St Paul s t Beaconsfield

Transcription

1 Dates for 2017 Fri 6 th Jan 6.30pm Epiphany dinner Chalking the doors Wed 1 st Mar Ash Wednesday Sun 16 th Apr Easter Sunday Thank You Eddie Vagg: December 25 th is Eddie s Birthday and as we celebrate the coming of light we give thanks that Eddie s bequest of solar panels continues to Give and bring us light.. Pray for the opportunity to be a gift to all at Christmas. Give thanks for all who bring goodwill to others and give thanks for all that has been given to us, in trust for future generations. 25/12/16 The light shines in the darkness St Paul s t Beaconsfield Christmas Day The Word became flesh Welcome to all who come to worship this day. Welcome to all who join us for the first time; all are invited to share with us in Communion. Pray without ceasing in everything Give Thanks 1 st January Epiphany Readings for NEXT Sunday Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalm 72:1-7,10-14 Ephesians 3: 1-12 Matthew 2:1-12 Ruari Jack Rosemary S Morning & Evening prayer 6.30am & 6.30pm Rev. Peter Humphris & Rev. Michael Jessup Office is attended Mon & Thurs mornings by Ronny ronny.stpauls@gmail.com or peter.stpauls@gmail.com The light shines in the darkness The gift of Christmas Is birthed in us

2 Welcome to our celebration of Christmas Worship is the highest calling of the human soul On this the most holy of days We are one with those who seek the divine around the World We are one with all of God s people, Christians and those of other faiths, with all of creation as we celebrate the coming of light, the birth of the Divine, enfleshed in humanity On this day even wars pause and the gap between rich and poor is tentatively bridged in giving and in sharing. In the coming of the Word Made Flesh we become a promise to be realised. And so this is Christmas... The world may never be the same. The year ahead is full of promise... If... we choose to make it so! And the end and the beginning were always there Before the beginning and after the end. And all is always now. 4. Hark, the herald angels sing VU 48 Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the New Born King Peace on Earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled. Joyful all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies, With the angelic host proclaim, Christ Is born in Bethlehem Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the new Born King Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ the everlasting Lord, Late in time behold him come, offspring of a virgin s womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail, the incarnate deity Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the new Born King Hail, the heaven born, prince of peace, Hail, the Sun of righteousness. Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings. Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die, Born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth. Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the new Born King As we contemplate the Truth and the Promise of Christmas, so we glimpse a world that is different from the world around us - a world that WE can create in Peace & Love

3 We break this bread to share in the body of Christ We who are many are one body in Christ For we all share in the one bread All are invited to share in communion, as the parish community of St Paul s offers the hospitality of the altar to all. 1. O come, all ye faithful VU 60 O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem. Come and behold him, born the king of angels. O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord. God of God, light of light. Lo, he abhors not the virgin s womb. Very God, begotten not created. O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord. Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation. Sing all ye citizens of heav n adored. Glory to God in the highest O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord. PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Most Loving God You send us into the world You love Give us grace to go thankfully And sight to find our reflection In the cross of love and drawn out from the tomb of darkness May we live in the power of your Spirit Amen. BLESSING AND DISMISSAL Go in Peace to love and serve the Lord In the name of Christ, Amen May the gift of Christmas be your birth this day and always. No longer do we see the nativity as a scene recreated of times past rather we recognise the Divine revelation in the present moment What we find under the star the sign of the Divine is the Word made flesh Divinity in Humanity The tree has roots and it also has branches both reach out seeking life and light What is revealed at Christmas is the divine scene of our Birthing Co-Creators with the Divine One with each other One with God One Creating Tomorrow Reaching out seeking life and light Christmas is a revelation, it is a gift for all a gift of Love And we, each and all, are both gift and giver.

4 The Lord be with you And also with you We celebrate the coming of Christ into the world. The glory of the Lord has been revealed, And all flesh shall see it together. Glory to God, Gift of Life and light of all creation we sing the Gloria response Gloria, gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, gloria, alleluia, alleluia! Collect Divine gift of Love, sing to us the angel song of encouragement, reveal to us the world of the Child born today, where people need not flee from wars and oppression, where no one lacks a place to call home, and where we are all part of one Divine creation. For we long to live out the love and hope of Christmas. Amen During the Great Thanksgiving Prayer we echo the words of the priest and may join in the responses Holy, holy, holy Lord God of power and might Heaven and earth are full of your glory Hosanna in the highest! Christ has died Christ is risen Christ reveals our birth. Blessing and honour and glory and power are yours for ever and ever Amen. Let us pray in the words our Saviour Christ has taught us: 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. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. Now and for ever. Amen. We offer the hospitality of the altar to all. Our journey is one of seeking wholeness and oneness, If you are not Anglican, if you are not even sure of your faith, if you come wanting to share and would like to receive Holy Communion you are very welcome to join with us.

