St Mary The Virgin

Church

Stratfield Mortimer

Saturday 22nd August 2009

at 3 o’clock

Helen David
 THE INTROIT
Canon: Johann Pachelbel

THE WELCOME

Hymn Colours of Day

Colours of day dawn into the mind,

The sun has come up, the night is behind.
Go down in the city, into the street,
And let's give the message to the people we
meet.

Refrain:
So light up the fire and let the flame burn,
Open the door, let Jesus return.
Take seeds of his Spirit, let the fruit grow,
Tell the people of Jesus, let his love show.

Go through the park, on into the town;

The sun still shines on, it never goes down.
The light of the world is risen again;
The people of darkness are needing our friend.

Refrain

Open your eyes, look into the sky,

The darkness has come, the sun came to die.
The evening draws on, the sun disappears,
But Jesus is living, and his Spirit is near.

Refrain

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 THE GREETING

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you
All and also with you.

God is love, and those who live in love live in

God and God lives in them. (1 John 4.16 )

All God of wonder and of joy:

grace comes from you,
and you alone are the source of life and love.
Without you, we cannot please you;
without your love, our deeds are worth
nothing.
Send your Holy Spirit,
and pour into our hearts
that most excellent gift of love,
that we may worship you now
with thankful hearts
and serve you always with willing minds;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Hymn The Lord's My Shepherd I'll Not Want

The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want;

He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; he leadeth me
The quiet waters by.

My soul he doth restore again,

And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E'en for his own name's sake.

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Yea, though I walk in death's dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill:
For thou art with me, and thy rod
And staff me comfort still.

My table thou hast furnished

In presence of my foes;
My head thou dost with oil anoint
And my cup overflows.

Goodness and mercy all my life

Shall surely follow me;
And in God's house for evermore
My dwelling-place shall be.

THE PREFACE

In the presence of God, Father, Son and Holy

Spirit, we have come together to witness the
marriage of David and Helen, to pray for God's
blessing on them, to share their joy
and to celebrate their love.

Marriage is a gift of God in creation through

which husband and wife may know the grace of
God. It is given that as man and woman grow
together in love and trust, they shall be united
with one another in heart, body and mind, as
Christ is united with his bride, the Church.

The gift of marriage brings husband and wife

together in the delight and tenderness of sexual
union and joyful commitment to the end of their
lives. It is given as the foundation of family life
in which children are [born and] nurtured
and in which each member of the family, in good
times and in bad, may find strength,
companionship and comfort, and grow to
maturity in love.
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Marriage is a way of life made holy by God,
and blessed by the presence of our Lord Jesus
Christ with those celebrating a wedding at Cana
in Galilee. Marriage is a sign of unity and loyalty
which all should uphold and honour. It enriches
society and strengthens community. No one
should enter into it lightly or selfishly but
reverently and responsibly in the sight of
almighty God.

David and Helen are now to enter this way of life.

They will each give their consent to the other
and make solemn vows, and in token of this they
will [each] give and receive a ring. We pray with
them that the Holy Spirit will guide and
strengthen them, that they may fulfil God's
purposes for the whole of their earthly life
together.

THE DECLARATIONS

First, I am required to ask anyone present who

knows a reason why these persons may not
lawfully marry, to declare it now.

The vows you are about to take are to be made

in the presence of God, who is judge of all and
knows all the secrets of our hearts; therefore if
either of you knows a reason why you may
not lawfully marry, you must declare it now.

David, will you take Helen to be your wife?

Will you love her, comfort her, honour and protect
her, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as
long as you both shall live?

I will.

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 Helen, will you take David to be your husband?
Will you love him, comfort him, honour and
protect him, and, forsaking all others, be faithful
to him as long as you both shall live?

I will.

Will you, the families and friends of David and

Helen, support and uphold them in their marriage
now and in the years to come?

All We will.

THE COLLECT

God our Father, from the beginning

you have blessed creation with abundant life.
Pour out your blessings upon David and Helen,
that they may be joined in mutual love and
companionship, in holiness and commitment to
each other. We ask this through our Lord Jesus
Christ your Son, who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for ever.

All Amen.

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 FIRST READING read by Jamie Morton

1 Corinthians 13.1-8

What if I could speak all languages of humans

and angels? If I did not love others, I would be
nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging
cymbal.
What if I could prophesy and understand all
secrets and all knowledge? And what if I had
faith that moved mountains? I would be nothing,
unless I loved others.
What if I gave away all that I owned and let
myself be burnt alive? I would gain nothing,
unless I loved others.
Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful,
proud or rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick
tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs
that others do.
Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil.
Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and
trusting. Love never fails!
Everyone who prophesies will stop, and
unknown languages will no longer be spoken.
All that we know will be forgotten.
We don’t know everything, and our prophecies
are not complete.
But what is perfect will some day appear, and
what isn’t will then disappear.
When we were children we thought and
reasoned as children do. But when we grew up,
we stopped our childish ways.
Now all we can see of God is like a cloudy
picture in a mirror. Later we will see him face to
face. We don’t know everything, but then we
will, just as God completely understands us.
For now there are faith, hope and love. But of
these three, the greatest is love.

