Schedule of services
Benefice Notice, Sunday, 24th March
Palm Sunday
Services:
9.00 am Book of Common Prayer Holy Communion, St Peter’s, Great Haseley
10.30 am Benefice Family Worship, St James’, Little Milton
Readings:
Old Testament: Isaiah, Chapter 5, verses 4 – 9a
New Testament: Philippians, Chapter 2, verses 5 – 11
Gospel: Mark, chapter 11, verses 1 - 11 or John, Chapter 12, verses 12 – 16 (this will be the reading for the 10.30 am service at Little Milton)
Collect
Almighty and everlasting God,
who in your tender love towards the human race
sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
to take upon him our flesh
and to suffer death upon the cross:
grant that we may follow the example of his patience and humility,
and also be made partakers of his resurrection;
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.
(or)
True and humble king,
hailed by the crowd as Messiah:
grant us the faith to know you and love you,
that we may be found beside you
on the way of the cross,
which is the path of glory.
Post Communion
Lord Jesus Christ,
you humbled yourself in taking the form of a servant,
and in obedience died on the cross for our salvation:
give us the mind to follow you
and to proclaim you as Lord and King,
to the glory of God the Father.
28th March (Maundy Thursday)
7.00 pm Maundy Thursday Holy Communion, St Peter’s, Great Haseley
Readings:
Old Testament: Exodus, Chapter 12, verses 1 – 4
New Testament: 1 Corinthians, Chapter 11, verses 23 -26
Gospel: John, Chapter 13, verses 1 – 17, 31b – 35
Collect
God our Father,
you have invited us to share in the supper
which your Son gave to his Church
to proclaim his death until he comes:
may he nourish us by his presence,
and unite us in his love;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
(or)
God our Father,
your Son Jesus Christ was obedient to the end
and drank the cup prepared for him:
may we who share his table
watch with him through the night of suffering
and be faithful.
Post Communion
Lord Jesus Christ,
we thank you that in this wonderful sacrament
you have given us the memorial of your passion:
grant us so to reverence the sacred mysteries
of your body and blood
that we may know within ourselves
and show forth in our lives
the fruit of your redemption,
for you are alive and reign, now and for ever.
29th March (Good Friday)
11.00 am Reflection Service, St James’, Little Milton
Collect
Almighty Father,
look with mercy on this your family
for which our Lord Jesus Christ was content to be betrayed
and given up into the hands of sinners
and to suffer death upon the cross;
who is alive and glorified with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
(or)
Eternal God,
in the cross of Jesus
we see the cost of sin
and the depth of your love:
in humble hope and fear
may we place at his feet
all that we have and all that we are,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2.30 pm Easter Friday walk round the three Parishes
All are welcome, including dogs … We will meet on The Green outside The Bull at Great Milton……and hopefully finish back there for a well-earned drink at the end of the walk
30th March, Saturday (Easter Eve)
7.00 pm Easter Eve Vigil, St Peter’s, Great Haseley
(NOT 6.00 PM as originally advertised)
On Easter Eve (Saturday) at St Peter’s, there will be a special Easter Vigil Service. We start in a darkened church and hear bible readings that take us through the sweep of salvation history. We then process outside the Church to gather round a fire which will have been lit. From that we light the Paschal Candle, there might even be some incense! We then process back into the Church where Tim Suter will sing the Exultet, the proclamation of Easter. We re-affirm our baptism vows and conclude with a hymn and chocolates and sweets as we finish the Lenten Fast. It is a lovely simple reflective meditation filled with symbol. Do come along for something a bit different.
Collect
Grant, Lord,
that we who are baptized into the death
of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
may continually put to death our evil desires
and be buried with him;
and that through the grave and gate of death
we may pass to our joyful resurrection;
through his merits,
who died and was buried and rose again for us,
your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
(or)
In the depths of our isolation
we cry to you, Lord God:
give light to our darkness
and bring us out of the prison of our despair;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.