17 February 2021                                                                                         Ash Wednesday

10.00 am Online Ash Wednesday Eucharist with Meditation – Readings and Hymns

Celebrant and Preacher: Revd Stuart Kersley

Reading: Isaiah 58: vv1–8
Gospel: Matthew 6: vv16–21

Hymn:  Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us
Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us 
o'er the world's tempestuous sea; 
guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us, 
for we have no help but thee; 
yet possessing every blessing, 
if our God our Father be. 
 
Saviour, breathe forgiveness o'er us: 
all our weakness thou dost know; 
thou didst tread this earth before us, 
thou didst feel its keenest woe; 
lone and dreary, faint and weary, 
through the desert thou didst go. 
 
Spirit of our God, descending, 
fill our hearts with heavenly joy, 
love with every passion blending, 
pleasure that can never cloy: 
thus provided, pardoned, guided, 
nothing can our peace destroy. 
Words James Edmeston (1791-1867) 
Tune MANNHEIM Friedrich Filitz (Choralbuch, 1847) 


Prayers
For those in need in body, mind and spirit: Gabriella; Sara Harden; Mollie Williams; Roger Powell; Dorothy Gill; Penny Bowyer; Trevor Ball; Sheila Ward; Wendy Davies; Stella Hastings; Vivienne Holland

For those who have died recently: Charles Jarvis, John Woolgar, Tony Wallace, Georgie Muggeridge
Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them.
Notices:
At the PCC meeting held via Zoom on 19 January, it was agreed that the church would remain closed for the duration of the current lockdown.
Ecumenical prayer services: As the local churches are not currently open for groups or worship, and February is not the best time to be praying outside, Fr Charles and Revd Charles Hadley have agreed that to postpone the Tuesday prayer time until, hopefully, March.

Ash Wednesday Eucharist with Meditation

Welcome: Revd Stuart Kersley
Hymn: Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us

Invitation to observe Lent

All: Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

Collect
Almighty and everlasting God you hate nothing that you have made and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent. Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, we may receive from you, the God of all mercy perfect forgiveness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.   Amen.

Reading: Isaiah 58: vv1–8 Dennis Cowdrey

Gospel: Matthew 6: vv16–21

Meditation: Revd Stuart Kersley

Liturgy of Penitence
Minister: Let us now call to mind our sin and the infinite mercy of God.
Minister: God the Father
All: Have mercy on us
Minister: God the Son
All: Have mercy on us
Minister: God the Holy Spirit
All: Have mercy on us
Minister: Holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity
All: Have mercy on us

Minister: Each of the next brief prayers has the response:

All: Good Lord deliver us.

Period of silent reflection.

Minister: Make our hearts clean, O God
All: And renew a right spirit within us.

Confession
All: Father eternal, giver of life and grace, we have sinned against you and against our neighbour, in what we have thought, in what we have done, through ignorance, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We have wounded your love, and marred your image in us. We are sorry and ashamed, and repent of our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past; and lead us out from darkness to walk as children of light.  Amen.

Minister:
Remember we are dust, and to dust we shall return. We turn from sin and turn to Christ.

Absolution:
Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.

The Peace
Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The peace of the Lord be always with you
All: and also with you.

Preparation of the table
Wise and gracious God, you spread a table before us; nourish your people with the word of life and the bread of heaven.   Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer B
The Lord is here.
His Spirit is with us.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.

Father, we give you thanks and praise through your beloved Son Jesus Christ, your living Word, through whom you have created all things; who was sent by you in your great goodness to be our Saviour.

By the power of the Holy Spirit he took flesh; as your Son, born of the blessed Virgin, he lived on earth and went about among us; he opened wide his arms for us on the cross; he put an end to death by dying for us; and revealed the resurrection by rising to new life; so he fulfilled your will and won for you a holy people.

'And now we give you thanks because you give us the spirit of discipline, that we may triumph over evil and grow in grace, as we prepare to celebrate the pascal mystery with mind and heart renewed.

Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we proclaim your great and glorious name, for ever praising you and singing:

Holy, holy, holy Lord
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness; grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit, and according to your holy will, these gifts of bread and wine may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.
In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks; he gave it to them, saying: Drink this all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.  Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

Great is the mystery of faith:
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross, his perfect sacrifice made once for the sins of the whole world; rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming in glory, we celebrate this memorial of our redemption.  As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, we bring before you this bread and this cup and we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you.

Send the Holy Spirit on your people and gather into one in your kingdom all who share this one bread and one cup, so that we, in the company of St Mary and all the saints, may praise and glorify you for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord; by whom and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever.  Amen.

The Lord's Prayer
Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour taught us.

The Breaking of the Bread
We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.
Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.

Agnus Dei
Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, bearer of our sins, have mercy on us.
Jesus, redeemer of the world, grant us peace.

God’s holy gifts for God’s holy people.
Jesus Christ is holy, Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The priest says:
The body of Christ, keep you in eternal life.  Amen.
The blood of Christ, keep you in eternal life.  Amen.

Post Communion Collect
Lord our God, grant us to desire you with our whole heart; that so desiring, we may seek and find you; and so finding, may love you; and so loving we may hate those sins from which you have delivered us; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Blessing
Christ give you grace to grow in holiness, to deny yourselves, to take up your cross, and follow him; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always.   Amen.

Dismissal
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ.  Amen.

Carols for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany

Over the last few weeks our church choir at St Mary, Storrington have been preparing carols for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany seasons.  
The singing voices for the carols have been prepared individually by the choir in the comfort and safety of their homes.
By the power technology, all the voice parts are brought together and blended to form our choir singing together.    
Our warmest wishes to those in our parish and afar from Storrington Church Choir.
Please click here for a link to the Carol Sheet containing all the words of the Carols.

Advent 

Hark the glad sound! the Saviour comes 

Christmas 

Joy to the world, the Lord is come! 

Silent night, holy night 

Away in a manger 

O little town of Bethlehem 

O come all ye faithful 

Epiphany 

Choir Anthem for Lent 2021

Hark the glad sound! the Saviour comes 

Hymns for Passiontide and Holy Week 

Click here to view a compline music word sheet.

During the current national lockdown due to Covid-19, some members of our choir have been recording hymns individually in the safety and comfort of their homes for our morning online services.  Their voices have been blended together to form a choir that we would normally hear in church. 

The choir have prepared the following hymns for the Passiontide and Holy Week journey for this year. 

There's a wideness in God's mercy

Ride on, ride on in majesty!

My song is love unknown

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy 

There's a wideness in God's mercy
like the wideness of the sea;
there's a kindness in his justice
which is more than liberty.
There is no place where earth's sorrows
are more felt than up in heaven;
there is no place where earth's failings
have such kindly judgement given.  

For the love of God is broader
than the measure of our mind,
and the heart of the Eternal
is most wonderfully kind.
But we make his love too narrow
by false limits of our own;
and we magnify his strictness
with a zeal he would not own.  

There is plentiful redemption
through the blood that has been shed;
there is joy for all the members
in the sorrows of the Head.
There is grace enough for thousands
of new worlds as great as this;
there is room for fresh creations
in that upper home of bliss.  

If our love were but more simple,
we should take him at his word;
and our lives would be all gladness
in the joy of Christ our Lord.  

Words: Frederick William Faber (1814-1863)
Tune: CORVEDALE Maurice Bevan (1921-2006)
 © Cathedral Music, King Charles Cottage, Chichester, PO18 9DT 
A&M 806  

Ride on, ride on in majesty 

Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Hark, all the tribes hosanna cry:
O Saviour meek, pursue thy road
with palms and scattered garments strowed.  

Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die:
O Christ, thy triumphs now begin
o'er captive death and conquered sin.  

