Listen to it all (and enjoy the inside of the Cathedral).

Watch and listen to it all from the original writers of the song.

Take the time to listen to it all from the Oxford Philomusica.

Listen to it all and you can read more about it, including finding the lyrics, at Lent and Beyond.

In the midst of life we are in death.

We grow and wither as quickly as flowers;

we disappear like shadows.

To whom can we go for help, but to you, Lord God,

though you are rightly displeased because of our sins?

And yet, Lord God Almighty,

most holy and most merciful Saviour,

deliver us from the bitterness of eternal death.

You know the secrets of our hearts;

mercifully hear us, most worthy judge eternal;

keep us, at our last hour,

in the consolation of your love.

[You, O Lord, are gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and rich in love.

As kind as a father is to his children,

so kind is the Lord to those who honour him.

For you know what we are made of;

you remember that we are dust.

As for us, our life is like grass.

We grow and flourish like a wildflower;

then the wind blows on it, and it is gone

no-one sees it again.

But for those who honour the Lord, his love lasts forever,

and his goodness endures for all generations.]

Art:
The Corpse of Christ, 1583-1585
by
Annibale Carracci
Italian Baroque
Staatsgalerie of Stuttgart
Germany#Triduum #HolySaturday #Jesus❤️#HolyWeek2021 #3April #3Apr2021#ReligiousArt #CatholicArt #Christian #Catholic #KalinaB pic.twitter.com/U323cN9MnG

— Kalina Boulter (@KalinaBoulter) April 3, 2021

Lyrics:

O sacred head, sore wounded,
defiled and put to scorn;
O kingly head surrounded
with mocking crown of thorn:
What sorrow mars thy grandeur?
Can death thy bloom deflower?
O countenance whose splendor
the hosts of heaven adore!

Thy beauty, long-desirèd,
hath vanished from our sight;
thy power is all expirèd,
and quenched the light of light.
Ah me! for whom thou diest,
hide not so far thy grace:
show me, O Love most highest,
the brightness of thy face.

I pray thee, Jesus, own me,
me, Shepherd good, for thine;
who to thy fold hast won me,
and fed with truth divine.
Me guilty, me refuse not,
incline thy face to me,
this comfort that I lose not,
on earth to comfort thee.

In thy most bitter passion
my heart to share doth cry,
with thee for my salvation
upon the cross to die.
Ah, keep my heart thus moved
to stand thy cross beneath,
to mourn thee, well-beloved,
yet thank thee for thy death.

My days are few, O fail not,
with thine immortal power,
to hold me that I quail not
in death’s most fearful hour;
that I may fight befriended,
and see in my last strife
to me thine arms extended
upon the cross of life.

Listen to it all.

1 Ah, holy Jesus, how hast thou offended,
that we to judge thee have in hate pretended?
By foes derided, by thine own rejected,
O most afflicted!

2 Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee!
‘Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee;
I crucified thee.

3 Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered;
the slave hath sinned, and the Son hath suffered.
For our atonement, while we nothing heeded,
God interceded.

4 For me, kind Jesus, was thy incarnation,
thy mortal sorrow, and thy life’s oblation;
thy death of anguish and thy bitter passion,
for my salvation.

5 Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay thee,
I do adore thee, and will ever pray thee,
think on thy pity and thy love unswerving,
not my deserving.

Crucifixion in Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice, 1565. It made a big impression on me in my youth! By the great Tintoretto, whose day is today. pic.twitter.com/3zFooqja19

— Dr. Peter Paul Rubens (@PP_Rubens) May 31, 2018

The Rev. Louise Weld, who serves as an Associate Rector at Saint James Church, Charleston, graced the cover of the Post and Courier this past Monday (March 29) holding a lamb and leading the children in a Palm Sunday procession.

Read it all.

The Latest Edition of the #Anglican Diocese of #SouthCarolina Enewsletter https://t.co/mi1htlN77X #parishministry #religion #holyweek #holyweek2021 pic.twitter.com/ZZ1mUVXnGq

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) April 1, 2021

Christians in Lagos yesterday joined their counterparts in parts of the world to celebrate Palm Sunday amidst pomp and fanfare. Men and women, old and young held palm fronds in their hands while some used palm fronds to make a cross as necklaces.

At Archbishop Vining Memorial Anglican Church, Oba Akinjobi Way, Ikeja, Diocese of Lagos West, one of the churches that celebrated the event, the Dean, Venerable Ebenezer Adewole, who presided over the service in his Palm Sunday message described the celebration of Palm Sunday as one of the key events of passion of Christ that the church celebrates every year.

“There are three core lessons attached to Palm Sunday. Firstly, it is a reminder of the triumphant entry of our Lord Jesus to the city of Jerusalem.

“Secondly, as we waive the palm frond, we are involved in praises to Christ who is our King. Whatever we are doing today, we are praising Christ who reigns and lives forever. We are engaged in an act of praise….

