Download Sumner sermon - The Methodist Church of New Zealand

Five Orders of Service
for Holy Communion for
experimental use 2013
Prepared by the Liturgy Commission
of the Faith & Order Committee
Methodist Church of New Zealand
Te Hahi Weteriana o Aotearoa
“Present in the Bread”
Introductory Notes for those Planning and Leading
Celebrations of Holy Communion
In commending this book to you we would begin by noting that
Methodism began in a revival that was both evangelical and
sacramental. That it was marked both by lively preaching and a
recovery of the celebration of Holy Communion as normative to
Christian worship. For John Wesley, Holy Communion was “an
ordinary means of grace.” It was to be attended and celebrated
frequently, reverently and fervently. He also taught that Christ is
spiritually present in the elements of Communion, an insight not to
the fore in English Protestantism at his time and one we Methodists
have often neglected in favour of a purely symbolic understanding.
Over the last century there has been a process of liturgical renewal.
For Catholics this has involved a rediscovery of the rightful place of
Scripture in Worship whereas we Protestants have been challenged
to re-connect to the power of sign, symbol and sacrament. As part of
this many historic Protestant churches have re-discovered aspects of
sacramental worship that had been marginalised, forgotten or treated
with wariness. Denominations have, each in their own way, embraced
aspects of this. It is perhaps most clearly seen by English speaking
Christians in the Commonwealth in how Holy Communion has
become the normative act of Anglican Sunday Worship.
Methodists have not gone that far, yet Methodist sacramental practice
has been enriched by the fruits of liturgical renewal and we celebrate
Holy Communion more frequently than was often the case. As part of
that renewal process more and more resources have been made
available by Methodist denominations around the world. This book is
the latest offering by Te Haahi Weteriana o Aotearoa – The Methodist
Church of New Zealand to support, inform and enrich Methodist
sacramental life in this time and place.
This book contains a series of celebrations of Holy Communion, each
born in a particular context and developing a particular theme. They
are included and recommended for your use as they are seen as
models of good practice in terms of contemporary Methodist and
ecumenical sacramental theology and liturgical practice.
Members of the Liturgical Commission are aware that this book will
not enjoy the canonical, binding status of A New Zealand Prayer
Book or The Roman Missal yet we it is our experience that the
liturgies published by Faith and Order on behalf of the Church richly
nurture the worship life of both parish and people. The publication of
this new resource reflects the desire of Te Haahi to provide a range
of material for celebrating Holy Communion that is both rooted in the
broad stream of the Christian tradition and speaks to our context here
and now.
We know that this will not be the only resource used in planning and
celebrating Holy Communion in Methodist parishes let alone those
union and cooperating ventures we are a part of. Contemporary New
Zealand Methodist practice draws upon a range of sources and that
there are people in Methodist, cooperating and union parishes who
devise prayers and ritual for celebrating Holy Communion. If it were
not for that very diversity and creativity this book would not exist.
However the Liturgical Commission feels it appropriate to reflect
briefly on celebrating Holy Communion and on what is regarded
according to long established norms as both integral and normative.
We celebrate creativity but we urge that creativity be informed by an
awareness of sacramental theology and best practice.
We would like to start by making what might seem to be quite a
striking statement; there is no such thing as a Methodist sacrament.
Yes we celebrate sacraments but they are not ours, they do not
belong to us. We celebrate them as we are part of the living and
dynamic Christian tradition. We celebrate them in our congregations
not just for ourselves, not just for those here and now, but as part of
the worship of the Church from its beginning to its end in the fullness
of time. There are two consequences to this, our celebrations of Holy
Communion need to stand within a pattern of historical continuity –
even if Christians disagree about the interpretation of that continuity –
and our celebrations also need to be recognisable to and resonant
with the experience of celebrations of Holy Communion across the
broad spectrum of Christian churches.
There are certain elements to a celebration of Holy Communion that
we believe mark a fully authentic celebration. Sacramental theology
talks about the importance of “right intention” when celebrating Holy
Communion. Traditionally this is assumed because a duly authorised
person is using an approved liturgy. While our church has authorised
liturgies they are – as I have already noted – not as canonically
binding as in some other churches. It is precisely this scope for a
measure of freedom of choice that makes it so very important that
those who preside at the Holy Communion in Methodist, cooperating
and united contexts have some familiarity with what makes good
practice.
Thanksgiving – We increasingly talk of the Holy Communion as the
Eucharist. This comes from the Greek word for giving thanks. In the
Great Thanksgiving – or Eucharistic prayer – praise is offered to God
for God’s action in creation and redemption. The Holy Communion is
a celebration of the Paschal mystery, of God’s work of redemption in
Christ.
The narrative of Institution – in celebrating Holy Communion we
recall the words and actions of Jesus as he shared a meal with his
friends on the night before he died. We need to call these things to
mind, to say over the bread and cup the words Jesus used when he
compared them to his own body, which was to be broken, and to his
blood, which would be shed.
An Invocation of the Spirit - prayer is offered that the Holy Spirit
might vest these ordinary things, bread and wine, with a new
significance and find in sharing them a connection to the saving love
of Jesus. The invocation of the Holy Spirit might also involve a prayer
that the Spirit touch those present that they might grow deeper in
faith, hope and love.
