Services

Services at St Giles’

Sunday services - we are now back in church. 

We have returned to church for social-distanced Parish Eucharist at 10.00. We will no longer be live-streaming services and look forward to seeing you in church when you feel comfortable to be here.

Sunday 18 April Easter  

10.00 Parish Eucharist 

Music and Readings

Organ Prelude van Noordt Psalm 24 verse 1 played by Emma van Setten

Hymn 161 The joyful Eastertide (choir) 

First reading:

Acts 3: 12 – 19

Peter addressed the people, ‘You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.‘ And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out.

Psalm 4

1  Answer me when I call to you,

    my righteous God.

    Give me relief from my distress;

    have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

2  How long will you people turn my glory into shame?

    How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

3  Know that the LORD has set apart his faithful servant for himself;

    the LORD hears when I call to him.

4  Tremble and do not sin;

    when you are on your beds,

    search your hearts and be silent.

5  Offer the sacrifices of the righteous

    and trust in the LORD.

6  Many, LORD, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”

    Let the light of your face shine on us.

7  Fill my heart with joy

    when their grain and new wine abound.

8  In peace I will lie down and sleep,

    for you alone, LORD,

    make me dwell in safety.

Glory to the Father and to the Son:

And to the Holy Spirit,

As it was in the beginning, is now:

and shall be for ever. Amen.

Second reading: 1 John 3: 1 – 7

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

Stanford O for a closer walk (choir)

The Gospel: Luke 24: 36 – 48

Jesus himself stood among his disciples and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.

Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

Sermon

Offertory Hymn 501 Light of the minds that know him (choir)

Eucharistic Prayer

Whitlock Here, o my Lord, I see Thee face to face (choir)

Post Communion Prayer

Blessing

Notices

St Giles’ new bank account

Those who donate via standing order will find letters at the back

detailing our new bank account along with a mandate form

The Book Fair continues this week

but will be closed Thursday and Friday.

Please email admin@stgileschurch.com if you’d like to volunteer

APCM Sunday 25 April following the service

We are looking for members of the congregation to join the PCC and for an additional Deanery Synod representative. Please consider joining this friendly, capable bunch of people. Nomination forms on the table at the back.

Katharine’s leaving receptions

Please email admin@stgileschurch.com if you would like to attend the evening services (followed by receptions) at 6pm on Wednesday 19 May and/or 10am on Sunday 23 May. Or sign list at the back.

Electoral Roll now on display at the back of the church

Organ Postlude Walther Erschienen ist der herrliche Tag

Click below for the Easter Service Booklet 

Please click here if you would like to make a donation

The Sunday Club continues to meet at 10.00 via Zoom. Please contact Dave Archer for further details.   davidjarcher@hotmail.co.uk

Next week’s readings Sunday 25 April Easter 4

Acts 4: 5 – 12   1 John 3: 16 – 24     John 10: 11 – 18

Weekday Services 

08.30 Morning Prayer (Monday-Thursday) in the Chancel.

Praying together 

13.00 -13.30 Private Prayer and Reflection on the first Thursday of the month 

    Thursday 1 April  Private Prayer and Reflection                 from 13.00-13.30

For our monthly private prayer, and you are invited to join others in church on 1 April. You may find this prayer sheet helpful - please bring a copy with you to church. If you are not able to join us, we hope you will continue to pray with us wherever you are.

Our text for April: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes may not perish but may have everlasting life’                 John 3 v16

Let us pray for the church and the world and thank God for his goodness.

Heavenly Father, we give thanks for the fellowship of the church, that supports and helps us to put our faith into practice. Strengthen us, Lord, in your service, that we, may be an encouragement to others and hold fast to all that is good.

We pray for Christians worldwide as we draw near to Easter with hope of the risen Christ and remember those who are persecuted for their faith and those who will be baptised and confirmed.

We pray for our ecumenical friends at St Joseph’s Church, Wesley’s Chapel and Jewin Welsh Church, for our time together during Lent and for our future journey together in faith and hope. 

