Eighth Sunday of Easter
8 a.m. Said Eucharist
President and Preacher: The Revd John Hunnisett
9 a.m. St Barnabas, Box, Eucharist with hymns
President and Preacher: The Revd Canon Howard Gilbert
10 a.m. Sung Eucharist
President: The Revd Canon Howard Gilbert
Preacher: The Revd John Hunnisett
5.30 p.m. Celtic evening prayer with meditative music
Click here for the Church of England's daily prayer: Morning Prayer, Prayer during the Day, Evening Prayer and Night Prayer
As well as the Sunday collect and readings (see below), you may want to use the following in your prayers during the week:
In the Anglican cycle of prayer, for the Anglican Church of Melanesia and Archbishop Leonard Dawes
For our four overseas partner dioceses, especially the diocese of Västerås and Bishop Mikael
In our deanery cycle of prayer, for Beacon Benefice: Saint Mary, Painswick; Saint John the Apostle, Sheepscombe; Saint James the Great, Cranham; Saint
John the Baptist, Edge; Saint John the Baptist, Pitchcombe; Saint John the Baptist, Harescombe & Brookthorpe. Clergy: Sarah Haslam, David Reynish, Helen Sammon, Paul Kenchington
In our parish cycle of prayer, for all who live or work in Bell Lane and Friday Street
For those in need: Giles Boon, Jonathan Brough, Daphne Webb, Sue Kirkwood, Jason Kennedy, Ann Gaylor, Sylvia Gerard, Kaye Francis
For those who have died recently: Neil Griffiths
For those whose anniversary of death falls at this time: Timothy Whamond, Richard Barclay, Mary Stevens, Paul Howlett, John Harrop, Sophia Powell, Jacky Kerry, Rosemary Beamish
COLLECT
God, who as at this time
taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit:
grant us by the same Spirit
to have a right judgement in all things
and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort;
through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever
FIRST READING: Acts 2.1–21
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
“In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
PSALM 104: 26–27; 29–30; 35–36
All I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.
O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
There is the sea, spread far and wide,
and there move creatures beyond number, both small and great.
All I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.
All of these look to you
to give them their food in due season.
When you give it them, they gather it;
you open your hand and they are filled with good.
All I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will make music to my God while I have my being.
So shall my song please him
while I rejoice in the Lord.
All I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.
SECOND READING: Romans 8.14–17
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
GOSPEL READING: John 14.8–17
Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
POST COMMUNION
Faithful God,
who fulfilled the promises of Easter
by sending us your Holy Spirit
and opening to every race and nation
the way of life eternal:
open our lips by your Spirit,
that every tongue may tell of your glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.