5th October
Latest advice from the London Borough of Islington
Covid cases are rising rapidly across London, including in Islington. We all need to act now to protect ourselves, our friends and our families by:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-during-the-pandemic-from-4-july
1st October
St Clement's Annual Parochial Church meeting 11th October 2020 (after Parish Mass)
Agenda
Meeting of the Parochial Church Council of St Clement with St Barnabas and St Matthew, Finsbury
1. The adoption of the Annual Report and Accounts for 2019.
Vestry Meeting of the Parish of St Clement with St Barnabas and St Matthew, Finsbury
1. Election of Churchwardens
Annual Parochial Church Meeting of the Parish of St Clement with St Barnabas and St Matthew, Finsbury
1. Apologies
2. Minutes of APCM 2019
3. Secretary’s Report
4. Treasurer’s Report
5. Churchwardens Report
6. Annual Report by the Vicar
7. Election of Parochial Church Council
8. Any other business
Sunday 28th June - Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Today, on the day traditionally reserved for many ordinations to the Priesthood, we welcome a new Assistant Curate to the parish. Vicki Davies is licensed today to the parish, and will be ordained (hopefully!) at the end of September. She will join us in the coming weeks, and we look forward to welcoming her to the St Clement's Church family. Each of us have our own calling to follow Christ, using our- God-given gifts and talents, the benefit of our experience and circumstances, to serve and love one another is His holy name.
The Collect for the day...
Almighty God,
whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul
glorified you in their death as in their life:
grant that your Church,
inspired by their teaching and example
and made one by your Spirit,
may ever stand firm upon the one foundation,
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.
Sunday 14th June - Corpus Christi Sunday
After three months of closure St Clement's will be opening for private prayer from tomorrow.
The church will be open from 10am to 2pm form Monday to Thursday. Appropriate Health and Safety measures will be in place, and we ask you to follow all guidance on hygiene and social distancing. Please note: toilets will not be available. We hope that we will be able to worship together soon. Meanwhile, St Clement's will return to it's role as a spiritual home and safe space. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Collect for Corpus Christi
Lord Jesus Christ,
we thank you that in this wonderful sacrament
you have given us the memorial of your passion:
grant us so to reverence the sacred mysteries
of your body and blood
that we may know within ourselves
and show forth in our lives
the fruits of your redemption;
for you are alive and reign with the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Thursday 9th April - Maundy Thursday
Today, traditionally all clergy meet in the cathedrals of their diocese (I would be going to St Paul's Cathedral) for the Chrism Mass, the service in which Holy Oils for healing and anointing are blessed by the bishop, and clergy repeat their ordination vows. It's a reminder for clergy of our interconnectedness and interdependence in the work we do to love and support others in Christ's name as deacons, priests and bishops. Sometimes parish life can be stressful and lonely, but the Chrism Mass is always a day to lift the spirits and to know better that we are a part of a much greater whole, God's Holy Church. All of us will need to know this Easter that even if we are separated form one another in space, locked down in our homes, that we are united in the love of Christ as member of the Church throughout the world. And we stand in solidarity with one another (many of whom, like us, are denied a chance to worship together) and, above all, with Christ as we repeat the story of his last days and hours leading up to his sacrifice on the Cross.
Collect for the Chrism Mass
Heavenly Father,
you anointed your Son Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit and with power
to bring all people to the blessings of your kingdom.
Anoint your Church with the same Holy Spirit,
that we who share in his suffering and his victory
may bear witness to the gospel of salvation;
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.
Wednesday 8th April
The coming days are the most important and powerful of the Christian year, encompassing the mystery of the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ. We, in heat and soul follow the path of Jesus from the Last Supper through Gethsemane, the Praetorium, the Via Dolorosa to Calvary. Then to the tomb. But, at last, to the Garden where Mary recognises him when he calls her by her name. It's so sad not to be able to celebrate these as we normally with the worship and rituals which surround our joining with this greatest story in penitence, prayer and praise. However, there will be a series of short services streamed live on Facebook (St Clement Finsbury) and Instagram from St Clement's Vicarage. These services will then be linked from the Video and Audio page.
Maundy Thursday 8.10pm (following the Clap for our Carers)
Good Friday 2pm
Easter Day 10.30am
A prayer for the Wednesday in Holy Week
Almighty God,
Your name is glorified
even in the anguish of your Son's death.
Grant us the courage
to receive your anointed servant
who embodies a wisdom and love
that is foolishness to the world.
empower us in witness
so that all the world may recognize
in the scandal of the cross the mystery of reconciliation. Amen.
Tuesday 7th April
When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” John 11.32-37
The depth of Jesus' compassion shines through in this excerpt from the story of the raising of Lazarus, deeply moved by his friend's death and the grief of his sisters, also his dear friends. But the question remains, could Jesus have done more, could he have changed the outcome? The outcome is, of course, the dramatic moment when Lazarus comes out of the tomb. But that skips over the reality of the suffering, fear, grief and death that had consumed Lazarus and his family. And the sign that his coming from the tomb gives is not that Lazarus could have been prevented from dying, or that he is immune from death - indeed, Jesus is not immune from death - but that the power of God in Christ will never give pain and death the last word, beyond it lies the deep and eternal love of God. God whose human eyes shed tears with his friends at their brother's tomb.
