Newton Heath All Saints
Sunday 28th April 2024
SS Peter and Paul
10.00 am Holy Communion (BCP 1662)
Such as these are chosen. You and me.
Peter: impulsive, picking up the wrong end of the stick; bamboozled for sure at the Transfiguration, and who can blame him? Told he is to be the rock on which Jesus himself will build his church, but denies Jesus three times as the authorities close in. Couldn’t Jesus have done a bit better than “Fish-hook Pete”?
Paul: lawyer and Roman citizen; dramatic almost theatrical conversion on the road to Damascus— What a curious way to recruit people— tireless traveller, prisoner, letter writer. Was he the first Christian theologian? Why is he so hard to understand?
Both were martyred, Peter and his kind blamed by Nero in some accounts for the Great Fire of AD 64 in Rome. Paul, by tradition, was beheaded, as part of that same persecution. Whom he proclaimed became an intolerable irritant.
Jesus shows he is aware that his name will bring mixed responses. At his name, some will bow, some may laugh, others may be threatened. Who do we say Jesus is? How do we live that out, given we are far, far more likely to die respectively in bed, than beheaded or crucified upside down?
Fr A
Music before the service
O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß
O mankind, mourn your great sin
BWV 622 J.S. Bach
Introit Hymn
Jesus shall reign where'er the sun
does his successive journeys run;
his kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
till moons shall wax and wane no more.
People and realms of ev'ry tongue
dwell on his love with sweetest song,
and infant voices shall proclaim
their early blessings on his name.
3To him shall endless prayer be made
and praises throng to crown his head;
his name like incense shall arise
with ev'ry morning sacrifice.
Let ev'ry creature rise and bring
peculiar honours to our King;
angels descend with songs again,
and earth repeat the loud amen.
Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
Collect of the Day
Almighty God,
whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul
glorified thee in their death as in their life: grant that thy Church,
inspired by their teaching and example, and made one by thy Spirit, may ever stand firm on the one foundation which is thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
For the Epistle
Acts 12.1-11
12Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 2And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) 4And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. 5Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. 6And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
7And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 8And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 9And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. 10When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. 11And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
Gospel
Matthew 16.13-19
13When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
THE CREED
(Order of Service booklet p 2)
The Sermon
Cycle of Prayer
Our bishops:
David, Mark, and Matthew
The Anglican Communion
Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui
Porvoo Communion
Church of England:
Diocese of Lincoln
Church of Sweden:
Diocese of Härnösand
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland: Diocese of Lapua
Schools and Colleges
All Saints; St Wilfrid’s;
Briscoe Lane Academy;
Christ the King;
Co-op Academy Broadhurst;
Oldham Blue Coat; Trinity High School; Hopwood Hall College;
St Ambrose College
Parish
Goodier Street, Graver Lane, Greenwich Close, Griffiths Street, Grimshaw Lane, Hackney Avenue.
Book of Remembrance
Edward Price, Harold Spanswick,
Albert Steel, Edna Booth,
Arthur Singer, Joyce Dennerly,
Hymn after Communion
1 Holy Spirit, ever dwelling
in the holiest realms of light,
Holy Spirit, ever brooding
o'er a world of gloom and night,
Holy Spirit, ever raising
those of earth to thrones on high,
living, life-imparting Spirit,
you we praise and magnify.
2 Holy Spirit, ever living
as the Church's very life,
Holy Spirit, ever striving
through us in a ceaseless strife,
Holy Spirit, ever forming
in the Church the mind of Christ,
you we praise with endless worship
for your gracious gifts unpriced.
3 Holy Spirit, ever working
through the Church's ministry,
teaching, strength'ning, and
absolving,
setting captive sinners free,
Holy Spirit, ever binding
age to age and soul to soul
in communion never ending,
you we worship and extol.
Timothy Rees (1874-1939)
Music: Salisbury Herbert Howells
Gloria
(Order of Service booklet p 8)
Hymn
And can it be that I should gain
an interest in the Saviour's blood?
Died he for me, who caused his pain?
For me, who him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
He left his Father's throne above -
so free, so infinite his grace -
emptied himself of all but love,
and bled for Adam's helpless race.
'Tis mercy all, immense and free;
for, O my God, it found out me!
Long my imprisoned spirit lay
fast bound in sin and nature's night;
thine eye diffused a quickening ray -
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light,
my chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in him, is mine!
Alive in him, my living head,
and clothed in righteousness divine,
bold I approach the eternal throne,
and claim the crown, through Christ, my own.
The last two lines of each verse are repeated.
Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Blessing
Voluntary
Fanfare William Mathias ( 1934-92)
Authorised Version of the Bible and Collects
(Book of Common Prayer, 1662)
© Crown and Cambridge University Press