How ready are you to say your ‘Nunc Dimitis’?

1. You are on holiday sitting on a beach

1. You are glad for the chance of a break and so you are happy to sit back and enjoy yourself
2. You would prefer to be doing things and so you arrange for some trips and activities to do
3. You worry about things that you have left undone, whether you have left the gas on at home, maybe even bring some work to finish off.

2. It is a Sunday evening

1. You are glad for the chance to rest before the busy week sets in
2. You finish off the jobs that still need to be done
3. You try and get ahead with what you know that you will have to do next week

3. You are setting down to do something important and the phone rings

1. You pick up the phone and start chatting
2. You pick up the phone but tell the person that you can’t be long
3. You leave the phone ringing but then dial 1471 to see who it was

Candles are lit and held by the congregation for the procession
Processional Hymn     418        Father, Lord of all creation

Collect of the Day
Almighty and ever-living God, clothed in majesty, whose beloved Son was this day presented in the Temple, in substance of our flesh: grant that we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts, by your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

First Reading                 Malachi 3.1-5                                        (p.60)
Thus says the Lord God: 1See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight – indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness. 4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.  5Then I will draw near to you for judgement; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow, and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

Gradual Hymn               578        Stand up, stand up for Jesus

Candles are lit and held by the congregation for the reading of the Gospel
GOSPEL                         Luke 2.22-40                                         (p.63)
When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons”.  Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
            “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
                        you now dismiss your servant in peace.
            For my eyes have seen your salvation,
                        which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
            a light for revelation to the Gentiles
                        and for glory to your people Israel.”

INTERCESSIONS
Please pray for
- The sick and suffering: especially Felix Okike, Lucilda Bernard, Joan Andrew, Elizabeth Dorsett, Clive Heywood, Ron & Ivy Smith, Susie Leach, Norbert Edwards, Brother Paul Anthony, Sylvia Steed, John Asbridge, Caroline Nevill, Ruth and Tracey Davies.

Offertory Hymn       548        One more step along the world I go

Communion Hymn
Jesus, Jesus, holy and anointed One, Jesus
Jesus, Jesus, risen and exalted One, Jesus
Your name is like honey on my lips
Your Spirit like water to my soul
Your word is a lamp unto my feet
Jesus, I love you, I love you

Post Communion Prayer
Lord, you fulfilled the hope of Simeon and Anna, who lived to welcome the Messiah: may we, who have received these gifts beyond words, prepare to meet Christ Jesus when he comes to bring us to eternal life; for he is alive and reigns, now and for ever.

Recessional Hymn   513  Lord, the light of your love is shining

Coffee in church after the service

Post Communion (Presentation of Christ) ©  1973 ICEL: Roman Missal (English Translation). Some material included in this service is copyright: ©  1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Pub. Hodder & Stoughton. Malachi 3.1-5 ©  1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA. Some material included in this service is copyright: ©  The Archbishops' Council 2000. Collect (Presentation of Christ) ©  The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)

NOTICES

THIS WEEK:

NEXT SUNDAY:     11 February 2007      Second Sunday before Lent

10 am SUNG EUCHARIST
Celebrant and Preacher – The Reverend Dr Bob Mayo
Genesis 2.4b-9,15-25 (p 807), Luke 6:17-26 (p 798)

Children's Society Boxes
Through the home boxes scheme, St Stephen's has contributed over £650 during the last three years to the Children's Society, for their work with homeless and abused children. If you would like to have a Children's Society Charity Box at home to help with the Society's work, please see Juliet Byford. Boxes received now should be brought to church for emptying in June.

4. You are waiting for someone who is late.

1. You relax. You are happy to wait and are sure that they will turn up before too long
2. You make some phone calls, read a newspaper and people watch
3. You are worried that you are in the wrong place and annoyed to be kept waiting

5. You have left your keys at home
1. No problem, you will get them when you go home
2. You ring someone at home just to make sure that they are there
3. You go straight home because you want to check them for yourself

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