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Regular services at St Mary's

 

Sunday Service of the Word

Second Sunday before Advent November 15th 2020

We continue to invite everyone who is not attending our Sunday Eucharist to join together in a Service of the Word at the same time of 9:30 am, though you are welcome to pray this service at whatever time suits you.

To worship with us, please listen to the audio file and join in the responses in bold.

Listen to the Service of the Word

Anthem

The choir sing the anthem God be in my head by H Walford Daviers

O Lord open our lips
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

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


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

A time of silence and self-examination may be kept.

Jesus says, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’ So let us turn away from sin and turn to Christ, confessing our sins in penitence and faith.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we have sinned against you
and against our neighbour
in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry
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 grant that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name.
Amen.

May Almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

 

The Collect


Heavenly Father,
whose blessed Son was revealed to destroy the works of the devil
and to make us the children of God and heirs of eternal life:
grant that we, having this hope,
may purify ourselves even as he is pure;
that when he shall appear in power and great glory
we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom;
where he is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Readings

A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, ‘There is peace and security’, then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labour pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

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

The Gospel

Alleluia, Alleluia
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Alleluia

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

Jesus said to his disciples ‘the Kingdom of Heaven is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

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

 

Sermon

You can listen to the sermon on the audio file.

The Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Intercessions

These responses are used

Lord in your mercy
hear our prayer


Prayers for the departed include:
Recently Departed Graham Whittal
Years Mind:Donald Fitzgerald, Sophia Hawkins, Derek Petchey, Peter Clarke, Rita Abbott, Allan Underwood

And at the end:
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers,
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

 

The Benedictus

You will guide us with your counsel, O God,
and afterwards receive us with glory.

Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel,  who has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour, 
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets God promised of old 
to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all that hate us,

To show mercy to our ancestors, 
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham:  to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

Free to worship him without fear,  holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,  for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

To give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of all their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,  and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

You will guide us with your counsel, O God,
and afterwards receive us with glory.

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, so we pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.

Hymn

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.

People and realms of every tongue
Dwell on his love with sweetest song,
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on his name.

Blessings abound where'er he reigns;
The prisoner leaps to lose his chains;
The weary find eternal rest,
And all the sons of want are blest.

Let every creature rise and bring
Peculiar honours to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the long Amen

 


The Blessing

Christ our King make you faithful and strong to do his will, that you may reign with him in glory; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.
All :  Amen.

 

Voluntary

The organ voluntary is Andante tranquillo (Sonata III) by Mendelssohn

 

 

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Music scholarships at St Mary'sCalendar

November
1 All Saints
8 Remembrance / 3 before Advent
15 Second before Advent
22 Christ the King
29 Advent Sunday

December
6 Advent 2
13 Advent 3
20 Advent 4
25 Christmas Day
27 St John