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主播大秀 Radio 4 Sunday Worship

Mothering Sunday

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Ripley St Thomas CE Academy, Lancaster

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INTROIT听

Christ be with me

Words from a prayer by St Patrick (5th century)

Music: OLIVER TARNEY (b.1984)

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WELCOME AND GATHERING

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LVS听 Good morning.听 Welcome to Sunday Worship from the Chapel of Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy in the ancient city of Lancaster, situated to the south of the Lake District and a few miles inland from Morecambe Bay. My name is The Reverend Leah Vasey-Saunders and I鈥檓 the Vicar of Lancaster. Today is Mothering Sunday and, in today鈥檚 service, we want to give thanks to God for mothers and all those who play a caring role. Our service will also be led by pupils from the school.

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Pupil听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Through the patronage of Thomas and Julia Ripley, this school started life in 1864 as the Ripley Hospital, an orphanage for three hundred children from Lancaster and Liverpool.听 It鈥檚 now the biggest school in Lancashire, with over seventeen hundred pupils aged eleven to eighteen.听 My name is Benji鈥�

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Pupil听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥�and I am Alicia, and we are both in Year 11 here.听 Choral singing is a defining feature of our school, and our Chapel Choir, who opened our service today, leads acts of public worship throughout the year which doesn鈥檛 happen in many schools. We鈥檙e delighted to be joined by The Right Revd Dr Jill Duff, Bishop of Lancaster, who is our preacher today, and our school chaplain Michael Reynolds who will help to lead our worship.

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LVS听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 We meet in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Amen.

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LVS听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 In you, O God, every family on earth receives its name.

All听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Illumine our homes with the light of your love.

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LVS听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 We thank you for gifts of love we have received.

All听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 For all who nurture, nourish and guide us as we grow to be who we are.

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LVS听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 As we have been loved by them, so we are loved by you, O God.

听听听听听听 Join with us in this day of celebration as we rejoice in being loved.

听听听听听听 God鈥檚 grace, mercy and peace be with you.

All听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 And also with you.

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HYMN听

Sing we of the blessed Mother

Words: G.B. TIMMS (1910-1997)

Music: Abbot鈥檚 Leigh by CYRIL TAYLOR (1907-1991)

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PENITENTIAL RITE

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Michael听听听听听听听听听 Let us call to mind our failure to value the love of others and our failure to love as Christ has loved us.

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Silence is kept.

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Michael听听听听听听听听听 We confess to you our selfishness and lack of love: fill us with your Spirit.

听听听听听听 Lord, have mercy.

All听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Lord, have mercy.

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Michael听听听听听听听听听 We confess to you our fear and failure in sharing our faith: fill us with your Spirit. Christ, have mercy.

All听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Christ, have mercy.

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Michael听听听听听听听听听 We confess to you our stubbornness and lack of trust: fill us with your Spirit. Lord, have mercy.

All听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Lord, have mercy.

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LVS听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 May the Father of all mercies cleanse you from your sins, and restore you in his image to the praise and glory of his name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Amen.

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Pupil听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 With us today are friends from St Luke鈥檚 Church of England Primary School, Slyne-with-Hest. They join our singing of Psalm 34, remembering King David鈥檚 encouragement to the next generation.听

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RESPONSORIAL PSALM听 Psalm 34.11-20

Music: COLIN MAWBY (1936-2009)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

With Primary school pupils joining with the refrain.

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COLLECT

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LVS听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Let us pray.

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God of compassion,

whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary,

shared the life of a home in Nazareth,

and on the cross drew the whole human family to himself: strengthen us in our daily living

that in joy and in sorrow

we may know the power of your presence

to bind together and to heal;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

All听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Amen.

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HYMN

In the silence and the darkness听

Words: MOTHER CARRIE THOMPSON (b.1977)

Music: Garnett by DON GILLTHORPE (b.1984)

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READING 1 Samuel 2.1-10

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Pupil听听听听听听听听听听听听听 A reading from the first book of Samuel.

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Hannah prayed and said,

鈥楳y heart exults in the听Lord;

听听听听my strength is exalted in my God.

My mouth derides my enemies,

听听听听because I rejoice in my[听victory.

鈥楾here is no Holy One like the听Lord,

听听听听no one besides you;

听听听听there is no Rock like our God.

He raises up the poor from the dust;

听听听听he lifts the needy from the ash heap,

to make them sit with princes

听听听听and inherit a seat of honour.

For the pillars of the earth are the听Lord鈥檚,

听听听听and on them he has set the world.

鈥楬e will guard the feet of his faithful ones,

听听听听but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness;

听听听听for not by might does one prevail.

