Welcome to our service - 4 October
This service sheet can be used individually or with households.
We would encourage you to say (or even sing) hymns and songs out loud.
Prayers, other liturgy or readings can be said out loud or silently, corporately or individually.
If you are able, we would also like invite you to join us for our main Sunday service, 10am, live on Zoom. Even if you have never been to St Gabriel’s before we would love you to join you. Please get in touch with the vicar Alistair (vicar@saintgs.co.uk) and he will send you the Zoom details.
Notices
Please join us this Sunday for a socially distanced and COVID-19 compliant unsung Holy Communion service at 11:30am. We ask you to come with a face mask.
For Harvest we will be taking a offering for the Archer Project. This can either be brought to the 11:30 am service in church or you can drop it off at the vicarage (1 Cliffe Farm Drive). The Archer Project appreciate cereal, pot noodles and cuppa soups, sugar, tea and coffee, tinned food - meat, soups, fish, vegetables.
SERVICE
Opening
As we gather today,
we gather around Jesus, the Word become flesh,
who made his dwelling in our physical world.
As we gather, we bring our physical selves too, not just thoughts, hopes and dreams, but also our hands, our feet, our bodies - bringing our whole beings;
symbols of our whole lives.
As we pause to be thankful for all that God has provided,
may we respond in worship, offering the whole of our selves as a sacrifice of praise,
and may our gratitude grow our generosity today. Amen.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha628Pj_Rns
We plough the fields, and scatter
the good seed on the land,
but it is fed and watered
by God's almighty hand:
He sends the snow in winter,
the warmth to swell the grain,
the breezes, and the sunshine,
and soft, refreshing rain.
All good gifts around us
are sent from heaven above;
then thank the Lord,
O thank the Lord,
for all His love.
2. He only is the maker
of all things near and far;
He paints the wayside flower,
He lights the evening star;
the winds and waves obey him,
by Him the birds are fed;
much more to us, his children,
He gives our daily bread.
All good gifts...
3. We thank You then, O Father,
for all things bright and good,
the seed-time and the harvest,
our life, our health, our food.
Accept the gifts we offer
for all Your love imparts,
we come now, Lord, to give You
our humble thankful hearts.
All good gifts...
M. Claudius. Tr Jane M. Campbell
Confession Based on Psalm 19
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward. But who can discern their own errors?
[Take a moment of silence to ask God to speak to your heart about anything you should ask forgiveness for.]
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from wilful sins; may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
[Take a moment of silence to receive God’s forgiveness.]
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
COLLECT
Creator God,
you made the goodness of the land,
the riches of the sea
and the rhythm of the seasons;
as we think you for the harvest,
may we cherish and respect
this planet and its peoples,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImFVg-Taoq0
All heaven declares
the glory of the risen Lord.
Who can compare
with the beauty of the Lord?
Forever He will be
the Lamb upon the throne.
I gladly bow the knee
and worship Him alone.
2. I will proclaim
the glory of the risen Lord,
who once was slain
to reconcile man to God.
Forever You will be
the Lamb upon the throne.
I gladly bow the knee
and worship You alone.
Tricia Richards, (c) 1987 Thankyou Music
READINGS
Psalm 65
Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion;
to you our vows will be fulfilled.
You who answer prayer,
to you all people will come.
When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave our transgressions.
Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple.
You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,
God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas,
who formed the mountains by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,
who stilled the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.
You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.
You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.
Romans 8:18-28 New International Version - UK
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
TALK written by Peter Smithers
Today we live in a climate of fear. Sea levels rise, weather becomes more extreme, sickness rages out of control. In our lifetimes we’ve seen certain animals go extinct due to deforestation and exploitation. We wonder whether we human beings might be next - maybe not us here and now, but our children’s children. We’ve seen the rise of Extinction Rebellion who highlight these issues and challenge us to radical action.
At this time of harvest we often think of the fruit and crops that feed us and help keep us healthy. But in this messed up age we live in so many people are short of the food they need to keep body and soul together; vegetables go unharvested; pasta disappears from supermarket shelves. We’re in a mess, and as a result our world is in a mess.