Read it all.

But despite Zoom’s many advantages, no technology can outweigh the fact that Christianity is inescapably physical. It is not just “a message” that can be communicated through social media. It is also about bodily participation, the receiving of bread and wine.

And while the carefully nuanced and endlessly debatable metaphysics of how bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus is a question I have long left to the theological anoraks, I have no doubt that receiving the Eucharist is a physical activity requiring physical participation. The statements “this is my body” and “this is my blood” make Christianity about matter, physically ingested. You can no more do this over Zoom than you can go to the dentist over Zoom.

This is why lockdown has been such a threat – literally – to the lifeblood of the Christian faith. And why the bolted door was such a betrayal of the need of so many of my parishioners for the “real presence” of Christ in the Eucharist.

This Thursday evening, Maundy Thursday, churches traditionally hold “watch services” where we sit up into the small hours to stay with a terrified man who did not want to be alone on the night before he was to die. This year it will be hard not to think of all those who have died without the physical presence of their loved ones beside them.
Saying goodbye over Zoom, unable to reach out to hold someone’s hand, has to be among the most appalling things that some families will ever go through. And Last Rites are really not for Skype.

Read it all.

Christian faith can’t be sustained on Zoom https://t.co/9DCdtsRWai

— Simon Sarmiento (@simonsarmiento) March 29, 2021

Two suicide bombers attacked a Roman Catholic church compound in Makassar, Indonesia, on Sunday morning, injuring at least 20 people, according to state officials. While no deaths among the churchgoers have been reported, police say both attackers died in the blast.

The attack happened at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral around 10:30 a.m., as a round of mass was wrapping up at the church. The bombers attempted to enter the church compound on motorbike and detonated at least one bomb by an entrance to the compound, according to news reports.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo condemned the attack as an “act of terrorism,” and said he had ordered the police “to thoroughly investigate the perpetrators’ networks and tear down the networks to their roots.”

The attacks happened on Palm Sunday, the beginning of the Holy Week leading up to Easter. In a televised address, Joko called on people to remain calm and said “the state guarantees the safety of religious people to worship without fear.”

Read it all.

"Two suicide bombers attacked a Roman Catholic church compound in Makassar, Indonesia, on Sunday morning, injuring at least 20 people, according to state officials. While no deaths among the churchgoers have been reported, police say both attackers died."https://t.co/lzoP62MxzX

— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) March 28, 2021

Listen to it all and the composer’s website is there [I first learned of this through Preston Trombly].

The words Reflect, Support and Hope will be projected in yellow on the front of Lichfield Cathedral, while Blackburn and Leicester cathedrals will light thousands of candles to mark lives lost, to mark the National Day of Reflection.

St Edmundsbury Cathedral will suspend two hundred tear drops above the altar and Chelmsford Cathedral will be transformed into a vibrant space of colour and light.

In Portsmouth churches will deliver more than 50 boxes of chocolates along with cards to GP surgeries, care homes and schools in the area as a gesture of thanks to key workers for their contribution during the pandemic.

Area Dean of Portsmouth, Revd Canon Bob White, said: “We are very aware of the stresses and pressures they have faced over the past year and want to thank them and let them know that they are in our prayers.”

Read it all.

We're supporting the National #DayOfReflection, to mark the anniversary of the first UK lockdown. 🕯️

Find out how our churches are paying their respects, in communities across England and Europe.https://t.co/9NgPjxWjlB

— The Church of England (@churchofengland) March 22, 2021

Good Samaritan Church Plant in Summerville from The Anglican Diocese of SC on Vimeo.

Clips and content from the services have been seen 40 million times on social media channels.

The Church of England’s prayer and discipleship apps – in which people can join in ancient services of morning and evening prayer from wherever they are – have been accessed eight million times, up 50 per cent on the previous year.

The figures for online services are thought to be just the tip of the iceberg as churches’ response to the challenge of the pandemic triggered a major change in the way Christians worship and reach out to their neighbours.

At least 20,000 services and other online events are now listed on the Church of England’s ‘church-finder’ website AChurchNearYou. A year ago there were none.

And a special hymn download service, designed for local churches to use as part of online worship, has seen more than a million downloads.

As churches look ahead to an expected easing of restrictions and more public gatherings, many are assessing how to incorporate the lessons of the last year into their regular patterns of worship and outreach after the pandemic.

Read it all.

Over 40 million views of clips and content from @churchofengland national services have been seen on social media during #lockdown https://t.co/s7u82ArZYD

— Rich Brooker (@AhhhBe) March 16, 2021

The teaching starts about 3:55 in.

John and Charles Wesley are among the most notable evangelists who ever lived. As young men, they formed a party which came to be derisively called Methodists, because they methodically set about fulfilling the commands of scripture. In due course they learned that works cannot save, and discovered salvation by faith in Christ. Afterward, they carried that message to all England in sermon and in song. John Wesley is credited with staving off a bloody revolution in England such as occurred in France.

