Valentine Mattins 8 February 2015 This service follows the traditional order of Choral Mattins, but the music and readings have been specially chosen to reflect the theme of love and marriage. During this service, we will give thanks for the gift of marriage, and especially for all those who have been married here at St Mary s. You are invited to stay for refreshments at the back of church after this service.
Opening Responses Please stand when the choir and clergy enter, then sit as the choir sing the introit, Set me as a seal upon thine heart, by William Walton. These words, from the Song of Songs, are one of most popular parts of the Bible read at weddings. Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it. The choir sings the opening responses. O Lord, open thou our lips and our mouth shall shew forth thy praise. O God, make speed to save us. O Lord, make haste to help us. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Praise ye the Lord. The Lord s name be praised. Office Hymn The service is introduced by the Vicar, the Revd Russell Dewhurst Slane (NEH 239) Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy, Whose trust, ever child-like, no cares could destroy, Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray, Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day. Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith, Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe, Be there at our labours, and give us, we pray, Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day. Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace, Your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace, Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray, Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day. 2
Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm, Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm, Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray, Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day. We sit while the choir sings Psalm 67: 1 God be merciful unto us, and bless us : and shew us the light of his countenance, and be merciful unto us. Psalm 67 2 That thy way may be known upon earth : thy saving health among all nations. 3 Let the people praise thee, O God : yea, let all the people praise thee. 4 O let the nations rejoice and be glad : for thou shalt judge the folk righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. 5 Let the people praise thee, O God : let all the people praise thee. 6 Then shall the earth bring forth her increase : and God, even our own God, shall give us his blessing. 7 God shall bless us : and all the ends of the world shall fear him.. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. The first reading is from the Song of Songs My beloved speaks and says to me: The First Lesson Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If one offered for love all the wealth of one s house, it would be utterly scorned. Here ends the first lesson. 3
We stand as the choir sings Jubilate Deo in Bb, by Charles Stanford. Jubilate Deo O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands : serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song. Be ye sure that the Lord he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves : we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise : be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name. For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting : and his truth endureth from generation to generation. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen. We sit. A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians The Second Lesson Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. Here ends the second lesson. 4
Hymn We stand to sing Nun Danket (NEH 413) Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices, who wondrous things hath done, in whom his world rejoices; who from our mother's arms hath blessed us on our way with countless gifts of love, and still is ours today. O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us, with ever-joyful hearts and blessèd peace to cheer us; and keep us in his grace, and guide us when perplexed, and free us from all ills in this world and the next. All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given, the Son, and Him who reigns With them in highest heaven, the one eternal God, whom earth and heaven adore; for thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore. Amen. The congregation is invited to join in saying the Apostles Creed: The Creed I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth : And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary: Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead: He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty: From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. 5
I believe in the Holy Ghost: The holy Catholick Church; The Communion of Saints: The Forgiveness of sins: The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen. Sit or kneel as the choir sings the Second Set of Responses. The Lord be with you. And with thy spirit. Let us pray. Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. 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 them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen. O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us. And grant us thy salvation. O Lord, save the Queen. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness. And make thy chosen people joyful. O Lord, save thy people. And bless thine inheritance. Give peace in our time, O Lord. Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God. O God, make clean our hearts within us. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us. O Lord God, who seest that we put not our trust in any thing that we do; Mercifully grant that by thy power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ our Lord.. Amen. O God, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom; Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 6
