The Christian Community of St Giles-on-the-Hill
welcomes you to worship with them on
Sunday 16th July 2023
Sixth Sunday after Trinity
God the creator has made a world of abundance and calls us all to inhabit it with joy, understanding and generosity of heart and spirit.
10.30am Sung Mass Our President and Preacher today is Fr David Roper.
The service is set out in the service booklet. Hymns are from the Celebration Hymnal.
Introit Hymn: 326 Jesus is Lord! creation’s voice proclaims it
Collect:
Merciful God,
you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as pass our understanding:
pour into our hearts such love toward you
that we, loving you in all things and above all things,
may obtain your promises,
which exceed all that we can desire;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
1st Reading: Isaiah 55:10-13
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
For you shall go out in joy,
and be led back in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall burst into song,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial,
for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Psalm 65
Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion;
to you that answer prayer shall vows be paid.
To you shall all flesh come to confess their sins;
when our misdeeds prevail against us,
you will purge them away.
Happy are they whom you choose
and draw to your courts to dwell there.
We shall be satisfied with the blessings of your house,
even of your holy temple.
With wonders you will answer us in your righteousness,
O God of our salvation,
O hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas.
In your strength you set fast the mountains
and are girded about with might.
You still the raging of the seas,
the roaring of their waves
and the clamour of the peoples.
Those who dwell at the ends of the earth
tremble at your marvels;
the gates of the morning and evening sing your praise.
You visit the earth and water it;
you make it very plenteous.
The river of God is full of water;
you prepare grain for your people,
for so you provide for the earth.
You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges;
you soften the ground with showers and bless its increase.
You crown the year with your goodness,
and your paths overflow with plenty.
May the pastures of the wilderness flow with goodness
and the hills be girded with joy.
May the meadows be clothed with flocks of sheep
and the valleys stand so thick with corn
that they shall laugh and sing.
2nd Reading: Romans 8:1-11
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law – indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.
You have the words of eternal life.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!’
‘Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.’
Offertory Hymn: 399 Love is his word, love is his way
Communion Hymn: 177 For the beauty of the earth
Post Communion Prayer:
God of our pilgrimage,
you have led us to the living water:
refresh and sustain us
as we go forward on our journey,
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Recessional Hymn: 745 To God be the glory, great things he has done!
Organ Voluntary: Bach – Prelude in G (BWV541)
1st Reading John Baldry 2nd Reading Julia de Salis Intercessions Kate Baldry Chalice Carole Hill Servers Jonny and Lindsey Green Organist Ian Graydon
DIARY FOR THE WEEK
Tuesday 18 July 12 noon Mass – Fr Alaric Lewis. Please note that the church will not be open until 11.30
Friday 21 July 10.00am Mass – Fr Alaric Lewis
Saturday 22 July 11am-2pm Church open
Sunday 23 July 10.30am Sung Mass – Fr Alaric Lewis (Trinity 7)
Next Sunday’s readings: Wisdom 12.13, 16-19; Psalm 86.11-end; Romans 8:12-25; Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Wednesday 26 July 2.30pm Funeral of Jean Devenport at St George Tombland
Sunday 30 July 11.00am Mass at St George Tombland – tri-community Eucharist for the two St Georges and St Giles – N.B. NO SERVICE AT ST GILES
Sunday 13 August 10.30am Mass for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The St Giles Singers will be joining us for this service.
NOTICES
We welcome any newcomers to St Giles today. Please make yourself known to the priest or the churchwardens and join us for a cup of coffee or tea after the service. Do take a look at our website or follow us on Twitter to find out more about St Giles.
A message from Jen Following her marriage to Rob Cloughton, Jen Gerrard would like to thank you all for your cards and good wishes. She regrets being unable to have had you all with her on the day itself but enjoyed sharing her happiness with you a couple of weeks ago in this church.
‘Art in a Sacred Space’ A big Thank You to Fr Peter for organising this popular event and to all the artists who exhibited last weekend! It was a busy and enjoyable two days in the church and we were pleased to welcome all the exhibitors and visitors. Our thanks to everyone who made donations to St Giles, totalling £125 to date.
Our July charity is the Church Urban Fund, a national charity working with local leaders, churches and other faith groups all over England, and equipping people and churches to make a difference in the area where they live. For more information please go to the charity’s website at https://cuf.org.uk. Do please give generously, gift-aided if you can, as this increases the amount you give at no extra cost to yourself!
Priest-in-Charge Father Alaric Mark Lewis, also Rector of the Benefice of Colegate and Tombland 01603 663757 click to email – day off Monday
Churchwardens Rowena Atkinson 01603 455729 Bob Emsell 01603 439632
Newsletter and Fairtrade Kate Baldry 01362 695503 click to email
Church website https://stgileschurch.wordpress.com
Twitter @stgilesnorwich
St Giles Church, Norwich 