Did I say our world? Is it really our world? Who does this world really belong to? Is it ours to use or misuse as we wish? Or does it simply belong to itself as Mother Earth or Gaia?
God’s message to us, the Bible, declares ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it; the world, and all who live in it’ (Psalm 24:1). It is not our world, it’s God’s world… and it’s not just the world that belongs to God, but also ‘all who live in it’. That’s you and me.… We are not our own masters - even though we love to pretend that we are - we belong to God, too.
So what is our role in the world?
We are God’s guests. He has invited us here to enjoy his hospitality, and to enjoy being with him. The psalm we’re looking at today says ‘Blessed are those you (God) choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.’ (Psalm 65:4). At first glance it may look as if this refers to the God’s house as the temple that used to exist in Jerusalem. But note the very beginning of the Psalm: “A psalm of David”. The first temple was built after the death of David. It was to be a symbol of God’s presence in the world, but, as God himself says, ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?’ (Isaiah 66:1-2). So here God’s house is God’s world. As God’s guests in his house we are called to accept his hospitality, but not abuse it. A guest who steals the bottles of shampoo, stuffs themselves full of food and makes a mess hasn’t realised the privileged position they’re in. They certainly aren’t showing respect and appreciation for their host. Let’s be thankful to God for this beautiful, wonderful home he has invited us to share with him.
We are God’s farm workers. The Bible says that we were put into the world “to work it and take care of it”. As we do so, we are “free to eat from any tree” (Genesis 2:15-16). We are intended to take benefit from our world, but we need to be sure that we are taking care of it in the way that the owner of this farm requires. And this particular farm owner is not an absentee landlord. He gets his hands dirty himself. The psalm we’re looking at today says to God “You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly.” (Psalm 65:9). We are farm workers alongside God. And God doesn’t just do the basic minimum. He is generous in his provision. “You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;..;The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with corn” (Psalm 65:11-13). As we work alongside God in his world we can expect to benefit from the fruitfulness he brings. Let’s listen to what he says and do it. Let’s watch what does and do the same.
But we’ve messed up, and we’re overwhelmed by the damage we’ve done. How can we ever function properly as God’s guests and his farm workers? We can…
… accept God’s forgiveness: “When we were overwhelmed by our sins, you forgave our transgressions” or an even better translation of the original Hebrew might be “you made atonement for our transgressions”. (Psalm 65:3) God can put us right if we let him.
… ask for his help: “You who answer prayer to you all people will come.” (Psalm 65:2). We can come to God, the God who owns this world and is living here with us. We can admit we can’t manage by ourselves and ask him to intervene and to train us in what we should be doing.
As we look at the mess we’ve put our world in, things may seem hopeless. All the calls to put things right by 2050 (or whenever) may seem like calls to “pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps”. But with God alongside us dealing with the past and working for the future, we can experience him as “God our Saviour, the hope of all the ends of the earth” (Psalm 65:5).
THE APOSTLES’ 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
O LORD, HEAR MY PRAYER,
O Lord, hear my prayer:
When I call answer me.
O Lord, hear my prayer,
O Lord, hear my prayer:
Come and listen to me.
Jacques Berthier/Taizé.
Copyright © 1982 Ateliers et Presses de Taize (France).
PRAYERS - written by Linda Chambers
Our prayers today link into our theme of ‘Blessing the Land’. After each section you may like to pause for your own reflection …
In Psalm 65 we read: “The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders. You care for the land and water it, you enrich it abundantly. You crown the year with your bounty and your carts overflow with abundance.”
Creator God, we give thanks for the beauty and richness of your creation. We celebrate your generosity in our physical landscapes. But we are also mindful of our misuse of the planet and that you call us to join you in renewing creation. Into the brokenness of our world bring your blessing and healing.
Creator God, we pray for those who spend their time working the land or caring for creation – farmers, fishermen, beekeepers, African gamekeepers. Thank you for the many volunteers working in our parks and gardens and in countryside projects. Please help those who struggle to make a living from the land or sea. Give them strength and patience in their endeavours and provide for their needs.
