Prayers for church seasons

Prayers of Approach, Confession and Forgiveness

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his steadfast love endures for ever!
Living God, we give thanks for your goodness.
That you came into the darkness of a fallen world, bringing light and life and truth.
In Christ, death has been broken, resurrection life won as a victory over darkness.
The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.

We praise you that through our baptisms Christ’s story has become our story:
Christ’s death, our death; Christ’s resurrection our resurrection.
This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvellous in our eyes.
As we worship in the midst of a broken world,
send us the gift of your Spirit;
unite us with the praises of your people in all times and places
as we lift our voices in thanksgiving for all your good gifts for us.
This is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it!

God, we are a broken people.
The angel at the tomb said, ‘Do not be afraid’.
And yet we are afraid.
Very afraid.
The risen Christ stood among his disciples and said,
‘Peace be with you’, and yet our hearts are full of anguish,
we condone violence and war, and we know no peace.
We are a broken and sinful people, and we come seeking your forgiveness.

Lord, have mercy, Christ, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.

“God raised Christ on the third day.
He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead.
All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name”.

(Acts 10: 40,42-43, altd.)

May you know you are forgiven.
May you know the peace of the living Christ. Amen.

John Bradbury, Easter Sunday Yr A

~~~

Risen Lord Jesus, we celebrate this day.
May we know Your joyful presence in our time of worship.
Help us as we look to share something of the light, joy, peace and hope of Easter.
Loving God, with the Psalmist we praise Your majesty.
Oh give thanks to God who is so good,
to God whose steadfast love endures for ever.
Oh God, You are our strength and our might.
You have become our salvation.
Open to us the gates of righteousness
that we may enter through them,
and give thanks to You, our God.
Give us light.
And God, may that light shine through us,
illuminating those things that are wrong in what we do,
what we say, how we live.
Forgive us our failings.
Help us to live as a forgiven people.
We remember that the Scriptures tell us:
if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Thanks be to God.

Paul Whittle, Easter Sunday Yr A

~~~

Risen Lord, you came to the disciples in that Upper Room, in spite of those locked doors of doubt.
You brought them peace and wholeness in the darkest of times
with the light of your resurrection putting their frightened minds at rest
and making them ready for the task you had for them.
We pray that you may make us ready in our worship and in our lives,
to allow you to walk through the closed doors and walls of stone
that we so often have and the barriers that we create.
Take away our fears.
Open our hearts that your Holy Spirit may come again to rest within us,
that we, your people, may be ready to hear your words
and respond to your call to bring the light of your resurrection in the darkest places of our world. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

God who loves us we seek forgiveness.
You call us to trust that Jesus lives.
Forgive our doubting.  Help us to trust you.
You call us to trust what we have not heard;
Forgive our doubting.  Help us to trust you.
You call us to trust what we have not seen.
Forgive our doubting.  Help us to trust you.
You call us to trust what we have not touched.
Forgive our doubting. Help us to trust you.
You call us to trust each other.
Help us to believe despite our doubts and fears.
Help us to receive your peace.
and to be at peace with you and each other. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Jesus said to Thomas,
'Put your finger here and see my hands. Do not doubt but believe.'
People of God, be assured that you are loved by God,
who offers grace, comfort and hope.
In his strength you are made new.
Receive peace and live in resurrection joy. Amen.

Nicola, Furley-Smith, Easter 2, Yr A

~~~

Risen Lord,
the glory of your resurrection reaches out to the world and to every human being.
In your life you shared with us all that it means to be human.
You died our death, but you rose from death and changed the world,
enabling us to see that your love encompasses the whole of humanity.
Risen Lord, we come to worship you
and stand in awe of the power that made this happen.
You have conquered sin and death for us
and now we are released to achieve our full potential,
to be children of our Heavenly God.
Now we know that nothing can ever daunt us because you are with us forever.
Forgiving Lord, despite everything that Easter means to us
we still sometimes doubt You.
We are frail creatures, easily distracted.
You know our shortcomings and our failures, our doubts and our fears.
Forgive us the many ways we have taken you for granted,
or failed to follow in your footsteps.
Forgive us and enable us, like Thomas, to say ‘My Lord and my God’. Amen.

Jayne Taylor, Easter 2, Yr A

~~~

Loving God, in this time of prayer, we rest in your presence,
giving thanks for all that speaks to us of you:
for the blossoming of Spring
- a sign of creation and re-creation;
for the contact of friends and family
– a reminder that you desire for us to relate for volunteers, health workers, actions of love
- all clues that point to hope and light in the darkness.

Your love is steadfast and faithful. Your hope and belief in us give us strength. Your Kingdom inspires us to live the way of Jesus.
Living God, who moulds us and shapes us, we confess when we fail to serve your purposes. Remake us we pray.

(silence)

Merciful God, you make us new and set us free,
you use our dents and cracks and breaks to your glory.
We are resurrection people and cannot remain the same,
therefore, we accept your forgiveness
and ask that you will fill us with courage to be all that you make us in these changed and challenging times.

Martin Knight, Easter 3, Yr A

~~~

Living God, we praise you, you are indeed good.
You hear both the cries and the whispers of our hearts.
You know every aspect of our lives and you still love us with unfailing love.
You invite us to know you better, and we thank you for that privilege.
Help us to embrace it every day of our lives.
God, you know how broken we can find ourselves sometimes,
and we acknowledge that before you.
Sometimes, like those on the road to Emmaus, we do not recognise you.
At other times we only realise much later on that we were in your presence.
Sometimes we never noticed you at all.
If we have missed any opportunities to speak a word of healing or encouragement
to someone in need, we’re sorry God.

Silence 

Thank you, God, that you bring peace, forgiveness, and a new start.  Amen.

Michael Hopkins, Easter 3, Yr A

~~~

Holy God, compassionate teacher, teach us your ways of living and loving.
Connect us Your steady heartbeat that vibrates throughout the whole of Creation.
As we move throughout your world,
may our rhythms of dance, our ways of being, please You.
Help us not to simply mimic the movements of others,
but help us to each draw closer to You,
listening to You and being the person You have called us to be,
as we live our lives to praise You.
God, sometimes we misstep.
We lose our balance.
We neglect to notice where we are placing our feet.
We are distracted by other sounds.
Or, the ground shakes, and we become frozen in fear.
God in those moments when we forget Your joy, Your dance – we are sorry. Amen. 

Declaration of Forgiveness

”Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son! 
For by the blood of Christ we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven.
How great is the grace of God, which he gave to us in such large measure!

Ephesians 1:6-8a GNT

Angela Rigby, Easter 4 Yr A

~~~

Christ, who stood among the disciples,
showing them your hands and feet to take away their doubts, we welcome you.
Christ, who met with the disciples, eating in their presence
to make them see, we welcome you.
Christ, who spoke to the disciples, opening their minds to reveal God’s promise, we welcome you.
You, who stand among us, meet with us, speak to us, have mercy upon us.
If we are ruled by doubt,  have mercy upon us.
If we live in fear, as if you are still dead, have mercy upon us.
If we fail to be your hands and feet, have mercy upon us.
If we read scripture, but do not grasp the Gospel, have mercy upon us.
If we do not forgive, as we are forgiven, have mercy upon us.
We receive the gift of grace, from Him who promised grace.
We receive the gift of peace, from Him who promised peace.
We receive the gift of life, from Him who died and lives again.
Thanks be to God.

Nigel Uden, Easter 4, Yr A

~~~

Almighty and ever-loving God,
we come before you in adoration and in worship.
We come, as members of your Body, the Body of Christ,
numbered as many, yet brought together, in faith and action, as one.

