Heart of Norfolk ‘Songs of Praise’
12th July: the 5th Sunday after Trinity
¶ Preparation: You may wish to find a space for prayer in front of a cross, a candle, or a special place.
Welcome and Introduction
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
The Lord be with you
All: and also with you.
Hymn (1) John Labouchere, North Elmham
Thy hand, O God, has guided
Thy hand, O God, has guided
thy flock; from age to age;
the wondrous tale is written,
full clear, on ev’ry page;
our forebears owned thy goodness,
and we their deeds record;
and both of this bear witness:
one Church, one Faith, one Lord.
Thy heralds brought glad tidings
to greatest, as to least;
they bade them rise, and hasten
to share the great King’s feast;
and this was all their teaching,
in ev’ry deed and word,
to all alike proclaiming:
one Church, one Faith, one Lord.
Through many a day of darkness,
through many a scene of strife,
the faithful few fought bravely
to guard the nation’s life.
Their gospel of redemption,
sin pardoned, hope restored,
was all in this enfolded:
one Church, one Faith, one Lord.
And we, shall we be faithless?
Shall hearts fail, hands hang down?
Shall we evade the conflict,
and cast away our crown?
Not so: in God’s deep counsels
some better thing is stored:
we will maintain, unflinching,
one Church, one Faith, one Lord.
Thy mercy will not fail us,
nor leave thy work undone;
with thy right hand to help us,
the vict’ry shall be won;
and then by all creation,
thy name shall be adored.
And this shall be our anthem:
one Church, one Faith, one Lord.
Prayer of Preparation
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prayers of Penitence
Kyrie Eleison
Jesus says, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’
So let us turn away from our sin and turn to Christ,
confessing our sins in penitence and faith.
Silence is kept.
Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
All: Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Blessed is the Lord,
All: for he has heard the voice of our prayer;
Therefore shall our hearts dance for joy
All: and in our song will we praise our God.
Gloria in Excelsis
Peruvian Gloria
Glory to God,
glory to God,
glory to the Father.
All: Glory to God, glory to God,
glory to the Father.
To him, be glory for ever.
All: To him, be glory for ever.
Alleluia, amen.
All: Alleluia, amen. Alleluia, amen. Alleluia, amen.
Glory to God,
glory to God,
Son of the Father.
All: Glory to God, glory to God,
Son of the Father.
To him, be glory for ever.
All: To him, be glory for ever.
Alleluia, amen.
All: Alleluia, amen. Alleluia, amen. Alleluia, amen.
Glory to God,
glory to God,
glory to the Spirit.
All: Glory to God, glory to God,
glory to the Spirit.
To him, be glory for ever.
All: To him, be glory for ever.
Alleluia, amen.
All: Alleluia, amen. Alleluia, amen. Alleluia, amen.
The Collect
Let us pray:
A period of silent prayer is kept.
Almighty and everlasting God,
by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church
is governed and sanctified:
hear our prayer which we offer for all
your faithful people,
that in their vocation and ministry
they may serve you in holiness and truth
to the glory of your name;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
All: Amen.
¶ The Liturgy of the Word
New Testament Reading
Romans 8:1-11
Life in the Spirit
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
At the end:
For the Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Gradual Hymn (2) Sue and Ivan Ball, North Elmham
Be still, for the presence of the Lord
Be still, for the presence of the Lord,
the Holy One, is here;
come, bow before him now,
with reverence and fear.
In him no sin is found,
we stand on holy ground.
Be still, for the presence of the Lord,
the Holy One, is here.
Be still, for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around;
he burns with holy fire,
with splendour he is crowned.
How awesome is the sight,
our radiant King of Light!
Be still, for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around.
Be still, for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place,
he comes to cleanse and heal,
to minister his grace.
No work too hard for him,
in faith receive from him;
be still, for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place.
In copyright: David J Evans (Text);
David J Evans (music); arr. Norman Warren
Gospel Reading
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
All: Glory to you, O Lord.
