Newton Heath
All Saints’ Parish Church
With St Wilfrid’s, St Ann and St Cuthbert’s
15th February 2026, Last Sunday before Lent
10.00 am Parish Sung Eucharist
As good as it can be. Work needed.
The Sunday before Advent is the splendour of Christ the King; before Lent it is the ‘Wow’ and mystery of The Transfiguration. You have had twelve years of sermons from me on this. It is with very mixed feelings I say that this year there is even more need to bring to earth something which is as good as it can be, which is pretty much what ‘transfiguration’ means. It also means even more prayer and a very busy Lent in that department.
I hope you can make some time to engage with the themes of Lent so that we too can be transformed and transfigured in our faith.
Fr A
Music before the service
Jesus meine Zuversich (Jesus my confidence) BWV 728 J.S. Bach
THE GATHERING
Hymn
Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only light,
sun of righteousness, arise,
triumph o'er the shades of night;
day-spring from on high, be near;
day-star, in my heart appear.
Dark and cheerless is the morn
unaccompanied by thee:
joyless is the day's return,
till thy mercy's beams I see,
till they inward light impart,
glad my eyes, and warm my heart.
Visit then this soul of mine;
pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
fill me, radiancy divine;
scatter all my unbelief;
more and more thyself display,
shining to the perfect day.
Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Tune: Ratisbon
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The Greeting
The president greets the people
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
be with you.
and also with you.
Prayer of Preparation
This prayer may be said
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known, and from whom no
secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy
Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Invitation to Confession
God so loved the world
that he gave his only Son Jesus Christ
to save us from our sins,
to be our advocate in heaven,
and to bring us to eternal life.
Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith,
firmly resolved to keep God’s commandments
and to live in love and peace with all.
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
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.
Collect
Almighty Father,
whose Son was revealed in majesty
before he suffered death upon the cross:
give us grace to perceive his glory,
that we may be strengthened to suffer with him
and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
Readings
Exodus 24.12-18
12 The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.’ 13So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14To the elders he had said, ‘Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.’
15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. 17Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God
2 Peter 1.16-21
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For he received honour and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ 18We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.
19 So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Reading
As you are able, please stand
Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who hear the word of the Lord and keep it.
Alleluia.
The Lord be with you
And also with you
The Gospel is announced
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Matthew
Glory to you, O Lord.
17Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ 5While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ 6When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ 8And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’
Matthew 19.1-9
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
The Creed
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.
Cycle of Prayer
Our bishops: David, Mark and Matthew
The Anglican Communion
The Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean
Porvoo Communion
Church of Ireland: Diocese of Tuam; Limerick and Killaloe
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark: Diocese of Roskilde
Schools and Colleges
All Saints; St Wilfrid’s; Briscoe Lane Academy;
Christ the King; Co-op Academy Broadhurst;
Oldham Blue Coat; Trinity High School; Bowdoin College, Maine; Churchill College, Cambridge; University of Coventry; Edge Hill University; University of Leeds; Oldham Sixth Form College.
Parish
Court Drive, Crammond Close, Cranmore Street, Cravenhurst Avenue, Crawford Street, Crayford Road.
Book of Remembrance
Elsie Corless; Denys Pope; Hilda Kirkham; Alice Dawson; Sydney Jackson; Frank Cartwright; Leslie Wild; Mark Drinkwater; Alice Coates, Alison Cooney; Lily Bateman.
THE LITURGY OF THE SACRAMENT
The Peace
In the tender mercy of our God the dayspring from on high has broken upon us, to give light to those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
cf Luke 1.78,79
The peace of the Lord be always with you
and also with you.
Let us offer one another a sign of peace.
The Eucharistic Prayer
The president says
The Lord be with you
and also with you.
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.
The president praises God for his mighty acts and all respond
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.
The president recalls the Last Supper,
and one of these four acclamations may be used
[Great is the mystery of faith:]
Christ has died:
Christ is risen:
Christ will come again.
The Prayer continues and leads into the doxology, to which all respond boldly
Amen.
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
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
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.
Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to his supper.
Lord I am not worthy to receive you,
but only say the word and shall be healed
Giving of Communion
Music after the Distribution of Communion
O nata lux de lumine Thomas Tallis 1505-85
sung by VOCES8
O nata lux de lumine,
Jesu redemptor saeculi,
Dignare clemens supplicum
Laudes precesque sumere.
Qui carne quondam contegi
Dignatus es pro perditis,
Nos membra confer effici
Tui beati corporis.
O Light born of Light, Jesus,
redeemer of the world,
with loving-kindness
deign to receive suppliant praise and prayer.
Who once deigned to be clothed in flesh for
the sake of the lost,
grant us to be members
of thy blessed body.
Music by Thomas Tallis (1507-1585)
Sung by Voces8
Post Communion Prayers
God our creator, by your gift
the tree of life was set at the heart of the earthly paradise, and the bread of life at the heart of your Church: may we who have been nourished at your table on earth be transformed by the glory of the Saviour’s cross
and enjoy the delights of eternity;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Almighty God,
we thank you for feeding us
with the body and blood of your
Son Jesus Christ.
Through him we offer you
our souls and bodies
to be a living sacrifice.
Send us out
In the power of your Spirit
to live and work
to your praise and glory.
Amen.
Notices may be shared
Hymn
Guide me, O thou great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty,
hold me with thy powerful hand:
bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore.
Open now the crystal fountain
whence the healing stream doth flow;
let the fiery, cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through:
strong deliverer,
be thou still my strength and shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan
bid my anxious fears subside;
death of death, and hell's destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side:
songs of praises
I will ever give to thee.
Arglwydd arwain drwy'r anialwch
William Williams (1717-1791)
Translated by Peter Williams (1727-1796)
Blessing and Dismissal
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.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
Voluntary
Paean Philip Moor (b1943)
LENT 2026
This begins on Ash Wednesday, 18th February (see overleaf)
On Wednesdays, beginning on 25th February, the Rector will drop a ‘podcast’ accessible through our YouTube channel which looks forward to the readings for the following Sunday. Podcasts may include reference to art and music, and will end with prayers inspired by the texts.
You could go straight to our YouTube Page, All Saints Newton Heath, from Wednesday evenings from 6.00 pm or look out for an alert and link via the Congregation WhatsApp group. There will be hard copies of the bulk of what is said, and references for the images if they cannot be included in the booklet.
All Saints Newton Heath - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@allsaintsnewtonheath4846
7.30 pm Ash Wednesday, 18th February.
Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes
Ash Wednesday is a Principal Holy Day, and it is expected that communicant members of the Church of England receive communion. The tradition here is to included the imposition of Ashes. Please come unless you have a compelling reason not to! Of course we understand that dark nights for some are not ideal
Common Worship: Collects and Post Communions, material from which is included here, is copyright ©The Archbishops' Council and published by Church House Publishing.
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.http://nrsvbibles.org
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