BBC Radio 4 Sunday Worship A Service of Reflection from St Ann s Church, Manchester, following the bomb attack at The Manchester Arena Led by the Revd Nigel Ashworth, Rector of St Ann s, and Canon Marcia Wall of Manchester Cathedral. Sunday 28 May 2017 0810-0849 Director of Music: Simon Passmore Organist: Tomek Pieczora Producer: Stephen Shipley Radio 4 Opening Announcement: BBC Radio 4 It s ten past eight time for this week s Sunday Worship, which in a change to the advertised programme comes from St Ann s Church in Manchester. It s led by the Rector, the Rev d Nigel Ashworth, and Canon Marcia Wall of Manchester Cathedral. Welcome Nigel Ashworth Good morning. I welcome you to St Ann s here in the heart of Manchester as we have welcomed thousands of people since the horrendous bombing on Monday at the Manchester Arena. The Arena is a much-loved venue familiar to millions who have enjoyed concerts or sporting events there. On Monday evening it became a place of carnage where we lost over twenty young lives and many were seriously injured. This came in a week when we celebrate the Ascension of Christ. The apostles waited between his going from them and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. In all the years since then, Christians have had to face times of waiting before they have experienced his abiding presence. And there have been so many struggles with evil along the way. Ascension tells us that, despite what we sometimes face, Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, Christ triumphant, ever reigning, Saviour, Master, King.
Music: Hymn Christ triumphant (Guiting Power) Christ triumphant, ever reigning, Saviour, Master, King, Lord of heaven, our lives sustaining, hear us as we sing: Yours the glory and the crown, the high renown, the eternal name. Word incarnate, truth revealing, Son of Man on earth! Power and majesty concealing by your humble birth: Yours the glory... Suffering servant, scorned, ill-treated, victim crucified! Death is through the cross defeated, sinners justified: Yours the glory... Priestly King, enthroned for ever high in heaven above! Sin and death and hell shall never stifle hymns of love: Yours the glory... So, our hearts and voices raising through the ages long, ceaselessly upon you gazing, this shall be our song: Yours the glory... Michael Saward
This Week 1 Revd Nigel Ashworth For most of us the first reaction to the news of the suicide bomb was shock. But quickly, across the city and here in St Ann s, came something different. It was defiance. We were not going to have our way of life, in which we cherish the children and communities of our city, trashed by an act of evil conceived out of hatred. So, as the world s media descended here they found a determined resolve. Very quickly a multi-faith vigil was organised in front of Manchester s Town Hall. It was a feat of organisation. Thousands of our citizens gathered. Party leaders and the Speaker of the House of Commons came together with our Mayor and civic and religious leaders. The speeches were electrifying but this was not rabble rousing. Instead, decency, humanity and citizenship were to the fore. And the city found its voice in the poet Tony Walsh, known as Longfella. His This is The Place was a passionate evocation of the Manchester we love, a city which has resources of creativity and humanity which overcomes division. Our forefathers and foremothers have forged a community which we build on today: And they left us a spirit. They left us a vibe. That Mancunian way to survive and to thrive and to work and to build, to connect, and create and Greater Manchester s greatness is keeping it great. Like the other speeches, Longfella s poem led to a wave of applause. And applause was the response to our national one-minute silence as well, with a cry of Well done, Manchester. Part of the crowd spontaneously broke into Don t look back in anger by Oasis. It was surprising and moving. A J Singh is a Manchester taxi driver and a practising Sikh. On Monday night he heard the news, and immediately got down to the Arena. He ferried injured concert-goers to hospital and helped others to finds their family members. The day after he went round the Accident & Emergency wards giving out food and in the city centre giving out flowers. This is what we find impressive and inspiring practical care and a message of solidarity rooted in a faith and shown across a city. On Monday we felt this was all under attack. In our prayer we cry to God, here in the words of Psalm 46 sung by the choir of St Ann s: Music: Psalm 46 God is our hope and strength (after Luther) omit vv.9-10
Reading: Romans 8 vv.18-26 Canon Marcia Wall A reading from Paul s Letter to the Romans, Chapter 8 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 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. Music - Kyrie Eleison (William Byrd) Kyrie eleison, Christe Eleison, Kyrie eleison. Meditation Prayer Revd Nigel Ashworth & Canon Marcia Wall You keep us waiting. You, the God of all time, Want us to wait for the right time in which to discover Who we are, where we must go, Who will be with us, and what we must do. So, thank you...for the waiting time. You keep us looking. You, the God of all space, Want us to look in the right and wrong places for signs of hope, For people who are hopeless, For visions of a better world that will appear among the disappointments of the world we know. So, thank you...for the looking time.
