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Mounts Bay United Benefice

April 2020 Prayer Booklet

Sunday Services

Weekday Morning + Evening Prayer

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Praying Together(although physically separate)

We are living through difficult times and it is not possible, currently, for us to physically meet together in a church building to worship God as we normally would.

However, this does not mean that we cannot be together in prayer. So I invite you to join us for:

10-10.30am Sunday Morning Services

10-10.30am Morning Prayer (Monday-Saturday)

5-5.30pm Evening Prayer(Monday-Saturday)

Why not set up a place or special chair where you can sit to join for all or part of the prayer-time?

Why not light a candle to mark out this time together?

In this booklet you will find suggested readings and prayers. Feel free to use these readings, prayers and written services or be blessed by saying quiet prayers of your own. I hope you find some of these resources to be helpful.We can be united in prayer across the streets, across our towns, villages and hamlets, across the miles during these times.

The booklet contains a simple Sunday Service for each Sunday until 26th April. There is also a simple ‘order of service’ for each of the (Monday-Saturday) Morning and Evening Prayers. I find it helpful to say out loud the responses that are in bold type, or sometimes say the whole service out loud, or sometimes just read in silence. Whichever, we are holding ourselves before God.

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I am indebted to Ann Hamlin for suggesting this resource and for Ray Simpson for Reflections of the Saints Days from ‘Saints of the Isles: A Year of Feasts’

Before Easter, The Morning Prayer Readings coincide with our Lent booklet: ‘Live Lent: Care for God’s Creation’. After Easter the Readings coincide with ‘New Daylight’ reflections offered by Margaret Silf on how the light of the Resurrection reveals the shadow side of human hearts and societies. Toward the end of April, Morning Prayer readings follow New Zealander Paul Gravelle’s Reflections in ‘New Daylight’ on favourite prayers.

For our Evening Prayer Readings in Passiontide we walk with Jesus’ own journey to the Cross and there is a Meditation also for Evening Prayer each day too. After Easter there are Resurrection readings and then we follow St Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians.

Apologies for any errors. This was compiled with some speed and I wanted to get it to you before any further curtailment of the activities of the Royal Mail.

My intention is to produce another prayer booklet for May, God willing. If you find any helpful prayers, poems, writings please let me know and I’ll try to include them in it.([email protected]). Those with e-mail addresses will receive the next booklet by e-mail.

If you have access to the internet, please follow our Facebook page or our Mounts Bayub.com website as we will be putting up video recordings of some of these services.

Although we are separate we are not apart!

Together we will overcome this time of challenge with love, companionship, faith and hope.

Canon Nigel MarnsTuesday 24 March 2020

Please contact any of the clergy team about anything:

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mailto:[email protected]

Canon Nigel Marns 01736-740784 [email protected] Jeff Risbridger 01736-602862/07711 019590 [email protected] Linda Garthwaite 07592612740 [email protected]

Contents Page

Morning Prayer 7-8

Evening Prayer 10-12

Morning & Evening Prayer Readings 46-47

Evening Prayer Meditations 13-28

Prayers from the National Church 29-32

Sunday Services:

Sunday 29 March Passion Sunday 33

Sunday 5 March Palm Sunday 36

Sunday 12 March Easter Day 38

Sunday 19 April Second Sunday of Easter 41

Sunday 26 April Third Sunday of Easter 43

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Morning Prayer

If you are lighting a candle say:

We light a candle because Christ is the Light no darkness can extinguish.

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

Opening sentences

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek:that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life;to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Call: Who is it that you seek?Response: We seek the Lord our God.Call: Do you seek Him with all your heart?Response: Amen. Lord, have mercy.Call: Do you seek Him with all your soul?Response: Amen. Lord, have mercy.Call: Do you seek Him with all your mind?Response: Amen. Lord, have mercy.Call: Do you seek Him with all your strength?Response: Amen. Christ, have mercy.

Declaration of faithTo whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Today’s Scripture Reading (please see the back of this booklet)

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Reflection & Commentary (please see ‘Live Lent: Care for God’s Creation’ or ‘New Daylight’ if you have a copy).

Prayers of Intercession for others and the whole world

CanticleChrist, as a lightillumine and guide me.Christ, as a shieldovershadow me.Christ under me;Christ over me;Christ beside meon my left and my right.This day be within and without me,lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.This day be within and without me,lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.Christ as a light;Christ as a shield;Christ beside meon my left and my right.

BlessingMay the peace of the Lord Christ go with you,wherever He may send you.May He guide you through the wilderness,protect you through the storm.May He bring you home rejoicingat the wonders He has shown you.May He bring you home rejoicingonce again into our doors.

