Parish Eucharist Service Sheet

St Mary-at-Finchley

Parish Eucharist

10am

Feast of the Epiphany
4^th January 2026

The Gathering

Stand A hymn is sung as the choir, servers and clergy enter

Processional Hymn 71 Brightest and best

Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid;
star of the east, the horizon adorning,
guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.

Cold on his cradle the dew-drops are shining;
low lies His head with the beasts of the stall;
angels adore him in slumber reclining,
Maker and Monarch and Saviour of all!

Say, shall we yield Him, in costly devotion,
odours of Edom and off’rings divine,
gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean,
myrrh from the forest, or gold from the mine?

Vainly we offer each ample oblation,
vainly with gifts would His favour secure;
richer by far is the heart’s adoration,
dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.

In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

The Greeting

The Lord be with you
and also with you.

Kneel Prayers of Penitence

The grace of God has dawned upon the world
through our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who sacrificed himself for us to purify a people as his own.
Let us confess our sins.

Father eternal, giver of light and grace,
we have sinned against you and against our neighbour,
in what we have thought, in what we have said and done,
through ignorance, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault.
We have wounded your love, and marred your image in us.
We are sorry and ashamed, and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
who died for us, forgive us all that is past;
and lead us out from darkness
to walk as children of light.
Amen.

May God who loved the world so much
that he sent his Son to be our Saviour
forgive us our sins
and make us holy to serve him in the world,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Gloria in excelcis – to “God rest you merry”

Glory to God in highest heaven,

The clouds of angels sing.

Today in lowly Bethlehem

Creation greets its king.

We join our voices now with them,

Our praise and worship bring

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

Jesus our Saviour, Lamb of God,

Forgiveness, mercy, grace

Are poured upon our darkened world

To free the human race.

Love shines out bright into our chaos

From your radiant face.

O tidings…

You only are the holy one

You only are the Lord

Immanuel God with us

The everlasting Word

With Father and with Holy Ghost

Ever to be adored.

O tidings…

The Collect

Grateful for the glory revealed today through God made flesh, let us pray

O God,
who by the leading of a star
manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth:
mercifully grant that we,
who know you now by faith,
may at last behold your glory face to face;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

The Liturgy of the Word

Readings

Sit

A reading from the prophet Isaiah (60.1-6)

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Psalm 72.10-15

May all nations be blessed in him.
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
bring gifts.
May all kings fall down before him,
all nations give him service.
May all nations be blessed in him.
For he delivers the needy when they call,
the poor and those who have no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
and precious is their blood in his sight.

Long may he live!
May gold of Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be made for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all day long.

May all nations be blessed in him.

A reading from the letter to the Ephesians (3.1-12)

This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given to me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ was revealed in flesh,
proclaimed among the nations
and believed in throughout the world.
Alleluia.

The Lord be with you
And also with you

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew (2.1-12)
Glory to you, O Lord.

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.” ’
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

Acclamations at the Presentation of the Gifts

The three figures of the wise men are placed at the crib.

At the offering of gold
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe:
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As gold in the furnace is tried
and purified seven times in the fire,
so purify our hearts and minds
that we may be a royal priesthood
acceptable in the service of your kingdom.
Blessed be God for ever.

At the offering of incense
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe:
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As our prayer rises up before you as incense,
so may we be presented before you
with penitent hearts and uplifted hands
to offer ourselves in your priestly service.
Blessed be God for ever.

At the offering of myrrh
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe:
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As you give medicine to heal our sickness
and the leaves of the tree of life
for the healing of the nations,
so anoint us with your healing power
that we may be the first-fruits of your new creation.
Blessed be God for ever.

Sit Sermon
The Rector

Stand The Creed

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is,
seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Kneel Prayers of Intercession

In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ,
let us pray to the Father.

The prayers may follow this sequence:

The Church of Christ
Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority
The local community
Those who suffer
The communion of saints
These responses may be used

Lord, in your mercy (or) Lord, hear us.
hear our prayer. Lord, graciously hear us.

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

The Liturgy of the Sacrament

Stand The Peace

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,
since as members of one body you are called to peace.

The peace of the Lord be always with you
and also with you.

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

All may exchange a sign of peace.

The Offertory

A Hymn is sung as the elements of bread and wine are brought to the altar and the gifts of the people are collected.

Offertory Hymn 41 As with gladness

1 As with gladness men of old
did the guiding star behold,
as with joy they hailed its light,
leading onward, beaming bright:
so, most gracious Lord, may we
evermore be led to thee.

2 As with joyful steps they sped
to that lowly manger-bed,
there to bend the knee before
him, whom heaven and earth adore:
so may we with willing feet
ever seek thy mercy seat.

3 As their precious gifts they laid
at thy manger roughly made,
so may we with holy joy
pure and free from sin’s alloy,
all our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to thee, our heavenly king.

4 Holy Jesu, every day
keep us in the narrow way,
and when earthly things are past,
bring our ransomed souls at last:
where they need no star to guide,
where no clouds your glory hide.