Oblation or offering – though we are historically wary of any
language which talks about the celebration of Holy Communion in
sacrificial terms it is a sacrificium laudis or sacrifice of praise. It is the
witness of the practice, worship and spirituality of the Christian faithful
that the celebration of Holy Communion is at the very heart of our
worship and the church discipline’s and spiritual practices of many
churches emphasise this. It is something that we should prepare
ourselves for when we come to participate in its celebration; in it we
are challenged once more with the redemptive love of God shown in
the living and dying and resurrection of Jesus. It is our sacrifice of
praise and the offering of ourselves in rightful response to God’s
redemptive love.
An anticipation of God’s reign – the Holy Communion is “a
foretaste of the heavenly banquet.” It is an intimation or sign of how
the world will be. It calls us to trust and hope in the providence of
God, to trust, as Julian of Norwich said; “all will be well and all
manner of things shall be well.” It also challenges each of us to ask
ourselves what we can do to build up a world where everyone has a
place at the table, where each person – where love and justice are
hand in hand and we take our part in the work of redemption.
These components are integral to a celebration of Holy Communion
in accordance with the tradition of Christian history and ecumenical
practice. We acknowledge that New Zealand Methodism is marked
by a range of cultures, theologies and spiritualities. This diversity is
our strength and we believe that across our diversity a regular and
careful celebration of Holy Communion can nurture us. It is our hope
that this book can play some part in nurturing our people’s faith and in
feeding their souls.
David Poultney,
Convenor – Faith and Order Committee.
July 2013
Liturgy of the Heart
The Preparation
CALL TO WORSHIP
This or another opening sentences may be used
I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind,
to reward each person as their deeds deserve. - Jeremiah 17.10
HYMN
OPENING PRAYER
Almighty God who called the universe into being
and by whose will alone all things are sustained,
hear us now as we call upon your holy name.
When the Israelites wandered in the desert,
you provided Manna to feed them,
you saved them from desolation and despair.
So grant us your grace when we are lost or aimless.
Share with us again the life-giving Bread of our Saviour, Jesus
Christ.
May the nourishment of Christ’s presence
restore and renew us,
and lift us above confusion
to gain new direction for our journey of faith.
Strengthen us with the Bread that gives eternal life
so we may face danger with courage
and defeat with new resolve,
by the grace of the One who came through the wilderness for us,
our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION AND DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
We confess to you, O God:
too often we have forsaken the bread of life
and eaten from the world’s alluring table.
We have delighted in things that offer no lasting sustenance,
and worked for things that harm us.
Unlike the Israelites, lost in the vast emptiness of Sinai,
our landscape presents a mirage of worldly things
that beguile and maroon us.
Amidst all that seeks to sell itself
as essential to our needs,
may we keep in sight
the true Bread of Life, our Saviour, Jesus Christ,
whose love and mercy alone
can lead us through oases, and at last,
make the desert blossom with abundant life. Amen
‘Take heart’, says the Lord, and ‘Do not be afraid’.
God forgives our sins,
disarms all worldly powers,
and makes us alive with Christ.
We give thanks for loves renewing work
And put our trust again in Christ. Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
HYMN
The Ministry of the Word
READINGS OF SCRIPTURE
REFLECTION
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
My walk this day shall be with God,
My work this day shall be for Christ,
My guide this day shall be the Spirit,
My mother this day shall be the holy Church,
My brother this day shall be my fellow pilgrim,
My child this day shall be the love in my heart.
INTERCESSIONS
Lord,
Whatever we build,
Give us a glimpse of glory.
Whatever we make,
Give us a sense of wonder.
Wherever we travel,
Give us a sense of reverence.
Whoever we meet,
Give us a sense of awe.
Whatever we do,
Give us a sense of achievement.
Whatever our situation,
Give us knowledge of you.
Christ, through whom all things were made,
Sustain your Church.
Christ, exalted in the lowest and the least,
Give us humility.
Christ present in the poor and the oppressed,
Fill us with compassion.
Christ, forsaken in the hungry and the homeless,
Minister through our hands.
Christ, present where two or three are gathered,
Be known among us.
Christ, alive in Word, sacrament and sign,
Grant us your peace.
HYMN
PEACE
The lost are found again in Christ; the wanderers come home!
The peace of Christ makes room for you.
And also for you.
Greetings of peace may be shared among the congregation.
OFFERING
As the desert may sharpen thought,
so may the needs in our world sharpen compassion.
May our gifts join others
in God’s Way of Love
until all can share the song of grace.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
We thank you, Lord, for your creation:
for the wonders of this world;
for the earth and all that is nourished by it;
for the teeming ocean depths which maintain our planet’s life.
For the green and blue of our earthly home,
we praise your holy name.
Despite your goodness
we closed the narrow door of our hearts,
shutting out the light and warmth of your love.
Yet, still we hear your voice,
and know the gentle knock of Jesus asking to come in.
Oh Jesus, who called Lazarus out of darkness into light,
weep no more for us;
as you once made salve
to restore sight to the for eyes of one born blind,
so anoint our eyes that we may see,
anoint our hearts that we may love,
anoint our souls that we may live.
You bless even the widow’s small coin,
so receive the slender wealth of our lives
making them your treasure
stored in heaven where moth and rust cannot destroy,
or the thieves of this world despoil.
O healing Spirit rise within us as living water
bathe us in the hot springs of your sanctifying grace.
Envelop us in the fellowship of your church
in both earth and heaven.
O wondrous Spirit, who turns water into wine:
Transform the poverty of our lives into the rich fruit of the
true vine.
Creating, redeeming, transforming God,
you make our hearts sing with joy the song of the ages:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
With your closest friends around you,
you took bread, broke it,
and gave it to them, saying, “Take and eat,
for my broken body will never be forgotten
so long as my friends recall.”