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

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Evening PrayerIf you are lighting a candle say:

We light this candle because Christ is the Light no darkness can extinguishff+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

ffOpening sentencesMy soul waits for the Lordmore than thosewho watch for the morning,more than thosewho watch for the morning.

ffCall: Out of the depths I have cried to You.Response: O Lord, hear my voice.Call: With my whole heart I want to praise You.Response: O Lord, hear my voice.Call: If you, Lord, should mark iniquities:Response: Who could stand? who could stand?

ffI will wait for the Lord, my soul waits,and in His word do I hope.

ffExpressions of faithLord, You have always givenbread for the coming day;and though I am poor,today I believe.

ffLord, You have always givenstrength for the coming day;and though I am weak,today I believe.

ff

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Lord, You have always givenpeace for the coming day;and though of anxious heart,today I believe.

ffLord, You have always keptme safe in trials;and now, tried as I am,today I believe.

ffLord, You have always markedthe road for the coming day;and though it may be hidden,today I believe.Lord, You have always lightenedthis darkness of mine;and though the night is here,today I believe.

ffLord, You have always spokenwhen time was ripe;and though you be silent now,today I believe.

ffToday’s Scripture Reading (please see the back of this booklet)

Today’s Meditation (please see the middle part of this booklet) Prayers of Intercession, for others and the whole world

ffCanticleIn the shadow of Your wingsI will sing Your praises, O Lord.

ffThe Lord is my light, my salvation;whom shall I fear?

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The Lord is the refuge of my life;of whom shall I be afraid?

ffIn the shadow of Your wingsI will sing Your praises, O Lord.One thing I ask of the Lord,one thing I seek;to dwell in the presence of my God,to gaze on Your holy place.

ffIn the shadow of Your wingsI will sing Your praises, O Lord.

ffI believe I shall see the goodnessof the Lord in the land of the living.O wait for the Lord!Have courage and wait,wait for the Lord.

ffIn the shadow of Your wingsI will sing Your praises, O Lord.

ffBlessingSee that ye be at peace among yourselves, my children,and love one another.Follow the example of the wise and goodand God will comfort you and help you,both in this worldand in the world which is to come.

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

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Meditations

Meditation Day 1In the present moment

Hurry is an unpleasant thing in itself, but also very unpleasant for whoever is around it. Some people came into my room and rushed in and rushed out and even when they were there they

were not there – they were in the moment ahead or the moment behind. Some people who came in just for a moment

were all there, completely in that moment.Live from day to day, just from day to day. If you do so, you

worry less and live more richly. If you let yourself be absorbed completely, if you surrender completely to the moments as

they pass, you live more richly those moments.Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Meditation Day 2If I chose to hide you away, it is for a reason.

I have brought you to this place.Drink in the silence. Seek solitude.

Listen to the silence.It will teach you. It will build strength

Let others share it with you.It is little to be found elsewhere.

Silence will speak more to you in a day than the world of voices can teach you in a lifetime.

Find silence. Find solitude – and having discovered her riches, bind her to your heart.

Frances J. RobertsMeditation Day 3

Once you’ve heard a child cry out to heaven for help,and go unanswered,

nothing’s ever the same again.Nothing.

Even God changes.But there is a healing hand at work

that cannot be deflected from its purpose.

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I just can’t make sense of it, other than to cry.Those tears are part of what it is to be a monk.

Out there, in the world, it can be very cold.It seems to be about luck, good and bad,

and the distribution is absurd.We have to be candles, burning between hope and despair,

faith and doubt, life and death,all the opposites.

William BrodrickMeditation Day 4 As for me, I can only fall on my knees and pray that the Lord Christ, who had died for me, might have His own way with me – that it might be worth His while to have done what He did and what He is doing now for me. To my Elder Brother, my

Lord and my God, I give myself yet again, confidently, because He cares to have me and because my very breath is His. I will

be what He wants, who knows all about it and has done everything that I might be His own – a living glory of gladness.

George MacDonaldMeditation Day 5

Many a ship has sailed from port to portwith no interference from Me,

because Strong Will has been at the wheel.Multitudes of pleasure cruises

go merrily on their ways,untouched by the power of My hand.

But you have put your life into My keeping,and because you are

depending on Me for guidance and direction,I shall give it.

Move on steadily,and know that the waters that carry you

are the waters of My love and My kindness,and I will keep you on the right course.

Frances J. RobertsMeditation Day 6

When I look at the bloodall I see is love, love, love.

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When I stop at the crossI can see the love of God.

But I can’t see competition.I can’t see hierarchy.

I can’t see pride or prejudiceor the abuse of authority.I can’t see lust for power.I can’t see manipulation.I can’t see rage or anger

or selfish ambition.I can’t see unforgiveness.I can’t see hate or envy.

I can’t see stupid fightingor bitterness, or jealousy.

I can’t see empire building.I can’t see self-importance.I can’t see back-stabbingor vanity or arrogance.

I see surrender, sacrifice, salvation,humility, righteousness, faithfulness, grace, forgiveness,

love! Love … love…When I stop! … at the crossI can see the love of God.

