Post by JEM on Jan 20, 2014 0:38:35 GMT
THE ANNUAL WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY 2014
The Annual Ecumenical Service.
///////////////// ///////////////////
The Service took place in Abbey Lane Meeting. That is it's old name, Abbey Lane United Reformed Church Saffron Walden and was led by their retiring acting minister the Rev Jim Gascoine on his last Sunday in this role. The Church was 75% full and most of the Christian congregations of the town were represented.
Jim greeted us as The People of God.
The Theme was “Is Christ Divided” an act Ecumenical Act of Worship based on
1st Corinthians 1 v 1-7 at Abbey Lane and Newport United Reformed Church in Association with Castle Street Methodist Church
The Service was followed using a printed sheet and was divided into 4 sections
1.GATHERING IN HOPE & UNITY
2.LISTENING FOR THE WORD OF GOD
3.RESPONDING IN FAITH AND UNITY
4.GOING FORTH INTO THE WORLD
///////////////// ///////////////////
1.GATHERING IN HOPE & UNITY
Jim welcomed the congregation and explained how to get out if there was a fire and how to get to a loo if need be.
This was immediately compromised by a couple who arrived late, sat at the front and parked a push chair in the middle of the West aisle transgressing EU Health and Safety regulations which churches try to comply with,which obstructed access to the platform and the West fire exit for the rest of the Service. Why do people thoughtlessly do that sort of thing?
We were then invited to the Holocaust Day Memorial Service on Friday following at St Mary's Parish Church and asked if we would like to, to accept balls of clay on the way out with instructions of how to make “mebes”, little human like figures to be brought together in the act of worship on that day, which was to begin at 2.30pm.
//////////////// //////////////////
Jim read 1 Corinthians 1 v 3
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”, to which we all responded with “We give thanks to God always”.
We sang together led by the Church Organ,
“BLESSED CITY, HEAVENLY SALEM.”
Blessèd city, heavenly Salem,
Vision dear of peace and love,
Who of living stones upbuilded
Art the joy of Heaven above,
We,with all thy holy people
Glorious to Thy glory move.
Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ the head and cornerstone,
chosen of the Lord, and precious,
binding all the Church in one;
holy Zion's help for ever,
and her confidence alone.
All that dedicated city,
dearly loved of God on high,
in exultant jubilation
pours perpetual melody;
God the One in Three adoring
in glad hymns eternally.
To this temple, where we call thee,
come, O Lord of Hosts, today;
with thy wonted loving-kindness
hear thy servants as they pray,
and thy fullest benediction
shed within its walls aye.
Here vouchsafe to all thy servants
what they ask of thee of gain;
what they gain from thee, for ever
with the blessèd to retain,
and hereafter in thy glory
evermore with Thee to reign.
We were told that the service had been prepared from an order of service begun in Canada. The word “Canada” in the language of some of the country's first people, the Iroquois, means “village”.
As members of the household of God Christians around the world indeed inhabit one global village. When Christians worship they link themselves to this worldwide village, full of beauty, of struggle and of hope.
We prayed
“Loving God You call us all – from homes and offices,
from mines and factories,
from fields and shops,
from fishing boats and herds,
from schools and hospitals,
from prisons and detention centres,
to be one in fellowship with our LORD JESUS CHRIST” . We responded with “Make us one in Christ.”
We were then told that the indigenous peoples of Canada honour an ancient ritual of praying while facing in different directions We then followed that manner.
