20 March 2009

Order of service

Worship

Sharing of Bread and Wine

11.45 am

Opening worship

Leader: We are the Body of Christ

All: In Christ we are one

Leader: Grace and peace be with you

All: And also with you

Leader: Jesus: Risen LordAll: We gather in your name

Leader: Jesus: Good Shepherd All: We gather in your name

Leader: Jesus: Friend of the poorAll: We gather in your name

Leader: Jesus: source of all forgivenessAll: We gather in your name

Leader: Jesus: Prince of peaceAll: We gather in your name

SongTell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord:Unnumbered blessings, give my spirit voice;Tender to me the promise of His word;In God my Saviour shall my heart rejoice.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his name:Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;His mercy sure, from age to age the same;His holy name, the Lord, the mighty one.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might:Powers and dominions lay their glory by;Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight,The hungry fed, the humble lifted high.

Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word:Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure.Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the LordTo children's children and for evermore.

© Copyright Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith9 Ashlands, Ford, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 6DY

God of Justice, Saviour to allCame to rescue the weak and the poorChose to serve and not be served

Move us into action…To act justly everydayLoving mercy in every wayWalking humbly before You God

Fill us up and send us out Lord

GAZA

Bible Reading: Luke 19: 11-26

Address: Peter Collins

We are your people, mostly privileged, competent, self-assured.Your people who look after ourselves,

Seize opportunities, Get the job done, And move on.

In our self-confidence, we expect little beyond our productivity;We settle - with ourselves at the centre.

You say – fear not, I am with you.You say – nothing shall separate us.

You say – something of new heaven and new earth.You say – you are mine; I have called you by name.

And we find ourselves shaken,Grant us grace to hear your promises.

Grant us freedom to trust.Grant us patience to wait, and humility

to yield our dreamed future to your large purpose. Amen

Prayer of confessionWe confess -

Gracious God:For the times that we have turned our back on your creation,and for moments of apathy and carelessness.In your mercy:Forgive us and help us establish your kingdom on earth.

Saviour Lord,Your redeeming life and death changed the world,forgive us for the times we have taken the easy path and not followed your lead. In your mercy:Forgive us and help us establish your kingdom on earth.

Spirit of life and truth, We see around us a world full of suffering and injustice;reveal to us how we can bring your comfort to those in need. In your mercy:Forgive us and help us establish your kingdom on earth.

Holy Trinity,Community of love and of welcome, forgive us for the times we have excluded those who are sad, poor or marginalised. In your mercy:Forgive us and help us establish your kingdom on earth. Amen

All: So often we have forgotten your greatest commandments;we give in to the temptation to replace love of you with love of ourselves,and easily elevate material comfort above loving our neighbour.

In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God.Amen.

Leader:

May the God of all compassion who walked alongside us,

and who understands the pain and frustration of being human, forgive our sins; heal us,

and lead us to the wholeness of new life in Christ.

All: Amen.

Words of a 12 year old Afghan boy…

The Peace

Where children squabblePeace be amongst us

Where races fightPeace be amongst us

Where neighbours arguePeace be amongst us

Where nations disagreePeace be amongst us

Where lovers quarrelPeace be amongst us

Where people strugglePeace be amongst us

Where Christ’s disciples gatherPeace be our way

Let us share a sign of peace with each other.

Liturgy for Sharing the Bread and Wine

We welcome you to this meal - celebrating God’s grace and mercy.

We welcome you to this meal - remembering Christ’s sacrifice and redeeming work.

We welcome you to this meal - revealing to us the continuing power of the Holy Spirit

We welcome you to this meal - the symbol of our unity as one community under Christ our Lord.

We participate humbly, equally, and with one voice.

Lift up your heartsWe lift them to the Lord

Let us give thanks to the Lord our GodIt is right to give thanks and praise

It is indeed right to give you thanks and praiseFather God, Risen Son and Holy Spirit.You created us in your image to be a community togetherbringing your light and life into the world.

In this meal we remember your redeeming work on earthand look forward in hopeful anticipation to a day when your creation is renewed.

So bringing all our differences we join our voices with angels and archangels and the whole company of heaven to proclaim your great and glorious name

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and mightHeaven and earth are full of your gloryHosanna in the highest

Accept our praises Heavenly Father, through your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ,who lived on earth sharing joy and sufferingand who now sits with us and our community.

Inspire us, challenge us, sustain us. In your compassion and mercy you chose to live among usas a friend, a brother and teacher.

You spoke for those who have no voice, you shouted against injustice,and you modelled community. You taught us to love one another,to serve one another,to forgive one another.

One person in your group should now take the bread and wine and offer it to be blessed.

When the bread is broken this person should also break the bread.

When the wine is raised, this person should also raise the cup of wine.

We thank you Father that on the night before he died, Jesus shared a meal with his friends.

He gave you thanks, broke bread and gave it to his disciples saying: Take, eat, this is my body given for you; Do this in remembrance of me.

In the same way, after supper he took a cup of wine and again, giving you thanks, he gave it to his friends saying:This is my blood of the new covenant, shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.

Please share the bread and wine in your group

We join together in prayer

Almighty God, we thank you for Jesus:our example, friend and Saviour.

In the unity expressed through this shared act • grant us the grace to imitate Christ in all that we are, • sustain us that we may bring heaven to earthas we love and serve you in the world of your kingdom coming. Amen.

Make us the channels of your peaceWhere there is hatred let us bring your love. Where there is injury, your pardon Lord,And where there is doubt, true faith in You.

O Master grant that we may never seekSo much to be consoled as to console,To be understood as to understandTo be loved as to love with all our soul.

Song

Make us the channels of your peace.Where there’s despair in life let us bring hope.Where there is darkness, only lightAnd where there’s sadness only joy.

O Master grant that we may never seekSo much to be consoled as to console,To be understood as to understandTo be loved as to love with all our soul.

Make us the channels of your peaceIt is in pardoning that we are pardoned,It is in giving to all men that we receiveAnd in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Closing responsesAlmighty God,For your generosity in giving all we need,Help us to praise you, O Lord

In every circumstance, whether good or bad,Help us to praise you, O Lord

In love and faithfulness, sharing all that we are,Help us to serve you, O Lord

In every thought and word and deed, by the power of your Holy SpiritHelp us to live for you, O Lord, Amen.

When we see change as an unachievable miracle, rather than our daily responsibility,

We will look to you to keep our hope alive, and to fill us again with love for

our sisters and brothers.

So may the blessing of God,who is love, and stirs up love,be with us now and always.

Amen.