We come, O God, as we are,
still with our hopes and our dreams,
but at this dark time, particularly aware of our frailties and our fears.

We come, God of grace and God of comfort,
knowing that you are with us and for us; through your Son, Jesus Christ, our redeemer and friend.
We praise and thank you for that great gift, God-made-human,
come to us as one of us; and who stands alongside us today, our strength and help in this time of trouble.

We come before you, forgiving God,
fully aware of your hand which holds us, yet knowing that, in our weakness, sometimes we fail you.
For those occasions on which we have been less than gracious,
when our frustrations have led us to harsh words or cruel thoughts,
when our despair of the current situation has caused us to lose hope, we say sorry.

I invite you in a moment of silence to confess your sins,
and hear the words of Jesus' promise, offered to you, as he says: "Your sins are forgiven."

Loving and gracious God,
we ask that you will remould us once again,
O God, into your likeness, and make us vessels of your goodness,
that we might, in our own small way, show your love in the world.
As we enter into this time of prayer, cleanse and make us new,
may we sense your Holy Spirit with us,
firing and inspiring us to be all that you have created us to be.

Janet Sutton, Easter 5, Yr A

~~~

All-holy God,
Light of the hearts that see you,
Life of the souls that love you,
Strength of the thoughts that seek you,
to abide in you is to stand fast forever.
Grant us this morning your grace and blessing for the sake of Jesus Christ our Redeemer.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.
As we turn to you this morning, we know that  we have fallen short of our high calling.
And we are ashamed.
We have focussed too much on ourselves and on our own wants and needs.
We have not loved you with all our heart and soul and mind and strength,
We have not loved our neighbour as ourselves.

Remind us, Lord, of your constant love,
for we put our trust in you; show us the way we should go.
Release us from the burden of our sins,
that we may turn to you again and be renewed through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

In repentance and in faith,
receive the promise of grace and the assurance of pardon.
Here are words you may trust, words that merit full acceptance:
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
To all who turn to him he says: “Your sins are forgiven.”
He also says: “Follow me.”
Thanks be to God.
The LORD is my light and my salvation,
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?

Fleur Houston, Easter 6, Yr A

~~~

Living God, it is so easy to praise you sometimes.
For we look around and we see your wonder everywhere:
in the love of friends and family
in the wonder of nature
in words that encourage and cherish
in stories of joy and love.
Living God, it is easy to praise you sometimes.
Living God, it is hard to praise you sometimes.
For we wonder at what is happening
in the pain of our world
in the unsettledness of our lives
in the uncertainties we face
in the fear that grips creation.
Living God, it is hard to praise you sometimes.
In all timed and in all places
let us seek your strength and your continued presence,
and let us remember your promises.
Help us recall what you have done.
Living God, it is easy to be your people sometimes.
our hearts are full of love,
our words encourage,
we know how to serve you.
And then at other times it is so hard.
We know those times so well,
our discouraging words,
our thoughtless actions.
We lay them before you and trust in your mercy.

silence as we recall the ways we fail God.

Living God, you are merciful. Hallelujah!
In Christ Jesus you lived among us, full of grace and truth.
To those who had fallen you reached out a hand.
To those who thought themselves unworthy you spoke a word of love.
To us now, in our lives, you say again that we are forgiven.
Help us receive your forgiveness, strengthen us to forgive ourselves,
teach us to forgive one another, and let us live in peace.
Living God, you are our God, and we are thankful for your compassion.
Strengthen us for your call on our lives, and open us now to your Living Word this day.
In the name of Jesus, our crucified and risen Lord, Amen

Anne Sardeson, Easter 6 Year A

~~~

Loving heavenly Father,
you are glory and love, power and possibility.
We celebrate with you the work of your son Jesus,
his humility and care,
his love for the truth,
his commitment to love and service,
his reconciling the world to you by his life death resurrection and ascension.
We celebrate his homecoming with you, and we lift up our hearts in praise and worship.

As we praise your greatness,
we see in the reflection our own frailty and brokenness.
Forgive any lack of worship in our lives,
any grumpiness or selfishness,
any frustration with the situations in which we find ourselves.

Thank you, God, that you are mercy and love, and that you have forgiven us.
Help us to accept that, and also to forgive ourselves and other people.
Open our ears to hear your good news; draw us to yourself; accept and heal and empower us,
so that we may draw others, too, to love and praise and live for you.
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray  Our Father

Michael Hopkins, Ascension Yr A

Prayers for Illumination

God, we pray You would speak to us.
Through the hymns, the prayers, scripture,
or even through the words shared in the sermon,
God, we pray we would hear from You today.
May the words we speak, pray and sing
and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing to You.  Amen

based on Psalm 19:14

 Angela Rigby
Easter 4 Yr A

~~~ 

Fix our gaze on you, Most High,
that we may see Your glory,
in our world, in our lives and in Your coming Kingdom,
and as we listen to Your Word, read and proclaimed,
give us ears to hear and hearts to respond,
that we may change our world and be changed ourselves.
Amen.

 

Andy Braunston
Easter 6 Yr A

An Order for An Online Easter Communion

An this time of coronavirus, physical distancing and lockdown, any celebration of Holy Communion is damaged. There are three of us gathered here today, and Christ’s promise is that where two or three are gathered in his name, he is there among them. At the same time, some of you may be isolated as individuals at this time – and yet we are all surrounded so great a cloud of witnesses that none of us truly marks Easter alone.  Across the family of the church, we cannot today share fully together the one loaf and the one cup. That we cannot do, and we lament.  But in communion we follow the command of Christ to remember him. That we can do. We come to remember with thanksgiving Christ’s death upon the cross  and his resurrection. That we can do. We pray that the Holy Spirit will unite us with Christ, and across space and time with one another.  That we can do, gathered or scattered as community. You may wish to take bread and wine at home, and join me in saying some of the communion prayers. You might, perhaps, prefer to use these prayers later at your Easter meal table, so that as you gather at table, you remember all Christ has done for us, and pray that he will be present with you at table through the work of the Holy Spirit. If so, you may wish to leave out the words in brackets whilst using these prayers as a form of extended ‘grace’ at the table. However you find it most helpful to join with us, our prayer is that our celebration of Holy Communion may reach out to everyone sharing with us in some way, such that God will unite us with one another, and with Christ, that we might be fed by the Holy Spirit in these difficult days.

Invitation to Communion

Hear the gracious words of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest.
I am the bread of life: whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

The Peace

The risen Christ stood in the midst of his disciples and said: ‘Peace be with you’.
The peace of the risen Christ be with you all.  Peace be with you.

Hymn       I come with joy to meet my Lord

The Narrative of the Institution

Hear the narrative of the institution of the Lord’s Supper as it was recorded by the apostle Paul.

I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread,
and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said,
‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’
In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying,
‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.    Corinthians 11:23-26

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and following his example,
we take the gifts at this table,
this bread and this cup, and give thanks to God.

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 our thanks and praise.

It is indeed right that we give you thanks and praise,
source of all life and love, guide and goal of creation.
Long ago you called to yourself a people to be a light to the nations.
We wandered often from your ways, yet you loved us with an everlasting love,
and have continued in faithfulness to us.
You came into the world in Christ, teaching and healing,
showing us your ways, and drawing us into union with you.
You broke the power of death,
greeting startled women on the first day of the week,
bidding them go and tell.
With Mary Magdalene and the other Mary,
with all the company of heaven
and all your people of all times and places,
we proclaim your greatness and sing your praise:

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.

We remember with thanksgiving Christ’s life here on earth.
The lessons of forgiveness he taught us.
The peace he shared with us.
The healing of troubled bodies, minds and spirits he offered us.
Yet his ways of peace were met with violence from power.

