Litany of Christ the King

I have just written a litany to use on Sunday for the feast of Christ the King, please feel free to use it in your worship if you find it helpful, or amend to suit your own needs. 

 

Eternal Father, Creator of all:

Have mercy upon us.

Jesus Christ, King of the Nations:

Have mercy upon us.

Lifegiving Spirit, Advocate and Comforter:

Have mercy upon us.

Everlasting Trinity in the beauty of Your Unity:

Have mercy upon us.

 

Our Beginning and End, our Past and our Future:

Reign over our lives.

Arrested and beaten, tortured and killed:

Reign over our lives.

Firstborn From the Dead, alive evermore:

Reign over our lives.

Great Wounded-Healer, and Servant of all:

Reign over our lives.

Lion of Judah, and Spotless Pure Lamb:

Reign over our lives.

Bedrock Once-Rejected, now True-Cornerstone:

Reign over our lives.

 

Eternal High-Priest, Bridge-Builder to heaven:

Reign over the Church.

Gateway to Life, the Way and the Truth:

Reign over the Church.

True-Living Bread, who satisfies our hunger:

Reign over the Church.

Life-giving Vine, graft our lives into Yours:

Reign over the Church.

Trustworthy and true, our unfailing help

Reign over the Church.

Great Key of David, unlock our potential:

Reign over the Church.

 

 

Overlord of Presidents, and King of all Kings:

Reign over our world.

Reign over the nations, in justice and love:

Reign over our world.

In Bethlehem and Israel, in Lebanon and Gaza:

Reign over our world.

In Russia, Ukraine, in Syria and Iran:

Reign over our world.

In Africa and America, in Myanmar and Mexico:

Reign over our world.

Where drug-wars are wrecking young homes and young lives:

Reign over our world.

Where knife crime is scarring both bodies and towns:

Reign over our world.

Where landmines are laid and missiles are poised:

Reign over our world.

Bright Morning-Star, bring Your guidance and light:

Reign over our world.

Pour out your mercy, and heal all our wounds: 

Reign over our world.

 

Eternal God,in whose perfect realm no sword is drawn but the sword of justice, and no strength is known but the strength of love; guide and inspire all who seek Your kingdom, that peoples and nations may find their security in the love which casts out fear; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen

 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, evermore. Amen. 

 

 

A Eucharistic Preface for Safeguarding Sunday

Last week's review by Keith Makin into the Church of England's handling of allegations of serious abuse by the late John Smyth made horrific reading . As church leaders we felt that this was too important just to ignore, and Dean Simon made an important statement at the start of Sundays Choral Eucharist in Truro Cathedral yesterday (Sunday 17th November 2024). But it is important to take all our horror and pain and mess and bring it to God in prayer. In yesterday's service we used previously published resources and used them within our intercessions, but no Eucharistic preface had been provided, and for me it was important to take this pain and bring it to the altar. 

With that in mind here is my offering of the preface that I wrote for us to use in the cathedral on Safeguarding Sunday. We used it with Eucharistic prayer E. I have run it past some survivors I know before publishing it here. A couple of things to note: Although I am keen on using Father within prayer on most occasions (as God self-identifies as Father) I feel that in this context it could be a source of further pain for those abused by their fathers, so instead I used the "rock" imagery of the psalms. I also referenced the "casting down" promised in the Magnificat. 

Feel free, as ever, to use or amend as feels appropriate for your context. 

The Lord be with you

and also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give thanks and praise.

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy

always and everywhere to give you thanks:

You are the God who makes beauty from our ashes;

the Rock that we can cling to when faith’s foundations crumble:

You are the God who pours down light into the world’s dark corners

revealing painful truths and casting down abusers.

You took the worst of human nature and nailed it to the cross,

rising from the grave to bring healing to the broken. 

Therefore with angels and archangels, 

and the souls of the righteous martyrs 

we sing for ever the song of your glory. 

Holy, holy, holy Lord...

