大象传媒

DOWN CATHEDRAL, DOWNPATRICK 11/05/2014

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.

Opening Announcement from Radio 4

大象传媒 Radio 4: It鈥檚 ten past eight and time for Sunday Worship, which today is a Service of Holy Communion live from Down Cathedral in Downpatrick. The preacher is the Right Reverend Harold Miller, Bishop of Down and Dromore and the celebrant, the Dean of Down, the Very Rev Henry Hull.

Christ is risen
The Lord is Risen indeed Alleluia

HYMN
The head that once was crowned with thorns (ST MAGNUS, Jeremiah Clarke)

The Dean

Welcome as you join with us in this service from Downpatrick this morning.
Down Cathedral is built on the traditional burial place of St Patrick.
Over the centuries this has been, and still is, a place of pilgrimage, prayer and worship and on this Hill of Down Christians, like us, have gathered for almost 1600 years to celebrate their faith in the Risen Christ.
As we come afresh to him this morning and consider 'the radical power and challenge of the resurrection-life' let us ask God to touch our hearts by his 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 Christ our Lord. Amen.

Christ our passover lamb has been sacrficed for us
Let us respond by turning from all evil and confessing our sins with a sincere and true heart.

Silence

Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we have sinned in thought and word and deed,
and in what we have left undone.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us,
that we may walk in newness of life
to the glory of your name. Amen.

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.

Choir听听 Gloria听 (Malcolm Archer- The Lincoln Service)

Collect
Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life:
Raise us, who trust in him,
from the death of sin to the life of righteousness,
that we may seek those things which are above,
where he reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.听Amen

Reader A Reading from Acts Chapter 2
They devoted themselves to the apostles鈥� teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

CHOIR Psalm 23 (Chant by Walford Davies)

Reader

听A Reading from the holy Gospel according to St John Reader or Bishop

Choir Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia

鈥榁ery truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.鈥� Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

This is the Gospel of the Lord
Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia

Bishop Harold Miller
Radical resurrection life has always got an added dimension. It is four-dimensional, rather than three-dimensional. There is a quality about it which can only be explained by heaven and earth meeting. Surely that is what Jesus is talking about when he declares in today鈥檚 Gospel, 鈥業 came that they might have life and have it abundantly鈥�. That sense of the finger of God touching the finger of Adam, and of the values of God鈥檚 kingdom coming 鈥榦n earth, as in heaven鈥� is evident too, in today鈥檚 first reading from Acts 2:

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鈥楢we came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.鈥�
That sense of the resurrection life invading earth in new ways makes itself known in a new community. Both of our readings today are about community, and about the things which are to characterize communities of Christians. In the Gospel, we have a community of sheep, gathered together in the same sheepfold; in the Acts reading, we have a community of new believers who, having experienced the power of the Spirit at Pentecost, decide, quite unselfconsciously, to share their possessions and have everything in common. Community can, in our generation, be hard to find; it is not always so evident in our streets and towns as it may have been in former generations, and the Church is called to offer to everyone possibilities of community which can be a blessing in their lives.
听I have had the privilege of serving, twice in my ministry, in churches which bore the same wonderful name: 鈥榯he Church of the Resurrection鈥�, one in Queen鈥檚 University Belfast, and the other in the very famous village of Blarney in Co Cork. Three simple things strike me this morning about what it means to be a church which lives in the power of the risen Christ:
1.听A church of the resurrection is a community of radical faith.
鈥楢ll who believed were together鈥�, we are told in Acts 2. The church is called into being by saving trust in Jesus Christ:
鈥榓nd day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved鈥�.
The thing which identifies this community above all else is that the people in it belong to Christ, are known by Christ, and know and hear the voice of Christ. This is a community held together by warm personal faith and a personal relationship with their living and present Lord.
鈥楬e calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.... the sheep follow him because they know his voice.鈥�
In a church living in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, nothing will be clearer, nothing more important, and nothing more enticing than knowing that this is a community in which we can meet with the risen Lord in a life-transforming way: here the voice of Jesus Christ is stronger than any other voice; this is a place where the unbeliever bows down and worships God, declaring that God is truly and palpably present.
2.听The church of the resurrection is a community of care and security.
鈥榃hoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture鈥�.
There is a real sense in which we are never safer than we are in the presence and love of Jesus. No matter what the threats and dangers may be (and there were many for those early Christians), no matter what or who may seek to steal, kill or destroy us, Jesus is the gate of the sheepfold and guards us securely.
The earliest church, too, was a community of care. In their first flush of enthusiasm, they saw things clearly; their homes were open to each other, they shared their food 鈥榳ith glad and generous hearts鈥�, and they held things so much in common that they are sometimes even described as being an early form of communism! In so doing, they eradicated poverty among believers overnight, and provided a template of what life might look like in a society under the rule of God.

