10.00 am Parish Sung Eucharist

Thou crownest the year with thy goodness. (Ps 65.11)

The Parable of the Sower must be one of the best known of Jesus’s parables, where the blame for the seed of God’s word, or the germ of the Holy Spirit, not coming to fruition is blamed on us, because we are not good soil.

Blame is rather a harsh term. Perhaps we can look at this parable from the perspective of personal responsibility. If we have the ground ready from the get-go, so much the better. If we don’t what can we do ourselves to prepare it? If we don’t have those resources available and /or internally, what help can we find?

Even if our ‘soil’ is clear of the impediments to growth within the parable, not all soils are the same: some are clay, sand, acidic, alkaline, some more ‘loamy’ than others and so on. If you go to a garden centre you will find different types of compost for different types of soil. The seed in the parable is a metaphor and not literal, so growth will be possible as long as our intent is there, whoever, whatever we are.

I think we can all agree that the sun is essential, and we don’t need to think too hard about that play on words do we?

Fr A

Music before the service

Vater unser im Himmelreich BWV 683 (Our Father in Heaven J.S. Bach

THE GATHERING

We stand to sing

1 How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
in a believer's ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
and drives away his fear.

2 It makes the wounded spirit whole,
and calms the troubled breast;
'tis manna to the hungry soul,
and to the weary rest.

3 Dear name! the rock on which I build,
my shield and hiding-place,
my never-failing treasury filled
with boundless stores of grace.

4 Jesus! my Shepherd, Brother, Friend,
my Prophet, Priest, and King,
my Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
accept the praise I bring.

5 Weak is the effort of my heart,
and cold my warmest thought;
but when I see thee as thou art,
I'll praise thee as I ought.

6 `Till then I would thy love proclaim
with every fleeting breath;
and may the music of thy name
refresh my soul in death.

John Newton (1725-1807)

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

Prayer of Preparation

Please sit or kneel.

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.

Prayers of Penitence

Invitation to confession:

We run the race set before us, surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.
Therefore let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which clings so closely,
bringing them to Jesus in penitence
and faith. Hebrews 12.1

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

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

Please stand
(Mass of St Cedd, Nardone)

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

Merciful God,
you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as pass
our understanding:
pour into our hearts such love toward you
that we, loving you in all things and above all things,
may obtain your promises,
which exceed all that we can desire;
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

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

Isaiah 55.1-13

55Ho, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labour for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5 See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.

This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Romans 8.1-11

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, 8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.

As you are able, please stand

Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who hear the word of the Lord and keep it.
Alleluia.

The Lord be with you
And also with you.

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Matthew
Glory to you, O Lord.

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. 2Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9Let anyone with ears listen!’ 18 ‘Hear then the parable of the sower. 19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 20As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. 22As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.’
Matthew 13. 1-9, 18-23

At the end:

This is the Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, O Christ.

The 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.

Prayers of Intercession

Please sit or kneel

Encouraged by our fellowship with all the saints, let us make our prayers to the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Cycle of Prayer

Cycle of Prayer
Our bishops: David, Mark and Matthew
The Anglican Communion
Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan
Porvoo Communion
The Church of England: Diocese of Newcastle
Church of Norway: Diocese of Møre
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; Loretto Sixth Form College; Oldham Sixth Form College.
Parish
Monsall Road, Morcambe Close, Morse Road, Mortlake Drive, Mountain Street, Nobel Street.
Book of Remembrance
Edith Wales; Elsie Moss; Andrea Watts; Doris Roberts; Charles Arnold.

The Peace

Please stand

We are fellow-citizens with the saints and of
the household of God,
through Christ our Lord, who came and
preached peace to those who were far off
and those who were near.
Ephesians 2.19,17

The peace of the Lord be always with you
and also with you.

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

Preparation of the Table

Father,
accept all we bring before you this day.
Guide us with your love and feed us at your table
as you nourish the faith of the Church by the preaching of your apostles.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The Eucharistic Prayer

Please sit or kneel

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.

The president recites the Preface as far as
“…we proclaim your great and glorious name, for ever praising you and saying/singing:

(Mass of St. Cedd, Nardone)

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 continues with the institution narrative as far as
Praise to you Lord Jesus
Dying you destroyed our death,
rising you restored our life:
Lord Jesus, come in glory.

The Eucharistic prayer continues to its conclusion in the Doxology

by whom, and with whom, and in whom,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory be yours,
almighty Father, for ever and ever
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:
give us your peace.

Giving of Communion

Behold the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin 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 I am healed.

We join in Communion.
If you wish to come forward for a Blessing, please bring this booklet with you or keep your arms folded.

Music after Communion

(Remain seated)

Thou visitest the earth and blesseth it, And crowneth the year with thy goodness (Ps 65 vv 8&11)
Music: Maurice Green (1696—1755)

Prayer after Communion

Silence is kept

God of our pilgrimage,
you have led us to the living water:
refresh and sustain us
as we go forward on our journey,
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
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 given out.

Hymn

1 Jesus shall reign where'er the sun
does his successive journeys run;
his kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
till moons shall wax and wane no more.

2 People and realms of ev'ry tongue
dwell on his love with sweetest song,
and infant voices shall proclaim
their early blessings on his name.

3 To him shall endless prayer be made
and praises throng to crown his head;
his name like incense shall arise
with ev'ry morning sacrifice.

4 Let ev'ry creature rise and bring
peculiar honours to our King;
angels descend with songs again,
and earth repeat the loud amen.
Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

The Blessing

God, who has prepared for you a city
with eternal foundations,
bring you, with all the saints,
to the eternal and triumphant joy of that city;
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.

Voluntary

Piece d’Orgue BWV 572 J.S. Bach

Silver Jubilee

Thank you all for your good wishes and kindness last Sunday! Thank you too to my sister Alison and her husband Luke for making the overnight trip from Norwich!
Ministry here can be tough, and I am more than just a ‘chaplain’ to those who gather here on a Sunday. I am, we are, here to serve all.
As a church community, we are growing younger, and stand on the shoulders of those who have served before, and still with us in the Saints living; and on the shoulders, as it were, of the Saints departed, for whose wisdom and sacrifice we shall remain ever grateful. I am one of the longer-serving Rectors/clergy here. Those with even longer service than mine are a continual inspiration.
Thanks be to God. 

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[email protected]

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