Prayer and Worship Resources

This page collects links to resources that you might find helpful. Many of the pages are updated frequently, so please check for the latest information.

Service booklets

The Order of Mass (Thursdays in Ordinary Time)

Short text suitable for printing or downloading to a mobile device.

Resources accessible by telephone

For those unable to access a church service online, please use the Church of England's Daily Hope freephone number, dial 0800 804 8044, for daily hymns, reflections and prayers

On-line resources

Live-stream services The A Church Near You web site can be used to find churches across the country that are advertising live-streamed services.
Oxford Cathedral Livestream events will appear on the cathedral's YouTube channel.
A Candle in the Window, news and views from the parish of Abingdon-on-Thames.
Silent Reflections materials from:
Church of England Daily Prayer
Daily prayer for the current day that page also has links to the CoE Daily Prayer app.
A simple form of Daily Prayer St Peter's Church, Earley, Reading
Walsingham
- Mass will be live-streamed from the Holy House at 7.30 am every Sunday, through Facebook, Vimeo and YouTube.
- There is a daily live stream of Shrine Prayers at 6.00 pm. A guide to Shrine Prayers is available there together with recordings of previous instances.
- See here for details of current services and times.
The Community of the Resurrection in Mirfield, live-stream their daily services. See Worship and Live-streaming page on their website for further details, times of services, and service booklets. There is a pattern and rhythm to their worship that some readers might find helpful.