A new Advent Hymn/Carol to the tune of "Once in Royal"

 I have been pondering a common problem at this time of year; the fact that people sometimes see publicity for an "Advent Carol" service, and think that they might actually sing some carols, which is often not the case for specifically Advent services (except maybe "O Come Emmanuel"). This is why I often call them "Advent processions" or "A service of Darkness to Light". (of course you actually have to have a procession, or go from darkness to light to call it that.) 

In any case, a number of the traditional Advent hymns are not that well-known. So  my solution to this problem is to write a hymn to a well-known carol tune. I went for "Once in Royal" because it has a mournfulness about it, that seems to suit the themes of Advent. 

So anyway here we are. Feel free to use in services, streaming, projection, printing etc. and if you want to "tweak" it for your circumstances go ahead!

On our world of doubts and darkness,

greed and vio-lence, war and pain

prophets cry out in their sorrow,

“Come towards the light again.

Cease your greed and share your bread. 

Pave the highway of our God”.

 

Root of Jesse, souls are restless.

Graft our lives upon your law.

Day-Star, light salvation’s pathway;

in our hearts the ice can thaw:

He will melt our hearts of stone;

Shape our minds to match his own. 

 

Key of David, sin has bound us:

Our addictions weigh us down

with the chains of guilty mem-ories;

shedding tears, enough to drown.

Come O King, break down the bars

and release us, True Messiah! 

 

Come Redeemer of our cosmos, 

come Redeemer of our world.

Lord of Love, restore the broken,

come, O Wisdom, God’s true Word.

In the East your light will dawn;

God-With-Us will soon be born. 

 

SMW 2024

Mothering Sunday Blessing of Flowers

Yesterday I was looking around for a suitable blessing for our flowers, and I couldn't find one I like. So I wrote one of my own. Feel free to use, adapt, rewrite, etc. 

May God, who has written our names on the palm of each hand, 

and longs to gather us to safety as a mother hen shelters her chicks; 

bless these flowers, that they might be signs of our love and appreciation

of all those who love with a mother’s strong and caring love. 

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

30 Anniversary Service (Commemorating 30 years since women have been ordained as priests in the Church of England)

Here in Truro we had a rather lovely celebration service last Thursday, remembering 30 years of women priests in the Church of England. We also had a fabulous afternoon tea beforehand with the most wonderful cakes. You can see the service online here and listing to the wonderful music of our cathedral choir, with our girl choristers on the top line, and some beautiful pieces written by women composers. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Axh8YP1q4c&t=3799s

But there were two things that the planning group were keen to mark. 

The first thing we wanted to mark was the fact that many women have suffered greatly. It hasn't always been easy. Women have been encouraged to take on unpaid roles, have been criticised for their voices, their dress-sense, and even hounded out of jobs through bullying and bad-behaviour. 

And so I wrote a liturgy of lament, accompanied by Kyrie's from the choir,  but also including an element of release and renewal. Feel free to use this or adapt it as necessary. 

The Liturgy of Lament

Please sit or kneel

We bring before God all the times when ministering has been painful, all those broken and bruised, and cry for God’s mercy, forgiveness, and healing:

Voice 1: We cry out to God for those women whose voices have been silenced; those who have been publicly rejected or secretly undermined; those who have been encouraged to retire or to take unpaid roles.

Kyrie Eleison,

Lord have mercy.

Voice 2: We cry out to God for those women who have been bullied or badly-advised, those whose dual vocation as mother and priest has not been affirmed, those who have suffered from harassment or attacks.

Christe Eleison,

Christ have mercy.

Voice 3: We cry out to God for those women who worship in places or denominations where they still cannot be ordained; and we pray for all in those churches working for those vocations to be fulfilled.

Kyrie Eleison,

Lord have mercy.

The choir responds:

Kyrie Eleison, (Lord have mercy) Christe Eleison, (Christ have mercy) Kyrie Eleison. (Lord have mercy)

The bishop declares:

Through the cross of Christ and through faith in his mercy
may God set you free. Know that you are liberated by forgiveness. Be released to walk into the future freed from everything that restricts you.

Freed from everything that holds you back.

