Choral Evensong - Sunday, 27th February 2022 | Canterbury Cathedral

good evening and a very warm welcome to the king's school eucharist with confirmation we are delighted to have the bishop of dover bishop reyes who has come to preside over our service and we're particularly grateful because she's recovering from having lost her voice totally earlier this week so i know that we're going to be very quiet so that we can hear every word that she says and we're looking forward as well to hearing her preach for us a little bit later on it is a delight to welcome you all as family friends and supporters of 40 fantastic king students who are here tonight to stand up for their faith in the lord jesus christ and it has been an absolute joy and a privilege for mr t and myself to prepare them for today and they have been wonderful turning up regularly to their classes discussing lots of issues and actually looking really sad when they were coming to an end so they are a tribute to all of you and thank you for the support and love that you've given them that has brought them to this day i have a couple of housekeeping notices the first is to say please no photography or videoing during the service and that's because it is a sacrament and we want them to really live the moment as it is there will be opportunities at the end of the service for you to take photographs and we do understand your need for that and you can do that at the end also during the communion part of the service we do invite everybody to keep the silence the students have been told this as well and that's because it's a very special moment for the candidates when they go and receive their first communion up at the altar and it's a time for the rest of us to pray with them as they begin this new journey as christians on the way of christ if you would also like to receive communion you will be directed to the correct station by members of staff so do follow their directions the choir will be singing beautifully for us so we can listen to that as well if you would prefer to receive a blessing do come up and bring your order of service with you and that gives us a little hint that you would prefer a blessing rather than receive communion there will be a retiring collection at the end of this service and it will be going to three wonderful causes it will be going to the work of this amazing cathedral which we're so privileged to be in today it will also be going to the bishops justice fund and also to the school charity of the term which is papyrus uk so i do invite you if you wish to give at the door as you leave you would be very welcome now we're just going to pause for a moment as we hold in our hearts and before god the 40 candidates we ask for god's blessing on them before we sing our processional hymn [Music] wow [Music] [Applause] [Music] blessed be god father son and holy spirit and forever amen i think we need to start as we mean to go on i only heard two voices just now blessed be god father son and holy spirit be with you this is a very special moment for the candidates in particular being confirmed but also for their families this is a moment when we are witnessing a generation of young students who are saying yes in their own words they have written paragraphs telling me a little bit of their story and what was wonderful in reading those paragraphs is to hear folks saying well you know my parents and my godparents when i was baptized now i get to say yes and say those words myself so a very special moment i feel very privileged to be here officiating at your confirmation so let us be still together as we pray heavenly father by the power of your holy spirit you give to your faithful people new life in the waters of baptism guide and strengthen us by the same spirit that we who are born again may serve you in faith and love and grow into the full statue of your son jesus christ who is alive and reigns with you and the holy spirit one god now and forever [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] said yes [Music] next fingers [Music] yes [Music] please [Music] crazy [Music] oh [Music] dreams [Music] us [Music] [Music] yes [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] the first reading come from comes from saint paul's second letter to the corinthians since then we have such a hope we act with great boldness not like moses who put a veil over his face to keep the people of israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside but their minds were hardened indeed to this very day when they hear the reading of the old covenant that same veil is there since only in christ is it set aside indeed to this very day whenever moses is read a veil lies over their minds but when one turns to the lord that veil is removed now the lord is the spirit and where the spirit of the lord is there is freedom and all of us with unveiled faces seeing the glory of the lord as though reflected in the mirror are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another from this for this comes from the lord the spirit therefore since it is by god's mercy that we are engaged in this ministry we do not lose heart we have announced the shameful things that one hides we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify god's word but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of god this is the word of the lord thanks be [Music] foreign foreign so hear the gospel of our lord jesus christ according to luke glory to you o lord now about eight days after these sayings jesus took with him peter and john and james and went up on the mountain to pray and while he was praying the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became dazzling white suddenly two men moses and elijah were talking to him they appeared in glory and was speaking of his departure which he was about to accomplish at jerusalem now peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep but since they had stayed awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him just as they were leaving with him peter said to jesus master it is good for us to be here let us make three dwellings one for you one for moses and one for elijah not knowing what he said while he was saying