You keep us loving. You, the God whose name is love, Want us to be like you To love the loveless and the unlovely and the unlovable; To love without jealousy or design or threat, And most difficult of all, to love ourselves. So, thank you...for the loving time. And in all this you keep us, Through hard questions with no easy answers; Through failing where we hoped to succeed and making an impact when we felt useless; Through the patience and the dreams and the love of others; And through Jesus Christ and his Spirit, you keep us. This Week 2 Revd Nigel Ashworth The acts of remembrance began early on Tuesday when a man brought a bunch of flowers into the church. We placed them at the font where people are baptized. Then more flowers came and were placed vary carefully outside the church along the wall. Soon there were so many that a huge fragrant carpet of flowers, cards and candles started to fill the Square outside the church. Then came the world s media, reporters and TV crews from everywhere looking for answers. People laying flowers became their focus. In church we opened a Book of Condolence and queues have formed to sign it. Messages are heartfelt, prayerful, distressed and questioning. Those who died and the injured are remembered. The sharp question Why comes in many messages. God takes our Why seriously. We know this because Jesus cried from the cross Why have you forsaken me? Where, O where, can God be in all this suffering? The apostle Paul wrote about the Holy Spirit at work within us. He said the Spirit helps us in our weakness for we do not know how to pray as we ought. These words have been with me all week. With all the pain, anger and sadness we feel and with all the pride we have in the solidarity shown across the city, how do we pray? What we find is that the Spirit is praying for us and with us and with sighs too deep for words. This was certainly true on Wednesday when we saw many more people in church with tears. Our former Director of Music, Ronald Frost, wrote music for John Henry Newman s hymn Lead Kindly Light. Ronald was much loved and we sang it at his funeral. Here we sing it as a prayer for Manchester.
Music: Anthem Lead kindly light ( Loppergarth Ronald Frost) Lead, kindly light, amid the encircling gloom, lead thou me on; the night is dark, and I am far from home; lead thou me on. Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see the distant scene; one step enough for me. I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou shouldst lead me on; I loved to choose and see my path; but now lead thou me on. I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears, pride ruled my will: remember not past years. So long thy power hath blest me, sure it still will lead me on, o'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till the night is gone, and with the morn those angel faces smile, which I have loved long since, and lost awhile. John Henry Newman This Week 3 Canon Marcia Wall Manchester Cathedral where I work shared in serving the people of the city with St Ann s. It was hard for us to be locked out of our building because The Arena is almost next door. We decided to organise prayer on the streets so that our life of prayer could be maintained. But were joined by others. Firstly, people who were on the streets like us full of pain and sadness and anger too. Then we were joined by faith leaders from different communities. Our Cathedral family comes from many places across the world. We are a sort of microcosm of the whole city my original home was Brazil. But this city has made us all welcome and included and we love Manchester. Our neighbours in St Ann s welcomed the Cathedral in to share their life of prayer and in this way we shared with St Ann s in responding to the city s tears. This hymn, based on a prayer by Francis of Assisi, Lord, make us servants of your peace seems particularly appropriate:
Music: Hymn Lord, make us servants (O waly, waly) Lord, make us servants of your peace: where there is hate, may we sow love; where there is hurt, may we forgive; where there is strife, may we make one. Where all is doubt, may we sow faith; where all is gloom, may we sow hope where all is night, may we sow light; where all is tears, may we sow joy. Jesus, our Lord, may we not seek to be consoled, but to console, nor look to understanding hearts, but look for hearts to understand. May we not look for love s return, but seek to live unselfishly, for in our giving we receive, and in forgiving are forgiven. Dying we live, and are reborn through death s dark night to endless day; Lord, make us servants of your peace to wake at last in heaven s light. James Quinn SJ after Francis of Assisi Prayers Canon Marcia Wall God of all compassion, we pray for the bereaved, those facing a future without a child, parent or loved one; young ones who are in deep distress. In their lament, may they know your comfort and peace. We pray for the injured; for those suffering trauma in mind and body. In their distress, may they know your healing and peace.
