Second Sunday after Pentecost – 6th June 2021

ORDER OF SERVICE

You can click to expand or minimize the order of service below.

All are requested to join in wherever text is GREEN or when instructed by Fr. David.

Where the ✝ is shown, all are encouraged to make the sign of the cross.

Where the ✊ is shown all are encouraged to strike their breast with a closed hand following the actions of Fr. David.

Where the ✋ is shown all are encouraged to tap their breast with an open hand following the actions of Fr. David.

Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only light,
Sun of Righteousness, arise,
Triumph o’er the shades of night;
Dayspring from on high, be near;
Daystar, in my heart appear.

Dark and cheerless is the morn
Unaccompanied by thee;
Joyless is the day’s return,
Till thy mercy’s beams I see;
Till they inward light impart,
Glad my eyes, and warm my heart.

Visit then this soul of mine,
Pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
Fill me, radiancy divine,
Scatter all my unbelief;
More and more thyself display,
Shining to the perfect day.

Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ✝

And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen

 

From Easter to Pentecost:

Allelulia. Christ is risen!

The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia

 

In Lent and other penitential occasions:

Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins;

His mercy endures for ever.

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

 

Let us pray:

Almighty God, to whom all hearts be open, all desires known and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

This prayer is omitted during Lent and Advent:

Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth.  Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.  Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.  Amen.

 Holy God, holy and mighty ✝, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

A reading from the Book of

Genesis

They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,
cursed are you among all animals
and among all wild creatures;

upon your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.

I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;

he will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.”

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God

Psalm 130

De profundis

1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice; *
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.

2 If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, *
O Lord, who could stand?

3 For there is forgiveness with you; *
therefore you shall be feared.

4 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; *
in his word is my hope.

5 My soul waits for the Lord,
more than watchmen for the morning, *
more than watchmen for the morning.

6 O Israel, wait for the Lord, *
for with the Lord there is mercy;

7 With him there is plenteous redemption, *
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.

A reading from the book of 2 Corinthians

Just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—“I believed, and so I spoke” —we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God

All stand for the Acclamation and Gospel reading.

Acclamation:

Alleluia! Alleluia!

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,

And my Father will love him,

And we shall come to him.

Alleluia!

The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to:

Mark

✝✝✝

The crowd came together again, so that Jesus and his disciples could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

After the Gospel reading

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

Sin – it’s an ugly word, isn’t it?  So much so that it has tended to become rather ‘sanitised’ nowadays, and watered down – passed off as ‘crime’, which is a legal infringement rather than ‘sin’ which is a moral one, and a crime therefore against God!  Sin has become ‘unfashionable’ and the whole concept of Hell dismissed as ‘superstitious nonsense’ peddled by ‘hell-fire’ preachers, and psychologically damaging!  Oh dear, just one more indication of the ‘snowflake’ society which we have become in recent times!

The readings for today though invite us to take a long, hard look at sin, to recognise it for what it is in all its enormity, and to take back our responsibility for it.

In the first reading, the authors of Genesis propound what they understood to be the cause of sin and evil in the world – in other words, humankind’s preference for its own wilfulnessover obedience to the loving will of God. As a result of sin, the struggle between good and evil became an inherent aspect of the human experience. This struggle of strike and counter-strike continues unabated but not unaided, alas.

As Paul points out to his readers in Corinthians, God’s grace is bestowed in abundance in order that we may not lose heart as we struggle. In today’s gospel, Jesus is accused of being in collusion with Satan or, at the very least, of being out of his mind. Putting evil in its place and naming sin for what it is, Jesus reminds us that sin and evil must be confronted; the relationship we were meant to enjoy with God will be restored only when we learn to do as Jesus did. . . to do the will of God in all we are, and in all we do.

Today’s readings present three incidents which are often discussed in religious circles.  The first is the way that Adam was caught out by God after he sinned.  Adam said that he hid himself because he was naked. Why – why was he embarrassed by his nakedness?  The second incident is in the Gospel where Jesus said that all sins can be forgiven except sin against the Holy Spirit. Whatis this?  The third incident is also in the Gospel, the references to the mother, and the brothers and sisters of the Lord. If Mary was always a virgin, then who were those brothers and sisters?  In Hebrew parlance, a cousin or other close relative is a brother or sister. Jesus was seeking to convey that all those who listened with sincerity to what he had to say were, by extension, ‘his family’, and there was no intention thereby to dishonour his own mother and blood relatives!  Just rememberthe trade unionists habit of referring to all their comrades as ‘brothers and sisters’ as an extensionof the same thought process. Preachers also commonly refer to their listeners in a similarmanner, as did I only last Sunday! Perhaps these three topics do not appear to be related, but they are if we consider these readings from the viewpoint of sincerity and living our faith.

