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 6th September 2026
Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
Aeropagus or Mars Hill in Athens
Areopagus or Mars Hill in Athens
Father Paul welcomes us to St Paul’s farewell service and an old school hymn
HYMN
Lord, Dismiss Us With Thy Blessing,
Thanks For Mercies Past Receive;
Pardon All, Their Faults Confessing;
Time That’s Lost May All Retrieve;
May Thy Children. May Thy Children
Ne’er Again Thy Spirit Grieve.
Let Thy Father-Hand Be Shielding
All Who Here Shall Meet No More;
May Their Seed-Time Past Be Yielding
Year By Year A Richer Store;
Those Returning, Those Returning,
Make More Faithful Than Before.
Words: Henry James Buckoll (1803 – 1871)
Tune: William L. Viner (1790 – 1867)
HYMN
We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
We go not forth alone against the foe;
Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender,
We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.
We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
Thine is the battle, Thine shall be the praise;
When passing through the gates of pearly splendour,
Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days.
Words: Edith G. Cherry (1892 - 1897)
Tune: Jean Silbelius (1865 - 1957)
Paul's time to move on
And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.
ACTS 20 17 – 38
HYMN
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Until my heart is pure,
Until with Thee I will one will,
To do and to endure.
A reading from THE BOOK OF ACTS
From Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Till I am wholly Thine,
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with Thy fire divine.
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
So shall I never die,
But live with Thee the perfect life
Of Thine eternity.
Words and tune Edwin Hatch (1835 – 1899)
MEDITATION - A MOVING “GOODBYE” AND AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE
Prayer and Blessing
ANTHEM
The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make his face to shine upon you
To shine upon you and be gracious
And be gracious, unto you
The Lord lift up the light
Of his countenance upon you
The Lord lift up the light
Of his countenance upon you
And give you peace
And give you peace
And give you peace
Amen
John Rutter (b. 1945)
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