St Ursula's Church
Berne, Switzerland
A Church of the Anglican Communion, welcoming all who seek the Lord Jesus Christ
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| St Ursula's Church A Church of the Anglican Communion, welcoming all who seek the Lord Jesus Christ | ||||||||
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Alleluia. Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed, Alleluia!
1 Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only light,
Sun of Righteousness, arise,
triumph o'er the shades of night;
Dayspring from on high, be near;
Daystar, in my heart appear.
2 Dark and cheerless is the morn
unaccompanied by thee;
joyless is the day's return,
till thy mercy's beams I see,
till they inward light impart,
glad my eyes, and warm my heart.
3 Visit then this soul of mine,
pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
fill me, radiancy divine,
scatter all my unbelief;
more and more thyself display,
shining to the perfect day!
Charkes Wesley
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you
and also with you.
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.
Alive, alive, alive for evermore,
Now Jesus is alive, alive for evermore;
Alive, alive, alive for evermore,
Now Jesus is alive!
Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah;
Now Jesus is alive for evermore.
Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah;
Now Jesus is alive!
What God has prepared for those who love him, he has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything. Therefore, let us in penitence open our hearts to the Lord, who has prepared good things for those who love him.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we have sinned against you and against our neighbour
in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us,
forgive us all that is past and grant
that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name. Amen.
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.
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.
O God the King of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
we beseech you, leave us not comfortless,
but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us
and exalt us to the place where our Saviour Christ is gone before,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
6 When the apostles had come together, they asked him, 'Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?' 7 He replied, 'It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'
9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.' 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
A reading from the first letter of Peter.
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice in so far as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Come, let us join our cheerful songs
with angels round the throne;
ten thousand thousand are their tongues,
but all their joys are one.
2 'Worthy the Lamb that died,' they cry,
'to be exalted thus;'
'Worthy the Lamb,' our lips reply,
'for he was slain for us.'
3 Jesus is worthy to receive
honour and power divine;
and blessings, more than we can give,
be, Lord, for ever thine.
4 Let all that dwell above the sky,
and air, and earth, and sea,
conspire to life they glories high
and speak thine endless praise.
5 Let all creation join in one
to bless the sacred name
of him that sits upon the throne,
and to adore the Lamb.
Isaac Watts
Alleluia
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John
Glory to you, O Lord
1 Jesus looked up to heaven and said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. 5 So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. 6 I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.'
This is the Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, O Christ
Many of us may feel that life is somewhat on hold at the moment, as if someone has pushed the 'pause' button. Some of us may experience this pause as a time for deeper reflection and prayer; others may find it a very stressful and anxious time. This season of the church year between Ascension Day this last Thursday and Pentecost next Sunday has something of the quality of a 'pause' about it too. Karl Barth, the eminent Swiss theologian, called this time 'a significant pause' between the mighty acts of God, a time in which the church's task is to wait and pray.
It is fitting then, that for the last few years, Christians from a wide range of different churches have been encouraged, through the global ecumencial initiative 'Thy Kingdom Come', to set aside this specific period of time to pray. This prayer movement encourages us to pray for God's grace to be at work in our world, our communities, and our own everyday lives in our work situations and families. We are encouraged to pray specifically for five people (friends, family members, neighbours or work colleagues) who do not know God's love in Christ to be open to receive it. There is a wealth of resources online which we can use to help us to pray and I have mentioned some of those in my recent email message sent out to you all. But the two basic prayers this initiative calls us to pray are 'Thy Kingdom Come' and 'Come, Holy Spirit'. These are also themes in our readings at this time of year. Today I'd like us to think particularly about 'Thy Kingdom come'; the prayer 'Come Holy Spirit' will be our focus at Pentecost, next Sunday.
What does it mean to pray 'Thy Kingdom come'? We do that every time we say the Lord's Prayer. But what is God's kingdom? In our first reading today from the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, we hear about the Ascension of Jesus, when he returns to God the Father at the end of his earthly ministry. As Jesus prepares to leave them, the disciples ask him: 'Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?' The disciples are wondering...when will Jesus' kingdom come and will that mean fulfilment of the Jewish hope that Israel will finally be freed from her enemies, the occupying Romans? Jesus does not directly answer their question, but he tells them that only God knows the time for the fulfilment of his purposes. Nevertheless, they themselves are given a task, to be 'my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and Samaria and to the ends of the earth' and the Spirit will give them the power to do this.
