The Gathering

The service is introduced by Maya Harrison (Principal Keeper) on behalf of the House and the City and by the Reverend Dr Claire Honess, Vicar of Whitkirk, on behalf of St Mary’s Church and the Parish of Whitkirk.

At the sound of the bell, please stand as the choir and the sacred ministers enter, during which the introit hymn is sung.

Christ is made the sure foundation;   
and the precious cornerstone,   
who, the two walls underlying,   
bound in each, binds both in one,   
holy Sion’s help for ever,   
and her confidence alone.

All that dedicated city,
dearly loved by God on high,
in exultant jubilation
pours perpetual melody,
God the One, in Threefold glory,
singing everlastingly. 

To this temple, where we call thee,   
come, O Lord of hosts, today;   
with thy wonted loving-kindness,   
hear thy people as they pray;   
and thy fullest benediction   
shed within its walls for ay.

Laud and honour to the Father,   
laud and honour to the Son,   
laud and honour to the Spirit,   
ever Three and ever One,   
One in love, and One in splendour,  
while unending ages run.

Words: Latin c. 7th century
 translated by John Mason Neale (1818-1866)
 Music: Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
 Hymn Tune: WESTMINSTER ABBEY 

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.

Invitation to Confession

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

Silence is kept.

Consider the birds of the air;
they do not sow or gather into barns,
yet our heavenly Father feeds them.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;
they do not toil nor spin,
yet even Solomon in all his glory
was not arrayed like one of these. 

Christ, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

How little faith we have.
Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Matthew 6.26, 28-30, 33

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 God,
to whose glory we celebrate
the dedication of this house and grounds,
we praise you for the many blessings
you have given over the last one hundred and two years
to those who have encountered you here:
and we pray that all who seek you in this place may find you,
and, being filled with the Holy Spirit,
may become acceptable to 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.

The Liturgy of the Word

Please sit.

A reading from the book of Genesis.

Read by the Earl of Halifax.

Jacob came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’ Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!’ And he was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’ So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.

Genesis 28.11-18

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

The Choir sings Psalm 122.

I was glad when they said unto me :
‘We will go into the house of the Lord.’

Our feet shall stand in thy gates :
O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built as a city :
that is at unity in itself.

For thither the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord :
to testify unto Israel
to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord.

For there is the seat of judgement :
even the seat of the house of David.

O pray for the peace of Jerusalem :
they shall prosper that love thee.

Peace be within thy walls :
and plenteousness within thy palaces.

For my brethren and companions’ sakes :
I will wish thee prosperity.

Yea because of the house of the Lord our God :
I will seek to do thee good.

Glory be to the Father :
and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost :
as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen. 

Music: Joseph Barnby (1838-1896)

A reading from the first letter of Peter.

Read by the Lord Mayor of Leeds.

Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture:

‘See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’

To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner’, and ‘A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.’ They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 

1 Peter 2.1-10

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

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

Christ is our cornerstone,
on him alone we build;
with his true saints alone
the courts of heav’n are filled:
on his great love
our hopes we place
of present grace
and joys above.

O then with hymns of praise
these hallowed courts shall ring;
our voices we will raise
the Three in One to sing;
and thus proclaim
in joyful song,
both loud and long,
that glorious name.

Here may we gain from heav’n
the grace which we implore;
and may that grace, once given,
be with us evermore,
until that day
when all the blest
to endless rest
are called away.

Words: Latin (c. 7th century)
translated by John Chandler (1806-1876)
Music: Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876)
Hymn Tune: HAREWOOD

Gospel Reading

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

Glory to you, O Lord.

At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered, ‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand.’ 

John 10.22-29

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Please sit after the preacher leads us in prayer.

Our preacher this year is the Very Reverend John Dobson DL, The Dean of Ripon.

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 sit to pray.

The response to the bidding:

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

Peace to this house from God our heavenly Father.
Peace to this house from his Son who is our peace.
Peace to this house from the Holy Spirit, the life-giver.

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.

The following hymn is sung.

Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided, 
urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way, 
sought us and saved us, pardoned and provided: 
Lord of the years, we bring our thanks today.

Lord, for that word, the word of life which fires us, 
speaks to our hearts and sets our souls ablaze, 
teaches and trains, rebukes us and inspires us: 
Lord of the word, receive your people’s praise.

Lord, for our land in this our generation, 
spirits oppressed by pleasure, wealth and care: 
for young and old, for commonwealth and nation, 
Lord of our land, be pleased to hear our prayer.

Lord, for our world; when we disown and doubt you, 
loveless in strength, and comfortless in pain, 
hungry and helpless, lost indeed without you: 
Lord of the world, we pray that Christ may reign.

