Online Service for Sunday 22 March 2020
Click here if you want to download the service sheet, or just follow from this page.
Welcome to your first online service from St Matthew’s! To participate fully, it would be helpful for you to have: a Bible, a candle, and a bowl of water with either a pastry brush or a sprig of rosemary/other leafy twig in it (yes, really). If that’s not practical, don’t worry, it’s not essential – just enjoy!
If there is more than one of you, you can share out leading, and the readings; but it is perfectly possible to participate just on your own.
As it is Mothering Sunday, our organist, Jonathan Turton, has recorded an opening and closing voluntary. If you would like to listen to it before the service begins, please click on this link:
Opening Voluntary
Suite Gothique - Priére à Notre Dame - Léon Boëllmann (1862 – 1897)
Welcome
Light the candle to begin, and remember Jesus, the light of the world, is with you.We make the sign of the cross, saying together,,
Leader: + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All Amen
Leader The Lord is here.
All His Spirit is with us.
We take a moment to think about coming into the presence of God and joining with others, either virtually or in our own homes, on this Mothering Sunday.
Confessing our sins
As we enter God’s presence, we remember that we have not always lived our lives as we might have done. We have done wrong and hurt others. Let’s seek God’s forgiveness. We pray together:
All
Lord God, we have sinned against you;
we have done evil in your sight.
We are sorry and repent.
Have mercy on us according to your love.
Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us from our sin.
Renew a right spirit within us and restore us to the joy of your salvation, x
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
As it is Lent, we have the asperges – a sprinkling with water which reminds us of the cleansing of baptism. You might like to sprinkle yourself, and those with you, with the water in your bowl using the brush/twig. Please listen to Jonathan singing while you do this.
Asperges
Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Have mercy on me, O God, after thy great goodness.
According to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences.
God’s forgiveness is pronounced, we cross ourselves + and say: Amen.
Please pray the Collect – the prayer for the day
Leader
God of compassion,
whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary,
shared the life of a home in Nazareth,
and on the cross drew the whole human family to himself:
strengthen us in our daily living
that in joy and in sorrow
we may know the power of your presence
to bind together and to heal;
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.
Readings
It’s nice to do the readings out loud, even if you are on your own.
Old Testament Reading: Exodus 2.1-10.
If you can, stand to read the Gospel.
Gospel of the Day: John 19.25b-27
Homily
Please click on this link to listen to Mthr Helen giving a short talk.
Homily Mothering Sunday
Afterwards you might like to spend a moment reflecting on what the talk means for you. If you are with others, you could have a short discussion.
Creed
Let’s remind ourselves of the beliefs of the Christian faith
All
We believe in God the Father,
from whom every family
in heaven and on earth is named.
We believe in God the Son,
who lives in our hearts through faith,
and fills us with his love.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
who strengthens us
with power from on high.
We believe in one God;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Hymn
Let’s sing a hymn together! Click on this link for the music and join in with Mthr Helen
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 to same;
his holy Name, the Lord, the Mighty One.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might!
Powers 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!
The Prayers
To lead into the intercessions, why not have a short period of silence – 3 to 5minutes to still yourself before God?
Then please click on this link to listen to Martin leading the prayers from his home in isolation.
Song
The song below was already set for Mothering Sunday. You don’t need help to sing the tune! Think about how you want to sing it – joyfully and bouncily, or slowly and soulfully.
He’s got the whole world in his hands (x4)
He’s got you and me, brother, in his hands…
He’s got you and me, sister, in his hands…
He’s got the old and the young in his hands…
He’s got all of St Matthew’s in his hands…
Praying for God’s blessing
All
May God bless us and keep us.
May God watch over us and protect us.
May God make his face to shine upon us,
and give us his peace, now and forever. Amen.
Closing Voluntary
Here is Jonathan’s closing voluntary.
Fugue in E Flat BWV 552b, 1st section (St Anne) - J S Bach (1685 - 1750)
Jonathan writes, The ‘St Anne’ fugue has that nickname in England because the opening theme is very similar to the tune used for ‘O God our help in ages past’ which is called St Anne. The resemblance is co-incidental, the theme was well known by the time Bach used it.
We normally have refreshments after the service, so why not make a cup of tea or coffee, and ring someone you know from church for a chat?