Please remain seated in your place unless leaving the service or receiving communion, and when doing so please use the one-way system under the direction of the steward There must be no singing, shouting The Parish Church of Saint Peter, or raising of voices. Spoken West Green responses during the worship should be in a quiet voice th Sunday 13 June 2021 One of the toilets will be open – 2nd Sunday after Trinity please follow the sanitising procedure displayed WELCOME to our service today Hymns in this service sheet at St Peter’s Sadly we cannot sing in church, but if Whether you are celebrating with us here, you’re at home, you can sing as loud, and or reading through this service sheet at out of tune as you like! home, it is good to have you with us - for even when we don’t all meet together in Today’s theme is the growth of God’s the same building we are still church. kingdom As a church family we need to work THE GATHERING together to protect our most We get ready to worship God vulnerable members. It remains important for us, as a Christian family, Hymn: to remember to pray for one another Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy, and let us gain strength from that whose trust, ever childlike, no cares knowledge could destroy, be there at our waking, and give us, we IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR pray, THOSE WORSHIPPING IN your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the OUR CHURCH BUILDING: break of the day. Facemasks are compulsory in church Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith, Please use the hand sanitiser which whose strong hands were skilled at the has been made available, before you plane and the lathe, pick up a service sheet and move to be there at our labours, and give us, we a seat pray. If you are new to the church please your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the give your contact details when noon of the day. required Do remember to maintain ‘Social Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace, Distancing’ of 2m at all times. your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace, 1 be there at our homing, and give us, we When we forget that you are the creator of this pray, world and Lord of all. Lord, have mercy. your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day. May the Father forgive you by the death of his Son and strengthen you to live in the power of Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm, the Spirit all your days. Amen. whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm, THE GLORIA (our glory to God) be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray. we say quietly together your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the Glory to God in the highest, and end of the day. peace to his people on earth. Joyce Placzek (Jan Struther) (1901-53) Lord God, heavenly King, Please remain standing for THE GREETING almighty God and Father, we worship you, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of we give you thanks, we praise you the Holy Spirit. Amen. for your glory. Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, and also with you. you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are When the Lord God laid the foundations of the earth, the morning stars sang together and all seated at the right hand of the heavenly beings shouted for joy. Let us give praise Father: receive our prayer. and glory to our Lord and Father and to his Son, For you alone are the Holy One, Jesus Christ, at whose command even stormy seas are stilled. you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, PRAYERS OF PENITENCE with the Holy Spirit, in the glory We say sorry for the wrong things we have done and ask God to forgive us of God the Father. Amen. Jesus speaks to us the words of forgiveness and THE COLLECT - A prayer which collects or new life to quieten the accusing voices of guilt sums up our worship themes for today and despair. He leads us out of the stormy waters of sin into the peace of his redeeming Let us pray love. O God, at whose bidding the seed will sprout and Silence is kept for a time of reflection the shoot grow towards full stature, hear the prayer of your assembled people. Make us trust When we feel helpless against the powerful in your hidden ways, that we may pray with forces of sin around us and within us. confidence and wait for your kingdom now growing in our midst. We ask this through our Lord, have mercy. Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God When our faith is weak and we call to you in fear. now and forever. Amen. Christ, have mercy. 2 LITURGY OF THE WORD confidence, and we would rather be We sit and listen to the reading from the away from the body and at home Bible with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our OLD TESTAMENT READING from the aim to please him. 10 For all of us prophet Ezekiel 17.22-24, which talks of must appear before the judgement Israel as a tiny cutting growing into a mighty sheltering cedar seat of Christ, so that each may 22 receive recompense for what has Thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will take a sprig from the been done in the body, whether good or evil. lofty top of a cedar; I will set it out. 11 I will break off a tender one from the Therefore, knowing the fear of the topmost of its young twigs; I myself Lord, we try to persuade others; will plant it on a high and lofty but we ourselves are well known to mountain. God, and I hope that we are also 23 well known to your consciences. On the mountain height of Israel 12 I will plant it, in order that it may We are not commending ourselves produce boughs and bear fruit, to you again, but giving you an and become a noble cedar. opportunity to boast about us, Under it every kind of bird will so that you may be able to answer live; in the shade of its branches will those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. nest winged creatures of every kind. 13 24 All the trees of the field shall know For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right that I am the LORD. 14 I bring low the high tree, I make high mind, it is for you. For the love of the low tree; I dry up the green Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; tree and make the dry tree flourish. 15 I the LORD have spoken; I will therefore all have died. And he accomplish it. died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, This is the word of the Lord. but for him who died and was raised Thanks be to God. for them. 16 From now on, therefore, we NEW TESTAMENT READING from Paul’s regard no one from a human point of second letter to the Corinthians 5.6-10 (11- 13) 14-17; the ministry of reconciliation view; even though we once knew 6 So we are always confident; even Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. though we know that while we are at 17 home in the body we are away from So if anyone is in Christ, there is a the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith, not new creation: everything old has by sight. 8 Yes, we do have 3 passed away; see, everything has 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and become new! becomes the greatest of all shrubs, This is the word of the Lord. and puts forth large branches, so that Thanks be to God. the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’ Please stand for THE GOSPEL 33 (the good news) With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able Alleluia! Alleluia! to hear it; 34 he did not speak to May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten them except in parables, but he the eyes of our mind, so that we can see what explained everything in private to his hope his call holds for us. Alleluia! Alleluia! disciples. This is the Gospel of the Lord. Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark Praise to you, O Christ. Glory to you, O Lord. Please sit for THE SERMON Mark 4.26-34; the parable of the growing seed and the mustard seed Please stand for THE CREED (We all say what we believe as Christians) Such a large crowd gathered around Jesus that he got into a boat and Let us declare our faith in God: began to teach them using many We believe in God the Father, parables.