Welcome to this week’s Windmill United Benefice online service of Holy Communion to celebrate the Feast of the Birth of John the Baptist. The three clergy of the benefice, Nicholas, Charles and Tony, all play a part in the service, which was filmed in the church of St John the Baptist, Outwood with the addition of audio recordings of music, which was all recorded at previous services, and readings.

The whole service can be followed as a continuous film, which includes pictures in and around Outwood church on its Patronal Festival, this year and last. Just click on the picture below (the words can be found as you scroll down)

For all your saints still active,
For those whose work is done;
For saints with you in glory
Whose earthly race is run.
You rose as King and Sov’reign,
That they the crown might wear,
Reserved for those who humbly
your earthly pathway share.

Give thanks for John the Baptist,
Forerunner of the Word
Who went ahead preparing
The way for Christ our Lord.
Greatest among the prophets,
He saw in Christ the One
Whom God had sent to save us,
Jesus, his only Son.

Apostles, prophets, martyrs,
Who served you here on earth,
Now reign with you in heaven,
Singing your praise and worth.
With them, and all whose witness
Is known to you alone,
We share our earthly journey
Towards your heavenly throne.

We praise you, God our Father,
We worship Christ, your Son,
We glorify your Spirit,
Forever three, yet one.
On earth we see you dimly,
In heaven face to face;
And then with all who’ve served you,
We’ll praise you, God of grace.

The Lord be with you
And also with you.

Confession
Let us call to mind and confess our sins.

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 you,
pardon and deliver you from all your 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 to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

The Collect and readings

Collect for Feast of the Birth of John Baptist
Almighty God,
by whose providence your servant John the Baptist
was wonderfully born,
and sent to prepare the way of your Son our Saviour
by the preaching of repentance:
lead us to repent according to his preaching
and, after his example,
constantly to speak the truth, boldly to rebuke vice,
and patiently to suffer for the truth’s sake;
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

A reading from Isaiah 40: 1-11
by Lyn Pitts

The Gospel reading from Luke 1: 57-66 and 80
by Paul Pitts

Talk by Rev Charles Sargent

The Creed, Intercessions and Peace led by Rev Dr Tony Rich

The Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. 
Amen.

The Intercessions

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

The Celebration of Holy Communion by Rev Nicholas Calver

You are invited to make your spiritual communion by using the following prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, since I cannot now receive you sacramentally
I ask you to come spiritually into my heart.
O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother,
may I know you more clearly,
love you more dearly,
and follow you more nearly, day by day.
Amen

The anthem is ‘He came singing love’
(Colin Gibson, arranged by Geoff Weaver)
Sung by the choir of St Mary’s, Horne on 12 January 2020; soloist: Elizabeth Barrett

He came singing love and he lived singing love
He died singing love
He arose in silence.
For the love to go on we must make it our song:
You and I be the singers

He came singing faith and he lived singing faith
He died singing faith.
He arose in silence.
For the faith to go on we must make it our song:
You and I be the singers

He came singing hope and he lived singing hope              
He died singing hope
He arose in silence.
For the hope to go on we must make it our song:
You and I be the singers

He came singing peace and he lived singing peace
He died singing peace
He arose in silence.
For the peace to go on we must make it our song:
You and I be the singers, the singers, the singers.

Through the tender mercy of our God
may the dawn from on high break upon you
and guide your feet into the way of peace.
And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.

The hymn ‘God is working his purpose out’ is sung

God is working his purpose out as year succeeds to year.
God is working his purpose out, and the time is drawing near.
Nearer and nearer draws the time, the time that shall surely be,
When the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

From the east to the utmost west wherever foot has trod,
Through the mouths of his messengers echoes forth the voice of God:
‘Listen to me, ye continents, ye islands, give ear to me,
That the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

How can we do the work of God, how prosper and increase
Harmony in the human race and the reign of perfect peace?
What can we do to urge the time, the time that shall surely be,
When the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea?

March we forth in the strength of God, his banner is unfurled;
Let the light of the gospel shine in the darkness of the world:
Strengthen the weary, heal the sick and set ev’ry captive free,
That the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

All our efforts are nothing worth unless God bless the deed;
Vain our hopes for the harvest tide till he brings to life the seed.
Yet ever nearer draws the time, the time that shall surely be,
When the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

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.