The seventeenth Sunday after Trinity

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. 

At the name of Jesus   
ev’ry knee shall bow,   
ev’ry tongue confess him   
king of glory now;   
’tis the Father’s pleasure   
we should call him Lord,   
who from the beginning   
was the mighty Word.

At his voice creation 
sprang at once to sight, 
all the angel faces, 
all the hosts of light, 
thrones and dominations, 
stars upon their way, 
all the heav’nly orders, 
in their great array.

Humbled for a season,   
to receive a name   
from the lips of sinners   
unto whom he came,   
faithfully he bore it   
spotless to the last,   
brought it back victorious   
when from death he passed.

Bore it up triumphant   
with its human light,  
through all ranks of creatures,  
to the central height,  
to the throne of Godhead,  
to the Father’s breast;  
filled it with the glory  
of that perfect rest.

In your hearts enthrone him;  
there let him subdue  
all that is not holy,  
all that is not true:  
he is God the Saviour,  
he is Christ the Lord,  
ever to be worshipped,  
trusted, and adored.

Words: Caroline Maria Noel (1817-1877)
Music: Michael Brierley (b. 1932)
Hymn Tune: CAMBERWELL

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

Amen.

The Greeting

Welcome in the name of Christ.
God’s grace, mercy and peace be with you

and also with you.

Words of Welcome

Invitation to Confession

As we prepare to celebrate the mystery of God’s love,
revealed in Word and Sacrament,
let us call to mind our sins.

Silence is kept.

Father eternal, giver of light and grace,
we have sinned against you and against our neighbour,
in what we have thought,
in what we have said and done,
through ignorance, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault.
We have wounded your love,
and marred your image in us.
We are sorry and ashamed,
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 lead us out from darkness
to walk as children of light.
Amen.

Almighty God,
who forgives all who truly repent,
have mercy upon you,
pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you in life eternal;
through Jesus 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’.

Almighty God,
you have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you:
pour your love into our hearts and draw us to yourself,
and so bring us at last to your heavenly city
where we shall see you face to face;
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.

Please sit.

The Liturgy of the Word

First Reading

A reading from the book of Exodus.

From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarrelled with Moses, and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?’ But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?’ So Moses cried out to the Lord, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.’ The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.’ Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarrelled and tested the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’

Exodus 17.1-7

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Hymn

Please stand as the gradual hymn is sung. 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.   

Father, hear the prayer we offer: 
not for ease that prayer shall be, 
but for strength that we may ever 
live our lives courageously. 

Not for ever in green pastures 
do we ask our way to be; 
but the steep and rugged pathway 
may we tread rejoicingly. 

Not for ever by still waters 
would we idly rest and stay; 
but would smite the living fountains 
from the rocks along our way.

Be our strength in hours of weakness, 
in our wand’rings be our guide; 
through endeavour, failure, danger, 
Father, be thou at our side.

Words: Maria Willis (1824-1908)
Music: English traditional melody
adapted by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Hymn Tune: SUSSEX

Gospel Reading

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

Glory to you, O Lord.

When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?’ And they argued with one another, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will say to us, “Why then did you not believe him?” But if we say, “Of human origin”, we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.’ So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And he said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

‘What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not”; but later he changed his mind and went.The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, “I go, sir”; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax-collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

Matthew 21.23-32

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 following response is used:

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

We are the body of Christ.
In the one Spirit we were all baptised into one body.
Let us then pursue all that makes for peace
and builds up our common life.

cf 1 Corinthians 12.13; Romans 14.19

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.

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 fullness 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: George Hugh Bourne (1840-1925)
Music: George Clement Martin (1844-1916)
Hymn Tune: SAINT HELEN

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 (G)

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.

Blessed are you, Lord God,
our light and our salvation;
to you be glory and praise for ever.
From the beginning you have created all things
and all your works echo the silent music of your praise.
In the fullness of time you made us in your image,
the crown of all creation.
You give us breath and speech,
that with angels and archangels
and all the powers of heaven
we may find a voice to sing your 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.   