Godfrey BirtillMeditation Day 7

St BrychanFather of a great Christian family, 6th century

Brychan was a Christian king of Powys, who gave his name to Brecon in Wales. According to Welsh hagiography, his was one of the three saintly tribes of Britain. One credits him with ‘given his children and grandchildren a liberal education so that they might be able to show the Faith of Christ to the nation of the Welsh, wherever they were without Faith’. Many of his large family (24 is mentioned) went on great exploits for God, to take the Gospel to Cornwall and Brittany, including Endellion, Morwenna and Issey. It was said that his large family had a reunion on the last day of each year!

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Give me a candle of the Spirit, O God, as I go down into the deeps of my being. Show me the hidden things, the creatures

of my dreams, the storehouse of forgotten memories and hurts. Take me down to the spring of my life, and tell me my nature

and my name. Give me freedom to grow, so that I may become that self, the seed of which You planted in me at my making.

Out of the depths I cry to You… George Appleton

Meditation Day 8You need to be generous to yourself in order to receive the

love that surrounds you.You can suffer from a desperate hunger to be loved.

You can search long years in lonely places, far outside yourself.

Yet the whole time, this love is but a few inches away from you.

It is at the edge of your soul, but you have been blind to its presence.

We must remain attentive in order to be able to receive.John O’Donohue

When a great moment knocks on the door of your life,it is often no louder than the beating of your heart,

and it is very easy to miss it.Boris Pasternak

Meditation Day 9I am not here to pass judgement

or point the finger at anyone.My name was written in the sand

as one who is forgiven.Strengthened with hope, impervious to shame,

I will walk freely like the freshnessof the dry lands after rain.Let light spill out of heaven

through my life,dispelling mediocrity and silent blame.

Too many people, guilt-stricken, wounded,walk in regret,

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feeling bad about failing,apologise even for breathing.

Raw belief, a passion for othersgrows in me,

encircling each momentwith instinctive prayer.

I will carry the freshnessof the dry lands after rain.

Compassion lives in me again.Andy Raine

Meditation Day 10Simple joys are holy

If you want your dream to beTake your time, go slowly

Do few things but do them wellHeartfelt work grows purelyIf you want to live life freeTake your, time go slowly

Do few things but do them wellHeartfelt work grows purelyDay by day, stone by stone

Build your secret slowlyDay by day, you’ll grow tooYou’ll know heaven’s gloryIf you want to live life freeTake your time go slowly

If you want your dream to beTake your time, go slowly

‘Little Church’ (Donovan Leitch)Meditation Day 11

Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart,and try to love the questions themselves

as if they were locked roomsor books written in a very foreign language.

Do not search for the answers, which could not be given to you now,

because you would not be able to live them.And the point is to live everything.

Live the questions now.14

Perhaps then, someday far in the future,you will gradually,

without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.Rainer Maria Rilke

Meditation Day 12Restoration Song

God called forth a people, and we responded to His call‘Rebuild this ancient ruin, restore my city walls.’

He has led us day by day, as we listened to His voiceand we were fed on finest wheat, and manna from the skies.When we started, we were strangers. We hardly knew each

other’s names.Now we are brothers and sisters, and we will never be the

same.As we built, brick by brick, we discovered the corner stone,

and as we let Him mould and fashion us, He built us up in love.Now we have seen, and we have heard, that the Lord our God

is great.For a wilderness has been transformed, into His holy place.

Gerry TuohyMeditation Day 13

Achsah waits for OthnielCapture a city:

let us prove God there.Give me a field,

though dry, unpromising and bare.Sink me a well

to water all this land:let me draw deep.

And feed me from your hand.Show me a cave,

remind me of the past:embrace my exile.

Tell me I’m loved at last.Safe in the deepening darkness,

uncover a heart that sings.Feet planted firmly in the ground,

release the nether springs!Andy Raine, based loosely on Judges 1:12-15

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Meditation Day 14Your love comes to me

in the silence,ordinary.

Like a child’s treasureI turn it over

in the nook of my hand,warming its smooth

heaviness.A thought of You,

stony,clearly defined,drops as though

down a deepwell,is lost

momentarily,then turns up

a certainty in the heart.Cathy Hutcheon

Meditation Day 15Be open to the night…

Pray with open hand, not with clenched fist…Shapes loom out of the darkness, uncertain and unclear: but the hooded stranger on horseback emerging from the mist

need not be assumed to be the bearer of ill…The night is large and full of wonders…

Lord DunsanyMeditation Day 16

Aidan’s statue, Holy IslandAidan stands.His head isclose to theheart of the

cross.His eyes,

far-seeing,scan thehorizon,

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the joyousventuring

of little boats.A torch burnsclearly in his

grasp, afaithful challengein his generation,

meeting,listening,

heart-connecting.In his shadow

is a place I covet,a challenge

in a present timeand confluence of cultures.

