Choral Evening Service – Live Streamed – Sunday, 22 February 2026 – 6pm
God so Loved the World
A Choral Meditation for Mid Lent Sunday
Prologue
Reading: The Coming R. S. Thomas
Introit: So God loved the world
So God loved the world that He forsook the glorious heavens,
Men to dwell among; Yca dcath and hell, and grave He captive took,
They could not hold His person from us long.
And being ascended to be glorificd, rememb’ring still His mercy down did send
The Holy Ghost we might be sanctified. Thus whom He Ioves, He loves unto the end.
0 Lord, this Holy Spirit take from us never. but purge, enlighten, sanctify us ever. Amen.
Orlando Gibbons
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Hymn: We sing the praise of him who died
We sing the praise of him who died,
of him who died upon the cross;
the sinners hope let men deride
for this we count the world but loss.
Inscribed upon the cross we see
in shining letters, ‘God is love’;
he bears our sins upon the tree,
he brings us mercy from above.
The cross! It takes our guilt away:
it holds the fainting spirit up;
it cheers with hope the gloomy day
and sweetens every bitter cup.
It makes the coward spirit brave,
and nerves the feeble arm for fight;
it takes its terror from the grave,
and gilds the bed of death with light:
The balm of life, the cure of woe,
the measure and the pledge of love,
the sinners refuge here below,
the angels’ theme in heaven above.
Thomas Kelly
CCL31580
God so loved the world
Reading: Philippians 2. 5-11
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death –
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Reading: A suffering God Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Choir: Salvator Mundi
Salvator mundi salva nos, qui per crucem, et sanguine redemisti nos.
Auxiliare nobis, te deprecamur, Deus noster.
O Saviour of the world, who by thy cross and precious blood hast
redeemed us: Save us and help us we humbly beseech Thee, O Lord. Amen.
John Blow
CCL31580
That he gave his only-begotten Son
Hymn: Morning glory, starlit sky
Morning glory, starlit sky
Soaring music, scholars’ truth,
flight of swallows, autumn leaves,
memory’s treasure, grace of youth:
Open are the gifts of God,
gifts of love to mind and sense;
hidden is love’s agony,
love’s endeavour, love’s expense.
Love that gives gives ever more,
Gives with zeal, with eager hands,
spares not, keeps not, all outpours,
ventures all, its all expends.
Drained is love in making full,
bound in setting others free,
poor in making many rich,
weak in giving power to be.
Therefore He who shows us God
helpless hangs upon the tree;
and the nails and crown of thorns
tell of what God’s love must be.
Here is God: no monarch he,
throned in easy state to reign;
Here is God, whose arms of love
aching, spent, the world sustain.
W. H. Vanstone
CCL31580
Reading from Love’s Endeavour, Love’s Expense W. H. Vanstone
Choir: Surely he hath borne our griefs (Messiah)
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows!
He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities;
the chastisement of our peace was upon him. And with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep are gone astray. We have turned every one to his own way.
But the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
G. F. Handel
CCL31580
That all who believe in him should not perish
Hymn: Jesu, lover of my soul
Jesu, lover of my soul,
Let me to thy bosom fly,
while the nearer waters roll,
while the tempest still is high.
hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
till the storm of life is past;
safe into the haven guide;
o receive my soul at last!
Other refuge have I none,
hangs my helpless soul on thee;
leave, ah! leave me not alone,
still support and comfort me.
all my trust on thee is stayed,
all my help from thee I bring;
cover my defenceless head
with the shadow of thy wing.
Plenteous grace with thee is found,
grace to cover all my sin;
let the healing streams abound,
make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art,
freely let me take of thee;
spring thou up within my heart;
rise to all eternity.
Charles Wesley
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Reading: Sin Esther de Waal
We keep a time of silence
Forgiveness: Psalm 65. 1-7
Please join with the words in bold type
Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion;
to you that answer prayer shall vows be paid.
To you shall all flesh come to confess their sins;
When our misdeeds prevail against us, you will purge them away.
Happy are they whom you choose to draw to your courts to dwell there.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, even your holy temple.
With wonders you will answer us in your righteousness,
O God of our salvation, you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
And of the farthest seas.
By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might.
You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves,
The tumult of the peoples.
Those who live at the ends of the earth tremble at your marvels;
The gates of the morning and evening sing your praise.
Choir: Lord how long wilt thou be angry
Lord, how long wilt Thou be angry? Shall thy jealousy burn like fire for ever?
O, remember not our old sins, but have mercy upon us, and that soon.
For we are come to great misery.
Help us, O God of our Salvation, for the glory of Thy name.
O deliver us, and be merciful unto our sins for thy Name’s sake.
So that we are Thy people and the sheep of Thy pasture shall give Thee thanks for
ever, and will always be shewing forth Thy praise, from one generation to another.
Henry Purcell
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Prayers
Choir: Away vain world
Away vain world, bewitcher of my heart!
My sorrow shows, my sin makes me to smart!
Yet will I not despair
But to my God repair,
He has mercy ay,
Therefore will I pray.
He has mercy ay and loves me,
Though by His humbling hand he proves me.
Once more away shows loth the world to leave,
Bids oft adieu with it that holds me slave.
Loth am I to forego
This sweet alluring foe.
Since thy ways are vain,
Shall I thee retain?
Since thy ways are vain I quite thee.
Thy pleasures shall no more delight me.
What shall I say? Are all my pleasures past?
Shall worldly joys now take their leave at last?
Yea, Christ, these earthly toys
Shall turn in heavenly joys.
Let the world be gone,
I’ll love Christ alone!
Let the world be gone, I care not.
Christ is my love alone, I fear not.
Bob Chilcott
(Text: Alexander Montgomery, 16th C)
CCL31580
But have everlasting life
Reading: John 11 20 – 27
20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 ‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.’
23 Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’
24 Martha answered, ‘I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’
25 Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’
27 ‘Yes, Lord,’ she replied, ‘I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.’
Reading: I am the Resurrection Malcolm Guite
How can you be the final resurrection?
That resurrection hasn’t happened yet.
Our broken world is still bent on destruction,
No sun can rise before that sun has set.
Our faith looks back to father Abraham
And forward to the one who is to come.
How can you speak as though he knew your name?
How can you say: before he was I am?
Begin in me and I will read your ride
And teach you truths my Spirit will defend
I am the End who meets you in the middle,
The new Beginning hidden in the End.
I am victory, the end of strife
I am the resurrection of the life.
Reading: Jesus, my Leman Bob Chilcott
When I see upon the Cross
Jesus, my leman,
And by him standing Mary and Johan,
With his back scourged
And his side pierced,
For the love of man,
Well ought I to weep
And sins relinquish,
If I know of love. (13th Century English)
Reflection
Choir: God so loved the world
God so loved the world, that he gave His only Son,
that whoso believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Bob Chilcott
Blessing
Hymn: Lift High the Cross
Lift high the Cross, the love of Christ proclaim
Till all the world adores his sacred name!
Come, Christians, follow where the captain trod,
The king victorious, Christ the Son of God:
Lift high the cross …
O Lord, once lifted on the tree of pain,
draw all the world to seek you once again:
Lift high the cross …
Let every race and every language tell
of him who saves our souls from death and hell!
Lift high the cross …
Set up your throne, that earth’s despair may cease
beneath the shadow of its healing peace:
Lift high the cross …
CCL31580