We pray for the City of London and Metropolitan Police in their difficult task of enforcing the law and keeping us safe, for a better understanding and relationship between local communities and their police officers.

We give thanks for the success of the Covid 19 vaccination programme, for the volunteers who have staffed vaccination centres and those who have visited the frail and infirm in their homes.

We give thanks for the lifting of some of the lockdown rules that enables us to enjoy the company of our families and friends in the hope that we may slowly return to a more normal way of life in the coming months.  

We pray for the people of countries living under oppression, or conflict and fear, remembering those in Myanmar who continue to protest after the military coup and more recently in Mozambique with attacks by an ISIS group. We pray for International organisations and charities working for reconciliation and peaceful resolution of the many conflicts.

We give thanks for the beauty of God’s world that we see around us, in particular at this time the blossom on the trees, including the magnolias outside the church, in the St Alphege and Barbican gardens. We pray for all you are working now to stop climate change and pollution with green and sustainable programmes to safeguard God’s world for future generations.  

Merciful Father accept our prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

We finish by saying the Lord’s Prayer. 

Lectionary for April and May 

Sunday 11 April Easter 2

11 Acts 4: 32 – 35; 1 John 1: 1 – 2:2; John 20: 19 – 31

Sunday 18 April Easter 3

18 Acts 3: 12 – 19; 1 John 3: 1 – 7; Luke 24: 36 – 48

Sunday 25 April Easter 4

25 Acts 4: 5 – 12; 1 John 3: 16 – 24; John 10: 11 – 18

Sunday 2 May Easter 5

2 Acts 8: 26 – 38; 1 John 4: 7 – 21; John 15: 1 – 8

Sunday 9 May Easter 6

9 Acts 10: 44 – 48; 1 John 5: 1 – 6; John 15: 9 – 17

Sunday 16 May Easter 7 Sunday after Ascension Day  

16 Acts 1: 15 – 17, 21 – 26; 1 John 5: 9 – 13; John 17: 6 – 19

Sunday 23 May Pentecost Whit Sunday

23 Ezekiel 37:1 – 14; Acts 2: 1 – 11; John 15: 26 – 27, 16: 4b - 15

Sunday 30 May Trinity Sunday

30 Isaiah 6: 1 – 8; Romans 8: 12 – 17; John 3: 1 – 17

Our Liturgy  

We use Common Worship for all services except on the first Sunday of the month when the 1662 Communion Service is used.

Baptisms

Christingle and Mothering Sunday Services

We especially welcome parents, Godparents and children to the Christingle service on Advent Sunday at 16.00 and to the Mothering Sunday service in the Spring as part of the Parish Eucharist at 10.00.

Weddings

"Welcome Back Sunday Service"

Each year we hold a "Welcome Back Service" on the second Sunday in May as part of the 10.00 Parish Eucharist, when we invite those who have been married or have worshipped here and moved away. We give thanks for faithful relationships and marriage, we sing many of the hymns chosen for weddings and the organ music at the end is one of the famous recessional pieces.This is a popular service and all are welcome. There is also an opportunity after the service to show your photos and enjoy a glass of wine or fruit juice.    

Funerals

All Souls' Service

A very popular service, the Commemoration of All Souls is held here on the Sunday nearest 2 November at 16.00.There is music and readings, prayers and the lighting of candles by members of the congregation; the names of the dead are read out and silence kept. People find it very moving and beautiful and make a point of coming back each year.

Memorial Services

Generally a memorial service takes place several weeks after the funeral. Sometimes a memorial service is referred to as a service of thanksgiving. Usually the deceased had a connection either with the church or this part of London.

The Rector and Director of Music are involved in the planning of the service.

The Columbarium

The Columbarium is known as 'one of London's secret gardens.' It lies to the east of the church down a flight of stairs. There are some niches on an outside wall and others are in a covered area enclosed by a gate. We have many requests for the placing of ashes here, but because of the limited space, only the ashes of those who were worshipping members of the congregation or who lived within the parish at time of death are placed there.

"I am the resurrection and the life," says the Lord."Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." John 11.25,26