Adam’s sin is exposed in the simple act of hidinghimself, and thereby revealing his own guilt.  In the beautiful anthropomorphic imagery of the creation story, that is God, taking on the form or a human being, looks for Adam in the Garden.  Adam tells God that he hid because he was naked.  This really is not remotely to do with nudity.  God created the body and therefore it is beautiful, and not something that Adam had the slightest need to seek to hide from God. No, this is about being exposed before the Lord.  Adam was revealed as proud.  He wanted to be like God.  Adam was self-centred.  His desires were moreimportant than God’s will.  He was disobedient.  God could not tell him what he could, or could notdo.  Then, at the fall, Adam recognized what he was really like; proud, egotistical and disobedient.  He was exposed before God. He was naked.  He hid himself.  Even during God’s questioning, Adam refused to take the blame for his actions – a clear case of BSE- Blame Someone Else!  According to Adam, it was Eve’s fault, and she in her turn blamed the serpent.  Adam even reminds God that it was he who was responsible for creating Eve.  Adam’s nakedness was thus even further revealed.  It is sad, but we can look into the depths of Adam’s nakedness and see in it our own refusal to submit to God’s will, as well as our own rationalisation for the things we do wrong.

The scribes in the Gospel were also exposed for whom they were – people who quite simply and unashamedly used religion for their own ends.  They were not in the least spiritual.  They deliberately sought to misrepresent Jesus’ good works as coming from the devil.  How can Satan drive out Satan, and thereby destroy himself?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him.  But noone can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man.  Then he can plunder his house.  Refusing to see the holiness of the Lord is the great sin against the Holy Spirit, to which I referred a few moments ago. This is the only sin that cannot be forgiven.  God cannot absolve someone who does not believe that God has the power to forgive him.  If there was anything spiritual at all about the scribes, they would at least have recognized some form of goodness in Jesus’ works.  But alas, there was nothing spiritual whatsoever about them.

In the same reading, Jesus was not afraid to expose himself for who he was.  His family thought that he had to be out of his mind to take on the scribes, and leaders of the Jews.  That was a quick and certain way to an early death.  Why would Jesus do this?  Jesus was not afraid to say what he believed, and to do what had to be done.  Jesus’ family is presented here as coming to try to dissuade him from his public utterances.  Thisphrase, since it also mentions the mother and brothers of Jesus, is often taken out of context, particularly by those who use it as a basis to argue against the virginity of Mary. In the context of scripture, Jesus’ family, and that’s all his family, are presented as concerned that he was getting himself into trouble.  A common person had to be crazy to take on the intelligentsia of the nation.   Jesus was not afraid to show himself in his true colours.  If revealing himself, exposing himself meant death, then he would die, so that the world might experience the presence of God.

St. Paul paraphrases part of Psalm 116 in today’s second reading, when he says, we believe, and so we speak out.  This is what Jesus did.  That is what Christians must do.  Our actions must expose our commitment to the Kingdom of God.  We have to speak out in the face of evil.  That is the reason why, on occasions, religious leaders and others are not afraid to take positions which may not be popular, but which are moral.  If we don’t stand up for morality, for the truth, then we would not be faithful to who we are, or at least to who we are trying to become.  Evil can only triumph when the silent majority sit on their hands and do nothing, as unfortunately we have seen all too often through the course of history!

Like Adam then, we all stand naked before the Lord.  Do we have to hide ourselves, or do we want the Lord to see us exactly as we are? Today then, let us pray that our spirit and our actionsmay be exposed as actions of people committed to the Kingdom of God.  Amen

Please stand for the Nicene Creed.

Let us together affirm the faith of the Church. ✝

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven:

was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,

and became truly human.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

✝ and the life of the world to come.  Amen.

Let us pray in the power of the Holy Spiri, the source of healing and grace.

Give to your Church grace to be constant in all the duties laid upon her, while looking always to the greater calling beyond this world.

We pray for the welfare of your church here on earth; guide and govern it by your Spirit, so that all Christians may be led in the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life.  Fill our worship with wonder and adoration.

We ask your blessing on Vsevolod our Bishop, on this, our parish of St. George – for its work, its worship and its witness.  We pray particularly for Fr. David in his ministry to us, and for all members of our congregation, be they near or far.

Heal her divisions, and make her one in love, so that no evil can enter.

1 Lord in your mercy – Hear our prayer.

Come to all the rulers of this world and make them know themselves to be responsible only to you, the Ruler of all…

We pray for the leaders of the nations of this world, and especially for the King and Government of Thailand, and also in the countries from which we come.

We remember in particular the people of North Korea and Belarus, India and the Holy Land, Myanmar and Northern Ireland, Brazil and Ukraine, Afghanistan and Latin America.

Grant wisdom to those in authority in every land, and give to all people a desire for righteousness and peace, the will to work together in trust, to seek the common good, and to share with justice and equity the limited resources of the earth.

Give to all who desire the good of humanity a shared will and a common purpose to work freely together.

2 Lord in your mercy – Hear our prayer.

Be close to us in our families, resolving the doubts and healing conflicts that may trouble us…

We pray for all who are prevented from, or persecuted for practicing their faith, especially for Christians in North Korea, China, Pakistan, Iran, Sudan, and Nigeria. We pray for our fellow Christians both here in Thailand and also in our own home countries.

