PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY, PULBOROUGH

ST. PETER & ST. PAUL, APOSTLES

Sunday 28th June, 2020

Links to a video of this service can be found on the church website and Facebook page.

We are very grateful that that the service leaflet today has been sponsored.

Happy 25th wedding anniversary to Michelle and Jason Taylor-Bowers on 1st July 2020. Love from Alice, Séan, Mum and Dad and

family.

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You are invited to remember all those who you would normally meet with on this day within the church family and pray for them, especially those you have a particular concern for. Having brought sisters and brothers to mind, you may like to join in the singing of the Opening Hymn

Opening Hymn: NEH 478 Athelstan Riley (1858-1945)

1 Ye watchers and ye holy ones, bright Seraphs, Cherubim and Thrones, raise the glad strain, Alleluia. Cry out, Dominions, Princedoms, Powers, Virtues, Archangels, Angels' choirs, Alleluia. 2 O higher than the Cherubim, more glorious than the Seraphim, lead their praises, Alleluia. Thou Bearer of the eternal Word, most gracious, magnify the Lord. Alleluia. 3 Respond, ye souls in endless rest, ye Patriarchs and Prophets blest, Alleluia, alleluia. Ye holy Twelve, ye Martyrs strong, all Saints triumphant, raise the song Alleluia. 4 O friends, in gladness let us sing, supernal anthems echoing, Alleluia, alleluia. To God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, Three in One, Alleluia.

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In the name of the Father, and

of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The Greeting

The Lord be with you and also with you. Fr. Paul introduces the day’s celebration and invites everyone to make an act of penitence

The Prayers of Penitence 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, who forgives all who truly repent, 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.

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The Gloria Glory to God in the Highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, Heav’nly 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

Almighty God, whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul glorified you in their death as in their life: grant that your Church, inspired by their teaching and example, and made one by your Spirit, may ever stand firm upon the one foundation, Jesus Christ your Son our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

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The First Reading: Acts 12. 1-11

About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword. After he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (This was during the festival of Unleavened Bread.) When he had seized him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him.

The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, ‘Get up quickly.’ And the chains fell off his wrists. The angel said to him, ‘Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.’ He did so. Then he said to him, ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.’ Peter went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel’s help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. After they had passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside and walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, ‘Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.’

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

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The Gradual Hymn: NEH 172 (Tune 443) W. Walsham How (1823-1897)

1 'Thou art the Christ, O Lord, The Son of God most high!' For ever be adored That Name in earth and sky, In which, though mortal strength may fail, The saints of God at last prevail. 2 O surely he was blest With blessedness unpriced. Who, taught of God, confessed The Godhead in the Christ! For of thy Church, Lord, thou didst own Thy saint a true foundation-stone. 3 Thrice fallen, thrice restored! The bitter lesson learnt, That heart for thee, O Lord, With triple ardour burnt. The cross he took he laid not down Until he grasped the martyr's crown. 4 O bright triumphant faith, O courage void of fears! O love most strong in death, O penitential tears! By these, Lord, keep us lest we fall, And make us go where thou shalt call.

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The Gospel Reading: Matthew 16. 13-19

The Lord be with you And also with you. Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew Glory to you, O Lord. Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ The Homily Imagine waking up this morning and hearing that Richard Dawkins, that militant atheist and author of, among other books ‘The Selfish Gene’ and ‘The God Delusion’ has embraced the Christian Faith and is now an enthusiastic ambassador for Christ! Many of us would find this hard to believe and might well need to check the source of this information. If this was proved to be true, it would give us a sense of how the lives of Peter and Paul were changed in the light

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of their encounter with the Risen Christ, especially in the case of Paul. Peter, the man who vehemently denied Jesus; who was afraid to be in any way associated with Him, became a man of great courage who gave his life for Him and gained a martyr’s crown. Paul, the infamous persecutor of the church who became arguably the Church’s greatest champion, who also joined that company of martyrs. Two men who were both key influential figures in the story of the early church, both mentioned frequently in the scriptures and who both have books attributed to them in the New Testament. In the Acts of the Apostles they appear to be the leading characters in the story of the early church and by tradition are believed to have both been martyred in Rome around AD 64 under the persecution of Christians by the Emperor Nero. Peter crucified upside down , the tradition stating that he was not worthy to die as his Lord had died and Paul believed to have been beheaded with a sword. It is suggested that from early times the anniversary of their martyrdom has been kept on the same day, a practice the Church continues to this day. Peter was one of the twelve chosen by Jesus, while Paul came to be regarded as an apostle at a later stage. However, they professed the same faith and were both prepared to die remaining faithful to their Lord to the end. These ‘Princes of the Apostles’ and 'Pillars of the Church’ seem to compliment one another in different ways. They represent in themselves the universal mission of the Church, and hold out the possibility that the grace of Christ can triumph in anyone , even the most unlikely of people. In the Gospel reading for today, Peter sums up what the Christian Church believes about Jesus, and it is on the basis of this faith that the Church is founded-“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”. Jesus makes the point that Peter comes to this profession of faith, not because he has particularly good theological insights, but rather because God has revealed this truth to him.

