Draft Presiders’ liturgy for 7 February 13
Come let us celebrate the presence of the sacred
Listen to the stories of our faith
And share in the breaking of bread
and the drinking of wine.
Opening sentences
Let there be joy in our coming together this morning.
Let there be compassion heard in the
words we speak, and love in the songs we sing.
Let there be silence for the voice within us and beyond us.
Let there be joy in our coming together.
Prayer
May all who enter here find comfort
and wisdom in this community.
Amen.
Hymn
Silence
In this moment of silence together...
may it renew our hope
may it refresh our courage
may it lift our spirits
may it restore us in faith.
(Silence)
Music of Reflection
Readings from our biblical tradition
Psalm 711 Corinthians 13:1-13
Declaration of faith
We celebrate
that where people are gathered together in love
God is present and good things happenand life is full.
We celebrate
that we are immersed in mystery
that our lives are more than they seem
that we belong to each other
and to a universe of great creative energies,
whose source and destiny is God.
We celebrate
that the spirit of God beat in the heart of Jesus of Nazareth
and God's good news was heardby the broken and wounded.
We are glad that the spirit of peace
is present with us, the church,
as we gather to celebrate our common existence,
and the fidelity of God.
And most deeply we believe
that in our struggle to love,
we incarnate God in the world.
And so aware of mystery and wonder,
caught in friendship and laughter,
we become speechless before the joy in our hearts
as we celebrate the sacredness of life. (Adapt. JShea/hu)
The peace (optional)
Hymn
Those not with us
We are people from all walks of life who enter this space and community. Let us take a moment to remember those who can’t be with us today, people in need of a special prayer and those we hold dear to our hearts.
Light the candle
This candle reminds us of them. The heat of its flame is the love that we share.
Presentation and thanks giving
May the blessing of God bring these gifts to life:
new hope of healing;
fresh ways of coping;
a chance to rest;
a chance to work;
a way to live gracefully.
May it be well with you.
And also with you.
Life is a gift and we its celebration.
May we rejoice in the beauty that we are.GVosper/wwg
We give thanks and praise for all that is good in the world.
For that mystery we name God…
For the person we name Jesus…
For the renewing strength and freedom of the Spirit…
We give thanks for the love, peace and justice,
for prosperity, strength and freedom,
and for the presence of the Sacred in the midst of life.
Thus we join our celebration of life to all people, saying:
Holy, holy, holy, re-creating God,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
Hosanna in the highest.
Bread and wine
As we eat together at this table
we rememberthe importance and the words
and the actions of all mealsin the tradition of Jesus…
Bread broken, wine poured out
Response
Jesus, human like us,
reveals to us our true identity, temples of God's spirit.
Jesus, human like us,
reveals God present and active throughout human history.
Jesus, human like us,
reveals God-always-with-us in our everyday loving.
Jesus, human like us,
challenges us to let his story be our story also.
And so we take bread as Jesus once took bread
As we break this bread may the divine presence
Fill us and empower us to follow the way of Jesus
And so we also pour a cup of wine
As Jesus once poured a cup of wine
As we share in this cup may the bonds
of our community be strengthened.
Communion
After Communion
God of amazing grace,
in the summer,
we are grateful for your presence, when it’s warm and when it’s wet.
We pray this presence will strengthen us
to follow in the way of Jesus, in this place.
Amen
Pastoral prayer
All: Loving God,
within and around us, we revere you.
We seek to live life as you would want us to do:
with love and respect for all people
and all things in the universe.
May we find each day sufficient for our needs.
And find forgiveness when we do wrong,
just as we forgive those who do wrong to us.
In times of trouble, may we centre our lives in you.
For your being is love,
which comes with strength and with beauty.
Throughout eternity.
Amen.Margaret Rolfe
Hymn
Words of mission
Let us take on this week’s life
with renewed hope and imagination...
The candle is extinguished
For all that God can do within us,
for all that God can do without us,
Thanks be to God.
For all in whom Christ lived before us,
for all in whom Christ lives beside us,
Thanks be to God.
For all the Spirit wants to bring us,
for where the Spirit wants to send us,
Thanks be to God.
Blessing
The raucous parrots hail the summers’ day. They screech and squawk their joy of being. Bless us with the same
abandoned joy, unafraid to share. The dew kisses each
leaf in comfort and sustenance - sustain us too so we can touch others with such gentle care.
May the Lord bless you and keep you
Shine his face upon you
And be gracious unto you now and forever.
Amen.
The candle is extinguished
I hope you can gather this moment and these blessings
And carry them with you through your busy week.
Small truths – by M Tandukar
Sometimes, in the midst of night,
Or early morn,
When only the odd song bird
Is stirring. Or the distant sound of a dog barking
interrupts the silence.
I come upon a small truth,
That seems to knock at my window
Or rattle my doors,
Demand to be seen, demand to show me a little bit
More light on that jigsaw
We call life.
And then, if I am awake,
Or aware enough to allow
That truth in,
It reveals itself in all its glory,
Completes another gap in that
Mystery that is God, and love
And life, cosmos and galaxy.
And I rejoice.
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