A Service for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity, 18th July, 2021
Preparation:
Before beginning to read this short service, you may wish to find a space for prayer in front of a cross, a candle, or a special place.
May the light of Christ, rising in glory, banish all darkness from our hearts and minds.
The Acclamation of Christ at the Dawning of the Day
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
May Christ, the true, the only light
banish all darkness from our hearts and minds.
O come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us heartily rejoice in the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving
and be glad in him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
Come, let us worship and bow down
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God;
we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Blessed are you, creator of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your dawn renews the face of the earth
bringing light and life to all creation,
may we rejoice in this day you have made;
as we wake refreshed from the depths of sleep,
open our eyes to behold your presence
and strengthen our hands to do your will,
that the world may rejoice and give you praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever.
The Collect
Silence is kept.
Lord of all power and might,
the author and giver of all good things:
graft in our hearts the love of your name,
increase in us true religion,
nourish us with all goodness,
and of your great mercy keep us in the same;
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
The First Hymn
Happy are They: please access Simon’s accompaniment here:
1 Happy are they, they that love God,
whose hearts have Christ confest,
who by his cross have found their life,
and 'neath his yoke their rest.
2 Glad is the praise, sweet are the songs,
when they together sing;
and strong the prayers that bow the ear
of heaven's eternal King.
3 Christ to their homes giveth his peace,
and makes their loves his own:
but ah, what tares the evil one
hath in his garden sown!
4 Sad were our lot, evil this earth,
did not its sorrows prove
the path whereby the sheep may find
the fold of Jesus' love.
5 Then shall they know, they that love him,
how all their pain is good;
and death itself cannot unbind
their happy brotherhood.
The First Reading:
Jeremiah 23: 1-6
Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’
Psalm 23
Refrain: I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; ♦
therefore can I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures ♦
and leads me beside still waters. [R]
3 He shall refresh my soul ♦
and guide me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; ♦
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me. [R]
5 You spread a table before me
in the presence of those who trouble me; ♦
you have anointed my head with oil
and my cup shall be full.
6 Surely goodness and loving mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life, ♦
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Refrain: I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
O God, our sovereign and shepherd,
who brought again your Son Jesus Christ
from the valley of death,
comfort us with your protecting presence
and your angels of goodness and love,
that we also may come home
and dwell with him in your house for ever.
The Second Reading:
Ephesians 2: 11-end
So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by those who are called ‘the circumcision’—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.
The Gospel:
Mark 6: 30-34, 53-end
The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the market-places, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
Homily
The verses of today’s Gospel have a contemporary ring to them. The disciples are eager to justify themselves and let Jesus know what they were doing, and Jesus, interested in their work, points them beyond it to what they are, and what they must be. We are told by Mark, as he relates the story, that they were all so busy dealing with people that they hardly had time to eat. Jesus and his disciples could have gone on and on, as there were (and are) always people in need; people who could not get close enough to them, and people that probably felt neglected - as we told at the end of the chapter, some sought to, “touch even the fringe of his cloak.’
Jesus commands them to withdraw and they take a boat out onto the Sea of Galilee searching for a quiet spot, but they were pursued and eventually Jesus satisfies them with a miraculous feeding (related in some of the verses missing from the chapter in today’s reading), before once again they put out in the boat to cross the lake.
Our Lord’s search for solitude is witnessed in a number of places in the Gospels, and his need of it for refreshment of mind and body and spirit is apparent. In a way, he is teaching his disciples that they also leave the constant demands of others and become inaccessible and unavailable for a while.
Solitude has also been presented as a state in which men and women have received revelation. It is often to the solitary servant of God that the Lord has revealed himself and his plans. This is true in the Old Testament and one needs to think only briefly to identify some examples. In the New Testament the occasions of Christ’s moments of solitude are also paralleled with some of the most challenging times of his life.
As we contemplate these things and consider how they may affect the way that we experience time-out, the nature of relaxation and separation from busyness may reveal themselves more fully to us. For what starts as a calming of body and soul, may lead to inspiration, revelation and activity. This is not necessarily an unexpected result of making space, but may not be what we seek!
John Mann
Second Hymn
The Church’s one Foundation: https://youtu.be/BstIPUZ4Ing
1 The church's one foundation
is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
she is his new creation
by water and the Word:
from heaven he came and sought her
to be his holy bride;
with his own blood he bought her,
and for her life he died.
2 Elect from every nation,
yet one o'er all the earth,
her charter of salvation
one Lord, one faith, one birth;
one holy name she blesses,
partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses,
with every grace endued.
3 'Mid toil and tribulation,
and tumult of her war,
she waits the consummation
of peace forevermore;
till with the vision glorious
her longing eyes are blest,
and the great church victorious
shall be the church at rest.
4 Yet she on earth hath union
with the God the Three in One,
and mystic sweet communion
with those whose rest is won:
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
like them, the meek and lowly,
on high may dwell with thee.
Prayers
Almighty and Merciful Father, we your children give you thanks and praise for the blessings of your Church throughout the world. We pray that wherever Christians meet for worship and seek your guidance in prayer, there you may be in the midst; inspiring with your Holy Spirit those you have called to serve you in the name of Christ your Son. Shed your light upon the Church in this land, bringing to all your people a sense of common purpose and a deep desire to further your Kingdom upon earth. Karen our Bishop, this Diocese of Salisbury, the Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of England and the leaders of all the Churches, that together we may reflect that unity that is your will in the fellowship of Christian life and love.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.
Merciful Father, look in compassion and mercy upon your creation, torn apart by violence and ruined by exploitation; forgive our inclinations to consume what we have been so freely given, through destruction and greed. Help us to understand and accept our part in the turmoil of the nations, especially those divided on ethnic, social or religious lines. May your Church be a channel for peace and dialogue, and an example of compassionate service and a voice proclaiming the common human objectives of justice and reconciliation.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.
Lord Jesus, we thank you for the many visitors to Swanage and Studland and to our churches; may they come and share with us and listen afresh to the stories of others, and may they leave with your blessing and return home rested and hold us in prayer as we will them, day by day. As children look towards the beginning of their holidays, and schools close after such extraordinary circumstances this year, preparing for whatever September may bring, we pray that you bring to all in education a sense of purpose and the joy of learning new things and imparting skills and knowledge to others.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.
Bring your healing touch, O Lord, to all who are walking through life’s dark valleys. We remember before you especially all who have come into our churches during the past week who are facing problems of faith, of health, of personal relationships, of addiction or indecision or helplessness. May your love surround the Christian community, its elderly and infirm members, and those passing through times of illness or sorrow, or those recovering from surgery. May light perpetual shine on those who have served you over past years, and are now with the saints in glory.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father
accept these our prayers
for the sake of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen
The Peace
The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples and said, “Peace be with you.” Then were they glad when they saw the Lord
The Lord’s Prayer
A few moments of silence before we pray:
Lord God, whose Son is the true vine and the source of life,
ever giving himself that the world may live:
may we so receive within ourselves
the power of his death and passion
that, in his saving cup,
we may share his glory and be made perfect in his love;
for he is alive and reigns, now and for ever.
Amen.
Conclusion
The Lord bless us and keep us:
Amen.
The Lord make his face to shine upon us,
and be gracious to us:
Amen.
The Lord lift up his countenance upon us
and give us peace:
Amen
Numbers 6.24-26
The Lord God almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
the holy and undivided Trinity,
guard us, save us,
and bring us to that heavenly city,
where he lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.
Prelude on “Bread of Heaven” - Simon Lole: https://youtu.be/oGcbZicPv14
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Nationwide Building Society
Account name: Swanage PCC
Account Number: 70585005
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