The听Lord! His adversaries shall be shattered;

听听听听the Most High will thunder in heaven.

The听Lord听will judge the ends of the earth;

听听听听he will give strength to his king,

听听听听and exalt the power of his anointed.鈥�

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For the word of the Lord:

All听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Thanks be to God.

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MAGNIFICAT

Music: OWEN ALSTOTT (b.1947)

With Primary school pupils joining with the refrain.

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READING John 19.16-27

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Pupil听听听 听听听听听听听听听 A reading from the Gospel according to St John.

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Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew听is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, 鈥楯esus of Nazareth,听the King of the Jews.鈥� Many read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew,听in Latin, and in Greek. Then the chief priests said to Pilate, 鈥楧o not write, 鈥淭he King of the Jews鈥�, but, 鈥淭his man said, I am King of the Jews.鈥濃�櫶齈ilate answered, 鈥榃hat I have written I have written.鈥櫶齏hen the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top.听So they said to one another, 鈥楲et us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.鈥� This was to fulfil what the scripture says,

鈥楾hey divided my clothes among themselves,

and for my clothing they cast lots.鈥�

And that is what the soldiers did.

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother鈥檚 sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.听When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, 鈥榃oman, here is your son.鈥櫶齌hen he said to the disciple, 鈥楬ere is your mother.鈥� And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

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For the word of the Lord:

All听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Thanks be to God.

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SERMON

The Rt Revd Dr Jill Duff, Bishop of Lancaster

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1 Samuel 2. 1-10

Magnificat

John 19.16-27

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鈥淗e has filled the hungry with good things鈥� (Luke 1.53)

鈥淣ear the cross of Jesus stood his mother鈥� (John 19.25)

These two verses span thirty-three years of Mary鈥檚 life. The joy and pain of being the mother of Jesus. From the joy of her full-throttle praise when she shares the amazing news of her pregnancy with cousin Elizabeth, to the desolation and pain as she surrenders her son to death on a cross.

The joy and pain of motherhood

The joy and pain of mothering Sunday.

Perhaps for you, today is a day of joy. I remember filling my application form for being a bishop. After twelve pages of minute details about my life, I finally came to a box labelled: 鈥淎ny other information鈥�. YES, I typed with indignation, the best thing not on my CV is being a mum to two boys. They are both taller than me now, but being their mum has brought me so much joy. I am sorry when women feel they ought to apologise for their children in the workplace, or for taking time to be at home to care for them. It鈥檚 not all joy 鈥� as 主播大秀 comedy Motherland depicts with insight. But there鈥檚 lots to treasure. Talking of CVs, my son aged six, once announced: 鈥淢ummy, you鈥檙e good at three things鈥�. 鈥淐hoosing nice clothes, putting on make-up, and finding fun things for us to do鈥�. Being a mum has filled my heart with good things.

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But perhaps for you today, today is a day of pain. It could be you longed to have children and this simply has never been possible. Or perhaps pain is woven deep: through loss of your mum; a painful relationship with your mum, or maybe you never even knew your mum. Maybe today, you find yourself at the cross, your heart pierced with pain, like Mary.

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Pain can become a landing pad for evil. I discovered this quite personally just before lockdown. It came to light when I least expected it to: Lambeth Palace, HQ of the C of E, during a meeting of all the bishops. As a way of offering us some much-appreciated space to pray, the dedicated praying community at Lambeth, the Community of St Anselm, had converted parts of this ancient building into prayer rooms, based round Psalm 139, a psalm which speaks of God鈥檚 care for us. It was a very restoring time.

But one prayer room was called the 鈥渨omb room鈥�. It had blacked out windows, lit with soft red light, a heart-beat pulsing, based on the verse: 鈥淔or you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother鈥檚 womb鈥� (Psalm 139.13). I felt a sense of repulsion (talk of wombs felt out of place here in a predominantly male environment) and I judiciously avoided this room. Until the end. I felt I really had to go in there to pray. I sat down in the dark. And quite unexpectedly, burst into floods of tears. I went to find one of the chaplains: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand why I am so upset. I had a happy childhood. Except my Mum didn鈥檛 want children鈥�. Aha...鈥� as the last words came out of my mouth, it was like something I hadn鈥檛 ever vocalised came out into the light.