Collect for Holy Week
Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain,
and entered not into glory before he was crucified:
Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross,
may find it none other than the way of life and peace;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Monday 6th April
I know it was a comfort to many to hear the Queen address the nation last night, thanking all those putting themselves at risk, understanding what strange and difficult times these are for everyone, and assuring us that these times will pass. I've added her address to the Video and Audio page of this website so we can watch it again.
I've also uploaded the Palm Sunday Service from St Clement's Vicarage, made yesterday and shown on Facebook and Instagram onto the Video and Audio page.
A prayer for leaders in times of trouble.
Almighty Father,
whose will is to restore all things
in your beloved Son, the King of all:
govern the hearts and minds of those in authority,
and bring the families of the nations,
divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin,
to be subject to his just and gentle rule;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Sunday 5th April - Palm Sunday
The Order of Service for today's short service from the Vicarage on St Clement's Facebook page is at the top of this page. It has links for all the hymns we would ordinarily have sung. Also there is a service for Palm Sunday by the Bishop of Manchester which you can access on the Video and Audio page.
Collect for Palm Sunday
Almighty and everlasting God, who in your tender love towards all people
sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ to take upon him our flesh
and to suffer death upon the cross: grant that we may follow the example
of his patience and humility, and also be made partakers of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Saturday 4th April
Today simply a palm, perhaps the best known and commonly used because of its power and passion, deeply aware of the realities of human life, but confident of the abiding presence and love of God who, like a shepherd, leads his flock through every danger to safety.
Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd; ♦︎ therefore can I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures ♦︎ and leads me beside still waters.
3 He shall refresh my soul ♦︎ and guide me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; ♦︎ for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; ♦︎ you have anointed my head with oil and my cup shall be full.
6 Surely goodness and loving mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, ♦︎ and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Good Shepherd Prayer.
Good Shepherd of the sheep,
by whom the lost are sought and guided into the fold:
feed us and we shall be satisfied;
heal us and we shall be made whole;
and lead us, that we may be with you;
for you are alive and reign, with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen
Methodist Worship Book
Friday 3rd April
Among all us us trying to get to grips with the current crisis, we think today of of the Archbishops and Bishops giving leadership at this uniquely difficult and painful time in the history of our nation, and the world. We pray that they might have wisdom, courage and strength to make all the decisions they must make and in supporting clergy and parishes as well as leading the nation in prayer and promoting compassion , generosity and mutual care. And we pray especially for our own bishops, Sarah, Bishop of London and Joanne, Bishop of Stepney. Today is the feast of St Richard, who was Bishop of Chichester in the 13th century. He was a determined reformer of the church, who lived a very simple life. He travelled through his diocese on foot, gave charity to the poor and condemned clergy who were lazy, greedy or incompetent. He made enemies among the wealthy (and King Henry III didn't think much of him, trying to get his own candidate elected bishop) but ordinary people loved him and venerated his shrine in Chichester Cathedral for centuries afterwards, as they still do today.
A prayer of St Richard of Chichester.
Thanks be to my Lord Jesus Christ
for all the benefits thou hast given me,
for all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me.
O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother,
may I know thee more clearly,
love thee more dearly
and follow more nearly. Amen.
Thursday 2nd April
We're coming up to the most important and powerful week of the Christian Year, holy Week. It begins with Palm Sunday, when there'll be a podcast and other materials on the St Clement's Finsbury Facebook and St Clement's Instagram pages. Please look out for details if you use these platforms.
A pray to use with children.
Lord God, you are always with me.
You are with me in the day and in the night.
You are with me when I’m happy and when I’m sad.
You are with me when I’m healthy and when I am ill.
You are with me when I am peaceful and when I am worried.
Today I am feeling (name how you are feeling) because (reasons you are feeling this way).
Help me to remember that you love me and are with me in everything today. Amen.
Wednesday 1st April
Words made famous by King George VI in his Christmas Broadcast of 1939, at the start of the Second World War .
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.
Minnie Louise Haskins
Centuries ago 1st April was considered to be the start of the New Year. Those who work in Finance, or have accounts to keep, will know this well! The poem by Haskins, of which this is the first part, is about our need to trust in God and the peace and assurance that comes with that trusting. In the Bible Society booklet published for the Queen's 90th Birthday, it records the story that it was the 13 year old Princess Elizabeth who put the poem into her father's hands as he wondered what to say to a country facing the horrors and privations of another war. But timely words for us too, as we wait anxiously to see how the epidemic will run its course over the next weeks and months.
A prayer for trust in God.
O Christ Jesus, when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness, give us the sense of Your presence, Your love, and Your strength. Help us to have perfect trust in Your protecting love and strengthening power, so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for, living close to You, we shall see Your hand, Your purpose, Your will through all things. Amen.
St Ignatius of Loyola
Tuesday 31st March
“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.”