Aidan, let me lie down in your shadow.While I live may I be the shadow ofa Rock in a weary land, a shelter

from the heat.Andy Raine

Meditation Day 17What God may hereafter require of you,

you must not give yourself the least trouble about.Everything He gives you to do,

you must do as well as ever you can.That is the best possible preparationfor what He may want you to do next.

If people would but do what they have to do,they would always find themselves ready for what came next.


I will not die an unlived life,I will not live in fear

of falling or catching fire.I choose to inhabit my days,

to allow my living to open me,to make me less afraid,

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more accessible,to loosen my heart

until it becomes a wing,a torch, a promise…

Dawna MarkovaMeditation Day 19

Go peacefulin gentleness

through the violence of these days.Give freely.

Show tendernessin all your ways.

Through darkness,in troubled times

let holiness be your aim.Seek wisdom.

Let faithfulnessburn like a flame.God speed you!God lead you,

and keep you wrapped around His heart!May you be known by love.

Be righteous.Speak truthfully

in a world of greed and lies.Show kindness.See everyone

through heaven’s eyes.God hold you,

enfold you,and keep you wrapped around His heart.

May you be known by love.Paul Field

Meditation Day 20If you must be heard, let it be like the babbling brook,

laughing over the rocks.If you must be seen, let it be like sunlight

giving warmth and comfort to all.

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If you must be acknowledged, let it be as the eyesbehold the skies in all their glory.

If you must lead, let it be like the wind and all its unshackled direction.

If you must learn, let it be like breathing,the natural flow of in and out,

and done without thinking.If you must teach, let it be like the water,

deep and flowing,for your words are like pebbles in a pond,

the ripples they cause spread out in all directions,and what you give out eventually returns.

If you must know, let it be flowing and growing.And above all, if you must:

shine!Kerry Hillcoat

Meditation Day 21Listen to your life.

See it for the fathomless mystery that it is.In the boredom and pain of it

no less than in the excitement and gladness:touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it

because in the last analysis all moments are key moments,and life itself is grace.

Frederick BuechnerMeditation Day 22

St GeorgeMartyr (d.304)

George was probably a soldier living in Palestine who was martyred at Lydda in about 304 AD at the start of the persecution of the Christians by Roman Emperor Diocletian. He became known throughout the East as the Great Martyr. In subsequent centuries the Churches in England were dedicated to him, and the story of St George slaying the dragon captured the English imagination. He was made England’s patron saint in the fourteenth century.

God of heroic love,

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Who gave George valour to witness to his risen Lord even to Death,Arm us, who are heirs of all the victories of faith, To slay the dragons of falsehood, greed and prejudice.Raise up among us the prophets of speech and penTo reveal to us the human condition,To recall us to the ways of truth,And point to us our destiny.Amen.

When a knight won his spurs in the stories of oldHe was gentle and brave he was gallant and boldWith a shield on his arm and a lance in his handFor God and for valour he rode through the land.

No charger have I, and no sword by my sideYet still to adventure and battle I rideThough back into storyland giants have fledAnd the knights are no more and the dragons are dead.

Let faith be my shield and let joy be my steedAgainst the dragons of anger the ogres of greedAnd let me set free with the sword of my youthFrom the castle of darkness the power of the truth

Songwriters: Robert Prizeman / Jan Struther

God the ArtistThou takest the pen –and the lines dance.

Thou takest the flute –and the notes shimmer.Thou takest the brush –

and the colours sing.So all things have meaning and beauty

in that space beyond time where Thou art.How, then, can I hold back anything from Thee?

Dag HammarskjöldMeditation Day 23

My Lord God,I have no idea where I am going.

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I do not see the road ahead of me.I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself,and the fact that I think that I am following Your will

does not mean that I am actually doing so.But I believe that the desire to please You

does in fact please You.And I hope that I have that desire

in all that I am doing.And I know that if I do this,

You will lead me by the right roadalthough I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust You always,though I may seem to be lostand in the shadow of death,

I will not fear, for You are ever with me,and will never leave meto face my perils alone.

Thomas MertonMeditation Day 24

St Mark’s DayEvangelist, first century

John Mark was a Jew and a cousin to Barnabus, Paul’s colleague. He may have been a young man who followed Christ when his apostles fled (Mark 14:51). The early apostles gathered at his house, perhaps for the Last Supper of Jesus and certainly for the first recorded prayer meeting after Pentecost (Acts 12:12). He wrote the shortest of the four Gospels, perhaps acting as a scribe for Peter. It seems Mark was discipled buy Peter who refer to him as his son (1 Peter 5:13). Later, Mark became assistant to the apostle Paul and to Barnabus when they set out on their great mission tour. However, Mark must have won his spurs since Paul again enlisted him. Tradition says Mark became a bishop and a martyr and his body was taken to Venice and buried there, on the sight of the magnificent St Mark’s Church. The lion, the emblem of Mark’s Gospel is emblazoned on the standard of the Venetian Republic.

