大象传媒

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PLEASE NOTE: This script cannot exactly reflect the transmission, as it was prepared before the service was broadcast. It may include editorial notes prepared by the producer, and minor spelling and other errors that were corrected before the radio broadcast.

It may contain gaps to be filled in at the time so that prayers may reflect the needs of the world, and changes may also be made at the last minute for timing reasons, or to reflect current events.

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ARCHBISHOP

INTRODUCTION

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RECTOR

WELCOME 听& GREETING

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The sun rises daily because you, O Lord, command it.

Its splendour will not last, created gods all perish.

Christ the true Sun nothing can destroy.

The Splendour of God, he shall reign for ever.

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Andrew听 We join now with the countless numbers of God鈥檚 people in every age in the hymn Angel Voices ever sunging.

HYMN 听Angel voices, ever singing,

Beloved in Christ, we come together to offer to Almighty God our worship and praise and thanksgiving, to confess our sins and to receive God鈥檚 forgiveness, to hear his holy word proclaimed, to bring before him our needs and the needs of the world, and to pray that in the power of his Spirit we may serve him and know the greatness of his love.

Let us confess our sins to God our Father.

Heavenly Father, we have sinned against you and against our neighbour in thought and word and deed, through negligence, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault; by what we have done and by what we have failed to do.听 We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ who died for us, forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may serve you in newness of life to the glory of your name. Amen.

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

O Lord, open our lips听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

and our mouth will proclaim your praise.

O God, make speed to save us.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

O Lord, make haste to help us.

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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.

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Praise the Lord.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

The Lord鈥檚 name be praised.

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We sing听 words from St Patrick鈥檚 Breastplate- his prayer for protection from all danger: Christ be beside me

HYMN 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听Christ be beside me听 (Trad. Scots melody)

OLD TESTAMENT READING Numbers 21 vs 5 鈥� 9

They听 spoke against God and against Moses, and said, 鈥淲hy have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!

Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 听The people came to Moses and said, 鈥淲e sinned when we spoke against

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the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.鈥� So Moses prayed for the people.

The Lord said to Moses, 鈥淢ake a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.鈥� So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

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Our Bella Vice Choir made up of younger members of the parish will now sing I am the gentle light.

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听BELLA VOCE CHOIR听听 I am the gentle light听 (Paul Mealor)

NEW TESTAMENT READING John 3 vs 4 鈥� 17

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听听 鈥� The wind blows wherever it pleases.听 You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.听 So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.鈥�

听听 鈥淗ow can this be?鈥� Nicodemus asked.听 鈥淵ou are Israel鈥檚 teacher, said Jesus, 鈥渁nd do you not understand these things?听 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.听 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe;听 how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?听 No-one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven 鈥� the Son of Man.听听 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.鈥澨�

听听 鈥淔or God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have听 eternal life.听 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.鈥澨�

听We have heard the Word read and now we pray that God will renew our minds and teach us obedience, The hymn Speak O Lord as we come to You.

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听听听 HYMN听 SPEAK O LORD听 (Getty/ Townend)

The Sermon

听 As a species, we humans seem to have been hard-wired to fear reptiles, snakes in particular. Some people do indeed love snakes, but the old legend that Saint Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland would seem to reflect considerable credit on him in the popular imagination rather than any disappointment or disapproval..

So if there appears to be a genuinely natural human fear of snakes, it is surely strange that our reading from the Jewish Scriptures today told us of a brass serpent being lifted up before the people as an antidote to the venom of snakes. But yet perhaps it has a very straightforward meaning and it is this : that only when we face our fears directly, and confront them without hiding from them will these fears lose their terrible power over us.

The instinct of every one of us to dive into a state of denial when confronted by some terrible and terrifying truth scarcely needs underlining. 鈥淕oing into denial鈥� also comes naturally to us.

鈥淔acing the fear鈥� - any fear - with unblinkered eyes and raw courage is surely the beginning of the task of overcoming the fear.

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But the reading from John鈥檚 Gospel this morning goes further. Our Lord here identifies himself with the brass serpent, and then suggests that the cross represents the place of identifying our fears, of facing them, and of being enabled to overcome these fears.

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Let鈥檚 then unpack this for a couple of moments.

The fear of death is one that confronts many many people, and at every stage in life.听 Woody Allen鈥檚 famous quip about not being afraid of death but simply not wanting to be there when it happens is only part of the total truth. Death is truly awesome. It is, as Saint Paul put it, the last enemy, the inescapable enemy for every one of us.听 So yes, we can shy away from the certainty of death and pretend it is not there until we have no choice but to accept its reality and its terrible power to hurt and to inflict pain - either in the dying of a loved one or in our own approaching death, inexorable in its advance upon us. Then we do have to face the truth about death..

Facing the real human fear of death dispassionately when it is not actually confronting us directly may be a path to overcoming that perfectly natural fear. It may of course lead to morbidity and introspection. It may equally lead to a real reconciliation and resolution of those fears. Coolly rational people may come to the early Christian writer Tertullian鈥檚 almost stoical conclusion on death that it is indeed 鈥渁 poor thing for any one to fear that which is inevitable鈥�..

Christ however tells us that there is a deeper discovery to be made. His death on the cross is truly terrible. If it does not makes us shiver, it should - the worst, the most ignominious worst, happening to the very best that this world has ever encountered and yet it is the place where death is overcome, for Christ himself and for us.