We recall now his sufferings upon the Cross for our sake,
and his glorious resurrection, which promises new life for all.

Let us proclaim the mystery of faith

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

We who have been redeemed by Christ
and made a new people by water and the Spirit now gather at your table.
Send your Holy Spirit upon us and upon the gifts at this table,
bread and wine, that we who eat and drink at this feast may share the life of Christ, our Lord.

Pour out your Spirit upon the whole earth
and bring in your new creation.
Gather your Church together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom,
where peace and justice are revealed, that we, with all your people,
of every language, race, and nation,
may share the banquet you have promised.

Let us say together the prayer that Jesus taught us: Our Father...

The Breaking of the Bread

The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread,
and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said,
‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’

In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying,
‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’

The Feast

The gifts of God for the people of God

As we receive bread and wine:

The body of Christ, broken for you.
The blood of Christ, shed for you.

Prayer after Communion

God of a love stronger than death,
you have given us new birth into a living hope, through the gift of your Son.
God with us, like a mother you have fed us with yourself and strengthened us for journeying ahead.

God of truth and power,
you take our weakness and our sin and refashion us by grace.
Gracious God, may the love which bids us welcome at this table
gather all your children into one, in your eternal presence, whole and free at last. Amen.

John Bradbury, Easter Sunday, Year A
Prayer after Communion (and other inspiration!) from: Worship from the United Reformed Church (London, United Reformed Church, 2003).
The epliclesis in the Prayer of Thanksgiving is an adapted form taken from The Worship Sourcebook (Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Baker Books, 2013).

~~~

An Order for Holy Communion

Introduction

Year by year, in United Reformed Churches up and down the country, we normally share in the celebration of the Lord's Supper at least once a month. It is a special time, and for me, the moment at which we share the bread and wine is one of holiest of all.  It is one of our favourite words in the URC - normally. It is word that conveys grace - a God-given grace which allows us to step outside the mundane, the routine of what we would normally practice. I would like to suggest that today is one of those days. And so I invite you, should you wish, to pause, and collect for yourself a piece of bread and slug of wine, or grape juice, or whatever you have to hand that will suffice. I invite you to make what you wish of what we do, but to know that you are doing it alongside thousands of others, who come to their God, forgiven and free,  to remember what Jesus has done for them - and for us. And so, I invite you to come, just as you are, wherever you are, to imagine yourself at the Lord's table, one of his own, surrounded by those with whom you normally celebrate this time. Hear the gracious words of our Lord Jesus Christ:

The Invitation and the Gracious Words

Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will  never be hungry,
and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Anyone who comes to me, I will never turn away.

The peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Peace be with you

The Narrative of the Institution of the Lord's Supper

Hear the narrative of the institution of the Lord’s Supper as it was recorded by the apostle Paul.

I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread,
and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said,
‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’
In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying,
‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

The Taking of the Bread and Wine

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and following his example, we take this bread and this cup, and give thanks to God.

The Thanksgiving

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

With joy we give you thanks and praise,  Almighty God, Source of all life and love,
that we live in your world, that you are always creating and sustaining it by your power,
and that you have so made us that we can know and love you, trust and serve you.

We give you thanks that you loved the world so much that you gave your only Son,
so that everyone who has faith in him  may not die but have eternal life.

We thank you that Jesus was born among us that he lived our common life on earth;
that he suffered and died for us; that he rose again;
and that he is always present through the Holy Spirit.

We thank you that we can live in the faith that your kingdom will come,
and that in life, in death and beyond death you are with us.
Therefore with all the company of heaven, and with all your people,
of all places and times, we proclaim your greatness and sing your praise.

Holy, holy holy...

Holy Lord God, by what we do here in remembrance of Christ
we celebrate his perfect sacrifice on the Cross
and his glorious resurrection and ascension;
we declare that he is Lord of all; and we prepare for his coming in his kingdom.

We pray that through your Holy Spirit
this bread may be for us the body of Christ
and this wine the blood of Christ.

Accept our sacrifice of praise;
and as we eat and drink at his command unite us to Christ as one body in him,
and give us strength to serve you in the world.
And to you, one holy and eternal God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
we give praise and glory, now and for ever. Amen

The Breaking and Partaking of the Bread and Wine

The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread
and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said,
‘This is my body which is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.
The bread which we break is the communion of the body of Christ.
Take, and eat of it.

In the same way also the cup saying
‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’
The cup of blessing which we bless is the communion of the blood of Christ.
Take, and drink of it.

The Acclamation

Let us praise the Lord.

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Blessing and honour and glory and power be to our God for ever and ever. Amen

Music as we Take Communion

Prayer After Communion

Most gracious God,
we praise you for what you have given and for what you have promised us here.
You have made us one with all your people in heaven and on earth.
You have fed us with the bread of life, and renewed us for your service.
Now we give ourselves to you; and we ask that our daily living may be part of the life of your kingdom,
and that our love may be your love reaching out into the life of the world;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Janet Sutton, Easter 5, Yr A

Blessings

Be blessed.
Have hope.
Know that despite our failures,
despite our disappointments,
despite our brokenness,
Jesus is risen.
The joy of the Lord be your strength.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer,
be with each one of you, now and always.
Amen.

Paul Whittle, Easter Sunday, Yr A

~~~

As Christ burst forth from the tomb,
may new life burst forth from us and show itself in acts of love and healing to a hurting world.
And may that same Christ, who lives forever, and is the source of our new life,
keep your hearts rejoicing and grant you peace.
this day and always
and the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be with us now and evermore Amen.

John Bradbury, Easter Sunday, Yr A

~~~

May you find in the risen Lord
the way to fullness of life,
the way to joy and peace.
And the blessing of God Almighty
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
be amongst us and remain with us
this day and for evermore. Amen.

Nicola Furley-Smith, Easter 2, Yr A

~~~

Creating God,
may we acknowledge your presence
in all human goodness we will see today.
May we hear you in all that interrupts
the normal patterns of our lives
and calls us back to you.
May we walk your way with joy
knowing that the blessing of God,
Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer,
goes with us. Amen.

Martin Knight, Easter 3, Yr A

~~~

May the Lord bless you, not with easy roads, but with strong steps.
May the Spirit bless you,  not with certainties and proofs, but with the leap of faith.
May the eternal God bless you,  not with happiness for an hour,  but with peace and joy for ever.
And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you always. Amen

 Nigel Uden, Easter 4, Year A

~~~

Invite the congregation to turn and face the door for the blessing so they are looking out to the world where they are called to love and bless.

