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Family Eucharist

Celebrating the Last Sunday after Trinity

Sunday 27th October 2013

Notes for the Family Eucharist

Introduction

This morning we are continuing with the new Family Eucharist, in which the children are involved all the way through.

The Children

We will be encouraging the children to join the celebrant and servers at the altar, where there are places provided for them – and jobs waiting for them to do.

But first, please encourage your children to gather at the Font at the beginning of the service – you can of course come along with them, and stay with them if that’s what they’d like, throughout the service.

Small children are very welcome and if some older children would like to be down the front, but would prefer not to get too involved in the action, they’d be very welcome in the choir stalls.

The Grown Ups

The rest of the congregation are warmly invited to fill up the front pews, so that we get a sense of the church family gathering to celebrate the Eucharist together.

The Eucharist

The Eucharist is one of the few things our Lord commanded us to do and naturally it has to be done properly.

We have freed up some of the action round the reading of the Bible and the sermon, and shortened some of the prayers, but all the essential parts of the Eucharist are in the right words and the right order.

This morning’s reading is Joel 2.23-end and is read by Vanessa Morgan. The gospel reading is Luke 18.9-14. The chalice bearer’s are Otto Benz and Sarah Lenton

The children wait by the Font to meet the Sanctuary Party as it processes in from the Vestry, please stand as they enter. The celebrant meets the children at the Font. Please turn to face the font.

The Greeting

+ In the Name of the Father and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen

The celebrant welcomes the congregation – and encourages all the children to come down to the Font.

Penitential Rite

My friends, we meet again as God’s family. As we begin this service let us tell God we are sorry for all the things we have done wrong and ask Him to forgive us.

Lord, you always forgive those who admit they are wrong.

Lord, have mercy

Lord have mercy

Jesus, we are sorry for the times we have been unloving,

selfish and ungrateful,

Christ have mercy

Christ, have mercy

Lord, you show us how we should forgive others,

Lord, have mercy

Lord, have mercy

The celebrant sprinkles the congregation with Holy Water as a sign of God’s forgiveness through the waters of Baptism

The Absolution

May Almighty God + forgive you all your sins and bring you to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord

Amen

Procession AND GLORIA

The children (and parents who wish to come with them) join the sanctuary party and march up to the altar as we sing the Gloria.

Glory in the highest to the God of Heaven!

Peace to all your people through the Earth be given;

Mighty God and Father, thanks and praise we bring,
Singing Alleluia to our heavenly King.

Jesus Christ is risen, God the Father's Son!
With the Holy Spirit, you are Lord alone!
Lamb once slain for sinners, all our guilt to bear,
Show us now your mercy, now receive our prayer.
Christ the world's true Saviour, high and holy One!
Seated now and reigning from your Father's throne;
Lord and God we praise you! Highest heaven adores;
In the Father's glory, all the praise be yours!

On arrival, the celebrant kisses the Altar and, gathering the children, says

The Collect

Merciful God,
teach us to be faithful in change and uncertainty,
that trusting in your word
and obeying your will
we may enter the unfailing joy of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Please sit. The children settle down in front of the choir stalls

The Liturgy of the Word

THE FIRST LESSON (Joel 2.23-29 – read by Vanessa Morgan)

O

children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the Lord your God; for he has given the early rain for your vindication, he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the later rain, as before. The threshing floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent against you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other. And my people shall never again be put to shame. Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit.

When it is finished the reader says

This is the Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

The Liturgy of the Word continues with the Gospel Procession

The children are given lights and surround the Gospeller, who reads from the Sanctuary steps. Please stand.

The Gospel

The Lord be with you

And also with you

+ Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St Luke

Glory be to you, O Lord

The Gospel (Luke 18.9-14)

H

e also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves, will be exalted.’

This is the Gospel of the Lord

Praise be to you, O Christ

The Children return with the Gospel Procession for the Sermon and gather round the preacher, sitting on the floor. Please sit.

SERMON

After the Sermon the children return to their places by the Choir Stalls and stand for:

The Creed

Priest Let us together profess the faith of the Church.

Do you believe in God the Father?

I believe and trust in Him

Do you believe in God the Son?

I believe and trust in Him

Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit?

I believe and trust in Him

We all say together

This is our faith, we believe in the Father, the Son,

and the Holy Spirit,

One God, now and for ever.