Learning resources

October: Black History Month
- Christ Church North Abingdon African History Season from 13 to 15 October. The programme of events includes an exhibition and (ticket only) performance of SOLD at 7.30 pm on Friday 14 October, based on the life of Mary Prince, an enslaved woman who fought for liberation and advocated for freedom.
- Diocese of Oxford events taking place in churches in the diocese.
- Christ Church Cathedral Faith and Politics Lecture for Black History Month on Wednesday 12 October at 4.30 pm in Christ Church (the Sir Michael Dummett Lecture Theatre) How Heroes are Made: Race and the Battle for Transformation, Leadership and Change, by Lord Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE, Formerly Head of Public Affairs at the BBC, currently Chair of SOAS, University of London (which specialises in the study of Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East). He has a particular interest in equipping young black leaders in the UK.
- Liturgical resources for Black History Month
- University of Oxford programme of events
- Oxford Brookes University programme of events
Festivals in the period 9 to 15 October include:
- 12 October is the commemoration of Edith Cavell, nurse (1915). Edith was executed in Belgium on 12 October 1915. Her funeral service took place in Westminster Abbey on 15 May 1919 and she is buried in Norwich at the East End of the cathedral.
  - Westminster Abbey's commemoration of Edith Cavell which includes the text of her funeral service
  - The railway carriage that transported Edith's body from London to Norwich and the contemporary sculpture of Edith in Brussels
  - Norwich Cathedral's Remembering Edith Cavell
  - The memorial to Edith in Tombland Norwich
- Church of England The Funeral and Committal services for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
  - the Order of Service for Her Majesty's funeral is available on the Westminster Abbey web site
  - and for the Committal at St George's Chapel Windsor on the Royal web site.
The Lambeth Conference ran from 26 July to 8 August
- Reflections on Lambeth Bishops Steven, Gavin and Olivia share their experiences of the 2022 Lambeth Conference. Bishop Steven summarises the science and faith thread, Bishop Olivia focuses on the environmental conversations, and Bishop Gavin considers the joys and challenges of the diverse global Anglican family.
- The conference web site
- The official Prayer Guide
- Live Stream Programme
- Today at the Lambeth Conference, highlights of each day of the conference, see the pull-down menu at the conference web site
- (Revised) Lambeth Calls Study Document (note the statement about the draft Call on Human Dignity and the voting procedure released )
- Talking about Faith and Science and The Anglican Communion Science Commission
General Synod met at the University of York from 8 to 10 July. The meeting papers and records of business done are now available. Recordings of the Synod sessions can be viewed on YouTube.
Thomas Merton - A Photographic Exhibition curated by Esther de Waal is now open at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford, and runs until 15 September. Merton was a Trappist monk who died tragically in 1968. A journalist visiting Merton's monastery in Kentucky lent him a camera and led to what he called "his serious work". He saw the camera as an instrument of meditation. See here for more details.
Oxford Diocese
- Ukraine
  - Diocese of Oxford Make a difference in Ukraine
  - Ukrainian Institute London
- Diocesan Synod met on Saturday 11 June. The agenda and papers for the meeting are available here.
- A transcript of Bishop Steven’s presidential address, The Earth is the Lord’s, to synod on 11 June is now available.
- Bishop Steven’s Visit to Abingdon Deanery. Although this happened some time ago (12 May), a report of the visit is now available on the diocesan web site: Reports of other deanery visits are also available. At the time this was written, Bishop Steven had 5 more visits to make before he will have visited all 29 deaneries in the diocese.
Mirfield Talks - Festival Day 2022 Festival day this year was on Saturday 9 July. An introductory talk by Frs Charlie nCR and Nicolas CR, is available on the Community's YouTube channel.
- A series of talks given by brethren of the Community of the Resurrection for the last year's Festival Day, 11 July 2021, which focus on the environment and our response to it, is also available on YouTube.
COP 26
- Reflections on COP 26 by Claire Spooner UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) lead for Stakeholder Engagement at COP26
- A Candle in the Window (Parish Magazine) The December issue contains a series of articles reflecting on the outcome of COP 26.
- United Nations Climate Change the UN web site containing links to the conference documents
- Resources from some scientific societies:
  - COP26, climate change and the Royal Society
  - Royal Meterological Society Resources include daily video briefings, briefing papers and podcasts
  - The Royal Society of Chemistry Chemistry and COP26
- Bishop Olivia at COP26 Bishop Olivia, Bishop of Reading, is attending the conference and joining a range of events. Recordings of interviews she has given to local radio stations can be found on the Diocese of Oxford Soundcloud site.
- From the Anglican Communion - Anglican Consultative Council:
  - Voluntary submission to the COP26
  - Climate Resilience and Just Financing - Anglican Leadership for Climate Action and Climate Justice COP26 Policy Position
- Facing up to the spiritual challenge of the environmental crisis, 23 November. The Kellogg College annual Vincent Strudwick lecture on Religion in Public Life will be given by the Rt Revd Olivia Graham, Bishop of Reading, at 5.30pm. This lecture will be online. To receive the link to the event, please book thorough Eventbrite.
- A moment of opportunity and truth The powerful and historic joint statement on the environment issued by Archbishop Justin, Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as part of the preparations for COP 26 was followed on 4 October by a gathering of faith leaders from across the world in the Vatican and the release of a new joint statement by all the world's religions: Faith and Science: an appeal for COP 26. The appeal was presented to COP26 President-Designate, the Rt Hon Alok Sharma, and the Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Luigi Di Maio.
- Before and during COP26 there was a series of events, both face-to-face and virtual, open to the public.
- The Office for National Statistics Carbon dioxide emissions and woodland coverage where you live (21 October). The levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and woodland coverage vary across the UK.The ONS interactive maps let you see how your area looks, and how it compares with other areas.
- The text of a letter from the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury, A Joint Message for the Protection of Creation that was published on 7 September 2021
- Responding to the Climate Crisis includes links to recent publications by members of the Anglican Society of St Francis
- Churches Together in Britain and Ireland offer a range of resources to support Climate Sunday.
- Olivia, Bishop of Reading, gave a talk on Climate Sunday in St Mary's Church Greenham. A video of her talk is available on YouTube. Links are provided below to some of the resources Bishop Olivia mentions in her talk.
  - A Christian Guide to Environmental Issues by Martin Hodson and Margot Hodson, published by BRF
  - The Eco Church scheme
- Readers might like to read the transcript of Canon Ward's sermon, Service and Sacrifice, preached in Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday 25 July 2021.
Mirfield Talks. The Community's YouTube channel includes talks by Fr Nicolas CR and other members of the community.
- Recent talks include:
  1. St Luke's Gospel
  2. Bike ride for Tariro (a fund-raising ride by Fr George CR and companions)
- Older talks include:
  1. The first video in the series is on John Bradburne, who is currently on his way to being beatified and onwards to saint hood with the Catholic Church. Please click here to watch the video. From 1969 to being shot in 1979 John was warden at Mutemwa Leprosy Settlement, in Zimbabwe. See also The John Bradburne Memorial Society
  2. Praying in a technological world
  3. Pope Francis And The Poor
  4. CR Growing in Christ
  5. The Promise of Eternal Life
  6. Fr Nicolas in conversation with Claire Gilbert, talking about her recent experience of cancer and her work as Director of the Westminster Abbey Institute Her recent publications include Letters from Lockdown: Sustaining public service values during the Covid-19 pandemic
  7. Sayings of the Desert Fathers Fr Charlie, novice CR
An on-line labyrinth.
Cathedrals have responded to the pandemic in a variety of ways and offer a range of live-streamed worship.
- Norwich Our former Team Vicar, Peter Doll, is Canon Librarian of the Cathedral.
- Oxford
- Portsmouth Fr Paul was a priest in Portsmouth Diocese before moving to Abingdon
- Winchester
- From the Province of York, readers might like to look at the web site of Wakefield Cathedral in the Diocese of Leeds or Sheffield Cathedral.
The History of Stations of the Cross A very interesting talk by an American Roman Catholic Franciscan brother. For information about Franciscan brothers and sisters in the Anglican Communion see the web site.
Alone Together Reflections from monks and nuns on isolation and distancing, led by Fr Christopher Jamison, OSB.
Thriving in Lockdown Br Marc CR speaks about his time in lockdown in this interview with Caleb Ellwood of York Gateway church.
Some readers may remember The Revd Dr Joe Kennedy, a former curate at St Michael's. He is now vicar of the Parish of Oxton St Saviour, Wirral. The church's web site includes an on-line worship section.

Service Booklets

Lightly modified versions of the service booklet for the liturgies that would traditionally be used at St Michael's are available to download.