St Ursula's Church
Berne, Switzerland
A Church of the Anglican Communion, welcoming all who seek the Lord Jesus Christ
|
| St Ursula's Church A Church of the Anglican Communion, welcoming all who seek the Lord Jesus Christ | ||||||||
| News | Contacts | Who We Are | Where We Are | Magazine | Pictures | Charities | Rotas | Weddings | Site Map |
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you
and also with you.
1 O praise ye the Lord! Praise him in the height;
rejoice in his word, ye angels of light;
ye heavens, adore him by whom ye were made,
and worship before him, in brightness arrayed.
2 O praise ye the Lord! Praise him upon earth,
in tuneful accord, ye sons of new birth;
praise him who hath brought you his grace from above,
praise him who hath taught you to sing of his love.
3 O praise ye the Lord, all things that give sound;
each jubilant chord re-echo around;
loud organs, his glory forth tell in deep tone,
and, sweet harp, the story of what he hath done.
4 O praise ye the Lord! Thanksgiving and song
to him be outpoured all ages along:
for love in creation, for heaven restored,
for grace of salvation, O praise ye the Lord!
H W Baker
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.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son
that everyone who believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life, eternal life.
John three sixteen.
Our Lord Jesus Christ said:
The first commandment is this:
'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your mind,
and with all your strength.'
The second is this: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'
There is no other commandment greater than these.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
God so loved the world
that he gave his only Son Jesus Christ
to save us from our sins,
to be our advocate in heaven,
and to bring us to eternal life.
Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith,
firmly resolved to keep God's commandments
and to live in love and peace with all.
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.
Almighty God,
who sent your Holy Spirit
to be the life and light of your Church:
open our hearts to the riches of your grace,
that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit
in love and joy and peace;
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.
A reading from the first book of Kings.
When Elijah reached Horeb, the mountain of God, 9he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' 10He answered, 'I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.' 11He said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.' Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' 14He answered, 'I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.' 15Then the Lord said to him, 'Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. 18Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.'
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
5 Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that 'the person who does these things will live by them.' 6But the righteousness that comes from faith says, 'Do not say in your heart, "Who will ascend into heaven?"' (that is, to bring Christ down) 7'or "Who will descend into the abyss?"' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8But what does it say? 'The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11The scripture says, 'No one who believes in him will be put to shame.' 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. 13For, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' 14But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? 15And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'
1 There is a Redeemer,
Jesus God's own Son,
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah,
holy One.
Thank you, O my Father,
for giving us your Son,
and leaving your Spirit
till the work on earth is done.
2 Jesus, my Redeemer,
name above all names,
precious Lamb of God, Messiah,
O for sinners slain.
Thank you, O my Father,
for giving us your Son,
and leaving your Spirit
till the work on earth is done.
3 When I stand in glory,
I will see his face,
and there I'll serve my King forever,
in that holy place.
Thank you, O my Father,
for giving us your Son,
and leaving your Spirit
till the work on earth is done.
Melody Green
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew
Glory to you, O Lord
Immediately after feeding the crowd with the five loaves and two fish, 22Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. 25And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the sea. 26But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, 'It is a ghost!' And they cried out in fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, 'Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.' 28Peter answered him, 'Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.' 29He said, 'Come.' So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. 30But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, 'Lord, save me!' 31Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, 'You of little faith, why did you doubt?' 32When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God.'
This is the Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, O Christ
'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!' Paul in his letter to the Romans quotes these words from the prophet Isaiah.
Good news. Before we moved to Switzerland, I was working as Chaplain in a home for the elderly. My work involved leading services, visiting the residents in their flats, and organising different kinds of activities to help build up a sense of community and encourage the residents to engage with the Christian faith. One of the activities I organised was called Good News, Bad News. I asked the residents to bring with them good news stories and bad news stories from local and national papers. Then we shared these stories together, talked about them and prayed about them. As you might guess there always tended to be more 'bad news' stories than 'good news' stories!
Perhaps that is always the case. Certainly at the moment we may be overwhelmed by 'bad news': the whole world is grappling with the Covid 19 pandemic and its painful and challenging consequences, in addition to the longer term issues of violent conflict, poverty, natural disasters and climate change.
But in the midst of the bad news, both on a big scale and sometimes in our own personal lives, we need to remember that the heart of our Christian faith is Good News. That's what the word 'gospel' means - 'good news'. The Good News is that God loves the world and that this love, revealed supremely in the life and ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is for everyone. In this love, there is new life and hope, healing and forgiveness for individuals, communities and societies. Indeed, for the whole of creation.
Paul talks about the good news in the passage we heard earlier from his letter to the Romans. Here he emphasises various things. One thing is that the love of God in Christ is not remote and inaccessible; we don't have to go on a difficult and painful spiritual quest to find it. We don't have to search the heavens or go down to the depth to find it; for 'the word is near you, on your lips and in your heart.' The good news of God's love in Christ is near to us all the time. We simply have to put our trust in him. The heart of that trust, for Paul, involves believing that Jesus is Lord and that God raised him from the dead.
