240121ecumenical Sunday Eucharist
240121ecumenical Sunday Eucharist
240121ecumenical Sunday Eucharist
S T . T H O M A S ’ C AT H E D R A L , M U M B A I
The Church of North India ● A member of the worldwide Anglican Communion
Ecumenical Sunday
The word “oikoumene” comes from the Greek word “oikos” meaning
house. Its English equivalent is “ecumenical”. In modern usage, it signifies the
whole household of faith, all races, all nations, all the churches.
Pictured above is the logo of the World Council of Churches.
The basis for our worship is the Book of Common Prayer , our common li-
turgical heritage with Anglicans across the world (all churches descended
from the Church of England). We are rooted in tradition but celebrate the
richness and diversity of the Communion. Music and hymnody represent
the best of the Anglican choral tradition.
Follow the readings and the Order of Service for the Lord’s Supper
from The Book of Common Prayer (refer page numbers).
The hymns can be found in The English Hymnal.
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About Ecumenical Sunday
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity takes place in the octave 18th January (The Con-
fession of St Peter) to 25th January (The Conversion of St Paul). By annually observing
the WPCU, Christians move toward the fulfilment of Jesus' prayer at the Last Sup-
per "that they all may be one." (cf. John 17:21)
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The Gather ing
Voluntary
Prelude on the hymn tune, ‘Aurelia’ (‘The Church’s one foundation’)
John G. Barr, b. 1938
Welcome
All keep silence and prepare for worship.
Introit
Sung by the choir
Opening Acclamation
Please be seated
Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these
people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You
have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you
are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and contin-
ue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”
The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give
you rest.”
Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us,
do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are
pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else
will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face
of the earth?”
And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have
asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”
At the conclusion of the reading the reader says
This is the word of the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.
Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle : or who shall rest upon thy holy hill?
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Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life : and doeth the thing which is right, and
speaketh the truth from his heart.
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He that hath used no deceit in his tongue, nor done evil to his neighbour : and
hath not slandered his neighbour.
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He that setteth not by himself, but is lowly in his own eyes : and maketh much
of them that fear the Lord.
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He that sweareth unto his neighbour, and disappointeth him not : though it
were to his own hindrance. Continued
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He that hath not given his money upon usury : nor taken reward against the
innocent.
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Whoso doeth these things : shall never fall.
Please be seated
The Epistle
Philippians 1:19 - 26
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Philippians.
For I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of
Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I
eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have
sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my
body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die
is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for
me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I
desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more
necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know
that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and
joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your boasting in
Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.
All stand and join in singing the gradual hymn on the next page.
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Gradual Hymn
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Join hands, then, people of the faith,
whate’er your race may be.
All children of the living God
are surely kin to me.
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In Christ now meet both east and west,
in him meet south and north.
All Christly souls are joined as one
throughout the whole wide earth.
Words: William Arthur Dunkerley, 1852 - 1941 Tune: ST. STEPHEN
W. Jones, 1726 - 1800
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The Gospeller The Lord be with you
All and with thy spirit.
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John.
All Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When
he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Je-
sus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you
want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you stay-
ing?”
“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day
with him. It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard
what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew
did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messi-
ah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will
be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).
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The Nicene Creed | page 265
Sermon
The Revd Clement Christian, Bible Society of India
All stand
The Peace
The Celebrant offers a greeting of peace.
At this time the altar is set with the gifts of bread and wine and the
gifts of the people are gathered and presented. Thank you for your generosity.
See inside front cover for bank details to make your offering.
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Invocation
Sung by the choir
Bring we the frankincense of our love
To the feet of the holy Child,
Ever remembering God's great gift
Of a love that is undefiled.
T h e P r aye r s o f t h e Pe o p l e
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Intercessor We pray, Lord, for all those who have at heart
the ministry of Christian unity
and who strive to do so in a spirit of love
and understanding.
Strengthen them, Lord, in their endeavours.
All Come Holy Spirit, come enlighten us.
Lord of unity,
help us strengthen the spirit of communion
by respecting you and others
through our thoughts, words and actions.
Come Holy Spirit, come enlighten us.
Endow us with the virtue of humility
that opens us to love and friendship
and give us a loyal heart
that helps us be respectful to one another.
Come Holy Spirit, come enlighten us.
Lord of consolation,
we bring to you those who are unable to see goodness in
themselves, in those around them and in the world.
