The Benefice of Barlings, Diocese of Lincoln : Parishes of Sudbrooke, Stainton by Langworth, and Barlings with Langworth
Last Things
Almighty God,
By whose mercy my life has been yet prolonged to another year,
grant that thy mercy may not be in vain.
Let not my years be multiplied to increase my guilt,
but as age advances,let me
become more pure in my thoughts,
more regular in my desires,
and more obedient to thy laws.
Let not the cares of the world distract me,
nor the evils of age overwhelm me,
but continue and increase thy loving kindness towards me,
and when thou shalt call me hence,
receive me to everlasting happiness,
for the sake of Jesus Christ,our Lord. Samuel Johnson
Teach me to live that I may dread,
The grave as little as my bed;
Teach me to die that so I may
Rise glorious at that awesome day. Thomas Ken
Welcome,Lord,into your calm and peaceful kingdom
Those who,out of this present life,
Have departed to be with you;
Grant them rest and a place with the spirits of the just;
And give them the life that knows no age,
The reward that passes not away;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. St. Ignatius Loyola
Almighty God,to whom all live;
We remember all who have left this life in the hope of the resurrection,
especially our families and friends,and those who have done us good :
According to your promises,grant them refreshment,light and peace,
Where there shall be no more mourning nor crying nor pain,
And you will be our light for ever and ever.
In the rising of the sun and in its going down,we remember them.
In the glowing of the wind and in the chill of winter;
In the opening of buds and rebirth of spring;
In the blueness of the sky and in the warmth of summer;
In the rustling of leaves and in the beauty of autumn;
In the beginning of the year and when it ends;
When we are weary and in the need of strength;
When we are lost and sick at heart;
When we have joys we yearn to share,
We remember them.
So long as we live,they too shall live,
For they are now a part of us,
As we remember them. Prayer of Remembrance
Almighty and everliving God,
We give thee most high praise and hearty thanks for all thy Saints,
Who have been the chosen vessels of thy grace,
and lights of the world in their several generations;
And we pray,that rejoicing in their fellowship,
and following their good examples,
We may be partakers with them of thy heavenly kingdom.
Grant this,O father,for Jesus Christ’s sake.
1928 Proposed Prayer Book : abbreviated by J.Elphinstone-Fyffe
O Lord Jesus Christ,
Before whose judgement-seat we must all appear
to give account of the things done in the body :
Grant,we beseech thee,that when the books are opened in that day,
The faces of thy servants may not be ashamed;
Through thy merits,O Blessed Saviour,
Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
One God,world without end. Scottish Episcopal Church BCP
Almighty Father,Son and Holy Ghost,
Eternal,ever-blessed gracious God,
To me the least of saints,to me,allow
That I may keep a door in Paradise;
That I may keep even the smallest door,
The furthest door,
The darkest coldest door,
The door that is least used,
The stiffest door,
If so it be but in thine house,O God !
If so it be that I can see Thy Glory,
Even afar and hear Thy Voice,O God !
And know that I am with Thee - Thee ,O God. St. Columba
O Lord support us all the day long,
Of this troublous life,
Until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes,
And the busy world is hushed,
And the fever of life is over,
And our work is done.
Then Lord,in your mercy,grant us a safe lodging,
And a holy rest,
And peace at the last;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. John Henry Newman
O God,the protector of all that trust in thee,without whom nothing is strong,nothing is holy;
Increase and multiply in us thy mercy; that,thou,being our ruler and guide,
We may so pass through things temporal that we finally lose not the things eternal :
Grant this,O heavenly Father,for Jesus Christ’s sake our Lord. BCP
O Lord of all worlds,we bless your name
For all those who have entered into their rest,
And reached the promised land where you are seen face to face.
Give us grace to follow in their footsteps,
As they followed in the footsteps of your holy Son.
Keep alive in us the memory of those dear to ourselves
whom you have called to yourself;
And grant that every remembrance which turns our hearts
from things seen to things unseen
May lead us always upwards to you,
Until we come to our eternal rest;
Through Christ our Lord. F.J.A. Hort
O Lord,
We praise thy holy Name for all thy servants departed from among us in thy faith and fear;
And we humbly beseech thee so to bless us who remain on earth that,being protected from all evil,
We may ever serve and please thee with quiet minds and thankful hearts,
And together with those who are gone before may have our refreshment in paradise,
And our portion in the resurrection of the just;
Through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Archbishop Frederick Temple
Grow old along with me !
The best is yet to be,
The last of life,for which the first was made :
Our times are in his hand
Who saith ‘A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God : see all,nor be afraid !’ Robert Browning
We give them back to thee,dear Lord,who gavest them to us.
Yet as thou didst not lose them in giving,so we have not lost them by their return.
What thou gavest thou takest not away,O Lover of souls;
For what is thine is ours also if we are thine.
And life is eternal and love is immortal,
And death is only a horizon,
And a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.
Lift us up,strong Son of God,that we may see further;
Cleanse our eyes that we may see more clearly;
And draw us closer to thyself that we may know ourselves
to be nearer to our loved ones who are with thee.
And while thou dost prepare a place for us,
Prepare us also for that happy place,
That where they are and thou art,
We too may be for evermore. William Penn
Grant,O Lord,that we may
Live in thy fear,
Die in thy favour,
Rest in thy peace,
Rise in thy power,
Reign in thy glory;
For thine own beloved Son’s sake,
Jesus Christ,our Lord. William Laud
O my most blessed and glorious creator,
That hast fed me all my life long,
And redeemed me from all evil;
Seeing it is thy merciful pleasure to take me out of this frail body,
and to wipe away all tears from mine eyes,
and all sorrows from my heart,
I do with all humility and willingness consent and submit myself
wholly unto thy sacred will.
My most loving redeemer,into thy saving and everlasting arms
I commend my spirit;
I am ready,my dear Lord,
And earnestly expect and long for thy good pleasure.
Come quickly,and receive the soul of thy servant which trusteth in thee. Henry Vaughan
Bring us,O Lord God,at our last awakening into the house and gate of heaven,
To enter that gate and dwell in that house,
Where there shall be no darkness nor dazzling,but one equal light;
No noise nor silence,but one equal music;
No fears nor hopes,but one equal possession;
No ends nor beginnings,but one equal eternity;
In the habitations of thy glory and dominion,world without end. John Donne
Readiness for Christ’s Coming
O Lord our God,
Make us watchful and keep us faithful,
As we await the coming of your Son our Lord;
That when he shall appear,
He may not find us sleeping in sin
but active in his service,
And joyful in his praise,
For the glory of your holy name. Gelasian Sacramentary
Keep us,O Lord,while we tarry on this earth,
In a serious keeping after thee,
And in an affectionate walking with thee,
every day of our lives;
That when thou comest,
We may be found not hiding our talent,
Nor serving the flesh,
Nor yet asleep with our lamp unfurnished,
But waiting and longing for our Lord,
Our glorious King,for ever and ever. Richard Baxter
alternative version
Keep me,O Lord,while I tarry on this earth,
In a daily serious seeking after thee,
And in a believing affectionate walking with thee,
That,
When thou comest,we may be found
Not hiding our talent,
Nor serving the flesh,
Nor yet asleep with our lamp unfurnished;
But waiting and longing for our Lord,
Our glorious God for ever and ever.
