St. Giles’ Cathedral
Morning Service at 11am
4th Sunday after Easter
Sunday 28th April 2024
Organ Music
Kerensa Briggs Light in Darkness
Jehan Alain Lamento
Introit
Blessed is the man
Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor stood in the way of sinners: and hath not sat in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord:
and in his law will he exercise himself day and night
Text: Psalm 1: 1-2
Music: Noel de Jongh b.1930
Processional Hymn
Christ is alive! Let Christians sing.
The cross stands empty to the sky.
Let streets and homes with praises ring.
Love, drowned in death, shall never die.
Christ is alive! No longer bound
to distant years in Palestine,
but saving, healing, here and now,
and touching every place and time.
In every insult, rift and war,
where colour, scorn or wealth divide,
Christ suffers still, yet loves the more,
and lives, where even hope has died.
Women and men, in age and youth,
can feel the Spirit, hear the call,
and find the way, the life, the truth,
revealed in Jesus, freed for all.
Christ is alive, and comes to bring
good news to this and every age,
till earth and sky and ocean ring
with joy, with justice, love and praise.
Text: Brian Wren b.1936
Tune: Truro CH4 214 (i) Melody from Williams’ Psalmodia Evangelica 1789
Scripture Sentences
The Preces
O Lord open thou our lips
Bernard Rose 1916-1996
Bidding
Prayer
Collect
Living God, so teach us to know you through your Son Jesus Christ, that we may walk in harmony with his will, and share the power of his eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ. Amen.
First Lesson 1 John 4 7-21
The Choir sings PSALM 96
O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.
Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.
Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.
Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
Second Lesson St John 15 1-8
Hymn
God is love: let heaven adore him;
God is love: let earth rejoice;
let creation sing before him,
and exalt him with one voice.
He who laid the earth's foundation,
he who spread the heavens above,
he who breathes through all creation,
God is love, eternal love.
God is love: and is enfolding
all the world in one embrace;
with unfailing grasp is holding
every child of every race.
And when human hearts are breaking
under sorrow's iron rod,
then they find that selfsame aching
deep within the heart of God.
God is love, and though with blindness
sin afflicts the souls of all,
God's eternal loving-kindness
holds and guides us when we fall.
Sin and death and hell shall never
o'er us final triumph gain;
God is love, so love for ever
o'er the universe must reign.
Text: Timothy Rees 1874-1939
Music: Abbot’s Leigh CH4 642 Cyril Vincent Taylor 1907-1991
Sermon
Anthem
Prayer (1)
Prayer the church's banquet, angel's age,
God's breath in man returning to his birth,
The soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgrimage,
The Christian plummet sounding heav'n and earth
Engine against th' Almighty, sinner's tow'r,
Reversed thunder, Christ-side-piercing spear,
The six-days world transposing in an hour,
A kind of tune, which all things hear and fear;
Softness, and peace, and joy, and love, and bliss,
Exalted manna, gladness of the best,
Heaven in ordinary, man well drest,
The milky way, the bird of Paradise,
Church-bells beyond the stars heard, the soul's blood,
The land of spices; something understood.
Text: George Herbert 1593-1633
Music: Tom Harrold b.1991
The Offering
Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in 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, for ever and ever.
Hymn
Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.
Come, almighty to deliver,
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
Finish then thy new creation,
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation,
perfectly restored in thee:
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise!
Text: Charles Wesley 1707-88
Tune: Blaenwern CH4 468 William Penfro Rowlands 1860-1937
Benediction
Organ Voluntary
Max Reger Ostern Op 145 No 5
CCL Licence No 980930
Streaming Licence 57837
The service was conducted by The Rev Sigrid Marten