How does this relate to the kingdom? Jesus often preached about the kingdom of God; many of his parables illustrate the upside down values of this kingdom, where the last will be first, and the first will be last. Jesus, when he is crucified, is nailed to the cross with the inscription 'the King of the Jews'. So what kind of king is Jesus and what kind of kingdom does he rule over?
In Acts, there are various occasions when the first Christians are accused of treason against the Roman Emperor. Jews in Thessalonica, for example, drag a group of Christians before the authorities saying 'these people have been turning the world upside down....they are acting contrary to the decrees of the emperor, saying that there is another king named Jesus.' (Acts 17). Certainly the first Christians challenged the prevailing beliefs and customs. Their commitment to Christ involved the whole of life; they sought to live in a different way and this was culturally destabilising. In the name of Christ, books of magic were burned and people turned away from the worship of local deities. When Paul healed a slave girl with a spirit of divination he also threatened the livelihood of those who exploited her for money. The Christian gospel didn't just affect people's private religious beliefs, but also public social and economic structures and networks. Many people saw these first Christians as disturbing the prevailing norms of the wider culture, and bringing trouble.
Yet, at same time Luke, the author of Acts, makes clear that Christianity is not 'treason'. In several incidents, the ruling authorities find Paul innocent of the charges of treason brought against him. The early Christians were not in direct competition with the Roman state, but they were still offering an alternative way of living. As one writer puts it 'New culture, yes – coup no.'
The kingdom of God, the kingdom of Jesus, is not the same as 'Christendom', by which we mean a political order that imposes Christianity on its society. That was the norm in much of Europe for many centuries, but whatever the benefits of Christendom may have been, most Christians would now say it involved serious distortions of what Christianity fundamentally is, and we are much better off without Christianity being imposed by political power. Rather as Christians, we are to follow Jesus, whose power and authority is found in service and sacrifice. Jesus is the servant king, who stoops to wash his disciples feet, who came not to 'be served' but 'to serve' and suffered a brutal death to bring life to others. Christians who follow Christ are not to seek after power, but to be servants as he was; indeed, as we hear in the first letter of Peter, following Christ may also involve suffering ourselves.
Jesus on trial before Pilate says 'my kingdom is not of this world.' But this does not mean that his kingdom is so other worldly that it has no relevance to the political, social and economic realities of this world. When we pray the Lord's Prayer we pray 'Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven'. The first Christians were accused of 'turning this world upside down'. They did not simply live a pious, private faith separate from the world around them; they were known publicly to live by different values and to challenge the prevailing culture.
So how can we follow the king and pray and work for the kingdom in our daily lives? Perhaps we first need to recognise that the kingdom of God is a challenge to our culture too; where so often power, status and money reign supreme and seeking our own happiness and self-fulfilment can be seen as our primary goal. God's kingdom turns the world upside down; his kingdom is seen where the outcasts are welcomed, the poor and vulnerable are cared for, human life, including the lives of the unborn, the disabled and those with dementia, is valued, and where those who have responsibility and influence use it to serve others rather than for their own status. Justice, peace, service, humility, generosity, sacrificial love – these are all values of the kingdom.
God's kingdom is not 'owned' by the church; God is also at work 'out there' in the world and we are called to co-operate with movements and activities which further the values of the kingdom. But we are also called, as Christians, to point to the king, our Lord Jesus, in our words, our attitudes and our actions and, as church communities, to be a visible sign of an alternative way of living in our world. Are we a church community where people of different ethnic and social backgrounds are welcome, where the vulnerable are valued and cared for, where the individual's talents and experience are used for the good of all, where the only status that matters is our identity in Christ?
Let us ask ourselves if we seek to follow the way of Jesus our king in our life as a church and in our daily lives at home and at work. If we are seeking to follow Jesus and to live the values of the kingdom that may sometimes lead to a clash with the values at our work place, in our families, or in our wider society. Let us pray for wisdom and humility to see where we can make a difference through our words or our actions.
But although we can seek to live the values of the kingdom, we can never establish this kingdom ourselves through our own church programmes and plans, however good and generous they are. We pray 'Thy kingdom come': the kingdom is God's kingdom, not ours, and that kingdom only comes through the working of the Spirit.
That's why we also need to pray 'Come, Holy Spirit'. We will, of course, be thinking more about the Spirit next Sunday, but let me say a few very brief words now.
