The Christian Community of St Giles-on-the-Hill
welcomes you to worship with them on
Sunday 23rd July 2023
Seventh Sunday after Trinity
God has gathered us into a community of care and worship. As we come together to praise God, author of a good creation, we are a community ready to help each other through hard times and celebrate together in good times. Let us worship with love, thanksgiving and praise.
10.30am Sung Mass Our President and Preacher today is Fr Alaric Lewis.
The service is set out in the service booklet. Hymns are from the New English Hymnal.
Introit Hymn: 333 All my hope on God is founded
Collect:
Lord of all power and might,
the author and giver of all good things:
graft in our hearts the love of your name,
increase in us true religion,
nourish us with all goodness,
and of your great mercy keep us in the same;
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: Wisdom 12.13, 16-19
For neither is there any god besides you, whose care is for all people,
to whom you should prove that you have not judged unjustly;
For your strength is the source of righteousness,
and your sovereignty over all causes you to spare all.
For you show your strength when people doubt the completeness of your power,
and you rebuke any insolence among those who know it.
Although you are sovereign in strength, you judge with mildness,
and with great forbearance you govern us;
for you have power to act whenever you choose.
Through such works you have taught your people
that the righteous must be kind,
and you have filled your children with good hope,
because you give repentance for sins.
Psalm 86.11-end
Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth;
knit my heart to you, that I may fear your name.
I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
and glorify your name for evermore;
For great is your steadfast love towards me,
for you have delivered my soul from the depths of the grave.
O God, the proud rise up against me
and a ruthless horde seek after my life;
they have not set you before their eyes.
But you, Lord, are gracious and full of compassion,
slow to anger and full of kindness and truth.
Turn to me and have mercy upon me;
give your strength to your servant
and save the child of your handmaid.
Show me a token of your favour,
that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed;
because you, O Lord, have helped and comforted me.
2nd Reading: Romans 8:12-25
So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh – for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ – if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
We do not live by bread alone,
But by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?” He answered, “An enemy has done this.” The slaves said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” But he replied, “No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”‘
Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.’ He answered, ‘The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!’
Offertory Hymn: 271 Alleluya, sing to Jesus
Communion Hymn: 293 Jesus, our Master, on the night that they came
Post Communion Prayer:
Lord God, whose Son is the true vine and the source of life,
ever giving himself that the world may live:
may we so receive within ourselves the power of his death and passion
that, in his saving cup, we may share his glory and be made perfect in his love;
for he is alive and reigns, now and for ever.
Recessional Hymn: 336 Angel-voices ever singing
Organ Voluntary: Jeremiah Clarke – Trumpet Voluntary
1st Reading Pat Emsell 2nd Reading Diana Lamb Intercessions Fr Alaric Chalice Pat Emsell Servers Karen Kiddell and Frederico de Oliveira Organist Ian Graydon
DIARY FOR THE WEEK
Tuesday 25 July 12 noon Mass – Fr David Roper
Wednesday 26 July 2.30pm Funeral of Jean Devenport at St George Tombland
Friday 28 July 10.00am Mass – Revd Annie Blyth
Saturday 29 July 11am-2pm Church open
Sunday 30 July 11.00am Mass at St George Tombland (Trinity 8) – tri-community Eucharist for the two St Georges and St Giles – N.B. NO SERVICE AT ST GILES
Next Sunday’s readings: 1 Kings 3.5-12; Psalm 119.129-136; Romans 8:26-end; Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
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.
‘Art in a Sacred Space’ A big Thank You to Fr Peter for organising this popular event. We were pleased to welcome all the exhibitors and visitors. Our thanks to everyone who made donations to St Giles, totalling £190 to date.
Newsletter via email You can easily set this up on the church website at https://stgileschurch.wordpress.com – scroll down to the bottom of the page to where it says ‘Follow Blog via Email’, enter your email address in the box and click on the FOLLOW button. You will then receive this service sheet plus further details in an email every week, usually on the Saturday preceding the Sunday service.
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 