To confess Jesus is Lord is to say that Jesus is more than a great moral teacher who tells us a few nice, inspiring things; it is to say that he reveals the full nature of God and that he claims our love, our loyalty and our obedience. And believing that Jesus is Lord is based on the resurrection. If Jesus had stayed dead, there would have been no Gospel, no Good News, no Church, and we wouldn't be here this morning.
So Paul first emphasises that the Good News is not remote and inaccessible; we simply have to believe that Jesus is Lord. He then makes it clear that this Good News is for everyone. He repeats the words 'all' and 'everyone' again and again. There is no distinction between Jew and Greek, he says; neither is there any distinction between male and female, rich and poor, slave and free, as he says elsewhere. The Good News of God's love in Christ is for all. I wonder if we really believe that? Or whether we tend to think that it's just certain types of people who are likely to believe, and other types of people are never going to put their faith in Christ, and maybe we secretly believe that some types of people are just too bad and are beyond the scope of God's love anyway...
The Good News is for everyone. But how are people going to know if no one tells them about it? As Paul says, 'how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?' This was certainly true in Paul's day when the account of Jesus' life, death and resurrection was a brand new news story. But it's also true for our own day. So many people - even here in Switzerland and across so called 'Christian Europe - have never really heard the Christian story and have no idea what Christians believe about Jesus.
Most people don't come to faith in Christ through dramatic experiences, but through the friendship and witness of other Christians, sometimes over a very long period of time. I'm sure that would be true for most of us here and we would all be able to think of individuals and groups of people who have pointed us to Jesus, through their words and through their lives, and have encouraged and sustained us in our faith.
All of us have a story to tell. A few years ago, Pope Francis wrote an Encyclical called The Joy of the Gospel. In it he writes these challenging words: 'All of us are called to offer others an explicit witness to the saving love of the Lord.... In your heart you know that it is not the same to live without him; what you have come to realise, what has helped you live and given you hope, is what you also need to communicate to others.'
What difference does the love of God in Christ make to our lives? Perhaps we need to encourage one another to think about this and to find opportunities to share our faith journeys with one another so that we then have more courage and are more at ease in sharing our story with those beyond the Church. I know this is not easy – contrary to what you might think, clergy don't find this easy either! But we are never going to be able to share the Good News of God's love with others if we haven't reflected on that love in our own lives, and what it means to trust in God and follow Christ. One of the projects of the Diocese at the moment is called Setting God's People Free; as part of this project, church members are encouraged to share their stories about their faith and work and how God's love impacts their daily lives. Some of you may remember an interview I did with Archana a few months ago. We were hoping to do that regularly, but it was interrupted by the lockdown. Hopefully we can now consider having more of such interviews, to encourage one another.
Of course, if we were to share our life and faith experiences together honestly we would have to talk about 'bad news' as well as 'good news'. We all know that life can be painful, dark, confusing and stormy, and that we all fail at times. Sharing our faith does not mean pretending otherwise. But at the heart of our Christian faith is not a set of doctrines, but an encounter with the person of Christ, who meets us even in the darkest and most challenging times, who forgives us our failures, and calls us to trust him and step out in faith.
In our gospel reading today, the disciples are out on the lake in rough water, their boat battered by the waves, when Jesus comes to them walking on the water. This miracle, like that of the feeding of the 5,000, which we heard last Sunday, is a sign pointing to who Jesus is. Jesus takes up the role of God in the Old Testament as he feeds and nourishes his people, and then calms the wind and the waves. Indeed, when Jesus reassures his disciples saying, ' it is I: do not be afraid,' these words can be translated 'I am: do not be afraid'. 'I am' are words associated with God in the Old Testament; God reveals to Moses that his name is 'I am who I am'. Matthew wants to emphasise that Jesus is the Lord, that he reveals God, the great 'I am'. As the wind and the waves subside, the disciples worship him saying 'Truly you are the Son of God.'
Christ, the Lord, calls us to step out in faith and to follow him. Just as Jesus originally called Peter , here he calls him again, 'come'; to step out of the boat and follow him walking on the water. The other gospel writers record the miracle of Jesus walking on the water, but only Matthew records this vivid detail of Peter also stepping out onto the water to come to his Lord. In this short scene, Peter displays the familiar mix of rash impulsiveness, confidence and doubt, courage and weakness that characterises his following of his Lord. We might recognise a similar mix of trust and fear in our own Christian lives and perhaps we might identify with Peter. He is eagerly confident and enthusiastic in stepping out of the boat and following Jesus. But as soon as he takes his eyes off Jesus and notices the wind and waves around him he begins to sink. His faith is not as great as he thought it was; what else can he do then but cry out 'Lord save me!'
It may be that we too have times of confidence and joy in following Jesus, but also times when we are overwhelmed by fearful circumstances, when 'bad news' seems to press down upon us; times when we are dismayed at our own failure, when all we are aware of is that we are sinking. Fortunately, the Good News does not depend on us but on God. However much we might grow in our faith and discipleship, we never leave this simple prayer behind: 'Lord save me', 'Lord, help me.'
