Welcome to St Johns Ashley

Service of Holy Communion

Barnabas the Apostle
11th June 2023

Before worship commences – the choir sing reflective music

PROCESSIONAL HYMN

Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;

to his feet your tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
evermore his praises sing.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King!

2 Praise him for his grace and favor

to his people in distress.
Praise him, still the same as ever,
slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Glorious in his faithfulness!

3 Fatherlike he tends and spares us;

well our feeble frame he knows.
In his hand he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Widely yet his mercy flows!

4 Angels, help us to adore him;

you behold him face to face.
Sun and moon, bow down before him,
dwellers all in time and space.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace!

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WELCOME

A SENTENCE FROM SCRIPTURE

As all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.
1 Corinthians 15.22
The Lord be with you
And also with you.

PRAYER OF PREPARATION
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

Christ died to sin once for all, and now he lives to God.
Let us renew our resolve to have done with all that is evil
and confess our sins in penitence and faith.
cf Romans 6.10
Jesus Christ, risen Master and triumphant Lord,
we come to you in sorrow for our sins,
and confess to you our weakness and unbelief.
We have lived by our own strength,
and not by the power of your resurrection.
In your mercy, forgive us.
Lord, hear us and help us.

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We have lived by the light of our own eyes,
as faithless and not believing.
In your mercy, forgive us.
Lord, hear us and help us.

We have lived for this world alone,

and doubted our home in heaven.
In your mercy, forgive us.
Lord, hear us and help us.

Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon
you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and
strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal though
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We stand to sing the Gloria

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 THE COLLECT FOR THE DAY

See Grapevine for words of the Collect

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

See Grapevine to follow the readings

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

GRADUAL HYMN

Brother, sister, let me serve you;

let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace to
let you be my servant too.

2. We are pilgrims on a journey,

and companions on the road;
we are here to help each other
walk the mile and bear the load.

3. I will hold the Christlight for you

in the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
speak the peace you long to hear.

4. I wil! weep when you are weeping;

when you laugh I'll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow,
till we've seen this journey through.

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5. When we sing to God in heaven,
we shall find such harmony,
born of all we've known together
of Christ's love and agony.

6. Brother, sister, let me serve you;

let me be as Christ to you;
pray thatl may have the grace to
let you be my servant too.

GOSPEL READING ( see Grapevine for words)

Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the first and the last, says the Lord, and the living one;
I was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore.

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

Glory to you, O Lord.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON
 
THE CREED

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God, begotten, not made,

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of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was
incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made
man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death
and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his
kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds
from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is
worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We
believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer
 
Merciful Father, Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our
Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

OFFERTORY HYMN (during which communion is prepared)

1 Come, thou Holy Spirit, come,

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and from thy celestial home
shed a ray of light divine;
come, thou Father of the poor,
come, thou source of all our store,
come, within our hearts to shine.

2 Thou of comforters the best,

thou the soul's most welcome guest,
sweet refreshment here below;
in our labour rest most sweet,
grateful coolness in the heat,
solace in the midst of woe.

3 O most blessèd Light divine,

shine within these hearts of thine,
and our inmost being fill;
where thou art not, man hath naught,
nothing good in deed or thought,
nothing free from taint of ill.

4 Heal our wounds; our strength renew;

on our dryness pour thy dew;
wash the stains of guilt away;
bend the stubborn heart and will;
melt the frozen, warm the chill;
guide the steps that go astray.

5 On the faithful, who adore

and confess thee, evermore
in thy sevenfold gifts descend:
Give them virtue's sure reward,
give them thy salvation, Lord,
give them joys that never end.

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 BLESS THE OFFERING

THE LITURGY OF THE SACRAMENT

THE EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

The Lord is here.
His Spirit is with us.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.
 
Priest continues with Eucharistic Prayer ...
 
Therefore with angels and archangels,
and with all the company of heaven,
we proclaim your great and glorious name,
for ever praising you and saying:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Priest continues with Eucharistic Prayer ...
 
