Welcome to our service for this Sunday. You can find the service on our YouTube channel by 10 am on Sunday morning.
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Special Vestry - Sunday May 2nd at 11 am. This is regarding the purchase of new Columbarium for the St. John Blackstock Cemetery. Please "zoom in" between 10:50 and 11 am. Thank you.
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Prelude
Welcome
Opening Hymn: Where Charity and Love Prevail CP #487
Where charity and love prevail,
there God is ever found;
Brought here together by Christ’s love,
by love are we thus bound.
With grateful joy and holy fear
His charity we learn;
Let us with heart and mind and soul
now love him in return.
Forgive we now each other’s faults
as we our faults confess;
And let us love each other well
in Christian holiness.
Love can exclude no race or creed
If honoured be God’s name;
Our common life embraces all
Whose Father is the same.
The Greeting
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
May his grace and peace be with you.
May he fill our hearts with joy!
The Collect Prayer
God of deep soil and luxuriant growth; you call us from our shallow selves to find our depth in you: may we abide in him alone who can teach us who we are; through Jesus Christ, the true vine. Amen
The Readings
Acts 8:26-40, 1 John 4:7-21, John 15:1-8
The Homily
Hymn after the Homily: Like the Murmur of the Dove’s Song #635
Like the murmur of the dove's song,
like the challenge of her flight,
like the vigour of the wind's rush,
like the new flame's eager might:
Come, Holy Spirit, come.
To the members of Christ's body,
to the branches of the Vine,
to the Church in faith assembled,
to her midst as gift and sign:
Come, Holy Spirit, come.
With the healing of division,
with the ceaseless voice of prayer,
with the power to love and witness,
with the peace beyond compare:
Come, Holy Spirit, come.
Affirmation of Faith
Hear, O Israel,
the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
This is the first and the great commandment.
The second is like it:
Love your neighbour as yourself.
There is no commandment greater than these.
The Prayers of the People
Confession & Absolution
Let us bring to God our need for forgiveness and healing, saying together,
God our Creator, long-suffering, full of grace and truth,
You create us from nothing and give us life.
You give your faithful people new life in the water of baptism.
You do not turn your face from us,
Nor cast us aside.
We confess that we have sinned
Against you and our neighbour.
We have wounded your love and marred your image in us.
Restore us for the sake of your Son,
And bring us to heavenly joy,
In Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May the God of all healing and forgiveness draw you to himself, and cleanse you from all your sins that you may behold the glory of his Son, the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.
Benediction
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God.
We will be born of love each day of our lives.
Beloved, let us abide in Christ’s love, for he is the vine and we are the branches.
We will grow as Christ’s disciples and bear fruit for a world in need.
Beloved, let us care for one another, for the Spirit helps us abide in God’s peace.
We will glorify God in the lives we lead.
The Blessing
Closing Hymn: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling #486 (tune, Hyfrydol)
Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down;
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.
2. Come, almighty to deliver,
let us all thy grace receive;
suddenly return and never,
never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray and praise thee, without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
3. Finish then thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly re stored in thee,
changed from glory into glory
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love and praise.
Dismissal
Postlude