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.

Ye watchers and ye holy ones,
Bright seraphs, cherubim and thrones,
Raise the glad strain, alleluia.
Cry out, dominions, princedoms, pow’rs,
Virtues, archangels, angels’ choirs:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
Alleluia, alleluia.

O higher than the cherubim,
More glorious than the seraphim,
Lead their praises, alleluia.
O Mary, bearer of the Word,
Most gracious, magnify the Lord:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
Alleluia, alleluia.

Respond, ye souls in endless rest,
Ye patriarchs and prophets blest,
Alleluia, alleluia.
Ye holy twelve, ye martyrs strong,
All saints triumphant, raise the song:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
Alleluia, alleluia.

O friends, in gladness let us sing,
Supernal anthems echoing,
Alleluia, alleluia.
To God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Spirit, Three in One:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
Alleluia, alleluia.

Words: A. Riley (1858-1945) alt.
Music: melody from ‘Geistliche Kirchengesang’, Cologne (1623)
arranged by R. Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Hymn Tune: LASST UNS ERFREUEN

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

We have done what was wrong in the Lord’s sight
and chosen what displeased him.
Yet as a mother comforts her child,
so shall the Lord himself comfort us.
So let us come to him who knows our every deed and thought.

Silence is kept.

Lord Jesus, you are mighty God and Prince of Peace:
Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you are Son of God and Son of Mary:
Christ, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you are Word made flesh and splendour of the Father;
Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

The almighty and merciful Lord
grant you pardon and forgiveness of all your sins,
time for amendment of life,
and the grace and strength of the Holy Spirit.

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’.

Almighty and everlasting God,
who stooped to raise fallen humanity
through the child-bearing of blessed Mary:
grant that we, who have seen your glory
revealed in our human nature
and your love made perfect in our weakness,
may daily be renewed in your image
and conformed to the pattern of your Son
Jesus Christ 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 Micah.

Now you are walled around with a wall;
    siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the ruler of Israel
    upon the cheek.

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
    who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
    from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
    when she who is in labour has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
    to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the
    strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the
    name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be
    great to the ends of the earth,
and he shall be the one of peace.

Micah 5.1-4

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.

For Mary, mother of our Lord,
God’s holy name be praised,
Who first the Son of God adored,
As on her child she gazed.

The angel Gabriel brought the word
She should Christ’s mother be;
Our Lady, handmaid of the Lord,
Made answer willingly.

The heav’nly call she thus obeyed,
And so God’s will was done;
The second Eve love’s answer made
Which our redemption won.

She gave her body for God’s shrine,
Her heart to piercing pain,
And knew the cost of love divine
When Jesus Christ was slain.

Dear Mary, from your lowliness
And home in Galilee,
There comes a joy and holiness
To ev’ry family.

Hail, Mary, you are full of grace,
Above all women blest;
And blest your Son, whom your embrace
In birth and death confessed.

Words: J. R. Peacey (1896-1971)
Music: G. Slater (1896-1979)
Hymn Tune: SAINT BOTOLPH

Gospel Reading

Alleluia, alleluia.

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

cf Luke 1.28,42

Alleluia.

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

Glory to you, O Lord.

Standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

John 19.25-27

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 to pray.

The intercessions begin with ‘A Litany of Thanksgiving’ and conclude with a prayer for the new King.

As we mourn the death of Elizabeth our Queen, let us give thanks to God in faith and trust.

For the gift of Christ Jesus and for all whose devotion to him has sustained the life of our Church and nation:

Let us bless the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

For Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and all the Royal Family; for the ministers of the Crown and all who bear the privilege and burden of government:

Let us bless the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

For all people touched by Queen Elizabeth’s devotion to public service:

Let us bless the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Other intercessions are offered and the response to the bidding:

Lord, in your mercy.

Hear our prayer.

The intercessions conclude with.

Lord God,
you provide for your people by your power,
and rule over them in love:
Grant to your servant our King
the Spirit of wisdom and discernment,
that being devoted to you with his whole heart,
he may so wisely govern,
that in his time we may live in safety and in peace;

Adapted from the Coronation Service 1953

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

Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given,
and his name shall be called the Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9.6

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.

Sing we of the blessèd Mother
Who received the angel’s word,
And obedient to his summons
Bore in love the infant Lord;
Sing we of the joys of Mary
At whose breast that child was fed,
Who is Son of God eternal
And the everlasting Bread.

Sing we, too, of Mary’s sorrows,
Of the sword that pierced her through,
When beneath the cross of Jesus
She his weight of suff’ring knew,
Looked upon her Son and Saviour
Reigning high on Calv’ry’s tree,
Saw the price of our redemption
Paid to set the sinner free.

