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Sunday Worship from Newcastle Cathedral. Script may not be as broadcast and may include various production notes and possible errors. It is provided as a guide only for those who wish to refer to the service content.

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Good morning, and welcome to Newcastle Cathedral. I鈥檓 Interim Dean Jane Hedges.听 On this very special weekend for our nation and its people, many millions of us will have watched the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III in London yesterday.听 Today it is our joy to welcome you to the North-East of England for this service of celebration and thanksgiving., which will be led by my colleague, Canon Clare MacLaren.

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Hymn 1

听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Teach me, my God and King,

Words: George Herbert 1593-1633听听听听听听听听听 Tune: Sandys NEH 456

听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Music: from William Sandy鈥檚

听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Christmas Carols 1833

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鈥�

Our new Monarch has taken the opportunity of his Coronation to invite the people of the United Kingdom to reflect on the themes of 鈥渇aith, service and community.鈥澨� Events will take place all over the country today and tomorrow, bringing people together from diverse communities, and every faith tradition, to deepen relationships and to foster ever greater community cohesion.

In this morning鈥檚 worship, however, we shall celebrate in particular, the Volunteers without whom none of this could happen 鈥� and who work tirelessly all year round to serve and enrich their communities. Our new Bishop, Helen-Ann will reflect on the nature of service 鈥� and the way in which Christians are called to imitate Christ, who was 鈥渢he servant of all.鈥澨�

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This is the day that the Lord has made.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118.24)

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God of our days and years,

we set this time apart for you.

Form us in the likeness of Christ

so that our lives may reflect your glory.

Amen.

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Our choir now sings that great song of trusting confidence in God - Psalm 121.

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Choir - Psalm 121

Music:听听 Roger Fisher (1936 - 2021)听听听听听听听听听

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Our first scripture reading is read by Bhaktiar - who is a refugee from Iran who worships here at the Cathedral.听 Bhaktiar uses his language skills as a volunteer supporting other refugees and asylum seekers here in Newcastle. He is reading from the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 10.听听听听听听听听

Scripture Reading

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Mark 10:35-37 & 41-44

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The self-giving love of Christ is our pattern as Christians 鈥� but we are often aware of falling short in this respect. Our prayers of confession are led by Helen, one of the Readers here at the Cathedral.听 Helen also volunteers at Newcastle鈥檚 West End Food Bank, and at the Lit & Phil 鈥� the largest independent library outside of London.听 The absolution is pronounced by the Bishop of Newcastle.听听听听听听听听听听听听

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The gospel calls us to turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ.

As we offer ourselves to him in penitence and faith, let us renew our confidence and trust in his mercy.

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(silence)

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In a dark and disfigured world

we have not held out the light of life:

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

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In a hungry and despairing world

we have failed to share our bread:

Christ, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

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In a cold and loveless world

we have kept the love of God to ourselves:

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

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May the God of love

bring us back to himself,

forgive us our sins, (+)

and assure us of his eternal love

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

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Choir Jubilate in Bb Opus 10听听听听听听听听 Charles Villiers Stanford (1852 鈥� 1924)

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The volunteers who we celebrate today are motivated by all sorts of things 鈥� some are people of faith, who find in their scriptures a call to service; others have no religious affiliation, but are answering the instinct deep within humanity to love our neighbours鈥� to 鈥済ive something back鈥�. Many do it simply because they find their voluntary work so meaningful, rewarding, and fun!

Our next scripture reading is a passage from the First Letter of John, Chapter 3.听 It鈥檚 read by Johny from Haiti 鈥� a volunteer speaker and humanitarian worker with Christian Aid. 听听听听听听听听听听听听听

听Reading: 1 John 3:16-23

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Hymn: Brother, sister, let me serve you;

Words: Richard Gillard (b.1953) Tune: All for Jesus听 Music: John Stainer 1840-1901

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We now welcome a reflection from Dr Helen-Ann Hartley whose ministry as Bishop of Newcastle was inaugurated here at the Cathedral last month.听听听听听听听听听听听听听

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Bishop Helen-Ann:听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

A couple of decades ago, I visited the Southern African and Commonwealth country of Lesotho. I was part of a Church delegation, and our busy programme had scheduled a farm visit on the same day as we were due to meet with the King. I had my doubts about turning up at a royal palace following the farm, and it came to pass that after the chickens and cows, late and somewhat dusty and smelly we arrived at the palace in the back of an open truck. The King of Lesotho met us at the front door with a silver tray in his hand bearing cold drinks which was just what was needed. I remember feeling surprised by this, it was not the image of royalty that I had expected. There wasn鈥檛 a butler in sight. Hard-wired into this scene was a simple act of service, of ensuring that visitors were cared for and had their basic needs met. Similarly, in my first episcopal role, in New Zealand鈥檚 North Island my diocese was the home of the M膩ori King, and on many visits to his ancestral meeting place welcome and hospitality to the local community was an ever-present theme. From there I learnt an important saying of indigenous wisdom: naku te rourou nau te rourou ka ora ai te iwi 鈥榝rom your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive鈥�.

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While yesterday鈥檚 Coronation service was full of pageantry, at its heart was a theme of a life committed to serve.

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At the beginning of the Coronation, a young person said to the King:

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Your Majesty, as children of the Kingdom of God we welcome you in the name of the King of Kings.

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His Majesty鈥檚 response was this:

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In his name, and after his example, I come not to be served but to serve.