this a cloud came and overshadowed them and they were terrified as they entered the cloud and from the cloud came a voice that said this is my son my chosen listen to him when the voice had spoken jesus was found alone and they kept silent and in those days told no one of any of the things they had seen this is the gospel of the lord [Music] [Applause] [Music] i speak in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit amen jesus chooses his disciples three of his disciples and he goes and then the real work starts because they have to come down the mountain and in effect live out what they have prayed but isn't it interesting that the disciples having engaged with this mountain experience actually they're now saying i don't want to go down the mountain i want to stay here this feels good look what we have experienced it's a little bit like a honeymoon or you don't know what a honeymoon is yet so let me say it's a little bit for you like going on holiday and you've had a fantastic time a fabulous time but it's time to go and your parents are coaxing and you're saying really i want to stay a little bit longer can we not just have another day i want a little bit more fun fun is okay but you and i once we have had that kind of shekinah glory once we have been surrounded and feel refueled restored re-energized we have to do something with it we have to get back down the mountain and begin to live what we have prayed for because god has no other hands to use but your hands no other feet no other voices but ours to enact that for which we pray and seek god's will and so that is the challenge for all of us not just for those who are being confirmed today and today is really a mountaintop experience for you and i hope it will be a memorable one but what is going to be more critical and of vital importance is that you continue day by day to live out what it means to be a child of god that's what it means because being a child of god is not an easy thing it is hard work it is hard work because it is going contrary you're actually it's it's the sort of battle you are being pushed and pulled your friends are telling you one thing they're calling you to do something else but deep in your heart you know where you should be and what you should be doing and so somewhere along the line you need the strength to be able to say no no no because i need to say yes to something else and not just a no but a yes to something else so what is this something else what does it mean to be a christian people talk glibly about being a christian country or not being a christian country i had a parishioner once who said to me uh sister rose they call me sister rose sister rose do you think our churches are closing because we have mosque being built in our country and temples being built in our country i listened and then i had to say absolutely not our churches are closing because those of us who profess faith are failing to live that faith out that's why our churches are closing because those who have been baptized into christ have forgotten the mountaintop experiences and they have forgotten to live what it means to be a child of god they have forgotten what it is to live peaceably with all what it is to love their neighbor and notice the loving of our neighbor is not loving the people who look like us who speak like us but loving all god's children within the challenge of living out the faith we have to ask ourselves what would christ say about this what would jesus say what would jesus do when i lived in my last parish i would often as i walk around in the market or in the supermarket someone would approach me and they would approach me with a question and it's usually something that is a little bit contentious that they want to talk to me about they don't want to talk to me about jesus loving everybody and welcoming everybody they want the bits that are a little bit contentious and i would listen and then i would say to them ah this must be really important and if it is that important that jesus must have said something about it when you tell me what jesus said about it then i will continue the conversation with you and they wander off and i get on and do my shopping it is important my brothers and sisters and in particular for those of you who are embarking on this journey that you begin now to wrestle with that question what does it mean for me today and it's a question we ask ourselves daily what does it mean for me today to live out the good news of jesus christ here in the diocese i have shared four priorities the first is the priority of prayer and i want to thank you those of you in particular in your paragraphs where you mentioned about the need for you to spend more time praying praying praying is our oxygen praying is our communication with god praying is us acknowledging the presence of god and enabling god recognizing god as god recognizes you as well prayer is vital and it's not just the set prayers that we say in our books it's the prayers that we say along the road it's the prayers that we say we're about to do an exam and it's a difficult challenging one and you just say lord have mercy help me lord in this particular situation it is the appointment at the hospital and you're a little bit concerned and you say lord help me and god hears and answers our prayers and gives us strength to walk the next step so prayer the second priority that i have shared i continue to share here in the diocese is the priority of reading scripture reading scripture as we read god's word we're asking ourselves and reflecting what did this mean to those who heard it first what did it mean what did it mean to the first disciples and what might it mean for me today we're wrestling with that i'm delighted to hear about your groups that you meet in because it means that you will know you are not alone and if you have a question someone else may have a question too and you can begin to share i read this but i'm not quite sure i understand it or i'm not sure i believe this and it's okay for you to say that and think that and you have your chaplains you have your parents you have your godparents have we got any godparents for youngsters today i can see some heads being