Message from the Rector - Friday 20th March 2020

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Night Prayer from the Rectory 19th March 2020

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Evening Prayer – 19^th March 2020

A THE BLESSING OF THE LIGHT

A candle is lit
Christ your light shall rise in the darkness
and your healing shall spring up like the dawn.
The light and peace of Jesus Christ be with you all
And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
Who is worthy of all thanksgiving and praise.

Blessèd are you, Sovereign God,
Shepherd of your pilgrim people:
their pillar of cloud by day,
their pillar of fire by night.
Stir up in us the fire of your love
which shone forth from your Son
enthroned on the cross,
that we may be cleansed of all our sins
and be made ready to come into your presence,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
Blessèd be God for ever!

A SONG OF THE LIGHT (59)

1	O joyful light,    from the pure glory of the eternal heavenly Father,* O holy, blessèd Jesus Christ.
2	As we come to the setting of the sun* and see the evening light,
3	We give thanks and praise to the Father and to the Son* and to the Holy Spirit of God.
4	Worthy are you at all times    to be sung with holy voices,    O Son of God, O Giver of life,* and to be glorified through all creation.

Let my prayer rise before you as incense,
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
O Lord, I call to you; come to me quickly;
hear my voice when I cry to you.
Set a watch before my mouth, O Lord,
and guard the door of my lips.
Let my prayer rise before you as incense,
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Let not my heart incline to any evil thing;
let me not be occupied in wickedness.
But my eyes are turned to you, Lord God,
in you I take refuge;
do not leave me defenceless.
Let my prayer rise before you as incense,
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

THE OPENING PRAYER may be said:
As our evening prayer rises before you, O God,
so may your mercy come down upon us
   to cleanse our hearts
and set us free to sing your praise,
now and for ever. Amen.

THE WORD OF GOD

Psalm 27
1	The Lord is my light and my salvation;    whom then shall I fear?* the Lord is the strength of my life;    of whom then shall I be afraid?
2	When evildoers came upon me to eat up my flesh,* it was they, my foes and my adversaries,    who stumbled and fell.
3	Though an army should encamp against me,* yet my heart shall not be afraid;
4	And though war should rise up against me,* yet will I put my trust in him.
5	One thing have I asked of the Lord;    one thing I seek;* that I may dwell in the house of the Lord    all the days of my life;
6	To behold the fair beauty of the Lord* and to seek him in his temple.
7	For in the day of trouble    he shall keep me safe in his shelter;* he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling    and set me high upon a rock.

Glory . . .

THE SCRIPTURE READING

REFLECTION

THE PRAYERS

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
THE COLLECT
Lighten our darkness,
Lord, we pray,
and in your great mercy
defend us from all perils
   and dangers of this night;
for the love of your only Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ . . . 3

PRAYERS FOR PARTICULAR NEED

THE CONCLUSION

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore. Amen.
May the life-giving cross be the source of all our joy and peace.
And the blessing of God Almighty, Father Son & Holy Spirit be with you and all those who you love and who love you, this night and for evermore. Amen.

Night Prayer from the Rectory 18th March 2020

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New Parish WhatsApp group

There is a new and very active Parish WhatsApp Group which is keeping parishioners in touch with one another and offering support to anyone who needs some practical help - The rector is also posting some worship resources on the site and hopes to have an audio/video act of communal worship linked there next Sunday. If you wish to join the group contact Rev Stephen on 0872328172 or stephen.neill@gmail.com

Prayer in difficult times

Prayers about the outbreak
(Thanks to St Finnian's Parish in Belfast for these prayers which can be used for personal prayer time)

Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy in this time of uncertainty and distress. Sustain and support the anxious and fearful, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may rejoice in your comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, you taught us to love our neighbour, and to care for those in need as if we were caring for you. In this time of anxiety, give us strength to comfort the fearful, to tend the sick, and to assure the isolated of our love, and your love, for your name’s sake. Amen.

God of compassion, be close to those who are ill, afraid or in isolation. In their loneliness, be their consolation; in their anxiety, be their hope; in their darkness, be their light; through him who suffered alone on the cross, but reigns with you in glory, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For those who are ill
Merciful God, we entrust to your tender care those who are ill or in pain, knowing that whenever danger threatens your everlasting arms are there to hold them safe. Comfort and heal them, and restore them to health and strength; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

2
For hospital staff and medical researchers
Gracious God,
give skill, sympathy and resilience
to all who are caring for the sick,
and your wisdom to those searching for a cure.
Strengthen them with your Spirit,
that through their work many will be restored to health;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

For one who is ill or isolated
O God,
help me to trust you,
help me to know that you are with me,
help me to believe that nothing can separate me
from your love
revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

For the Christian community
We are not people of fear:
we are people of courage.
We are not people who protect our own safety:
we are people who protect our neighbours’ safety.
We are not people of greed:
we are people of generosity.
We are your people God,
giving and loving,
wherever we are,
whatever it costs
For as long as it takes
wherever you call us.
Barbara Glasson, President of the Methodist Conference

3
Intercessions
SET A
Let us pray to God,
who alone makes us dwell in safety:
For all who are affected by coronavirus,
through illness or isolation or anxiety,
that they may find relief and recovery:
Lord, hear us,
Lord, graciously hear us.

