Not seeing is believing

John 20:1-18

The Resurrection of Jesus

 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. ’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Invitation

On this resurrection morning, fresh from the garden,

Jesus bids us, Come dine with him.

On this resurrection morning, though we are still unsure of who he is,

Jesus bids us, Come dine with him.

On this resurrection morning, though we know how easily we falter in our faith

Jesus bids us, Come dine with him.

So gather round this table assured of a welcome by the Risen Lord Jesus

Make space for others as Christ makes space for us.

Narrative

 While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

 When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.(Mt 26:26-30)

Jesus, knowing that he was about to be betrayed and handed over to the authorities, shared a meal with his disciples. And, before they headed into the approaching storm, before they all scattered and deserted him, he gave them this memorial which would bring them back together and speak to them of forgiveness and union with God and with each other.

These symbols before us today speak to us of forgiveness and communion with God and with each other and, on this Easter Day, they speak to us too of the wonder of Resurrection.

Let us give thanks:

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Risen Lord Jesus

that night in the upper room with your disciples

as you looked around the table

You knew who would betray you

You knew who would desert you

You knew who would be too weary to watch for you

Yet you looked at each of your friends with love

and gave them, and us, this sacrament

that speaks of your love for us

just as we are - 

In our weakness

In our failings

In our weariness

Still we are loved

Still you hold out for us

food that unites us with you and with each other

food that restores our souls and nourishes our spirit.

As we share this feast today

may we know the depth of healing

the depth of loving

the depth of restoration

that is possible in the new life you offer.

May we know your healing on us and on the world we serve.

May we know your love flooding our souls with warmth

and overflowing into the communities we serve.

And may we know our faith restored

in the potential of your resurrection

to make a difference in our lives

and in the lives of all your children throughout the world,

those who live in fear,

those who live without hope

those who live without love.

As we feel your resurrection stir our souls

in this place today, surrounded by your Spirit 

and the spirits of all those saints 

who have gone before us

may we be renewed in purpose

taking the power and the energy

of your love into all the world

knowing that, still your love changes everything.

God breathe your resurrection Spirit

into this bread and this wine

that as we share in this place

we may know your risen power

infusing all that we do and share together,

enabling us to go and breathe new life into the world.

Fraction

Jesus, looking into the eyes

of those he knew would fail him

took bread.

He broke it and said:

This is my body, broken for you

Do this to remember me.

He took the cup, already tainted by betrayal

and spoke of forgiveness 

and of drinking the cup in the new kingdom

and said: Drink from it all of you.

In this bread and wine our risen Lord offers us new life today.

We do this to remember him.

See the risen Lord striding toward you today

holding out life in all it's fulness.

Prayer after communion

Lord Jesus we have feasted on the bread of life.

We have quenched our thirst with the wine of your new kingdom.

In your risen power you have united us with all our loved ones

in heaven and on earth.

May that sense of communion strengthen and renew us,

bring us hope and even joy

so that in all our hurts and sorrows in days to come

we may remember that you risen Lord overcame death

and have prepared for us,

your everlasting kingdom.

To you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God

be glory here and everywhere, now and forever.

Amen

Choose life

Deuteronomy 30:15-20
See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.


Invitation
The living God journeys with us
through all the twists and turns of life
offering us food for the journey
Here at this table we are invited to choose life
So come and be nourished
Come and rediscover love
Come and find the path God wants you to take
The God of life meets us here

Narrative
Jesus journeyed with his disciples
leading them on paths they would never have imagined
He taught them as they travelled
about love and relationships and hospitality.
And he set up a memorial meal with them
taking bread and breaking it
taking wine and sharing it
symbols of how far he would go
to offer life in all its fullness.
And so we take bread and wine today
and as we share them
we remember that the way Christ offered life to us
was by giving his life for the world.
Let us pray