May your gentleness allow them to change their
perspective and to open their heart
to your spirit of renewal.
Come Holy Spirit, come enlighten us.
Help us understand, Lord, that we are all your children.
May we realise we are called to love and to ease the pain
of those who are suffering close by or far away.
Come Holy Spirit, come enlighten us.
Through the coming together of our churches may the
Lord inspire this search for oneness.
Come Holy Spirit, come enlighten us.
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T h e C o n s e c r a t i o n | page 277
T h e C o m m u n i o n | page 284
Proceed to the High Altar for receiving Communion.
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From the West Door, the Presbyter says: The Dismissal
We have seen His glory, the glory revealed to all the nations.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
All reply In the name of Christ. Amen.
Postlude
Rigaudon … … … Andre Campra, 1660 - 1744
Please stay back after the service for a time of fellowship over a cup of coffee.
Introduce yourself to the Presbyter if you are worshipping with us for the first time.
Samuel Joseph (22), Miriam John (22), Anisha Ghose (25), Alvina Magar (27)
Notices
We express our thanks to the Reverend Clement Christian for preaching
this morning.
A Bible quiz will be conducted on Sunday 25th February 2024. Questions will be
based on the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah and Paul’s first epistle to the Corin-
thians.
Volunteers are needed to help with livestreaming of services. Please meet
the Presbyter if you would like to help in this way. It is encouraging that the
Cathedral’s YouTube channel has 597 subscribers as of now.
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Pray with us
† THE WORLD For political stability in Sierra Leone ● Immediate and
adequate aid and assistance for the famine-struck Tigray region of Ethiopia ●
● We continue to pray for lasting peace in the Land of our Lord’s birth ● Pray for
peace between Russia and Ukraine.
† OUR COUNTRY We thank God for our country as we celebrate Republic
Day later this week. Pray that economic growth will be inclusive and that its benefits
will percolate to the poorest of the poor. Pray for all working towards alleviating
poverty.
† THE WORLDWIDE CHURCH The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is in the
th th
octave 18 January to 25 January. Pray for meaningful ecumenical relations be-
tween different church denominations ● We offer thanksgiving for the conversion
of Paul (commemorated 25th January). Pray for all churches and institutions named
after the Apostle Paul ● In the Anglican Communion for The Church of the South
India.
† THE CHURCH IN INDIA We remember the life and work of the Australi-
an missionary Dr. Graham Staines (1941 - 1999) whose life with his two sons Philip
and Timothy was so tragically cut short twenty five years ago. The Church observes
Leprosy Sunday on 29th January. Dr. Staines had been working with leprosy patients
and the poor in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha since 1965. Pray for his widow
Gladys and his daugther, Esther ● The Diocese of Lucknow and the Right Reverend
Morris Dan ● For the Diocese of Central Karnataka.
† THE DIOCESE OF BOMBAY This week for St. Paul’s Church, Vakola
(Malayalam Pastorate) and the Reverend Christy D. Daniel.
† OUR CATHEDRAL All senior citizens and those who are unwell. Pray for
their care providers ● We pray for Evangeline Mary Kiruba Samuel (daughter of
Samuel Joseph Jebaraj and Muthulaksmi Ramaswamy) and Srinath Rajasekar (son of
Srinivasan Rajasekar and Parthasarathy Santhana Meera) of All Saints’ Church (CSI),
Tuticorin. The couple will take their wedding vows tomorrow at St. George’s Ca-
thedral, Chennai.
Cathedral ministries… …. Get involved!
Sunday School Sunday morning during term time
Women’s Fellowship 2nd Sunday of the month 10.45 am
Youth Fellowship 2nd & 4thSunday of the month 10.45 am
Choir Saturday 5.30 pm
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The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2024
‘You shall love the Lord your God… and your neighbour as yourself’
Luke 10:27
The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the best-known passages of Scrip-
ture, yet one that never seems to lose its power to challenge indifference to
suffering and to inspire solidarity. It is a story about crossing boundaries that
calls our attention to the bonds that unite the whole human family.
In choosing this passage of Scripture for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the
churches of Burkina Faso have invited us to join with them in a process of self -
reflection as they consider what it means to love our neighbour in the midst of a
security crisis. There are groups within communities, including people from eth-
nic minority backgrounds and people seeking asylum, who feel particularly vul-
nerable to violence or being displaced by the threat of violence.
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