Creator God, we pray for those parts of creation groaning or in pain right now – for the many nations affected by extremes of weather such as floods or drought, land in the USA and Australia ravaged by wildfires, habitats threatened with destruction, wildlife in danger of extinction, oceans poisoned with plastic waste. Strengthen and protect emergency services, charities and individuals in their efforts to manage these challenging situations and as they try to restore order and harmony where possible.
Creator God, we pray for our leaders in Westminster, Washington and the European Union as they make decisions which will impact the future of our world. Inspire in them a common desire for justice and compassion in their relations with humankind and the natural world. May they be committed to defending the rights of the weak - those whose land has been repossessed, especially in the Amazon region - and those caught up in controversial disputes over water supplies from the River Nile and River Jordan.
Creator God, we pray for ourselves as we make choices to care for creation. Help us to re-use and re-cycle where possible and to buy ethical and locally sourced food as we are able. Show us how to manage our gardens and allotments more sustainably. As a church equip us to be good stewards in caring for the land around our buildings and for the parks in our locality. In these challenging times, we remember those in our city and nation living in cramped conditions without the privilege of gardens or open spaces to enjoy.
And at the start of a new week, we pray especially for our schools as they cope with unfamiliar procedures and restrictions - and we commit ourselves, our families and neighbours to your care and keeping. Help us as individuals and communities to live within the limits of our environment and to tread lightly through your creation.
Creator God, into the brokenness of our world, bring your blessing and peace. AMEN
LORD’S PRAYER
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
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaMPE53uP38
Beauty for brokenness,
hope for despair,
Lord in Your suff'ring world
this is our prayer.
Bread for the children,
justice, joy, peace,
sunrise to sunset
Your Kingdom increase.
2. Shelter for fragile lives,
cures for their ills,
work for the craftsmen,
trade for their skills.
Land for the dispossessed,
rights for the weak,
voices to plead the cause
of those who can't speak.
God of the poor,
friend of the weak,
give us compassion we pray.
Melt our cold hearts,
let tears fall like rain.
Come change our love
from a spark to a flame.
3. Refuge from cruel wars,
havens from fear,
cities for sanctu'ry,
freedoms to share.
Peace to the killing fields,
scorched earth to green,
Christ for the bitterness,
His cross for the pain.
4. Rest for the ravaged earth,
oceans and streams,
plundered and poisoned,
our future, our dreams.
Lord end our madness,
carelessness, greed.
Make us content with
the things that we need.
God of the poor….
5. Lighten our darkness,
breathe on this flame,
until Your justice burns
brightly again;
until the nations
learn of Your ways,
seek Your salvation
and bring You their praise.
God of the poor………
Words and Music: Graham Kendrick
(Copyright © 1993 Make Way Music)
OFFERTORY - Take a moment to consider how you are going to continue to give to the life of the church and support other aid agencies and mission organisations.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power,
the glory, the splendour, and the majesty;
for everything in heaven and on earth is yours.
All things come from you, and of your own do we give you.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GKhDCsLrUg
O Lord my God!
When I in awesome wonder
consider all the works
Thy hand hath made,
I see the stars,
I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed;
Then sings my soul,
my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul,
my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
2 When through the woods
and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds
sing sweetly in the trees;
when I look down
from lofty mountain grandeur,
and hear the brook,
and feel the gentle breeze;
Then sings my soul....
3. And when I think that God
His Son not sparing,
sent Him to die - I scarce can take it in.
That on the cross
my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:
Then sings my soul....
4. When Christ shall come
with shout of acclamation
and take me home –
what joy shall fill my heart!
Then shall I bow in humble adoration
and there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul....
Charles Wesley (1707-88)
FINAL BLESSING
Throughout these 7 weeks, as we explore the Blessings Course, we are going to finish our services with this blessing from Numbers 6. I would encourage you to say it firstly over yourself and then to consider the land where you live and the creation around. As you do declare this blessing over it:
The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face towards you
and give you peace.
And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us and remain with us always. Amen