Then you took the cup
and passed it to disciples, saying,, “Drink this, all of you,
for my blood is shed for your forgiveness,
a new covenant for the world.”
God among us;
Light in the midst of us;
Bring us to life everlasting.
In Christ, so close a woman could wash your feet with her tears;
In Christ, so humble you knelt at the feet of your friends;
Help us to let go of the false securities of this world
and be born again through your Spirit.
May this bread and this wine become for us
the body and the blood of Christ
through the Spirit’s generous love and power.
In Christ you search still for the last coin,
the hundredth sheep, the distant child,
and in this sacrament
you have found our hearts once more.
Hold them gently,
along with all those whom we have loved
and who have gone before us,
until that day when we shall feast with them again
in our heavenly home.
THE BREAD IS BROKEN
We break this bread, your precious body given to the world.
We raise this cup, your precious blood poured out for us all.
INVITATION
Come to this table
not because you are strong,
but because you are weak;
come not because you understand all things,
but because you are seeking;
come not because you are perfect,
but because you yearn still for holiness.
Friends of Christ, he bids you welcome.
THE BREAD AND THE WINE ARE SHARED
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Gracious God,
in kindness and in peace
you make your home within our hearts.
We cannot merit such love,
but in Christ you have called us friends.
Be the anchor of our souls whatever storms we may face,
and at the end carry us to that realm of light
that awaits all your children who entrust themselves to you.
Amen.
HYMN
COMMISSION
Walk on with hope in your heart;
God watches your path,
Christ gives you his light,
The Spirit never leaves your side.
Amen
THE BLESSING
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ ……..
Eucharist of “The Risen Life”
This communion service is structured around the resurrection stories
of
John’s Gospel and the continuing influence of the Spirit of Christ
in Christian experience.
The Preparation
WELCOME
A greeting to the congregation may be given here or after an opening
hymn.
INVITATION TO WORSHIP
This or other sentences may be used to lead our thoughts to worship.
At daybreak, Jesus called to Peter,
“Bread is here. Bring some of your catch”.
We bring what our hearts hold, for bread is here.
HYMN
PRAYER OF GATHERING
All gracious God, we come to worship you.
If the doors of our hearts are shut by fear or fault,
may Christ enter our inner room and greet us with peace.
May we see the marks of love that declare new life among us,
and catch again the Spring breeze of your Spirit.
May the welcome of Jesus ignite our hope,
shed our fear, and shame our pride,
so that our lives are open to your call
and re-centred in your love. Amen.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION AND AFFIRMATION OF FORGIVENESS
Jesus said, “Do you love me?”
We think we love you Lord but
we get side-tracked by our own agendas,
we back away from challenging encounters,
we make excuses for choosing wrong.
We are sorry that our discipleship is lukewarm.
Charm and charge us again with your love
that we may be more strong and true.
Jesus says, “My Spirit will lead you.”
“Take care of my sheep.” And, ‘Go in peace.’
You refresh and restore us and we give you thanks.
Amen
Ministry of the Word
READINGS FOR THE DAY
REFLECTION
HYMN
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
This or another affirmation may be placed immediately after the
Reflection.
You, O God, are supreme and Holy.
You create our world and give us life.
Your purpose overarches everything we do.
You have always been with us.
You are God.
You, O God, are infinitely generous,
good beyond all measure.
You came to us before we came to you.
You have revealed and proved
your love for us in Jesus Christ,
who lived and died and rose again.
You are with us now.
You are God.
You, O God, are Holy Spirit.
You empower us to be your gospel in the world.
You reconcile and heal; you overcome death.
You are our God. We worship you.
From NZ Prayer Book – cc: Church of the Province of New Zealand
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Appropriate additions may be inserted between the two lines of each
stanza,
or other prayers may be used.
Gracious God, as the risen Christ touched the broken hearts of
his first disciples, may that same Spirit touch our world where
lives and communities are broken.
When loss leaves us empty and hope dies,
you name us with tenderness. (...)
For all who are at a loss, may new possibilities dawn.
Let new life be seen and known.
Where justice is broken and fear grips us,
you come to share your calm and courage. (...)
For all who face oppression, may support and strength be found.
Let new life be seen and known.
When guilt is a burden,
you open the way to forgiveness and new responsibility. (...)
For those who yearn to start again,
may opportunities be allowed and opened.
Let new life be seen and known.
When we walk with problems and perplexity,
you stir fresh insight and warm our hearts. (...)
For those facing uncertain times or hard decisions,
may there be good counsel and clear purpose.
Let new life be seen and known.
If we lose faith in your future and go back to old ways,
you call us to cast our life again with you. (...)
For those who see no meaning to life,
may care be given and inspiration found.
Let new life be seen and known.
You call your people to leave the shoreline of outworn endeavour
or complacency and share your hope and joy and generosity.
We welcome your Spirit and pray
that new life may be seen and known through us. Amen
THE LORD’S PRAYER OR A CONTEMPORARY PARAPHRASE
The Ministry of the Sacrament
PRESENTATION OF OFFERINGS
Here we bring bread and wine,
gifts of a fertile earth, and signs of our human need;
Here we bring the currency of our work and our sharing.
We place our gifts in the hands of Christ.
May his Spirit pervade our hearts and shape our deeds.
Amen
EXCHANGE OF PEACE
The peace of Christ is here for you.
Peace is here for all to share.
Greetings of peace may be exchanged with those nearby.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
The Lord is here.
God’s Spirit is with us.
Come, ready to receive,
We come to find the Word of Life.