The blessing of God, known and unknown,
be with us and the world this week.
Guide us in our distress,
strengthen us in our hope,
and lead us in your peace. Amen

Anne Sardeson, Easter 6 Year A

~~~

May the peace of God which is greater than anything we can ever understand
keep your hearts and your thoughts in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ our Lord,
and may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be with you and those whom you love from this time on and for evermore.  Amen.

Fleur Houston, Easter 6, Year A

Reflections 

An Easter Reflection

Good news!
Christ is risen!
The stone is rolled away, life has triumphed.
We sing our hymns of rejoicing to you.

Even as we rejoice, we pause.
For we know all is not right in the world.
You are crucified again and again, laid in a grave, a stone sealing your tomb.
You weep with children who hunger and thirst for basics of life.
You weep with the elderly -- neglected, forgotten, alone.
You weep with the victims of violence.
In them you are crucified anew.

In our baptisms we die to an old way of life and are born into new life in you.
We rejoice as you call us by name.
We are not afraid
Not afraid to work for justice,
Not afraid to say, “This evil shall not stand.”
Not afraid to say, “No longer shall the powerful go away sated and satisfied and the weak go away hungry and hopeless.”

Swell our hearts that they might be full of love.
Open our eyes that we might recognize you in our world.
Unplug our ears that we might hear your cries.
Strengthen our hands that we might reach out.
Fortify us that we might have the courage to face the task
Empower us to truly follow you.

Good news!
Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed!

Tod Gobledale

 

Prayers of Approach, Confession and Forgiveness

On this joyous day, when we are reminded
of your powerful gift to the Church,
the Spirit that you have breathed into us at birth,
we praise and thank you, creator God.

Without you as Spirit, resting upon us and within us,
we would be just dust, drifting and without presence or purpose.

As your Spirit stirs and forms us to be your Church,
we remember the trust you place in us and our imperfections.
We remember our quickness to condemn and our sluggishness to forgive.

Silence

Spirit of God, as you flow through the world filling creation and giving life,
you come to know our thoughts, our words and our deeds.
You know when they are lacking, when they are bound to the brokenness of the world,
or attempt to limit all that you make possible.

In your mercy,
come and cleanse our hearts,
renew our willingness
and guide our ways
in Jesus Christ. Amen

Since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through Jesus Christ,
through whom we have gained access by faith
into the grace in which we now stand.
We can boast in the hope of the glory of God.
Hope does not put us to shame
as God’s love has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit, given to us all.

Romans 5.1-2, 5

Amen. Thanks be to God.

The Revd Dr Elaine Colechin

 

Let us pray:

This is the day when the Spirit came.
We praise you, mighty God, for the Spirit which moved over the deep and helped bring all things into being.
You are our creator, and we love you.

We praise you, serving God, that you came to us in flesh in Jesus Christ,
teaching, healing, living, dying and rising to show us the deep power of your love.
You are our saviour, and we love you.

We praise you, empowering God,
for the gift of the Holy Spirit,
promised by Jesus,
sent from above to share your power and bring your Church to life.
You are our inspirer, and we love you.

Loving God, We confess to you that we know you have made us in your image,
but we fail in our efforts to be like you.
We destroy when we should create.
We curse when we should save.
We exploit when we should comfort.

Through your Holy Spirit,
cleanse us and make us new,
so that we may live the love we declare with our lips,
as Jesus did. Amen.

We pray as Jesus taught:  Our Father…

The Revd Ruth Whitehead

 

Loving God, whether you come to us in the unexpected or the familiar, we are glad of your presence.
We want to live well in the life you have given to us.
We long to experience the fullness of your love.

Whether you come to us with a challenge to take risks or the offer of comfort, we welcome you into our lives.
We want to understand more about you.
We long to experience the fullness of your grace.

Loving God, whether you come to us like a rushing wind or on a quiet breath, we reach out to you.
We want to enjoy the gift of your Spirit.
We long to experience the fulness of your power.

Merciful God, forgive us when as individuals, or as a church
we limit your love and hinder the healing work of your Spirit.
May we not be restrained or restricted in our faith
but be agents of reconciliation, praying that your saving grace
goes out into every corner of the world, to your glory.

In repentance and in faith,
receive the promise of grace and the assurance of pardon:
To all who turn to him, Jesus says:
‘Your sins are forgiven.’
Thanks be to God

The Revd Jan Adamson

____

Holy God, like a rushing wind your Spirit moved upon the first disciples, on this day long ago,
and like a purifying fire your Spirit seared their hearts and minds, with the message of your salvation.
Send your Spirit on your Church anew, in this time and place,
in our scattered lives and homes,
stir up our courage,
and rouse us for prophetic witness,
that we may join with the apostles of old to proclaim your mighty deeds of power. Amen.

Confession

As we come to God in worship the Spirit reminds us of our failures to love,
to love God, to love others and to love ourselves.
We bring those times to God now in a moment of silence.

O God,
You have searched us out and known us,
and all that we are is open to You.
We confess that we have sinned:
we have used our power to dominate
and our weakness to manipulate;
we have evaded responsibility
and failed to confront evil;
we have denied dignity to ourselves and to each other
and have fallen into despair.
We turn to You O God; we renounce evil; we claim Your love;
we choose to be made whole.

(words of confession from Janet Morley's All Desires Known)

Words of Assurance

Like a mother eagle who tends her young;
like a father who runs to welcome home the estranged;
like a rock upon which we stand,
God is loving and faithful, and forgives all our sins.
God loves and forgives you,
so have the strength to love and forgive yourself. Amen

The Revd Andy Braunston

 

Prayers for Illumination

May the Spirit who played at the dawn of time
and who inspired people to declare and write down God’s Word
bring God’s Word to life for us this day. Amen.

The Revd Ruth Whitehead

____

Send forth your Spirit, O Lord,
that we may hear your word coming to us in Scripture, song and sermon,
that we might hear, understand and obey. Amen.

The Revd Andy Braunston

Affirmations of Faith

We believe in God, whom Jesus called Father,
who created all things in love.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
who was with God the Father from the beginning
who co-created the universe, and holds it in being.
We believe in Jesus Christ – one with the Father and the Spirit –
who came to live a human life
and gifted the Spirit as comforter and guide.
We believe in God who is three in one
who was and is and is to come. Amen.

The Revd Ruth Whitehead

We believe in God.
Despite His silence and His secrets we believe that He lives.
Despite evil and suffering we believe that He made the world
so that all would be happy in life.
Despite the limitations of our reason and the revolts of our hearts,
we believe in God.

We believe in Jesus Christ.
Despite the centuries which separate us
from the time when he came to earth, we believe in His word.
Despite our incomprehension and our doubt,
we believe in His resurrection.
Despite his weakness and poverty, we believe in His reign.

We believe in the Holy Spirit.
Despite appearances we believe He guides the Church;
despite death we believe in eternal life;
despite ignorance and disbelief,
we believe that the Kingdom of God is promised to all. Amen.

translated from the French Reformed Church's book Alleluia 

Communion Prayers

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

We offer you thanks, Creator, Saviour, Giver of Life.
From the beginning you have made yourself known:
the heavens proclaim your glory and the earth sings your praise.
In wisdom you made all that is and you bless us with earth’s fruitfulness.
You are merciful and gracious, and abounding in love.
Yet from our first days we have disobeyed your will.
Long ago you called to yourself a people
to shine as light to guide all nations to your presence.
You led them to freedom; you revealed to them your Law
and taught them through your prophets.
Finally you sent your promised Son, Jesus Christ,
who shared our human nature and understood our weakness.
Born of Mary, he showed forth your love by word and sign.
Therefore with all your people in heaven and on earth
we say the triumphant hymn of your glory:

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.

He sought the unloved and the lost and welcomed all who came to him;
he taught us lessons of forgiveness