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Jesus sets the example for us, the pattern of a life to follow not just in word or speech, as our second reading suggests, but in truth and action. This is how we know love. And the word used in that reading is 鈥榓gape鈥�: a strong, unbreakable family commitment, generous and unselfish. If I love my neighbour in this sense, I may not always agree with them, but I will never let them down. As I look around this diocese of Newcastle of which I am now bishop I have already witnessed an immense amount of volunteering amongst different community groups representing many of our own churches and other faith traditions and groups with no explicit faith connection, but which when woven together in a tapestry of community speak powerfully of what our common humanity is capable of achieving. One example comes from Bishop鈥檚 Primary School in Ashington where a Y5 pupil had an idea about how she and her friends could share their reading skills to benefit some of the younger children, so they set up a project called 鈥楻eading Rangers鈥�. One of the students reflected how this act of volunteering made her feel happy because she was helping kids read, and one of the younger pupils who had benefited from the initiative said that it had helped her feel confident. And there鈥檚 The Baby Bank project in St John鈥檚, Percy Main which provides clothing and basic baby essentials, all supported and staffed by volunteers from the church community. Two of the ladies who help this project reflected about their own experience of motherhood many years previously and how they wanted to give back to those who needed help today.

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Along with projects of different kinds, sometimes it is the smallest of gestures and those that just happen in the moment that can make the biggest of differences, from a friendly wave on a Saturday morning run just at the point when I am feeling like I cannot possibly go up that hill for a second-time, to a farmer offering to hose down my wellies before putting them into the boot of my car after a very muddy wander round the milking shed, or someone bringing me a mug of coffee after a Sunday service noticing that I am deep in conversation and not able to get to the church kitchen myself. Actions like these can be profoundly moving and inspiring. They can be challenging too. A couple of years ago I volunteered on a run in a Young Offenders Institution. It involved getting there early to set up the markers for the circular route, getting the lads started on their run, and then to take part in it myself. The young men were considerably faster than I was, and I found myself being lapped several times, but every time this happened I got a 鈥榗ome on, Miss鈥� or a 鈥榢eep going vicar.鈥� And when I eventually finished, there was a big clap and a cheer. I felt a sense of achievement completing the course and knowing that I had maybe helped others get round it too. Encouragement was the order of the day, and that was a truly remarkable thing to behold, especially because I hadn鈥檛 expected it. Sometimes we simply don鈥檛 know the effect that our lives will have on others, often in the most unexpected of ways and in the unlikeliest of circumstances. Because of my experience of volunteering in that place of restriction, recognising in it the life-giving and liberating reality of what God had done in Jesus Christ offered me refreshment and hope and a very different perspective on lives bound up in the criminal justice system. One of the most important aspects of the run was that it wasn鈥檛 about winning, it really was about getting everyone round the course. All of this is a world away from the competitive endeavours of James and John in our first reading. Being a disciple is not about us, about you or me, it鈥檚 about tuning into what God is doing even if that seems outrageous at times. It means being prepared to give away more than to receive, or to put it another way, to pass on the blessings we might obtain and not keep them for ourselves.

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Signs of vulnerability are the hallmarks of a Christian life. Jesus speaks into our lives helping us to realise that it is God who is present in the search for meaning that lies in-between the journey from death to life, from darkness to light, and from being served to serving others. As our new King takes up his role, I pray that is he always aware of God鈥檚 presence, to challenge, guide and uphold him. The example of the one who came not to be served but to serve.

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Amen.

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Behold O God our defender,听 Ps 84:9,10听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 John Scott (1956-2015)

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鈥淏ehold O God our Defender鈥� - composed for the Golden Jubilee of her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2002 and based on words from Psalm 84.

Let us now pray the Collect for the fifth Sunday of Easter:

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Collect for the fifth Sunday of Easter.

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Our prayers of intercession are led by Ollie who helped set up, and volunteers with, Soul Food Spaces in Gateshead, which seeks to create and support places and activities where people can be fed and in turn feed one another to find acceptance, connection, meaning and community.听 The music is an arrangement of the Northumbrian folk tune, Felton Lonnen.

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Prayers

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Your kingdom come, O God of compassion:

with justice, peace, and your healing for all.

May we who pray for the world鈥檚 transformation have courage and wisdom to answer your call.

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For God鈥檚 blessings on our new monarch, King Charles III, that he may find strength to fulfil the high calling which has been laid upon him.

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That his reign will be one in which every one of his subjects might flourish and thrive, let us pray to the Lord:

Your kingdom come鈥�

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For our own calling to be faithful citizens and good neighbours in the communities where we live and work.

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That together we may build stronger relationships, better neighbourhoods and deeper mutual understanding and respect, let us pray to the Lord:

Your kingdom come鈥�

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For the work of volunteers in every walk of life 鈥� in our schools and community groups, our hospitals, places of worship, and cultural institutions.

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That they might continue to strengthen the fabric of our society, and know how their work is valued and appreciated, let us pray to the Lord:

Your kingdom come鈥�

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For the healing of all who suffer in body, mind or spirit, and for those who care for them鈥�

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For those who have died recently,

those whose anniversaries of death fall at this time - and for all who mourn their loss, let us pray to the Lord:

Your kingdom come鈥�

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And so we continue to pray for the coming of God鈥檚 kingdom, in as our Saviour commanded and taught us:

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Our Father, who are in heaven....

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Bishop Helen-Ann

Go forth into the world in peace;

be of good courage;

hold fast that which is good;

render to no one evil for evil;

strengthen the fainthearted; support the weak; help the afflicted; honour everyone; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit; and the blessing of God Almighty, (+) the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be with you and remain with you this day and always.

Amen.听

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Hymn: Longing for light, we wait in darkness.

Words and Music: Bernadette Farrell b.1957听听听听听听

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Go into the world

to walk in God鈥檚 light,

to rejoice in God鈥檚 love

and to reflect God鈥檚 glory.

In the name of Christ.

Amen.听

Voluntary听听听听听听听听听听 Hymne au Soleil - Louis Vierne