United Benefice of St.Mary, Higham Ferrers, and St. John, Chelveston
The United Benefice of
St Mary the Virgin, Higham Ferrers
with St John the Baptist, Chelveston-cum-Caldecott
Sunday 19th January
Second Sunday of Epiphany
Father Paul introduces the service which includes favourite hymns for weddings
HYMN
Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heav’n, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art.
Visit us with thy salvation;
enter ev'ry trembling heart.
Come, Almighty, to deliver,
let us all thy life receive.
Suddenly return, and never,
nevermore they temples leave.
​
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
Finish, then, thy new creation;
true and spotless let us be.
Let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee.
​
Changed from glory into glory,
till in heav’n we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
WORDS – Charles Wesley (1707 – 1788)
MUSIC – John Stainer (1840 – 1901)
A reading from John’s Gospel
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come."
His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now."
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. John 2: 1-11
HYMN
O perfect Love, all human thought transcending,
Lowly we kneel in prayer before Thy throne,
That ours may be the love which knows no ending,
Whom Thou forevermore dost join in one.
O perfect Life, be Thou their full assurance,
Of tender charity and steadfast faith,
Of patient hope and quiet, brave endurance,
With childlike trust that fears not pain nor death.
Grant us the joy which brightens earthly sorrow;
Grant us the peace which calms all earthly strife;
And to life’s day the glorious unknown morrow
That dawns upon eternal love and life.
WORDS – Dorothy Frances Gurney (1858 – 1932)
MUSIC – Joseph Barnby (1838 – 1896)
A REFLECTION ON THIS SURPRISING CHOICE OF JESUS’ FIRST MIRACLE
BLESSING
HYMN
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring your love.
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord
And where there's doubt, true faith in you.
Make me a channel of your peace
Where there's despair in life, let me bring hope
Where there is darkness, only light
And where there's sadness, ever joy.
Oh, Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul.
Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving to all men that we receive
And in dying that we're born to eternal life.
Oh, Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul.
Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving to all men that we receive
And in dying that we're born to eternal life.
WORDS – attrib St Francis of Assissi
TUNE – Sebastian Temple 1928 - 1997
A PERSONAL PRAYER FOR YOUR USE
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who shared at Nazareth the life of an earthly home:
reign in the homes of us, your servants, as Lord and King;
give us grace to minister to others as you have ministered to us,
and grant that by deed and word
they may be witnesses of your saving love
to those among whom they live;
for the sake of your holy name. Amen.
Material used in this service is copyright of its respective rights owners. Music and hymn words are reproduced under ONE LICENSE number A-633137, Church Copyright License 2148907 and Music Reproduction License 2216255. Material in this order of service is taken from Common Worship, copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2000-2006 and is used here with permission. www.commonworship.com.
images by permission of www.christart.com