WORSHIP
At the heart of the life and purpose of our
Benefice is that spirit of thanksgiving and worship of God which leads
naturally to varied outreach and pastoral care. And our hope is that every
worshipper should go home from every service knowing they have been touched by
God’s love.
We have a full schedule of Sunday and weekday
services, as well as Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals, Thanksgivings, Memorials,
Reconciliation and Healing Services. Our liturgical practice incorporates the
variety and beauty of our four church buildings and their beautiful spaces. Our
liturgies vary from the simplest spoken services to festival services which
incorporate our choir’s diverse musical offering -traditional settings and
hymns to contemporary songs. We treasure the best of Anglican heritage, whilst
endeavouring to foster an inclusive and progressive spirit.
WORSHIP MINISTRIES Worship
services in the Benefice involve the participation of not only the clergy and
those assembled, but also the support of a number of dedicated people. These
include musicians, vergers, sacristans, altar servers, altar guild members,
sidesmen, cleaners, gardeners, caterers, bell ringers, flower arrangers, who
all work behind the scenes to prepare for the services. Membership prerequisites
vary, but all these groups serve as a good introduction to a more involved
experience of worship for newer members of the congregations and others seeking
a more developed understanding of the Church’s liturgy. Key to all is the
desire to enhance the experience of the worship of God for the individual and
the community through service.
THE SUNDAY EUCHARIST Our central act of worship is the Eucharist
(also called The Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion or Mass) which is the
Thanksgiving which Christians offer in faithful, hopeful and loving
obedience to Christ’s command. Please do join us if you can. But if that’s not
possible for you now or you are not ready to cross the threshold of one of our
churches please do check on our activities anyway and feel free to make
contact.
THE DAILY EUCHARIST Here the Eucharist is celebrated daily at
different times to accommodate the needs of our people. Everyone is
very welcome. We hear God’s Word and share in Holy Communion, celebrated
in a simple, direct and prayerful style, which is less elaborate than the
fuller Sunday celebrations. The daily Holy Eucharist is a meditative twenty
minutes when we come together to hear God’s Word, respond in prayer, and share
in the gifts of God in Holy Communion.
PARISH DAILY PRAYER is
offered each weekday at St. John’s, Mortimer following the Church of England’s
order for public Morning and Evening Prayer. Everyone is welcome to join with
the clergy and small regular congregations to take part in these services.
MORNING PRAYER at 8.00 a.m. - Mattins - is a short
meditative service of Bible readings, canticles and prayers, based on patterns of prayer going back to
earliest Christian and synagogue practices. We gather to give thanks and praise
for the blessing of the new day, to ask God’s assistance and guidance for the
day’s activities, and offer prayer for
the Church, the world and all in need.
EVENING PRAYER at 5.00 p.m. is another meditative service of
psalms, canticles, Bible readings and prayers. We gather to give thanks for the
day that is past, acknowledge our blessings and shortcomings, ask God’s protection for the evening hours,
and offer prayer for the Church, the world, the sick and all in need.
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Tuesday
and Thursday at 6.00 p.m. and by appointment with a priest.
SACRAMENT OF ANOINTING OF THE SICK“If one of you is
ill, he should send for the priests of the Church, and they must anoint him
with oil in the name of the Lord and pray over him. The prayer of faith will
save the sick man and the Lord will raise him up again; and if he has committed
any sins, he will be forgiven.” (James 5: 14-15)
The Sacrament of Anointing is for the very
ill; it is for the forgiveness of sins of those who are sorry; it removes fear
and anxiety from those who have faith and trust. Through this sacrament the
healing ministry of Jesus Christ is continued by the action of the Church.
During his ministry, nobody went away from Jesus without experiencing some kind
of healing, whether of body, mind, or spirit. Through the power of the Holy
Spirit, this work is continued by the Church today, allowing people to
experience the healing touch and presence of the Lord Jesus.
The order of the anointing service is very
simple and consists of a greeting, prayer, a reading of the Word of God, the
laying on of hands, anointing and blessing. Communion or Viaticum at the end of
life may follow the anointing.