FACING EAST From the East the direction of the rising sun we receive peace and light and wisdom and knowledge
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THESE GIFTS, O GOD
FACING SOUTH
“From the South come warmth,guidance, and the beginning and the end of life”
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THESE GIFTS, O GOD
FACING WEST
“From the West comes the rain, purifying waters, to sustain all living things.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THESE GIFTS, O GOD
FACING NORTH
From the North come the cold and mighty wind and the white snows, giving us strength and endurance.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THESE GIFTS, O GOD
FACING TOWARDS THE FRONT AND UPWARD
From the Heavens we receive darkness and light, and the air of your breath.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THESE GIFTS, O GOD
FACING DOWNWARDS
“From the earth we come and to the earth we will return”
WE ARE GRATEFUL O GOD for your good creation, our earthly home. May we walk good paths , blessed God, living on this earth as brothers and sisters should,
rejoicing in one another's blessings, sympathising in one another's sorrows, and together with You, in the Name of Jesus, and with the Spirit's awakening breath, renewing the face of the earth. AMEN
We then sang
“O BREATH OF LIFE COME SWEEPING THROUGH US”
O Breath of life, come sweeping through us,
Revive Thy church with life and power;
O Breath of life, come, cleanse, renew us,
And fit Thy church to meet this hour.
O Wind of God, come bend us, break us,
Till humbly we confess our need;
Then in Thy tenderness remake us,
Revive, restore, for this we plead.
O Breath of love, come breathe within us,
Renewing thought and will and heart;
Come, Love of Christ, afresh to win us,
Revive Thy church in every part.
2.LISTENING TO THE WORD OF GOD
The Scriptures were read by Rev Jonathan Burton. This past year's Chairman of CTSW .Pastor of Gold Street Chapel reading from the New International Version of the Bible, as quoted here:-
1 Corinthians 1 v 1 -17
11 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ--their Lord and ours:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.
5 For in him you have been enriched in every way--in all your speaking and in all your knowledge--
6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.
7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
11 My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.
12 What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ."
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized intoB the name of Paul?
14 I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,
15 so no one can say that you were baptized into my name.
16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.)
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel--not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”
THE ADDRESS followed.
John Capper long representing on the CTSW Council the Quakers or Religious Society of friends and incoming Chairman of CTSW preached, with reference to the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, to the theme of one of C S Lewis's book “The Four Loves “ based on various Greek words meaning love expressed in various ways
Family Love. Natural human instincts
Filial Love. Friendship, Felicitous.
Erotic Love, physical as between partners which he briefly mentioned in the Quakers included their belief in same sex marriage.[ no one walked out]
Agape Love. Self giving sacrificial, serving others, as demonstrated by Jesus Christ and by the whole Church's care for other people.
3.RESPONDING IN FAITH AND UNITY
There followed prayer of repentance led by the Rector of St Mary's Parish Church
Revd David Tomlinson culminating in the LORD'S PRAYER recited together
We sang together the Hymn
“ JESUS LORD WE LOOK TO THEE”
1. Jesus, Lord, we look to thee;
let us in thy name agree;
show thyself the Prince of Peace,
bid our strife forever cease.
2. By thy reconciling love
every stumbling block remove;
each to each unite, endear;
come, and spread thy banner here.
3. Make us of one heart and mind,
gentle, courteous, and kind,
lowly, meek, in thought and word,
altogether like our Lord.
4. Let us for each other care,
each the other's burdens bear;
to thy church the pattern give,
show how true believers live.
5. Free from anger and from pride,
let us thus in God abide;
all the depths of love express,
all the heights of holiness.
This was followed by prayers of Commitment to unity and renewal of our Covenant at CTSW led by the Rev Jim Gascoign with the response TOGETHER WE PROCLAIM HIS GOOD NEWS!
This led to the Sign of Peace which could be a greeting, handshake or a hug.
We were told by Rev John Goddard, the Baptist Minister, that When the French arrived in Canada in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, they found a land rich in resources. The ship that brought the founder of Quebec city was named “Don de Dieu” which means “Gift of God”
“Don de Dieu” “Gift of God” has deep Eucharistic and ecclesial resonance and so as a sign of our peace and the way to recognise the gifts we receive from one another let us say to each other with French-Canadians “Don de Dieu”
We then responded together with “Don de Dieu” and then said it again and again to our neighbours around us
We then sang together The Metrical Version of The Apostles Creed
We believe in God the Father,
God Almighty, by whose plan
Earth and heaven sprang into being,
All created things began.
We believe in Christ the Saviour,
Son of God in human frame,
Virgin born, the Child of Mary,
Upon whom the Spirit came.
