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Celebrating Pentecost

St Giles’ and St Margaret’s Churches, Oxford

Sunday 31 May 2020

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Welcome In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. All Amen.

Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you All and with thy spirit. Alleluia. Christ is risen. All He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Introduction

The Collect for Purity All Almighty God,

unto whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Hymn

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;

For none can guess its grace, Till it become the place

Wherein the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling. Italian, Bianco da Siena (d. 1434)

Tr. R. F. Littledale (1833-90) Tune: Down Ampney (R. Vaughan Williams, 1872-1958)

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Confession Christ our passover lamb has been sacrificed for us. Let us therefore rejoice by putting away all malice and evil and confessing our sins with a sincere and true heart. All Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we have sinned against thee

and against our neighbour, in thought and word and deed, through negligence, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We are heartily sorry, and repent of all our sins. For the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past, and grant that we may serve thee in newness of life to the glory of thy name. Amen.

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.

All Amen.

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Responsory

As we wait in silence, All fill us with your Spirit. As we listen to your word, All fill us with your Spirit. As we worship you in majesty,, All fill us with your Spirit. As we long for your refreshing, All fill us with your Spirit. As we long for your renewing, All fill us with your Spirit. As we long for your equipping, All fill us with your Spirit. As we long for your empowering, All fill us with your Spirit. Silence is kept.

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The Pentecost Reading Acts 2:1-13

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs – in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’

At the end the reader may say:

The Lord is here. All His Spirit is with us.

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Gloria in Excelsis All Glory be to God on high,

and in earth peace, good will towards men.

We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ: O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.

For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord; thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art the Most High, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

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The Collect

Let us pray that the Spirit will work through our lives to bring Christ to the world. God, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit: grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgement in all things and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, now and for ever. All Amen.

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Reading 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

At the end the reader may say:

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

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Psalm Psalm 104:26-end

There go the ships, and there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to take his pastime therein. These wait all upon thee that thou mayest give them meat in due season. When thou givest it them they gather it and when thou openest thy hand they are filled with good. When thou hidest thy face they are troubled when thou takest away their breath they die, and are turned again to their dust. When thou lettest thy breath go forth they shall be made and thou shalt renew the face of the earth. The glorious Majesty of the Lord shall endure for ever the Lord shall rejoice in his works. The earth shall tremble at the look of him if he do but touch the hills, they shall smoke. I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will praise my God while I have my being. And so shall my words please him my joy shall be in the Lord. As for sinners, they shall be consumed out of the earth, and the ungodly shall come to an end praise thou the Lord, O my soul, praise the Lord.

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The Gospel John 20:19-23

When the Gospel is announced, the reader says:

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

All Glory be to thee, O Lord. When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

At the end:

This is the Gospel of the Lord. All Praise be to thee, O Christ.

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The Nicene Creed

All I believe in one God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible:

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead: whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spake by the prophets. And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

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Prayers of Intercession We pray for God to fill us with his Spirit.

The response to the petitions:

Come, Lord Jesus

All and fill us with your Spirit.

The Peace

God has made us one in Christ.

He has set his seal upon us and, as a pledge of what is to come,

has given the Spirit to dwell in our hearts. Alleluia.

The peace of the Lord be always with you All and with thy spirit.

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Hymn

Immortal, invisible, God only wise, In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,

Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,

nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might; Thy justice, like mountains high soaring above

Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all life thou givest--to both great and small; In all life thou livest, the true life of all;

We blossom and flourish like leaves on the tree, Then wither and perish--but naught changeth thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,

Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight; All praise we would render; O help us to see 'Tis only the splendour of light hideth thee.

W.Chalmers Smith (1824-1908) Tune: St Denio (traditional Welsh song)

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The Preparation of the Gifts Blessed art thou, Lord, God of all creation. Through thy goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth hast given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life.

All Blessed be God for ever.

Blessed art thou, Lord, God of all creation. Through thy goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will become our spiritual drink.

