worship

WORSHIP

Saint Leonard’s Service for Epiphany Welcome to our OpenCast church service - on-line. There are prayers, readings, hymns and music; just as you would have in church. As you read through this service you may care to say aloud the bold text. To hear the music and the readings, click on each title (red, underlined text) (and remember to adjust the volume on your speakers).

Welcome

Creator of the heavens, who led the Magi by a star to worship the Christ-child: guide and sustain us, that we may find our journey’s end in Jesus Christ our Lord. Heavenly Father, at the Jordan you revealed Jesus as your Son: may we recognize him as our Lord and know ourselves to be your beloved children; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Eternal Lord, our beginning and our end: bring us with the whole creation to your glory, hidden through past ages and made known in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Collect

God, we praise you: Father all-powerful, Christ Lord and Saviour, Spirit of Love. You reveal yourself in the depths of our being, drawing us to share in your life and your love. One God, three Persons, be near to the people formed in your image, close to the world your love brings to life. We ask you this, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, true and living, forever and ever. Amen.

Hymn

“A Light to All Nations”

Intercessions

In this period of the church year called Epiphany, when the light of Christ was revealed to all the nations of the world, we turn to God our Father, confident that he will hear and answer our prayers: for the whole Church, that all who follow Jesus will continue to lead others to the light of Christ. Lord in your mercy, hear my prayer. For peace on earth, that the peace which Christ brings will become a reality for all nations. Lord in your mercy, hear my prayer. For all who have died or are suffering as a result of violence, warfare or natural disasters. Lord in your mercy, hear my prayer. For all who are seeking meaning and purpose in their lives that, at the end of their searching, they will come to recognise Christ as the source of wisdom and light in the world. Lord in your mercy, hear my prayer. For places where people pray to Christ, let them be strong communities, built on love, and a powerful witness to the presence of God. Lord in your mercy, hear my prayer. For all who are sick or suffering, neglected or bereaved, that the light of Christ will lead them out of darkness. Lord in your mercy, hear my prayer. Father of light, today you reveal to people of faith your Word made flesh. Your light is strong, your love is sure.: draw us beyond the limits of this world into your eternal life. I offer you this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Reflection

Poem: T.S. Elliot – “The Journey of The Magi”

A cold coming we had of it, just the worst time of the year for a journey, and such a long journey:

The ways deep and the weather sharp, the very dead of winter.

And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory, lying down in the melting snow.

There were times we regretted the summer palaces on slopes, the terraces, and the silken girls bringing sherbet.

Then

the

camel

men

cursing

and

grumbling

and

running

away,

and

wanting

their

liquor

and

women,

and

the

night-fires

going

out, and the lack of shelters, and the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly and the villages dirty and charging high prices:

a hard time we had of it.

At

the

end

we

preferred

to

travel

all

night,

aleeping

in

snatches,

with

the

voices

singing

in

our

ears,

saying

that

this

was

all

folly.

Then

at

dawn

we

came

down

to

a

temperate

valley,

wet,

below

the

snow

line,

smelling

of

vegetation;

with

a

running

stream

and a water-mill beating the darkness, and three trees on the low sky, and an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.

Then

we

came

to

a

tavern

with

vine-leaves

over

the

lintel,

six

hands

at

an

open

door

dicing

for

pieces

of

silver,

and

feet

kicking the empty wine-skins.

But

there

was

no

information,

and

so

we

continued

And

arriving

at

evening,

not

a

moment

too

soon

finding

the

place;

it

was

(you might say) “satisfactory”.

All

this

was

a

long

time

ago,

I

remember,

and

I

would

do

it

again,

but

set

down

..

this

set

down

..

this

..

were

we

led

all

that

way

for Birth or Death?

There

was

a

Birth,

certainly.

We

had

evidence

and

no

doubt

..

but

had

thought

they

were

different;

this

birth

was

hard

and

bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.

We

returned

to

our

places,

these

Kingdoms,

but

no

longer

at

ease

here,

in

the

old

dispensation,

with

an

alien

people

clutching

their gods.

I should be glad of another death.

Hymn

Hostis Herodes: Hymn for Epiphany

Prayer of St. Teresa of Avila

(1515-1582)

Christ has no body now but ours. No hands, no feet on earth but ours. Ours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world. Ours are the feet with which he walks about to do good. Ours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Ours are the hands, ours are the feet, ours are the eyes, We are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but ours.

Blessing

The tradition of a blessing or benediction as part of an act of worship has been a part of Jewish worship for generations, and we can trace it back to the book of Numbers where Aaron and his sons bless the Israelites with this blessing : “The Lord bless me and keep me; the Lord make his face shine on me and be gracious to me; the Lord turn his face toward me and give me peace. ” (Numbers 6:24-26) (Interestingly this is apparently the oldest known Biblical text that has been found.)

Made with Xara

Welcome

Collect

Hymn

“A Light to All Nations”

Intercessions

Reflection

Poem: T.S. Elliot – “The Journey of The Magi”

A

cold

coming

we

had

of

it,

just

the

worst

time

of

the

year

for

a

journey,

and

such a long journey:

The ways deep and the weather sharp, the very dead of winter.

And

the

camels

galled,

sore-footed,

refractory,

lying

down

in

the

melting

snow.

There

were

times

we

regretted

the

summer

palaces

on

slopes,

the

terraces,

and the silken girls bringing sherbet.

Then

the

camel

men

cursing

and

grumbling

and

running

away,

and

wanting

their

liquor

and

women,

and

the

night-fires

going

out,

and

the

lack

of

shelters,

and

the

cities

hostile

and

the

towns

unfriendly

and

the

villages

dirty

and charging high prices:

a hard time we had of it.

At

the

end

we

preferred

to

travel

all

night,

aleeping

in

snatches,

with

the

voices singing in our ears, saying that this was all folly.

Then

at

dawn

we

came

down

to

a

temperate

valley,

wet,

below

the

snow

line,

smelling

of

vegetation;

with

a

running

stream

and

a

water-mill

beating

the

darkness,

and

three

trees

on

the

low

sky,

and

an

old

white

horse

galloped away in the meadow.

Then

we

came

to

a

tavern

with

vine-leaves

over

the

lintel,

six

hands

at

an

open door dicing for pieces of silver, and feet kicking the empty wine-skins.

But

there

was

no

information,

and

so

we

continued

And

arriving

at

evening,

not

a

moment

too

soon

finding

the

place;

it

was

(you

might

say)

“satisfactory”.

All

this

was

a

long

time

ago,

I

remember,

and

I

would

do

it

again,

but

set

down .. this set down .. this .. were we led all that way for Birth or Death?

There

was

a

Birth,

certainly.

We

had

evidence

and

no

doubt

..

but

had

thought

they

were

different;

this

birth

was

hard

and

bitter

agony

for

us,

like

Death, our death.

We

returned

to

our

places,

these

Kingdoms,

but

no

longer

at

ease

here,

in

the old dispensation, with an alien people clutching their gods.

I should be glad of another death.

Hymn

Hostis Herodes: Hymn for Epiphany

Prayer of St. Teresa of Avila

(1515-1582)

Blessing