Christ, who on the cross forsaken,
Like a lamb to slaughter led,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
He descended to the dead.
We believe in Jesus risen,
Heaven’s King to rule and reign,
To the Father’s side ascended
Till as Judge He comes again.
We believe in God the Spirit:
In one Church, below, above;
Saints of God in one communion,
One in holiness and love.
So by faith, our sins forgiven,
Christ our Saviour, Lord and Friend,
We shall rise with Him in glory
To the life that knows no end
Intercessory Prayers were read each by 3 voices including Captain Carol Baker of the Salvation Army closing with the words “HEAR OUR PRAYER” to which the Response was “AND, IN YOUR LOVE ANSWER”
They followed the themes of the United Nations' Eight Millennium Goals.:-
These prayer included for those covered by these facts.
Our town and surrounding villages of Uttlesford some 27,000 people. Many comfortable but some in desperate difficulty. The need for more accommodation. The work of Saffron Walden Assemblies Teams in our schools, Stort Valley Schools Trust, Street Pastors, the Besom Trust and the Uttlesford Food Bank.
Nearly 1 billion go to bed hungry every night.
Two million children die from malnutrition every year.
69 million school children are not in schools
Women constitute half the world's population perform nearly 2 thirds of it's work hours ,receive but one tenth of the world's income, and own less the 1% of the world's property,
9 million children die each year before the reach their 5th birthday
More than 350,000 women die each year from complications during pregnancy of childbirth , 99% of them in developing countries.
Every day over 7,400 people are infected with HIV and 5,500 die from AIDS-related illnesses. Malaria kills a child every 45 seconds.
Nearly 17,000 species of plants and animals are currently at risk of extinction
We remembered those working in global partnerships and ended with the thought that
We have the resources to end poverty, but it will take the work of all of us together to make this happen.
4. GOING FORTH INTO THE WORLD
During the Closing hymn a collection of offering was taken up in support of Christian Aid and the Uttlesford Food Bank.
As final hymn we sang “THY HAND O GOD HAS GUIDED”
Thy hand, O God, has guided
thy flock, from age to age;
their wondrous tale is written,
full clear, on every page;
thy people owned thy goodness,
and we their deeds record;
and both of this bear witness;
one Church, one Faith, one Lord.
Thy heralds brought glad tidings
to greatest as to least;
they bade men rise, and hasten
to share the great King's feast;
and this was all their teaching,
in every deed and word,
to all alike proclaiming
one Church, one Faith, one Lord.
When shadows thick were falling,
and all seemed sunk in night,
thou, Lord, didst send thy servants,
thy chosen sons of light.
On them and on thy people
thy plenteous grace was poured,
and this was still their message,
one Church, one Faith, one Lord.
Through many a day of darkness,
through many a scene of strife,
the faithful few fought bravely,
to guard the nation's life.
Their gospel of redemption,
sin pardoned, man restored,
was all in this enfolded:
one Church, one Faith, one Lord.
And we, shall we be faithless?
shall hearts fail, hands hang down?
shall we evade the conflict,
and cast away our crown?
Not so: in God's deep counsels
some better thing is stored;
we will maintain, unflinching,
one Church, one Faith, one Lord.
Thy mercy will not fail us,
nor leave thy work undone;
with thy right hand to help us,
thy victory shall be won;
and then, by all creation,
thy name shall be adored,
and this shall be their anthem:
One Church, one Faith, one Lord
There followed The Blessing by Rev Jim Gascoine.
May the love of Jesus draw you to himself,
May the power of Jesus strengthen you in his service
May the joy of Jesus fill your spirit
and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever.
To which all the people said AMEN.
The Service ended with Organ music to encourage is to meditate.
The congregation then filed out into the mid-day sunshine. Some collecting balls of clay and instructions for making clay figures and greeting Ministers at the door and then many retired to the United Reformed Church Hall for coffee or tee and biscuits seated at small tables, or standing about, conversing, from where we all dispersed.