John Donne, 17th Century Dean of St Paul's Cathedral, writer and poet (his Feast Day is today)
Bring us, O Lord God, at our last awakening
into the house and gate of heaven,
to enter that gate and dwell in that house,
where there shall be no darkness nor dazzling,
but one equal light;
no noise nor silence, but one equal music;
no fears nor hopes, but one equal possession;
no ends or beginnings, but one equal eternity;
in the habitations of your glory and dominion,
world without end. Amen.
by Eric Milner-White based on words by John Donne
Monday 30th March
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14.27
In John's Gospel, after the Last Supper, Jesus teaches and comforts his disciples for the last time before his death on the Cross. He tells them not to be afraid, that he is going from them, but only as far as his Father in Heaven, and to the place where he would prepare a home for them. His peace is the ultimate comfort of the knowledge that love is stronger than death, that hope is founded in God who treasures all that God has made, and is drawing to himself through Jesus. These are words for times of sadness, anxiety, sickness and despair. Like the rescuer in a hundred stories, he will return to bring salvation. He asks us to believe that promise, and to find peace in it as we face the trials of life.
A prayer for the day.
Lord Jesus Christ,
you taught us to love our neighbour,
and to care for those in need
as if we were caring for you.
In this time of anxiety, give us strength
to comfort the fearful, to tend the sick,
and to assure the isolated
of our love, and your love,
for your name’s sake. Amen.
Sunday 29th March - Passion Sunday
The text for Mass for Passion Sunday (see Facebook for some of the hymns, and other resources)
Praise to the holiest in the height, and in the depth be praise,
In all his words most wonderful, most sure in all our ways.
O loving wisdom of our God! When all was sin and shame,
a second Adam to the fight and to the rescue came.
O generous love! that he who smote in man for man the foe,
the double agony in Man for man should undergo.
And in the garden secretly, and on the cross on high,
should teach his brethren, and inspire to suffer and to die.
Praise to the holiest in the height, and in the depth be praise,
In all his words most wonderful, most sure in all our ways.
(9) Praise to the Holiest - YouTube
The Introduction
Priest In the name of the + Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Priest The peace of the Lord be always with you all
All And also with you.
The priest welcomes the congregation and introduces the service. The priest then leads the congregation in a prayer of penitence,
Priest The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart God will not despise.
Let us come to the Lord, who is full of compassion, and acknowledge our sins in penitence and faith.
All Eternal God, giver of light and grace, we have sinned against you
and against our neighbour, in what we have thought
in what we have said and done, through ignorance, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault. We have wounded your love,
and marred your image in us. we are sorry and ashamed, 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 lead us out from darkness to walk as children of light. Amen.
All Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison.
The priest then assures us of the forgiveness of God, to which we all respond: Amen.
The Collect
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Liturgy of the Word
Today’s readings and psalm will be found in the Sunday bulletin.
Old Testament
Ezekiel 37:1-14
The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.
Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord.
Psalm 130
1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice; *
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
2 If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, *
O Lord, who could stand?
3 For there is forgiveness with you; *
therefore you shall be feared.
4 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; *
in his word is my hope.
5 My soul waits for the Lord,
more than watchmen for the morning, *
more than watchmen for the morning.
6 O Israel, wait for the Lord, *
for with the Lord there is mercy;
7 With him there is plenteous redemption, *
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.
Romans 8:6-11
To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For 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, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
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. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If 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.
When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ, my God:
all the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood.
See, from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown?
His dying crimson, like a robe, spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe, and all the globe is dead to me.
Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small;
love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.
(9) King's College Cambridge 2011 Easter #10 When I survey the Wonderous Cross Rockingham - YouTube
The Gospel Reading
John 11:1-45
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
The Creed
All 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.
The Prayers of Intercession
At the end of the prayers,
Reader Merciful Father,
All Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Peace
The priest introduces the Peace.
Priest Being justified by faith we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Or in Passiontide:
Priest Christ is our peace, He has reconciled us in one Body by
the Cross. We meet in His name and share His peace.
Priest The peace of the Lord be always with you.
All And also with you.
Priest Let us offer one another a sign of peace.
All exchange a sign of peace.
The Liturgy of the Eucharist
Glory be to Jesus, who in bitter pains
Poured for me the lifeblood from his sacred veins.
Grace and life eternal in that blood I find;
Blest be his compassion, infinitely kind.
Blest through endless ages be the precious stream
Which from endless torment did the world redeem.
Abel’s blood for vengeance pleaded to the skies;
But the blood of Jesus for our pardon cries.
Oft as it is sprinkled, on our guilty hearts;
Satan in confusion terror-struck departs.
Oft as earth exulting wafts its praise on high,
Angel hosts rejoicing make their glad reply.
Lift we then our voices, swell the mighty flood;
Louder still and louder praise the precious blood.
(9) Glory be to Jesus - YouTube
Prayers of offering are made to which all respond: Blessed be God for ever
Priest Pray my sisters and brothers that this our sacrifice may be acceptable to God the Almighty Father.
All May the Lord accept this sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of His name, for our good and the good of all His Church.
A prayer is said over the gifts, to which all respond: Amen.
The Eucharistic Prayer
Priest The Lord be with you
All And also with you
Lift up your hearts
We lift them up to the Lord
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
It is right to give thanks and praise
Priest It is indeed right and good to give you thanks and praise Almighty God, through Jesus Christ your Son.