knotted so you have godparents work them yes ring them up and say what do you think about this you know when you heard the story the news rather not so much a story but the news of what is happening in ukraine at the moment i want you to ring your godparents up and say this is on my mind i am praying i want you to help me pray for this situation i want you to ring your godparents up when you hear about refugees and asylum seekers who are trying to get to a place of safety i want you to ask your parents and your godparents have you written to your parliamentarians and tell them how you expect them the kind of leadership on this issue and when they ask you but why should we do this i want you to be able to say because in the scriptures the scriptures that i have read i read about a god who is interested in those who are most vulnerable in society share that with them because sometimes they may have forgotten you know life you know as we get older life gets so complicated it's not that complicated for you yet so be that encouragement to them and i pray and hope that you will continue to be that encouragement to them also so prayer the scripture and then there is generosity generosity just before we started you mentioned about the charities that you're giving tonight is going to support but generosity is not just about giving from our pockets i want you to but it's not just that it is about a way of life in other words how might you respond on the playground when someone is unkind to you and you know young people are young people and sometimes they can be unkind and the temptation is often to respond in a human way someone hits you and you think i'm gonna hit them even harder but actually the gospel says something different so how might we live a generously with one another in our responses in our time in all that we have in sharing that i believe that we would be in a different world today if we could only think generously about three quarters of the world who are yet to receive yet to receive vital medication vaccines and we just keep giving it to each other we just keep you know we have the ability we can afford it so let's do number two and number three and number four and where is the generosity of those who have not even had number one or number half thinking generously living generously together and what about the careers that you will choose because within those choices it cannot simply be i am choosing this career because you know what it makes a lot a lot of money whatever the career pathway it must be how am i going to use this gift of mine to make the world a better place a better place how am i going to serve the world martin luther king jr said that everyone has the potential for greatness not for fame but for greatness because greatness is about service greatness is about service so as you think generously and live generously it is my prayer and hope that you will make a difference you will as the prayer card has written on it that you've got may god bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference moms and dads and grandparents and godparents may you also encourage them with enough foolishness so that they know they can make a difference reaffirm them so that they can keep going on this journey that they are part of at this moment and then my final priority that i share always with the diocese is the priority of good news when something good happens can we tell somebody about it so here is your challenge for tonight you're going to find somebody else who is not here perhaps one of your other students friends etc and you're going to tell them about tonight is that a deal can i see your hands you're going to find someone and tell them about this evening about your confirmation and then the adults think that they were going to get away from this but i look to the adults now including you who are further away i want you tonight between now and the end of this week coming up i want you to find someone and tell them where you were tonight pick up the phone and if you're sitting there saying but i can't do this i've never done this before they're going to think i'm crazy that's okay that really is okay but i want you to get into the habit of telling someone good news isn't it interesting that those who have been to a football net have you been to a football match you're allowed to speak to me have you been to a football match who's been to a live football match you have you have been to a live football match have you told others about it when you've gotten back you have and i bet you weren't sitting looking glum either especially if your team won you would have been excited i want to say to us my brothers and sisters tonight is an occasion for joy knowing god is an occasion for joy i want you to share that joy share that good news tell others about it but make sure you live the joy make sure you live the joy that you are telling because otherwise they will not believe you they will not believe you so that is my challenge for you as you are on this mountain remember you will need to get down the mountain and live out what it means to be a child of god the temptation is great to stay where it is easier but we're not called to an easy life we're called to a life that is real a life that is real there's a wonderful story mr dean i don't know whether you recall the name of the book but there's a wonderful children's story where the chil the toys are talking to one another and they're saying which one of them is more important do you know the story don't know that one somebody will know the story they're all arguing as to which one is most important and the ones that are mechanical can whizz and make sounds and move they say we're really important look at us we can go you just need to wind us up and off we go but it is the little used up teddy bear the little teddy bear says i think i'm important and not only that i think i am real so you may think you're real because you can move around very fast when you've been wounded up but he says i'm real and you know how i know that i'm real i'm real because they take me everywhere with them and when you're real you will know because you begin to lose your hair you've been rubbed