JEM Archivist Saffron Walden Baptist Church
The Annual Ecumenical Service.
///////////////// ///////////////////
The Service took place in Abbey Lane Meeting. That is it's old name, Abbey Lane United Reformed Church Saffron Walden and was led by their retiring acting minister the Rev Jim Gascoine on his last Sunday in this role. The Church was 75% full and most of the Christian congregations of the town were represented.
Jim greeted us as The People of God.
The Theme was “Is Christ Divided” an act Ecumenical Act of Worship based on
1st Corinthians 1 v 1-7 at Abbey Lane and Newport United Reformed Church in Association with Castle Street Methodist Church
The Service was followed using a printed sheet and was divided into 4 sections
1.GATHERING IN HOPE & UNITY
2.LISTENING FOR THE WORD OF GOD
3.RESPONDING IN FAITH AND UNITY
4.GOING FORTH INTO THE WORLD
///////////////// ///////////////////
1.GATHERING IN HOPE & UNITY
Jim welcomed the congregation and explained how to get out if there was a fire and how to get to a loo if need be.
This was immediately compromised by a couple who arrived late, sat at the front and parked a push chair in the middle of the West aisle transgressing EU Health and Safety regulations which churches try to comply with,which obstructed access to the platform and the West fire exit for the rest of the Service. Why do people thoughtlessly do that sort of thing?
We were then invited to the Holocaust Day Memorial Service on Friday following at St Mary's Parish Church and asked if we would like to, to accept balls of clay on the way out with instructions of how to make “mebes”, little human like figures to be brought together in the act of worship on that day, which was to begin at 2.30pm.
//////////////// //////////////////
Jim read 1 Corinthians 1 v 3
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”, to which we all responded with “We give thanks to God always”.
We sang together led by the Church Organ,
“BLESSED CITY, HEAVENLY SALEM.”
Blessèd city, heavenly Salem,
Vision dear of peace and love,
Who of living stones upbuilded
Art the joy of Heaven above,
We,with all thy holy people
Glorious to Thy glory move.
Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ the head and cornerstone,
chosen of the Lord, and precious,
binding all the Church in one;
holy Zion's help for ever,
and her confidence alone.
All that dedicated city,
dearly loved of God on high,
in exultant jubilation
pours perpetual melody;
God the One in Three adoring
in glad hymns eternally.
To this temple, where we call thee,
come, O Lord of Hosts, today;
with thy wonted loving-kindness
hear thy servants as they pray,
and thy fullest benediction
shed within its walls aye.
Here vouchsafe to all thy servants
what they ask of thee of gain;
what they gain from thee, for ever
with the blessèd to retain,
and hereafter in thy glory
evermore with Thee to reign.
We were told that the service had been prepared from an order of service begun in Canada. The word “Canada” in the language of some of the country's first people, the Iroquois, means “village”.
As members of the household of God Christians around the world indeed inhabit one global village. When Christians worship they link themselves to this worldwide village, full of beauty, of struggle and of hope.
We prayed
“Loving God You call us all – from homes and offices,
from mines and factories,
from fields and shops,
from fishing boats and herds,
from schools and hospitals,
from prisons and detention centres,
to be one in fellowship with our LORD JESUS CHRIST” . We responded with “Make us one in Christ.”
We were then told that the indigenous peoples of Canada honour an ancient ritual of praying while facing in different directions We then followed that manner.
