Our service will be live-streamed on Facebook at 9.15am and added to the 'Videos' section of this website later in the day. service sheet below!
Service of the Word 3rd Sunday of Epiphany
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you
and also with you.
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 Christ our Lord. Amen.
HYMN: Hail to the Lord’s anointed
Hail to the Lord's Anointed, great David's greater Son!
Hail in the time appointed, his reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression, to set the captive free;
to take away transgression, and rule in equity.
He comes with succour speedy to those who suffer wrong;
to help the poor and needy, and bid the weak be strong;
to give them songs for sighing, their darkness turn to light,
whose souls, condemned and dying, are precious in his sight.
He shall come down like showers upon the fruitful earth;
love, joy, and hope, like flowers, spring in his path to birth.
Before him on the mountains, shall peace, the herald, go, a
and righteousness, in fountains, from hill to valley flow.
Kings shall bow down before him, And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore him, His praise all people sing:
To him shall prayer unceasing and daily vows ascend;
his kingdom still increasing, a kingdom without end.
O’er every for victorious, He on his throne shall rest;
From age to age more glorious, All-blessing and all-blest:
The tide of time shall never his covenant remove;
his name shall stand forever; His changeless name of love.
Prayers of penitence
Lord Jesus, illuminate the darkness in our hearts:
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, open our eyes to your saving love:
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, unstop our ears to hear your living word:
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
The Absolution
Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gloria
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.
Collect
Almighty God, whose Son revealed in signs and miracles the wonder of your saving presence: renew your people with your heavenly grace,
and in all our weakness sustain us by your mighty power; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Old Testament Reading:Genesis 14.17-20
After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said,
‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
maker of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High,
who has delivered your enemies into your hand!’
And Abram gave him one-tenth of everything.
Psalm 128
A Song of Ascents.
Happy is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways.
You shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands;
you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
Thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the Lord.
The Lord bless you from Zion.
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
May you see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!
Epistle Reading: Rev 19.6-10
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunder-peals, crying out,
‘Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready;
to her it has been granted to be clothed
with fine linen, bright and pure’—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are true words of God.’ Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, ‘You must not do that! I am a fellow-servant with you and your comrades who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’
Gospel Reading: John 2.1-11
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Reflection
Hymn: Let all mortal flesh
Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand.
Ponder nothing earthly minded, for with blessing in his hand
Christ our God to earth descending comes, our homage to demand.
King of kings, yet born of Mary, as of old on earth he stood,
Lord of heaven now incarnate in the body and the blood,
he will give to all the faithful his own self for heavenly food.
Rank on rank the host of heaven spreads its vanguard on the way,
as the Light of light descending from the realms of endless day
that the powers of hell may vanish, as the darkness clears away.
At his feet the six-winged seraph, cherubim with sleepless eye,
veil their faces to the Presence, as with ceaseless voice they cry,
“Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia, Lord Most High!”
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.
Intercessions
Response
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
The Lord’s Prayer
Believing in the promises of God. Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour taught us,
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.
Blessing
Christ the Son of God perfect in you the image of his glory
and gladden your hearts with the good news of his kingdom;
and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
Hymn: Rejoice the Lord is King
Rejoice, the Lord is King: your Lord and King adore!
Rejoice, give thanks and sing, and triumph evermore.
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice! Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
Jesus, the Saviour, reigns, the God of truth and love;
When He has purged our stains, He took his seat above;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice! Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
His kingdom cannot fail, He rules o'er earth and heav'n;
The keys of death and hell are to our Jesus giv'n:
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice! Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
Rejoice in glorious hope! Jesus the judge shall come
And take His servants up to their eternal home:
We soon shall hear the archangel’s voice;
The trump of God shall sound: rejoice!
Dismissal
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
Common Worship copyright © The Archbishops' Council 2002 and Times & Seasons copyright © The Archbishops' Council 2006, published by Church House Publishing.
Hymns from Hymns Ancient & Modern hymns & songs for refreshing worship: Hail to the Lord’s anointed
- J. Montgomery (1771-1854); Let all mortal flesh
-Cherubic Hymn from the Liturgy of St James, versified by G.Moultiere (1829-1885); Rejoice the Lord is King - Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
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