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Opening hymn: “We have a Gospel to proclaim”
Recorded by the Choral Scholars of St Martin's-in-the-Field, London for use by parish churches during the pandemic
Closing Music Handel: 'La Rejouissance'
Played by Andrea Board, Organist for Cowley parish church
The parish church of St Peter’s, Stratton near Cirencester holds both a CCLI Copyright licence No. 1038214 and a Streaming licence No. 1074410
Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.
(silence)
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
Amen.
The Word of God
Psalm 86: 1-10, 16-end
1 Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am devoted to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; 3 be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all day long.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you.
6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my cry of supplication.
7 In the day of my trouble I call on you,
for you will answer me.
8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.
9 All the nations you have made shall come
and bow down before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
10 For you are great and do wondrous things;
you alone are God.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me;
give your strength to your servant;
save the child of your serving girl.
17 Show me a sign of your favour,
so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame,
because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
All Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Scripture Reading
Jeremiah 20: 7 - 13
O Lord, you have enticed me,
and I was enticed;
you have overpowered me,
and you have prevailed.
I have become a laughing-stock all day long;
everyone mocks me.
For whenever I speak, I must cry out,
I must shout, ‘Violence and destruction!’
For the word of the Lord has become for me
a reproach and derision all day long.
If I say, ‘I will not mention him,
or speak any more in his name’,
then within me there is something like a burning fire
shut up in my bones;
I am weary with holding it in,
and I cannot.
For I hear many whispering:
‘Terror is all around!
Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’
All my close friends
are watching for me to stumble.
‘Perhaps he can be enticed,
and we can prevail against him,
and take our revenge on him.’
But the Lord is with me like a dread warrior;
therefore my persecutors will stumble,
and they will not prevail.
They will be greatly shamed,
for they will not succeed.
Their eternal dishonour
will never be forgotten.
O Lord of hosts, you test the righteous,
you see the heart and the mind;
let me see your retribution upon them,
for to you I have committed my cause.
Sing to the Lord;
praise the Lord!
For he has delivered the life of the needy
from the hands of evildoers.
Reflections
Response
Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead.
All And Christ shall give you light.
You have died and your life is hid with Christ in God.
All Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead.
Set your minds on things that are above,
not on things that are on the earth.
All And Christ shall give you light.
When Christ our life appears
you will appear with him in glory.
All Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give you light.
from Colossians 3
Prayers
Let us pray to our heavenly Father
Who is familiar with our world
And understands our humanity.
Lord of all, where ever Christians are ridiculed
Or persecuted for their faith,
We ask your courage and inner strength;
Wherever we are called to be your witnesses,
We ask for the grace to communicate your love.
Wherever love for you has grown cold
We ask you to fan the flames again.
(silence)
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord, where ever bodies, minds or spirits
are wracked with pain,
or too weak or exhausted to pray
we ask the bathing love of your presence
and the practical caring of hands working in your name.
Let’s pause and name loved ones before God…
(silence)
Wherever there are doubts and the battle is strong
As ask your empowering and clear guidance
(silence)
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Wherever nature’s beauty or the daily miracles around us
Alert us to your face, we thank you for the grace
To live the resurrection life
Merciful Father,
Accept these prayers
For the sake of your Son
Our Saviour Jesus Christ
Amen
Collect
O God,
the strength of all those who put their trust in you,
mercifully accept our prayers
and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature
we can do no good thing without you,
grant us the help of your grace,
that in the keeping of your commandments
we may please you both in will and deed;
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
The Blessing