Prayer of Thanksgiving
God you know how fickle your people are
You know that we quickly forget all that you have done for us
how easily we grumble and become discouraged.
Yet still you gave your Son to show us that your promise is true
that you love the world and all that you created.
So even when we forget you, you wait patiently so that we can easily find you again.
When we turn away you lovingly turn us back to the light of your love.
As we journey through life you dog our steps, sometimes gently nudging,
sometimes prodding and sometimes dragging us forward.
You know the best ways, the ways that lead to life.
And, when our spirits flag, you carry us through until we find our feet again.
As we journey to your table today, may we meet you here
holding out food for our pilgrimage
food that sustains and strengthens
and brings us life.
God we remember all who have journeyed with us.
Those who have trodden a path for us.
Those who have shown us how to travel.
And we pray that we may take our place in that line of pilgrims
leading others on a journey to fulfilment in you.
May we light another's path,sharing the light we receive from you.
Help us too, to scoop up those we find by the wayside.
The lost and the lonely, the weary and downtrodden,the proud and the anguished
who see no way back and no way forward.
May we offer a helping hand, a cup of water,a feast of love
so that all may find the strength to choose life
and follow the way that you map out.
The way that leads to the kingdom of peace and promise and justice for all your people.
As we feast on your body and blood this day may we know ourselves strengthened
With the food of love - with more than enough to share
For the sake of your kingdom

Fraction
This is the body of Christ broken for you
Feast on him and find strength for the journey

This is the blood of Christ shed for you
Be drenched in love as you drink it.

Christ's gifts to us, sustenance for life.

Prayer after communion
God as you ask us to love you, to walk in your ways
and to keep your commands, we thank you that you nourish and sustain us
and keep on showing us a new way for a new day.
And so may this feast of your love this day lead us on
revealing the way that you want us to travel
equipping and assuring us that you walk right beside us.
So may we be fuelled to take risks, to try new things, knowing your safety net of love
waits to catch us and sets us straight once more to join you on the journey.
God of life, we choose you.
Amen



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Technicolour Feast

Matthew 17:1-9
The Transfiguration
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”


Invitation
It is good for us to be here.
Not to build tents.
Not to capture the moment.
But to meet Christ who transforms us by his brightness
So draw near to this table
You are welcomed by a dazzling God
who makes room for all to feast.

Narrative
On the mountain top and on the plain
Jesus feasted with the people who gathered round
At kitchen tables or in front rooms
He made every meal a feast
And the night before he was betrayed
He gathered his disciples round
and as he ate and drank
He set up this meal by which we remember him
So, gathered round this table,
let us make room for others
to share with all the saints,,past and present
To do as Jesus did
And let us give thanks

Prayer of Thanksgiving
God who transforms a simple meal into a feast for saints
we gather round, shuffling along, making room for others,
conscious that we are part of something much bigger.
As we take our place at your table
we give you thanks that you take common things, bread and wine
and transform them into the body and blood of Jesus
whom you sent to show us your love.
At this table, Lord, we are conscious of spaces where folk are missing.
Those who are ill, those who cannot leave their homes or loved,ones, those who have lost their way here and those who have gone from our sight and who now dine with you.
May we know a bond with all your people in heaven and on earth.
As we taste the riches of your blessed sacrifice and know the power of your transforming love
may we make room in the sanctuary of our hearts for all those at whose tables Jesus sat and those whose lives he transformed.
The poor, the outcasts, the homeless, the judged and rejected, those who lived on the edge, those who did not conform, the bereaved, the lonely, the depressed, the anxious and those whose social status brought isolation.
Transforming God, as we share in communion here, may we be dazzled by your brightness and by the power of your love to make a difference, even when we have lost hope.
So feed us and nourish us with love and joy and hope so that the light of your love transforms the darkest corners of our hearts and lives and the world in which we live.
May your Spirit descend upon this bread and wine, transforming it, transforming us.
In the name of God whose love and transforming power knows no bounds.
Amen

Fraction
Christ, transfigured on the mountain top
descends to share everyday food
Take, eat, this is Christ's body broken for you.

This cup is the promise of a new relationship with God
Drink this to remember Christ died for you.

