Welcome to this week’s Windmill United Benefice online service of Sung Evensong for Candlemas. Nicholas, Charles and Tony all filmed their parts in St Mary the Virgin, Horne. The readings were recorded remotely and the music was all recorded at previous services in the benefice.

Just click on the arrow below to take part. All the words follow

The hymn ‘Thou, whose almighty word’ is sung

Thou, whose almighty word
chaos and darkness heard,
and took their flight;
hear us, we humbly pray,
and where the Gospel day
sheds not its glorious ray,
let there be light.

Thou, who didst come to bring
On thy redeeming wing,
Healing and sight,
Health to the sick in mind,
Sight to the inly blind,
O now to humankind
Let there be light.

Spirit of truth and love,
Life-giving, holy Dove,
Speed forth thy flight;
Move on the water’s face,
Bearing the lamp of grace,
And in earth’s darkest place
Let there be light.

Holy and blessèd Three,
Glorious Trinity,
Wisdom, Love, Might;
Boundless as ocean’s tide
Rolling in fullest pride,
Through the earth far and wide
Let there be light.

The service is led by Revd Dr Tony Rich

Beloved, 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.

 As a sign of his coming among us, his mother was purified, as we now come to him for cleansing. In their old age Simeon and Anna recognised him as their Lord, as we today sing of his glory. We are come together to celebrate the joy of his coming, looking back to the day of his birth and forward to the coming days of his passion.

Wherefore let us kneel in silence, and remember God’s presence with us now.

Let us humbly confess our sins to Almighty God.

Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults. Restore thou them that are penitent; according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of thy holy name. Amen.

Grant, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O Lord, open thou our lips;
and our mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

O God, make speed to save us;
O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Praise ye the Lord.
The Lord’s name be praised.

Psalm 24
THE earth is the Lord’s, and all that therein is: the compass of the world, and they that dwell therein.

For he hath founded it upon the seas: and prepared it upon the floods.

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord: or who shall rise up in his holy place?

Even he that hath clean hands, and a pure heart: and that hath not lift up his mind unto vanity, nor sworn to deceive his neighbour.

He shall receive the blessing from the Lord: and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

This is the generation of them that seek him: even of them that seek thy face, O Jacob.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors: and the King of glory shall come in.

Who is the King of glory: it is the Lord strong and mighty, even the Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors: and the King of glory shall come in.

Who is the King of glory: even the Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

The first lesson is taken from Malachi 3: 1-4
and is read by Nick Case Green

The Magnificat (Brewer in D);
recorded by members of the choirs of the Windmill United Benefice at Choral Evensong in October 2019

My soul doth magnify the Lord:
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded:
the lowliness of his handmaiden.

For behold from henceforth: 
all generations shall call me blessèd.

For he that is mighty hath magnified me: 
and holy is his Name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him: 
throughout all generations.

He hath shewèd strength with his arm:
he hath scattered the proud, in the imagination
            of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat:
and hath exalted the humble and meek.

He hath fillèd the hungry with good things:
and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He remembering his mercy hath holpen his
            servant Israel:
as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and
            his seed for ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: 
and to the Holy Ghost;

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be:
world without end. Amen. 

The second lesson is taken from Luke 2: 22-40
and is read by Pat Williams

The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.

O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.
And grant us thy salvation.

O Lord, save the Queen.
And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Endue thy ministers with righteousness.
And make thy chosen people joyful.

O Lord, save thy people.
And bless thine inheritance.

Give peace in our time, O Lord.
Because there is none other that fighteth for us,
but only thou, O God.

O God, make clean our hearts within us.
And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

The Collect for the Day
Almighty and ever-living God, we humbly beseech thy Majesty, that, as thy only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in substance of our flesh, so we may be presented unto thee with pure and clean hearts, by the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Second Collect
O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed; give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both, our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that, by thee, we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

The Third Collect
Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The sermon is preached by Revd Charles Sargent

The anthem is a setting of the Nunc Dimittis

It was written specially for the choirs of the Windmill United Benefice by Roger Hind and recorded by them before its first performance at Candlemas in 2019

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace:
according to thy word.

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 
which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

To be a light to lighten the Gentiles:
and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: 
 and to the Holy Ghost;

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be:      
world without end. Amen.

Revd Nicholas Calver leads the prayers at the crib

Almighty God and Father, Source of all light,
At Christmas we celebrated the birth of Jesus,
the light of the world.
Today thou revealed to Simeon
thy light of revelation to the nations.
As we light these candles,
may they be a sign to us of that light,
that we may bring thy light to others
and walk in the light thy presence
throughout the coming year,
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Nicholas, Charles and Tony light their candles from the crib

Lord, here we bring to an end our celebration
of the Saviour’s birth.

Help us, in whom he has been born,
to live his life that has no end.

Here we have offered the Church’s sacrifice of praise.

Help us, who have received the bread of life, to be thankful for your gift.

Here we have rejoiced with faithful Simeon and Anna.

Help us, who have found the Lord in his temple, to trust in your eternal promises.

Here we have greeted the Light of the world.

Help us, who now extinguish these candles,
never to forsake the light of Christ.

They now extinguish their candles

‘Finish the Work’ (Author unknown)

The hymn ‘Faithful vigil ended’ is sung

Faithful vigil ended,
Watching, waiting cease;
Master, grant thy servant
His discharge in peace.

All thy Spirit promised,
All the Father willed;
Now these eyes behold it
Perfectly fulfilled.

This thy great deliv’rance
Sets thy people free;
Christ, their light, uplifted
All the nations see.

Christ, thy people’s glory!
Watching, doubting, cease:
Grant to us thy servants
Our discharge in peace.

Standing at the font

Here we now stand near the place of baptism.

Help us, who are marked with the cross,
to share the Lord’s death and resurrection.

Here we turn from Christ’s birth to his passion.

Help us, for whom Lent is near,
to enter deeply into the Easter mystery.

Here we bless one another in thy name.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

Organist: Peter Nye
Director of Music: Ginette Nye