Diocesan Eucharist and Farewell for Bishop Libby Lane
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Diocesan Eucharist and Farewell for Bishop Libby Lane 30th March, 2019 at 11.00am WELCOME We welcome you to this service as the Diocese gives thanks for the ministry of Bishop Libby Lane as Bishop of Stockport (2015-9). This cathedral is the seat of the Bishop, Mother Church of the Diocese of Chester and the core of a Christian community which has worshipped here and worked together for over 1100 years. Today we welcome people from across the Diocese along with Civic leaders including the Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, the High Sheriff of Cheshire, Lord Mayor of Chester and Mayors of Cheshire East, Trafford and Stockport. DURING THE SERVICE We warmly invite Christians of all denominations to receive Holy Communion. Gluten-free wafers are available from the front of the Nave distribution points - please indicate to the priest if you require one or ask at the rail. Those who prefer not to receive are invited to approach the distribution point for a personal blessing and should carry their order of service to indicate this. Throughout this order, indications of where the congregation should stand, sit, kneel or participate are given in red and for guidance only; please feel free to follow your usual practice if this is different. During the service the congregation are invited to pray the words in Bold Type. Please ensure that all mobile telephones and other devices are silenced before the service begins. An induction loop system is in operation: hearing aids should be switched to the ‘T’ position. 2 THE GATHERING At 11.00am, a bell sounds all stand and sing PROCESSIONAL HYMN 1 I bind unto myself today the strong name of the Trinity; by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three. 2 I bind this day to me for ever, by power of faith, Christ's Incarnation, his Baptism in the Jordan river, his death on Cross for my salvation: his bursting from the spicèd tomb, his riding up the heavenly way, his coming at the day of doom, I bind unto myself to-day. 3 I bind unto myself to-day the power of God to hold and lead, his eye to watch, his might to stay, his ear to hearken to my need; the wisdom of my God to teach, his hand to guide, his shield to ward, the word of God to give me speech, his heavenly host to be my guard. 4 I bind unto myself the name, the strong name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three, of whom all nature hath creation, eternal Father, Spirit, Word. Praise to the Lord of my salvation: salvation is of Christ the Lord. Atromriug undiu niurt tren ST PATRICK’S BREASTPLATE Patrick of Ireland (attributed) (c386-c460) Anonymous Irish Cecil Frances Alexander (née Humphreys) (1818-95) 3 GREETING Bishop Libby says Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you and also with you. The love of God has been poured into our hearts, through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. We dwell in him and he in us. Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name. Make known his deeds among the peoples. Sing to God sing praises to God. and speak of all his marvellous works. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty who was, and is, and is to come. All sit PRAYERS OF PENITENCE Archdeacon Ian says My brothers and sisters, as we prepare to celebrate the presence of Christ in word and sacrament, let us call to mind and confess our sins. Your righteousness, Lord, is like the strong mountains, and your judgements are like the great deep. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. With you is the well of life, and in your light shall we see light. Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Save us Lord. Continue your steadfast love to those who love you, and your salvation to the upright of heart. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Bishop Libby says May the Father of all mercies cleanse you from your sins, and restore you in his image to the praise and glory of his name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 4 COLLECT Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified: hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people, that in their vocation and ministry they may serve you in holiness and truth to the glory of your name; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. THE LITURGY OF THE WORD THE NEW TESTAMENT Chris Wood, Assistant Director of Foxhill, says A reading from the letter of Paul to the Philippians. 2. 1-11 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. 5 HOLY GOSPEL As the Procession moves to the centre of the Nave, all stand and turn to face the Gospel Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. 4. 7-15 Glory to you, O Lord. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink’. (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?’ (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?’ Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.’ This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ. All sit DRAMA FROM BISHOPS’ BLUECOAT HIGH SCHOOL ANTHEM Thou that hast given so much to me give one thing more, a grateful heart. Not thankful when it pleaseth me, as if thy blessings had spare days: but such a heart whose pulse may be thy praise. Thou that hast given so much to me give one thing more, a grateful heart. I call to thee, Lord Jesus Christ George Herbert (1593-1632) Mary Plumstead (1905-80) SERMON PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION led by pupils from Eccleston Church of England Primary School All stand 6 THE LITURGY OF THE SACRAMENT PEACE The Bishop says Jesus said ‘If anyone is thirsty, let them come to me and drink.’ John 7. 37 The peace of the Lord be always with you and also with you. Let us offer one another a sign of peace. OFFERTORY HYMN during which the altar is prepared with gifts of bread and wine; a collection is taken and will be shared between the Children’s Society, the Chester Clergy Family Trust and the Diocesan Links with Congo and Melanesia 1 God comes to us as one unknown, a breath unseen, unheard; as though within a heart of stone, or shrivelled seed in darkness sown, a pulse of being stirred, a pulse of being stirred. 2 God comes when souls in silence lie and thoughts of day depart; half-seen upon the inward eye, a falling star across the sky of night within the heart, of night within the heart. 3 God comes to us in sound of seas, the ocean's fume and foam; yet small and still upon the breeze, a wind that stirs the tops of trees, a voice to call us home, a voice to call us home. 4 God comes in love as once He came by flesh and blood and birth; to bear within our mortal frame a life, a death, a saving name for every child of earth, for every child of earth.