Sunday Worship
Holy Communion Services in Leesfield Parish will take place at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11.00 am at St Thomas'. Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the services will include special readings and prayers, as recommended by the Church of England.
If you are unable to be with us in person, all of the readings and prayers are included below.
Hymn "Lord, For the Years"
Collect prayer
Merciful Father and Lord of all life, we praise you that we are made in your image and reflect your truth and light.
We thank you for the life of our late Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth, for the love she received from you and showed among us.
Above all, we rejoice at your gracious promise to all your servants, living and departed, that we shall rise again at the coming of Christ.
And we ask that in due time we may share with your servant Elizabeth that clearer vision promised to us in the same Christ our Lord; who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.
Amen.
from where is my help to come?
My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.
He will not suffer your foot to stumble;
he who watches over you will not sleep.
Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord himself watches over you;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand,
So that the sun shall not strike you by day,
neither the moon by night.
The Lord shall keep you from all evil;
it is he who shall keep your soul.
The Lord shall keep watch over your going out and your coming in,
from this time forth for evermore.
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling— if indeed, when we have taken it off we will not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn "The Lord's My Shepherd"
The Gospel
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. (6.35-40) All Glory to you, O Lord.
Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.’
Praise to you, O Christ.
A Tribute by Bishop David
Through 96 years of life, and over 70 years of faithful service as monarch, the life of Her Majesty the Queen has been a constant example, not only to her people, here in Britain and across the Commonwealth, but to the wider world. From wartime teenager to recent widow, she has shown both resilience in adversity, and unremitting determination to face the most challenging times alongside her people. We who have seen and paid attention to her example, have been better people for it.
Many, many lives have been deeply enriched, simply by her presence at some special occasion. I recall vividly her visit to our cathedral last summer, to celebrate our 600th anniversary and to meet, and personally thank, representatives of the many volunteers from across the region who had played vital parts during lockdown.
For Christians, her life has been a particular embodiment of our faith. An embodiment she felt able to express with ever greater prominence in more recent years, most especially in her annual Christmas Broadcasts. For those of us who are Anglicans, her constitutional role in our Church has stood as a bulwark against excessive clericalism. Yet she has always been a Queen for those of all faiths or none.
Her relationships with her diocesan bishops have meant far more than simply the formalities of issuing mandates for appointment and receiving homage. The private conversations we have held with her, together with her hospitality at Sandringham, have allowed us a glimpse into the more private side of her public figure, establishing beyond doubt that the smile so often on her face on public occasions was backed up by a vibrant and undimmed sense of humour.
Each of us will have our own private memories and thoughts at this time. These next few days will allow us to reflect and draw strength from them, both individually and together. Indeed, one of the greatest tributes we can pay to her life will be to allow this time to make us stronger and more united as a people, relishing the richness of our diversity even as she did.
May God bless us, and God save the King.
Hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness"
Prayers
You seek us out, and empower us to live to your glory.
We pray for shepherds of your flock,
for all ministers, bishops, priests and deacons.
And we pray for all who have strayed from the faith,
for all who have got lost in various ways and those who have yet to find their way to you.
Father of all, we remember before you all who work or live in dangerous places or a hostile environment, and for all those suffering at this time from natural disasters. We pray especially for the people of Africa, who have no water, where millions of people face starvation. In contrast we bring before you the people of Pakistan, where an abundance of water has resulted in millions of people suffering from the worst floods ever. Merciful Lord, we ask you to bless all those who are working to provide relief and aid across the world.
Lord in your mercy,
Father God, we thank you for the life of Queen Elizabeth, for her service to our nation and the Commonwealth.
We give thanks for the Queen's devotion, perseverance and huge achievements in bringing together in peace, peoples from across the whole world. And for the guidance she has provided to countless leaders during her reign.
We are grateful for her outstanding example of faithfulness and confidence in Jesus Christ who was the source of her hope and peace.
Be close to all of us who mourn, that we like the Queen may find comfort and hope in your love.
Gracious Lord, you provide for your people by your power, and rule over them in love:
Grant to your servant our King
the Spirit of wisdom and discernment,
that being devoted to you with his whole heart, he may wisely govern,
Bless his reign and the life of our nation,
and help us to work together so that truth and justice, harmony and fairness may flourish among us.
Caring lord, we ask you to be with all who walk in darkness:
may your love and light protect the depressed and despairing;
may your strength and hope be known to all who are ill in body, mind or spirit.
We pray for those who are known to us who are ill.
Give them strength and courage and let them feel the comfort your endless love in their time of need.
Lord in your mercy,
Merciful God, we pray for those who have been released from their mortal bodies in death, and that they may be brought rejoicing into the kingdom of heaven, and reunited with all their loved ones who have gone before them.
Lord in your mercy,
Faithful God, be alongside us in the week ahead, which for many will be filled with mixed emotions. Help us to be good tempered and considerate, and to always act with kindness and love to everyone we meet. In Jesus name we ask.
And we say together.
God of mercy,
entrusting into your hands all that you have made,
and rejoicing in our communion with all your faithful people, we make our prayers through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
The National Anthem - God Save The King
