THE FEAST OF SAINT FAITH
4 October 2015
The Gathering of the Community
The Opening Hymn
‘Blessed Feasts of Blessed Martyrs’ Common Praise #284
The Introductory Responses
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
the cherubim and seraphim, sing in endless praise.
The glorious company of the apostles praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
The Hymn of Praise
‘Glory to God’ Common Praise #702
The Collect of the Day
Let us pray.
Almighty God,
who gave your servant Faith courage
to confess Jesus Christ
and to die for this faith,
may we always be ready
to give a reason for the hope that is in us,
and to suffer gladly for his sake;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Proclamation of the Word
The First Reading
A reading from the prophet Isaiah (44.1-8).
But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen! Thus says the Lord who made you, who formed you in the womb and will help you: Do not fear, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my spirit upon your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring. They shall spring up like a green tamarisk, like willows by flowing streams. This one will say, “I am the Lord’s,” another will be called by the name of Jacob, yet another will write on the hand, “The Lord’s,” and adopt the name of Israel. Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let them proclaim it, let them declare and set it forth before me. Who has announced from of old the things to come? Let them tell us what is yet to be. Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides me? There is no other rock; I know not one.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
The Psalm
Psalm 87 with the refrain from Songs for the Holy One
Refrain (sung twice): Glorious things are sung for you, O Holy One.
1 On the holy mountain *
stands the city God has founded;
2 the Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Refrain: Glorious things are sung for you, O Holy One.
3 Glorious things are spoken of you, *
O city of our God.
4 I count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me; *
behold Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia: in Zion were they born.
Refrain: Glorious things are sung for you, O Holy One.
5 Of Zion it shall be said, ”Everyone was born in there, *
and the Most High shall sustain it.”
6 The Lord will record as the peoples are enrolled, *
“These also were born there.”
7 The singers and the dancers will say, *
“All my fresh springs are in you.”
Refrain: Glorious things are sung for you, O Holy One.
The Second Reading
A reading from the first letter of Peter (2.4-10).
Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For it stands in scripture: “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,” and “A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
The Gradual Hymn
‘Alleluia’ Common Praise #714 (sung twice)
The Gospel
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John (17.6-19).
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
[Jesus said,] “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.”
The gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
The Sermon
The Apostles’ Creed
Let us affirm the faith of our baptism.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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 again 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 Prayers of the Community
Intercessions, Thanksgivings and Petitions
Confession and Absolution
Let us pray to God for the forgiveness of our sins.
Have mercy upon us, most merciful God;
in your compassion, forgive us our sins,
known and unknown,
things done and left undone;
and so uphold us by your Spirit
that we may live and serve you in newness of life,
to the honour and glory of your name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May the God of love and power
forgive you and free you from your sins,
heal and strengthen you by the Holy Spirit,
and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Exchange of the Peace
The peace of the Lord be with you all.
And also with you.
The Holy Communion
Offertory Hymn
‘All Things Are Thine’ Common Praise #304
Prayer over the Gifts
Let us pray.
God of faithfulness,
your servant Faith praise you in her death.
Receive all we offer you this day,
and give us the strength of will
to proclaim your righteousness and love.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
The Thanksgiving at the Table
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 our thanks and praise.
We give you thanks and praise, almighty God,
through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer.
He is your living Word through whom you have created all things.
By the power of the Holy Spirit he took flesh of the Virgin Mary
and shared our human nature.
He lived and died as one of us, to reconcile us to you,
the God and Father of all.
In fulfillment of your will he stretched out his hands in suffering,
to bring release to those who place their hope in you,
and so he won for you a holy people.
He chose to bear our griefs and sorrows,
and to give us his life on the cross,
that he might shatter the chains of evil and death,
and banish the darkness of sin and despair.
By his resurrection he brings us into the light of your presence.
Now with all creation we raise our voices
to proclaim the glory of your name.
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.
Holy and gracious God, accept our praise,
through your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ;
who on the night he was handed over to suffering and death,
took bread and gave you thanks, saying, “Take, and eat:
this is my body which is broken for you.”
In the same way he took the cup,
saying, “This is my blood which is shed for you.
When you do this, you do it in memory of me.”
Remembering, therefore, his death and resurrection,
we offer you this bread and this cup,
giving thanks that you have made us worthy
to stand in your presence and serve you.
We ask you to send your Holy Spirit
upon the offering of your holy Church.
Gather into one all who share in these sacred mysteries,
filling them with the Holy Spirit and confirming their faith in the truth,
that together we may praise you and give you glory
through your Servant, Jesus Christ.
All glory and honour are yours, Father and Son,
with the Holy Spirit in the holy Church, now and for ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, let us 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.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread
Creator of all,
you gave us golden fields of wheat,
whose many grains we have gathered
and made into this one bread.
So may your Church be gathered
from the ends of the earth
into your reign of justice and peace.
The gifts of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
The Communion of the Community
The Communion Hymn
‘How Blessed Is This Place’ Common Praise #301 (sung to #96)
The Sending Forth of the Community
Prayer after Communion
Let us pray.
God of courage,
we give thanks for this holy food,
and we praise you for your martyr Father,
who ran with perseverance
the race that we set before her,
and won the victor’s wreath that does not fade;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Glory to God,
whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine.
Glory to God from generation to generation,
in the Church and in Christ Jesus,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Closing Hymn
‘Ye Holy Angels Bright’ Common Praise #323
Dismissal
With all the company of saints,
let us go forth in praise to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
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