Welcome to our simple order of Prayer & Praise for the sixth Sunday of Easter, for use while we are unable to meet as a Church during this lockdown period. Despite the need to stay at home, we hope that you feel united with all who make up our Chaplaincy at this time – both regulars and visitors alike, as we continue to celebrate the resurrection of Christ at Easter, the triumph of life over death.
By using the reading/s, prayers and psalms set for today, we are also joining with fellow Christians around the world who will also be praying these words and reading these scriptures at different times and in very different places today – so we join them in praising God and praying for one another… we are never alone!
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia.
God has rescued us from the power of darkness,
and transferred us into the kingdom if his beloved Son, alleluia!
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Lord Jesus,
you have promised to be with us for ever;
teach us to rejoice in your presence,
free us from all anxiety,
help us to know you are always at hand,
that we may work with you and to your glory,
Jesus our Lord, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns for ever. Amen.
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Hymn:
https://youtu.be/a2u_2yMfHLY
Christ the Lord is risen again,
Christ hath broken every chain!
Hark, the angels shout for joy,
singing evermore on high: Alleluia.
He who gave for us his life,
who for us endured the strife,
is our Paschal Lamb today;
we, too, sing for joy and say: Alleluia.
He who bore all pain and loss
comfortless upon the cross,
lives in glory now on high,
pleads for us and hears our cry: Alleluia.
He whose path no records tell,
who descended into hell,
who the strongest arm hath bound,
now in highest heav’n is crowned: Alleluia.
Now he bids us tell abroad
How the lost may be restored,
How the penitent forgiv'n,
How we, too, may enter heav'n. Alleluia.
Thou, our Paschal Lamb indeed,
Christ, today thy people feed,
take our sins and guilt away,
that we all may sing for joy: Alleluia.
Words: Michael Weisse (c.1480-1534)
Music: ‘Wurttemberg’
PRAYERS OF PENITENCE
Christ our Passover Lamb has been offered for us. Let us then rejoice by putting away all malice and evil and confessing our sins with a sincere and true heart:
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Lord God, you call sinners to repentance
and bring light into our darkness:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord God, you bring hope to the despairing
and pardon and peace to the broken in heart:
Christ, have mercy.
Lord God, you bring healing to the contrite
and bring together the torn and divided:
Lord, have mercy.
May the God of love and power forgive us
and free us from our sins,
heal and strengthen us by his Spirit,
and raise us to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Opening Prayer:
Risen Christ,
by the lakeside you renewed your call to your disciples:
help your Church to obey your command
and draw the nations to the fire of your love,
to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
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A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
(Acts 17: 52-31)
Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’
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What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him - though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’
Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
The Responsorial Psalm (66)
R: Cry out with joy to God all the earth.
Cry out with joy to God all the earth,
O sing to the glory of his name.
O render him glorious praise.
Say to God: ‘How tremendous your deeds!’ R:
‘Before you all the earth shall bow;
shall sing to you, sing to your name!’
Come and see the works of God,
tremendous his deeds among all people. R:
He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the river dry-shod.
Let out joy then be in him;
he rules for ever by his might. R:
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Come and hear, all who fear God.
I will tell what he did for my soul:
Blessed be God who did not reject my prayer
nor withhold his love from me. R:
A dramatized version of the Gospel reading is available to watch here:
https://youtu.be/BBWSEEufavc
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A reading from St Luke’s Gospel
(John 14: 15-21)
Jesus said to his disciples:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”
As you pause to reflect on today’s Gospel reading, you may care to listen to a short anthem by Thomas Tallis (1505-1585), inspired by this passage of scripture:
https://youtu.be/5WSe0kv6lCU
Just a thought…
A Reflection by Caroline
‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever.’
How we need to hear those words from this morning’s gospel at this time when many will be feeling very alone. An Advocate is a person who puts a case on someone else's behalf, someone who speaks up for us, that Spirit will plead to God for us as Paul reminds us in Romans 8:26-27 ‘Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.’
The word Advocate has also been translated as comforter or helper. Comfort is something we all need, how often when we are at our lowest ebb does a hug from a friend give us the strength to carry on. It may be some time before we can give or receive hugs, but we can continua to send virtual hugs to keep us going. We think of a helper as someone who comes and shares in tasks we are finding difficult but the Spirit of which Jesus speaks comes to give us the strength and energy to do what we have to do.
