Welcome to our worship for
Sunday, 2nd October
St. Michael and All Angels (Michaelmas)
Collect
Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted the ministries of angels and mortals in a wonderful order:
grant that as your holy angels always serve you in heaven, so, at your command, they may help and defend us on earth; 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.
Amen
Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted the ministries of angels and mortals in a wonderful order:
grant that as your holy angels always serve you in heaven, so, at your command, they may help and defend us on earth; 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.
Amen
Readings for today
First Reading: Genesis 28. 10-17
Jacob left Beer-sheba and went towards Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’ Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!’ And he was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’.
Psalm 103
Response: The Lord has compassion on his children
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. R
Who forgives all your sins and heals all your infirmities; Who redeems your life from the Pit and crowns you with faithful love and compassion; Who satisfies you with good things, so that your youth is renewed like an eagle's. R
The Lord executes righteousness and judgement for all who are oppressed. He made his ways known to Moses and his works to the children of Israel. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness. R
Second Reading: Revelation 12. 7-12
And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming,
‘Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah, for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not cling to life even in the face of death.
Rejoice then, you heavens and those who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you with great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!’
Gospel Reading: John 1. 47-end
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’
Jacob left Beer-sheba and went towards Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’ Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!’ And he was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’.
Psalm 103
Response: The Lord has compassion on his children
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. R
Who forgives all your sins and heals all your infirmities; Who redeems your life from the Pit and crowns you with faithful love and compassion; Who satisfies you with good things, so that your youth is renewed like an eagle's. R
The Lord executes righteousness and judgement for all who are oppressed. He made his ways known to Moses and his works to the children of Israel. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness. R
Second Reading: Revelation 12. 7-12
And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming,
‘Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah, for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not cling to life even in the face of death.
Rejoice then, you heavens and those who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you with great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!’
Gospel Reading: John 1. 47-end
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’
Gareth's thoughts for this morning
What do you think of when you think of an angel? Perhaps a white clad person with golden hair and impressive wingspan? Or a small cherub like in a renaissance painting? Maybe the impressively weird and often frightening image given in books such as Ezekiel or Isaiah. Today we are celebrating the church festival of Michaelmas, and we are focussing on angels, those mysterious spiritual messengers of God who have formed a tremendously large part of our religious thinking through the centuries but who, nowadays, are seldom thought about by most people, save from the occasional appearance in films and on TV, or in folk tales (did you know that when you’re in a room full of people and everyone geos quiet all at once, that some people will say it’s because an angel has entered the room?).
We have heard one of the most dramatic passages from the Bible in our reading from Revelation:
“And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.”
Imagine being one of the first century Christians who heard this passage, it must have seemed terrifying to them. Someone who we believe to be named John had this vision nearly two thousand years ago. It must have been quite frightening for him as well. But what did it mean? Is it a recounting of an event that happened in the primordial age of the world, an explanation for all the sin and suffering that we see around us? Or is it something else? Does it mean angels literally or does has its meaning been lost to the sands of time?
Honesty compels us to say that we don’t know. Though there is a question we have to ask: what is the point of angels? Why, in our modern era do we even bother to consider them at all? Well firstly because angels are, and have forever been, deeply intertwined with the message of Scripture. We see angels appearing in our familiar Christmas and Easter stories, there are those angels mentioned earlier in Ezekiel, as well as multiple other passages. Some things we learn about angels from the Bible are:
The word “angel” is used to describe those spiritual beings, of which there are different varieties, who operate as God’s servants, emissaries, warriors, or who exist simply to praise God. One lovely touch in the Bible is when Jacob dreams of his famous ladder, he sees angels ascending and descending on it. An interpretation that is given to this passage is that that the angels were carrying the prayers of the people of Bethel up to God, and God’s answers and blessings back down to the people. This is the vision Jesus refers to when he speaks to Nathaniel in today’s gospel reading.
Interestingly, there is no fixed image of an angel given in Scripture. Some are described as having wings, but others are simply assumed to be like humans in appearance, so the writer of Hebrews says that “some have entertained angels unawares.”
Jesus added something to our thinking about angels when he said, “Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father”. These words of Jesus suggest that each of us have an angel dedicated to us, praying to God on our behalf, watching over us, perhaps even guiding us. It is wonderful to reflect, as you look at a sleeping baby, that each child has their own heavenly representative. It can be extremely comforting to think that God cares so much for each one of us that he appointed an angel to accompany us through this earthly life. I sometimes wonder if, when we get to heaven, it is these angels that are the first to greet us. Perhaps they are, or perhaps they’re not. Only time will tell!
