Good morning, everyone, on this Sunday After Ascension Day, Thursday May 21st – the day on which we celebrate Jesus’ return to be with his Father in Heaven, assuming the fullness of his heavenly glory once again.
This week’s virtual service is on our podcast page as usual; I hope very much that you enjoy participating in it.
I’ve been trying over recent weeks to complement the words and sung worship of our services with an image from the world of art, which I hope adds an additional dimension. This week, although it’s still a painting, it’s considerably less profound – I hope you’ll forgive me for sharing this meme that I saw posted by another member of the clergy on Twitter this last week, and which is all-too-apposite for these lockdown times:
It did make me smile, but underlying it, it’s making a serious point about our Christian faith – Jesus, forty days after after his resurrection, left this earth to be once again with his Father in heaven, re-assuming his full glory as he did so, and leaving us – his church – to continue the work that he had started on earth: bringing in the Kingdom of God.
It’s great to welcome another member of our congregations, Alison Stewart, as our preacher this week. Tying in with the theme of the ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ global prayer initiative between Ascension Day and Pentecost, Alison speaks to us from Acts chapter 1 on ‘Waiting & Praying’, as Jesus commissions his disciples, focusing on prayer and the Holy Spirit.
Our worship in today’s service:
If You Are Encouraged
If you are encouraged in your union with Christ,
finding consolation in his love,
Compassion, warmth and friendship in the Spirit’s flow of life;
This is how you make my joy complete;
By being of the same mind and loving with the same love,
united in the Spirit, with the same goal in sight,
by being of the same mind and loving with the same love,
united in the spirit, to the glory of Christ
Be sure you do nothing out of selfishness or pride,
never seeing past your own concerns;
But humbly keep the interests of each other in your hearts,
seeing them as better than yourselves
By being of the same mind and loving with the same love,
united in the Spirit, with the same goal in sight,
By being of the same mind and loving with the same love,
united in the Spirit, to the glory of Christ
Graham Kendrick © 1993 Make Way Music
Alleluia, Sing to Jesus!
Alleluia, sing to Jesus!
His the sceptre, his the throne;
Alleluia, his the triumph,
His the victory alone:
Hark, the songs of peaceful Sion
Thunder like a mighty flood;
Jesus out of every nation,
Hath redeemed us by his blood.
Alleluia, not as orphans
Are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia, he is near us,
Faith believes, nor questions how:
Though the cloud from sight received him,
When the forty days were o’er,
Shall our hearts forget his promised,
‘I am with you evermore’?
Alleluia, Bread of Angels,
Thou on earth out food, our stay;
Alleluia, here the sinful
Flee to thee from day to day:
Intercessor, Friend of sinners,
Earth’s Redeemer, plead for me,
Where the songs of all the singles
Sweep across the crystal sea.
Alleluia, King eternal,
Thee the Lord of lords we own;
Alleluia, born of Mary,
Earth thy footstool, heaven thy throne,
Thou within the veil hast entered,
Robed in flesh, our great High Priest;
Thou on earth both Priest and Victim
In the Eucharistic Feast.
W. Chatterton Dix
Do also listen to a particularly beautiful new worship song this week: ‘Thy Kingdom Come’, by Pete James. It’s been specially composed for this year’s Thy Kingdom Come global prayer initiative, and sets new and prayer-full lyrics to the tune of the glorious traditional hymn, ‘Tell out My Soul, The Greatness of the Lord!’
With the new lyrics in the film itself, it’s at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWhL6v8oQZ0
Do enjoy it!
As usual, if you’d prefer to read rather than listen to the podcast, the sermon transcript, reading and prayers can be downloaded here:
And finally, catch up with what’s going on in the Cranmer Group over the coming days:
New-Look Sundays: Zoom Catch-Ups!
Listen to the podcast at 9.30; grab a quick coffee; and then join us on Zoom at 10.15 for a catch-up across the Benefice. Chat about the sermon, the weather, or anything you like, until 11.00 at latest.
Join the Zoom call here (Meeting ID: 864 0083 1074 ; Password: 549794) – hopefully all will be fine from a technical perspective this Sunday, after last weekend’s global Zoom issues… We look forward to seeing you all there!
‘Thy Kingdom Come’, 21st – 31st May
All the details you need of everything going on across the Benefice until May 31st, for Thy Kingdom Come, are here. Do join in with as many as you wish of our Prayer Menu’s different courses, helping us all to pray – talking with God and listening to God.
You can commit to saying the Lord’s Prayer daily…
…or join with Morning Prayer on Zoom each day until May 31st…
…or bring this time to a wonderful, prayer-full close in our Pentecost Prayers gathering, on Sunday May 31st, 8-9PM, again on Zoom.
All the Zoom details you need for Morning Prayer and Pentecost Prayers are here, below the Menu’s ‘Main’ and ‘Dessert’ courses.
I hope to see you all at as may of these gatherings you can make – pray well!
Until then, my very best wishes, stay safe, and God bless,
Rev. Tim Chambers
Vicar, the Cranmer Group
E-mail: curate@stgilesparish.com
Mobile: 07946 526569