Something that has given me comfort and help in recent weeks are the various things people have shared from their own churches. The following was included in a Parish Magazine sent from an Aunt in the UK, it is the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage.
His dad takes him into the forest…blindfolded...and leaves him....alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night...and not take off the blindfold until the ray of sun shines through it. He is all by himself. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night…he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience. Each lad must come into his own manhood.
A boy is taken on this rite of passage. He was terrified...could hear all kinds of noise...Beasts were all around him. Maybe even some human would hurt him. The wind blew the grass and earth... and it shook his stump. But he sat stoically…never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could be a man.
Finally, after a horrific night…the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he saw his father…sitting on the stump next to him...at watch...the entire night. We are never alone. Even when we do not know it, our Father is protecting us...He is sitting on the stump beside us.
May we continue to pray, knowing that the Spirit will intercede for us and may we draw comfort and help knowing that even in these trying times, we are never alone.
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Affirmation of Faith:
Let us declare our faith in the resurrection of our Jesus Christ:Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he was buried;
he was raised to life on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures;
afterwards he appeared to his followers,
and to all the apostles: this we have received,
and this we believe. Amen.
Intercessions
Let us pray for God’s Church and for the world that God loves:
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Father, we praise you for the resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ from the dead. Shed his glorious light on all Christian people that we may live as those who believe in the triumph of the cross. We pray for all who suffer persecution for their faith and those who struggle to believe, especially those we know…
Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us.
We pray for those who were due to receive in baptism and confirmation in this Easter season, your Son’s new life by water and the Sprit… and we give thanks for all who have helped us on our journey of faith… may we all know the power of Christ’s resurrection.
Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us.
We pray for all whom we know and love, both near and far… for members of our Chaplaincy congregations… and all who are finding this time of lockdown and isolation particularly difficult… May their eyes be opened to see the glory of the risen Lord.
Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us.
We pray for world leaders and their advisers as they seek a safe way out of lockdown… may they be open to the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit. We also remember all who work in the medical and caring professions, for shop workers and all who keep essential services operating at this time…
Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us.
We pray for those who suffer pain and anguish at this time… grant them the faith to reach out towards the healing wounds of Christ and be filled with his peace and healing.
Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us.
We remember before you those who have died in the hope of the resurrection, remembering those who have died recently, and all whose anniversaries fall at this time…. We also pray for those who mourn and pray for all who have been unable to attend funerals of loved ones and friends at this time…
Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us.
Let us offer our own prayers of thanksgiving and concern…
Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us.
Join our voices, we pray, Lord our God, to the songs of all your saints in proclaiming that you give us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
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Hymn:
https://youtu.be/ggSjE26Iivw
The King is among us,
his Spirit is here,
let's draw near and worship,
let songs fill the air.
He looks down upon us,
delight in His face,
enjoying His children's love,
enthralled by our praise.
For each child is special,
accepted and loved,
a love gift from Jesus
to His Father above.
And now He is giving
his gifts to us all
for no one is worthless
and each one is called.
The Spirit's anointing
on all flesh comes down
and we shall be channels
for works like His own.
We come now believing
your promise of power,
for we are your people
and this is your hour.
The King is among us,
his Spirit is here,
let's draw near and worship,
let songs fill the air.
Words & Music: Graham Kendrick (b.1950)
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AN ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
During the coronavirus pandemic Christians across the world have been unable to gather for public worship. This means that many people who would have received Holy Communion each Sunday, and some of them every day, are not able to receive the comfort and benefits of the sacrament.
This is a huge loss. However, it is not the first time that the Church has been in such a position. Throughout history, some Christian people have found themselves isolated from the sacramental life of the Church for all sorts of reasons, and particularly in times of plague, famine and warfare.
At such times the Church has encouraged people to make what is called A Spiritual Communion. It is a way of uniting yourself with Jesus and entering into communion with him even though you are not able to receive the sacrament itself.
The prayer that follows draws on the story of the woman who comes to Jesus but only touches the hem of his garment. She still receives healing and blessing (See Mark 5. 25-34). In a way, spiritual communion is like this. We are not able to receive the sacramental bread and wine. But in a spiritual communion we still come to Jesus and he still receives us.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
In fellowship with the whole People of God,
let us offer the Prayer of the Church:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
now and for ever. Amen.