For those who are guiding our nation at this time,
and shaping national policies,
that they may make wise decisions:
Lord, hear us,
Lord, graciously hear us.

For doctors, nurses and medical researchers,
that through their skill and insights
many will be restored to health:
Lord, hear us,
Lord, graciously hear us.
For the vulnerable and the fearful,
for the gravely ill and the dying,
that they may know your comfort and peace:
Lord, hear us,
Lord, graciously hear us.

We commend ourselves, and all for whom we pray,
to the mercy and protection of God.
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

4
SET B
Let us pray to the Lord,
who is our refuge and stronghold.
For the health and well-being of our nation,
that all who are fearful and anxious
may be at peace and free from worry:
Lord, hear us,
Lord, graciously hear us.

For the isolated and housebound, that we may be alert to their needs, and care for them in their vulnerability:
Lord, hear us,
Lord, graciously hear us.

For our homes and families, our schools and young people, and all in any kind of need or distress:
Lord, hear us,
Lord, graciously hear us.

For a blessing on our local community, that our neighbourhoods may be places of trust and friendship, where all are known and cared for:
Lord, hear us,
Lord, graciously hear us.

We commend ourselves, and all for whom we pray,
to the mercy and protection of God.

Merciful Father,
accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

An open letter to fellow clergy and bishops of the Church of Ireland and other religious leaders of all faiths.

Dear friends – I write to you as the rector of a County Kildare parish within the commuter belt of Dublin city and the Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough. This weekend I took the difficult decision to close all of our churches until the end of the month or indeed until advised that the current Coronavirus threat has passed. This was not an easy decision and not one I took lightly but I did it because I was conscious that ANY public gathering increases the risk of spreading infection within the community.

It is not just those who might attend church that are vulnerable but everyone they subsequently interface with which will inevitably include the aged and the immuno-compromised. I like many in the Church of Ireland am rector of a parish where the age profile is very high and so a significant number of my parishioners are in a category (80+) where if they catch the virus, one in eight of them will likely die! Please dwell on that for a moment! These are people who have served our church all their lives and have sustained it through thick and thin and now we are wilfully risking them these precious twilight years!   This is not a chance I am willing to take! In addition to this I have a number of recovering cancer patients, transplant patients and those with respiratory issues who are extremely vulnerable to this virus.

And I am also conscious that it is not just my parishioners that I have a responsibility towards but also those in the wider community – My church is part of that community and if we are negligent we risk not only our own health but also those who we interface with in our daily lives and we have an equal duty of care to them.

I am aware that the Government in neither jurisdictions has demanded that we close and so those churches that remain open are not in breach of the law but that does not mean that there is no moral imperative to do otherwise!

Is our piety really more important than the health of the most vulnerable members of society?

Do we believe in a God who demands that we sacrifice the vulnerable in order to maintain public worship during a temporary crisis such as this?

If we can say hand on heart that continuing public worship will not increase the risk of infection then all is well but the reality is we cannot and all is not well! This is a chance for those of us of religious faith (no matter what creed or denomination) to stand up for the vulnerable – It’s in the Gospels as far as I recollect…….

NB: I am aware that the bishops of Cashel, Ferns & Ossary & Limerick & Killaloe Dioceses  have advised church closures and welcome the wisdom of their respective decisions

Church Closures during Coronavirus Pandemic

Dear Parishioners - After much thought and consideration I have decided to cancel all Sunday Services in all three churches until and including Sunday 29th March. The guidance issued by the Archbishop this afternoon does allow for this but I have still not taken this decision lightly. The continuity of public worship is a vital part of our Christian life and witness and is a source of encouragement and spiritual sustenance to our community of faith. However, even allowing for the suggested precautions to be observed at public events there is still an increased risk of infection in attending any public gathering such as a church service. As rector the decision falls to me as to how to proceed and I feel I cannot do anything that may threaten the health of my parishioners or the wider community. We have a very high age profile in all our churches and even if older or more vulnerable members choose to self isolate at home they may become infected through a family member who attends one of our church services. I realise that some may disagree with this decision but I feel it is the only one I can take in all conscience and ask for your patience and understanding.
Hopefully this situation will pass sooner rather than later but in the meantime we pray for all those who have been and will be affected by this virus especially those who are weak, frail and fearful at this time.
Obviously in the case of funerals, services will take place but we will have to observe any Government guidelines in terms of procedure and numbers attending.
I plan to post some resources on the website and Facebook Page during this suspension of services but remember that there are services on RTE every Sunday and also live streams from some of our churches and cathedrals (see below for Christ Church Cathedral & St Patrick's Cathedral)

https://christchurchcathedral.ie/worship/video-stream-1/

https://www.churchservices.tv/stpatrickscathedral

Please Note! The Slip Hall will also be closed until 29th March inclusive

Meals on Wheels Volunteers wanted

Volunteer drivers for meals on wheels wanted - Contact Mairead Byrne 0872239410 if anybody is interested. Required every 3 weeks for an hour

Church of Ireland - Official Response to Coronavirus

Click HERE to read the full text

Straffan Fun Walk/Run