Amen

The service continues with the Intercessions

Please kneel.

Prayers of Intercession

Jesus came to tell us that God is love, and that we should love one another. We are going to ask God to help us to love other people now, using Psalm 144.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion,

Slow to anger and abounding in love.

Lord help us to love others as you love us

Lord in your mercy

Hear our prayer

How good the Lord is,

Compassionate to all His creatures!

Lord, help us to show your love to the world

Lord in your mercy

Hear our prayer

All your creatures will thank you O Lord,

And your friends shall repeat their blessing.

Lord bless those who are sick

Lord in your mercy

Hear our Prayer

Yours is an everlasting kingdom;

Your rule lasts from age to age.

We remember anybody who has died recently, or whose anniversary of death falls at about this time, and finish the prayer by saying

Merciful Father

Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son,

our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen

The Liturgy of the Sacrament starts with The Peace Please stand

The peace of the Lord be always with you

And also with you

Let us offer one another a sign of peace

We shake hands with our neighbours and say

Peace be with you

The children all come down the aisle with the celebrant and shake hands with as many people as possible. They return to the choir stalls and are given various jobs round the Altar and in the body of the church: Some are asked to help take the Collection and others to bring the Elements (bread and wine) up to the servers.

We stand for the Offertory Hymn and a Collection is taken

The Offertory Hymn

I will sing the wondrous story

Of the Christ who died for me,

How he left the realms of glory

For the cross on Calvary.

Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story

Of the Christ who died for me –

Sing it with his saints in glory,

Gathered by the crystal sea.

I was lost but Jesus found me,

Found the sheep that went astray,

Raised me up and gently led me

Back into the narrow way.

Days of darkness still may meet me,

Sorrow’s path I oft may tread;

But his presence still is with me,

By his guiding hand I’m led.

He will keep me till the river

Rolls its waters at my feet:

Then he’ll bear me safely over,

Made by grace for glory meet.

Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story

Of the Christ who died for me –

Sing it with his saints in glory,

Gathered by the crystal sea.

Our gifts of bread and wine are brought to the Altar. The priest introduces the Eucharistic Prayer. The children are invited to watch the consecration, kneeling at the altar rail. A child is cued in to ring the bell at the correct moments

The Eucharistic Prayer

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God

It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

It is always right to give you thanks,

God our Creator.

You made us

and the whole universe,

and filled your world with life.

The prayer continues with the correct section for the Last Sunday after Trinity and ends with the following words ...

And so with angels, saints, and the whole company of Heaven,

we praise and thank you by saying:

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.

A bell rings. Please kneel.

The priest has come to the most holy part of the Eucharist.

The Celebrant explains the liturgical actions as they are performed

Lord, you are holy indeed,

the fountain of all holiness,

Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy,

so that they may become for us

the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Father, on the night before He died,

Jesus shared a meal with His friends.

He took bread, and thanked you.

He broke it, and gave it to them, saying:

Take and eat; this is my Body which is given for you.

do this in remembrance of me

The bell rings three times

When the meal was ended, Jesus took the cup of wine.

He thanked you, and gave it to them, saying:

Drink this, all of you.

This is my Blood: the new promise of God’s unfailing love. do this in remembrance of me

The bell rings three times

Great is the mystery of faith:

Christ has died.

Christ is risen.

Christ will come again.

Father, as we offer you this Bread and Wine,

and remember your Son’s death and resurrection,

send your Holy Spirit, that we who share these gifts

may be fed by Christ’s Body and Blood.

Pour your Spirit on us

that we may love one another,

together with our bishops Richard and Paul and all the clergy.

Help us to share the good news of Jesus,

And praise you with all the holy angels and saints

as we wait for His coming in glory.

For honour and praise belong to you, Father,

with Jesus your Son, and the Holy Spirit:

one God, for ever and ever. Amen

The priest introduces the family prayer of the Church and asks the

children to put their hands together.

OUR FATHER

Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done

On Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,

For ever and ever. Amen

THE FRACTION

The priest breaks the Bread

We break this Bread

To share in the Body of Christ

Though we are many, we are one body,

because we all share in one bread.

The Lamb of God

Lamb of God

You take away the sins of the world,

Have mercy on us.

Lamb of God

You take away the sins of the world,

Have mercy on us