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I was due to see my spiritual director, Jenny, a fortnight later. A spiritual director is a fancy name for someone who takes care of you spiritually...She has been like a spiritual Mum to me over the last twenty years or so; her wisdom and spiritual discernment are spot on. So I brought up the story with her. Tears again. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand why I am so upset鈥�. 鈥淛ill鈥�, she said tenderly, 鈥淟isten to your tears鈥�. In my head, I pushed back 鈥� What? I don鈥檛 listen to tears, I am a scientist and I think things through rationally鈥� But I could make no sense鈥� and so I listened鈥�. And deep in my heart emerged a question: 鈥淎m I wanted?鈥�

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鈥淎m I wanted?鈥� I had never realised I had been living with that question all my life. Since my conception. As Jenny gently prayed for me, I felt sick, very sick. It was like deep darkness was coming out of me. Leaving a massive gap. 鈥淚 see an image of you being born as a baby with Jesus cradling you, laughing with delight鈥�, she whispered. She prayed that where the darkness had left, I would be filled with His joy. Gosh! My heart felt fit to burst. An overwhelming sense of joy flooded in, almost bursting my heart. In fact, the following day I was leading a quiet day for some curates. 鈥淏ishop Jill鈥� they commented, 鈥淵ou are carrying so much joy鈥�. Too right. I had just spent time with the surgeon of our souls- Jesus Christ himself!

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As we reflected on that deep dark root, it was as if Jesus unravelled a dark thread which had connected me to my own mother and grandmother鈥檚 story.

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When my Mum was born, so she was told, my granddad looked away in disappointment. Because she was a girl. That sounds harsh and sexist, but it was quite common for fathers to think like that in those days. And there was a back story. Back in the day, my Gran gave birth to her first baby at home. It was a breach birth. Michael was stillborn. Then came my aunt. Then a last-ditch attempt, in her late 30s to have a boy. If you had met my Mum, I sometimes felt she had the word 鈥渄isappointment鈥� written on her forehead. She assumed, from the day she was born, that she would disappoint. Because she was a girl. It was as if I had picked up her reticence too 鈥� even before birth. But when darkness revealed itself in the light of Jesus, he wonderfully unravelled and uprooted it. And filled me with such joy. Like Mary鈥檚 song 鈥� he filled the hungry with good things.

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On this Mothering Sunday, whatever your story, may you know that you are wanted by God. You are treasured. He sees you in the joy and in the pain. Listen to the tears. He longs to fill you with good things.听

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ANTHEM

Upon your heart听

Eleanor Daley

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PRAYERS

Pupil听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Heavenly Father,

听听听听听听 we praise and glorify you for your steadfast love

听听听听听听 and the nurture of all your children.听

听听听听听听 On this Mothering Sunday, we give special thanks for our mothers

听听听听听听 and all those who care for us.听

听听听听听听 We think of all those for whom today is challenging:

听听听听听听 Those who no longer have a mother,

听听听听听听 Those who cannot be or are no longer mothers,

听听听听听听 And those who have difficult relationships with their families.

听听听听听听 Protect them.听 Guide them.

听听听听听听 Comfort them. Strengthen them.

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听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 God of Love:

All听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Hear our prayer

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Pupil听 As we meet to celebrate the care and compassion of our mothers,

听听听听听听 We are grateful that we are loved, supported and safe.

听听听听听听 We pray for all those around the world whose safety is threatened

听听听听听听 through war and violence.

听听听听听听 We lift to you the Middle East, Ukraine, and other areas of conflict.

听听听听听听 Guide the leaders of the world in the ways of freedom, justice and truth;

Help us all, to remember the cost of war,

and to work for a better tomorrow;

As we commend to you lives lost in terror and conflict,

bring us all to know the peace of your presence.

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听 听听听听听God of Love:

All听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听Hear our prayer

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Pupil听听听 听听听听听听听听听 A prayer of St Anselm:

Jesus, like a mother you gather your people to you;

you are gentle with us as a mother with her children.

Despair turns to hope through your sweet goodness;

through your gentleness we find comfort in fear.

Your warmth gives life to the dead,

your touch makes sinners righteous.

Lord Jesus, in your mercy heal us;

in your love and tenderness remake us.

In your compassion bring grace and forgiveness,

for the beauty of heaven may your love prepare us.

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听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 God of Love:

All听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Hear our prayer

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Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us.

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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.听

Amen.

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HYMN

Tell out my soul

Words: TIMOTHY DUDLEY-SMITH

Music: Woodlands by WALTER GREATOREX (1877-1949)

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BLESSING AND DISMISSAL

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+Jill听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 The love of the Lord Jesus draw you to himself,

the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen you in his service,

the joy of the Lord Jesus fill your hearts;

and the blessing of God Almighty,

the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

be among you and remain with you always.

All听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Amen.

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LVS听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Go in peace to love and serve the Lord

All听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 In the name of Christ. Amen

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VOLUNTARY

Gigue

Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre (1665-1729)

Played by Ian Pattinson FRCO