a lot you've been loved a lot so you will know when you are real you and i must be real in our faith journey and it is in being real that we will become the catalyst for other people's lives to be changed and for them to be real in their faith when you are relaxed about your faith and can talk about it easily then you are giving other people the permission also to talk about their faith may god bless you and fill you with joy as you seek to live out your faith day by day by day and the rest of you may you also recommit yourselves this night to live what it means to be the people of god in a way that speaks volume in how we live together and how we think about god's world the one world where we are all brothers and sisters where the people in ukraine right now are our brothers and sisters our mothers and fathers our children we hold them and we hold the people of russia the people of russia too they too are our brothers and sisters fathers and mothers and our children in our prayers amen i'm going to invite the candidates to come with me to the fund um have you been baptized in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit are you ready with your own mouth and from your own heart to affirm your faith in jesus christ faith is the gift of god to his people in baptism the lord is adding to our number those whom he is calling people of god will you welcome these candidates and uphold them in their life in christ in baptism god calls us out of darkness into his marvelous light therefore i ask you do you reject the devil and all rebellion against god do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil do you repent of the sins that separate us from god and neighbor to follow christ means dying to sin and rising to new life with him do you turn to christ as savior do you submit to christ as lord will you walk with christ the way the truth and the life may god who has given you the desire to follow christ give you also strength to continue in the way brothers and sisters i ask you to profess together with these candidates the faith of the church please stand for this do you believe and trust in god the father do you believe and trust in his son jesus christ do you believe and trust in the holy spirit uh yes a reminder of your baptism and if you're thinking well i have not been baptized you can have a word with the priest before you it's not leave i'm enjoying this okay so we just needed some music okay i'm enjoying this okay thank you almighty god we thank you for our fellowship in the household of faith with all those who've been baptized into your name keep us faithful to our baptism and so make us ready for that day when the whole creation shall be made perfect in your son our savior jesus christ amen you our help is in the name of the lord blessed be the name of the lord almighty and everlasting god you have given these your servants new birth in baptism by water and the spirit and have forgiven them all their sins let your holy spirit rest upon them the spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit of counsel and inward strength the spirit of knowledge and true godliness and let their delight be in the fear of the lord amen god has called you by name and made you his home confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit amen arushi god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit beatrice god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit amen okay god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit daisy god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit thomas god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit as me god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit god has called you by name and made you his home confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit tilde god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit amen ordeal god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit honor god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit eliza god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit olivia god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant your holy spirit itty god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit amen orlando god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit amen lord god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit amen isabella god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit amen olympia god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit amen emma god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit hannah god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit charles god has called you by name and made you his own on firm o lord your servant with your holy spirit amen anika god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit william god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit nicholas god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit jessica god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit amen alexander god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit amen jasper god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit alistair god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit amen james god has called you by name and made you his own on firm o lord your servant with your holy spirit amen adebayo goddess called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit amen treasure god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit joshua god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit henry god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit amen king james god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit sisan god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit amen the fire god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit isaac god has called you by name and made you his own confirm o lord your servant with your holy spirit will the congregation join me in this prayer for all our candidates defend o lord these your servants with your heavenly grace that they may continue yours forever and daily increase in your holy spirit more and more until they come to your everlasting kingdom amen there is one lord