Christ is the bread of life:
When we eat this bread
and drink this cup,
we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus,
until you come in glory.
Priest continues with Eucharistic Prayer ...

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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 forever.
Amen

BREAKING OF THE BREAD

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.
Though we are many, we are one body,
because we all share in one bread.

During Singing of Agnus Dei—the elements are all taken up to the

High Altar and side table (ideally by server and other helpers)

GIVING OF COMMUNION

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Most merciful Lord, your love compels us to come in.
Our hands were unclean, our hearts were unprepared;
we were not fit even to eat the crumbs from under your table.
But you, Lord, are the God of our salvation, and share your bread
with sinners. So cleanse and feed us with the precious body and
blood of your Son, that he may live in us and we in him;
and that we, with the whole company of Christ,
may sit and eat in your kingdom. Amen.

Draw near with faith. Receive the body of our Lord Jesus Christ which
he gave for you, and his blood which he shed for you. Eat and drink in
remembrance that he died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by
faith with thanksgiving.

All baptised Christians are welcome to receive communion.

Communion will be distributed from the altar rail. If you would prefer
a blessing, please keep your head bowed.

COMMUNION HYMN

And now, O Father, mindful of the love

That bought us, once for all, on Calvary's tree,
And having with us him that pleads above,
We here present, we here spread forth to thee
That only offering perfect in thine eyes,
The one true, pure, immortal sacrifice.

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 Look, Father, look on his anointed face,
And only look on us as found in him;
Look not on our misusings of thy grace,
Our prayer so languid, and our faith so dim;
For lo, between our sins and their reward
We set the passion of thy Son our Lord.
And then for those, our dearest and our best,
By this prevailing presence we appeal;
O fold them closer to thy mercy's breast,
O do thine utmost for their souls' true weal;
From tainting mischief keep them white and clear
And crown thy gifts with grace to persevere.
And so we come: O draw us to thy feet
Most patient Saviour, who canst love us still;
And by this food, so aweful and so sweet,
Deliver us from every touch of ill:
In thine own service make us glad and free,
And grant us nevermore to part from thee.

Eternal God, whose Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life:
grant us to walk in his way, to rejoice in his truth, and to share his
risen life; who is alive and reigns, now and for ever. Amen.

Father of all, we give you thanks and praise,

that when we were still far off
you met us in your Son and brought us home.
Dying and living, he declared your love,
gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory.
May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life;
we who drink his cup bring life to others;
we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world.

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Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us,
so we and all your children shall be free,
and the whole earth live to praise your name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

RECESSIONAL HYMN

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,

the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy
health and salvation!
All ye who hear,
Now to His temple draw near;
Sing now in glad adoration!
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Praise to the Lord, who o’er all
things so wondrously reigneth,
Who, as on wings of an eagle,
uplifteth, sustaineth.
Hast thou not seen
How thy desires all have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

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Praise to the Lord, who hath fearfully,
wondrously, made thee!
Health hath vouchsafed and, when
heedlessly falling, hath stayed thee.
What need or grief
Ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.

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Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper
thy work and defend thee,
Who from the heavens the streams of
His mercy doth send thee.
Ponder anew
What the Almighty can do,
Who with His love doth befriend thee.
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Praise to the Lord! Oh, let all that
is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come
now with praises before Him!
Let the Amen
Sound from His people again;
Gladly for aye we adore Him.

BLESSING
The God of peace,
who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that great shepherd of the sheep,
make you perfect in every good work to do his will;
and the blessing of God Almighty; the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. Amen

THE PEACE
The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples
and said, ‘Peace be with you.’
Then were they glad when they saw the Lord. Alleluia. Alleluia

The peace of the Lord be always with you

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And also with you.
 
Let us offer one another a sign of peace.
 
He is not here. He is risen.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
In the name of Christ. Amen. Alleluia, alleluia.

 © The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England 2000

 Hymns Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-740129

All rights reserved.

Before this service sheet is recycled you

may like to take it home and, if
opportunity arises, pass it on to a friend –
thankyou.

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