For in these forty days you lead us into the desert of repentance that through a pilgrimage of prayer and discipline we may grow in grace and learn to be your people once again.
Through fasting, prayer and acts of service you bring us back to your generous heart.
Through the study of your holy word you open our eyes to your presence in the world
and free our hearts to welcome others into the radiant splendour of your love.
As we prepare to celebrate the Easter feast with joyful hearts and mind we bless you for your mercy and join with saints and angels for ever praising you and singing ....
All Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might.
Heav’n 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,
Priest We praise and bless you, loving God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord;
and as we obey His command, send your Holy Spirit, that broken bread and wine outpoured
may be for us the body and blood of your dear Son.
On the night before He died He had supper with His friends and, taking bread, He praised you.
He broke the bread, gave it to them and said: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.
When supper was ended he took the cup of wine. Again He praised you, gave it to them and said:
Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
Eternal God, we remember all that Jesus did, in Him we plead with confidence His sacrifice
made once for all upon the cross. Bringing before you the bread of life and cup of salvation,
we proclaim His death and resurrection until He comes in glory.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus
All: Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory.
Priest Lord of all life, help us to work together for that day when your kingdom comes and justice and mercy
will be seen in all the earth. Look with favour on your people, gather us in your loving arms and bring us with Mary, Clement, Barnabas, Matthew and all the saints to feast at your table in heaven.
All Through Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory are yours, O loving God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Silence is kept. The priest then invites the congregation to say the Lord’s prayer together.
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.
Priest We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.
All Though we are many we are one body because we all share in one bread.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: grant us peace.
The Communion
Priest This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Happy are those who are called to his supper.
All Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.
O sacred head, sore wounded, defiled and put to scorn;
O kingly head surrounded with mocking crown of thorn:
What sorrow mars thy grandeur? Can death thy bloom deflower?
O countenance whose splendour the hosts of heaven adore.
Thy beauty, long-desirèd, hath vanished from our sight;
thy power is all expirèd, and quenched the light of light.
Ah me! for whom thou diest, hide not so far thy grace:
show me, O Love most highest, the brightness of thy face.
I pray thee, Jesus, own me, me, Shepherd good, for thine;
who to thy fold hast won me, and fed with truth divine.
Me guilty, me refuse not, incline thy face to me,
this comfort that I lose not, on earth to comfort thee.
In thy most bitter passion my heart to share doth cry,
with thee for my salvation upon the cross to die.
Ah, keep my heart thus moved to stand thy cross beneath,
to mourn thee, well-beloved, yet thank thee for thy death.
My days are few, O fail not, with thine immortal power,
to hold me that I quail not in death's most fearful hour;
that I may fight befriended, and see in my last strife
to me thine arms extended upon the cross of life.
(9) O Sacred Head, Sore Wounded by The Choir of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral - YouTube
Afterwards a brief prayer is said, to which we respond, Amen.
The Blessing
Priest The Lord be with you. All And also with you.
Priest Christ give you grace to grow in holiness, to deny yourselves, take up your cross, and follow him;
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
Priest Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.
(9) Heavenly Hymns: The Choir of Winchester Cathedral - There Is a Green Hill Far Away - YouTube
Saturday 28th March
Mother Theresa once said about her work, "We feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But if that drop was not in the ocean I think the ocean will be less because of that missing drop." Many of us may feel that we are not doing much for others at the moment, especially if we are shielding ourselves or in self-isolation. But just by keeping safe and well, we're helping those working hard to make sure that all those who do fall ill have a fighting chance, and that number will include family, friends and neighbours in the coming months. So do what you can for others, even if that's doing nothing to make yourself or others unsafe.
By the end of today there will be resources for Passion Sunday, including an Order of Service for you to pray through, and the Sunday bulletin. Please use them for your private prayers and devotions. There'll also be a short act of Spiritual Communion you can download, with thanks to Father Christopher at Our Most Holy Redeemer.
http://holyredeemerclerkenwell.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Spiritual-Communion.pdf
Tomorrow morning there will be a service led by Archbishop John Sentamu, from his home at Bishopsthorpe Palace outside York. It will be available shortly afterwards on Youtube, which I'll add to the Audio and Video page. There will also be Morning Service for Passion Sunday on BBC1 at 10.45am from Bangor Cathedral, led by Dean Kathy Jones.
Friday 27th March
Here's a few tips, at the end of our first week indoors, for tackling loneliness and isolation.
1. Pray. Light a candle, if safe, and pray for hope, faith and strength to keep loving and caring for each other during this time of struggle.
2. Talk about how you feel. This may be difficult if you are self-isolating, but do use the telephone, internet, and social media. If you need to contact a counsellor this can be arranged by your GP, or via local agencies,%2
Latest advice from the London Borough of Islington
Covid cases are rising rapidly across London, including in Islington. We all need to act now to protect ourselves, our friends and our families by:
- Sticking with six – do not meet with more than six people at any time, indoors or outdoors and try to limit the number of people you see socially over a short period.
- Washing our hands regularly.
- Wearing a face covering in public places, including in shops, on public transport and at the school gates.
- Creating space – stay 2 metres apart from people outside your household.
