Fifth Sunday of Easter 10 May 2020
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6 Fifth Sunday of Easter 10 May 2020 Preparing for Worship In this season of Easter, falling in the middle of pandemic and lockdown, much in our everyday lives has changed and is still changing. But the central truth of Christian faith remains the same: Christ, risen, ascended and glorified, is the same yesterday, today and forever. Physically divided, yet spiritually united, we worship our risen Lord Jesus, not ignoring the pain of many and the needs of the world, but because we trust that Christ’s victory over death gives hope for every situation. Today we welcome our new Archdeacon, the Venerable Jonathan Chaffey who was licensed by the Bishop of Oxford in a virtual ceremony attended by the Dean, Assistant Archdeacon, Area Deans and Registrar on 1 May. As such our service takes a slightly different shape from recent weeks and is non-eucharistic. You can find out more about Jonathan in the blog on the Cathedral website and we are delighted to have him and Jane join our community. Sadly, with the Cathedral being closed, his Installation will have to be deferred but we look forward to joining with the local deaneries, members of college and our many Cathedral congregations to celebrate that in due course. The service today is led by the Dean, the Very Revd Professor Martyn Percy, and the reflection given by the Diocesan Canon Precentor, the Revd Canon Dr Grant Bayliss. Responses are made by voices from around the Cathedral community, recorded in their homes and with their families. Music is drawn from both archive material and special lockdown recordings by the Cathedral Choir, the Cathedral Singers and our Organist, Steven Grahl, in their homes. Entering into worship through audio broadcast is more familiar to some of us than to others. If this is new to you, try to actively share in the service, not just have it on in the background; and look at the images we offer or perhaps images of your own. Join in the words in bold. You may not want to stand or kneel as usual but find a comfortable position that helps you to pray, and to receive the love of God in your heart. May the love of the risen Christ meet all of you to empower and strengthen and sustain you; and may God bless you as we worship him together. You can find our Sunday worship, alongside other resources for worshipping at home, at www.chch.ox.ac.uk/onlineworship The Gathering As we gather together virtually in our homes, Steven Grahl, the Organist, plays ‘Erschienen ist der herrliche Tag’ (BWV 629) by J S Bach. The Dean welcomes the Congregation. President In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. All Amen. President The Lord be with you All and also with you. President Alleluia, Christ is risen! All He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Prayers of Penitence President Christ our passover lamb has been sacrificed for us. Let us therefore rejoice by putting away all malice and evil and confessing our sins with a sincere and true heart. You may like to adopt a prayer posture such as sitting with your head bowed, as we remember our brokenness and call to mind our sins. 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. 3 Kyrie recorded by a lay clerk of the Cathedral Choir, in isolation Kyrie, eleison. Lord, have mercy. Christe, eleison. Christ, have mercy. Kyrie, eleison. Lord, have mercy. Plainsong, ‘Lux et origo’ Absolution President 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. All Amen. Hymn of Praise recorded by members of the Cathedral Singers of Christ Church, in isolation, mixed by their Director, James Potter Thou, whose almighty word chaos and darkness heard, and took their flight; hear us, we humbly pray, and where the gospel-day sheds not its glorious ray, let there be light. Thou, who didst come to bring on thy redeeming wing healing and sight, health to the sick in mind, sight to the inly blind, O now to all mankind let there be light. 4 Spirit of truth and love, life-giving, holy Dove, speed forth thy flight; move on the water’s face, bearing the lamp of grace, and in earth’s darkest place let there be light. Holy and blessèd Three, glorious Trinity, Wisdom, Love, Might; boundless as ocean’s tide rolling in fullest pride, through the earth far and wide let there be light. Words: John Marriott (1780–1825) Music: Moscow, Felice de Giardini (1716–96) The Collect President Let us pray. Silence is kept. President Risen Christ, your wounds declare your love for the world and the wonder of your risen life: give us compassion and courage to risk ourselves for those we serve, to the glory of God the Father. All Amen. 5 The Word of God Sit comfortably to listen to God speaking through the Scriptures. First Reading Acts 7: 55–60 (NRSV) read by Birte Feix A reading from the Acts of the Apostles. But filled with the Holy Spirit, Stephen gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’ But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died. Reader Here ends the reading. Second Reading John 14: 1–14 (NRSV) read by the Venerable Jonathan Chaffey, Archdeacon of Oxford A reading from the Gospel according to John. Jesus said to the disciples, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.’ Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’ 6 Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.’ Reader Here ends the reading. Reflection The Diocesan Canon Precentor The Revd Canon Dr Grant Bayliss You can find the text of the reflection at www.chch.ox.ac.uk/onlineworship After the reflection, we keep silence together for a few moments before affirming our faith together in the words of the Creed – words which have been said across the world for over fifteen hundred years in times of sorrow and of joy. 7 The Creed All 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.