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Whichever way we turn, O God, there is Your facein the light of the moon and patterns of stars,in sacred mountain rifts and ancient groves,

in mighty seas and creatures of the deep.Whichever way we turn, O God, there is Your face

in the light of eyes we love,in the salt of tears we have tasted,

in weathered countenances east and west,in the soft skin glow of the child everywhere.

Whichever way we turn, O God, there is Your face,there is Your face

among us.John Philip Newell

Meditation Day 25

Christiana Rosetti (poet)What can I give him?Poor as I amIf I were a shepherdI would give a lambIf I were a wise manI would do my partBut what I can I give himGive him my heartGive him my heart.

(‘In the bleak midwinter’ Songwriters: Gustav Holst / Robert W. Smith)

A Christian is one who points at Christ and says, ‘I can’t prove a thing, but there’s something about His eyes and His voice. There’s something about the way He carries His head, His

hands, the way He carries His cross – the way He carries me.’Frederick Buechner

Meditation Day 26The pure in heart shall see God. The seeing of Him will be the sign that we are like Him, for only by being like Him can we see Him as He is. But when we shall be fit to look Him in the

face, God only knows. That is the heart of my hopes by day and

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my dreams by night. To behold the face of Jesus seems to me the one thing to be desired.


St EndellionSixth Century

Endellion was the daughter of the famous Brychan, and settled in Cornwall at Trenkeny. She lived a very basic life, surviving on the milk of one cow. The legend grew up that the neighbouring landowner put his cow away when it strayed on his land, and that Endellion’s godfather, who was the great man – some say Arthur himself – took revenge on his bad neighbour. Endellion, however, prayed for her bad neighbour and revived him. Behind the story a gentle, prayerful Endellion merges. St Endellion Church, to the west of Port Issac, is thought to be where she lived. A chapel at Lundy Island was dedicated to her and she may have had a hermitage there.

Gentle Christ,Who sustained your caring servant EndellionOn the milk of a cow and the milk of your Word,Sustain us in our times of need,And sweeten us to show the milk of kindnessTo difficult and sour faced people.Amen.

The songs of prayerThe songs of prayer lodge in our mouths.

Let us sing through the snow.At the dinner table.

On the rooftop where we dance.May these sounds heal our earsand those distant ears that hear.

Hawksley WorkmanMeditation Day 28

Let everything that has life,let everything that has breathgive all the glory and honour

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and praise to the One whoovercame death.

Let every living thingsing of the mercies of our God.

Let us exalt Him wherever we livewith thanksgiving and joy

in our hearts.If we don’t praise Him,

the mountains will.If we don’t exalt Him,the rocks will cry out

in our stead,‘God is not dead!’

Let every living thingsing of the mercies of our God.

Let us exalt Him wherever we livewith thanksgiving and joy

in our hearts.Lawrence Chewning

Meditation Day 29

Philip and JamesApostles, First century

Philip and James appear in the lists of Jesus’ 12 apostles in the first three Gospels, but in St John’s Gospel Philip has a more prominent role. He is the third apostle Jesus calls, and he then introduces his friend Nathaniel to Jesus. Philip is the spokesman for the apostles, who question their ability to feed 5000 people and at Jesus’ final Passover meal, he starts a dialogue that leads to Jesus’ farewell discourse. James is the son of Alphaeus, and is sometimes known as James the Less to distinguish him from James, the brother of John. Philip and James are celebrated on the same day as their remains are entombed in the same Church in Rome.

As the tamed horsestill hears the call of her wild brothers

and as the farmed goose flaps hopeful wingsas his sisters fly overhead,

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so too, perhaps,the wild ones amongst us

are our only hope in calling us backto our true nature.

Wild oneswho have not been turned to stone

by the far-reaching grasp of the empireand its programme of consumer sedation,

the killing of imagination.Where, my friends,

have the wild ones gone?Joel McKerrow

‘Come to the edge’,He said. They said,

‘we are afraid’.‘Come to the edge’,He said. They came.He pushed them, and

they flew.Christopher Logue

Meditation Day 30Our lives are long enough to learn what we need to learn, but

not long enough to change anything. That is our flaw. Each age must learn everything afresh. Such waste!

Such waste – making all the mistakes once and again, each generation making the same mistakes, fumbling in ignorance

and darkness.This oak was already old when I was born.

Now I am old and soon to die, and this tree grows strong still.We are small creatures.Our lives are not long,

but long enough to learn.Stephen Lawhead

Meditation Day 31We have to be candles,

burning betweenhope and despair,faith and doubt,

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life and death,all the opposites.

That is the disquieting placewhere people must always find us.

And if our life means anything,if what we are goes beyond the monastery walls and

does some good,it is that somehow,

by being here,at peace,

we help the world copewith what it cannot understand.