How wonderful the work of your hands, O Lord.
As a mother tenderly gathers her children,
you embraced a people as your own.
When they turned away and rebelled
your love remained steadfast.
From them you raised up Jesus our Saviour, born of Mary,
to be the living bread,
in whom all our hungers are satisfied.

He offered his life for sinners,
and with a love stronger than death
he opened wide his arms on the cross.
On the night before he died,
he came to supper with his friends
and, taking bread, he gave you thanks.
He broke it and gave it to them, saying:
Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.

At the end of supper, taking the cup of wine,
he gave you thanks, and said:
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.

Father, we plead with confidence
his sacrifice made once for all upon the cross;
we remember his dying and rising in glory,
and we rejoice that he intercedes for us at your right hand.
Pour out your Holy Spirit as we bring before you
these gifts of your creation;
may they be for us the body and blood of your dear Son.
As we eat and drink these holy things in your presence,
form us in the likeness of Christ,
and build us into a living temple to your glory.

Bring us at the last with the Blessed Virgin Mary
and all the saints
to the vision of that eternal splendour
for which you have created us;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
by whom, with whom, and in whom,
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’).

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.

Gracious God,
you call us to fullness of life:
deliver us from unbelief
and banish our anxieties
with the liberating love of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Motet

The choir sings a motet.

Hymns

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

The King of love my shepherd is, 
whose goodness faileth never; 
I nothing lack if I am his 
and he is mine for ever. 

Where streams of living waters flow 
my ransomed soul he leadeth, 
and where the verdant pastures grow 
with food celestial feedeth. 

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed, 
but yet in love he sought me, 
and on his shoulder gently laid, 
and home, rejoicing, brought me. 

In death’s dark vale I fear no ill 
with thee, dear Lord, beside me; 
thy rod and staff my comfort still, 
thy cross before to guide me. 

Thou spread’st a table in my sight, 
thy unction grace bestoweth: 
and O what transport of delight 
from thy pure chalice floweth. 

And so through all the length of days 
thy goodness faileth never; 
good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise 
within thy house for ever.

Words: Henry Williams Baker (1821-1877) based on Psalm 23 
Music: John Bacchus Dykes (1823-1876)
Hymn Tune: DOMINUS REGIT ME

Jesus, remember me 
when you come into your kingdom. 
Jesus, remember me 
when you come into your kingdom. 

Words: based on Scripture
Music: Jacques 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’.

Lord, we pray that your grace
may always precede and follow us,
and make us continually to be given to all good works;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Father of all,
we give you thanks and praise,
that when we were still far off
you met us in your Son and brought us home.
Dying and living, he declared your love,
gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory.
May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life;
we who drink his cup bring life to others;
we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world.
Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us,
so we and all your children shall be free,
and the whole earth live to praise your name;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A hymn is sung.

To God be the glory! Great things he hath done; 
so loved he the world that he gave us his Son; 
who yielded his life an atonement for sin, 
and opened the life-gate that all may go in. 

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord! 
Let the earth hear his voice; 
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord! 
Let the people rejoice: 
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, 
and give him the glory; great things he hath done. 

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood! 
To ev’ry believer the promise of God; 
the vilest offender who truly believes, 
that moment from Jesus a pardon receives. 

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord! 
Let the earth hear his voice; 
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord! 
Let the people rejoice: 
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, 
and give him the glory; great things he hath done. 

Great things he hath taught us,  
great things he hath done, 
and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son; 
but purer, and higher, and greater will be 
our wonder, our rapture, when Jesus we see. 

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord! 
Let the earth hear his voice; 
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord! 
Let the people rejoice: 
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, 
and give him the glory; great things he hath done. 

Words: Frances Jane van Alstyne (F. J. Crosby) (1820-1915) 
Music: William Howard Doane (1832-1916) 
Hymn Tune: TO GOD BE THE GLORY

The Dismissal

The Blessing

The peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds
in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord;
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 to love and serve the Lord.

In the name of Christ. Amen.