- Downloading the NHS COVID-19 app – it’s the fastest way to see if you’re at risk from the virus. The faster you know, the quicker you can alert and protect your loved ones.
- Checking your symptoms – if you start to develop any coronavirus symptoms make sure you self-isolate and book a test by calling 119. We now have a testing site at the Sobell Centre (N7) so it should be easier to get a test locally.
- Asking for help - If you test positive or are told to isolate by NHS Test and Trace, you must stay at home or you could be fined. The council can give you practical support to arrange things like shopping, or help to apply for the government grant of £500 if you are employed or self-employed on a low income and will lose money because you cannot work from home. Call the ‘We are Islington’ helpline, 7 days a week on 020 7527 8222 or email weareislington@ islington.gov.uk
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-during-the-pandemic-from-4-july
1st October
St Clement's Annual Parochial Church meeting 11th October 2020 (after Parish Mass)
Agenda
Meeting of the Parochial Church Council of St Clement with St Barnabas and St Matthew, Finsbury
1. The adoption of the Annual Report and Accounts for 2019.
Vestry Meeting of the Parish of St Clement with St Barnabas and St Matthew, Finsbury
1. Election of Churchwardens
Annual Parochial Church Meeting of the Parish of St Clement with St Barnabas and St Matthew, Finsbury
1. Apologies
2. Minutes of APCM 2019
3. Secretary’s Report
4. Treasurer’s Report
5. Churchwardens Report
6. Annual Report by the Vicar
7. Election of Parochial Church Council
8. Any other business
Sunday 28th June - Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Today, on the day traditionally reserved for many ordinations to the Priesthood, we welcome a new Assistant Curate to the parish. Vicki Davies is licensed today to the parish, and will be ordained (hopefully!) at the end of September. She will join us in the coming weeks, and we look forward to welcoming her to the St Clement's Church family. Each of us have our own calling to follow Christ, using our- God-given gifts and talents, the benefit of our experience and circumstances, to serve and love one another is His holy name.
The Collect for the day...
Almighty God,
whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul
glorified you in their death as in their life:
grant that your Church,
inspired by their teaching and example
and made one by your Spirit,
may ever stand firm upon the one foundation,
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.
Sunday 14th June - Corpus Christi Sunday
After three months of closure St Clement's will be opening for private prayer from tomorrow.
The church will be open from 10am to 2pm form Monday to Thursday. Appropriate Health and Safety measures will be in place, and we ask you to follow all guidance on hygiene and social distancing. Please note: toilets will not be available. We hope that we will be able to worship together soon. Meanwhile, St Clement's will return to it's role as a spiritual home and safe space. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Collect for Corpus Christi
Lord Jesus Christ,
we thank you that in this wonderful sacrament
you have given us the memorial of your passion:
grant us so to reverence the sacred mysteries
of your body and blood
that we may know within ourselves
and show forth in our lives
the fruits of your redemption;
for you are alive and reign with the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Thursday 9th April - Maundy Thursday
Today, traditionally all clergy meet in the cathedrals of their diocese (I would be going to St Paul's Cathedral) for the Chrism Mass, the service in which Holy Oils for healing and anointing are blessed by the bishop, and clergy repeat their ordination vows. It's a reminder for clergy of our interconnectedness and interdependence in the work we do to love and support others in Christ's name as deacons, priests and bishops. Sometimes parish life can be stressful and lonely, but the Chrism Mass is always a day to lift the spirits and to know better that we are a part of a much greater whole, God's Holy Church. All of us will need to know this Easter that even if we are separated form one another in space, locked down in our homes, that we are united in the love of Christ as member of the Church throughout the world. And we stand in solidarity with one another (many of whom, like us, are denied a chance to worship together) and, above all, with Christ as we repeat the story of his last days and hours leading up to his sacrifice on the Cross.
Collect for the Chrism Mass
Heavenly Father,
you anointed your Son Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit and with power
to bring all people to the blessings of your kingdom.
Anoint your Church with the same Holy Spirit,
that we who share in his suffering and his victory
may bear witness to the gospel of salvation;
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.
Wednesday 8th April
The coming days are the most important and powerful of the Christian year, encompassing the mystery of the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ. We, in heat and soul follow the path of Jesus from the Last Supper through Gethsemane, the Praetorium, the Via Dolorosa to Calvary. Then to the tomb. But, at last, to the Garden where Mary recognises him when he calls her by her name. It's so sad not to be able to celebrate these as we normally with the worship and rituals which surround our joining with this greatest story in penitence, prayer and praise. However, there will be a series of short services streamed live on Facebook (St Clement Finsbury) and Instagram from St Clement's Vicarage. These services will then be linked from the Video and Audio page.
Maundy Thursday 8.10pm (following the Clap for our Carers)
Good Friday 2pm
Easter Day 10.30am
A prayer for the Wednesday in Holy Week
Almighty God,
Your name is glorified
even in the anguish of your Son's death.
Grant us the courage
to receive your anointed servant
who embodies a wisdom and love
that is foolishness to the world.
empower us in witness
so that all the world may recognize
in the scandal of the cross the mystery of reconciliation. Amen.