Come together with thanks and hope
God’s grace is our life and joy.
Gracious God, starburst of life,
space and time swirl out in your love.
We give thanks to discover your grace
in this ever changing world.
You whisper your love-song into human hearts.
You know each of us by our own name
and take delight in who we are.
You give us family and friends to share our journey,
and the great story of your people learning the life of
faith,
so we turn to you with thankful hearts.
In delight or distress we thank you
that Jesus leads the way to real life.
He knew a family home and a joiner’s bench.
He gathered friends to share his vision,
and stirred all Galilee with your realm of grace.
His story shows a loving touch that brings hope and healing,
a look that sees deep into the troubled heart,
and a welcome to embrace the lonely and rejected.
Here we find a courage to defy the ruthless,
and a readiness to forgive
which sets us free to start again.
Because he is the breath of your being.
we join with all through the ages,
who have glimpsed your glory, in declaring:
Holy, holy , holy One, God of truth and grace,
Earth and sea and sky show the wonders of your hand,
We celebrate your loves embrace!
Welcome is the one who opens your life in us.
We celebrate your loves embrace!
Or
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of truth and grace,
Heaven and earth are full of your Glory;
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the
Lord;
Hosanna in the highest.
Jesus spoke of a lost son and a loving Father,
of a lost sheep and a loyal shepherd;
he sought out the forgotten and forsaken
to bring them home to themselves and to you.
When fear and power conspired to block the Way of Christ
his loving did not falter,
and death could not constrain the life his love revealed.
With friends gathered for a meal
on the last night they shared together,
Jesus took bread, gave thanks to you,
broke it, and gave it to them, saying,
“This is my body, broken for you.”
After supper he took the cup,
recalled your grace, and shared it with them, saying,
“Drink from it, all of you.”
Here is my life poured out
for all to share God’s covenant of love.
We remember Christ’s story
We celebrate his life among us,
We work for the fulfilment he will bring.
Therefore, Deep Spirit, we recall these things,
wanting to share Christ’s grace and truth,
seeking that transfusion of hope which you instil,
and inviting your healing and reforming touch,
which we welcome now into our lives.
May the warmth of Christ draw our minds and wills
so that your radiance may fill and shape all we do.
By the impulse of your love
may we walk with compassion and grace
until all things move to the beat of your heart
and all creation rings
with the celebration of your justice and your love. Amen
BREAKING OF BREAD
The bread that we break is a sharing in the Body of Christ.
We who are many are one body
because we all share the one bread.
The cup of blessing for which we give thanks
Is a sharing in the spirit of Christ.
We welcome his transforming grace and truth.
SHARING OF BREAD AND WINE
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Holy One, we thank you for those good things
through which our lives are blessed each day:
for words that encourage us,
for friends who support us,
for vision that shapes our living,
and for the Spirit of Christ,
coming alongside,
calling us to go with him
in love and hope
to make life full and free. Amen
Or: For the power of Christ’s love in our lives,
and its promise of a world renewed
we give our thanks and praise
most gracious God, to you. Amen
HYMN
WORDS OF MISSION
God’s peace will hold us,
Christ’s compassion lead us,
And the Spirit’s freedom bring us home. Amen
THE GRACE
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen
“For Everyone Born a Place at the Table”
A Celebration of the Eucharist as Foretaste of the
Kingdom of God. A New Reality where
everyone is valued and included.
The Preparation
CALL TO WORSHIP
Let us come together,
gathered into one from our diversity,
knowing that in this place
there is room enough, justice enough
for you, for me, for the whole world.
Once we were not a people,
but now we are God’s people;
once we had not received mercy,
but now mercy renews us.
Here is an opportunity for words of welcome,
for sharing news, concerns and celebrations.
A hymn may be sung and / or Poetry may be read.
PRAYER LITANY
Blessed are you our God, Creator of the Universe.
Who births all life and names it good.
Blessed are you our God,
who speaks all things into being.
You embrace the world’s promise
and heal the world’s pain.
Blessed are you our God,
Who breathes life and hope in our despair.
Who when the world is stale
blows through it with new life.
PRAYER OF PRAISE
God, Father, Mother of us all
whose love cannot be contained,
but is poured out freely in creating and recreating the World.
We come with full and thankful hearts,
rejoicing in the familiar mysteries
of our being human, our being who we are.
Each of us a kaleidoscope of possibilities, a rainbow of life.
We come with our differing abilities and frailties,
we come from the centre of life,
from powerful places.
Yet we come with as much dignity and right
from the margins of community
and beyond the borders of respectability.
We come in our certainties
about who we and who you are,
and we come as freely with our doubts.
Whoever and however we are,
we come in worship, in awe at the mystery
which forms us, calls us, and names us good.
We affirm that of God in one another,
here we are sisters and brothers,
for whom Christ died.
Here is room enough, love enough,
justice enough for everyone. Amen.
If prayers of penitence are required this or another form of words may
be used.
Here in the presence of God,
and in company with the saints
secure in the loving support we offer each other
we examine our lives in light of the Gospel.
Silence – here is a moment for quiet reflection on our lives
and upon our need for renewal and grace.
For when we have diminished other people
by seeing them as the other, as a problem, as less than us,
Show us your mercy and deepen our compassion.
For those times when bitterness and despair
have threatened to overwhelm us.
Show us your mercy and deepen our compassion.
For those times when we have seen ourselves
as less than we are,
for when we have accepted the names and labels others have
given us,
for not cherishing our souls and loving our humanity.
Show us your mercy and deepen our compassion.
