Pentecost - 31 May 2020
Click here if you want to download the service sheet, or just follow from this page.
The Holy Spirit on our baldaccino (canopy) above the tabernacle.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your people, and kindle in us the fire of your love! Today is the birthday of the church - the moment when the Holy Spirit swooped down on the disciples and filled them with the power of God’s love. Let’s pray that the Spirit will unite us so that, though we are apart, we may know the joy and peace of worshipping together as the body of Christ.
Opening Voluntary
Our opening voluntary is Trumpet Tune, by John Stanley. Click on the link to listen before the service begins.
Light a candle to prepare yourself, and pray for the Holy Spirit to fill your heart, your mind, your life! Our service begins as it normally would at 9.30am. Please click on the link, and make the responses yourself. If you would like to sing along to the hymn the words are below.
Opening Hymn and Welcome
The beginning of the service can be accessed from the youtube clip. Please join in with the responses, and hymns.
Come down, O love divine,
seek thou this soul of mine,
and visit it with thine own ardour glowing;
O Comforter draw near,
within my heart appear,
and kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.
O let it freely burn,
till earthly passions turn
to dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
and let thy glorious light
shine ever on my sight,
and clothe me round, the while my path illuming.
Let holy charity
mine outward vesture be,
and lowliness become mine inner clothing;
true lowliness of heart,
which takes the humbler part,
and o’er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.
And so the yearning strong,
with which the soul will long
shall far outpass the power of human telling;
till none can guess its grace,
till he become the place,
wherein the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling.
Priest
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All
Amen
Priest
The Lord be with you.
All
And also with you
Priest
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
All
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Confessing our sins
We have not always lived our lives as we might have done. We have done wrong and hurt others. Let’s seek God’s forgiveness. We pray together:
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.
The priest gives the absolution, and we respond. Amen.
Praising God’s glory
We sing to praise God’s glory. Please join in with Jonathan
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 priest prays the Collect – the prayer for the day
Readings
Jennifer and Charlotte read the first reading, which is Acts 2.1.21. We stand for the Gospel of the Day, which is John 20.19-23.
Video and Sermon
Before the homily, please watch Together Apart: St Matthew’s Community in Lockdown (even if you watched it yesterday!). If you don’t the sermon will make no sense…
Together Apart video
Mthr Helen’s Sermon
Creed
Let’s remind ourselves of the beliefs of the Christian faith
All
We believe in God the Father,
from whom every family
in heaven and on earth is named.
We believe in God the Son,
who lives in our hearts through faith,
and fills us with his love.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
who strengthens us
with power from on high.
We believe in one God;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Prayers
Anna Maria leads us in prayer. Afterwards, we hear a Pentecost Message from the Bishop of Southwark.
The Peace
Let’s share the peace! Click on the youtube clip for the next part of the service
As the altar is prepared, we sing our offertory hymn.
O Thou who camest from above,
the pure celestial fire to impart,
kindle a flame of sacred love
on the mean altar of my heart.
There let it for thy glory burn
with inextinguishable blaze,
and trembling to its source return
in humble prayer, and fervent praise.
Jesus, confirm my heart’s desire
to work, and speak, and think for thee.
Still let me guard the holy fire,
and still stir up thy gift in me.
Ready for all thy perfect will,
my acts of faith and love repeat,
till death thy endless mercies seal,
and make my sacrifice complete.
The Eucharistic Prayer
We now come to the heart of the mass, the prayer of consecration. Please join in with singing or saying the responses.
Priest
The Lord be with you
All
And also with you
Priest
Lift up your hearts.
All
We lift them to the Lord.
Priest
All
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.
The Acclamation:
Priest
Great is the mystery of faith.
All
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
The Sanctus and Benedictus (Sanctus means ‘holy’, Benedictus means ‘blessed’):
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.
The Agnus Dei (which means ‘Lamb of God’)
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.
This is a prayer for you to say at the point at which you would be receiving the bread and wine. You are making a spiritual communion in place of a sacramental communion, as that is not possible at this time.
In union, O Lord with the faithful at every altar of your Church, where the Holy Eucharist is celebrated, I desire to offer you praise and thanksgiving. I present to you my soul and body with the earnest wish that I may always be united to you. And since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, I ask you to come spiritually into my heart. I unite myself to you, and embrace you with all the affections of my soul. Let nothing ever separate you from me. May I live and die in your love. Amen.
Song
As we reflect on our spiritual communion, Jonathan sings the Veni Creator Spiritus.
Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
and lighten with celestial fire;
Thou the anointing Spirit art,
who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart.
Thy blessed unction from above
Is comfort, life, and fire of love;
enable with perpetual light
the dullness of our blinded sight.
Anoint and cheer our soiled face
with the abundance of thy grace:
keep far our foes, give peace at home;
where thou art guide, no ill can come.
Teach us to know the Father, Son,
and thee, of both, to be but One;
that through the ages all along
this may be our endless song.
Praise to thy eternal merit,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Blessing and Regina Coeli
Please click on this link for the end of the service. If you would like to sing along with the Regina Coeli, please do! Regina coeli means ‘Queen of Heaven’ and is sung in Eastertide. In it we rejoice with Mary in the resurrection of her son Jesus.
All
Joy to thee, O Queen of Heaven. Allelulia!
He whom thou wast meet to bear. Alleluia!
As he promised hath arisen. Alleluia!
Pour for us to God thy prayer. Alleluia!
Priest
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia!
All
For the Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
The priest prays the collect.
Jonathan’s closing voluntary, is Toccata from Suite Gothique, by Leon Boellmann