth veil thee
As of old in Bethlehem,
Here as there thine angels hail thee,
Branch and Flow’r of Jesse’s Stem.
Alleluia, alleluia,
We in worship join with them.

Paschal Lamb, thine off’ring, finished
Once for all when thou wast slain,
In its fulness undiminished
Shall for evermore remain.
Alleluia, alleluia,
Cleansing souls from ev’ry stain.

Life-imparting heav’nly manna,
Stricken rock with streaming side,
Heav’n and earth with loud hosanna
Worship thee, the Lamb who died.
Alleluia, alleluia,
Ris’n, ascended, glorified!

Words: G. H. Bourne (1840-1925)
Music: G. C. Martin (1844-1916)
Hymn Tune: SAINT HELEN

The Dismissal

The Blessing

The God of peace,
who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that great shepherd of the sheep,
make you perfect in every good work to do his will:
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

With the power that raised Jesus
from the dead at work within you,
go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.

In the name of Christ, amen. Alleluia, alleluia.