God is love,
love at the very heart of our humanity,
a love which seeks our healing
and nurtures our wholeness.
In our turning to God we find ourselves welcomed by this love.
Hear then a word of grace,
God welcomes us, speaks to us words of forgiveness and peace,
Rejoicing in all that we are.
Be at peace this day.
Amen. Thanks be to God.
The Lord’s Prayer may be said or sung here or after the Prayers of
Intercession.
Our Father in Heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil,
for the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
A PRAYER TO GATHER OUR THOUGHTS
Another prayer may be used according to the season or the specific
circumstances of the day.
Welcoming God, who calls us to friendship
with you and with one another.
Renew in us a sense of gratitude and wonder
for the rich variety of human experience.
Challenge us to welcome
and hear those who are different from us,
may we speak freely
and fearlessly out of our uniqueness;
for it is your gift to us.
We ask this in the name of Jesus,
who is your way amongst us.
Amen.
This would be a good time for activity with children, for an all age or
informal activity.
A hymn may be sung.
The Ministry of the Word
THE READINGS FOR THE DAY
SERMON / REFLECTION OR DIALOGUE
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
This or another affirmation of faith or a commitment to action may be
made here.
We remember Jesus
grateful for his light and inspiration
in the human search for meaning
and concern for the betterment of humanity.
We are grateful for insights assuring us that
we are temples of God’s Spirit.
We are earthen jars that hold a treasure.
We are God’s work of art.
Our loving is intertwined
with the Spirit of Love.
The Spirit lives in us.
Perfect love casts out fear.
Love never ends.
A hymn may be sung.
PRAYERS OF PRAISE AND INTERCESSION
God of life,
our spring and source,
the river in which we journey through life,
the sea at journey’s end,
we praise and thank you for the rich tapestry of humanity,
and we rejoice in one another,
in our strength, wisdom and beauty.
Yet we are tender also to our weakness,
to our unknowing and to our woundedness.
Challenge us to live with a love for people,
and for humanity in all its vitality and diversity,
may we each do what only we can do alone,
may we each take our part in what we can only do together.
Here follows an opportunity for prayer specifically for a community,
nation or group of people facing particular needs and difficulties.
May our care extend from humanity to the whole creation,
let us nurture all life and care for the earth.
May we live out our stewardship in good choices
as consumers and citizens.
We take time to remember those in need of our prayer.
Members of the congregation may be invited to name a person in
need of prayer; there is also scope for ritual action, e.g. lighting
candles for particular people.
We make these prayers in the name of Jesus,
in whom the story of God
is told in our humanity.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer may be said here if it is not said earlier.
A hymn may be sung here.
The Ministry of the Sacrament
THE OFFERTORY
The offerings of the people are presented, bread and wine are
brought to the table (or if already on the table they are uncovered.)
The presider receives and prepares the bread and wine.
This or another Offertory Prayer may be said.
Loving God,
whose first gift to us is Jesus,
we have heard the Gospel
and found in it life and grace.
All that we are is yours,
may these gifts be a sign
that all you have given us
we now offer to you.
We make this offering in the name of Jesus,
who we remember at this table.
Amen.
If a specific blessing of bread and wine is required before the Great
Thanksgiving provision is made later in the service.
AN INVITATION TO THE TABLE
Other forms of words can be used.
Here is the table at which bread will be broken,
wine poured out
and words of memory and blessing will be spoken.
Here at this table there is room enough,
hope enough, justice enough, love enough for everyone.
May the truth we celebrate here grow in our lives,
may it transform our world.
If required there is opportunity for the Sign of Peace. These or
another form of words may be used.
How can we claim to love God
who we cannot see,
if we do not love our neighbour,
who we can see?
The peace of God be with your always.
And also with you.
Let us offer one another a sign of peace.
Blessing bread and wine. Either of these forms of words can be used
if a specific blessing of bread and wine is required.
We take this bread and wine, ordinary and everyday things,
and set them aside to remember a body broken,
a life poured out for us.
May we be awoken to the power of the holy in all things,
and may our every sharing be a sacrament.
Or
Blessed are you Lord, God of all Creation.
Through your goodness
we have this bread and wine to offer,
which earth has given and human hands have made.
They shall become for us
the bread of life, the cup of our salvation.
Blessed be God forever.
An invitation to Rejoice may precede the Great Thanksgiving.
God is here.
The Spirit is with and between us.
Let us rejoice and give thanks.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
It is good and right,
always and everywhere to give you our thanks and praise,
loving God, Mother and Father of us all.
You are our source, you are our ending
and you are the way we journey.
You formed and named us, and with us the whole creation
out of a love which cannot be contained.
A love that is your unsilenced word,
spoken to us in Jesus
spoken to us still in your wise Spirit
calling us in our every place, inviting us into life.
You reach out to us still, calling us into community,
inviting us to be your friends
and to build up a new reality in the world.
We were alone and you drew us into your life,
we were ashamed yet you drew us to your embrace,
we had no place and now you have prepared a place for us.
With grateful hearts we join
with women and men in every place and age
who have loved and trusted Jesus,
who have found a new dignity and honour in him.
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might, God of the poor,
heaven and earth are full of your glory,
hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one
who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed be our brother Jesus,
who ate with those declared unclean,
who showed mercy to the despised,
and who challenged a complacent piety.
We remember that on the night before he died
Jesus shared a meal with his friends.
While they were at table he took some bread,
said the blessing, broke it and shared it saying:
“Take this all of you and eat it,
this is my body, broken for you, do this to remember me.”