one faith one baptism by one's spirit we are all baptized into one body the peace of the lord be always with you we offer peace to each other in a way that you are most comfortable [Music] is [Music] so foreign can i encourage you to share your enthusiasm for the lord's supper the lord be with you lift up your hearts let us give thanks to the lord our god father we give you thanks and praise through your beloved son jesus christ your living word through whom you've created all things who were sent by you in your great goodness to be our savior by the power of the holy spirit he took flesh and as your son born of the blessed virgin he lived on earth and went about among us he opened wide his arms for us on the cross he put an end to death by dying for us and reveal the resurrection by rising to new life so he fulfilled your will and one for you a holy people and now we give you thanks because by water and the holy spirit you have made us a holy people in jesus christ our lord you raise us to new life in him and renew in us the image of your glory therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we proclaim your great and glorious name forever praising you and singing [Music] so [Music] [Music] three [Music] [Applause] you [Music] oh [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] lord you are holy indeed the source of all holiness granted by the power of your holy spirit and according to your holy will these your gifts of bread and wine may be to us the body and blood of our lord jesus christ who in the same night that he was betrayed took bread and gave you thanks he broke it gave it to his disciples saying take eat this is my body which is given for you do this in remembrance of me in the same way after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks he gave it to them saying drink this all of you this is my blood of the new covenant which is shared for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me christ is the bread of life when we eat this bread and drink this cup we proclaim your death lord jesus until you come in glory and so father calling to mind his death on the cross his perfect sacrifice made once for the sins of the whole world rejoicing at his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension and looking for his coming in glory we celebrate this memorial of our redemption as we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving we bring before you this bread and this cup and we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you send the holy spirit on your people and gather into one in your kingdom all who share this one bread and one cup so that we in the company of all the saints may praise and glorify you forever through him from whom all good things come jesus christ our lord by whom and with whom and in whom in the unity of the holy spirit all honor and glory be yours almighty father forever and ever amen we pray now in our mother tongue the words that our lord jesus taught us 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 we break this bread to share in the body of christ though we are many we are one body because we all share in one breath god's holy gifts for god's holy people jesus christ is holy jesus christ is lord to the glory of god the father you [Music] [Music] ah please [Music] [Music] please he's [Music] so [Music] oh [Music] please [Music] stay [Applause] [Music] [Applause] foreign [Music] [Music] child [Music] ah [Music] foreign me [Music] oh [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] ah oh me [Music] [Music] see [Music] [Applause] [Music] me [Music] [Applause] [Music] my [Music] hmm [Music] so go before us lord in all we do with your most gracious favor and guide us with your continual help that in all our works begun continued and ended in you we may glorify your holy name and finally by your mercy receive everlasting life through jesus christ our lord amen well the candidates please stand those who are baptized are called to worship and serve god will you continue in the apostles teaching and fellowship in the breaking of bread and in the prayers will you persevere in resisting evil and whenever you fall into sin repent and return to the lord will you proclaim by word and example the good news of god in christ will you seek and serve christ in all people loving your neighbor as yourself will you acknowledge christ's authority over human society by prayer for the world and its leaders by defending the weak and by seeking peace and justice may christ dwell in your hearts through faith that you may be rooted and grounded in love and bring forth the fruit of the spirit so may the god of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in christ jesus establish strengthen and settle you in the faith and the blessing of god almighty the father the son and the holy spirit be upon you and remain with you and all those whom you love pray and care for this night and always amen [Music] [Applause] [Music] so so [Music] so [Music] candidates we visibly can see you holding lit candles but in a moment when the service has ended of course you are going to blow out those candles what i want to say to you from the moment you blow out those candles you represent that light so bear that in mind you will be the light of christ wherever you go in your classroom on the playground back at home you will be that light god has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and has given us a place with the saints in light you have received the light of christ walk in this light all the days of your life shine as a light in the world to the glory of god the father go in the light and peace of christ thanks be to god [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] my [Music] so [Music] you

Channel: Canterbury Cathedral

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Keywords: Worship, faith, pray, prayer, church, holy, eucharist, Christian, Anglican, Episcopal, cathedral, Canterbury, England, mother, communion, archbishop, saint, service, online, leo, cat, cats, black prince, becket, tiger, st paul, durham, Lincoln, notre dame

Id: yFfM4AOKwRw

Length: 109min 11sec (6551 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 27 2022