Usual form of services

Powderham hosts services every Sunday at 11.00 am. The first Sunday of the month is Holy Communion, the second Morning Prayer, the third Holy Communion, the fourth Morning Prayer. When there is a fifth Sunday in the month we celebrate Morning Prayer and also say the Litany.

If you are unfamiliar with Prayer Book services, you may find the following short guides helpful. We’ll give you a hymn book/prayer book as you come through the door – they’re in one book, hymns at the front, Prayer Book starting about half way through. The following, with page numbers to help, is generally how we order the services. By all means print off a copy of the guides and bring them with you if you wish.

Our Morning Prayer service begins on page 41 of the Prayer Book. We usually follow the opening sentences with the general Confession (page 43), the Absolution (page 43), the Lord’s Prayer (page 44), the responses (page 44), the Venite (page 45), a Psalm, the First Lesson (usually Old Testament), the Te Deum (page 46), the Second Lesson (New Testament), the Jubilate (page 51), the Apostle’s Creed (page 52), The Lord’s Prayer, the responses (page 53), the Collects (page 54), a hymn, the prayers (page 54,55), a second hymn, the sermon, a third hymn (the collection is taken), the Blessing – and finally, kneeling, the last verse of the hymn ‘Eternal Father’ (hymn 487).

You can see the full text of Morning Prayer here.

Our Holy Communion service begins on page 287 of the Prayer Book. We begin with a hymn, followed by the Lord’s Prayer and Collect, the Commandments (either ten, or the shorter two commandments of Jesus), a choice of prayers on page 290, the Collect and the First Lesson (usually an Epistle), a second hymn, the Second Lesson (Gospel), the Nicene Creed, a third hymn, the sermon, our final hymn (the collection is taken), one of the sentences on pages 292, 293 and 294, then the prayer beginning ‘Let us pray for the whole state of Christ’s Church militant here in earth.’ on page 295. The service then skips a few pages to page 302, ‘Ye that do truly and earnestly repent’, then the general confession, the Absolution (page 303), the comfortable words, the thanksgiving, then, on page 306, we say together ‘Therefore with Angels and Archangels’. In Powderham the priest only says the prayer beginning ‘We do not presume’, and leads directly into the Prayer of Consecration (page 307), and the invitation to share the communion. The communion is followed by the Lord’s Prayer, a choice of prayers on pages 309 and 310, then we say together ‘Glory Be to God on high’ (page 310). We close with the Blessing – and finally, kneeling, the last verse of the hymn ‘Eternal Father’ (hymn 487).

You can see the full text of the Holy Communion here.

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