Unfortunately we have rather prettified and domesticated the cross. But it should remain for us something truly terrible. Never sneer at the words of the old spiritual 鈥淲ere you there when they crucified my Lord鈥� 鈥�

Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

It is the extraordinary paradox of faith that this terrifying spectacle of the cross is in fact the basis not only for confronting our fear of death, but it is also an ultimate healing. The Christian vision is that God in Christ - God within humankind - died in a revolting way at the hands of a humanity which is in every age flawed, fearful and broken, but that Christ nevertheless broke through death to give us the promise not only of a life beyond this world, but also of a quality of life - what we call eternal life - which changes the nature of our existence, not only for the future but for every day of our earthly life.

Confronting our fears and even confronting the cross itself is the beginning of a journey to a place beyond fear. Perhaps its destination is to be able to join with Francis of Assisi who could even address death as his Sister 鈥� Death now no more to be feared than a dear, close and caring friend.

听听听听 HYMN 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 When I survey the wondrous cross

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

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Do you believe and trust in God the Father who made all things?

听I believe and trust in Him.

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Do you believe and trust in His Son Jesus Christ, who redeemed the world?

I believe and trust in Him.

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Do you believe and trust in His Holy Spirit, who gives life to the people of God?

I believe and trust in Him.

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This is the faith of the Church. 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

This is our faith.听 We believe and trust in one God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

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听The Lord be with you听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

and also with you.

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Let us pray

Lord have mercy 听

听Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

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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.听

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.

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听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Show us your mercy, O Lord

:听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听 And grant us your salvation.

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: :听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 O Lord, save the Queen.

:听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 and grant 听her government wisdom

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:听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Let your听 ministers be clothed with righteousness.

听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听 and let your servants shout for joy

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:听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 O Lord, save your people.

听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听 And bless those whom you have chosen

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: :听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Give peace in our time听 O Lord;

:听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听 and let your glory be over all the earth

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

: :听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 O God, make clean our hearts within us;

:听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听 and renew us by your Holy Spirit听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

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COLLECT FOR ST PATRICK

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Almighty God, in your providence you chose your servant Patrick to be the apostle of the Irish people, to bring those who were wandering in darkness and error to the true light and knowledge of your Word; Grant that walking in that light we may come at last to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

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COLLECT FOR 5th Sunday in LENT

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Most merciful God who by the death and resurrection of your son Jesus Christ delivered and saved the world;听 Grant that by faith in Him who suffered on the cross, we may triumph in the power of his victory;听听 through Jesus Christ our Lord.听听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听Amen.听听听听

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INTERCESSIONS

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In our intercessions we will use words of Patrick and respond to them in prayer.

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I am Patrick, a sinner most unlearned the least of all the faithful.听

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God of mercy open in our hearts a deeper realisation of your love and grace to us and to all your children.听

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I was then about sixteen years of age.听 I did not know the true God.听听 I was taken into captivity in Ireland.

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God who is the same, yesterday, today and forever, we pray for young people who have lost their way or lost touch with you.听 Draw them to yourself as you drew Patrick to yourself.

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In captivity I was brought even unto the utmost part of the earth, where now my littleness is placed among strangers.

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God who brings release to the captives, we pray for those who are in enforced labour and those who feel trapped by their circumstances.听 Free them, as you freed Patrick, from all that enslaves spirit or body.听

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And there the Lord opened the sense of my unbelief that I might at last remember my sins and be converted with all my heart to the Lord my God,.

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God of all faithfulness, as trusting in you transformed Patrick,听 kindle in our hearts the flame of faith that it may burn ever brightly in our lives and in your world.

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After I came to Ireland every day I had to tend my sheep and many times a day I prayed.听 The love of God and his fear came to me more and more and my faith was strengthened.

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God who was with Patrick in the isolation and trials of his captivity, be with us in the hard trials of life and open our hearts to your presence in the midst of pain as well as in joy.

After I escaped from my slavery and humiliation God in his wisdom called me to return to the land of my captivity. In a dream I heard the voice of the Irish 鈥渨e ask thee, boy, come and walk among us once more鈥�.

God who is the strength of all who put their trust in You help us to face our fears in the knowledge of Christ鈥檚 victory on the cross.听

On this day when Patrick is celebrated across the world we lift before you those who know fear,hardship and hunger.听 Grant them your presence and may they know your transforming love and power.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听Amen

Lord of all your people, we remember your church in this land and across the world We pray for听 all who are called to leadership. Empower then through your Holy Spirit听 to lead with wisdom and grace remembering especially those who recently been chosen by you. Draw your church closer to you and to one another through Jesus Christ our Lord听 Amen.听

Lord God who gave us Jesus to rescue us from all the poisons human lives and destroys human relationships, as we look to Him, 鈥渓ifted up鈥� and suffering on the cross, may we find in him our health and our salvation, for his name鈥檚 sake.听 Amen

We bless God that he is our health and salvation; Praise my soul the King of Heaven

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听听听 HYMN Praise my soul

听THE BLESSING 听The eternal Father, the eternal Spirit, the eternal Word, shield us on every side, protect us from every evil听 and bring us to the land of promise and may the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you and remain with you this day and always.听 Amen