Morning Service for Epiphany 2023
HYMN – Bethlehem, of noblest cities NEH48 – Stuttgart or AMR 75 Brightest and best
1 Bethlehem, of noblest cities
None can once with thee compare;
Thou alone the Lord from heaven
Didst for us incarnate bear.
2 Fairer than the sun at morning
Was the star that told his birth;
To the lands their God announcing,
Seen in fleshly form on earth.
3 By its lambent beauty guided
See the eastern kings appear;
See them bend, their gifts to offer,
Gifts of incense, gold and myrrh.
4 Solemn things of mystic meaning:
Incense doth the God disclose,
Gold a royal child proclaimeth,
Myrrh a future tomb foreshows.
5 Holy Jesu, in thy brightness
To the Gentile world displayed,
With the Father and the Spirit
Endless praise to thee be paid. Amen.
PRAYER OF PREPARATION
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen
PRAYERS OF PENITENCE
Christ the light of the world has come to dispel the darkness of our hearts. In his light let us examine ourselves and confess our sins.
Lord of grace and truth, we confess our unworthiness
to stand in your presence as your children.
We have sinned:
Forgive and heal us.
The Virgin Mary accepted your call to be the mother of Jesus.
Forgive our disobedience to your will.
We have sinned:
Forgive and heal us.
The wise men followed the star to find Jesus the King.
Forgive our reluctance to seek you.
We have sinned:
Forgive and heal us.
Your Son our Saviour in humility accepted the baptism of John.
Forgive our pride and rejection of your ways.
We have sinned:
Forgive and heal us.
At a wedding in Cana Jesus changed water into wine.
Forgive our failure to let your transforming presence change us.
We have sinned:
Forgive and heal us.
May the God of love and power
forgive you and free you from your sins,
heal and strengthen you by his Spirit
and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen
THE COLLECT
O God, who by the leading of a star
manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth:
mercifully grant that we,
who know you now by faith,
may at last behold your glory face to face;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, Amen
FIRST READING – Isaiah 60.1-6
Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.
HYMN – We thee kings BCS 26
1. We three kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.
O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.
2. Born a king on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign. [Refrain]
3. Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, voices raising,
Worshipping God on high. [Refrain]
4. Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone cold tomb. [Refrain]
5. Glorious now behold Him arise;
King and God and sacrifice;
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Sounds through the earth and skies. [Refrain]
GOSPEL – Matthew 2.1-12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
SERMON
That remarkable piece from Isaiah is worth pausing to notice. It is easily overlooked on a day so full of obvious sermons about Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh, Wise Men, Stars and the like. They are stirring words of hope to a people reluctant to hope – a people whose hope has been squeezed from them by poverty, by homelessness – by being strangers on a foreign land. They are words maybe for our own time, when although we have so much we are very aware of the fragility of our world. We are prone to thinking that almost any catastrophe maybe just over the horizon.
Isaiah finds hope for his people from one source – their God, Yahweh. He will save them from despair, he will make their world new.
“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”
Israel has had a long season of darkness in the despair of exile. Now comes its season of light. The light is not self-generated by Israel. It is a gift given by Yahweh. In the liturgical life of Israel, God’s powerful coming is often presented as the coming of light, though the word used for such light is “glory.” God’s glory “shines.” And when God’s glory, his powerful, magisterial presence, “shines,” Israel lives in the glow, and is itself a presence of light in the world. So these words that call Israel from darkness to light is a dramatic move from absence to presence, from despair to hope, from dismay to well being.
Israel is called to recognise what has already happened – an invitation has been given – an invitation to return to the land of the living.
The words “your light has come,” are wonderfully ambiguous since they can relate both to the coming of Yahweh, Israel’s only source of hope and possibility, and to Israel’s own glow, its own reflection of that light, which is a gift from Yahweh that changes the very character of Israel.
The glory comes upon darkness and thick, or gross darkness, despair and utter despair, and utterly overwhelms it. So extraordinary is it that whole nations and kings, people long scattered far and wide will return – such will be the brightness of Israel’s dawning. From its severe poverty unimagined wealth will descend upon them.
“The wealth of the nations shall be brought to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba [famous for its gold] shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.”
The wealth is of a particular kind – it is wealth brought for the praise and worship of Yahweh. The passage begins with God’s glory and ends in God’s glory. Israel’s new reality of prosperity exists within the envelope of God’s glory.
When the nations bring such gifts, they are in fact submitting themselves to God’s new future. That is what is happening with the bringing of “gold, frankincense and myrrh”. When God is thus worshipped, Israel prospers, Jerusalem glows, the nations come to their proper existence, all bask in the radiance of God’s well being. God’s presence creates newness for the entire world. In this poem, everybody – Jerusalem, the exiles, the nations – all receive the gift of life. Such was the hope and vision of Isaiah.