he brought us healing for our sickness,
and showed us how to live according to your will.
For this he was rejected, for this he endured grief and sorrow,
for this he gave himself up to death upon the Cross.
But you broke the power of sin and death and raised him to the heights,
that through the blood of his Cross and by the gift of the Holy Spirit
everything in earth and heaven might be reconciled to you.
The Lord Jesus on the night he was betrayed took bread,
and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said:

‘This is my body which is broken for you.
Do this is remembrance of me.’

In the same way he took the cup also after supper, saying:

‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Come, Creator God: renew the face of the earth;
come, eternal Saviour: remake us in your likeness;
come, Holy Spirit, transform these gifts:
that Christ may be known to us in the breaking of the bread
and that we may be strengthened to serve him in the world.
May we on earth be one with all Christ’s people, and, when all things are complete,
be raised up to be with him, with all those for whom we pray this day
and with all your faithful servants in the heavenly places,
the homeland which we seek by faith, and where Christ reigns in glory,
with you, Father, and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever. Amen.

The Revd Ruth Whitehead

____

Invitation and Narrative

Come, come all of you from many differing contexts
Come as you are.
It is Christ who calls us here – it is his invitation.
May we be instruments of grace –
not just to one another, but also in our communal life together.

As we gather, we are reminded by Paul of the following:
‘On the night of his arrest, Jesus took bread and having blessed it
he broke the bread and gave it to his disciples saying:
“This is my body, given to you.”
In the same way, he took the wine and having given thanks for it
he poured it out and gave the cup to the disciples saying:
‘This cup is the new relationship with God, sealed with my blood.
Take this and share it. I shall drink wine with you next in the coming kingdom of God.”’

Prayer of Thanksgiving

God, Holy Trinity,
we give thanks and praise for the revelation of your creation,
for the skies in their order and the glories of the light.

We thank you that you reveal yourself in your word in the scriptures
and in your incarnate son Jesus, to whom the scriptures point,
and in whom they find their meaning and fulfilment.

Gracious God, we thank you for your Son, Jesus
who has changed the face of the earth,
because he spoke of a great vision, of the kingdom of God which will come one day,
a kingdom of freedom, love and peace.
We remember that wherever Jesus came, women and men re-discovered their humanity
and so we were filled with new riches, so that we could give one another new courage in our lives.

We recall that he went to search for all who were lost, for those who were saddened,
and out in the cold, and how he always took their side without forgetting others.

All that cost him his life, because the mighty of the earth could not tolerate it,
and yet, he knew he was understood and accepted by us.
He saw himself confirmed by us in love.
So, he became one with us and so freed from himself, he could live a life of liberation for others.

Send your Spirit upon us and these gifts,
the good Spirit from you and your Son,
that we may be inspired as we continue to follow Jesus.
Jesus, from whom we have learnt to be free,
free from the powers which estrange us, free to do good.

As best we can, we do what Jesus commands us to do.
To celebrate his memory, offering and presenting our very selves,
to be a living sacrifice, dedicated and fit for your acceptance through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Breaking and Sharing

The peace of the Lord be with you
The bread we break is a sharing of the body of Christ
The cup we take is a sharing in the blood of Christ

Receive this holy sacrament of the body and blood of Christ
and feed on the lamb of God with reverence and with faith

‘The body of Christ – eat, remembering him’

‘The blood of Christ – drink remembering him’

The Revd Jan Adamson

 

Blessings

Jesus says to us:
“Peace be with you, As Abba God sent me, I am sending you.”

With the Holy Spirit as your sure companion
go and do God’s will, following Jesus’s way.

And as you go,
may the blessing of God,
Eternal One, Incarnate One and Abiding One,
be with you always. Amen.

The Revd Dr Elaine Colechin

May the Spirit comfort you in your sorrow
strengthen you in your weakness
empower you in your uncertainty
and enable you to speak to God’s love to all you meet
and may that same love of God – creator, saviour and inspirer -
be with you all, evermore. Amen

The Revd Ruth Whitehead

____

May God, the Creator of light,
who enlightened the disciples by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit,
grant you joy and make you always abound with the gifts of the Spirit.

May the wondrous flame that appeared above the disciples,
cleanse your hearts from evil and pervade you with joyful light.

And may God, who has been pleased to unite many tongues in the profession of one faith,
give you perseverance as you walk Jesus’ way that,
through faith you may journey from hope to clear vision.

And may the blessing of Almighty God, Eternal Majesty, Enfleshed Word and Abiding Spirit,
come down on you and all whom you love, now and always, Amen.

Adapted by the Revd Andy Braunston from the Roman Missal

Offertory

In response to all that we receive,
let us give in thankfulness, in prayerfulness
and with hopefulness of God’s continuing work in our lives.

Gracious God, everything we have comes from you.
Through the pouring out of Holy Spirit and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ,
our hearts and lives overflow with abundance.
Therefore, we offer to you again our time, our talents and our tithes.
Use them to your glory as you send us to do your will
in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

The Revd Dr Elaine Colechin

____

Almighty and most merciful God,
out of the fullness of your gifts we bring before you this bread and this wine,
our gifts and our lives.
Blessed be your holy name forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

from URC Worship Book

____

The work and ministry of the church continues whether the actual buildings are open or closed for physical attendance and worship.
Pastoral care, worship, dealing with the bereaved, lonely and sick continues albeit in new ways or formats.
Your monetary contributions enable the church to continue in it’s various ministries and for this we now give our thanks.
Let us pray together as we include the bread and wine for our Holy Communion :

Lord God, we bring to you the ordinary things of life – food and drink and money – and with them we bring ourselves.
Take us, and our gifts of money, to do your work in the world.
Take this bread and wine and feed us from your table with your love.
Accept our sacrifice of praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN

The Revd Jan Adamson

Giving is part of worship – we give of our time, our talents and our treasure.
Week after week we’ve been keeping our envelopes to get to the treasurer when we can,
we’ve been making direct payments to the church and other charities,
we’ve moved over to standing orders knowing that our churches need our support
and that one measure of our discipleship is our generosity.
So let’s give thanks for the offering.

Come Holy Spirit, renew the face of the earth,
re-energise your Church that we may reflect your generosity
in our lives, in our church, and in our world,
that we may not perish, but live for you. Amen.

The Revd Andy Braunston

Reflection

Who could have predicted it?

Who could have predicted it?
What did they expect?
A mild morning breeze?
A gentle introduction,
a saunter into a new way of life?
Not by the sound of it.
For the Holy Spirit read ‘typhoon’ or ‘whirlwind’
– everyone’s hair restyled,
garments turned inside out – blown into sails,
feet unsteady, hands over eyes,
Shrieks of delight?
What a day! What a place to be!And not done yet.
Tongues of fire, fingers of flame,
settling on each and everyone,
like you, like me,
a baptism of hope, of love and zeal.
Hallelujah!

Duncan Wilson 

Prayers of Approach, Confession and Forgiveness

Eternal Trinity, You are holy and our songs rise to Thee.
Eternal Trinity, You are holy
and we join the saints in casting our crowns before Thee.
Eternal Trinity, all Your works praise your name, in earth, sky and sea.

God, Eternal Majesty,
we praise You knowing You are our beginning and end,
the changeless One who calls us to dance with all of creation.

Jesus, Enfleshed Word,
we praise You yet know we resist Your call to dance,
preferring to go our own way and stay in the dark. Forgive us.

Holy Spirit, Flame of eternal love,
You dance with us, filling us with joy, laughter, and inspiration,
help us to know Your presence,
bringing forgiveness and allowing us to forgive others.
Give us the strength to forgive ourselves. Amen.

assumes first hymn is Holy, Holy, Holy

The Revd Andy Braunston

____

O God, Holy Trinity, we arise today to praise you,
to confess our faith in you, called by you and created by you.