FACING EAST From the East the direction of the rising sun we receive peace and light and wisdom and knowledge
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THESE GIFTS, O GOD
FACING SOUTH
“From the South come warmth,guidance, and the beginning and the end of life”
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THESE GIFTS, O GOD
FACING WEST
“From the West comes the rain, purifying waters, to sustain all living things.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THESE GIFTS, O GOD
FACING NORTH
From the North come the cold and mighty wind and the white snows, giving us strength and endurance.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THESE GIFTS, O GOD
FACING TOWARDS THE FRONT AND UPWARD
From the Heavens we receive darkness and light, and the air of your breath.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THESE GIFTS, O GOD
FACING DOWNWARDS
“From the earth we come and to the earth we will return”
WE ARE GRATEFUL O GOD for your good creation, our earthly home. May we walk good paths , blessed God, living on this earth as brothers and sisters should,
rejoicing in one another's blessings, sympathising in one another's sorrows, and together with You, in the Name of Jesus, and with the Spirit's awakening breath, renewing the face of the earth. AMEN
We then sang
“O BREATH OF LIFE COME SWEEPING THROUGH US”
O Breath of life, come sweeping through us,
Revive Thy church with life and power;
O Breath of life, come, cleanse, renew us,
And fit Thy church to meet this hour.
O Wind of God, come bend us, break us,
Till humbly we confess our need;
Then in Thy tenderness remake us,
Revive, restore, for this we plead.
O Breath of love, come breathe within us,
Renewing thought and will and heart;
Come, Love of Christ, afresh to win us,
Revive Thy church in every part.
2.LISTENING TO THE WORD OF GOD
The Scriptures were read by Rev Jonathan Burton. This past year's Chairman of CTSW .Pastor of Gold Street Chapel reading from the New International Version of the Bible, as quoted here:-
1 Corinthians 1 v 1 -17
11 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ--their Lord and ours:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.
5 For in him you have been enriched in every way--in all your speaking and in all your knowledge--
6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.
7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
11 My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.
12 What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ."
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized intoB the name of Paul?
14 I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,
15 so no one can say that you were baptized into my name.
16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.)
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel--not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”
THE ADDRESS followed.
John Capper long representing on the CTSW Council the Quakers or Religious Society of friends and incoming Chairman of CTSW preached, with reference to the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, to the theme of one of C S Lewis's book “The Four Loves “ based on various Greek words meaning love expressed in various ways
Family Love. Natural human instincts
Filial Love. Friendship, Felicitous.
Erotic Love, physical as between partners which he briefly mentioned in the Quakers included their belief in same sex marriage.[ no one walked out]
Agape Love. Self giving sacrificial, serving others, as demonstrated by Jesus Christ and by the whole Church's care for other people.
3.RESPONDING IN FAITH AND UNITY
There followed prayer of repentance led by the Rector of St Mary's Parish Church
Revd David Tomlinson culminating in the LORD'S PRAYER recited together
We sang together the Hymn
“ JESUS LORD WE LOOK TO THEE”
1. Jesus, Lord, we look to thee;
let us in thy name agree;
show thyself the Prince of Peace,
bid our strife forever cease.
2. By thy reconciling love
every stumbling block remove;
each to each unite, endear;
come, and spread thy banner here.
3. Make us of one heart and mind,
gentle, courteous, and kind,
lowly, meek, in thought and word,
altogether like our Lord.
4. Let us for each other care,
each the other's burdens bear;
to thy church the pattern give,
show how true believers live.
5. Free from anger and from pride,
let us thus in God abide;
all the depths of love express,
all the heights of holiness.
This was followed by prayers of Commitment to unity and renewal of our Covenant at CTSW led by the Rev Jim Gascoign with the response TOGETHER WE PROCLAIM HIS GOOD NEWS!
This led to the Sign of Peace which could be a greeting, handshake or a hug.
We were told by Rev John Goddard, the Baptist Minister, that When the French arrived in Canada in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, they found a land rich in resources. The ship that brought the founder of Quebec city was named “Don de Dieu” which means “Gift of God”
“Don de Dieu” “Gift of God” has deep Eucharistic and ecclesial resonance and so as a sign of our peace and the way to recognise the gifts we receive from one another let us say to each other with French-Canadians “Don de Dieu”
We then responded together with “Don de Dieu” and then said it again and again to our neighbours around us
We then sang together The Metrical Version of The Apostles Creed
We believe in God the Father,
God Almighty, by whose plan
Earth and heaven sprang into being,
All created things began.
We believe in Christ the Saviour,
Son of God in human frame,
Virgin born, the Child of Mary,
Upon whom the Spirit came.