'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' as Paul says in Romans. Here, when Peter cries for help, we're told 'Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him.' Peter calls for help and Jesus takes hold of him. When we call upon him, Jesus takes hold of us; the life giving love of Christ takes hold of us. This is good news, and good news to share.
In the midst of the bad news in our own lives and families at times, the bad news in our wider society and across our world at the moment, comes the message of the Good News of God's love in Christ, a love that is stronger than death. May each one of us know that love more deeply and encourage one another by sharing it together. And may we speak and live that Good News in our ordinary daily lives.
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.
In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ let us pray to the Father:
Dear Lord,
Like Elijah in the OT reading we, too, are experiencing cataclysmal events: the pandemic is like the powerful wind of history sweeping away our understanding of who we are and where we are in your world, and then the earthquake-like upheaval of the pandemic and its social and economic consequences and lastly the fire-like refining process that should bring our world and ourselves to our senses. May we like Elijah be ready to be still and listen to your presence and your voice in the sheer silence, just as our Lord, too, sought to be alone with you on the mountain top and to learn your will for Him.
Lord hear us
Lord, graciously hear us.
We pray for the world, especially for those peoples and nations bearing the brunt of the pandemic and we thank you for those nations who look to pool their resources to help others and are able to put the need of others first. Forgive those who look only to their own interests. Have mercy on their leaders and lead them by your Spirit to right ways of thinking, action and solidarity.
Lord hear us
Lord, graciously hear us.
We pray for the church, guide her in her priorities as she seeks to protect and conserve your creation. You have given us the privilege of being in this country of outstanding and special beauty. We pray for all the conservation agencies working here, for the cantonal and federal authorities with their special duties. We pray especially for the work of A Rocha. May we show imagination and determination in our stewardship of the little plot you have entrusted to us here at St Ursula's, we ask your blessing for all who labor to keep church and garden as worthy witnesses to your love and the blessings we have received from your hand.
Lord hear us
Lord, graciously hear us.
Lord we pray for our families here that we have not seen for so long. We commend each one to your protection and long for the day when we can all worship together, young and old praising and rejoicing in your all embracing love.
Lord hear us
Lord, graciously hear us.
We bring before you now all in any kind of need of body mind or spirit especially those known to us.
We pray for all who like Peter call out to you to hold and save them in their distress, Faithful Saviour draw near to them.
We pray for the Lebanon and the city of Beirut and the many thousands of victims.
We pray for dear John and his family, Marianne, David, Janet, Mary, Martin, Pat.
Lord hear us
Lord, graciously hear us.
Lord, you abide with us through life and we bide with you through death. Through Christ our Risen Lord you have given us eternal life, your greatest gift for which we give thanks and ask that your blessing may rest on all your saints and our loved ones departed this life.
Lord hear us
Lord, graciously hear us.
Dear Lord, grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Merciful Father
Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
We are the body of Christ.
In the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.
Let us then pursue all that makes for peace
and builds up our common life.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
1 I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin
my hand will save.
I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
2 I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne my people's pain.
I have wept for love of them.
They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone,
give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my word to them.
Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
3 I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them.
My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide
till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them.
Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
Daniel L Schutte
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.
Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks
for all your goodness and loving-kindness
to us and to all whom you have made.
We bless you for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies,
that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise,s
not only with our lips, but in our lives,
by giving up ourselves to your service,
and by walking before you
in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honour and glory throughout all ages.
Amen.
God of our pilgrimage,
you have willed that the gate of mercy
should stand open for those who trust in you:
look upon us with your favour
that we who follow the path of your will
may never wander from the way of life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
1 We have a gospel to proclaim,
good news for men in all the earth;
the gospel of a Saviour's name:
we sing his glory, tell his worth.
2 Tell of his birth at Bethlehem
not in a royal house or hall
but in a stable dark and dim,
the Word made flesh, a light for all.
3 Tell of his death at Calvary,
hated by those he came to save,
in lonely suffering on the Cross;
for all he loved his life he gave.
4 Tell of that glorious Easter morn:
empty the tomb, for he was free.
He broke the power of death and hell
that we might share his victory.
5 Tell of his reign at God's right hand,
by all creation glorified.
He sends his Spirit on his Church
to live for him, the Lamb who died.
6 Now we rejoice to name him King:
Jesus is Lord of all the earth.
This gospel-message we proclaim:
we sing his glory, tell his worth.
Edward J Burns
The peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds
in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with you
and remain with you now and always. Amen.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
| We hope that you enjoyed the online service and
it helps you feel connected to us all in St Ursula's. Our finances have also been impacted by the closure of our premises so If you would like to give to the collection, you can pay to one of the following bank accounts: Postfinance: CH79 0900 0000 3000 4416 8 for CHF giving Cater Allen: GB06 ABBY 1657 1053 6206 89 for GBP giving. BIC is ABBYGB2LXXX Or via Twint: 
Thank you! |