Later he took a cup filled with wine,
said the blessing and shared it with his friends saying:
“Take this all of you and drink from it,
this is the cup of my blood,
the promise of a new relationship with God.
Do this to remember me.”
Let us proclaim the mystery at the heart of our faith.
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Come Spirit of God, touch these gifts,
that in our sharing the memory of Jesus
might grow stronger in us.
Touch us too, renew us in faith,
strengthen us in hope and confirm us in love. Amen.
THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD
These or another form of words may be used.
The bread we break, this cup we share,
are God’s own feast.
Here is bread like a life given for us, wine like love poured out,
for you, for me, for the whole world.
The wholeness of God is offered for our brokenness,
come, eat, remember.
THE POST COMMUNION PRAYER
May we who have at this table remembered Jesus,
who have shared in a foretaste of a world where everyone
will have a place at the table
be inspired by what we have shared in.
May there be room enough,
hope enough, love enough, justice enough
for you, for me, for the whole world. Amen.
A hymn may be sung.
THE BLESSING
This or another form of words may be used.
The God who is the strength of the weak protect you.
The God who remembers the forgotten cherish you.
And may the God who brings us from the margins of life
into love and community
convince you of your worth and possibilities.
The blessing of the God of love be with you always
the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer of the World.
Amen.
THE GRACE
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen.
Acknowledgements.
Affirmation of Faith from Michael Morwood. Praying a New Story. Richmond /
VIC: Spectrum Publications. 2003.
A Liturgy for Holy Communion
“SPIRIT – TE WAIRUA”
We gather with God and each other
CALL TO WORSHIP
Come, gather now as God’s rainbow people,
fellow travellers whose many journeys meet here.
In the name of God we gather,
we challenge ourselves to grow and dream.
God enfolds us, brings us life and breath;
Christ is our light to show the way:
Come, Holy Spirit, inspire us in our worship.
OPENING PRAYER
Author of Love Divine,
who invites us to a table
furnished with mystic wine and everlasting bread;
preserve the life that you have given us,
sustain us with fresh supplies of love,
and strengthen us in your perfect grace.
God in your Spirit influence our worship here
that we may gather as in one accord
and be renewed. Amen.
A Hymn may be sung
PRAYER OF APPROACH AND CONFESSION
Eternal Spirit, living God,
in whom we live and move and have our being,
all that, have been, all that we are all that we shall be is known
to you,
the secrets of our hearts and all that rises to trouble us.
Living Flame, burn into us,
Cleansing Wind, blow through us,
Fountain of Water, well up within us,
that we may love and praise in deed and in truth.
We come seeking the acceptance and forgiveness of one
another and ourselves.
We pause in silent reflection.
The God of Jesus is with us.
The promise of a new start is here for us – in bread and wine,
here is the promise of the mercy of God,
who makes all things new.
We place ourselves in the hands of the living God.
Trusting in mercy,
trusting in the God made known to us in Jesus.
You who have placed yourselves in the hands of the Living God
be hopeful, for here in this place,
here amongst us is God’s call to newness.
God makes all things new, even you, even me.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
God’s mercy never comes to an end.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer may be said here or after the Prayers of
Intercession
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
give us this day our daily bread,
forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
for the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
We listen and reflect
Litany of Adoration
One of the following, or a poem relevant to the theme of worship, may
be used.
O God,
You are Spirit;
You are wind;
You are breath.
You meet us in the wonders of creation,
in the awe of wonderful things,
in the terror of fearful things.
You blow among the fallen leaves,
the broken branches,
the whining pain
and the whirlwinds of delight.
Your wind gently touches our brow
with comfort and caress;
your forgiveness raises us to life;
your challenge disturbs our tidy piles
and spreads opportunities before our eyes.
Gentle Spirit, breathe on us your life.
Strong Spirit, open our closed doors to your compassion;
Universal Spirit, inspire us to sing and sigh for justice;
Spirit of Jesus, teach us to walk,
to work, to pray, to live, to love,
your way.
Awaken our dreams,
expand our visions,
heal us for hope,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
OR
Loving God:
Open our hearts,
so that we may feel the breath and play of your Spirit.
Unclench our hands,
so that we may reach out to one another, and touch and be
healed.
Open our lips,
that we may drink in the delight and wonder of life.
Unclog our ears,
to hear your agony in our humanity.
Open our eyes,
so that we may see Christ in friend and stranger.
Breathe your Spirit into us,
and touch our lives with the life of Christ.
OR
Lord Holy Spirit,
you blow like the wind in a thousand paddocks.
Inside and outside the fences
you blow where you wish to blow.
Lord, Holy Spirit,
You are the sun who shines on the little plant.
You warm him gently, you give him life,
you raise him up to become a tree with many leaves.
Lord, Holy Spirit,
you are as the mother eagle with her young,
holding them in peace under your feathers.
On the highest mountain you have built your nest,
above the valley, above the storms of the world,
where no hunter ever comes.
Lord, Holy Spirit,
you are the bright cloud in whom we hide,
in whom we know already
that the battle has been won.
You bring us to our Brother Jesus
to rest our heads upon his shoulder.
Lord, Holy Spirit,
in the love of friends you are building a new house
heaven is with us when you are with us.
You are singing your song in the hearts of the poor.
Guide us, wound us, heal us. Bring us to the Father.
A Hymn may be sung
READINGS
SERMON OR REFLECTION
We respond in faith, to nurture community
CELEBRATION OF FAITH
(Please stand)
We believe in God, who breathes life into all creation;
whose image is stamped into our very being,
causing us to see visions and to dream dreams.