O loving God, in union with Christian people throughout the world and across the
centuries gathered to make Eucharist, hearing your holy Word and receiving the Precious Body and Blood of your dear Son, I offer you praise and thanksgiving. Even though I am exiled from tasting the Bread of Heaven and drinking the Cup of Life I pray that you will unite me with all the baptised and with your Son who gave his life for us. Amen.
Come Lord Jesus, dwell in me and send your Holy Spirit that I may be filled with
your presence. Amen.
O Lord,
who by triumphing over the power of darkness
prepared our place in the new Jerusalem:
grant that we, who have this day
given thanks for your resurrection,
may praise you in the city where you are the light;
for there with the Father and the Holy Spirit
you live and reign, now and for ever. Amen.
Heavenly Father, your steadfast purpose
is the completion of all things in your Son Jesus Christ.
May we who have received the pledges of the kingdom,
live by faith, walk in hope and be renewed in love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(St Matthew’s, Westminster)
After a short period of quiet reflection, we sing in thanksgiving:
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Hymn:
https://youtu.be/i29dWuLI14I
Here is love, vast as the ocean,
loving kindness as the flood,
when the Prince of Life, our ransom,
shed for us His precious blood.
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten,
throughout Heav’n’s eternal days.
On the mount of crucifixion,
fountains opened deep and wide;
through the floodgates of God’s mercy
flowed a vast and gracious tide.
Grace and love, like mighty rivers,
poured incessant from above,
and Heav’n’s peace and perfect justice
kissed a guilty world in love.
Let me all your love accepting,
love you ever all my days;
let me seek your kingdom only
and my life be to your praise;
You alone shalt be my glory,
nothing in the world I see.
You have cleansed and sanctified me,
You Yourself hast set me free.
In your truth you do direct me
by your Spirit through your Word;
and your grace my need is meeting,
as I trust in you, my Lord.
All your fullness you are pouring
though your love and power in me,
without measure, full and boundless,
as I yield myself to thee.
Words: William Rees, vv1-2 (1855), William Edwards vv3-4 (1744)
Music: R. Lowry (1826-1899)
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Blessing
Christ, the Lord of the living and the dead,
who did and rose to life eternal,
grant that we may abide in him and belong to him for ever,
and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be with us, and all those we love and care about,
now and always. Amen.
Hymn:
https://youtu.be/dTKIqmdfHSk
Great is thy faithfulness,
O God my Father,
there is no shadow
of turning with thee;
thou changest not
thy compassions, they fail not,
as thou hast been
thou forever will be.
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning
new mercies I see;
and all I have needed
thy hand hath provided,
great is thy faithfulness
Lord unto me.
Summer and winter,
and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon and stars
in their courses above,
join with all nature
in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness,
mercy and love.
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Pardon for sin
and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence
to cheer and to guide;
strength for today
and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine,
with ten thousand beside!
Words: Thomas Obadiah Chisholm (1866-1960)
Music: ‘Faithfulness (Runyan)’
To end:
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Alleluia.
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This service is also available to download as a PDF from our website
www.st-andrewscofe-spain.org/this-weeks-services
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More Tea Vicar
A Zoom ‘Afternoon-tea’ gathering…
You are invited to join our afternoon tea gathering, using Zoom on Thursday 21 May at 4pm. Details of links will be available soon. If you are interested in joining us, please drop Fr Nigel an email by Tuesday 19 May at the latest, so the ‘invitation’ to join the gathering - which has all the necessary information from Zoom can be sent out.
Look forward to seeing you then – vicar.costadelsol@gmail.com
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To keep you posted….
We had hoped to be able to start our Church services by the end of May, and the Standing Committee has spent considerable time studying the various Government and Regional guidelines, the instructions from FEREDE (the Government Agency that regulates non-Catholic Churches), together with the guidelines on good practice from our Bishops. Sadly that does not look possible now.
What would be very helpful in planning a way forward, is to have your thoughts about gathering again. Several people have already said they will not be coming to church until we know for certain how things are panning out with the Covid-19 virus, and any possible second wave of infection, as the lockdown is eased. That is a very understandable attitude for any of us to take, if we have current health conditions and concerns. So please drop Fr Nigel a short email letting us know your thoughts about re-starting - it will be a great help as we try and plan a way forward….
