Gathering
We come from scattered lives to meet with God
God calls us together.
Silence is kept for personal prayer.
As God’s people we have gathered:
let us worship him together.
We pray together:
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession
A minister invites us to confession with a sentence of Scripture e.g.
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.’
We long for the fire of God’s cleansing
to touch our unclean lips,
for our guilt to be removed and our sin wiped out.
So we meet Father, Son and Holy Spirit
with repentance in our hearts.
cf Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4
Or:
St Paul says ‘Be imitators of God;
love as Christ loved;
do not grieve the Holy Spirit;
put away all anger and bitterness,
all slander and malice.’
So let us confess our sins to God
who forgives us in Christ.
cf Ephesians 4.30 – 5.1
Or:
Human sin disfigures the whole creation,
which groans with eager longing for God’s redemption. We confess our sin in penitence and faith. cf Romans 8.22,23
and there follows a time for silent reflection on our lives before God. Then we share in this confession:
Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness
and cleanse me from my sin.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy
Make me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy
Cast me not away from your presence and take not your holy spirit from me.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy
Absolution
The president announces God’s forgiveness.
Almighty God,
who forgives all who truly repent,
have mercy upon you,
pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you in life eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
The Gloria
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
The Collect
The president introduces a period of silent prayer. A special prayer of the day is said and all respond
Amen.
The Ministry of the Word
At the end:
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Gospel Reading
The Reader says
Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
one God, who was, and who is, and who is to come, the Almighty. (Revelation 1.8)
All sing or say: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
When the Gospel is announced the reader says
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to N.
Glory to you, O Lord
At the end
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
The Sermon
After the sermon there is a brief silence for reflection
The Creed
We say one of the affirmations of faith:
either
A.
We say together in faith
Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come.
We believe in God the Father,
who created all things:
for by his will they were created
and have their being.
We believe in God the Son, who was slain:
for with his blood,
he purchased us for God,
from every tribe and language,
from every people and nation.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit:
the Spirit and the Bride
say, ‘Come!’
Even so come, Lord Jesus! Amen.
cf Revelation 4.8,11; 5.9; 22.17, 20
Or
B.
Do you believe and trust in God the Father?
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?
I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died,
and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand
of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living
and the dead.
Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit?
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
We SIT to pray.
These responses may be used
Lord, in your mercy (or) Lord, hear us.
hear our prayer. Lord, graciously hear us.
And at the end
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Peace
We STAND. The president introduces the Peace saying e.g.
(a) Christ is our peace. He has reconciled us to God in one body by the cross.
We meet in his name and share his peace.
(b) Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be called children of God.
We meet in the name of Christ and share his peace.
(c) God is love and those who live in love live in God and God lives in them.
(d) We are all one in Christ Jesus. We belong to him through faith, heirs of the promise of the Spirit of peace
and then says
The peace of the Lord be always with you
All: and also with you.
A minister says
Let us offer one another a sign of Christ’s peace.
As the Holy Table is prepared the President prays one of the following prayers.
(a) As the grain once scattered in the fields
and the grapes once dispersed on the hillside
are now reunited on this table in bread and wine,
so, Lord, may your whole Church soon be gathered together
from the corners of the earth
into your kingdom. Amen.
(b) Wise and gracious God,
you spread a table before us;
nourish your people with the word of life
and the bread of heaven. Amen.
(c) Generous God,
creator, redeemer, sustainer,
at your table we present this money,
symbol of the work you have given us to do;
use it, use us, in the service of your world
to the glory of your name. Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer H
The Lord is here.
His Spirit is with us.
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.
It is right to praise you, Father,
Lord of all creation;
in your love you made us for yourself.
When we turned away you did not reject us,
but came to meet us in your Son.
You embraced us as your children
and welcomed us to sit and eat with you.
In Christ you shared our life
that we might live in him and he in us.
He opened his arms of love
upon the cross and made for all
the perfect sacrifice for sin.
On the night he was betrayed,
at supper with his friends
he took bread, and gave you thanks;
he broke it and gave it to them, saying:
Take, eat; this is my body
which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.
Father, we do this in remembrance of him:
his body is the bread of life.
At the end of supper, taking the cup of wine,
he gave you thanks, and said:
Drink this, all of you;
this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you
for the forgiveness of sins;
do this in remembrance of me.
Father, we do this in remembrance of him:
his blood is shed for all.
As we proclaim his death
and celebrate his rising in glory,
send your Holy Spirit
that this bread and this wine
may be to us the body and blood
of your dear Son.
As we eat and drink these holy gifts
make us one in Christ, our risen Lord.
With your whole Church
throughout the world
we offer you this sacrifice of praise
and lift our voice to join
the eternal song of heaven:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
Heaven and earth
are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
The Lord’s Prayer
We SIT for the Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, we are bold to 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 the 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.
Sharing in 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!
A Prayer of Spiritual Communion
Lord Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Blessed Sacrament. I love you above all things and I desire you in my soul. Since I cannot receive you now sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my soul. As though you were already there, I embrace you and unite myself wholly to you; permit not that I should ever be separated from you. Amen
Prayer after Communion
Then we all may pray:
You have opened to us
the Scriptures, O Christ,
and you have made yourself known
in the breaking of the bread.
Abide with us, we pray,
that, blessed by your royal presence,
we may walk with you
all the days of our life,
and at its end behold you
in the glory of the eternal Trinity,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.
Blessing and Sending
The president offers us God’s blessing e.g. a, b or c.
(a) Christ the good shepherd,
who laid down his life for the sheep,
draw you and all who hear his voice,
to be one flock within one fold;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always Amen
Amen
(b) The God of all grace,
who called you to his eternal glory
in Christ Jesus,
establish, strengthen
and settle you in the faith;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always Amen
(c) May the Father from whom every family
in earth and heaven receives its name
strengthen you with his Spirit
in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts
by faith;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always Amen
A minister says
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