O Lord, our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day; Defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Anthem Sit as the choir sings the anthem, Rutter s The Lord bless you and keep you. This is the most popular wedding anthem at St Mary s. The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up the lights of his countanance upon you and give you peace. Amen. The sermon is preached by the Revd Russell Dewhurst, Vicar of Ewell. Please sit or kneel for the prayers. Sermon Prayers Hymn After the Vicar gives any notices, he will anounce the final hymn, during which a collection is taken to support the work of the church. St Mary s relies on donations from all who are able to support our upkeep and ministry. If you are able to fill in a Gift Aid envelope, it will make your gift worth more to us. 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. Blaenwern (NEH 408, tune i) 7
Come, almighty to deliver, let us all thy life receive; suddenly return, and never, nevermore 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. Blessing God the Holy Trinity make you strong in faith and love, defend you on every side, and guide you in truth and peace; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen. Please take this order of service away with you as a souvenir of this occasion. Would you like to receive an email notification next time we hold a Valentine Mattins (probably in 2016)? If you received an email invitation to this service we will send one again next time. If not, please let us know at parishoffice@stmarysewell.com or leave your email address with the Vicar or one of the welcomers this morning and we will make sure you are told about the next Valentine Mattins. 8
Sunday Services at St Mary s Every Sunday there is a quiet, said service of Holy Communion at 8am. Also every Sunday, there is a Sung Eucharist at 9:30am. This service has hymns, a sermon, and Holy Communion and it s followed by coffee in the hall. In term time there is children s hour for young children during the service. At 11am, we have a different service each week. On the first Sunday of the month it s Praise@11, especially for primary-school aged children but enjoyed by all ages. On the second Sunday of the month there s Choral Mattins, just like the service today. On the third Sunday Toddle Up! is a short and very informal service especially for toddlers and their families. And on the fourth Sunday, we have a sung service of Morning Prayer, like today s service, with Holy Baptisms celebrated at this time. Once a month, we hold Choral Evensong at 5:30pm. There are also other services on weekdays and special occasions. Dates for the diary After next Sunday s Toddle Up! service especially for toddlers and families there will be lunch in the church hall, speak to the Vicar for more details. Ash Wednesday 18 February: 12noon Holy Communion & 8pm Sung Eucharist for the beginning of Lent. Tuesdays from 24 February our Lent discussion group is Debates & Dilemmas: Contemporary Moral Issues. In the parish room at the back of church 7:30 for 8pm, led by the Revd Dr Patrick Miller. All welcome. Saturday 14 March: 7:30pm Organ Recital by Jonathan Holmes Bach s greatest hits. Please talk to the Vicar or a welcomer if you would like to find out more about our services, or any of our other activities. See our website www.stmarysewell.com or Facebook www.facebook.com/stmarysewell or the church noticeboard for more details. 9
CHILDREN S ACTIVITIES Monthly email from the Vicar. The Vicar sends out a regular email once or twice a month with full details of all our children s events and activities. To sign up to receive the email, visit http://www.stmarysewell.com/newsletter/ Toddle Up! Toddlers and their families are invited to a short, fun, very informal service in church aimed at the youngest on the 3 rd Sunday of the month. The next one is at 11 o clock on 15 February (next Sunday). Do come along, you will be most welcome. Babes in arms also enjoy the service! Toddler Groups: St Mary s Toddler Groups are held on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. There is no waiting list at present. Why not join other parents and carers at these fun occasions? For more information please contact Jenny on 0208 393 4804. Children s Hour: Do you have children aged between 3 and 9? Do they enjoy singing, story time, and activities? Then why not try St Mary s Children s Hour? Held on Sunday mornings during term time in the Church Hall between 9.30 10.30am. Parents and carers are welcome to stay and join in if they wish. Fun Day Wednesdays: Every Wednesday in term time, 3:30-4:30pm. Craft, activities, and games for children to dip in and out of. For children aged 5-11 (older and younger welcome too); parents/carers please stay and have a drink and a chat. 1 per session, no need to book. Please get in touch with Fran to find out more on 07944 761629. Parish Choir: St Mary s Church Choir offers opportunities for youngsters from about the age of 7 upwards to learn to sing and generally develop their musical talents within a Christian environment. For more information please contact the Parish Office on 0208 393 2643 or Director of Music Jonathan Holmes on Directorofmusic@stmarysewell.com 10
A Prayer for Couples A prayer for couples to say together at home. Heavenly Father, we offer you our souls and bodies, our thoughts and words and deeds, our love for one another. Unite our wills in your will, that we may grow together in love and peace all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 11