Maybe the idea of a guardian angel seems fantastical or silly or childish to you. If so, that’s okay. This, like everything, is up to you as an individual to believe or not. But if you do believe it, next time you’re in a bind, or not sure what to do, or even in a crowded room that goes quiet all of a sudden, remember these weird and wonderful beings which God has assigned to us, and give thanks.
Amen.
We have heard one of the most dramatic passages from the Bible in our reading from Revelation:
“And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.”
Imagine being one of the first century Christians who heard this passage, it must have seemed terrifying to them. Someone who we believe to be named John had this vision nearly two thousand years ago. It must have been quite frightening for him as well. But what did it mean? Is it a recounting of an event that happened in the primordial age of the world, an explanation for all the sin and suffering that we see around us? Or is it something else? Does it mean angels literally or does has its meaning been lost to the sands of time?
Honesty compels us to say that we don’t know. Though there is a question we have to ask: what is the point of angels? Why, in our modern era do we even bother to consider them at all? Well firstly because angels are, and have forever been, deeply intertwined with the message of Scripture. We see angels appearing in our familiar Christmas and Easter stories, there are those angels mentioned earlier in Ezekiel, as well as multiple other passages. Some things we learn about angels from the Bible are:
- Michael is one of only two angels explicitly named in Scripture, the other one being Gabriel. Satan, though believed to be an angel, is not a name but a title, meaning “adversary” or “accuser”.
- Angels were created by God. Nehemiah 9:6 tells us ““You are the Lord, you alone; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host . . . and the host of heaven worships you””
- They are spirits rather than flesh and blood (Hebrews 1:13-14)
- We know that angels work for or on behalf of God. The story of the annunciation at the beginning of Luke’s gospel tells us that God sent Gabriel to Mary.
- There are three types of angels mentioned in the Bible: cherubim, seraphim, and “living beings.”
The word “angel” is used to describe those spiritual beings, of which there are different varieties, who operate as God’s servants, emissaries, warriors, or who exist simply to praise God. One lovely touch in the Bible is when Jacob dreams of his famous ladder, he sees angels ascending and descending on it. An interpretation that is given to this passage is that that the angels were carrying the prayers of the people of Bethel up to God, and God’s answers and blessings back down to the people. This is the vision Jesus refers to when he speaks to Nathaniel in today’s gospel reading.
Interestingly, there is no fixed image of an angel given in Scripture. Some are described as having wings, but others are simply assumed to be like humans in appearance, so the writer of Hebrews says that “some have entertained angels unawares.”
Jesus added something to our thinking about angels when he said, “Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father”. These words of Jesus suggest that each of us have an angel dedicated to us, praying to God on our behalf, watching over us, perhaps even guiding us. It is wonderful to reflect, as you look at a sleeping baby, that each child has their own heavenly representative. It can be extremely comforting to think that God cares so much for each one of us that he appointed an angel to accompany us through this earthly life. I sometimes wonder if, when we get to heaven, it is these angels that are the first to greet us. Perhaps they are, or perhaps they’re not. Only time will tell!
Maybe the idea of a guardian angel seems fantastical or silly or childish to you. If so, that’s okay. This, like everything, is up to you as an individual to believe or not. But if you do believe it, next time you’re in a bind, or not sure what to do, or even in a crowded room that goes quiet all of a sudden, remember these weird and wonderful beings which God has assigned to us, and give thanks.
Amen.
Pam Evans's Prayers for this week
With the whole company of heaven, let us pray to the Lord.
Merciful God, by your grace you have called us, not as we deserve, but in your goodness and generosity. Guard us and protect us in our calling, that we may be strong in the faith and serve you with joy and love.
Lord, hear us: Lord, graciously hear us.
Strong in the power of God, may the church never fail in the fight against evil. Strengthen her ministers to be faithful guides and guardians of those entrusted to them in this world.
Lord, hear us: Lord, graciously hear us.
Bring peace to the conflicts in the world where nations are at war and anger rules in many human lives. Teach those who rule over others to know and follow the unseen love which is all around us.
Lord, hear us: Lord, graciously hear us.
In our personal lives, let us trust in the heavenly protection which does not leave us to face our personal problems alone. Be near to all our community who are especially vulnerable and uphold all those who care for them.
Lord, hear us: Lord, graciously hear us.