5 In the heavenly country bright
need they no created light;
thou, its light, its joy, its crown,
thou its sun which goes not down;
there for ever may we sing
alleluias to our king.

Prayer over the gifts

Lord, accept your people’s gifts,
not gold, frankincense or myrrh,
but hearts and voices raised in praise of Jesus Christ,
our light and our salvation.
Amen.

Stand Eucharistic Prayer: Ding Dong Merrily

The Lord be with you
and also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.

All honour and praise be yours always and everywhere,
mighty creator, ever-living God,
through Jesus Christ your only Son our Lord:
for at this time we celebrate your glory
made present in our midst.
In the coming of the Magi
the King of all the world was revealed to the nations.
In the waters of baptism
Jesus was revealed as the Christ,
the Saviour sent to redeem us.
In the water made wine
the new creation was revealed at the wedding feast.
Poverty was turned to riches, sorrow into joy.
Therefore with all the angels of heaven
we lift our voices to proclaim the glory of your name
and sing our joyful hymn of praise:

Holy, holy, holy Lord,

The God of all creation

Peace and joy the angels’ word

To each and every nation.

Gloria! Hosanna in excelsis!

We praise and bless you, loving Father,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord;
and as we obey his command,
send your Holy Spirit,
that broken bread and wine outpoured
may be for us the body and blood of your dear Son.

On the night before he died he had supper with his friends
and, taking bread, he praised you.
He broke the bread, gave it to them and said:
Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.

When supper was ended he took the cup of wine.
Again he praised you, gave it to them and said:
Drink this, all of you;
this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

So, Father, we remember all that Jesus did,
in him we plead with confidence his sacrifice
made once for all upon the cross.

Bringing before you the bread of life and cup of salvation,
we proclaim his death and resurrection
until he comes in glory.

Glory, glory to the king

The God of all creation

Heav’n and earth exultant sing

The song of their salvation.

Gloria! Hosanna in excelsis!

Lord of all life,
help us to work together for that day
when your kingdom comes
and justice and mercy will be seen in all the earth.

Look with favour on your people,
gather us in your loving arms
and bring us with Mary the God-bearer
and all the saints to feast at your table in heaven.

Through Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory are yours, O loving Father,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Lift your voices now to praise

The God of all creation

On this holiest of days,

The feast of Incarnation.

Gloria! Hosanna in excelsis!

Kneel The Lord’s Prayer

Believing the promises of God, as our Saviour taught us, so we pray

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.

Breaking of Bread

We break this bread
to share in the body of Christ.
Though we are many, we are one body,
because we all share in one bread.

Agnus Dei 51 Away in a manger

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes,
I love Thee, Lord Jesus! look down from the sky,
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask Thee to stay
Close by me for ever, and love me, I pray,
Bless all the dear children in They tender care,
And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there.

Giving of Communion

God’s holy gifts
for God’s holy people.
Jesus Christ is holy,
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Communicant members of all Christian Churches are welcome to receive Holy Communion in this Church. Anyone is welcome to come forward for to receive a blessing.

During Communion: Peter Cornelius, arr. Atkins, The Three Kings

Kneel Prayer after Communion

Silence is kept.

The Post Communion prayer is said.

Lord God,
the bright splendour whom the nations seek:
may we who with the wise men have been drawn by your light
discern the glory of your presence in your Son,
the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

God of glory,
you inspire us with the breath of life
which brought to birth a new world in Christ.
May we who are reborn in him
be transformed by the renewal of our lives,
that the light of your new creation
may flood the world with your abundant grace;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Notices

Blessing of Chalk

Prayer:

P: Our help is in the name of The Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you.

Lord God, among the gifts of your creation you have given chalk to be a benefit to us all. We call on your Holy Name to bless, + these pieces of chalk. May those who take them and write with them on the doors of their houses the names of your holy Wise Men, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, be aided by their intercession and have a share in their merits; may their bodies be healthy and their souls be saved. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The chalk is sprinkled with holy water.

Stand A hymn is sung

Post Communion Hymn 537 We three kings

We three kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star:

O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to Thy perfect light.

Born a king on Bethlehem plain,
Gold I bring, to crown him again
King for ever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign:

Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh:
Prayer and praising, gladly raising,
Worship Him, God most high:

Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb:

Glorious now, behold Him arise,
King, and God, and sacrifice
Alleluia, alleluia,
earth to heav’n replies:

The Dismissal

The Lord be with you
And also with you

May God the Father,
who led the wise men by the shining of a star
to find the Christ, the Light from light,
lead you in your pilgrimage to find the Lord.
Amen.
May God, who has delivered us from the dominion of darkness,
give us a place with the saints in light
in the kingdom of his beloved Son.
Amen.
May the light of the glorious gospel of Christ
shine in your hearts and fill our lives
with his joy and peace.
Amen.

And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.

We have seen his glory,
the glory revealed to all the nations.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.