The congregation are sprinkled with holy water by the bishop and the archdeacon. 

Be with us, Holy Spirit;

nothing can separate us from your love.

 Be with us as of old,

fill us with your power,

direct all our thoughts to your goodness. 

Be present, Holy Spirit;

bring faith and healing and peace.

The second  thing we wanted to do was celebrate *all* the ministries that women have been involved in, including those we don't normally mention. People often talk about preachers, missionaries and youth workers. But what about accountants and archeologists who play an important part of maintaining and enabling our buildings to flourish? So I wrote a litany that did this. Again, please feel free to use it in your own situation and adapt as necessary. 

The Prayers

A litany of thanksgiving

Almighty God, Creator of the Universe and Author of Creation, you have blessed and enriched our lives with the ministry of women and men. For all this and for thirty years of women’s priestly ministry in England, we give our heartfelt thanks and praise.

We give you thanks, O God.

For Jesus Christ, our Saviour, who sent us all into the nations
to spread his words of love:
We give you thanks, O God.
For the wonder and the joy of an education for us all, and for all the achievements and blessings of the last thirty years.

We give you thanks, O God.

For teachers and for mothers, for missionaries and church-wardens:

We give you thanks, O God.

For readers and lay ministers, for children’s and youth workers:

We give you thanks, O God.

For lecturers and caterers, for academics and for scholars:

We give you thanks, O God.

For administrators and for counsellors, for cleaners and for preachers:

We give you thanks, O God.

For artists and musicians, for bellringers and embroiderers

We give you thanks, O God.

For archeologists and architects, for executives and accountants

We give you thanks, O God.

For chaplains and for advocates, for technicians and for publicists

We give you thanks, O God.

For our past and for our future, for the ways that we are present for the needy. For our calling as those who love and serve others:
We ask your help O God.
For the sick and those in trouble, for the injured and the dying, for the hungry and the suffering:

We ask your help O God.

For the stressed and those in poverty, for those struggling with addiction, for those who work long hours and their families and friends:
We ask your help O God.
For those searching for their role or on the journey of vocation,

And those searching for a new job or role:

We ask your help O God.

For those who suffer in silence. For the lonely and forgotten. For the grieving and the traumatised. For those known to you alone:
We ask your help O God.
May Jesus Christ our great High Priest hear our prayers and lead us all into his Kingdom where our joy will know no end. Amen.

Silence is kept:

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. Amen.

Fling Wide the Gates

The new Ancient and Modern has a delightful hymn "Fling wide the gates" which is sung to the rousing tune of "Lift high the Cross". It is rather good for a Candlemass procession as the chorus is repeated, which makes life easier when trying to walk around with a candle. Anyway the hymn didn't have enough verses for a building as large as ours, so I wrote a few more, and then I realised we were still 2 verses short so wrote 2 more again! Feel free to use them if they are useful. The chorus and verses from psalm 24 (5-8 in this version) are by the late Michael Perry. You will need the appropriate licenses or permissions to use Michael's work though. 

Chorus: Fling wide the gates, unbar the ancient doors; 

               salute your king in his triumphant cause! 

1.Come see the Virgin bearing Christ the King,

  The Lord in his temple, light and life to bring. Chorus

2. Anna and Sim-eon, prophecy and praise,

    Rejoice in the saviour, God within their gaze. Chorus

3. This child will be a sign for all the world,

    The thoughts and the hearts of all will be revealed. Chorus

4. Growing in strength, in wisdom and in grace, 

    The pilgrims and prophets see their Maker’s face.  Chorus

5. Now all the world belongs to Christ our Lord:

    let all creation greet the living Word! Chorus

6. Who has the right to worship him today?

    All those who gladly serve him and obey. Chorus 

7. He comes to save all those who trust his name,

    and will declare them free from guilt and shame. Chorus 

8. Who is the victor glorious from the fight?

    He is our king, our life, our Lord, our light! Chorus 

9. Light for all nations, glory is revealed, 

    A sign for all people, ancient wounds are healed.  Chorus