Through the strength of Christ, we arise today to praise you.
You are the light of the sun, the splendour of fire,
the swiftness of the wind, the depth of the sea,
the stability of the earth and the firmness of the rock.

Your strong Spirit upholds us, your wisdom guides us,
you protect us and look over us, you hear us and you speak to us.

We arise today, and we call upon you, the great and holy God,
the Three in One, the Creator of all that is,
and we praise you and glorify you, today and for ever, Amen.

Confession

O God of all holiness as we are here in your presence
help us to be honest about ourselves and our world,
to recognise the good and the bad, our strengths and our failures,
all that we have done wrong,
and all the ways in which you are blessing and affirming us.

We confess our sins, and the sin of the world, and we ask for mercy,
and the wisdom and courage to change.

Let us hear for ourselves the words that Jesus said to so many,
‘Your sins are forgiven’ and ‘Be at peace’.

God the source of all life re-creates us each day,
Christ has, once for all, redeemed the world,
and the Holy Spirit works to empower us in goodness.

Thanks be to God, the Holy Trinity of mercy, love and power, Amen.

The Revd Dr Susan Durber

____

Encircling God,
to you alone belong glory, honour and praise.
We join with the hosts of heaven as we worship.
You alone are worthy of adoration from every mouth,
and every tongue shall sing your praise.
You create the earth by your power;
you save humanity by your mercy,
and renew it through your grace.
To you, loving Encircling God,
Creator, Son and Spirit,
be all glory, honour and praise
now and for ever. Amen.

Father, Son, Holy Spirit,
living in harmony as one,
always on the move,
we confess to you the ways in which we refuse community,
by blaming others for conflict rather than examining ourselves,
by believing that we are better than others,
by looking down on people who are different.
Christ, have mercy:
Lord, have mercy.

We confess to you the ways in which we refuse movement,
resisting your call to change and grow,
clinging to the past,
holding onto things that clutter,
letting self-pity and anxiety rule our lives,
Christ, have mercy:
Lord, have mercy.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
your work together is always for our forgiveness and healing.
As you now receive us as we are,
so we too receive in our hearts, just as they are,
those we have injured or been injured by,
asking you to weave community between us
and to lead us into the future that you have prepared for us,
so that your work in creation may continue to flow in and through us.
Amen.

Encircling God
knowing that you forgive those who ask,
restore us now in your image
to the praise and glory of your name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Revd Nicola Furley-Smith

____

Almighty and eternal God,
from the depths of mystery you reveal yourself through the wonders of your creation.
As the generations have sung, we too look to the stars and listen to the ocean’s roar,
we too relish the greening of creation and the intricacy of the butterfly’s wing.
We too wonder at the works you have made and the life you have given.
Creating God, we worship you. We give you thanks.

As the generations have sung,
we too look to Jesus and discover you walking amongst us,
your word alive to heal and teach, to challenge and to bless.
We too wonder at his sacrifice for us upon the Cross and his rising from the tomb.
Risen and ascended Lord, we worship you. We give you thanks.

As the generations have sung, we too come in confession,
owning and admitting all within us that draws us away from you and from your purposes.
You long for creation’s restoration and humanity’s safety where we destroy and demean.
You teach us ways to be and we, so often, prefer our own ways and ignore the havoc that we shape.
Forgive us.

As the generations have sung,
we too discover the power of your Holy Spirit’s presence even as we falter.
You have redeemed and healed us through the love of Jesus Christ.
You assure us that we are forgiven and made new.
In the power of your Spirit we find our hope and rest and restoration.
To you be the thanks and the praise, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Revd Neil Thorogood

 

 

Prayers for Illumination

Before the ages, O God, You breathed over the formless void
and brought all things into being.
Breathe on us now, as we hear Your word read and proclaimed,
that we might hear, understand, and follow where You call. Amen.

The Revd Andy Braunston

____

O God of all light,
open the eyes of our hearts,
that we may see not only the marks of words on the page,
but their inner glory and eternal light,
as your holy Word is read and proclaimed.
In the name of God;
source of all light, light of the world and light of our hearts, Amen.

The Revd Dr Susan Durber

O God, the Three in One,
you draw us into your community of love
with people across the ages and around the world.
By the same Spirit that binds us together
speak to us that what we read and wonder
may enliven us and stretch us to trust and follow you;
through Christ our Saviour. Amen.

The Revd Nicola Furley-Smith

____

Open your holy Word to us,
God of comfort and challenge.
Let it be a word of life and hope,
a word that inspires us and guides us,
a word that dances in our hearts and lifts our minds.
Bless us with your Spirit,
that what we read now from scripture might become food for our souls and rations for our pilgrimage.
Bless us with new courage and renewed hope,
that as we read our Bibles,
we might know again that Jesus listens with us
and all creation is hushed to hear its maker’s word. Amen.

The Revd Neil Thorogood

Affirmations of Faith

Today, Eternal One, we rub the sleep from our eyes
and discover more of who You are.
Today You give well-aimed hammer-blows
at the clay jars of the gods we want,
the gods who reinforce our own pride or prejudice,
until they fall away and reveal You.
A different God, a dangerous God, a subversive God,
a God who comes to us like a beggar with wounded hands,
a God who comes to us in wind and fire,
in bread and wine, in flesh and blood: a God who says to us,
‘You did not choose me; I chose you.’

Today, O Christ, we rub the sleep from our eyes
and discover more of who You are.
We realise You don’t fit neatly into all our little categories –
if you did You’d simply be someone we’d invented,
a neat theological answer laid out on a cold slab
in response to age old questions.
We know that when You are laid on a slab, You rise again.

Today, O Spirit, we rub the sleep from our eyes
and discover more of who You are.
You are a signpost in the dark, pointing the way.
You are the assurance of love which holds us in our pain.
You are the flame which burns in our gloom.
You call us to be people of the light.

Today, Trinity, we rub the sleep from our eyes
and discover more of who You are.
Today You remind us that You always transcend our grasp,
even our most intelligent grasps.
We know, love, and adore You, Holy Trinity of Love. Amen.

adapted by Andy Braunston from words by NT Wright in For All God’s Worth: True Worship and the Calling of the Church
(Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997), p. 24.

 

____

We believe in the one God,
Eternal Trinity,
from whom, through whom and for whom all created things exist.
God alone we worship; in God we put our trust.
We worship God source and sustainer of creation,
whom Jesus called Father,
whose sons and daughters we are.

We worship God revealed in Jesus Christ,
the eternal Word of God made flesh;
who lived our human life,
died for sinners on the cross;
who was raised from the dead,
and proclaimed by the apostles, Son of God;
who lives eternally, as saviour and sovereign,
coming in judgement and mercy, to bring us to eternal life.

We worship God, ever present in the Holy Spirit;
who brings this Gospel to fruition,
assures us of forgiveness,
strengthens us to do God’s will,
and makes us sisters and brothers of Jesus,
sons and daughters of God.

We believe in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church,
united in heaven and on earth;
on earth, the Body of Christ,
empowered by the Spirit to glorify God and to serve humanity;
in heaven, eternally one with the power,
the wisdom and the love of God in Trinity.

We believe that, in the fullness of time,
God will renew and gather into one,
all things in heaven and on earth through Christ,
and be perfectly honoured and adored.

The United Reformed Church's Statement of Faith

Communion Prayers

The Eternal One be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Most High.
Let us give thanks to God’s Eternal Majesty.
It is right and just for us to offer praise.

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
holy, almighty, and eternal Majesty,
crucified, yet risen, Enfleshed Word,
Flame of Love breathing through all creation.
Three-in-One we praise and adore You,
revealing Yourself again and again in glory, suffering, and new life.
We, Your holy Church, acclaim You,
we, Your stumbling people thank You,
we, Your impaired witnesses cry to You.
Holy Trinity of Love, known to us in so many ways, yet one in being and equal in glory,
we join with the angels and archangels in their unending hymn of praise…