We believe in the Christ, who holds all things together;
who whispers our name whilst confronting our shame,
inviting us to follow and to love.
We believe in the Spirit, who inspires and enthuses,
who holds us to the truth, yet playfully woos us,
turning us around to face a new future.
A Hymn may be sung
THE PEACE
(Please stand)
Let us renew our resolution to be sisters and brothers in Christ,
regardless of any kind of division that separates us from one
another.
In the sharing of a sign of peace,
may we show resolve to be God’s family;
and that one Spirit unites us.
Let us offer one another a sign of peace.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Loving God, you call us to be encouraged by Christ, nurtured
by the Spirit: to be consoled by love and share your
compassion; to yearn for your justice and embrace one
another.
May we care for your created world, its eco-systems and
rhythms, remembering that we too were created of and through
the earth, and all is interdependent. Remind us of your charge
to care for and be good stewards of your creation; in what we
use for today may we remember the people that will follow
tomorrow.
If we are to love our neighbours, open our eyes to see our
neighbours. Let us see not just their faces but the life behind
and within their faces; let love, grace and justice frame how we
see them. In our mind’s eye let us now draw the outlines of
those people and situations that we see in our families, our
communities, our nation, and from around your created world;
that we may see the colours from your rainbow…
(particular people, situations and events may be named)
May the Spirit continue to inspire within us, and those that we
have prayed for, new and life-giving ways to experience the
presence of God in daily lives.
Give us courage to play our part to make sure goodness
prevails, and that evil does not overrun our hearts and homes,
our church and community, our nation and our world, and your
creation.
Work with us, creator God, and hold us ever in your boundless
love, known to us above all through Jesus of Nazareth, who
showed us the Way. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer may be said here if not said earlier
OFFERING
HOLY COMMUNION
The God of Love is in the midst of us:
The Holy Spirit dwells among us.
We surrender our hearts to our faithful Creator:
We open them to God and to one another.
Let us give thanks to the Living Mystery:
with joy and delight we give praise.
It is right and our joy to give you thanks, hope-breathing, lovegiving God, our Creator, for you have made us in your own
image shaping us with infinite care, as creatures of delight and
passion, setting us in a world of every good thing, a world of our
giftedness.
It is right and our joy to give you thanks, world-gazing,
vulnerable God, our Cherisher, for you sent Jesus to walk
among us, sharing our humanity, knowing with us the bodily
pain and hurt as integrity is trampled into dust, and justice
dissolves in empty words, One whom even death could not stop
loving us.
It is right and our joy to give you thanks, encouraging, hopecheering God, our Companion, for you are present with us in
the Spirit, provoking us, lifting us, nudging us to work for the
healing of this world’s brokenness, to keep alive the dreams
and visions of a world where all are valued, where God may
look and see that all is good, that all is very good.
And so today, in the good company of each other, in company
with people throughout the world, with all your cloud of
witnesses in heaven, we are all united through your Spirit in
Christ to declare our unceasing praise,
Holy, holy, holy, God of all life,
Earth and sea and sky, and all that lives,
dance to your rhythm and glorify your name.
We greet the one who comes in your name, your true light, your
true love; who is known again in the breaking of bread, host
and waiter at this table of generous hospitality.
We remember that among friends gathered around a table,
Jesus took bread and after giving thanks, broke it and gave it to
his disciples saying,
“Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way he took the cup after supper and said,
“This is the cup of my blood, of the new and everlasting
covenant.
Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.”
Come Holy Spirit, settle on these simple gifts of bread and
wine, and fill them with the fullness of Jesus that they may be
the bread of compassion, the wine of renewal.
And may that same Spirit rest on us: give us the passion and
the energy to transform our world into Your Commonwealth of
peace and abundant life as we show the diversity of your love,
which knows no reserve or distinction.
Through God and with God and in God is all glory and honour,
all life and light, now and forever. Amen.
THE BREAKING AND SHARING OF THE BREAD AND WINE
He, who called the first disciples, calls us now in this bread.
He, whose Spirit sustains the church for service, sustains us
now in this cup.
The bread of our discipleship; the cup of our service.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
From scattered, lonely places we came to you and to one
another.
You have fed our hunger with life itself,
and here we have been touched by human friendship.
Send us on our way, with your pulse of life beating in us,
as we rejoice in freedom and belonging,
joining our dance with yours and that of all creation. Amen.
We continue our journey in God’s world
A Hymn may be sung
BENEDICTION
One of the following, or other words, may be used.
God be companion to your journey.
The generous Christ be known at your table.
And the Spirit of love and peace be manifest
in your hearts and lives, this day and for ever more. Amen.
OR
Go now in faith and freedom,
to love and serve God in the world
by loving all that which God loves, yourselves included.
And the blessing of God be with you,
this day and forever. Amen.
THE GRACE
Let us offer to each other The Grace:
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all. Amen.
Acknowledgements:
Material has been developed from:
Charles Wesley – Opening Prayer draws on MHB 177 verse 6 and MHB 764
Jim Cotter (Love Remembered) – Prayer of Approach, opening responses to Holy Communion prayer
William Loader – 1st form of Litany of Adoration
Anon – New Zealand (Bread of Tomorrow, Janet Morley) – 2nd form of Litany of Adoration
James K Baxter – 3rd form of Litany of Adoration
Patricia Allan – Celebration of Faith
Norbet Capek – The Peace
Judith E McKinlay (Courage to Love) – part of Holy Communion,
Rob Root - Breaking and Sharing of Bread and Wine
David Bromell – Prayer after Communion, Benedictions
Liturgy for Holy Communion In the Wesleyan Spirit
The Preparation
Stand
Grace and peace to you from our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Grace and peace to you also.