William Brodrick

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Some Prayers from the National Church

Prayers about the outbreakKeep us, good Lord,under the shadow of your mercyin this time of uncertainty and distress.Sustain and support the anxious and fearful,and lift up all who are brought low;that we may rejoice in your comfortknowing that nothing can separate us from your lovein Christ Jesus our Lord.Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ,you taught us to love our neighbour,and to care for those in needas if we were caring for you.In this time of anxiety, give us strengthto comfort the fearful, to tend the sick,and to assure the isolatedof our love, and your love,for your name’s sake.Amen.

God of compassion,be close to those who are ill, afraid or in isolation.In their loneliness, be their consolation;in their anxiety, be their hope;in their darkness, be their light;through him who suffered alone on the cross,but reigns with you in glory,Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

For those who are ill

Merciful God,we entrust to your tender carethose who are ill or in pain,knowing that whenever danger threatensyour everlasting arms are there to hold them safe.

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Comfort and heal them,and restore them to health and strength;through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

For hospital staff and medical researchers

Gracious God,give skill, sympathy and resilienceto all who are caring for the sick,and your wisdom to those searching for a cure.Strengthen them with your Spirit,that through their work many will be restored to health;through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

From one who is ill or isolated

O God,help me to trust you,help me to know that you are with me,help me to believe that nothing can separate me from your loverevealed in Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

For the Christian community

We are not people of fear:we are people of courage.We are not people who protect our own safety:we are people who protect our neighbours’ safety.We are not people of greed:we are people of generosity.We are your people God,giving and loving,wherever we are,whatever it costsFor as long as it takeswherever you call us.

Barbara Glasson, President of the Methodist Conference

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Intercessions

SET A

Let us pray to God,who alone makes us dwell in safety:

For all who are affected by coronavirus,through illness or isolation or anxiety,that they may find relief and recovery:Lord, hear us,Lord, graciously hear us.

For those who are guiding our nation at this time,and shaping national policies,that they may make wise decisions:Lord, hear us,Lord, graciously hear us.

For doctors, nurses and medical researchers,that through their skill and insightsmany will be restored to health:Lord, hear us,Lord, graciously hear us.

For the vulnerable and the fearful,for the gravely ill and the dying,that they may know your comfort and peace:Lord, hear us,Lord, graciously hear us.

We commend ourselves, and all for whom we pray,to the mercy and protection of God.Merciful Father,accept these prayersfor the sake of your Son,our Saviour Jesus Christ.Amen.

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SET B

Let us pray to the Lord,who is our refuge and stronghold.

For the health and well-being of our nation,that all who are fearful and anxiousmay be at peace and free from worry:Lord, hear us,Lord, graciously hear us.

For the isolated and housebound,that we may be alert to their needs,and care for them in their vulnerability:Lord, hear us,Lord, graciously hear us.

For our homes and families,our schools and young people,and all in any kind of need or distress:Lord, hear us,Lord, graciously hear us.

For a blessing on our local community,that our neighbourhoods may be places of trust and friendship,where all are known and cared for:Lord, hear us,Lord, graciously hear us.

We commend ourselves, and all for whom we pray,to the mercy and protection of God.Merciful Father,accept these prayersfor the sake of your Son,our Saviour Jesus Christ.Amen.

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Sunday Services

Sunday March 29 Passion Sunday


We light this candle because Christ is the Light no darkness can extinguish

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

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 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Confession Lord Jesus Christ, We confess that we have failed you as did your first disciples. We ask for your mercy and your help.

When we take our ease rather than watch with you. Lord forgive us.Christ, have mercy.

When we bestow a kiss of peace yet nurse enmity in our hearts. Lord, forgive us. Christ, have mercy.

When we strike at those who hurt us rather than stretch out our hands to bless: Lord forgive us. Christ, have mercy.

When we deny that we know you for fear of the world and is scorn.Lord forgive us. Christ, have mercy.

The Lord enrich you with his grace and nourish you with his blessing;the Lord defend you in trouble and keep you from all evil;

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the Lord accept your prayers, and absolve you from your offences,for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Amen.

The Bible Reading: John 11:1-45

The Collect/Prayer of the WeekMost merciful God, who by the death and resurrection of your

SonJesus Christ delivered and saved the world: grant that by

faith in himwho suffered on the cross we may triumph in the power of his

victory;through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and

reigns withyou, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for

ever. Amen.


SongFrom heav’n you came, helpless babe,entered our world, your glory veiled;not to be served but to serve,and give your life that we might life.

This is our God, the Servant King,he calls us now to follow him,to bring our lives as a daily offeringof worship to the Servant King.

