Candlemas liturgy

Candlemas

A powerpoint liturgy used for the celebration of Candlemas at Crook Local Ecumenical Partnership, Sunday 2^nd February 2014.STF = Singing the Faith, New Methodist Hymn Book. STF 232 Through long year of watchful waiting (Tune STF 14 Regent Square )was written by a previous Crook LEP minister, Revd. Tom Wilkinson.

 Epiphany gifts are gold (chocolate coins), myrrh (bath oil) and frankincense (incense), Poem and Sketch from “Cloth for the Cradle,” Wild Goose Publications. Music as stated. Candles decorate the church and communion table.

        

   Giovanni Bellini:  The Presentation at the Temple, c1459

                                             

              Presentation of Jesus at the Temple

Introduction

Dear friends: forty days ago we celebrated the birth of our Lord Jesus        Christ. Now we recall the day on which he was presented in the Temple, when he was offered to the Father and shown to his people. In their old age Simeon and Anna recognised him as their Lord. In this service we remember both the joy of his coming and his searching judgement, looking back to the day of his birth and forward to the coming days of his passion.

Call to worship: Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.

Psalm 118:19

Epiphany Gifts. Gold, incense and myrrh are brought to the communion table

Gold of Gold we seek your glory, the richness that transforms our drabness into colour and brightens our dullness with vibrant light.

God of incense we offer you our spoken and unspeakable longings, our questioning of truth, our search for your mystery deep within.

God of Myrrh we cry out to you in our suffering, the pain of all our rejections, our baffled despair at undeserved suffering and we embrace you, God, with us, in our wealth, in our yearning, in our anger and loss.

Prayer: Gracious God, as your Son Jesus Christ was presented in the  temple and acclaimed a light to the nations, so grant that in him we may be presented to you to shine in the world as lights that reflect his glory. God our Father, whose Son was revealed to Simeon as the light of the nations, and the glory of Israel, let these candles (+) be to us a sign of his light and presence, that, guided by the Holy Spirit, we may live by the light of faith until we come to the light of glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord.        

 Hymn: STF 34 O worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness

Poem: It was to older folk that Jesus came: Wild Goose Community   

  

Psalm 102 (verses 15-16, 18-22)

Let all the peoples praise you, O Lord, Let all the peoples praise you; Let all the peoples praise you, O Lord, Let all the peoples praise you;	2. For generations as yet to be born wrote this, that they may in turn praise the Lord; God who surveys the earth from heaven shall set the captives free. Alleluia. Let all the peoples........
1. Nations and rulers shall one day revere God’s holy name and God’s marvellous glory, when the Lord comes to build Zion again, showing his majesty. Alleluia. Let all the peoples...........	3. Zion shall hear the Lord proudly declared; God’s praise shall resound in Jerusalem’s soul; Kingdoms and peoples shall one day unite, serving the Lord their God. Alleluia Let all the peoples .................

Sketch: Anna and Simeon: Wild Goose Community

Music: Song of the Angels, Margaret Rizza and the St Thomas Music Group.

Offertory Hymn: STF 229 Mary and Joseph came to the Temple (Tune STF 125 Bunessan)

Offertory Prayers:

Reading: Malachi 3:1-5 The prophet not only foretells the coming of the Saviour, but also proclaims that the Lord will come and be seen in his Temple

Hymn: STF 232 Through long year of watchful waiting (Tune STF 14 Regent Square)

Lord to whom shall we go, you have the words of eternal life

Gospel: Luke 2:22-40 we hear the account of Mary and Joseph presenting Jesus in the Temple, as the Jewish Law required, and Simeon, recognizing the Christ-child as the light of the world

Lord to whom shall we go, you have the words of eternal life

Music: Nunc Dimittis: Geoffery Burgon, Wells Cathedral Choir

Sermon:

Prayers of Intercession

Hymn: Arise, shine out your light has come (Tune: Church Triumphant)

1. Arise, shine out, your light has come, unfolding city of our dreams. On distant hills a glory gleams: the new creation has begun.	4. The sounds of violence shall cease as dwellings of salvation rise to sparkle in eternal skies from avenues of praise and peace.
2. Above earth's valleys, thick with night, high on your walls the dawn appears, and history shall dry its tears, as nations stream towards your light.	5. The dancing air shall glow with light, and sun and moon give up their place, when love shines out of every face, our good, our glory, and delight.
3. From walls surpassing time and space unnumbered gates, like open hands, shall gather gifts from all the lands, and welcome all the human race. Brian Wren	James Williams Elliott

Benediction: Lord you fulfilled the hope of Simeon and Anna who lived to welcome the Messiah, may we be prepared to meet Christ Jesus when he comes to bring us to eternal life. So may Jesus Christ, born of Mary, fill you with his grace to trust his promises and obey his will.  

And the blessing of God Almighty......................