(adapted by Andy Braunston from the Church of England’s Preface for Trinity Sunday)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
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.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The Word was with God in the beginning.
Through the Word all things came to be,
not one thing had its being but through the Word.
All that came to be had life through the Word,
and that life was the light of humanity,
a light that shines in the gloom,
a light that the gloom could neither understand nor overpower.

The Word became flesh, and tabernacled amongst us.
He came to his own people, who did not accept him,
but to all who did accept him,
he gave power to become the children of God.

And now this Word, who was born not out of human stock,
or urge of the flesh, or will of a man,
but of God, comes to us in bread and wine.

For we remember the night, when Jesus,
the Enfleshed Word, born as one of us,
met with his friends and shared in the simplicity of a meal.
During the meal he took bread, blessed it, broke it
and gave it to his friends saying:

“Take this all of you and eat it, this is my body,
which is given for you, do this and remember me.”

In the same way after supper, he took the cup filled with wine,
gave thanks and gave it to his friends saying:

“Take this all of you and drink from it, for this is my blood,
the blood of the new and everlasting promise of God,
for you and for all people. Do this and remember me.”

Let's remember Jesus as we celebrate the central mystery of our faith......

Christ has died! Christ is Risen! Christ will come again!

Holy Spirit, Flame of Eternal Love,
come upon these simple gifts of bread and wine,
and, as we receive them, lift us beyond them into Your presence,
and enable us to enflesh Jesus in our lives.
Let us be, O Triune God, words which tell of Your Word,
lovers showing Your love, and heralds proclaiming Your presence,
that with all creation, we may sing of your praise for ever,
Eternal Majesty, Enfleshed Word, Abiding Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever, Amen.

The Revd Andy Braunston

Blessings

May the One who created all things, set the heavenly bodies in place,
moves the planets in their heavenly dance,
and who created you from star dust, bless you.

May the One who humbled himself to be born as one of us,
walked through the dust of earth,
endured betrayal, torture, and unjust death,
and rose from the grave,
wounded yet victorious, bless you.

May the One who danced at creation’s start,
who lifts us from the dust of our lives,
fills us with energy, joy, and laughter,
and who called the Church into being, bless you.

And the blessing of the Three-in-One, our Holy and Undivided Trinity,
be with you, and all whom you love, now and always, Amen.

The Revd Andy Braunston

Go in peace to love and serve God;
the holy and undivided trinity.

And the blessing of God;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be with you today and always, Amen.

The Revd Dr Susan Durber

____

God – Your love surrounds us
Christ – Your peace enfolds us
Spirit – Your breath awakens us

And the blessing of God Almighty
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Be amongst us and remain with us
This day and for evermore. Amen.

The Revd Nicola Furley Smith

____

Father and Mother to us,
Son and Saviour to us,
Spirit and Encourager to us;
bless us this day and in the days to come,
with bright hopes and deep joy,
with willing hearts and open minds,
to glimpse you at work,
and to follow where you take us.
May we know you and rejoice. Amen.

The Revd Neil Thorogood

Offertory

Worship always involves giving – making the effort to be here, to attentively listen, to open ourselves to God and our fellow worshippers, to pray for the needs of the world are all forms of giving. The Christian life is all about giving – giving up some of our own needs and desires in order to live as Christ calls us. In the process of giving and receiving we model the life of the Trinity whose self-giving love nurtures, sustains, and inspires us. Through the giving of our financial gifts we give practical expression to God’s work in our world and so we pray:

Eternal God, known to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
as Majesty, Word, and Flame of eternal love,
as one who creates, redeems, and sustains,
bless these gifts we offer for Your glory,
and make us into a people who work and yearn
for your Kingdom to come. Amen.

The Revd Andy Braunston

____

We offer to God;
the lives we lead each day,
the best of what we are and hope to be,
the resources we have and the money at our disposal.

God of all that is made,
take this money and make it holy,
fit for good work in the world.
Take our lives and equip us
for service among your people.
Take all that we have to offer this day
and make it a blessing for others. Amen

The Rev'd Dr Susan Durber

____

Accept O God, the offerings we seek to make
of ourselves, our money and our gifts
and grant that we may always work and pray
to build your kingdom of love, joy and peace.

The Revd Nicola Furley-Smith

Prayers of Approach, Confession and Forgiveness

Our tradition is, near the start of worship, to offer praise to God as well as to give a chance to reflect and ask for forgiveness for the times when we've got it wrong.  It is always good to be reminded of the fact that through the Cross we find forgiveness and liberation from all that drags us down.

 

YEAR A

God of all love, all truth, all mercy
we come to give praise to you for your love –
the love of Creator for the creation;
the love of Saviour for the broken;
the love of Comforter for the overwhelmed.

We come to spend time in your presence and with your Word.
The Word which is sharper than a two-edged sword –
keen, testing, and trustworthy.
We come to confess to you our failings, our foibles, our faults.

Forgive us, we pray – in your mercy make us new,
in your truth give us strength
and in your love set us on your way once again.

God came to earth in Jesus Christ – to speak words of love, mercy and truth.
He says to us ‘you are a beloved child of God – be made whole’.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

Yr A Ordinary 12 / Proper 7
The Revd Ruth Whitehead

____

We let Psalm 100 become the voice for our opening prayers:

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures for ever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.”

In your faithfulness, God of life and hope, hear our confession we pray.

We confess the words spoken and things done which have harmed us
and hurt others this week;
hasty words perhaps, unkind thoughts, acts of frustration.
We confess words never spoken and things undone
which have laid guilt upon us and left possibility incomplete;
words of kindness or challenge left unsaid,
acts of justice or generosity thought about but never acted upon.

We look beyond ourselves, and confess that your good creation
and your beautiful human family all too often are broken by sin and wrecked by evil.
Lord, forgive us.
Forgive the things we know and the things we haven’t noticed.
Lift from us the guilt we carry.
Set us free to serve you with joy and passion.
Renew, restore, begin again your good news within us. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Jesus, you have come to save us.
Help us to hold, deep within our hearts, the truth that all can be saved,
the most lost can be found, the most broken can be mended.
We lay hold of this wonder, and let the wonder of your forgiveness renew us now.
Through the power of your Spirit at work within each one of us. Amen.

Yr A Ordinary 11 / Proper 6
The Revd Neil Thorogood

____

God of all creation, with the hands of an artist,
you weave beauty and life throughout all you create;

from the splendour of the mountains,
to the delicate flowers of the valley,

from the fathomless depths of the seas,
to the soaring song of the birds of the skies

from the blessing of food reaped from the earth
to the embrace of a loved one’s arms –

in all this that we see and hear,
taste, smell and touch,
we can discover you, O God,
for your persistently loving and creative presence
infuses all reality,
never further from our experience
than the next unfolding moment.

Short pause

Too often, we dull our senses
to the beauty that surrounds us,
we deny your divine light,
within and without,
we seek shortcuts to acquiring
the things we believe will bring happiness,
all the while riding roughshod
over the earth, its creatures and people.

Forgive us.

Short pause

God made flesh and blood,
in the beauty, mystery and wonder of incarnation,
you have revealed yourself most fully –
offering grace upon grace upon grace.

May we, by the power of your Holy Spirit
be enabled to live from your divine light within,
and like Jesus, in union with you,
reach the fullness of our humanity –
people of love, justice and mercy, Amen.

 

Yr A Ordinary 14/Proper 9
The Rev'd Jonnie Hill

____

Generous God,
we praise you for the generosity in giving your word of life to us.
From the pages of Scripture we read your word.
In the life of Jesus we see your word.
In the power of your Holy Spirit we live your word.
Your word that is light in our darkness,
security in our confusion,