Lord for ourselves; in living pow’r remake us – 
self on the cross and Christ upon the throne, 
past put behind us, for the future take us: 
Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.  

Words: Timothy Dudley-Smith (1926-2024)
Music: Michael Alfred Baughen (b. 1930)
 arranged by David Iliff (b. 1939)
Hymn Tune: LORD OF THE YEARS

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 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,
at all times and in all places
to give you thanks and praise,
holy Father, heavenly King,
almighty and eternal God,
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.

And now we give you thanks
for your blessing on this house,
where through your grace we offer you the sacrifice of praise
and are built by your Spirit into a temple made without hands,
even the body of your Son Jesus Christ.
Therefore with angels and archangels,
and with all the company of heaven,
we proclaim your great and glorious name,
for ever 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. 

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’).

For those at home it might be helpful to use this prayer during the distribution, a prayer that was included in the first Temple Newsam service a hundred and two years ago.

Prevent us, O Lord,
in all our doings with thy most gracious favour,
and further us with thy continual help;
that in all our works begun, continued and ended in thee,
we may glorify thy holy name,
and, finally, by thy mercy obtain everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Anthem

Sung by the Choir.

Ave verum corpus,  
natum ex Maria virgine;  
vere passum, immolatum  
in cruce pro homine.

Cujus latus perforatum  
vero fluxit sanguine.  
Esto nobis praegustatum,  
mortis in examine,

O clemens, O pie,  
O dulcis Jesu, fili Mariae.  

Words: 14th century
 Music: Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

English Translation:

Hail, true Body, born of the Virgin Mary,
having truly suffered, sacrificed on the cross for mankind,
from whose pierced side water and blood flowed.
Be for us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet in the trial of death.
O sweet Jesus, O holy Jesus, son of Mary, have mercy on me. 

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

Be still, for the presence of the Lord,
the Holy One, is here;
come, bow before him now,
with reverence and fear.
in him no sin is found,
we stand on holy ground.
Be still, for the presence of the Lord,
the Holy One, is here.

Be still, for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around;
he burns with holy fire,
with splendour he is crowned.
How awesome is the sight,
our radiant King of Light!
Be still, for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around.

Be still, for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place,
he comes to cleanse and heal,
to minister his grace.
No work too hard for him,
in faith receive from him;
be still, for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place.

Words & Music: David Evans (b. 1957)
Music arrangement: Norman Warren (1934-2019)

Faithful Shepherd, feed me
in the pastures green;
faithful Shepherd, lead me
where thy steps are seen.

Hold me fast, and guide me
in the narrow way;
so, with thee beside me,
I shall never stray.

Daily bring me nearer
to the heav’nly shore;
may my faith grow clearer,
may I love thee more.

Hallow ev’ry pleasure,
ev’ry gift and pain;
be thyself my treasure,
though none else I gain.

Day by day prepare me
as thou seest best,
then let angels bear me
to thy promised rest.

Words: Thomas Benson Pollock (1836-1896)
Music: Friedrich Silcher (1789-1860)
Hymn Tune: PASTOR PASTORUM

The Post Communion Prayer

Please stand with the president who introduces a time of silent prayer with the words ‘Let us pray’ before we say together:

God our Father, 
whose Son, the light unfailing,
has come from heaven 
to deliver the world 
from the darkness of ignorance:
let these holy mysteries 
open the eyes of our understanding 
that we may know the way of life,
and walk in it without stumbling;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A hymn is sung.

Angel-voices ever singing  
round thy throne of light,  
angel-harps for ever ringing,  
rest not day nor night;  
thousands only live to bless thee  
and confess thee  
Lord of might.  

Thou who art beyond the farthest  
mortal eye can scan,  
can it be that thou regardest   
songs of sinful man?  
Can we know that thou art near us,  
and wilt hear us?  
Yea, we can. 

Yea, we know that thou rejoicest  
o’er each work of thine;  
thou didst ears and hands and voices  
for thy praise design;  
craftsman’s art and music’s measure  
for thy pleasure  
all combine.  

In thy house, great God, we offer  
of thine own to thee;  
and for thine acceptance proffer  
all unworthily  
hearts and minds and hands and voices  
in our choicest  
psalmody.  

Honour, glory, might and merit  
thine shall ever be,  
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,  
blessèd Trinity.  
Of the best that thou hast given  
earth and heaven  
render thee.  

  Francis Pott (1832-1909)
 Music: Edwin George Monk (1819-1900)
 Hymn Tune: ANGEL VOICES

The Dismissal

The Blessing

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious unto you;
the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you,
and give you peace;
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 the peace of Christ.

Thanks be to God.

As you leave there will be a retiring collection, our financial offering in support of the work of the Church both at St. Mary’s Whitkirk and across our diocese.Please join us for refreshments downstairs in the Great Hall.