St Clement Church Community BVM Service 8.9.24
Good morning to you all as we celebrate our Sunday service commemorating the Festival of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This Service of the Word is for you to read at home if you’re unable to attend St Clement in person on Sunday. I’ll be celebrating the Eucharist at St Allen on Sunday and Fr David at St Clement.
Much love and may Christ’s love sustain you always.
Rev Di and family xx
Let us pray;
Almighty God, send down upon your Church the riches of your Spirit, and kindle in all who minister the gospel your countless gifts of grace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn: ‘Praise my Soul, the King of Heaven’
Our prayers of Penitence
We have done what was wrong in the Lord’s sight and chosen what displeased him. Yet as a mother comforts her child, so shall the Lord comfort us. So let us come to him who knows our every deed and thought.
Lord, Jesus, you are mighty God and Prince of Peace:
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy
Lord Jesus, you are Son of God and Son of Mary:
Christ, have mercy Christ, have mercy
Lord Jesus, you are Word made flesh and splendour of the Father:
Lord, have mercy Lord, have mercy.
May Almighty God, who sent his Son into the world to save fallen humanity, bring us his pardon and peace, now and for ever. Amen.
Let us pray our Collect for the Festival of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Almighty and everlasting God, who stooped to raise fallen humanity
through the child-bearing of blessed Mary: grant that we, who have seen your glory revealed in our human nature and your love made perfect in our weakness, may daily be renewed in your image and conformed to the pattern of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever, Amen.
Readings:
Isaiah 61.10-end
Galatians 4.4-7
Hymn; ‘I heard the Voice of Jesus Say’
Gospel: Luke 1.46-55
(Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Response: ‘Glory to you O Lord.’)
And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
(This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.)
Reflection
Every family has one, don’t they, the ‘interesting’ relative that you don’t quite know what to do with, where to sit him or her at family gatherings. Well, it’s a bit like that with the Virgin Mary.
Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches esteem and venerate Mary daily, but the Church of England doesn’t quite know what to do. Some churches celebrate her festival on the 15th of August, and others today, on the 8th of September.
Anglo Catholics within the C of E family venerate the Blessed Virgin on a week by week basis, whilst our more Evangelical cousins perhaps only keep in touch with her around Christmas time.
Maybe this is an oversimplification, but there’s no escaping the fact that Mary is ‘the Mother of God’ and this makes her special.
Mary’s vocation was to give birth to Jesus, and if we think about it, that too is our job, to be responsible for the birth of his love in people’s lives.
So, in being inspired by Mary, maybe we might learn more of what it means to live as a Christian, for she is, in many ways, the prototype.
Firstly, I would suggest, it simply means being open to God and then saying; ‘yes,’ to his call on our lives.
We should never forget that when Mary is given the unique vocation to be the mother of Jesus, her response is; ‘let it be with me according to your word.’ Is this our response to whatever God calls us to do, or do we say to him, ‘well ok, but terms and conditions apply?’ I know I debated with God for several years before I accepted my call to ordination. Never mind; ‘Let it be with me,’ it was more like; ‘you are joking, aren’t you?’
Secondly, I believe we can learn from Mary’s simplicity and humility. She doesn’t have any airs or graces, or regard herself as superior to anyone else, even though she’s been given the job of giving birth to our Saviour, which if you accept the Christian story, must be the single most important job ever. Listen to her words; ‘for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant, surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed.’
Part of the wonderful Magnificat.
There’s a custom of one African tribe, that when a woman is expecting a child, she goes and sits alone and listens until she hears the song of the child who is to come. She then teaches the song to the child’s father, and they sing the song together to call the child to them.
The midwives and women of the village are then taught the song, so that when the child is born, they can sing the song to welcome the child among them.
As the child grows up, the song stays with him or her throughout the events of their life. On their wedding day the songs of husband and wife are sung together. Finally, when this child grows old, and death approaches, all the villagers know the song, and they sing it for the last time.
Today’s Gospel tells us of a pregnant woman who sings a song — a song about her child, who he is, and who he will become. Mary’s song is her response to her cousin Elizabeth’s greeting, but it’s more than that, it comes from deep inside her. It knits together the sacred experience in the language and hope of her people, like pieces of a patchwork quilt transformed from separate scraps of fabric to a single item of beauty. Nowhere in this song do we hear the name of her child, but he's there in every phrase.
But Mary’s song isn’t hers alone; it’s the song of the child who is coming to do the will of God, it echoes the events of her son’s life, his death, his exaltation, and celebrates the God who keeps his promises — not only to Abraham, but also to us.
The Church has picked up this song and sung it often, especially in evening worship. The Magnificat is a central text in the liturgy of the historic Church, and I expect many voices have joined with Mary’s in singing her song throughout the centuries in our own church building.
This is the song about Jesus sung by the human being who knew him best, influenced him most, and remained faithful to him to the end.
So, with his mother singing these words to him from her heart, it’s no wonder Jesus grows up to preach the Beatitudes.
The Magnificat announces that God scatters the prideful, dethrones the powerful, and drives away the rich, he lifts up the lowly and provides a feast for the hungry. We could say, like mother, like son! The Beatitudes echo the song by announcing happy are those in need, who hunger, who weep, because only for the humble is there hope.
