21 May 2023
10:00 | 
Posted by
Dr Platts |
This Sunday at 10 am we had a Choral Mattins. The set psalm was 68 and the Choir sang The Benedictus to the setting by C V Stanford in C major. The Anthem was 'God has gone up' by Croft.
In his sermon Father Chris talked about Prayer. How we pray and when, do we feel we are good at praying? It is the way we become closer to God, but it can happen at any time during the day, although conventionally we pray in church, kneeling and with no distractions, we can pray when we are with others and as we do things during the day. All prayer is good, and brings us closer to the Kingdom.
There was coffee after the service.
Acts 1:6-14
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
When the apostles had come together, they asked him,
‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’
He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods
that the Father has set by his own authority.
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.’
When he had said this, as they were watching,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven,
suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.
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.’
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet,
which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away.
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.
All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer,
together with certain women,
including Mary the mother of Jesus,
as well as his brothers.
1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
A reading from the first letter of Peter.
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.
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.
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.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God,
so that he may exalt you in due time.
Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.
Discipline yourselves; keep alert.
Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around,
looking for someone to devour.
Resist him, steadfast in your faith,
for you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world
are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.
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.
To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
John 17:1-11
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Jesus looked up to heaven and said,
‘Father, the hour has come;
glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you,
since you have given him authority over all people,
to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
And this is eternal life,
that they may know you, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
I glorified you on earth
by finishing the work that you gave me to do.
So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence
with the glory that I had in your presence
before the world existed.
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.
Now they know that everything you have given me is from you;
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.
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.
All mine are yours, and yours are mine;
and I have been glorified in them.
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.
