Service Booklet - International Women's Day 2021

International Women’s Day A service of readings and music

7 March 2021 15.30

Welcome to Bradford Cathedral The seat of the Bishop of Leeds and a Centre of Worship and Mission One of three Cathedrals in the Anglican Diocese of Leeds

Our purpose is serving Christ and transforming lives through welcome, worship and encounter.

❖ Please join in with saying the words in bold type in this order of service. ❖ This service is being livestreamed. You can find the service on the Cathedral’s YouTube channel. ❖ The music is sung by the Cathedral Choir, led by the Director of Music Alex

Berry. The organ is played by the Assistant Director of Music, Graham Thorpe.

The choir’s Holy God chant was composed by Dawn Walters.

HOSPITALITY info@bradfordcathedral.org www.bradfordcathedral.org

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FAITHFULNESS

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WHOLENESS

Bradford Cathedral, Stott Hill, Bradford, BD1 4EH T: 01274 777720 2

Voluntary: 1) Infancy and 2) Betrothal from Ancient Sunlight by J. Bingham As tomorrow is International Women’s Day, this afternoon’s service has been put together to highlight and celebrate the achievements and talents of women through the ages. Many of these women have been and will remain unknown to us, but today we give thanks for their leadership and creativity, their persistence and resilience, their adaptability and strength.

Our service includes a range of outstanding women: composers, from the Middle Ages to contemporary and from a variety of nations; biblical women and saints; a contemporary poet, and our own Cathedral choir Through these representative women, we give thanks particularly today for the creative and spiritual gifts of all women, across the globe and throughout the ages

Introit Solo

O virtus Sapientiae, quae circuiens circuisti comprehendendo omnia in una via, quae habet vitam, tres alas habens, quarum una in altum volat, et altera de terra sudat, et tertia undique volat.

Laus tibi sit, sicut te decet, O Sapientia.

O strength of Wisdom who, circling, circled, enclosing all in one lifegiving path, three wings you have: one soars to the heights, one distils its essence upon the earth, and the third is everywhere.

Praise to you, as is fitting, O Wisdom.

Preparation O God, make speed to save us.

O Lord, make haste to help us.

Lead your people to freedom, O God. And banish all darkness from our hearts and minds.

We have come together in the name of Christ to offer our praise and thanksgiving, to hear and receive God’s holy word, to pray for the needs of the world, and to seek the forgiveness of our sins, that by the power of the Holy Spirit we may give ourselves to the service of God. Jesus says, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’ So let us turn away from our sin and turn to Christ, confessing our sins in penitence and faith.

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Those born of women have but a short time to live.

We have our fill of sorrow.

We blossom like a flower and wither away.

We slip away like a shadow and do not stay.

Choir

Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.

In the midst of life we are in death; where can we turn for help?

Only to you, Lord, who are justly angered by our sins.

Choir

Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.

Shut not your ears to our prayers, but spare us, O Lord.

Choir

Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.

You know the secrets of our hearts; forgive us our sins.

Choir

Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.

Eternal and merciful judge, both in life and when we come to die, let us not fall away from you.

Choir

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and merciful Saviour, do not abandon us to the bitterness of eternal death.

May the God of all healing and forgiveness draw us to himself, and cleanse us from all our sins that we may behold the glory of his Son, the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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We stand

Psalm 23 The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want; he makes me down to lie in pastures green; he leadeth me the quiet waters by.

My soul he doth restore again, and me to walk doth make within the paths of righteousness, e’en for his own name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through death’s dark vale, yet will I fear none ill; for thou art with me, and thy rod and staff me comfort still.

My table thou hast furnishèd in presence of my foes; my head thou dost with oil anoint, and my cup overflows.

Goodness and mercy all my life shall surely follow me; and in God’s house for evermore my dwelling-place shall be.

Words: Scottish Psalter (1650) Tune: Jessie Seymour Irvine (1836-1883); CRIMOND; CP 594

We sit

Reading

Judges 4.1-16

Read by Anna Lumb

At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. 5She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgement. 6She sent and summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, ‘The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you, “Go, take position at Mount Tabor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun. 7I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.”’ 8Barak said to her, ‘If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.’ 9And she said, ‘I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.’ Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and ten thousand warriors went up behind him; and Deborah went up with him.

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Now Heber the Kenite had separated from the other Kenites,[a] that is, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had encamped as far away as Elon-bezaanannim, which is near Kedesh.

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When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, Sisera called out all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the troops who were with him, from Harosheth-ha-goiim to the Wadi Kishon. 14Then Deborah said to Barak, ‘Up! For this is the day on which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. The Lord is indeed going out before you.’ So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand warriors following him. 15And the Lord threw Sisera and all his chariots and all his army into a panic[b] before Barak; Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot, 16while Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-ha-goiim. All the army of Sisera fell by the sword; no one was left.

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Thanks be to God

Anthem The Lord has done what he purposed, he has carried out his threat; as he has ordained long ago, he has made the enemy rejoice over you, and has exalted the might of your foes.

Cry aloud to the Lord! O wall of daughter Zion!

Let tears flow down like a torrent day and night!