Tuesday 7th April
When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” John 11.32-37
The depth of Jesus' compassion shines through in this excerpt from the story of the raising of Lazarus, deeply moved by his friend's death and the grief of his sisters, also his dear friends. But the question remains, could Jesus have done more, could he have changed the outcome? The outcome is, of course, the dramatic moment when Lazarus comes out of the tomb. But that skips over the reality of the suffering, fear, grief and death that had consumed Lazarus and his family. And the sign that his coming from the tomb gives is not that Lazarus could have been prevented from dying, or that he is immune from death - indeed, Jesus is not immune from death - but that the power of God in Christ will never give pain and death the last word, beyond it lies the deep and eternal love of God. God whose human eyes shed tears with his friends at their brother's tomb.
Collect for Holy Week
Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain,
and entered not into glory before he was crucified:
Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross,
may find it none other than the way of life and peace;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Monday 6th April
I know it was a comfort to many to hear the Queen address the nation last night, thanking all those putting themselves at risk, understanding what strange and difficult times these are for everyone, and assuring us that these times will pass. I've added her address to the Video and Audio page of this website so we can watch it again.
I've also uploaded the Palm Sunday Service from St Clement's Vicarage, made yesterday and shown on Facebook and Instagram onto the Video and Audio page.
A prayer for leaders in times of trouble.
Almighty Father,
whose will is to restore all things
in your beloved Son, the King of all:
govern the hearts and minds of those in authority,
and bring the families of the nations,
divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin,
to be subject to his just and gentle rule;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Sunday 5th April - Palm Sunday
The Order of Service for today's short service from the Vicarage on St Clement's Facebook page is at the top of this page. It has links for all the hymns we would ordinarily have sung. Also there is a service for Palm Sunday by the Bishop of Manchester which you can access on the Video and Audio page.
Collect for Palm Sunday
Almighty and everlasting God, who in your tender love towards all people
sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ to take upon him our flesh
and to suffer death upon the cross: grant that we may follow the example
of his patience and humility, and also be made partakers of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Saturday 4th April
Today simply a palm, perhaps the best known and commonly used because of its power and passion, deeply aware of the realities of human life, but confident of the abiding presence and love of God who, like a shepherd, leads his flock through every danger to safety.
Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd; ♦︎ therefore can I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures ♦︎ and leads me beside still waters.
3 He shall refresh my soul ♦︎ and guide me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; ♦︎ for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; ♦︎ you have anointed my head with oil and my cup shall be full.
6 Surely goodness and loving mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, ♦︎ and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Good Shepherd Prayer.
Good Shepherd of the sheep,
by whom the lost are sought and guided into the fold:
feed us and we shall be satisfied;
heal us and we shall be made whole;
and lead us, that we may be with you;
for you are alive and reign, with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen
Methodist Worship Book
Friday 3rd April
Among all us us trying to get to grips with the current crisis, we think today of of the Archbishops and Bishops giving leadership at this uniquely difficult and painful time in the history of our nation, and the world. We pray that they might have wisdom, courage and strength to make all the decisions they must make and in supporting clergy and parishes as well as leading the nation in prayer and promoting compassion , generosity and mutual care. And we pray especially for our own bishops, Sarah, Bishop of London and Joanne, Bishop of Stepney. Today is the feast of St Richard, who was Bishop of Chichester in the 13th century. He was a determined reformer of the church, who lived a very simple life. He travelled through his diocese on foot, gave charity to the poor and condemned clergy who were lazy, greedy or incompetent. He made enemies among the wealthy (and King Henry III didn't think much of him, trying to get his own candidate elected bishop) but ordinary people loved him and venerated his shrine in Chichester Cathedral for centuries afterwards, as they still do today.
A prayer of St Richard of Chichester.
Thanks be to my Lord Jesus Christ
for all the benefits thou hast given me,
for all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me.
O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother,
may I know thee more clearly,
love thee more dearly
and follow more nearly. Amen.
Thursday 2nd April
We're coming up to the most important and powerful week of the Christian Year, holy Week. It begins with Palm Sunday, when there'll be a podcast and other materials on the St Clement's Finsbury Facebook and St Clement's Instagram pages. Please look out for details if you use these platforms.
A pray to use with children.
Lord God, you are always with me.
You are with me in the day and in the night.
You are with me when I’m happy and when I’m sad.
You are with me when I’m healthy and when I am ill.
You are with me when I am peaceful and when I am worried.
Today I am feeling (name how you are feeling) because (reasons you are feeling this way).
Help me to remember that you love me and are with me in everything today. Amen.
Wednesday 1st April
Words made famous by King George VI in his Christmas Broadcast of 1939, at the start of the Second World War .
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.
Minnie Louise Haskins
Centuries ago 1st April was considered to be the start of the New Year. Those who work in Finance, or have accounts to keep, will know this well! The poem by Haskins, of which this is the first part, is about our need to trust in God and the peace and assurance that comes with that trusting. In the Bible Society booklet published for the Queen's 90th Birthday, it records the story that it was the 13 year old Princess Elizabeth who put the poem into her father's hands as he wondered what to say to a country facing the horrors and privations of another war. But timely words for us too, as we wait anxiously to see how the epidemic will run its course over the next weeks and months.
A prayer for trust in God.
