St. Paul’s Church, Forebridge, STAFFORD, ST17 4Lj.

and

ST. THOMAS & ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH, DOXEY, ST16 1EQ

Sunday

7^th March 2021

3^rd Sunday of Lent

Grace, mercy and peace

From God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Be with you.

And also with you.

Welcome

Opening Worship – Praise is Rising

Jim Marsden for leading us in our sung worship

Praise is rising, eyes are turning to You, we turn to You

Hope is stirring, hearts are yearning for You, we long for You

'Cause when we see You we find strength to face the day

In Your presence all our fears are washed away, washed away

Hosanna, Hosanna, You are the God who saves us

Worthy of all our praises

Hosanna, Hosanna, Come have Your way among us

We welcome You here, Lord Jesus

Hear the sound of hearts returning to You, we turn to You

In Your Kingdom broken lives are made new, You make us new

'Cause when we see You we find strength to face the day

In Your presence all our fears are washed away, washed away

Hosanna, Hosanna, You are the God who saves us

Worthy of all our praises

Hosanna, Hosanna, Come have Your way among us

We welcome You here, Lord Jesus

Prayer of Preparation

Almighty God, to whom all hearts are 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.

Confession and receiving God’s forgiveness

Our Lord Jesus Christ said:

The first commandment is this:

‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,

with all your soul, with all your mind,

and with all your strength.’

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’

There is no other commandment greater than these.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Amen. Lord, have mercy.

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son Jesus Christ

to save us from our sins, to be our advocate in heaven,

and to bring us to eternal life.

The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart God will not despise.

Let us come to the Lord, who is full of compassion,

and acknowledge our transgressions in penitence and faith.

Silence is kept.

Most merciful God,

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

we confess that we have sinned

in thought, word and deed.

We have not loved you with our whole heart.

We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.

In your mercy, forgive what we have been,

help us to amend what we are,

and direct what we shall be;

that we may do justly, love mercy,

and walk humbly with you, our God.

Amen.

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.

All Amen.

The Collect

Let us pray.

Silence is kept.

Almighty God,

whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain,

and entered not into glory before he was crucified:

mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross,

may find it none other than the way of life and peace;

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.

Amen

Sung Worship – When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

Anne Winnington leads us in our sung worship

Words are on the video

Readings

1 Corinthians 1 v 18-25

¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written:

‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
    the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’^[c]

²⁰ Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. ²² Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

This is the word of the Lord.

All Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

When the Gospel is announced the reader says

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

All Glory to you, O Lord.

John 2 v 13-22

¹³ When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. ¹⁵ So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶ To those who sold doves he said, ‘Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!’ ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it is written: ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’^[b]

¹⁸ The Jews then responded to him, ‘What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?’

¹⁹ Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’

²⁰ They replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?’ ²¹ But the temple he had spoken of was his body. ²² After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

All Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Paul Pooley

Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers of Intercession

After each section:

Lord in your mercy

Hear our prayer

And at the end:

Merciful Father

Accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Amen

The Peace

Since we are justified by faith,    

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has given us access to his grace.

The peace of the Lord be always with you

All and also with you.

Sung Worship – In Christ Alone

John Wyatt (Worship Minister, St John’s, Hoxton) leads us in our sung worship

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My comforter, my all in all
Here, in the love of Christ, I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe

This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save
'Til on that cross, as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin, on him, was laid
Here, in the death of Christ, I live.

There in the ground, his body lay
Light of the world, by darkness, slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave, he rose again
And as he stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am his and he is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Could ever pluck me from his hand
'Til he returns or calls me home
Here, in the power of Christ, I stand

Eucharistic Prayer E

The Lord be with you

All   and also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

All We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All It is right to give thanks and praise.

It is indeed right and good

to give you thanks and praise,

almighty God and everlasting Father,

through Jesus Christ your Son.

For in these forty days

you lead us into the desert of repentance

that through a pilgrimage of prayer and discipline

we may grow in grace

and learn to be your people once again.

Through fasting, prayer and acts of service

you bring us back to your generous heart.

Through study of your holy word

you open our eyes to your presence in the world

and free our hands to welcome others

into the radiant splendour of your love.

As we prepare to celebrate the Easter feast

with joyful hearts and minds

we bless you for your mercy

and join with saints and angels

for ever praising you and saying:

All 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.

We praise and bless you, loving Father, ……

…… until he comes in glory.

Great is the mystery of faith:

Christ has died:

Christ is risen:

Christ will come again.

Lord of all life,…….

………… all honour and glory are yours, O loving Father,

For ever and ever,

All: Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, so we pray:

All Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours

now and for ever. Amen.

Breaking of the Bread

The president breaks the consecrated bread.

Every time we eat this bread

And drink this cup

All we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Receipt of Communion

Jesus is the Lamb of God

Who takes away the sin of the world.

Blessed are those who are called to his supper

All Lord, I am not worthy to receive you,

But only say the word, and I shall be healed.

Revd Martin Strang receives the bread and the wine on behalf of us all and distributes the bread to the others present.

Prayer after Communion

Merciful Lord,

grant your people grace to withstand the temptations

of the world, the flesh and the devil,

and with pure hearts and minds to follow you, the only God;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Sung Worship – Be Thou my Vision

Tony Murley and our Virtual Choir lead us in our sung worship

Words are on the video

The Blessing

Christ give you grace to grow in holiness,

to deny yourselves, take up your cross, and follow him;

and the blessing of God almighty,

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be with you and all whom you love now and for evermore.

All Amen.

The Dismissal

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

All In the name of Christ. Amen.