There in the garden of tears,my heavy load he chose to bear;his heart with sorrow was torn.‘Yet not my will but yours,’ he said.This is our God…

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Come see his hands and his feet,the scars that speak of sacrifice,hands that flung stars into space,to cruel nails surrendered.This is our God…

So let us learn how to serve,and in our lives enthrone him;each other’s needs to prefer,for it is Christ we’re serving.This is our God…

Final PrayerLord Jesus Christ, you have taught us that what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters we do also for you: give us the will to be the servant of others as you were the servant of all, and gave up your life and died for us, but are alive and reign, now and for ever. Amen.

Final BlessingWhen foes confound, Lord, sorround.When I am afraid, Lord, your aid.When at a loss, Your saving cross.When storms increase, Lord, your peace.When dark’s the night, Lord, be you my light.And so may it be, surrounding me into eternity.And so may it be, surrounding me into eternity.Amen. (David Adam ‘Tides and Seasons’)

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Sunday 5 April Palm Sunday




Hold your Palm Cross in your hand throughout the Service this morning:

God our Saviour, whose Son Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem as Messiah to suffer and to die. Bless this palm I hold today. Let it be for me a sign of his victory and grant that I who know his name may ever hail him as my King and follow in the way that leads to eternal life. Amen.

Opening PrayerDear friends in Christ, during Lent we have been preparing by works of love and self-sacrifice for the celebration of our Lord’s death and resurrection. Christ enters his own city to complete his work as our Saviour, to suffer, to die and to rise again. Let us go with him in faith and love, so that, united with him in his sufferings, we may share his risen life.

Reading Matthew 21:1-11

SongRide on, ride on in majesty!Hark, all the tribes hosanna cry.O Saviour meek, pursue they roadwith palms and scattered garments strowed.

Ride on, ride on in majesty!In lowly pomp ride on to die;O Christ, thy triumph now begino’er captive death and conquered sin.

Ride on, ride on in majesty!The winged squadrons of the sky

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look down with sad and wondering eyesto see the approaching sacrifice.

Ride on, ride on in majesty!The last and fiercest strife is nigh;the Father on his sapphire throneawaits his own anointed Son.

Ride on, ride on in majesty!In lowly pomp ride on to diebow thy meek head to mortal pain,Then taken, O God, thy power, and reign.

Collect/PrayerTrue and humble king, hailed by the crowd as Messiah: grant

us thefaith to know you and love you, that we may be found beside

youon the way of the cross, which is the path of glory. Amen.


Final PrayerLord Jesus Christ, you humbled yourself in taking the form of

a servant, and in obedience died on the cross for our salvation:give us the mind to follow you and to proclaim you as Lord

and King,to the glory of God the Father.

Christ’s passion has begun: we accompany him on the way.

We shall not leave his side:until suffering yields life.

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We listen for his voice: that we might follow him and serve him in our world. Amen.

Please now put up and display your Palm Cross in a prominent place in a window or by your door.

Sunday 12 April Easter Day




Hold an egg (real or chocolate) as a sign of new life and our belief that the resurrection will come in your hand throughout the Service this morning:

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Alleluia, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

O heaven is earth and earth is heaven, to know that Christ the King is risen!To know the Easter tale is true,that Jesus Christ makes all things new!

The Lord of the empty tomb, the conqueror of gloom,Come to us.The Lord in the garden walking, the Lord to Mary talking,Come to us.The Lord in the Upper Room, dispelling fear and doom,Come to us.The Lord on the road to Emmaus, Come to us.The Lord giving hope to Thomas Come to us.The Lord appearing on the shore, giving us life for evermore,Come to us.Come to us in the new lightCome to us in the new joyCome to us in the new creation. Amen.

Reading: Matthew 28:1-10


Song

If you can go outside or go into your garden or stand on your doorstep sing or say and proclaim to the world:

Thine be the glory, Risen, conqu'ring Son;Endless is the victory, Thou o'er death hast won;Angels in bright raiment Rolled the stone away,Kept the folded grave clothes Where Thy body lay.

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Thine be the glory, Risen conquering Son,Endless is the victory, Thou o'er death hast won.

Lo! Jesus meets us, Risen from the tomb;Lovingly He greets us, Scatters fear and gloom;Let the church with gladness, Hymns of triumph sing;For her Lord now liveth, Death hath lost its sting.Thine be the glory…

No more we doubt Thee, Glorious Prince of life;Life is naught without Thee; Aid us in our strife;Make us more than conquerors, Through Thy deathless love:Bring us safe through Jordan To Thy home above.Thine is the glory…

(Songwriters: Georg Frideric Handel)

Final PrayerLord of all life and power, who through the mighty resurrection of your Son overcame the old order of sin and death to make all things new in him: grant that we, being dead to sin and alive to you in Jesus Christ,may reign with him in glory; to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be praise and honour, glory and might, now and in all eternity. Amen.


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Sunday 19 April Second Sunday of Easter





The Lord of the empty tomb, the conqueror of gloom, Come to us.The Lord in the garden walking, the Lord to Mary talking, Come to us.The Lord in the Upper Room, dispelling fear and doom,Come to us.The Lord on the road to Emmaus, Come to us.The Lord giving hope to Thomas Come to us.The Lord appearing on the shore, giving us life for evermore,Come to us. Come to us in the new light Come to us in the new joy, Come to us in the new creation. Amen.

