Welcome to this week’s Windmill United Benefice online service of Morning Worship, led by the Revd Dr Tony Rich with a talk by the Revd Nicholas Calver. The music was all recorded at previous services in the benefice.

To follow the service in one go, click on the bar below. The words can be found as you scroll down:

The hymn ‘Father, hear the prayer we offer’ is sung

Father, hear the prayer we offer:
Not for ease that prayer shall be,
But for strength that we may ever
Live our lives courageously.

Not for ever in green pastures
Do we ask our way to be;
But the steep and rugged pathway
May we tread rejoicingly.

Not for ever by still waters
Would we idly rest and stay;
But would smite the living fountains
From the rocks along our way.

Be our strength in hours of weakness,
In our wand’rings be our guide;
Through endeavour, failure, danger,
Father, be thou at our side.

The greeting, confession and gloria

The Lord be with you
and also with you.

This is the day that the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

We have come together in the name of Christ to offer our praise and thanksgiving, to hear and receive God’s holy word, to pray for the needs of the world, and to seek the forgiveness of our sins, that by the power of the Holy Spirit we may give ourselves to the service of God.  

Therefore, let us confess our sins in penitence and faith,
firmly resolved to keep God’s commandments
and to live in love and peace with all.

Almighty God, our 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.
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.

Almighty God, have mercy upon us, pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and keep us in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Gloria is sung
Glory in the highest to the God of heaven!
Peace to all your people through the earth be given:
Mighty God and Father, thanks and praise we bring,
Singing alleluia to our heavenly king.

Jesus Christ is risen, God the Father’s Son:
Seated now and reigning from your Father’s throne,
Lamb of God the Saviour, all our sin to bear,
Show us now your mercy, now receive our prayer.

Christ the world’s true Saviour, high and holy One,
With the Holy Spirit, you are Lord alone!
Lord and God, we praise you; Highest heaven adores:
In the Father’s glory, all the praise be yours!

The Collect and reading

Let us pray

Collect for the fifth Sunday after Trinity
Almighty and everlasting God,
by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified:
hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people,
that in their vocation and ministry
they may serve you in holiness and truth to the glory of your name;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
Glory to you, O Lord.

The Gospel reading from Mark 6: 1-13
by Tapiwa Ruwona

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

Talk
by the Rev Nicholas Calver

The Intercessions and peace

The responses to the intercessions are:

Lord, in your mercy:
Hear our prayer

and

Merciful Father,
accept these prayer
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ. 
Amen.

Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

and also with you.

The anthem is ‘Make me a channel of your peace
(Based on the Prayer of St. Francis; Sebastian Temple, 1928-97)
Recorded at St Mary’s, Horne on 31 March 2019

Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring your love.
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord,
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.

Master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console,
To be understood, as to understand,
To be loved, as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness, only light,
And where there’s sadness, ever joy.

O Master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console,
To be understood, as to understand,
To be loved, as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving of ourselves that we receive,
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.

Closing prayers and blessing

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has 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.

Eternal God, the light of minds that know you, the joy of hearts that love you, and the strength of wills that serve you: grant us so to know you that we may truly love you, so to love you that we may truly serve you, whose service is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Lord Jesus, give us your light in our eyes
your word on our lips, and your love in our hearts.
Send us out in the power of your Spirit
to live and work to your praise and glory. Amen.

May the peace of God, which passes all understanding,
keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The hymn ‘God is our strength and refuge’ is sung

God is our strength and refuge,
our present help in trouble;
and we therefore will not fear,
though the earth should change!
Though mountains shake and tremble,
though swirling floods are raging,
God the Lord of hosts is with us evermore!

There is a flowing river,
within God’s holy city;
God is in the midst of her –
she shall not be moved!
God’s help is swiftly given,
thrones vanish at his presence –
God the Lord of hosts is with us evermore!

Come, see the works of our maker,
learn of his deeds all-powerful;
wars will cease across the world
when he shatters the spear!
Be still and know your Creator,
Uplift him in the nations –
God the Lord of hosts is with us evermore!

Organist: Peter Nye

Hymn words reproduced under CCLI: 845257
Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England (2000), material from which is included in this service, is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2000.