As we pray for the coming of God's kingdom, we also have to pray for the Spirit. When Jesus gives his disciples the task of being his witnesses to the ends of the earth, he first tells them to 'wait for the power from on high.' Our life as Christians is not all about our activity; first and foremost we need to wait upon God in prayer and to be open to the life and power of his Holy Spirit. The things that need doing in our world are beyond our capacity to do in our own strength. To wait and to pray, to know our dependence on God and his grace; this must always come first before any activity of ours.
In these coming days as we approach Pentecost, let us make more time to pray; to pray for the coming of the kingdom and to pray for the resources of the Spirit. The kingdom cannot come without the Spirit, and without the Spirit the church has no life and we cannot bear fruit. We need the Spirit to work within us and among us.
As we face this enforced 'pause' in our lives in so many ways, may we embrace this 'significant pause' in the church year, and take time during this week to join in prayer with Christians all over the world and perhaps to use some of the resources of Thy Kingdom Come initiative which I have sent out in recent emails. If we can, let us at the very least commit ourselves to praying the Lord's Prayer, slowly, every day at noon.
We pray:
Thy Kingdom Come.
Come, Holy Spirit.
Amen
Revd Helen Marshall
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.
We bring before you, our Heavenly Father, our cares and concerns for your world, praying in the name of him to whom we have been entrusted, Jesus Christ our Brother and Saviour.
Lord in your Mercy Hear our Prayer
Everlasting God, we pray for our Bishops, Robert and David, for our Chaplain Helen and her husband David and for our reader Archana and we give thanks for their work. May the Lord bless them and guide them in their daily life as we move forward together.
Lord in your Mercy Hear our Prayer
Creator God, we pray for our troubled world its peoples and their leaders. We pray for those caught up in war, and violence, and hatred; especially the innocent victims of these evils and those who are abused.
Lord in your Mercy Hear our Prayer
Bring peace to all those parts of your world, and we pray especially for Iraq, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Darfur, Palestine and wherever else men of violence seek to impose their will on others. Give wisdom and judgement, courage and selflessness to all who lead the nations.
Lord in your Mercy Hear our Prayer
In our own land, help us to work to make our society a fairer one in which all may share in the riches you provide us and let everybody feel truly part of this nation. We pray especially for the strangers within our gates – May they be welcomed and not exploited.
May peace abound and righteousness flourish, that we may vanquish injustice and wrong.
Lord in your Mercy Hear our Prayer
Loving Father we pray for all who are in particular need, the sick and sorrowing, the lonely and the anxious, those who suffer in body or mind, those for whom life has no more meaning. Lord, let them see that they can cast all their anxieties in front of your throne and you will take care of them.
Lord in your Mercy Hear our Prayer
We pray for all who have been made ill by the Coronavirus, for all who care for them, that they may experience the healing mercy of the Lord.
We pray for those who mourn and we remember with gratitude the lives of those who are now called to His eternal Glory in Christ
Lord in your Mercy Hear our Prayer
May your blessing rest on all who need you and may we be always willing and able to do what we can whenever we can for those in need whose lives touch ours. We ask that you help us to recognise the risen Christ in the face of someone we meet today and give us an opportunity to brighten their day with a smile or a word.
Merciful Father
Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
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 us the Spirit to dwell in our hearts. Alleluia.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
1 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.
2 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 promise,
"I am with you evermore"?
3 Alleluia, bread of angels,
thou on earth our 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 sinless
sweep across the crystal sea.
4 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
As our Saviour has taught us, so we 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.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours now and for ever.
Amen.
Eternal God, giver of love and power,
your Son Jesus Christ has sent us into all the world
to preach the gospel of his kingdom:
confirm us in this mission,
and help us to live the good news we proclaim;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
1 The head that once was crowned with thorns
is crowned with glory now:
a royal diadem adorns
the mighty Victor's brow.
2 The highest place that heaven affords
is his, is his by right,
the King of kings, and Lord of lords,
and heaven's eternal Light;
3 the joy of all who dwell above,
the joy of all below,
to whom he manifests his love,
and grants his name to know.
4 To them the Cross, with all its shame,
with all its grace, is given:
their name an everlasting name,
their joy, the joy of heaven.
5 They suffer with their Lord below,
they reign with him above;
their profit and their joy to know
the mystery of his love.
6 The Cross he bore is life and health,
though shame and death to him;
his people's hope, his people's wealth,
their everlasting theme.
T Kelly
The Spirit of truth lead you into all truth,
give you grace to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
and strengthen you to proclaim the word and works of God,
and the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you now and always. Amen.
Waiting expectantly for the promised Holy Spirit,
Go in the peace of Christ. Alleluia, Alleluia
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, Alleluia.
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