Christ, who on the cross forsaken,
Like a lamb to slaughter led,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
He descended to the dead.
We believe in Jesus risen,
Heaven’s King to rule and reign,
To the Father’s side ascended
Till as Judge He comes again.
We believe in God the Spirit:
In one Church, below, above;
Saints of God in one communion,
One in holiness and love.
So by faith, our sins forgiven,
Christ our Saviour, Lord and Friend,
We shall rise with Him in glory
To the life that knows no end
Intercessory Prayers were read each by 3 voices including Captain Carol Baker of the Salvation Army closing with the words “HEAR OUR PRAYER” to which the Response was “AND, IN YOUR LOVE ANSWER”
They followed the themes of the United Nations' Eight Millennium Goals.:-
These prayer included for those covered by these facts.
Our town and surrounding villages of Uttlesford some 27,000 people. Many comfortable but some in desperate difficulty. The need for more accommodation. The work of Saffron Walden Assemblies Teams in our schools, Stort Valley Schools Trust, Street Pastors, the Besom Trust and the Uttlesford Food Bank.
Nearly 1 billion go to bed hungry every night.
Two million children die from malnutrition every year.
69 million school children are not in schools
Women constitute half the world's population perform nearly 2 thirds of it's work hours ,receive but one tenth of the world's income, and own less the 1% of the world's property,
9 million children die each year before the reach their 5th birthday
More than 350,000 women die each year from complications during pregnancy of childbirth , 99% of them in developing countries.
Every day over 7,400 people are infected with HIV and 5,500 die from AIDS-related illnesses. Malaria kills a child every 45 seconds.
Nearly 17,000 species of plants and animals are currently at risk of extinction
We remembered those working in global partnerships and ended with the thought that
We have the resources to end poverty, but it will take the work of all of us together to make this happen.
4. GOING FORTH INTO THE WORLD
During the Closing hymn a collection of offering was taken up in support of Christian Aid and the Uttlesford Food Bank.
As final hymn we sang “THY HAND O GOD HAS GUIDED”
Thy hand, O God, has guided
thy flock, from age to age;
their wondrous tale is written,
full clear, on every page;
thy people owned thy goodness,
and we their deeds record;
and both of this bear witness;
one Church, one Faith, one Lord.
Thy heralds brought glad tidings
to greatest as to least;
they bade men rise, and hasten
to share the great King's feast;
and this was all their teaching,
in every deed and word,
to all alike proclaiming
one Church, one Faith, one Lord.
When shadows thick were falling,
and all seemed sunk in night,
thou, Lord, didst send thy servants,
thy chosen sons of light.
On them and on thy people
thy plenteous grace was poured,
and this was still their message,
one Church, one Faith, one Lord.
Through many a day of darkness,
through many a scene of strife,
the faithful few fought bravely,
to guard the nation's life.
Their gospel of redemption,
sin pardoned, man restored,
was all in this enfolded:
one Church, one Faith, one Lord.
And we, shall we be faithless?
shall hearts fail, hands hang down?
shall we evade the conflict,
and cast away our crown?
Not so: in God's deep counsels
some better thing is stored;
we will maintain, unflinching,
one Church, one Faith, one Lord.
Thy mercy will not fail us,
nor leave thy work undone;
with thy right hand to help us,
thy victory shall be won;
and then, by all creation,
thy name shall be adored,
and this shall be their anthem:
One Church, one Faith, one Lord
There followed The Blessing by Rev Jim Gascoine.
May the love of Jesus draw you to himself,
May the power of Jesus strengthen you in his service
May the joy of Jesus fill your spirit
and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever.
To which all the people said AMEN.
The Service ended with Organ music to encourage is to meditate.
The congregation then filed out into the mid-day sunshine. Some collecting balls of clay and instructions for making clay figures and greeting Ministers at the door and then many retired to the United Reformed Church Hall for coffee or tee and biscuits seated at small tables, or standing about, conversing, from where we all dispersed.
JEM Archivist Saffron Walden Baptist Church