But the Magnificat isn’t just Mary’s song, and it’s not only about Jesus; it proclaims God’s hope and purpose for us; hence, Mary’s song is also our song.
May we sing The Magnificat with our lives, reflecting the love of God to all whom we meet, may it become our legacy and of all who come after us.
And when our final hour arrives, may we hear this song of divine triumph sounding in our hearts and ringing all around us and know it as our own. For the God who kept faith with Abraham, Mary, Jesus, and every past generation, keeps faith with us as well.
Amen.
Hymn; ‘Be Still for the Presence of the Lord’
Affirmation of our faith
Let us declare our faith in God:
We believe and trust in God the Father, source of all being and life, the one for whom we exist. We believe and trust in God the Son, who took our human nature, died for us and rose again.
We believe and trust in God the Holy Spirit, who gives life to the people of God and makes Christ known in the world.
This is the faith of the Church. This is our faith. We believe and trust in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Our Intercessions this week are written by Liz Davies
Heavenly Father, mindful of the words of the prophet Isaiah to be ‘strong and do not fear,’ we gather our thoughts and prayers with hope and humbly call on you to help us in our times of need.
Give wisdom and heavenly grace to all those who serve your Church in this diocese, this country and across the world, that by their service, faith may abound and your kingdom increase. We especially pray for our own Reverend Di and Father David.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Creator God, your Son entered creation that all might be made new. Look in mercy on our broken world and speak to all people that they may hear the message of peace. Guide those who speak out for justice and mercy and face the wrath of undemocratic leaders and governments.
We pray for King Charles, Queen Camilla, and the royal family, for our government and the Heads of State in the rest of the world. Sharpen their consciences and give then courage to make wise decisions, making wrongs right and meeting the needs of all who suffer.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Lord, we pray for all in Ukraine, in Palestine and Israel and all other countries and areas where warfare and dangerous turmoil are destroying communities. We pray for world-wide peace where countries and communities can live in safety without fear of attack from others. We pray for an end to violent reactions to situations with which people do not agree; for an end to knife crime, bullying and not feeling or being safe out in the street or in one’s own home.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Lord God, we thank you for the gifts you have given us – individually and collectively. Help us to use them to further your Kingdom here on earth. Eyes to see and perceive; ears to hear and listen; hands to work and create; minds to think and to innovate; memories to remember and learn from; hearts to love and worship.
Lord, hear us; Lord, graciously hear us
Lord, we confess that we have not always followed your words. There have been moments when we chose other options; we chose to join in gossip and not speak out on behalf of the misunderstood. We chose to take sides with the strong, because we feared the consequences of being found alongside the weak. We fired back a text in anger; we hit ‘send’ on an email in the heat of the moment; we spoke a harsh word of judgement, and we regret the fact that what has been said cannot be taken back. We allowed pride to get the better of us. We ask for your forgiveness and mercy, Lord. We thank you that you do not treat us as our sins deserve, and your love and your word permit a new start.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Lord God, we pray for our community: for teachers and lecturers and their pupils and students as they begin a new year of education and learning; for healthcare and social workers in their mission to improve the wellbeing of those who are sick and unwell; for those in the armed forces as they prepare for their next challenges in an ever-increasing dangerous world.; for volunteers, carers and those who undertake work for which they are not paid; for the church today and in the coming weeks as we discern your will and work towards a good working relationship with St Allen. Lord, guide and inspire our community in all we do, this week and beyond.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Loving God, we bring before you all those who need our prayers today; those who are suffering in body, mind or spirit; those who are lonely or afraid; those for whom there is only darkness with no glimmer of light. May your loving kindness enfold them and give them courage to face whatever may be ahead. We especially remember: Ken and Reverend Di, May, Susan, Lynda, Terry and Dot, Margaret, Maureen, Pam and David, Barrie and Sandra, Michael and Patricia, Rob and Alison, Stella, Jeremy, William, Jane, Anita and Stephen, Callum and Elaine, Andy, Ann, Sue and Martin, Dave and Jeanette, those known to us and all those who have no one to pray for them.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Loving Lord God, we pray for those kept fresh in our memory and for those long forgotten; for all who shared our homes, our places of work and our church life; for all who shaped our lives. We pray too for the recently departed asking that they may all find rest in your Heavenly Kingdom as we commend them to your safe keeping for ever. We remember today especially Jan’s Dad.
We remember those whose year’s mind occurs at this time: Bill Wyatt, Lesley Clemens, Father Keith Elvin and Cecily Drew
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Almighty God as we move into another week, deliver our eyes from tears and our feet from stumbling and walk with us on our journey of faith as we try to follow in steps of your Beloved Son.
Merciful Father: accept these prayers for the sake of your Son our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen
Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray with confidence as Jesus taught us;
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.
Hymn; ‘Tell out my Soul’
The Peace
We are the body of Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised into one body. Let us then pursue all that makes for peace and build up our common life. May the peace of God be always with us. Amen.
Blessing
May God the Holy Trinity make us strong in faith and love, defend us on every side and guide us in truth and peace. And may the presence of God watch over us, the power of God protect us, those whom we love, and may we never forget that wherever we are, God is with us always, to the end of the age. Amen.