We pray for our Emergency Services, the police, hospitals, doctors, nurses and paramedics, tending to the wounds of our City and to individual needs. In their acts of service, may they know your strength and your peace. We pray for our leaders; for all those working for unity and the welfare of all. In their decision-making and debate, may they know your guidance and your peace. We pray for our vibrant and beautiful city; diverse and welcoming; For all born and bred here and for those who have come to live here from all four corners of the world, and now call Manchester home. In our living together, grant us perseverance and courage to face the future together. And finally, we hold before you those who have died. Look with compassion, O God, and welcome your children home. May they know your eternal care. Introduction to the Anthem The Revd Nigel Ashworth The metaphysical poet Francis Quarles wrote a beautiful poem which was set to music as part of a tribute to Linda McCartney who died of cancer: Close now thine eyes and rest secure; Thy soul is safe enough, thy body sure.
Music: Anthem - A Goodnight (Richard Rodney Bennett) Close now thine eyes and rest secure; Thy soul is safe enough, thy body sure; He that loves thee, he that keeps And guards thee, never slumbers, never sleeps. The smiling conscience in a sleeping breast Has only peace, has only rest; The music and the mirth of kings Are all but very discords, when she sings; Then close thine eyes and rest secure; No sleep so sweet as thine, no rest so sure. Collect for Peace Canon Marcia Wall O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Lord s Prayer All We pray for the coming of God s kingdom, saying - 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 for ever and ever. Amen.
Music: Hymn - My song is love unknown (Love Unknown, omit vv.3-5) My song is love unknown, my Saviour s love to me, love to the loveless shown, that they might lovely be. O, who am I that for my sake my Lord should take frail flesh, and die. He came from his blest throne, salvation to bestow but men made strange, and none the longed-for Christ would know. But O, my friend, my friend indeed, who at my need his life did spend. In life, no house, no home, my Lord on earth might have; in death, no friendly tomb, but what a stranger gave. What may I say? Heav n was his home; but mine the tomb wherein he lay. Here might I stay and sing, no story so divine; never was love, dear King, never was grief like thine! This is my friend, in whose sweet praise I all my days could gladly spend. Samuel Crossman
Blessing The Revd Nigel Ashworth The Lord bless us; the Lord bless our city, the Lord bless our nation, the Lord bless the peoples of the earth; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be amongst you and remain with you always. Amen. Music: Anthem In Paradisum (Fauré) In paradisum deducant te Angeli; in tuo adventu suscipiant te martyres, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Ierusalem. Chorus angelorum te suscipiat, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere æternam habeas requiem. [May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs receive you at your arrival and lead you to the holy city Jerusalem. May choirs of angels receive you and with Lazarus, once a poor man, may you have eternal rest.] Radio 4 Closing Announcement: The last movement of Fauré s Requiem brings to a close todays Sunday Worship which came from St Ann s Church Manchester. It was led by the Rev d Nigel Ashworth and Canon Marcia Wall. The music was directed by Simon Passmore and the organist was Tomek Pieczora. The producer was Stephen Shipley. Next week s Sunday Worship