Although the brothers did not set out to establish a church, the Wesleyans and the Methodists are their offspring.

Both preached, both wrote hymns. But John is more noted for his sermons and Charles for his hymns. Here we present two hymns by Charles and a sermon by John.

Read it all.

MT @stpaulslondon: Today we remember John and Charles Wesley, founders of @MethodistGB This statue is in our gardens pic.twitter.com/KBKrvJ7RAA

— The Methodist Church (@MethodistGB) May 24, 2017

Most churches have found a way to continue meeting despite the ongoing pandemic, but fewer met in person in January as COVID-19 cases spiked across the country.

A new study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research found 76% of U.S. Protestant pastors say their churches met in person in January, down from 87% who said the same in September.

Even among those who are holding in-person services, few are near pre-pandemic attendance levels. Around 3 in 10 pastors (31%) say their attendance in January 2021 is less than half what it was in January 2020, months before the coronavirus prompted national lockdowns.

Slightly more (37%) note attendance between 50% and 70%. Another 3 in 10 say attendance is close to normal (70%-100%). Few (2%) have grown in their in-person attendance compared to one year ago.

Read it all.

76% of U.S. Protestant pastors say their churches met in person in January, down from 87% who said the same in September. https://t.co/FN8fotqiZK via @LifewayResearch

— Jonathan Norris (@jnorris849) February 26, 2021

A good letter from @patrick_kidd in today’s Church Times. There has been a bit of a tendency to see criticism of the church’s leadership as ‘attacks on the church’. It is nothing of the kind – it comes from pew and pulpit, not from ‘outsiders.’ pic.twitter.com/wu8nW1xBWK

— Jonathan Bish (@frjonathanbish) February 19, 2021

Take the time to read it carefully.

Daily Morning and Night Prayer, or compline, are attracting online congregations of more than 200 people at a time at St Mary’s Church in Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex, since the first lockdown in England. Before the pandemic, Morning and Night Prayer were said by clergy in the parish usually without a congregation.

During the services, broadcast on Facebook Live, the ancient offices of Morning Prayer and Compline are read and traditional prayers like the Benedictus and the Nunc Dimittis are used. The online congregations are encouraged to make prayer requests and even send through suggestions for their favourite hymns. There are also prayers for key workers including those in the health service and prayers for those who have lost their lives to Covid.

Parish priest Father Andrew Downes said large number of people tuning into the services – from across the country and also overseas – are shielding. The services also give people the chance to join worship with their relatives and friends across the country during the lockdown.

Read it all.

A Middlesex church has seen hundreds attending its online services of Morning and Night Prayer.

More than 200 people have been watching @stmaryssot's services of compline, a form of prayer service from the early years of Christianity.https://t.co/1TiI5ocQ6H

— The Church of England (@churchofengland) February 10, 2021

O God, the blessed assurance of all who trust in thee: We give thanks for thy servant Fanny Crosby, and pray that we, inspired by her words and example, may rejoice to sing ever of thy love, praising our Savior; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Blind Fanny Crosby wrote 8,000 gospel songs. At age 8,she proclaimed,"Oh, what a happy child I am,Although I cannot see!I am resolved that in this world-Contented I will be! How many blessings I enjoy,That other people don't! To weep or sigh because I'm blind,I cannot and I want. pic.twitter.com/6KCGDv4x6h

— Dr.Donald McCary (@dr_mccary) October 3, 2020

On a recent Saturday afternoon, Margaret Drabble, 83, sat beneath the soaring arches of Salisbury Cathedral, swinging her legs back and forth under her chair like a schoolgirl.

Minutes earlier, in a booth near the cathedral’s entrance, she had received her first shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against the coronavirus. But that wasn’t why she was looking so happy, she said. Instead, it was from the elaborate organ music gently reverberating in the cathedral’s interior.

“Oh, I just love the organ,” said Drabble, a former schoolteacher. “It’s so beautiful, it almost makes me cry every time I hear it.”

Read it all.

Salisbury Cathedral is joining Britain’s vaccination drive, and its organists are providing a musical accompaniment. They’re even taking requests. https://t.co/JjjfaBWyVC

— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 25, 2021

Words: Bishop Reginald Heber
Tune: ‘Epiphany’ – Joseph Thrupp

Places of worship in the capital should shut immediately because of the risks of Covid infection, Sadiq Khan has said, amid signs that churches, mosques and synagogues are already closing their doors.

In a letter to the prime minister setting out his reasons for declaring a major incident in London, the mayor urged Boris Johnson to order places of worship to close, among other measures to tackle the crisis.

Under the lockdown restrictions, places of worship in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are permitted to remain open. The Scottish government has ordered them closed.