O Christ Jesus, when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness, give us the sense of Your presence, Your love, and Your strength. Help us to have perfect trust in Your protecting love and strengthening power, so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for, living close to You, we shall see Your hand, Your purpose, Your will through all things. Amen.
St Ignatius of Loyola
Tuesday 31st March
“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.”
John Donne, 17th Century Dean of St Paul's Cathedral, writer and poet (his Feast Day is today)
Bring us, O Lord God, at our last awakening
into the house and gate of heaven,
to enter that gate and dwell in that house,
where there shall be no darkness nor dazzling,
but one equal light;
no noise nor silence, but one equal music;
no fears nor hopes, but one equal possession;
no ends or beginnings, but one equal eternity;
in the habitations of your glory and dominion,
world without end. Amen.
by Eric Milner-White based on words by John Donne
Monday 30th March
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14.27
In John's Gospel, after the Last Supper, Jesus teaches and comforts his disciples for the last time before his death on the Cross. He tells them not to be afraid, that he is going from them, but only as far as his Father in Heaven, and to the place where he would prepare a home for them. His peace is the ultimate comfort of the knowledge that love is stronger than death, that hope is founded in God who treasures all that God has made, and is drawing to himself through Jesus. These are words for times of sadness, anxiety, sickness and despair. Like the rescuer in a hundred stories, he will return to bring salvation. He asks us to believe that promise, and to find peace in it as we face the trials of life.
A prayer for the day.
Lord Jesus Christ,
you taught us to love our neighbour,
and to care for those in need
as if we were caring for you.
In this time of anxiety, give us strength
to comfort the fearful, to tend the sick,
and to assure the isolated
of our love, and your love,
for your name’s sake. Amen.
Sunday 29th March - Passion Sunday
The text for Mass for Passion Sunday (see Facebook for some of the hymns, and other resources)
Praise to the holiest in the height, and in the depth be praise,
In all his words most wonderful, most sure in all our ways.
O loving wisdom of our God! When all was sin and shame,
a second Adam to the fight and to the rescue came.
O generous love! that he who smote in man for man the foe,
the double agony in Man for man should undergo.
And in the garden secretly, and on the cross on high,
should teach his brethren, and inspire to suffer and to die.
Praise to the holiest in the height, and in the depth be praise,
In all his words most wonderful, most sure in all our ways.
(9) Praise to the Holiest - YouTube
The Introduction
Priest In the name of the + Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Priest The peace of the Lord be always with you all
All And also with you.
The priest welcomes the congregation and introduces the service. The priest then leads the congregation in a prayer of penitence,
Priest The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart God will not despise.
Let us come to the Lord, who is full of compassion, and acknowledge our sins in penitence and faith.
All Eternal God, giver of light and grace, we have sinned against you
and against our neighbour, in what we have thought
in what we have said and done, through ignorance, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault. We have wounded your love,
and marred your image in us. we are sorry and ashamed, 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 lead us out from darkness to walk as children of light. Amen.
All Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison.
The priest then assures us of the forgiveness of God, to which we all respond: Amen.
The Collect
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Liturgy of the Word
Today’s readings and psalm will be found in the Sunday bulletin.
Old Testament
Ezekiel 37:1-14
The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.
Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord.
Psalm 130
1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice; *
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
2 If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, *
O Lord, who could stand?
3 For there is forgiveness with you; *
therefore you shall be feared.
4 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; *
in his word is my hope.
5 My soul waits for the Lord,
more than watchmen for the morning, *
more than watchmen for the morning.
6 O Israel, wait for the Lord, *
for with the Lord there is mercy;
7 With him there is plenteous redemption, *
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.
Romans 8:6-11
To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For 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, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
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. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If 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.
When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ, my God:
all the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood.
See, from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown?
His dying crimson, like a robe, spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe, and all the globe is dead to me.
Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small;
love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.
(9) King's College Cambridge 2011 Easter #10 When I survey the Wonderous Cross Rockingham - YouTube
The Gospel Reading
John 11:1-45
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
The Creed
All 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.
The Prayers of Intercession
At the end of the prayers,
Reader Merciful Father,
All Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Peace
The priest introduces the Peace.
Priest Being justified by faith we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Or in Passiontide:
Priest Christ is our peace, He has reconciled us in one Body by
the Cross. We meet in His name and share His peace.
Priest The peace of the Lord be always with you.
All And also with you.
Priest Let us offer one another a sign of peace.
All exchange a sign of peace.
The Liturgy of the Eucharist
Glory be to Jesus, who in bitter pains
Poured for me the lifeblood from his sacred veins.
Grace and life eternal in that blood I find;
Blest be his compassion, infinitely kind.
Blest through endless ages be the precious stream
Which from endless torment did the world redeem.
Abel’s blood for vengeance pleaded to the skies;
But the blood of Jesus for our pardon cries.
Oft as it is sprinkled, on our guilty hearts;
Satan in confusion terror-struck departs.
Oft as earth exulting wafts its praise on high,
Angel hosts rejoicing make their glad reply.
Lift we then our voices, swell the mighty flood;
Louder still and louder praise the precious blood.
(9) Glory be to Jesus - YouTube
Prayers of offering are made to which all respond: Blessed be God for ever
Priest Pray my sisters and brothers that this our sacrifice may be acceptable to God the Almighty Father.
