Consecration to the Single Consecrated Life
A Service of Consecration to the
Single Consecrated Life
First vow of consecrated celibacy
Sunday 24th July, 3pm
All Saints with Holy Trinity, Loughborough
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away;
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.
Teresa of Avila
Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Ps.34:8
The Gathering
Instrumental music is played before the service begins. If you are a visitor here today, we hope you feel at home. It is wonderful that you are able to be alongside Janine on this significant occasion.
Please join in with the words in bold type that are for the whole congregation if you feel able to do so. Throughout the service there are invitations to stand, sit or kneel. These are suggestions only; all our bodies are different so please do what is right and comfortable for you.
Communion will be given by intinction (the minister dipping the bread into the wine.) Gluten free wafers are available, please speak to a steward before the service.
After an informal welcome please stand if you feel able for the processional hymn.
Entry of the ministers
Processional Hymn
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
there is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Thomas O Chisholm
Greeting
Bishop Grace, mercy and peace
from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ,
be with you
All and also with you.
Welcome and introduction
Bishop We have come together in the presence of God as those who are willing to accompany Janine
on her journey of faith.
We are here to thank God for the gift of her vocation,
to witness her Vow,
to share in her joy,
and to pray for God’s blessing
as she makes her commitment to the single consecrated life.
Janine, we rejoice with you that you have been called to surrender
every aspect of your life into God’s hands.
And we celebrate the gift of celibacy that God has given you.
God is Love and Relationship;
a union of Three loving Persons,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We are all invited to know this Love for ourselves,
and to experience the fullness of
God’s joy and delight in us.
We are all known, held and loved.
Created in God’s image, we are all expressions of God’s love,
And we find the fullest expression of our humanity through an
ever-deepening relationship with God.
We are all called to put our whole trust
in God’s great goodness,
to offer ourselves freely and frequently to God, and to trust God
to be our everything.
We were all made for union with God.
So, as we come to witness Janine make her Vow,
let us pray that we may all
recognise our own longing for God,
and know more of God’s deep desire for us.
With Janine, may we, too, seek to prefer nothing whatever to the
love of God, experience the joy of knowing God’s love for us, and
discover the joy of giving God our wholehearted ‘yes’.
Silent reflection
Confession
The Bishop introduces the confession, you may wish to kneel.
Come, let us return to the Lord and say:
All Lord our God,
in our sin we have avoided your call.
Our love for you is like a morning mist,
like the dew that goes early away.
Have mercy on us,
deliver us from judgement,
bind up our wounds and revive us,
in Jesus Christ our Lord. cf Hosea 6
Absolution
The Bishop declares
Almighty God,
who forgives all who truly repent,
have mercy upon you,
pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you in life eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All Amen.
Collect
The Bishop prays
Merciful God,
you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as pass our understanding:
pour into our hearts such love toward you
that we, loving you in all things and above all things,
may obtain your promises,
which exceed all that we can desire;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
All Amen.
The Liturgy of the Word
First Reading
The Old Testament reading is read by Sr Mary Luke, of the Community of the Holy Cross, Costock.
Isaiah 55:1-13
“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labour on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a ruler and commander of the peoples.
5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendour.”
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,
for an everlasting sign,
that will endure forever.”
Song
We are invited to stand to sing
There is a Redeemer,
Jesus, God's own Son,
Precious lamb of God, Messiah,
Holy One.
Jesus, my Redeemer,
Name above all names,
Precious lamb of God, Messiah,
Oh, for sinners slain.
Thank you, oh my Father,
For giving us your Son,
And leaving your Spirit
'Til the work on earth is done.
When I stand in glory
I will see his face,
And there I'll serve my King forever,
In that holy place.
Thank you, oh my Father,
For giving us your Son,
And leaving your Spirit
'Til the work on earth is done.
There is a Redeemer,
Jesus, God's own Son,
Precious lamb of God, Messiah,
Holy One.
Thank you, oh my Father,
For giving us your Son,
And leaving your Spirit
'Til the work on earth is done.
Melody Green
The Psalm
The Psalm is read by Rev Canon Helen Newman.
Psalm 84
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty;
listen to me, God of Jacob.
9 Look on our shield, O God;
look with favour on your anointed one.
10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favour and honour;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
12 Lord Almighty,
blessed is the one who trusts in you.
Gospel Reading
The Gospel is read by Bishop Saju Muthalaly, who will be the Guardian of Janine’s Vow.
Please stand if you feel able and sing together the Alleluia as the Gospel book is carried to the middle of the church and the congregation turn to face the reader.
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Glory to you O Lord.
Luke 10:38-42
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you O Christ.
The Allelujah is sung again as the Gospel book is returned.
Sermon
The preacher is the Revd. Wendy Dalrymple; please sit after an introductory prayer.
Song
Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for thee.
Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from thee.
Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as thou shalt choose.
Take my will and make it thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is thine own,
It shall be thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for thee.