Just a pipe dream? Matthew thought that the dream had come true with the birth of Jesus – even through the fires of persecution, he saw Isaiah’s vision become reality in the coming of the Christ child – the glory of God made available to all who would turn towards the light. To quote another gospel writer, John:
“To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God… the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory.. full of grace and truth.”
It’s our turn to glow a little and make hope tangible.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Let us declare our faith in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the scriptures;
he was buried;
he was raised to life on the third day
in accordance with the scriptures;
afterwards he appeared to his followers,
and to all the apostles:
this we have received, and this we believe. Amen.
1 Corinthians 15.3-7
INTERCESSIONS – Claire Cooper
Heavenly Father, we give thanks for this new day and as we gather here together let us remember that you have called us to be a light to the world so that those in darkness come to you.
May we be filled with love for you and for all who we meet along our journey.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
Loving Lord, we remember all countries where there is war or conflict especially in Ukraine and pray that you will look mercifully upon the sufferings of the people involved and all those seeking refuge and those offering it.
We pray for King Charles and the UK Government, and leaders around the world. Sharpen their consciences and give them courage to make wise decisions, making wrongs right and meeting the needs of all who suffer.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
Lord God we pray today for our friends, our families and our Christian community, that united by our faith we may always welcome the newcomer, the stranger and all who are vulnerable.
We also remember today all involved in education as they return to school and university, praying that their efforts will be justly rewarded and that they will achieve their full potential.
We pray for William, Warwick, Keith and all those who minister in this Benefice. We pray and give thanks for all the Church Wardens in this Benefice who give up their time freely to keep our churches running smoothly. Similarly, we also pray and give thanks to our treasurers who work behind the scenes and play a vital role.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
Father God we pray for those who face difficulties in their personal lives. We raise before you all who are sick, the bereaved, those with problems in their families, in their relationships, in their neighbourhoods or in their workplace. Give them a patient faith in their troubles and the knowledge that you share their sufferings with them. We bring before you Diana Axford, Wayne Nailor and James Hill.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
Lord, we pray for those whose earthly lives have ended. We give thanks for lives well lived and for happy memories. May they find rest in the eternal joy of heaven and may all who mourn their passing, find comfort and peace.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
Send us out from here as your beloved children,
filled with the right attitude to share your love with all the world. May we walk in your way, live our life for you and be mindful of your presence day by day.
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers, for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive
those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
HYMN – As with gladness men of old NEH 47 – Dix
1 As with gladness men of old
Did the guiding star behold,
As with joy they hailed its light,
Leading onward, beaming bright,
So, most gracious God, may we
Evermore be led to thee.
2 As with joyful steps they sped,
To that lowly manger-bed,
There to bend the knee before
Him whom heaven and earth adore,
So may we with willing feet
Ever seek thy mercy-seat.
3 As they offered gifts most rare
At that manger rude and bare,
So may we with holy joy,
Pure, and free from sin’s alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to thee our heavenly King.
4 Holy Jesu, every day
Keep us in the narrow way;
And, when earthly things are past,
Bring our ransomed souls at last
Where they need no star to guide,
Where no clouds thy glory hide.
5 In the heavenly country bright
Need they no created light;
Thou its Light, its Joy, its Crown,
Thou its Sun which goes not down:
There for ever may we sing
Alleluyas to our King.
BLESSING
Mysterious God, confounding expectations,
meeting us where we least expect to find you,
be with us this Epiphany.
Child of the manger, healing our pain,
sharing our weakness,
be with us this Epiphany.
Source of life
birth of God within our own experience,
be with us this Epiphany.
Be with us in our frailty be with us on our journey
walk beside us, live within us
lead us to glory, lead us home.
May he who who by his incarnation
gathered into one things earthly and heavenly,
grant us the fullness of peace and goodwill
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be upon us and remain with us always. Amen
HYMN – The first Nowell NEH 36
1 The first Nowell the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay, keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep:
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,
Born is the King of Israel.
2 They lookèd up and saw a star,
Shining in the east, beyond them far:
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night: [Refrain]
3 And by the light of that same star,
Three Wise Men came from country far;
To seek for a king was their intent,
And to follow the star wheresoever it went: [Refrain]
4 This star drew nigh to the north-west;
O’er Bethlehem it took its rest,
And there it did both stop and stay
Right over the place where Jesus lay: [Refrain]
5 Then entered in those Wise Men three,
Full reverently upon their knee,
And offered there in his presence
Both gold and myrrh and frankincense: [Refrain]
6 Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord,
That hath made heaven and earth of naught,
And with his blood mankind hath bought: [Refrain]
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
In the name of Christ. Amen