The Parable of the Sower
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!’
‘Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.’
At the end:
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you, O Christ.
Reflection
Norman Johnson, Benefice Reader
Hymn (3) Eunice Norwood, Stibbard
As the deer pants for the water
As the deer pants for the water,
so my soul longs after you.
You alone are my heart’s desire,
and I long to worship you.
You alone are my strength, my shield,
to you alone may my spirit yield.
You alone are my heart’s desire
and I long to worship you.
I want you more than gold or silver,
only you can satisfy.
You alone are the real joy-giver
and the apple of my eye.
You’re my friend and you are my brother,
even though you are a king,
I love you more than any other,
so much more than anything.
As the deer pants for the water,
so my soul longs after you.
You alone are my heart’s desire,
and I long to worship you.
In copyright: Martin Nystrom (text), based on Psalm 42:1-2;
Martin Nystrom (music) arr. Richard Lloyd (b 1933)
Affirmation of Faith
All: We believe and trust in God the Father,
source of all being and life, the one for whom we exist.
We believe and trust in God the Son,
who took our human nature, died for us and rose again.
We believe and trust in God the Holy Spirit,
who gives life to the people of God
and makes Christ known in the world.
This is the faith of the Church.
This is our faith.
We believe and trust in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Prayers of Intercession
Pray for the needs of the world, for our local communities, our loved-ones and our friends.
Hymn (4) Robin and Sandi Taylor, Bawdeswell
Brother, sister, let me serve you
Brother, sister, let me serve you,
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace
to let you be my servant too.
We are pilgrims on a journey,
we’re companions on the road;
we are here to help each other
walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold the Christ-light for you
in the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
speak the peace you long to hear.
I will weep when you are weeping;
when you laugh, I’ll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow
till we’ve seen this journey through.
When we sing to God in heaven,
we shall find such harmony,
born of all we’ve known together
of Christ’s love and agony.
Brother, sister, let me serve you,
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace to
let you be my servant, too.
The Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray with confidence as Jesus taught us:
All: 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.
Hymn (5) Kevin and Melanie Jones, Themelthorpe
Angel voices, ever-singing
Angel-voices ever singing
round thy throne of light,
angel harps for ever ringing,
rest not day nor night;
thousands only live to bless thee,
and confess thee Lord of might.
Thou who art beyond the farthest
mortal eye can see,
can it be that thou regardest
our poor hymnody?
Yes, we know that thou art near us
and wilt hear us – constantly.
Yea, we know that thou rejoicest
o’er each work of thine;
thou didst ears and hands and voices
for thy praise design;
craftman’s art and music’s measure
for thy pleasure
all combine.
In thy house, great God, we offer
of thine own to thee;
and for thine acceptance proffer,
all unworthily,
hearts and minds and hands and voices
in our choicest
psalmody.
Honour, glory, might and merit
thine shall ever be,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
blessèd Trinity.
Of the best that thou hast given
earth and heaven
render thee.
Closing Prayer
All: Amen.
Blessing & Dismissal
The peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds
in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be with you, and all those whom you love, today and always.
All: Amen.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
All: In the name of Christ.
Amen.
‘Voluntary’ Karen Hambrook, Foulsham
In Christ alone
In Christ alone my hope is found,
he is my light, my strength, my song;
this cornerstone, this solid ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all,
here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone! who took on flesh,
fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
scorned by the ones he came to save:
till on that cross as Jesus died,
the wrath of God was satisfied -
for ev’ry sin on him was laid;
here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground his body lay,
light of the world by darkness slain:
then bursting forth in glorious day
up from the grave he rose again!
And as he stands in victory
sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
for I am his and he is mine -
bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death,
this is the pow’r of Christ in me;
from life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man,
can ever pluck me from his hand;
till he returns to call me home,
here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand!
Stuart Townend and Keith Getty
© Copyright 2001 Thankyou Music