St Clement Church Community Eleventh after Trinity Sunday Service

                         The Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

 

Good morning to you All.

Welcome to our service on this the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary.                                     It is today and Advent 4 when we particularly think about Mary and the extraordinary happenings in her life – the visitation of Gabriel and the news he brought; the unbelievable joy at her Son’s birth; the sorrow and heartbreak of his arrest and Crucifixion and particularly her total faith and trust in God.

May our faith and trust in God grow day by day.

 

My love to you all

Liz

 

Let us pray;

 

As we gather, here at St Clement or in our homes, in the harbour of your safety we thank you for fellowship and family.

We ask that you will strengthen us, restore us and inspire us with your love.

Lord, would you fill us with your peace so that as we journey onwards, we will pour out your love and grace to others.

We ask that our souls catch the wind of your Spirit so that we take your promises to all the earth.

 

Amen

 

Almighty God, we bless you for our lives, we give praise for your abundant mercy and grace we receive.

We thank you for your faithfulness even though we are not faithful to you.

Lord Jesus, we ask you to give us all around peace in our mind, body, soul and spirit.

We want you to heal and remove everything that is causing stress, grief and sorrow in our lives.

Please guide our path through life and make our enemies be at peace with us.

Let your peace reign in our family, at our place of work, businesses and everything we lay our hands on.

Let your angels of peace go ahead of us when we go out and stay by our side when we return. In Jesus’ name.

 

Amen

 

Hymn: 473    When morning guilds the skies

 

Amen

 

Prayer of Penitence

 

Almighty God, long-suffering and of great goodness: I confess to you, I confess with my whole heart my neglect and forgetfulness of your commandments, my wrong doing, thinking and speaking; the hurts I have done to others and the good I have left undone.

O god, forgive me, for I have sinned against you; and raise me to newness of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Amen.

 

Let us pray our Collect for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity

 

O God, you declare your almighty power most chiefly in showing mercy and pity: mercifully grant to us a measure of your grace, that we, running the way of your commandments, may receive your gracious promises, and be partakers of your heavenly treasure; 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

 

Readings:

 

Isaiah 61. 10 - 11

Galatians 4. 4 - 7

 

Hymn:  161 For Mary, Mother of the Lord

 

Gospel:  Luke 1. 46 - 55

(Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark. 

Response: ‘Glory to you O Lord.’)

 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

 

Today is the Festival or Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary so, today’s Gospel reading is Mary’s song known as The Magnificat.

I wonder, has it ever occurred to you just how remarkable these words are?

Mary is about 14 years of age; she is unmarried; she has had a visit from the angel Gabriel and now, she’s expecting a baby and not just any baby!

Think about it – what is the likely response if she tells anyone the circumstances of it all? She knows that she will be subjected to many cruel insinuations which will destroy her character, and that the highest honour that ever fell to woman would, in the judgement of many, bring upon her the greatest possible dishonour.

We know what suspicions even Joseph has and that it is only a revelation from God that removes them.

 

It is not so very long ago – even in our life time – that to be unmarried and to have a baby was considered a real disgrace. Babies were often forcibly removed or the mother was made to agree to give the baby up.                                                                If you’ve ever watched ‘Long Lost Family’ you will have learned just how much heartache both the mother and the child often go through.                                         Even those mothers who kept their babies found that they were subjected to severe criticism and contempt.

Imagine - you’re a peasant girl of about 14 years of age. A strange figure appears to you saying that you have been chosen to bear the Son of God. You are also told that your cousin, Elizabeth, who has never been able to have children and is now too old to have them, is expecting a baby, ‘for nothing will be impossible with God.’ What would your reaction be? Would you say what Mary says? ‘I am the servant of the Lord; let it be according to your word.’

 

After her strange visitation Mary sets off immediately for the Judean town up in the hills where Elizabeth lives.                                                                  When she gets there and greets Elizabeth, Elizabeth’s reaction verifies all that Mary has been told. This is all the confirmation Mary needs. She sees clearly a most remarkable thing about God: He is about to change the course of all human history; the most important three decades in all of time are about to begin.                                                                                       Where is God? He is busy with two obscure, humble women – one old and barren, one young and virginal. Mary is so moved by this vision of God, the lover of the lowly, that she breaks out in a song – a song that has become known as the Magnificat.

 

In Luke’s account, he stresses the faith of Elizabeth and Mary. The thing that seems to impress him most is their lowliness and cheerful humility. It seems that the only people whose souls can truly magnify the Lord -                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                people like Elizabeth and Mary – people who acknowledge their lowly estate and are overwhelmed by the generosity of the magnificent God.  

 

Mary sings about the God who saves not just souls, but embodied people. The God she celebrates is not content merely to point people towards heaven; God’s redemptive work begins here on earth. God fills the hungry not only with hope, but with food. Rather than being satisfied with comforting the lowly, Mary’s Lord lifts them up, granting them dignity and honour, a seat at the table and a voice in the conversation. At the same time, God shows strength by disrupting the world’s power structures, dethroning rulers and humbling the mighty.

