Gazing out into Girton’s Beautiful gardens. Photo by Liliana Janik
Welcome back to Girton’s ‘virtual chapel’ Evensong page. After the two big feasts of Ascension and Pentecost we are returning to our termly theme, which is a deep dive into The Lord’s Prayer. As we have missed a couple of Sundays and are coming towards the end of term we are going to look at two petitions from the prayer today, ‘Forgive us our trespasses’ and ‘Lead us not into temptation’, or as another translation puts it, ‘ do not bring us to the time of trial’, but as there are deep links between these two parts of the prayer I hope it will be helpful to handle them together.
As always, our readings, music, and reflections develop our theme in different ways. The choir, once more accompanied by the Conservatoires’ Cornett & Sackbutt Ensemble directed by Jeremy West, will bring us music from Ingegneri and from our own Gareth Wilson, and Once more we will enjoy responses and prayers set for us by up and coming composer Rhiannon Randle, ! (You can find the choir’s CDs Here)
So we will begin with the opening responses:
V:O Lord, open thou our lips.
R:And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
V:O God, make speed to save us.
R:O Lord, make haste to help us.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
R: .As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
V: Praise ye the Lord.
R:The Lord’s Name be praised.
our wonderful choristers
Since our reading and sermons this week touch upon the passion, let us read psalm 22 together. You may like to read this psalm ‘antiphonally with someone else in your household:
- MY GOD, my God, look upon me; why hast thou forsaken me: and art so far from my health, and from the words of my complaint?
- O my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest not: and in the night-season also I take no rest.
- And thou continuest holy: O thou worship of Israel.
- Our fathers hoped in thee: they trusted in thee, and thou didst deliver them.
- They called upon thee, and were holpen: they put their trust in thee, and were not confounded.
- But as for me, I am a worm, and no man: a very scorn of men, and the outcast of the people.
- All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot our their lips, and shake their heads, saying,
- He trusted in God, that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, if he will have him.
- But thou art he that took me out of my mother’s womb: thou wast my hope, when I hanged yet upon my mother’s breasts.
- I have been left unto thee ever since I was born: thou art my God, even from my mother’s womb.
- O go not from me, for trouble is hard at hand: and there is none to help me.
- Many oxen are come about me: fat bulls of Basan close me in on every side.
- They gape upon me with their mouths: as it were a ramping and a roaring lion.
- I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart also in the midst of my body is even like melting wax.
- My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaveth to my gums: and thou shalt bring me into the dust of death.
- For many dogs are come about me: and the council of the wicked layeth siege against me.
- They pierced my hands and my feet; I may tell all my bones: they stand staring and looking upon me.
- They part my garments among them: and casts lots upon my vesture.
- But be not thou far from me, O Lord: thou art my succour, haste thee to help me.
- Deliver my soul from the sword: my darling from the power of the dog.
- Save me from the lion’s mouth: thou hast heard me also from among the horns of the unicorns.
- I will declare thy Name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
- O praise the Lord, ye that fear him: magnify him, all ye of the seed of Jacob, and fear him, all ye seed of Israel.
- For he hath not despised, nor abhorred, the low estate of the poor: he hath not hid his face from him, but when he called unto him he heard him.
- My praise is of thee in the great congregation: my vows will I perform in the sight of them that fear him.
- The poor shall eat and be satisfied: they that seek after the Lord shall praise him; your heart shall live for ever.
- All the ends of the world shall remember themselves, and be turned unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before him.
- For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the Governor among the people.
- All such as be fat upon earth: have eaten and worshipped.
- All they that go down into the dust shall kneel before him: and no man hath quickened his own soul.
- My seed shall serve him: they shall be counted unto the Lord for a generation.
- They shall come, and the heavens shall declare his righteousness: unto a people that shall be born, whom the Lord hath made.
Glory Be to the Father, and the theSon and to the Holy Ghost
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen
Our Old Testament reading this evening comes from the prophet Isaiah and is read for us by James Wade, the Director of Studies in English
Who has believed what we have heard?
And to whom has the arm of theLord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by others;
a man of suffering[a]and acquainted with infirmity;
and as one from whom others hide their faces[b]
he was despised, and we held him of no account.
4 Surely he has borne our infirmities
and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
and by his bruises we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have all turned to our own way,
and theLordhas laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
In place of the Magnificat this evening we will hear Vidi Speciosam by Ingegneri
Our New Testament Reading comes from Matthew’s Gospel, and is read for us, in the beautiful Authorised Version by Michelle Stanley the Mistress’s Secretary:
21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
In place of the Nunc Dimittis we will hear Non In Pane Solo composed by our Director of Chapel Music Gareth Wilson
Girton choir in Singapore Image by Adrenalin Photography
Final Responses set by Rhiannon Randle sung by Girton Choir
V:The Lord be with you.
R:And with thy spirit.
V:Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
OUR Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.
V:O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.
R:And grant us thy salvation.
V:O Lord, save the Queen.
R:And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
V:Endue thy Ministers with righteousness.
R:And make thy chosen people joyful.
V:O Lord, save thy people.
R:And bless thine inheritance.
V:Give peace in our time, O Lord.
R:Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.
V:O God, make clean our hearts within us.
R:And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.
Delicate beauty unfolding in Girton’s garden. Photo by Jeremy West
Sermon and sonnets by the chaplain:
Texts of the sonnets:
Forgive as we forgive: the prayer you give us,
Comes home so close yet radiates so far.
We set the limits on our own forgiveness;
As generous or grudging as we are.
The wounds we give and take in all our weakness,
The injuries that smoulder, burning slow,
The sins that others visited upon us,
Are ours to hold or utterly let go.
You tell the story of the wretched debtor,
The one forgiven everything he owed,
Who then exacted payment, to the letter,
From one who could not bear the given load.
Oh lift my given load that I, forgiven,
Might give away forgiveness, free as heaven.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
Oh do not bring us to the time of trial,
Deliver us, deliver us from evil.
How is it that your own petitions fail
As evil slams its hammer to the anvil?
For you were brought to trial and not delivered
You let the prince of darkness do his worst
The sun shrank from that sight, the whole world shivered,
The fount of blessing let himself be cursed.
How is it? Is it that your dereliction
Makes possible the answer to my prayer?
Am I delivered by your bitter passion,
As you face every evil for me there?
Unanswered answerer, forsaken friend,
Bring me to my beginning through your end.
Our Anthem this evening is Duo Seraphim by Ingegneri:
Now here, as always is the blessing which concludes our service:
The peace of God, which passeth all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his son Jesus Christ our lord, and the blessing of God almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with you and remain with you and those whom you hold in your hearts, this day and always, Amen
Blossoms that will one day bear fruit: an emblem of our college life. Image by Jeremy West
Malcolm Guite 