Reading: John 20:19-end


SongAlleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord.Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to his Name.

Jesus is Lord of all the earth. He is the King of creation.Alleluia, alleluia…

Spread the good news o'er all the earth: Jesus has died and has risen. Alleluia, alleluia…

We have been crucified with Christ. Now we shall live for ever.

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Alleluia, alleluia…

God has proclaimed his just reward: Life for us all. Alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia…

Come, let us praise the living God, Joyfully sing to our Saviour.Alleluia, alleluia…

Final PrayerRisen Christ, for whom no door is locked and no entrance barred:open the doors of our hearts, that we may seek the good of othersand walk the joyful road of sacrifice and peace, to the praise of God the Father. Amen.


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Sunday 26 April Third Sunday of Easter





The Lord of the empty tomb, the conqueror of gloom, Come to us.The Lord in the garden walking, the Lord to Mary talking, Come to us.The Lord in the Upper Room, dispelling fear and doom, Come to us.The Lord on the road to Emmaus, Come to us.The Lord giving hope to Thomas Come to us.The Lord appearing on the shore, giving us life for evermore,Come to us. Come to us in the new light Come to us in the new joy, Come to us in the new creation. Amen.

Reading: Luke 24:13-35


SongJesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia,our triumphant holy day; alleluia,who did once upon the cross; alleluia,suffer to redeem our loss; alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing; Alleluia,unto Christ our heavenly king; alleluia,who endured the cross and grave; alleluia,sinners to redeem and save: alleluia!

But the pains which he endured; Alleluia,our salvation have procured; alleluia,42

now above the sky he's King; alleluia,where the angels ever sing: alleluia!

Final PrayerLiving God, your Son made himself known to his disciplesin the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith,that we may see him in all his redeeming work;who is alive and reigns now and forever. Amen.


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Morning & Evening Prayer Readings

Date Morning Evening

Monday 30 March Genesis 1:20-23 John 11: 28-44Meditation 1

Tuesday 31 March Psalm 104:24-28 John 11: 45-endMeditation 2

Wednesday 1 April Luke 5:4-11 John 12:1-11Meditation 3

Thursday 2 April Genesis 8:6-12 John 12: 12-19Meditation 4

Friday 3 April Psalm 84:1-4 John 12:20-36Meditation 5

Saturday 4 April Matthew 23:37-39 John 12:37-50Meditation 6

Monday 6 AprilSt Brychan

Genesis 1:24-25 Luke 22:1-23Meditation 7

Tuesday 7 April Genesis 1:26-31 Luke 22:24-53Meditation 8

Wednesday 8 April Isaiah 11:6-9 Luke 22:54-endMeditation 9

MaundyThursday 9 April

Luke 22:14-20 Luke 23:1-25Meditation 10

Good Friday 10 April

John 19:25b-27 Luke 23: 26-49Meditation 11

Holy Saturday 11 April

John 19:41-42 Luke 23:50-56Meditation 12

Easter Monday 13 April

Matthew 26:62-64 Mark 16;1-8Meditation 13

Tuesday 14 April Matthew 28:5-7 Luke 24;1-12Meditation 14

Wednesday 15 April

Matthew 28:8-10 Luke 28;16-endMeditation 15

Thursday 16 April Matthew 28:11-13 Matthew 28;16-endMeditation 16

Friday 17 April Matthew 28:14-15 Luke 7;11-1744

Meditation 17Saturday 18 April Matthew 28:16-18 Luke 8;41-end

Meditation 18

Monday 20 April Luke 19:6-10 John 20;1-10Meditation 19

Tuesday 21 April John 15:5-8 John 20;11-18Meditation 20

Wednesday22 April

John 20:19-22 John 20;19-endMeditation 21

Thursday 23 AprilSt George’s Day

Luke 10:1-17 John 15;1-8Meditation 22

Friday 24 April 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4

John 21;15-19Meditation 23

Saturday 25 AprilSt Mark’s Day

Isaiah 30:19-22 Acts 12:25-Acts 13:13Meditation 24

Monday 27 AprilChristina Rosetti

Matthew 2:13-15 Meditation 25Ephesians 1:1-14

Tuesday 28 April 1 Samuel 3: 8-10 Meditation 26Ephesians 1:15-end

Wednesday 29 April

Nehemiah 4:11-17 Meditation 27Ephesians 2:1-10

Thursday 30 April Isaiah 11:6-9 Meditation 28Ephesians 2:11-end

Friday 1 MaySt Philip & St James Day

Matthew 5;3-10 Meditation 29John 1:43-end

Saturday 2 May Matthew 5:14-16 Meditation 30Ephesians 3:14-end

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