Give thanks for the goodness of God.
God’s love will last forever.
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,
so that we may truly love you
and worthily praise your holy name,
through Christ our Lord. Amen
A hymn or psalm of praise
Remain standing
GLORIA IN EXCELSIS
For optional use here or after the declaration of forgiveness
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s 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.
Sit or Kneel
CONFESSION AND DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
We have come together to hear God’s word:
to remember Jesus breaking bread in the Upper Room
and to anticipate the banquet in the Kingdom of God.
In a moment of silence, let us reflect on the quality of our discipleship
and our responsibility for the fragmentation of God’s world.
When we have failed to be attentive to your Word.
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
When our hearts have been closed to your grace.
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy.
When we have ignored our neighbour in need.
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
God is rich in mercy
Hear the Good News
God offers healing to us, and to the world.
God offers forgiveness to us, and the world.
In the name of Jesus, you/we are forgiven.
Thanks be to God.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours
now and forever. Amen.
The Ministry of the Word
The Bible is read.
The people may stand for the Gospel reading.
As the scriptures are read
let us listen for a word from God.
Response after reading
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
or
Hear the gospel of Christ
May God’s Word grow in our hearts.
A hymn may be sung or a choir may sing an anthem
The sermon is preached.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Let us stand and declare our faith in God.
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through whom all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and
glorified
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of
sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
These, or other intercessions, may be offered.
Gracious God, you call us to be a people of prayer;
We bring our own lives
and the life of the world before you.
Give us time for contemplation
that we might see the world as you see it.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
May this Christian community be constantly open
to the light the gospel sheds on our lives.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We pray for those who yearn for faith
that your church may find ways to share your transforming love.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
For those who long for a vision to live by
that they might find it in the person of Christ.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
For those oppressed by economic or political forces
that they might come to know the power of your freedom.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Enable your church to offer ministries of healing,
growth in grace and liberation.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
In a moment of silence let us bring before God
the prayers that we carry in our hearts.
Almighty God, you know our needs before we ask;
help us to ask only what accords with your will;
and those good things which we dare not
or in our blindness cannot ask,
grant us for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Ministry of the Sacrament
The congregation stands
THE PEACE
Jesus taught the way of reconciliation:
may God’s Spirit help us to be peacemakers.
The peace of Christ be with you.
And his peace with you.
Let us greet one another with signs of peace and joy.
A hymn may be sung while the offering is taken: please remain
standing
THE OFFERTORY
Blessed are you Lord God of all creation.
Of your goodness we have this bread to offer;
which earth has given and human hands have made.
It will be to us the bread of life.
Blessed be God forever.
Blessed are you Lord God of all creation.
Of your goodness we have this wine to offer;
fruit of the vine and work of human hands.
It will quench our spiritual thirst.
Blessed be God forever.
THE PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
The Lord is here.
God’s 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 our joy to give God thanks and praise.
With all your people in heaven and on earth
we give you thanks for Jesus Christ:
for it is by grace that we have known you
O God of this and every generation.
In mercy you heard the cry
of your enslaved people
and reached out to deliver them from captivity.
In loving kindness you offered a covenant
to bind yourself in faithfulness
to the fragile Hebrew community.
When they chose their own path
you sent prophets to speak your word
and reveal your vision of shalom.
Therefore we worship and praise your name:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Through grace, in the fullness of time,
you sent your Son to be our Saviour.
Born of Mary, nurtured by rabbis,
he came to cherish your law
and embrace the insight of prophets.
We rejoice to sing your praise that
in Jesus, your covenant is opened to all peoples.
Through his incarnation you bless creation:
by his death and resurrection
you restore your image within us
and give us a share in your new creation.
On the night he was betrayed
Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks, broke it
and gave it to his disciples saying,
“Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way he took the cup after supper and said,
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.”
Glory to you, Lord Christ:
your death we proclaim;
your resurrection we celebrate;
your coming we await. Amen.
By grace, you enable us to grow
in holiness in Christ’s community.
Through prayer, your Spirit opens our hearts
to this world in all its promise and pain,
and to your suffering heart of love.
Give us an assurance we pray
that we are living your gospel of healing and hope.
As Jesus offered his life for all people
may we be united with his self-giving.
Come Spirit of God
may these gifts of bread and wine
be to us the bread of life and the cup of salvation.
Come Spirit of God
may we, gathered out of love for you,
truly become the body of Christ.
We offer our prayer with all the saints
in this land and beyond this land
in this Church and beyond this Church
in this time and beyond time
to the praise of your name. Amen!
The bread we break
is a sharing in the body of Christ.
The cup of blessing for which we give thanks
is a sharing in the blood of Christ.
Behold the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world.
Come for all things are now ready.
COMMUNION IS SERVED
The body of the Lord Jesus Christ, broken for you.
The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, shed for you.
or
The body of Christ, the bread of life
The blood of Christ, the true vine.
PRAYER AFTER RECEIVING
God of grace,
we rejoice that we are invited to share in the feast
at your table:
our minds have been nourished,
our spirits have been fed
and we have again caught a glimpse
of life in your new creation.
Send us to witness to resurrection life
which makes all things new. Amen.
A hymn may be sung
DISMISSAL
Grace be with you.
Thanks be to God.
Go into the world in the power of the Spirit.
We go in the name of Christ. Amen.