3.听The church of the resurrection is a community within a community.
The church is never called to be totally separate from the world and society around it. It is to be in the world but not of the world. This sheepfold was clearly a place where there were several flocks of sheep living together: side by side, mixing, in touch with each other, no doubt even at times frustrated and annoyed by each other. But there was a difference in terms of where the sheep of Christ鈥檚 flock found their identity. Being in Christ gives us a new identity but one which is intended not to separate us from others, but to bless others. The security of Christ鈥檚 sheep was also the place where others found their security as he guarded the gate. The community of Christians is intended to bless the wider community around it. And it does: in all sorts of ways. That鈥檚 why we are told that the church just after Pentecost 鈥榟ad the good will of all the people鈥�, who saw something attractive and appealing in the life of believers.
The radical challenge of the resurrection is that the radically-changed people of the resurrection become a radical blessing to all around them, as they live out the values of the Kingdom in the power of the risen Christ. The Lord is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Choir听 Jubilate Deo (Britten)

The Dean Responsive Creed

Brothers and sisters, I ask you all to profess together the faith of the Church.

Do you believe and trust in God the Father who made the world?
I believe and trust in him.

Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ who redeemed the world?
I believe and trust in him.

Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit who gives life to God鈥檚 people?
I believe and trust in him.

This is the faith of the Church.
This is our faith
we believe and trust in one God
Father Son and Holy Spirit.

Reader Prayers of Intercession

Lord we pray for your church throughout that work
We ask that we all might capture again the zeal and commitment of the first disciples and be passionate in sharing your love in the world today
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer

We pray for all in leadership within the church that following you, the Good Shepherd, they might provide clear guidance for your people, that we may walk in the way you have set before us.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer

We pray for your world with all its needs today
Asking that in every place your will might be done and your kingdom come
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer

We hold before you all those in need esp those who are unwell or are facing trying and difficult time. In our hearts we name for bore those who we care for (v short pause) asking for your blessing to be upon them.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
As we recall the extend of your love for us we bring to you our lives asking that we might be your worthy servants.
Merciful Father
Accept these prayers
For the sake of your Son
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen

Most merciful Lord,
your love compels us to come in.
Our hands were unclean, our hearts were unprepared;
we were not fit even to eat the crumbs
from under your table.
But you are the God of our salvation,
and share your bread with sinners.
So cleanse and feed us
with the precious body and blood of your Son,
that he may live in us, and we in him;
and that we, and the whole company of Christ,
may sit and eat in your kingdom. Amen.

The Dean听 The risen Christ stood among his disciples and said 鈥淧eace be with you鈥�
And their hearts were glad when they saw the risen Lord

The peace of the Lord be always with you
and also with you.

HYMN

听 Great Shepherd of your people hear (ST COLUMBA, Irish traditional melody)

The Dean
Christ our passover has been sacrificed for us
therefore let us celebrate the feast.

The Lord is here.
His Spirit is with us

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Father, Lord of all creation,
we praise you for your goodness and your love.
When we turned away you did not reject us.
You came to meet us in your Son,
welcomed us as your children
and prepared a table where we might feast with you.
In Christ you shared our life
that we might live in him and he in us.
He opened wide his arms听 upon the cross
and, with love stronger than death,
he made the perfect sacrifice for sin.
Lord Jesus Christ, our redeemer,
on the night before you died
you came to table with your friends.
Taking bread, you gave thanks, broke it
and gave it to them saying,
Take, eat: this is my body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.
Lord Jesus, we bless you:
you are the bread of life.

At the end of supper
you took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said,
Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins;
do this is remembrance of me.
Lord Jesus, we bless you:
you are the true vine.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ:
dying, you destroyed our death,
rising, you restored our life;
Lord Jesus, come in glory.

Holy Spirit, giver of life,
come upon us now;
may this bread and wine be to us
the body and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
As we eat and drink these holy gifts
make us, who know our need of grace,
one in Christ, our risen Lord.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Blessed Trinity:
with your whole Church throughout the world
we offer you this sacrifice of thanks and praise
and lift our voice to join the song of heaven,
for ever praising you and singing:

Choir Holy, Holy, Holy Lord,
God of power and might.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.听 (Malcolm Archer- The Lincoln Service)

Thanks be to you, our God, for your gift beyond words.
Amen. Amen. Amen.

As our Saviour Christ has taught us, so we pray
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.

The bread which we break
is a sharing in the body of Christ.
We being many are one body,
for we all share in the one bread.

Jesus Christ is the Lamb听 of God
who takes away the sins of world.
Happy are those who are called to his supper.

Lord I鈥檓 not worthy to receive you
but only say the word and I shall be healed

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Distribution / Choir to sing Agnus Dei听 (Malcolm Archer- The Lincoln Service)

The Dean
Collect
听
Merciful Father,
you gave your Son Jesus Christ to be the good shepherd,
and in his love for us to lay down his life and rise again:
Keep us always under his protection,
and give us grace to follow in his steps;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Almighty God,
we thank you for feeding us
with the spiritual food
of the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ.
Through him we offer you our souls and bodies
to be a living sacrifice.
Send us out in the power of your听 Spirit
to live and work to your praise and glory. Amen.

The Dean God the Father
By whose glory Christ was raised from the dead
Raise you to walk with him
In the newness of his risen life.

And the blessing of God almighty
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
Be with you and remain with you alsways Amen

HYMN
听The whole bright world (LASST UNS ERFRUEN)

Go in the peace of the risen Christ Alleluia Alleluia
Thanks be to God, Alleluia Alleluia

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