All May the Lord accept this sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of His name, for our good and the good of all His Church.
A prayer is said over the gifts, to which all respond: Amen.
The Eucharistic Prayer
Priest The Lord be with you
All And also with you
Lift up your hearts
We lift them up to the Lord
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
It is right to give thanks and praise
Priest It is indeed right and good to give you thanks and praise Almighty God, through Jesus Christ your Son.
For in these forty days you lead us into the desert of repentance that through a pilgrimage of prayer and discipline we may grow in grace and learn to be your people once again.
Through fasting, prayer and acts of service you bring us back to your generous heart.
Through the study of your holy word you open our eyes to your presence in the world
and free our hearts to welcome others into the radiant splendour of your love.
As we prepare to celebrate the Easter feast with joyful hearts and mind we bless you for your mercy and join with saints and angels for ever praising you and singing ....
All Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might.
Heav’n 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,
Priest We praise and bless you, loving God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord;
and as we obey His command, send your Holy Spirit, that broken bread and wine outpoured
may be for us the body and blood of your dear Son.
On the night before He died He had supper with His friends and, taking bread, He praised you.
He broke the bread, gave it to them and said: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.
When supper was ended he took the cup of wine. Again He praised you, gave it to them and said:
Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
Eternal God, we remember all that Jesus did, in Him we plead with confidence His sacrifice
made once for all upon the cross. Bringing before you the bread of life and cup of salvation,
we proclaim His death and resurrection until He comes in glory.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus
All: Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory.
Priest Lord of all life, help us to work together for that day when your kingdom comes and justice and mercy
will be seen in all the earth. Look with favour on your people, gather us in your loving arms and bring us with Mary, Clement, Barnabas, Matthew and all the saints to feast at your table in heaven.
All Through Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory are yours, O loving God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Silence is kept. The priest then invites the congregation to say the Lord’s prayer together.
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.
Priest We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.
All Though we are many we are one body because we all share in one bread.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: grant us peace.
The Communion
Priest This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Happy are those who are called to his supper.
All Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.
O sacred head, sore wounded, defiled and put to scorn;
O kingly head surrounded with mocking crown of thorn:
What sorrow mars thy grandeur? Can death thy bloom deflower?
O countenance whose splendour the hosts of heaven adore.
Thy beauty, long-desirèd, hath vanished from our sight;
thy power is all expirèd, and quenched the light of light.
Ah me! for whom thou diest, hide not so far thy grace:
show me, O Love most highest, the brightness of thy face.
I pray thee, Jesus, own me, me, Shepherd good, for thine;
who to thy fold hast won me, and fed with truth divine.
Me guilty, me refuse not, incline thy face to me,
this comfort that I lose not, on earth to comfort thee.
In thy most bitter passion my heart to share doth cry,
with thee for my salvation upon the cross to die.
Ah, keep my heart thus moved to stand thy cross beneath,
to mourn thee, well-beloved, yet thank thee for thy death.
My days are few, O fail not, with thine immortal power,
to hold me that I quail not in death's most fearful hour;
that I may fight befriended, and see in my last strife
to me thine arms extended upon the cross of life.
(9) O Sacred Head, Sore Wounded by The Choir of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral - YouTube
Afterwards a brief prayer is said, to which we respond, Amen.
The Blessing
Priest The Lord be with you. All And also with you.
Priest Christ give you grace to grow in holiness, to deny yourselves, take up your cross, and follow him;
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
Priest Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.
(9) Heavenly Hymns: The Choir of Winchester Cathedral - There Is a Green Hill Far Away - YouTube
Saturday 28th March
Mother Theresa once said about her work, "We feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But if that drop was not in the ocean I think the ocean will be less because of that missing drop." Many of us may feel that we are not doing much for others at the moment, especially if we are shielding ourselves or in self-isolation. But just by keeping safe and well, we're helping those working hard to make sure that all those who do fall ill have a fighting chance, and that number will include family, friends and neighbours in the coming months. So do what you can for others, even if that's doing nothing to make yourself or others unsafe.
By the end of today there will be resources for Passion Sunday, including an Order of Service for you to pray through, and the Sunday bulletin. Please use them for your private prayers and devotions. There'll also be a short act of Spiritual Communion you can download, with thanks to Father Christopher at Our Most Holy Redeemer.
http://holyredeemerclerkenwell.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Spiritual-Communion.pdf
Tomorrow morning there will be a service led by Archbishop John Sentamu, from his home at Bishopsthorpe Palace outside York. It will be available shortly afterwards on Youtube, which I'll add to the Audio and Video page. There will also be Morning Service for Passion Sunday on BBC1 at 10.45am from Bangor Cathedral, led by Dean Kathy Jones.
Friday 27th March
Here's a few tips, at the end of our first week indoors, for tackling loneliness and isolation.
1. Pray. Light a candle, if safe, and pray for hope, faith and strength to keep loving and caring for each other during this time of struggle.
2. Talk about how you feel. This may be difficult if you are self-isolating, but do use the telephone, internet, and social media. If you need to contact a counsellor this can be arranged by your GP, or via local agencies,%2