Frances R. Havergal
The Rite of Consecration
The Presentation and Scrutiny
Rev Wendy Dalrymple presents Janine to the Bishop
Wendy Bishop Martyn, I present to you, Janine,
who asks you to receive her Vow
to the Single Consecrated Life.
Bishop Janine, What do you seek?
Janine I seek to make a Vow of celibacy
and to continue to consecrate my life to God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Bishop Are you truly resolved to live in the state of celibacy and in the service of God and his Church?
Janine I am.
Bishop Are you resolved to accept consecration in the single life, following the example of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
who in love, gave his life
for the salvation of the world?
Janine I am.
Bishop and all present
Thanks be to God.
Janine kneels before the Bishop
Bishop Brothers and sisters, let us pray to God the Almighty Father through his Son Jesus Christ, that he will pour out the Holy Spirit on Janine, his servant whom he has called to be consecrated in his service.
Come Holy Spirit.
Come with anointing love.
Come with grace and power.
Invitation and Profession
Bishop Janine, I now invite you to make your profession.
Janine Bishop Martyn, receive my resolution to follow Christ in a life of consecrated celibacy,
which I here profess,
initially for 3 years,
before you and God’s people,
and pray that I may be given grace to persevere in love and faithfulness.
The Prayer of Consecration
Bishop Loving Father, you have loved and redeemed us through your Son Jesus Christ. He is your Word, through whom all things were made.
Look with favour on this your servant Janine, who has resolved to follow you in the holy state of celibacy.
You have inspired her to make this Vow
and she now gives you her heart.
Lord, protect Janine as she desires to be strengthened by your blessing and consecration.
The Bishop anoints Janine
Through the gift of your Holy Spirit,
give Janine chastity with right judgement,
kindness with true wisdom,
gentleness with strength of character,
freedom with purity of heart.
Give her the gift of love
to love you above all others.
May she give you glory by holiness of life.
Be yourself her glory, joy and whole desire.
Be her comfort in sorrow,
her wisdom in perplexity,
her protection in the midst of injustice,
her patience in adversity,
her riches in poverty,
her food in fasting,
her remedy in sickness.
She has chosen you above all things;
may she find all things in possessing you.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
All Amen
The Giving of a Ring
Bishop Lord God, bless + and hallow this ring
as the outward sign of the Vow
that Janine has made this day.
The Bishop gives the ring and says:
Receive this ring,
wear it as a sign of your consecration, and be faithful to
who has called you to himself.
Prayers of Intercession
The prayers are led by the Revd. Elizabeth York
The Liturgy of the Sacrament
The Peace
Bishop introduces the Peace
God is love,
and those who live in love live in God
and God lives in them.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
All and also with you.
Bishop Let us offer one another a sign of peace.
Offertory Hymn
During this hymn the altar-table is prepared
Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love thou art;
Visit us with thy salvation;
Enter every trembling heart.
Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit,
Into every troubled breast!
Let us all in thee inherit;
Let us find thy promised rest.
Take away our love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.
Come, Almighty to deliver,
Let us all thy life receive;
Suddenly return and never,
Never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve thee as thy hosts above,
Pray and praise thee without ceasing,
Glory in thy perfect love.
Finish, then, thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
'Til in heaven we take our place,
'Til we cast our crowns before thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.
Charles Wesley | William P. Rowlands
Taking of the bread and wine
The Bishop presiding takes the bread and wine and offers this prayer:
Blessed are you, Lord of all creation:
Through your goodness we have this bread to set before you,
Which earth has given and human hands have made.
It will become for us the bread of life.
Blessed be God for ever.
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation:
Through your goodness we have this wine to set before you,
Fruit of the vine and work of human hands.
It will become for us the cup of salvation.
Blessed be God for ever.
The Bishop washes his hands symbolising our desire to come together at the Lord’s table with pure hearts and minds.
The Eucharistic Prayer
The Lord is here.
All His Spirit is with us.
Lift up your hearts.
All We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All It is right to give thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, Lord God,
our light and our salvation;
to you be glory and praise for ever.
From the beginning you have created all things
and all your works echo the silent music
of your praise.
In the fullness of time you made us in your image,
the crown of all creation.
You give us breath and speech, that with angels and archangels.
and all the powers of heaven
we may find a voice to sing your praise:
All Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
How wonderful the work of your hands, O Lord.
As a mother tenderly gathers her children,
you embraced a people as your own.
When they turned away and rebelled
your love remained steadfast.
From them you raised up Jesus our Saviour,
born of Mary,
to be the living bread,
in whom all our hungers are satisfied.
He offered his life for sinners,
and with a love stronger than death
he opened wide his arms on the cross.
On the night before he died,
he came to supper with his friends
and, taking bread, he gave you thanks.
He broke it and gave it to them, saying:
Take, eat; this is my body, which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.
At the end of supper, taking the cup of wine,
he gave you thanks, and said:
Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the
new covenant,
which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
Great is the mystery of faith:
All Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
Father, we plead with confidence
his sacrifice made once for all upon the cross;
we remember his dying and rising in glory,
and we rejoice that he intercedes for us at your right hand.