Transforming gifts from a transforming God

Prayer after communion
God, here we have handled holy things.
So change us from within.
May we bask in your glowing appearance and be moved
to go and transform our world, our church and our community
with the power of your love that makes every encounter special
and full of potential.
And God, help us never to settle for the ordinary but to expect to see
all of life in dazzling technicolour
For the joy of the kingdom
Amen.


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God with us - Christmas Communion

John 1:1-5
The Word Became Flesh
Chapter 1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

Invitation
Here we kneel at the manger
and marvel at a God who chose
to send love into the world
as a vulnerable baby
A God who comes to us still
in bread and wine
A God who invites us
to feast on love today.

Narrative
The baby in the manger
fled the stable, took to the road,
grew up and turned up in the temple
He gathered friends around him
and the night before he died
he shared supper with them
He took bread, blessed it and broke it
and shared it with them, saying:
This is my body, broken for you
He also took the cup
explaining the new relationship
that was possible with God
And said:
Do this in memory of me.
And so, this Christmas morning
we celebrate the love in the manger
by celebrating love in bread and wine.
And we give thanks;

Prayer of Thanksgiving
The angels are resting now, O God,
having brought good news for all the world
News of joy and peace
And so we take up the song
praising you with all the hosts of heaven
We praise you for being born among us
taking on flesh
touching earth with the warmth of your love
We praise you for walking alongside us
showing us a better way
hanging out with all those
ignored or put down by others
loving, healing, making whole.
We praise you for seeing the journey through
from the cradle to the cross - all for love.
Christ, who became a refugee,
we pray for all those today
forced to flee their homes
separated from their loved ones.
Christ who knew oppression
we pray, today, for all those
weighed down by life
those denied justice
those judged harshly by others.
Christ who knew isolation and abandonment
we pray for all those betrayed by friends
and family and let down by systems
that should protect.
May we who have knelt at your crib today
stand up, speak out and act
to bring justice for all your children.
May we who worship God with us
share hope, joy and peace
in the world.
God born for us in bread and wine
as we share with you
and with the company of heaven
may we be rooted in love
committed to serving you
by serving our neighbour
So send your Spirit
upon these gifts of bread and wine
May they remind us of your sacrifice
and inspire us to keep hope alive
for Peace on earth.
Christmas God
who, in love, came in flesh
be present for us
in bread and wine today
and plant your love in our hearts
so that we can give wings
to your love for the world.
Amen

Fraction
Here is God with us
the baby who grew
and gave his life for us
The body of Christ - broken for you
The blood of Christ poured out for you
Share in this feast to celebrate
God with us.

Prayer after communion
Filled with the food of the incarnation
we leave the comfort of home and hearth
to travel with the Christ Child
into all the dark and despairing places
of our community
taking light and hope
into all the sad and troubled places
of our world
taking joy and peace
Catching up with God made flesh
who goes before us.



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Advent themes

Isaiah 2:2-5
In days to come
the mountain of the Lord ’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk
in the light of the Lord!

Invitation
Come to this table
To meet the God of hope
Come to this table
To meet the God of peace
Come to this table
To meet the God of love
Come to this table
To meet the God of joy
The Advent God meets us here
Welcoming us into the light.

Narrative
The night before he died
Jesus gathered his friends around the table
and gave them this memorial
by which to remember him.
He took bread, blessed it, broke it and shared.
He took wine and spoke of the new relationship
made possible with God.
He shared with all, even those he knew would betray him and let him down.
And he bids us do likewise now.
Today as we prepare to celebrate again Christ's coming into the world
we recognise God present already
in these gifts of bread and wine.
And, knowing ourselves included in this feast
we pause to offer our thanks
Let us pray.