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Hymn Amazing Grace

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,

His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The world shall soon dissolve like snow,

The sun refuse to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Shall be forever mine.

When we've been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we'd first begun.

SERMON Father Paul Chaplin

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 THE MARRIAGE

David and Helen, I now invite you to join hands

and make your vows, in the presence of God and
his people
I, David, take you, Helen,
to be my wife,
to have and to hold
from this day forward;
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish,
till death us do part;
according to God's holy law.
In the presence of God I make this vow.

I, Helen, take you, David,

to be my husband,
to have and to hold
from this day forward;
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish,
till death us do part;
according to God's holy law.
In the presence of God I make this vow.

THE GIVING OF RINGS

Heavenly Father, by your blessing

let these rings be to David and Helen
a symbol of unending love and faithfulness,
to remind them of the vow and covenant
which they have made this day
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All Amen.

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Helen, I give you this ring
as a sign of our marriage.
With my body I honour you,
all that I am I give to you,
and all that I have I share with you,
within the love of God, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.

David, I give you this ring

as a sign of our marriage.
With my body I honour you,
all that I am I give to you,
and all that I have I share with you,
within the love of God, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.

THE PROCLAMATION

In the presence of God, and before this

congregation, David and Helen have given their
consent and made their marriage vows to each
other. They have declared their marriage by the
joining of hands and by the giving and receiving
of rings. I therefore proclaim that they are
husband and wife.

Those whom God has joined together let no one

put asunder.

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 THE BLESSING OF THE MARRIAGE

Blessed are you, O Lord our God,

for you have created joy and gladness,
pleasure and delight, love, peace and fellowship.
Pour out the abundance of your blessing
upon David and Helen in their new life together.
Let their love for each other be a seal upon their
hearts and a crown upon their heads.
Bless them in their work and in their
companionship; awake and asleep, in joy and in
sorrow, in life and in death. Finally, in your mercy,
bring them to that banquet where your saints
feast for ever in your heavenly home.
We ask this through Jesus Christ your Son, our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
All Amen.

God the Father,

God the Son,
God the Holy Spirit,
bless, preserve and keep you;
the Lord mercifully grant you the riches of his
grace, that you may please him both in body and
soul, and, living together in faith and love,
may receive the blessings of eternal life.
All Amen.

REGISTRATION OF THE MARRIAGE

Ave Maria - sung by Rhona Johnson

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 SECOND READING read by Catrin Allsop

Sonnet 116, William Shakespeare

Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
Oh no, it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be
taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and
cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Hymn Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven

Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven;

To his feet Thy tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Who like me his praise should sing?
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King.

Praise him for his grace and favour,

To our fathers in distress;
Praise him still the same as ever,
Slow to chide, and swift to bless;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Glorious in his faithfulness.

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 Father-like, he tends and spares us;
Well our feeble frame he knows.
In his hands he gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Widely as his mercy flows.

Angels, help us to adore him;

Ye behold him face to face;
Sun and moon, bow down before him,
Dwellers all in time and space:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace!

PRAYERS AT THE ALTAR

Faithful God, holy and eternal, source of life and

spring of love, we thank and praise you for
bringing David and Helen to this day, and we
pray for them. Lord of life and love:
All hear our prayer.

May their marriage be life-giving and life-long,

enriched by your presence and strengthened by
your grace; may they bring comfort and
confidence to each other in faithfulness and trust.
Lord of life and love:
All hear our prayer.

May the hospitality of their home bring

refreshment and joy to all around them; may their
love overflow to neighbours in need and
embrace those in distress. Lord of life and love:
All hear our prayer.

May they discern in your word

order and purpose for their lives; and may the
power of your Holy Spirit lead them in truth and
defend them in adversity. Lord of life and love:

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All hear our prayer.

May they nurture their family with devotion,

see their children grow in body, mind and spirit
and come at last to the end of their lives with
hearts content and in joyful anticipation of
heaven. Lord of life and love:
All hear our prayer.

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has

taught us

All Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

THE BLESSING

God the Holy Trinity make you strong in faith and

love, defend you on every side, and guide you in
truth and peace; and the blessing of God
almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
All Amen.

THE RECESSIONAL
Wedding March from Midsummer Night’s Dream

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