Pour out your Holy Spirit as we bring before you
these gifts of your creation;
may they be for us the body and blood of your dear Son.
As we eat and drink these holy things in your presence,
form us in the likeness of Christ,
and build us into a living temple to your glory.
Bring us at the last with all the saints
to the vision of that eternal splendour
for which you have created us;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
by whom, with whom, and in whom,
with all who stand before you in earth and heaven,
we worship you, Father almighty, in songs of everlasting praise:
All Blessing and honour and glory and power
be yours for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray in the language closest to our heart:
All Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
Breaking of the Bread
The Bishop breaks the consecrated bread
We break this bread
to share in the body of Christ.
All Though we are many, we are one body,
because we all share in one bread.
The Agnus Dei
All Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world,
grant us peace.
Giving of Communion
The Bishop offers an invitation to Communion
Draw near with faith.
Receive the body of our Lord Jesus Christ
which he gave for you,
and his blood which he shed for you.
Eat and drink
in remembrance that he died for you,
and feed on him in your hearts
by faith with thanksgiving.
Please come forwards when invited to do so by the stewards. Extend your hands if you would like to receive communion or cross your arms across your chest if you would prefer to receive a prayer instead. If you would prefer to remain in your seat that is fine, let a steward know if you would like communion brought to you in your seat.
Please join in with the hymns that follow.
Music during Communion
The King of love my Shepherd is
Whose goodness faileth never.
I nothing lack if am his
And he is mine for ever.
Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul he leadeth;
And where the verdant pastures grow
With food celestial feedeth.
Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love he sought me;
And on his shoulder gently laid,
And home, rejoicing, brought me.
In death's dark vale I fear no ill
With thee, dear Lord, beside me.
Thy rod and and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
Thou spread'st a table in my sight,
Thy unction, grace bestoweth;
And O, what transport of delight
From thy pure chalice floweth!
And so through all length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
Within thy house for ever.
George Herbert | Henry William Baker
All I once held dear, built my life upon,
All this world reveres and wars to own,
All I once thought gained, I have counted lost,
Spent and worthless now compared to this.
Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you,
There is no greater thing;
You're my all, you're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love you, Lord.
Now my heart's desire is to know you more,
To be found in you and known as yours,
To possess by faith what I could not earn,
All surpassing gift of righteousness.
Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you,
There is no greater thing;
You're my all, you're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love you, Lord.
Oh to know the power of your risen life,
And to know you in your sufferings,
To become like you in your death, my Lord,
So with you to live and never die.
Knowing you, Jesus, knowing You,
There is no greater thing;
You're my all, you're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love you, Lord.
Dima Alexandru | Serban Mihai | Ciuperca Radu Florin | Luca Madalin Alexandru
Post Communion
The Bishop prays
Almighty God,
you have taught us through your Son
that love is the fulfilling of the law:
grant that we may love you with our whole heart
and our neighbours as ourselves;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All Amen.
Prayer after Communion
All Almighty God,
we thank you for feeding us
with the body and blood of your Son
Jesus Christ.
Through him we offer you our souls and bodies
to be a living sacrifice.
Send us out
in the power of your Spirit
to live and work
to your praise and glory.
Amen.
Prayer and blessing
The Bishop blesses Janine
May God, who inspires all holy desires
and brings them to fulfilment,
protect you always by his grace,
so that you may fulfil your vocation
with a faithful heart.
All Amen.
May he make you a witness and a sign of love
for all people.
All Amen.
May he make those bonds with which
he has bound you to Christ on earth
endure for ever in heavenly love.
All Amen.
The Bishop blesses all those present
The love of the Lord Jesus
draw you to himself,
the power of the Lord Jesus
strengthen you in his service,
the joy of the Lord Jesus
fill your hearts;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be upon you and remain with you always.
All Amen.
Recessional Hymn
During this hymn Janine and the ministers process. Please turn to face them for the dismissal.
Be Thou my Vision O Lord of my heart,
Naught be all else to me save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom and Thou my true Word,
I ever with Thee and Thou with me Lord.
Thou my great Father and I Thy true child.
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my breastplate my sword for the fight,
Thou my whole armour and Thou my true might.
Thou my soul's shelter and Thou my strong tower.
O raise Thou me heavenward great Power of my power.
Riches I heed not nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance now and always.
Thou and Thou only the first in my heart.
O Sovereign of heaven my treasure Thou art.
High King of heaven when victory’s won,
May I reach heaven's joys bright heaven's Sun.
Heart of my own heart whatever befall,
Still be Thou my Vision O Ruler of all.
Eleanor Henrietta Hull | Mary Elizabeth Byrne
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
All In the name of Christ. Amen.
You are welcome to stay for refreshments after the service. There is a retiring collection in aid of the ongoing presence, mission and ministry of this church, and your gift, which can be made in cash or by card, is gratefully received.