Great prayer of Thanksgiving
God how often have we betrayed you?
How often have we let you down?
And yet here you are for us, made new in bread and wine
holding out for us
the promise of new beginnings.
You invite us to walk in light
and to travel the path of peace.
As we share in your feast
we bring with us all those who live in darkness,
and those whose lives are blighted
by war and violence.
As we share in your feast
we bring those who live without hope,
those for whom love has become painful
and those whose joy has been snuffed out.
As we share in your feast
we bring those who have no bread
no warm place to share with friends.
As we share in your feast
we bring those left out in the cold,
shunned and overlooked.
You were born among us
to show us a new way to live
embracing all in your love
surrounding all with your light.
Advent God as we know ourselves
swept up in your hope and your promise
may we find new ways to live in peace.
Bless this bread that we break
and this cup that we share.
As we encounter your Spirit here
may we be led in paths
of peace and light
worshipping you, one God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen

Fraction
At supper with his friends
Jesus held out the promise of peace
in bread broken and shared.
The body of Christ broken for us.

As he passed the cup
he offered love that knows no bounds.
The blood of Christ shed for us.

Here is Advent hope offered for our nourishment
that we might serve one another
and walk the paths of peace and love.


Prayer
God as we have responded to your invitation today
and been nourished by your love
we join that stream of pilgrims
who through the years
have found their way
to your house.
We thank you for all the saints
who join us in this feast.
Teach us now how to live in peace
and practice love
until all find their way to your house.
May the hope of this season bring joy
to all your children through Christ the light of the world.
Amen

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U2charist

U2charist

(A communion celebrated using original readings and the lyrics of U2 songs)

Song: I still haven’t found what I’m looking for

Reading: Matthew 9,10 (The Message)

35-38Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. "What a huge harvest!" he said to his disciples. "How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!"

1-4 The prayer was no sooner prayed than it was answered. Jesus called twelve of his followers and sent them into the ripe fields. He gave them power to kick out the evil spirits and to tenderly care for the bruised and hurt lives.

 5-8Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge:

   "Don't begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don't try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.

Reading: We think we know

We think we know about mission.

We are the church.

That’s our speciality.

So we will look for those obvious needs

and those glaring wants

and go and pitch in.

when we have the time

when the setting is right.

We have lots to offer.

Maybe not much time.

Maybe not too many folk

But we are the church

And that has to count for something.

So we will go where we can be seen

We will go where we can be safe

We will go wherever we see a need.

And, if folk are less than enthusiastic

If they don’t seem to want our help

That’s their problem, not ours.

We are called to serve

We are called to mission

So we will serve and we will miss.

Miss God.

Because God is actually somewhere else.

Working in the places we don’t see

Or never thought of.

God is down all those blind alleys

that we would never venture.

Dismantling barriers

Engrossed with real mission.

Too absorbed to notice our feeble attempts

in the wrong places

but if we asked.

If we sought God out before we plunged in

If we tracked God down

We would discover that there’s plenty

for us to be involved in

just not in the places we thought.

Maybe not even in the ways we imagined.

It IS mission.

But not as we know it.

And maybe next time we assume

That we know where and when and how

Instead we will keek round the corners

And down those bind alleyways

And listen for God’s laughter

Listen for God’s great sobs

As wounds are bound

And hurts are tended

And broken and bruised lives

Are loved back to health.

And barriers are smashed

Then we might know

That mission belongs to God.

And then we might be grateful

That God shows us where and when and how

And invites us to join in

To take part in the work of God

breaking down barriers

in our world.

Song: One

Thanksgiving prayer: Song: Gloria

Sharing communion:   Song: Grace

Reading: Grief behind locked doors

After Jesus set up his memorial in the Last Supper, he was betrayed and crucified. 

The disciples were bereft, with no hope of anything else and went and hid behind locked doors.

When sorrow is too deep for tears

When its more of an ache deep inside

When its something that catches in the windpipe and refuses to go any further, 

allowing neither release nor relief

When there's a burning behind the eyes, 

that makes the cheekbones hurt and temples throb

That's grief.

Grief promulgated by disappointment and the searing pain of hurt - 

the kind one only experiences in the betrayal of friends, in the dissolution of trust.

Its a grief that cannot be integrated as other griefs might, 

accepted as a part of the cost of life and of love. 

