The Blessing of the Oils

and the Renewal of Ordination Vows

led by The Bishop of Durham

Maundy Thursday

9 April 2020

11.00 a.m.

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The Gathering

The Greeting

Bishop In the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

All Amen.

Peace be with you

and also with you.

The Bishop introduces the liturgy

Prayers of Penitence

Bishop As we prepare to renew the vows made at our Ordinations,

let us trust in the grace of God alone and call to mind our

sins.

Lord Jesus, anointed one;

by your power, heal us and revive us;

give us new and contrite hearts.

Lord, have mercy.

All Lord, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, anointed one;

by your cross, forgive us and restore us;

raise us up to walk in newness of life.

Christ, have mercy.

All Christ, have mercy.

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Bishop Lord Jesus, anointed one;

by the Holy Spirit, renew and refresh us;

stir up in us your gifts of grace.

Lord, have mercy.

All Lord, have mercy.

Bishop The Lord enrich you with his grace,

and nourish you with his blessing;

the Lord defend you in trouble

and keep you from all evil;

the Lord accept your prayers,

and absolve you from your offences,

for the sake of Jesus Christ our Saviour.

All Amen.

The Collect

Bishop Let us pray.

Heavenly Father,

you anointed your Son Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit

and with power to bring to all people

the blessings of your kingdom.

Anoint your Church with the same Holy Spirit,

that we who share in his suffering and his victory

may bear witness to the gospel of salvation;

through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

All Amen.

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The Liturgy of the Word

Reading 1 Samuel 3. 1 - 10

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of

the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.

At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not

see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and

Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God

was. Then the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ and he said, ‘Here I am!’ and

ran to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not

call; lie down again.’ So he went and lay down. The Lord called again,

‘Samuel!’ Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you

called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call, my son; lie down again.’ Now Samuel

did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been

revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up

and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ Then Eli perceived

that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie

down; and if he calls you, you shall say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is

listening.” ’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’

And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’

For the word of the Lord:

All Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading Luke 7. 36 - 50

Minister Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

because the Lord has anointed me;

he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed.

All Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.

Minister The Lord be with you

and also with you.

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Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.

All Glory to you, O Lord.

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the

Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city,

who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s

house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his

feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them

with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with

the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said

to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and

what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.’ Jesus

spoke up and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’

‘Teacher,’ he replied, ‘speak.’ ‘A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed

five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he

cancelled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him

more?’ Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the

greater debt.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’ Then

turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I

entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed

my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss,

but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did

not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with

ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been

forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is

forgiven, loves little.’ Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ But those

who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is

this who even forgives sins?’ And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has

saved you; go in peace.’

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

All Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon The Bishop

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The Renewal of Ministerial Vows

Bishop God calls his people to follow Christ, and forms us into a

royal priesthood, a holy nation, to declare the wonderful

deeds of him who has called us out of darkness into his

marvellous light.

The Church is the Body of Christ, the people of God and the

dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit. In baptism the whole

Church is summoned to witness to God’s love and to work

for the coming of his kingdom. To serve this royal

priesthood, God has given particular ministries.

The Bishops are asked

Bishops, you were ordained to be shepherds of Christ and

guardians of the faith. Will you continue to lead your

people in proclaiming the gospel of Christ, in promoting

peace and reconciliation in the Church and in the world,

and in striving for the visible unity of Christ’s Church?

Bishops By the help of God, I will.

The priests are asked

Priests, you were ordained to lead God’s people in the

offering of praise and the proclamation of the gospel. Will

you, knowing yourselves to be reconciled to God in Christ,

continue to be instruments of God’s peace in the church and

in the world, and to minister the sacraments of the new

covenant?

Priests By the help of God, I will.

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The deacons are asked

Deacons, you were ordained so that the people of God may

be better equipped to make Christ known. Will you

continue to make the love of Christ visible through word

and example and, having a particular care for those in need,

fashion your life on Christ, who came not to be served but

to serve?

Deacons By the help of God, I will.

Bishop My sisters and brothers, pray for your bishops, priests and

deacons. Ask the Lord to bless us with the fullness of his

love, that we may be faithful servants of Christ, our great

High Priest, serving the Church with gifts that encourage

and equip the people of God, and make Christ known in

our generation.

All Lord Jesus Christ, hear us and answer our prayer.

Dear Friends, having renewed our vows together, I ask you

to join me in prayer and thanksgiving for those who

continue to offer ministry in their retirement.

Father, you call us to be servants in your vineyard. Bless

these our sisters and brothers who continue in the ministry

to which you have called them whilst others rest. May their

example inspire us, their wisdom enrich us, their

knowledge and experience encourage us, so that together

we may bring forth the kingdom promised by your Son,

our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Almighty God, who has given us the will to undertake all

these things, give us also the strength to perform them, that

he may complete that work which he has begun in us;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

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The Blessing of the Oils

The Oil for the Anointing of the Sick, the Oil for the Signing of the Cross, and the

Oil of Chrism are offered

Bishop Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

All who has blessed us in Christ

with every spiritual blessing.

The oil for the anointing of the sick and dying.

Bishop Blessed are you, sovereign God, gentle and merciful, creator

of heaven and earth. Your Word brought light out of

darkness, and daily your Spirit renews the face of the earth.

Your anointed Son brought healing to those in weakness

and distress. He broke the power of evil and set us free

from sin and death that we might praise your name for

ever. By the power of your Spirit may your blessing rest on

those who are anointed with this oil in your name; may

they be made whole in body, mind and spirit, restored in

your image, renewed in your love, and serve you as sons

and daughters in your kingdom.

All Blessed be God for ever.

The oil for the signing with the cross at baptism.

Bishop Blessed are you, Sovereign God, the protector of all who

believe in you. Your anointed Son overcame the powers of

evil when he was lifted high upon the cross. By the power

of your Spirit may your blessing rest on those who are

anointed with this oil in your name; as they come to the

waters of baptism may it be for them a sign of your defence

in their fight against sin, the world and the devil, and bring

them to share in Christ’s victory.

All Blessed be God for ever.

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The oil of chrism.

Bishop Blessed are you, Sovereign God and eternal Father,

upholding by your grace all who hear your call. Under

your old covenant priests and kings were anointed to serve

you and in the fullness of time you anointed your Son by

the Holy Spirit to be the Christ, the Saviour and Servant of

all. By the power of your Spirit may your blessing rest on

those who are anointed with this chrism in your name; let it

be for them a sign of joy and gladness as they share in the

royal priesthood of the New Covenant and make known the

kingdom of Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with you and

the Holy Spirit we lift our voices in thanks and praise:

All Blessed be God, our strength and our salvation,

now and for ever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Bishop Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us:

All 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.

Prayer

Bishop Good Shepherd,

you have anointed us with the oil of gladness:

may your goodness and mercy follow us

all the days of our life that we may dwell

in the house of the Lord for ever.

All Amen.

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The Blessing

Bishop The Father, whose glory fills the heavens, cleanse you by his

holiness and send you to proclaim his word.

Amen.

The Son, who was lifted up upon the cross, pour on you the

riches of his grace.

Amen.

The Holy Spirit, the Comforter, equip you and strengthen

you in your ministry.

Amen.

And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and

the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you always.

Amen.

Material in this order of service is reproduced under the Christian Copyright Licensing Scheme, and under CCL No 68670; MRL No 720413. Prayers for the Blessing of the Oils and the eucharistic preface are from Common Worship: Times and Seasons © The Archbishops’ Council 2006. Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is included in this service, is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2000.

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