All Blessed be God for ever.

The Thanksgiving Prayer

The Lord be with you All and with thy spirit. Lift up your hearts. All We lift them up unto the Lord.

Let us give thanks unto the Lord our God. All It is meet and right so to do.

It is very meet, right and our bounden duty, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ thine only Son our Lord.

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For he is thy living Word; through him thou hast created all things from the beginning, and fashioned us in thine own image.

Through him thou didst redeem us from the slavery of sin, giving him to be born of a woman, to die upon the cross, and to rise again for us.

Through him thou hast made us a people for thine own possession, exalting him to thy right hand on high, and sending forth through him thy holy and life-giving Spirit.

And now we give thee thanks that, after he had ascended far above all heavens, and was seated at the right hand of thy majesty, he sent forth upon the universal Church thy holy and life-giving Spirit; that through his glorious power the joy of the everlasting gospel might go forth into all the world.

Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name, evermore praising thee and saying:

All Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord most high. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

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Accept our praises, heavenly Father, through thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ; and as we follow his example and obey his command, grant that by the power of thy Holy Spirit these gifts of bread and wine may be unto us his body and blood;

who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks to thee, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.

Likewise after supper he took the cup; and when he had given thanks to thee, he gave it to them saying: Drink ye all of this; for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me.

Wherefore, O Lord and heavenly Father, we remember his offering of himself made once for all upon the cross; we proclaim his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension; we look for the coming of his kingdom and with this bread and this cup we make the memorial of Christ thy Son our Lord.

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Accept through him, our great high priest, this our sacrifice of thanks and praise, and as we eat and drink these holy gifts in the presence of thy divine majesty, renew us by thy Holy Spirit, inspire us with thy love, and unite us in the body of thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,

by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be unto thee, O Father almighty, world without end.

All Amen. A moment of silence is kept.

The Lord's Prayer

Being made one by the power of the Spirit, let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has 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.

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Breaking of the Bread

The Agnus Dei

All O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, grant us thy peace.

Invitation As the grain once scattered in the fields and the grapes once dispersed on the hillside are now reunited on this table in bread and wine,

so, Lord, may your whole Church soon be gathered together from the corners of the earth into your kingdom.

Communion Anthem Come, Holy Ghost

Thomas Attwood (1765-1838) Words: John Cosin (1594-1672), based on Veni Creator Spiritus

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Post Communion Prayer

O faithful God, who didst fulfil the promise of Easter by sending to us thy Holy Spirit and opening to every race and nation the way of eternal life: open our lips by the same Spirit, that every tongue may tell of thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All Amen.

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Commission

For fifty days we have celebrated the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ over the powers of sin and death. We have proclaimed God’s mighty acts and we have prayed that the power that was at work when God raised Jesus from the dead might be at work in us. As part of God’s Church here in Oxford, I call upon you to live out what you proclaim. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, will you dare to walk into God’s future, trusting him to be your guide?

All By the Spirit’s power, we will. Will you dare to embrace each other and grow together in love?

All We will. Will you dare to share your riches in common and minister to each other in need?

All We will. Will you dare to pray for each other until your hearts beat with the longings of God?

All We will. Will you dare to carry the light of Christ into the world’s dark places?

All We will.

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Conclusion The Lord is here.

All His Spirit is with us.

Today we have remembered the coming of God’s power on the disciples and we invite that same Spirit to drive us out into the wild places of the world.

May the Spirit, who hovered over the waters when the world was created, breathe into you the life he gives.

All Amen.

May the Spirit, who overshadowed the Virgin when the eternal Son came among us, make you joyful in the service of the Lord.

All Amen.

May the Spirit, who set the Church on fire upon the Day of Pentecost, bring the world alive with the love of the risen Christ.

All Amen.

And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.

All Amen.

Filled with the Spirit’s power, go in the light and peace of Christ. Alleluia, alleluia.

All Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.