Teach us also to know that all are members of our family because they are yours.

3 Lord in your mercy – Hear our prayer.

Have mercy on all those who have lost their power to resist the attacks of evil…

We pray for all those who suffer; the sick; the poor; the depressed; the lonely; the unloved; the persecuted; the unemployed and those who care for them. Those who grieve; and those who have nobody to pray for them.

We remember especially at this time all those who find it necessary to self isolate who may be known to us, and the difficulties this will inevitably produce.

4 Lord in your mercy – Hear our prayer.

Bless and enable those who work to relieve their suffering…

We remember all those whose lives have been touched by the COVID 19 pandemic; particularly for all those here in Pattai-Ya whose livelihoods have been destroyed;  and where so many depend on the hotel, hospitality, and tourist industry, now given added urgency as the outbreak has increased in intensity.

Amongst the sick we remember;

Fr. Tom, Robert, Colin, Mavis, Patricia, Ron, Eric, Kent, David, Sedi, Graham, Elizabeth, Conrad, Isabelle,  Jun and any others known personally to each and every one of us…

Empower and protect all exorcists and healers of mind and spirit.

5 Lord in your mercy – Hear our prayer.

As Jesus was raised from the dead, so grant resurrection and new life to those who have died trusting in him…

We pray for all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, and for all the departed, especially the many millions who have died in the COVID pandemic.

We remember particularly all whose anniversary falls at this time…..

Though their outward bodies have perished, clothe them in the new garments of salvation.

6 Lord in your mercy – Hear our prayer.

We pray through Christ, by whom we are healed and empowered to be his people.

Grant that what we have asked in faith we may by your grace receive, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

THE CONFESSION:

God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy, welcoming sinners and inviting them to the Lord’s table.

Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith, confident in God’s forgiveness.

Merciful God, our maker and our judge, we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed, and in what we have failed to do: we have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves; we repent and are sorry ✊ for all ✊ our sins ✊, Father forgive us, strengthen us to love and obey you in newness of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

**(Note: all are encouraged to strike their breast 3 times following the lead of Fr. David as he utters the words: ‘sorry for all our sins’)**

Almighty God, who has promised forgiveness to all who turn to him in faith, pardon you ✝ and set you free from all your sins, strengthen you in all goodness and keep you in eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

THE PEACE:

The congregation stands.

We are the Body of Christ.

His Spirit is with us.

 

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

Please greet each other with a sign of peace.

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.

For the love of God is broader
Than the measure of man’s 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 will not own.

There is plentiful redemption
In the blood that has been shed;
There is joy for all the members
In the sorrows of the head.

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.

THE OFFERTORY

Blessed are you, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have these gifts to share. Accept and use our offerings for your glory and the service of your kingdom.

Blessed be God forever.

 Let us pray

We do not presume to come to your table, merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your manifold and great mercies.  We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table, but you are the same Lord whose nature is always to have mercy. Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of your dear son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us.  Amen.

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER C

The Lord be with you.

and also with you.

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.

Proper Preface

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

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 [N 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.

Let us pray with confidence to the Father, as our Saviour has taught us:

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.

O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.  ✋

O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.✋

O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.✋

**(Note:  All are encouraged to tap their breast three times following the example of Fr. David as he utters the words ‘…have mercy, …have mercy and …grant us peace’)**

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.

This is the Lamb of God ✝, who takes away the sins of the world;

Happy are those who are called to his supper.

Lord, I am not worthy ✊ to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

**(Note:  All are encouraged to strike breast following the example of Fr. David as all utter the words ‘not worthy’)** 

After Communion the celebrant and the congregation say

 

Let us pray.

Father of all we give you thanks and praise that when we were still far off you met us in your Son and brought us home. Dying and living, he declared your love, gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory. May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life; we who drink his cup bring life to others; we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world. 

Keep us in this hope that we have grasped; so we and all your children shall be free, and the whole earth live to praise your name.

Father, we offer ourselves to you as a living sacrifice through Jesus Christ our Lord. Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord: and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit ✝, be amongst you and remain with you always.

Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord:

In the name of Christ.  Amen.

Pour out thy Spirit from on high;
Lord, thine assembled servants bless;
Graces and gifts to each supply,
And clothe thy priests with righteousness.

Within the temple when they stand,
To teach the truth, as taught by thee,
Saviour, like stars in thy right hand
May all thy Church’s pastors be.

To watch and pray, and never faint,
By day and night, strict guard to keep,
To warn the sinner, cheer the saint,
Nourish thy lambs, and feed thy sheep.

Then, when their work is finished here,
May they in hope their charge resign
When the Chief Shepherd shall appear,
O God, may they and we be thine.

CONTRIBUTE TO OUR WORK

Music

Here is the music for this week’s hymns, if you would like to practice beforehand.

Performed by Fr. David Price

NOTE: The introductory music is Prelude in C major (BWV 545) – Bach