Sing again the joys of Mary
When she saw the risen Lord,
And, in prayer with Christ’s apostles,
Waited on his promised word:
From on high the blazing glory
Of the Spirit’s presence came,
Heav’nly breath of God’s own being,
Manifest through wind and flame.

Sing the greatest joy of Mary
When on earth her work was done,
And the Lord of all creation
Brought her to his heav’nly home:
Virgin mother, Mary blessèd,
Raised on high and crowned with grace,
May your Son, the world’s redeemer,
Grant us all to see his face.

Words: G. B. Timms (1910-1997)
Music: C. V. Taylor (1907-1991)
Hymn Tune: ABBOT’S LEIGH

Taking of the Bread and Wine

God our Father,
your handmaid Mary fed your Son at her virgin breast.
Nourish us at this table with the bread of heaven
and the cup of salvation.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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 and good,
our duty and our salvation,
almighty Father, ever-living God,
to proclaim the wonders you have worked in all your saints,
and on the feast of Mary, ever blessed,
to echo her praise of your loving kindness.
For you have truly done great things
and holy is your name,
and your mercy is on those who fear you
in every generation.
When you looked with favour on your lowly servant
you remembered your promise of mercy
and gave the world through her
your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Through him the hosts of heaven adore you
and rejoice in your presence for ever.
May our voices join with theirs
in the triumphant 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 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

God’s holy gifts
for God’s holy people.

Jesus Christ is holy,
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

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’).

On September 18^th our Eucharist will be 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.

Creator God, we see your hand in your creation;
On the earth we see and feel your love and care for us;
Your earth feeds us and clothes us.
Lord forgive our greed and selfish use of your gifts.
May we learn to share the earth,
To work it and to care
For every part of it,
So that all who live now and in the future
May enjoy its care for us.

Amen

Choir Anthem

‘Ave Maria’

Ave Maria, gratia plena,
Dominus tecum, Dominus tecum,
Et benedictus fructus ventris tui,
Jesus, Jesus.

Ave Maria, gratia plena,
Dominus tecum, Dominus tecum,
Et benedictus fructus ventris tui,
Jesus, Jesus.

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
Ora, ora, ora pro nobis.

Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis,
Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae,
Ora pro nobis pecatoribus,
Ora, ora. Amen.

Words: St. Luke and anon. (Medieval)
Music: S. G. Lindley (b. 1948)

The following communion hymns may be sung during the distribution as time allows.

Please remain seated.

Virgin-born, we bow before thee:
Blessèd was the womb that bore thee;
Mary, maid and mother mild,
Blessèd was she in her child.

Blessèd was the breast that fed thee;
Blessèd was the hand that led thee;
Blessèd was the parent’s eye
That watched thy slumb’ring infancy.

Blessèd she by all creation
Who brought forth the world’s salvation,
Blessèd they, for ever blest,
Who love thee most and serve thee best.

Virgin-born, we bow before thee:
Blessèd was the womb that bore thee;
Mary, maid and mother mild,
Blessèd was she in her child.

Words: R. Heber (1783-1826)
Music: German carol melody (14^th century)
harmonised by R. Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Hymn Tune: QUEM PASTORES

Born in the night,
Mary’s child,
Along way from your home;
Coming in need,
Mary’s child,
Born in a borrowed room.

Clear shining light,
Mary’s child,
Your face lights up our way;
Light of the world,
Mary’s child,
Dawn on our darkened day.

Hope of the world,
Mary’s child,
You’re coming soon to reign;
King of the earth,
Mary’s child,
Walk in our streets again.

Words & Music: G. J. Ainger (1925-2013)
Hymn Tune: MARY’S CHILD

The Post Communion Prayer

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

God most high,
whose handmaid bore the Word made flesh:
we thank you that in this sacrament of our redemption
you visit us with your Holy Spirit
and overshadow us by your power;

Strengthen us to walk with Mary
the joyful path of obedience
and so to bring forth the fruits of holiness;

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A hymn is sung.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord:
Unnumbered blessings, give my spirit voice;
Tender to me the promise of his word;
In God my Saviour shall my heart rejoice.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his name:
Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;
His mercy sure, from age to age the same;
His holy name, the Lord, the mighty one.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might:
Pow’rs and dominions lay their glory by;
Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight,
The hungry fed, the humble lifted high.

Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word:
Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
To children’s children and for evermore.

Words: T. Dudley-Smith (b. 1926)
Music: W. Greatorex (1877-1949)
Hymn Tune: WOODLANDS

The Dismissal

The Blessing

God grant to the living, grace;
to the departed, rest;
to the Church, the King, the Commonwealth,
and all humankind,
peace and concord;
and to us and all his servants, life everlasting;
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

Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord;
let it be to me according to your word.’

Luke 1.38

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

In the name of Christ. Amen.