Ride on, ride on in majesty!
The wingèd squadrons of the sky
look down with sad and wondering eyes
to see the approaching sacrifice.  

Ride on, ride on in majesty!
The last and fiercest strife is nigh:
the Father on his sapphire throne
awaits his own anointed Son.  

Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die;
bow thy meek head to mortal pain,
then take, O God, thy power, and reign.  

Words: Henry Hart Milman (1791-1868)
Tune: WINCHESTER NEW or CRASSELIUS  
Adapted from a chorale in Musicalisches Hand-Buch, 
Hamburg 1690  A&M 161 

My song is love unknown 

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!  

Sometimes they strew his way,  
and his sweet praises sing;  
resounding all the day  
hosannas to their King.  
Then 'Crucify!'  
is all their breath,  
and for his death  
they thirst and cry.  

They rise, and needs will have  
my dear Lord made away;  
a murderer they save,  
the Prince of Life they slay.  
Yet cheerful he  
to suffering goes,  
that he his foes  
from thence might free.  

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.  

Words: Samuel Crossman (1624 –1683)  
Tune: LOVE UNKNOWN John Ireland, Rock Mill, Washington (1879 - 1962)  
A&M 147 (with omitted verses) 

Easter Season Music from the Choir

During the current National Lockdown due to Covid-19, over the Lenten season, the choir have prepared some music for our Easter services.  Individual choir members have sung in the comfort and safety of their own homes to record their individual voice parts, these are then collected and edited together to form the choir that we would hear in church.   Hopefully, it won't be long until can we hear some of our choir sing in church for our services again.    The choir wishes everyone in our parish, near and afar, a very Happy Easter!

Alleluia! 
Christ is Risen! 
He is risen indeed, alleluia! 

Victory is ours - Easter Choir Anthem

Jesus Christ is risen today - Easter Sunday - Hymn One

Love is his word - Easter 6

Father, I place into your hands

We hail thy presence glorious - Easter 5

Please find below the website, login and password for view of Laurence Hardy’s funeral service.

Remembrance Hymn

Our church choir have prepared a hymn and an anthem for Remembrance Sunday, recorded individually in the safety of their homes to create this singing together hymn, broadcast at our online and gathered services on Sunday 8th November.

O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come:

This hymn written by Isaac Watts, based on Psalm 90, with strong themes on assurance, promise and hope. 

The hymn reminds us that God is eternal and forever with us in our earthly lives, which sometimes can be troubled and stormy, and promises the great joys of “our eternal home”.  We are reminded that God is timeless in comparison to our own human mortality; we are here for a moment, but God’s time is eternal – “A thousand ages in thy sight”, and, more poignantly, for today’s remembrance theme, “Time like an everlasting stream bears all its sons away”.   We will remember them. 

God our help in ages past 

He came singing love:

This short anthem is written by Colin Gibson, a teacher and writer living in New Zealand.  This music arrangement for choir is by Geoff Weaver.   

Using song as a metaphor for life, the text of this anthem suggests that each of us can help love, faith, hope and peace to flourish in our world through living them out in our lives. 

He came singing love 

Message from Stephen Bloxham - Remembrance Sunday 2020 – Remember at home 

This year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and current restrictions in England, the Royal British Legion have suggested that you can observe the Act of Remembrance at home, rather than attend a local service.

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland have produced an Order of Service for a Service of Remembrance at home.   This service includes preparation for the two-minute silence, readings, prayers, and music; including a link to music from our choir at St Mary, Storrington.    

Service of Remembrance at home – Order of Service  

As part of your Act of Remembrance at home, you might like to colour in a Poppy Appeal Remembrance Poppy poster to display in your window. 

Poppy poster to colour in 

Poppy poster already coloured 

If you are on social media, such as Twitter or Facebook, you can follow #RememberAtHome for further information. 

For more information about the Royal British Legion and how to make a donation to the 2020 Poppy Appeal – https://www.britishlegion.org.uk