You may have seen on the news or in newspapers, pictures of Churches in Germany, as they begin to gather for worship again. They are following the rules and regulations that we will have to follow: the wearing of masks, hand-sanitising on entering, social distancing of 2 metres (unless you attend with someone from the same household), no singing, no physical contact with others, and shortened services… the church has to be ‘deep cleaned’ before and after use, and any toilets cleaned after each use…
Churches can only seat 30% of their capacity in the first few weeks – and when we add social distancing, it will sadly make use of Benalmadena and Los Boliches Churches extremely difficult, until the seating capacity increases as we enter Phases 3 and 4.
So we will be able to start services, but from reading this far, you will understand that this is not going to be easy. It will not be Church as we are used to attending. We now need your help. Please let us know your thoughts about restarting – whether you would prefer to wait and join us later on, or whether you’re keen to come along as soon as we are able to open. Meanwhile, please remember in your prayers the Standing Committee and all who are working behind the scenes to help us restart our Church services, whenever it may be allowed.
Thank you! Fr Nigel
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Sharing page on our website
Sharing - is the title of a new page on our website: https://www.st-andrewscofe-spain.org
Where we can share poems, reflections, meditations or stories to engage our spirituality.
We all of have different ways of engaging with our spirituality. Whether it is through formal worship, sharing Communion, worshiping through song or through words. This new page gives us the opportunity to offer each other those words of hope and companionship, during this time of lock-down.
It may be that you wish to contribute or to comment on a contribution by others. This can be done by sending an email with your words to: jrbafc@aol.com
We will try to update this page within 24 hours of receiving your input.
May this be a blessing to us all.
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Pastoral Care in the Chaplaincy continues
Please be assured that while we may be unable to meet for worship or socially, pastoral care and concern for one another, is still very much part of our life together. Please make contact should you simply need a chat, prayerful support or just quiet reassurance at this difficult time.
If there is someone you know who would value a call at this time, then please do email us in confidence – and then this can happen.
Our Reader, Caroline, and Churchwardens, John and Jen are also available:
Fr Nigel - 608 403 024 - vicar.costadelsol@gmail.com
Caroline - 697 867 377 - carriemachome@gmail.com
Jen - 622 252 074 - jennetsutton@gmail.com
John – 655 342 874 - Jrbafc@aol.com
Don’t forget our Prayer Chain...
A small dedicated team who will pray for you or those you may be concerned about. It is done in complete confidence, and you will never be approached by a member of the Prayer Chain about your requests. Only first names are used and details are kept to a minimum. For information about the Prayer Chain please contact Mike or Wendy Edwards at cdsolprayer@gmail.com or have a word with Caroline or Fr Nigel.
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Supporting your Chaplaincy during this difficult time:
As the period of lockdown continues there is growing concern about our Chaplaincy finances. Jen & John, our Churchwardens, would encourage those who are able, to consider making a bank transfer for their stewardship giving.
We are so grateful to all who have made recent offerings by bank transfers – these help us enormously. They fully support Billy Dawson’s (our Stewardship Officer) suggestion that all who use the Stewardship envelopes can continue to put their stewardship in them and bring them along when we are next able to gather together. But as the period of lockdown is now far longer than anyone expected, whether we meet together or not, there are still bills to be paid. As time goes on, the chaplaincy’s finances will be more and more challenged, therefore, they suggest that perhaps now is time to consider supporting our ministry by using a bank transfer instead, either to our Spanish or UK accounts:
Spain:
Bank: Unicaja
Account Name: Iglesias Anglicana De La Costa Del Sol Este
Swift/BIC:UCJAES2MXXX
IBAN: ES39 2103 0194 6500 3001 0341
Please note these important changes to our UK account details:
UK:
Bank: Barclays Bank plc
Account name: Diocese in Europe Fund
Account number: 40317039
Sort code: 20-06-13
IBAN: GB16 BUKB 2006 1340 3170 39
Swiftbic: BUKBGB22
Please include the reference: CdSEast
It is very important that you include the reference CdSEast – otherwise any offering may get lost in this account, which serves every Chaplaincy in the Diocese!
Thank you for your continued practical support. Fr Nigel
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The Church of England has produced a small handy-sized booklet with Prayers for use during the coronavirus outbreak, which can be downloaded from their website or the link below, along with other material.
https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-parishes/coronavirus-covid-19-liturgy-and-prayer
and Joining Daily Prayer:
https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-service-daily-prayer
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