Morning Worship on New Year’s Day 2023 | Windmill United Benefice

This week, 1 January, there is a Book of Common Prayer service of Holy Communion at 8am at St Mary the Virgin, Horne and then a joint Windmill United Benefice service of Holy Communion at 10am in Smallfield Church Hall. And as always, there is an online service here, too, which this week is led by the Revd Nicholas Calver

To follow today’s online service just click on the arrow here and find the words below.

A hymn is sung

In the bleak midwinter,
     frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
     water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
     snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter,
       long ago.

Our God, heav’n cannot hold Him,
     nor earth sustain;
Heav’n and earth shall flee away
     when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter
     a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty,
     Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, whom cherubim,
     worship night and day,
A breastful of milk,
     and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels
     fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
     which adore.

Angels and archangels
     may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
     thronged the air –
But only His mother
     in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved
     with a kiss.

What can I give Him,
     poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
     I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man,
     I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him –
     give my heart.

Christ is the first and the last:

the beginning and the end.

All time belongs to him; and all ages:

To him be glory and power, through every age and for ever. Amen.

Let us pray in the peace of this Christmas celebration that our joy in the birth of Christ will last for ever.

The Collect for the beginning of a new year

Eternal Lord God, we give you thanks for bringing us through the changes of time, to the end of one year and the beginning of another. Forgive us the wrong we have done in the year that is past, and help us to spend the rest of our days to your honour and glory;

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The readings
by Sarah Prentice

The first reading is Numbers 6: 22-27

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Glory to you, O Lord.

The Gospel reading is Luke 2: 8-21

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

Talk
by Revd Nicholas Calver

The Prayers

In this season of peace and goodwill to all, let us pray to the Lord:

We pray for God’s faithfulness to be known in our world.
In a world of change and hope,
of fear and adventure,
faithful God

Glorify your name.

In human rebellion and obedience,
in our seeking and our finding,
faithful God

Glorify your name.

In the common life of our society,
in prosperity and need,
faithful God

Glorify your name.

As your Church proclaims your goodness
in words and action,
faithful God

Glorify your name.

Among our friends
and in our homes,
faithful God

Glorify your name.

In our times of joy,
in our days of sorrow,
faithful God

Glorify your name.

In our strengths and triumphs,
in our weakness and at our death,
faithful God

Glorify your name.

In your saints in glory
and on the day of Christ’s coming,
faithful God

Glorify your name.

Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us,
let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us:

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come; thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

Act of Dedication

Father of us all, as we stand at the beginning of the new year we look to a deepening of our love, a strengthening of our resolve and a growing of our commitment to serve others, so that we may truly live as you have called
us to:

Eternal God, whose years never fail,
Let the radiance of your Spirit
Renew our lives, warming our hearts
And giving light to our minds;
That we may pass the coming year
In faith, hope and love,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing

May God the Father keep you in all your days.
May God the Son shield you in all your ways.
May God the Spirit bring you healing and peace.
May God the Holy Trinity drive all darkness from you
and pour upon you blessing and light. Amen

A hymn is sung

Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided,
Urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way,
Sought us and saved us, pardoned and provided:
Lord of the years, we bring our thanks today.

Lord, for that word, the word of life which fires us,
Speaks to our hearts and sets our souls ablaze,
Teaches and trains, rebukes us and inspires us:
Lord of the word, receive Your people’s praise.

Lord, for our land in this our generation,
Spirits oppressed by pleasure, wealth and care:
For young and old, for commonwealth and nation,
Lord of our land, be pleased to hear our prayer.

Lord, for our world when we disown and doubt you,
Loveless in strength, and comfortless in pain,
Hungry and helpless, lost indeed without you:
Lord of the world, we pray that Christ may reign.

Lord for ourselves; in living power remake us –
Self on the cross and Christ upon the throne,
Past put behind us, for the future take us:
Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.

Organist: Peter Nye

Hymn words reproduced under CCLI: 845257.