Its edges are far too jagged to be buffed down and held close. 

Its not natural as loss is natural.

The element of betrayal just doesn't allow a coming to terms.

The disciples knew this grief.

The grief of losing something that held such promise and brought such pain.

This searing grief seemed insurmountable.

No way through.

A brick wall behind which they cowered in despair.

How quickly that wall came crashing down – when the risen Lord appeared beside them 

and breathed into their grief.

Showed them a way forward - out of their locked room, 

over their brick wall into a whole new enterprise.

Death  - another barrier smashed.

Praying for just a whiff of that same Spirit in the grief that is ours.

Song: In the name of love

Reading: He saw me

He saw me

he looked into my eyes and saw me

Not the things I’d done

Not all that others said about me

He saw me

His eyes

looked deep into my soul

saw the need

saw the beauty

and loved me

Song: Walk on

Blessing 

Always sufficient

1 Kings 17:8-24
The Widow of Zarephath
Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.” As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord the God of Israel:The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.” She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.
Elijah Revives the Widow’s Son
After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. She then said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!” But he said to her, “Give me your son.” He took him from her bosom, carried him up into the upper chamber where he was lodging, and laid him on his own bed. He cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?” Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” The Lord listened to the voice of Elijah; the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and gave him to his mother; then Elijah said, “See, your son is alive.” So the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”


Invitation
This is Gods table of discovery to which all are invited
So come prepared -
Prepared to be surprised
Prepared to be shaken and stirred
Prepared to be turned upside down
As God gives you a new perspective
As the love of God
Symbolised in this sacrifice
Challenges all you hold fast
And encourages you to look again
And see God present
In ways you never imagined
Prepare to meet God here
As though for the very first time.
In bread and in wine.

Narrative:
The same night he was betrayed, our Lord, gathered with his friends around a table showed us how to feast abundantly:
He took bread, blessed it, broke it, and shared it.
And told us to do the same.
Then he took the cup, that speaks of the abundant love of God
and is now, for us, a memorial of Christ.
So we have here the bread and the cup, symbols of abundance
through which God reminds us of grace and by which we remember Christ's sacrifice for all.
Through these may God lead us out of scarcity and into abundance.
God is sufficient
Christ is sufficient
God is abundantly sufficient.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

God we thank you
for your knowledge and your insight
For the way you look at the plight of human beings
and see, not only how we got ourselves into the predicaments with which we struggle, but how we can get ourselves out.
God of the past, the present and the future,
We thank you that you do not keep your wisdom to yourself
But share with us ways to Wholeness and paths to peace.
Your call to repentance is not made harshly or in judgment
but in love and acceptance
You call us to see with your eyes of love
so that we can discern your will for your people
and the part you want us to play
in bringing justice
for all Gods children
Align us O God
with your purpose
And keep on awakening in us
new discoveries
of your amazing grace
And even - and especially- when it seems
That the world is tilting out of our control
grant us calmness to know
that you've got it covered
and that all it takes to set things right
is our willingness to graft faithfully
for your kingdom.
As we share this feast
that you make sacred
may our communion with you and all the saints
bring us into communion with all our brothers and sisters
until we can do no other
than work for each others good.
So send your Spirit on these gifts of bread and wine
that as we feast on them
we may embark on a new pathway
on the journey to repentance
To you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be glory now and forever.
Amen

Fraction:
Jesus took, blessed, broke and shared
Christ comes to us in abundance.

Jesus also poured out his love upon us.
We share to remember him


Here is God coming to you in love and abundance
We share these gifts to celebrate God's love.

(After all have been fed)

Prayer
God your gifts are given extravagantly and freely
Nourished by them may we go to live in freedom, sharing extravagant love.
We praise you for the abundance of communion that you create as we gather here to serve and be served.
And for the reminder that the great communion of saints
joins us in this feast.
So may we be shaken and stirred to go and live out your good news
until all are loved and all are fed
until we see your kingdom come
Father, Son and exuberant Spirit
Amen.



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