5 3. Angels from the realms of glory We receive the gifts of the community as we sing together Please bring your gifts, offerings to the front of the church Angels from the realms of glory, Wing your flight over all the earth; Ye who sang creation's story Now proclaim the Messiah's birth. Gloria...In Excelsis Deo. Sages, leave your contemplations, Brighter visions beam afar; Seek the great Desire of nations; Ye have seen His natal star Gloria...In Excelsis Deo. Saints, before the altar bending, Watching long in hope and fear; Suddenly the Lord, descending, In His temple shall appear. Gloria...In Excelsis Deo. All creation, join in praising God, the Father, Spirit, Son, Evermore your voices raising To th eternal Three in One. Gloria...In Excelsis Deo. "Gloria in excelsis Deo" (Latin for "Glory to God in the highest") Holy Communion The Lord be with you And also with you Lift up your hearts We lift them to the Lord Let give thanks to the Lord our God It is right to give our thanks and praise First Reading Isaiah 52: 7-10 H ow beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." 8 Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the LORD to Zion. 9 Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. For the Word of the Lord - Thanks be to God What a piece of work are we, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god. [William Shakespeare] And is it true, and is it true The maker of the stars and sea, Became a child on earth for me? The community that worship at St Paul s celebrates the gift of Christmas each and every Sunday And in our giving day-by-day we create a possibility that seeks to bring light where there is darkness

6 Psalm 98 Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice 1 O sing to the Lord a new song: for he has done marvellous things; 2 His right hand and his holy arm: they have got him the victory. 3 The Lord has made known his salvation: he has revealed his just deliverance in the sight of the nations. 4 He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness towards the house of Israel: and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice 5 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth: break into singing and make melody. 6 Make melody to the Lord upon the harp: upon the harp and with the sounds of praise. 7 With trumpets and with horns: cry out in triumph before the Lord, the king. Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice 8 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it: the good earth and those who live upon it. 9 Let the rivers clap their hands: and let the mountains ring out together before the Lord; 10 For he comes to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life As the shepherds knelt before the newborn Christ child, we open our hearts in penitence and faith: You, Lord, were born for our salvation. You came as a saviour to reveal the possibility of wholeness and peace You came to bring light into the darkness of our lives. The Priest pronounces the absolution May the God of love, who sent his Son into the world to bring the knowledge of forgiveness, bring you his pardon and peace, now and for ever. Amen. We are the body of Christ God s Spirit is with us The peace of the Lord be always with you And also with you I wonder at the maker who can be Before I am and yet a child of me. Sidney Carter We share with each other the Greeting of the Peace

7 We now reaffirm as our own, the faith of the Church Do you believe in God the Gift of love in all life? We believe that in the Child of Bethlehem, the one born from the Tomb, all love and grace is gathered for the world. Here God entered our life in a way which honoured forever our struggle to survive our possibilities for newness and our ordinary human journey Here we see our God in a surprising way a God who travels with us a God who loves us to the death and a God who comes among us as a light breaking into every darkness This God we Praise This God we welcome into our life This God we celebrate today. God has called us out of darkness into God s marvellous light We will shine as a light in the world to the glory of God The Prayers of the people The prayers of Christmas speak for themselves for they are echoed today and everyday in the giving and receiving of gifts and in the sharing of love and hospitality. For each and every act of giving, we give thanks. Second Reading Hebrews 1: 1-4 L ong ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. 3 He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For the word of the Lord Thanks be to God The Nativity is the place of Birth, the moment of Creation What hope and what promise are birthed in this place? Here is our birth and here we can see ourselves opened to the light of all creation. The Divine is revealed in Humanity in you and in all... and the Divine birth is gifted into our hands... The Coming of Light I can only say, there we have been: but I cannot say where. And I cannot say, how long, for that is to place it in time. The inner freedom from the practical desire, The release from action and suffering, release from the inner And the outer compulsion, yet surrounded By a grace of sense, a white light still and moving, [Burnt Norton Four quartets - T.S.Eliot]

8 We listen for the Gospel, and open ourselves to hearing the Word the voice that speaks of divine birth and life lived in the place of resurrection. Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia Thank you for sharing the journey that has brought us together in this place.. How shall I describe this Birth to you? For this wonder fills me with astonishment. The Ancient of Days has become an infant. He who sits upon the sublime and heavenly throne, now lies in a manger. The Only Begotten, Who is before all ages, Who is simple, without body, has now put on my body. God is now on earth and man in heaven; on every side all things commingle. St John Chrysostom (c ) Gospel Reading A reading from the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John, Chapter 1, beginning at the 1 st verse Glory to you Lord Jesus Christ I n the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. For the Gospel of the Lord Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ The Sermon