Give yourselves no rest, your eyes no respite.

Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches begin!

Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord!

Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children.

Great is your faithfulness.

‘The Lord is my portion’ says my soul, ‘therefore will I hope in him.’

Text: Adapted from Lamentations 2.17-19; 3.23-24 Music: Helen Williams (b.1969)

We stand

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Reading

John 20.11-18

Read by Martha Hayward

Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look[a] into the tomb; 12and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ 14When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ 16Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew,[b] ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). 17Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”’ 18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Thanks be to God. Silence

Hymn I do not know tomorrow’s way, if dark or bright its hours may be; but I know Christ, and come what may, I know that he abides with me.

I do not know what may befall of grief or gladness, peace or pain; but I know Christ, and through it all I know his presence will sustain.

I do not know when evening falls, if soon or late earth’s day grows dim; but I know Christ, and when he calls, I know he’ll call me home to him.

Text: Margaret Clarkson (1915-2008) Tune: Jill Sutheran; SP 282

We remain standing

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Magnificat My Lord and Saviour is my song, he fills my spirit with delight; to raise me up his arm is strong, the lowly precious in his sight.

Magnificat anima mea Dominum.

My name shall live from age to age and every tongue his servant bless.

For mercy is their heritage, whose hearts the Holy One confess.

Magnificat anima mea Dominum.

The proud beguiled by dreams of power, divided and degraded lie.

He casts them down from throne and tower, and stoops to lift the humble high.

Magnificat anima mea Dominum.

He feeds the hungry at his board and sends the rich unfilled away.

And, mindful of his promised word, has answered Israel’s prayers today.

Magnificat anima mea Dominum.

With all the elders of our race and those unborn who seek this birth, I sing the glory of his race and bring eternity to earth.

Magnificat anima mea Dominum.

Words: Mary Holtby Music: Margaret Rizza (b. 1929)

We sit

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Poem

A Prayer to St Hilda by Diane Pacitti Brexit-divided, internet-obsessed, Mobile-myopic, helplessly in thrall To bought stuff, we cry across a gulf: Saint of wise love, it is to you we call.

Calm woman who held power in an age When the sword ruled: to slash, cut down, enthral, And used that power to build and reconcile, Help us to build a sheltering home for all.

Latin-literate royal, who drew inside A herdsman from the silent field and stall, Moved by his soaring Saxon hymn to God: Saint of wise love, it is to you we call.

Host of the Synod, who found yourself On the losing side, yet felt an inner call To stay with the victors, and to reconcile, Help us to build a sheltering home for all.

Mother of Whitby, strong Abbess of nuns And, daringly, monks as well, your realm a small Cluster of homes, of worship, work, and care: Saint of wise love, it is to you we call.

Of course, we idealise you, but you faced Cruel cold and failure, prejudice, and the gall Of bodily pain, and out of that you built: May we create a sheltering home for all.

Saint, pray for us, as wealth appreciates Itself, as poverty deepens, as we bawl Across this gulf at faces we don’t see: Saint of wise love, it is to you we call.

Help us to sing in unexpected tongues; Help us to welcome in the marginal; Heal our divisions; make us whole, That we may be a sheltering home for all.

Transform each barrier wall into the tall Support of a broad tent, a spacious hall: Saint of wise love, it is to you we call; Help us to build a sheltering home for all.

We sit Silence 9

Prayers

Led by Canon Paul Maybury

God of the wilderness Thank you for this season of lent, for time set aside to journey with you, to reflect, repent and return with broken hearts made whole Thanks be to God. On International Women’s Day, thank you for the women who have given us life and cared for us, who have nurtured and inspired us, who have challenged and changed us.

Thanks be to God. For the many blessings in our lives, of health, food and shelter, supportive community and friends, of hope, faith and love born from above.

Thanks be to God. God our Creator, you have built up your Church through the love and devotion of women everywhere: inspire us to follow their great example that we may with them share in the vision of your glory; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, Amen.

Silence We remain seated

Anthem We shall walk through the valley in peace.

If Jesus himself shall be our leader, we shall walk through the valley in peace.

There will be no trials there.

If Jesus himself shall be our leader, we shall walk through the valley in peace.

Words and music: African American Spiritual arr. Undine Smith Moore (1904-89)

We stand 10

Blessing Christ, who by his incarnation gathered into one things earthly and heavenly, fill you with peace and goodwill and make you partakers of the divine nature; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.

Amen.

Extroit Salve Regina, mater misericordiae; vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.

Ad te clamamus, exules, filii Evae, ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum vale.

O, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, hail our life, our sweetness and our hope.

To thee we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Eia, ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte, Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende, O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

Voluntary: Fugue on the Magnificat Primi Toni by J. Pachelbel

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Material in this Order of Service is taken from Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, copyright © The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2000 and Common Worship: Times & Seasons, copyright © The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2006. Scripture readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (Anglicised Edition) of the Bible, copyright © 1989, 1994 The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Copyright hymns and songs are reproduced under the Christian Copyright Licensing scheme: licence number 3887. This compilation is copyright © 2021 The Chapter of Bradford.

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