 

Such saving acts are good news for the poor and lowly, but what does Mary’s song mean for the wealthy and the powerful? Is there nothing but judgement for them? Though judgement and salvation may seem like opposites, they go hand in hand. Those who stand in awe only of themselves and their own power will be judged. But, if the wealthy and powerful can only see it, by bringing them down – by emptying and humbling them – God is saving them. When they turn their gaze from themselves and their own accomplishments, when their awe is directed to God – then there is mercy for them, too.

When the arrogant are scattered and the powerful brought down, then every person has access to enough of the world’s resources, and no one has too much. Every person is treated with dignity and respect, and no one uses power to harm.

Mary’s song magnifies the Saviour who loves the whole world with a love that makes creation whole. God’s saving judgement is for all of us, bringing us down from the pride that fills us with ourselves until we can’t see God or our neighbour, bringing us up from the shame that distorts our world view and convinces us that no one – not even God – could love us. The mother of the Messiah has experienced God’s blessing. But, her blessing, like ours, is a cross-shaped blessing that brings true freedom, the priceless gift of God’s salvation.

 

What a mighty faith Mary had – may we have such a faith.

 

 

 

 

Amen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Affirmation of our faith

 

Let us declare our faith in God.

 

We believe in God the Father,

From whom every family

in heaven and on earth is named.

 

We believe in God the Son,

who lives in our hearts through faith,

and fills us with His love.

 

We believe in God the Holy Spirit,

who strengthens us

with power from on high.

 

We believe in one God;

Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

 

Amen.

 

 

Our Intercessions this week are by Helen Dunbar

 

Let us pray to God our Father, knowing that we are all precious to him.

 

Dear Lord we pray for the Church throughout the world; give us courage to answer your call and keep us faithful to your life-giving word. Send us out to be the good news of your love for all people. Guide the Church to preach your word with power and confidence, but also with the sensitivity to the needs of each individual. Let all people look on the wonders of your creation and praise your power.

 

We ask for your blessing and prayers for Archbishop Justin, and also for our own diocese here in Truro and for Bishops Philip and Hugh. We ask God’s blessing on our own Revd Diane, for the very difficult areas of her ministry she sometimes has to deal with, and we also ask for God’s blessing on all her family.

 

Lord in your mercy; hear our prayer

 

Dear Lord, we pray for all people, in all parts of this troubled world, and in all kinds of need; those who live in danger of violence, persecution, displacement, loss and injustice because of race, belief, gender, or who they are. Our thoughts and prayers go to the many civilians among them women and children fleeing from all parts of Afghanistan to the capital, Kabul as once again, political unrest and fighting increases.

 

Help us all to be mindful that we are all created equal in your sight and accept our deep regret that despite this there is so much inequality to be found.

 

Bless our Queen as she continues her holiday at Balmoral and bless all the royal family.

 

Lord in your mercy; hear our prayer

 

 

We thank you for the earth, for the hills, mountains and forests, grasslands and deserts, for those who fish and those who farm. For all people who work on the land and all whose work brings food to our tables.

 

We pray for all who minister to the sick both at home and in hospital, for all doctors, nurses and care workers.

 

Dear Lord, we pray for our own communities and all of our neighbours. We give thanks for our family and friends, raising before you those we know with particular needs. May your peace and love surround them bringing its comfort and strength and we think of Sandra and Barrie, Ken and Diane, Liz and Martin, Rupert and Linda, Margaret, Brian, and Ollie

 

We remember the recently departed and those whose anniversary falls at this time.

 

Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our savior Jesus Christ, Amen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rejoicing in the fellowship of St Andrew, St Clement and the Blessed Virgin Mary, we commend ourselves and the whole creation to your unfailing love.

 

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 our risen Lord 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.

 

The God whom earth and sea and sky                                                                  by St Venantius Fortunatus (530 – 609)

 

The God whom earth and sea and sky,

Adore and praise and magnify,

Whose might they claim, whose love they tell,

In Mary’s body comes to dwell.

 

O Mother blest, the chosen shrine

Wherein the architect divine,

Whose hand contains the earth and sky,

Has come in human form to lie.

 

Blest in the message Gabriel brought,

Blest in the work the Spirit wrought,

Most blest, to bring to human birth

The long desired of the earth.

 

O Lord, the Virgin-born, to you

Eternal praise and laud are due,

Whom, with the Father we adore

And Spirit blest for evermore.

 

 

Notices

 

Hymn:  183 O glorious Maid, exalted far

 

The Peace

 

Peace go with us.

God’s quiet within the noise

God’s hope with uncertainty                                                                                                God’s rest within the toil

God’s presence within our souls

Peace go with us.

 

Let us greet one another as a sign of God’s peace.

 

The Blessing

 

The Lord bless us and keep us;

the Lord make his face shine us,            

and be gracious to us;

The Lord turn his face towards us

And give us peace;

And the blessing of God almighty,

The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,    

Be among us and remain with us always.

 

Amen.