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These two apostles take a lead among the other early leaders of the church and personify the mission of the Church to all humanity. Peter in his mission to his fellow Jews and Paul in his particular calling to proclaim Christ to the Gentiles; one an uneducated fisherman, while the other being a highly educated Pharisee! In celebrating these two very different people, we are reminded that ultimately all that Jesus said and did was for all humanity and the make up of the Church always needs to reflect that. So we mustn’t be too quick to exclude anybody, particularly those who don’t appear to share our views or social background and our particular outlook on life. We should not be selecting certain ‘types’ to join our church, as there should not be any vetting process for potential members, as the door must be open to all without qualification. So how do we make the culture of the church , in our case the Church of England , a culture within which all can feel at home. It’s been said many times that the C of E is too middle class. Why is it that we don’t seem to connect with so many from other backgrounds? We might well recall those famous words of Archbishop William Temple who stated that the Church is the one organisation which exists for those who aren’t members. The Church should be a place where the uneducated feel as at home as the highly educated; where the single person should feel as at home as the family; the divorced as at home as the couple preparing for marriage... I believe we all still have a way to go in working towards ensuring that the Church is a place of welcome for all, starting with our own attitudes to those who are different from us. The Church of Jesus Christ was founded on that faith that was professed by Peter and Paul , who, though different in many ways, sometimes even being at odds with one other, shared the same commitment to Christ and a real desire that all should find a home in Christ and in His household of faith.

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The Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

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The Prayers of Intercession

Please also remember the following people and communities in your prayers For our Diocesan household of faith and Martin our Bishop, also for Ruth Bushyager who is to be the new Bishop of Horsham and William Hazelwood who is to be the new Bishop of Lewes. We especially pray for those working and living in our local Care Homes: Hillside Lodge, The Anchorage, Petworth Cottage Nursing Home and Rotherlea Those who are in particular need of healing: Jack, Betty Miller, and Archdeacon Fiona Those who are in need of continued prayer: Ron Jones and Ryan Nichols Pray to rest in peace: Margaret Harper and Liam Treadwell Anniversary of death: Oliver Henderson, Francesca Dixon (Priest), Ann Standing, Ian Standing, Jasmine Harris, Richard Brook Those that suffer alone in: hospitals, hospices, care homes and the like and those who are unable to or restricted in visiting them. Together with other Churches in the village we pray for those who work for the Voluntary Groups, the unformed groups, the emergency services and Parish Council which cover Pulborough, Nutbourne and North Heath

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The following response is said:

Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer

The Intercessions conclude with the following

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

THE LITURGY OF THE SACRAMENT

The Peace

Fr. Paul introduces the Peace and then says: The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

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Pray my dear brothers and sisters that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.

May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of his name, for our good, and the good of all his holy Church.

The Prayer over the Gifts is said

The Eucharistic Prayer

The Lord be with you

and also with you. Lift up your hearts We lift them to the Lord Let us give thanks to the Lord our God It is right to give thanks and praise

Fr. Paul continues with the prayer until sing together:

Holy, holy, holy Lord,

God of power and might, Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

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Fr. Paul continues until the following is used: Great is the mystery of faith, Christ has died Christ is risen Christ will come again.

Fr. Paul continues and leads into the conclusion of the prayer to which all say: Amen

The Lord’s Prayer 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.

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The Breaking of Bread

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, grant us peace.

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An Act of Spiritual Communion

The following words are used as an invitation to make an act of Spiritual Communion. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Blessed are those who are called to his supper. Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word, and I shall be healed.

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. I love you above all things, and I desire to receive you. Since I cannot at this time receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as if you were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Amen

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(You may now wish to listen to the motet "O Come ye Servants of the Lord" by Christopher Tye. which can be found separately on the website)

The Prayer after Communion Almighty God, Who on the day of Pentecost sent your Holy Spirit to the apostles with the wind from heaven and in tongues of flame, filling them with joy and boldness to preach the gospel: by the power of the same Spirit strengthen us to witness to your truth and to draw everyone to the fire of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Please join in with the following hymn

HYMN: NEH 256

Die parente temporum Bourges Breviary (1734) and Carcassonne Breviary (1745) translated H.W.Baker (1821-77) and others

1 On this day, the first of days, God the Father's name we praise, who, creation's Lord and spring, did the world from darkness bring. 2 On this day his only Son over death the triumph won' on this day the Spirit came with his gifts of living flame.

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3 On this day his people raise one pure sacrifice of praise, and, with all the saints above, tell of Christ's redeeming love. 4 Praise, O God, to thee be given, praise on earth and praise in heaven praise to thy eternal Son, who this day our victory won.

The Blessing The Lord be with you. And also with you. The Dismissal Go in the peace of Christ. Thanks be to God. CHURCH SERVICES Following the easing of the lockdown restrictions it is hoped to have a form of church service starting next Sunday 5th July. This will be dependent on the advice and directives given by Bishop Martin early next week. Please check the website during next week or contact one of the following: Fr. Paul, 875775 email: pulbpccrector@btinternet.com Alyson 873795 email: alyson.heath55@gmail.com or Ann 872819 email: ann.kaiser@live.co.uk after Wednesday 1st July when more details will be available.

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