We pray for the victims of war and violence, for the homeless and refugees, for families separated by conflict. We give thanks for our lives and all we can do. We pray for our homes and the communities to which we belong. We pray for families who are suffering from a breakdown in their relationships, for children who suffer and for those taken into care. We pray for the broken hearted and the lonely.
Lord, hear us: Lord, graciously hear us.
We remember the sick and all who care for them. We think of those who have lit candles and those for whom candles have been lit. We pray for the departed, may St Michaels and all the Angels lead them into that life that will not end. Grant us with all who have known you a share in your eternal kingdom.
Lord, hear us: Lord, graciously hear us.
Michael Archangel your sword blazes with terror, scattering the forces of evil. Strengthen those who battle evil and defend the innocent. Keep them always mindful of the image of God in all people
Lord, hear us: Lord, graciously hear us.
Merciful father: accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen
Merciful God, by your grace you have called us, not as we deserve, but in your goodness and generosity. Guard us and protect us in our calling, that we may be strong in the faith and serve you with joy and love.
Lord, hear us: Lord, graciously hear us.
Strong in the power of God, may the church never fail in the fight against evil. Strengthen her ministers to be faithful guides and guardians of those entrusted to them in this world.
Lord, hear us: Lord, graciously hear us.
Bring peace to the conflicts in the world where nations are at war and anger rules in many human lives. Teach those who rule over others to know and follow the unseen love which is all around us.
Lord, hear us: Lord, graciously hear us.
In our personal lives, let us trust in the heavenly protection which does not leave us to face our personal problems alone. Be near to all our community who are especially vulnerable and uphold all those who care for them.
Lord, hear us: Lord, graciously hear us.
We pray for the victims of war and violence, for the homeless and refugees, for families separated by conflict. We give thanks for our lives and all we can do. We pray for our homes and the communities to which we belong. We pray for families who are suffering from a breakdown in their relationships, for children who suffer and for those taken into care. We pray for the broken hearted and the lonely.
Lord, hear us: Lord, graciously hear us.
We remember the sick and all who care for them. We think of those who have lit candles and those for whom candles have been lit. We pray for the departed, may St Michaels and all the Angels lead them into that life that will not end. Grant us with all who have known you a share in your eternal kingdom.
Lord, hear us: Lord, graciously hear us.
Michael Archangel your sword blazes with terror, scattering the forces of evil. Strengthen those who battle evil and defend the innocent. Keep them always mindful of the image of God in all people
Lord, hear us: Lord, graciously hear us.
Merciful father: accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen
Please pray for:-
the sick, and those who care for them, including Anthony Nichol Gillian Beal and Claire Cooper, also for Halley Berry (aged 2½) and her parents, Amy and Jon
those who have lit candles and those for whom candles have been lit
those who have recently died, including Geoff Barry.
those whose anniversary of death falls at this time, including Rosemary Callow
the sick, and those who care for them, including Anthony Nichol Gillian Beal and Claire Cooper, also for Halley Berry (aged 2½) and her parents, Amy and Jon
those who have lit candles and those for whom candles have been lit
those who have recently died, including Geoff Barry.
those whose anniversary of death falls at this time, including Rosemary Callow
Post Communion Prayer:
Lord of heaven, in this eucharist you have brought us near to an innumerable company of angels and to the spirits of the saints made perfect: as in this food of our earthly pilgrimage we have shared their fellowship, so may we come to share their joy in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Church of England online service
A Service For The Sixteenth Sunday After Trinity02/10/2022
click here
This week's Service of The Word is led by Rev Isabelle Hamley, from the chapel at Church House.
Theology Slam 2022 winner, Amanda Higgin, reflects on the hopeful message of the Letter to the Hebrews.
click here
This week's Service of The Word is led by Rev Isabelle Hamley, from the chapel at Church House.
Theology Slam 2022 winner, Amanda Higgin, reflects on the hopeful message of the Letter to the Hebrews.
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CHURCH GIVING
A few people have asked how they can support the church financially if they can't do their normal weekly giving. Please continue to use Pam’s letterbox to drop off church donations – either envelopes, cheques (made payable to PCC of Pickering Parish Church) or other loose cash (In a sealed envelope marked for the Church). If you are unable to go outside, please ring, and we will see if there is an alternative way to collect.
Pam Robb at 16 Garden Way, Pickering, YO18 8BG. 07769 801708
WITH VERY MANY THANKS.