and hope in our exploration.
Your word that transforms our lives.

Generous God may your Word be heard in our hearts that we might love you.
Generous God may your Word sound in our souls that we might worship you.
Generous God may your Word echo in our mind that we might embrace you.
Generous God may your Word speak to our strength that we might follow you. Amen.

Loving God, we ask for your forgiveness for the times we have blocked your voice
by refusing to listen or ignoring your call.

Loving God, we ask that your spirit of wisdom will allow your voice to flow
so that we may hear and know your word and respond to your call.

Loving God, we confess that at times we are afraid of what you may ask us to do
afraid that your call will be too hard for us to respond to.

Loving God, Enable us to be all that we can be, to do all that we can do,
to live in response to your love. Amen.

The Word of God in Christ Jesus
has set us free from the law of sin and death.
Therefore there is now no condemnation for you who are in Christ Jesus.
Your sins are forgiven; be at peace. Amen.

Yr A Ordinary 15 / Proper 10
The Revd Nicola Furley-Smith

____

Blessed and loving God,
God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob,
God of Rebecca and Rachel and Mary – and Jesus,
we worship and praise you – faithful, trustworthy God.
We praise you for your commitment to the world you love;
we praise you for your promises
to bring salvation and healing to your world;
We praise you that in Jesus Christ heaven and earth
are connected and bound together,
open to each other and united in your love.

Confession and Pardon

O God, we need you to open up a way between
heaven and earth, for our world lies separated from you,
turned in upon itself, resistant to you.
And we confess that we are turned in ourselves,
and we turn away from you and from our neighbour
and from your call.
O God come to us in your forgiving love;
open our lives to you and your Holy Spirit
and make us your dwelling place.
We pray in Jesus’ name and we pray in the words
Jesus taught us, saying together… Amen.

 

Yr A Ordinary 16 / Proper 11
The Revd Lance Stone

YEAR C

Approach

We come to you, Eternal One, our rock and our salvation, to worship,
to find, in the wilderness of our lives, water from the rock and bread from heaven.

We approach you, O Christ, divinity embodied, coming in awe and wonder,
finding in your Way, love and grace, water from the rock and bread from heaven.

We feel your presence, O Spirit, energy of all creation,
knowing you form us as a mason works stone into things of beauty,
living stones which reflect Your glory,
given water from the rock and bread from heaven.

Confession

As we come to You in worship, Eternal One,
we gaze upon You and become aware of our lack of holiness.
We become conscious of the times when our lives
have reflected malice and guile instead of kindness and grace;
insincerity and envy, instead of honesty and sharing;
slander and quarrelling, instead of love and peace;
we demand milk instead of feasting on the meat of Your Word.

Give us time to change O God,
time to see ourselves as we really are – beautiful yet in need of work;
living stones yet in need of polishing, glorious, yet fallen. Amen.

Affirmation of Forgiveness

As of old when:

the Eternal One forgave the quarrelsome disobedient pilgrim people;
the Lord Jesus forgave those who hardened their hearts;
the Holy Spirit forgave the living stones who didn’t wish to be changed;

so God forgives you, and gives you the grace to change your lives.

Have courage, forgive yourselves and change!

Yr C Ordinary 12/Proper 7 Year C
The Revd Andy Braunston

____

The Psalmist cries, “I cry aloud to God, aloud to God that they may hear me.” Holy One, we are met in your presence, to glorify you, creator of all that was, all that is, and all that shall be.

Here, today, we call to mind your deeds, remembering your works of old,
your action in all creation. Your way is holy, no one and no created thing can be as great as you.

You redeemer of creation call us to follow you, as we follow in the way of your Son.

“In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.”

Holy One, life can be far from easy. Our minds, bodies, and souls can be restless and wearied. We recognise in your presence those aspects of ourselves that prevent us from loving you with heart, mind, soul, and strength, and loving neighbour as ourselves.

Transform us into the best versions of ourselves, the people you created and call us to be. Show us again how to be disciples of the risen Christ, ready to do his work in the world, empowered and strengthened by the Holy Spirit.

We join together in the prayer that Jesus taught his friends and teaches us

Our Father…

Yr C Ordinary 13 / Proper 8
The Revd Sarah Moore

____

God, of all that is and is yet to be
We thank you for this amazing world in which we live
For the diversity of the whole of creation
For the ways in which we can experience
what you have made through our different sense.

We praise you that you encounter your people,
In every age, in every place, in every setting
We praise you that you make no distinction between one person and the next
And that we are all made on your image.
We praise your faithfulness to those who have gone before us,
For your faithfulness to us today, and we trust in your faithfulness for tomorrow

God your love knows no bounds and your mercy know no limits
You embrace us and offer forgiveness and healing to all.
God, forgive us for the ways that we discriminate and exclude,
consciously or unconsciously.
Forgive us for the limits and conditions
we set on your love, mercy, and forgiveness.
Forgive us for our lack of imagination
that reduces you to simply what we can perceive.
Forgive us when we take without thinking
and forget to share without counting.
Fill us with Lord, with your peace and mercy
Free us from the destruction of our behaviour
and restore us to a life lived in you. AmenPeace!
Peace is what we receive from God
when we know our sins are forgiven
Peace is what we have when we know
we are not alone through the ups and downs of life’s journey
In Jesus, we have received forgiveness
and we have been restored to newness of life.
So, peace be with you.
Thanks be to God
Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 14 / Proper 9
The Revd Catherine McFie

____

O Most High, source of all truth,
we come to worship, learn, and reflect.

O Most High, love embodied in radical action,
You lifted up the lowly,
showed concern to the marginalised,
and dignified the shamed,
we come to be changed that we may be agents of change.

O Most High, energy of all creation,
You inspire and lead us to see what is really going on,
to uncover that which has been hidden,
to bring to light to those things which are done in the dark,
we come to be empowered that we may bring Your healing.

O Most High,
You are faithful and we are unfaithful;
You expose the truth, yet we prepare to turn away from it;
You embody dignity and worth, yet we prefer sin and shame;
You free and heal the victims, yet we prefer to blame them;
You invite us to be disturbed, yet we prefer the comfort of ignorance.

We are sorry,
give us the grace to turn our lives around,
and the time to bring about real change. Amen.

Here is good news:
Like a father God runs to welcome home the estranged,
like a mother God gathers us into a tender loving embrace,
like a rock God is trustworthy and secure.
Know that God forgives you; have the strength to forgive yourselves. Amen!

Yr C Ordinary 17 / Proper 12
The Revd Andy Braunston

____

Loving God,
as we sit here and try to let go of some of the anxieties we have
and focus our minds and still our thoughts,
we come in grateful thanks for your love in our lives
and for your presence within, around, beside and beyond us.
You are more than we can ever imagine.
You are bigger than the universe and all that is,
your love is greater than anything we can even begin
to envisage and understand.
You commanded the world into being
and blessed all that you had made - every single thing.
You showed your love for us all through prophets and peoples,
words and actions, hopes and dreams.
We see glimpses of your kin-dom:
in a gentle touch,
a kind word,
a symbolic handshake
or a uniting event;
in a relationship that affirms
and in love given that does not expect anything in return.
In Christ you showed us how we are to live and love and be
and what your world should be about:
justice, wholeness, peace, joy, care-fullness,
challenging that which oppresses,
celebrating that which enables and builds up,
walking with those we have nothing in common with,
accepting all as fellow human being journeying on
and limiting our judgment.

And yet, even with a teacher as amazing as Jesus, we struggle;
even with prophets as blessed as Elijah, we fail to listen and respond; even with all the evidence we can see before us and all around us,
we fail to live your way.

God who wills good for us despite our shortcomings, we are sorry.
For the times our words and actions have divided,
have been selfish, have worked against your will.
For the times our ideas have taken over and stifled
the blowings of your Spirit.
For the times when our sense of what is right and good,
successful and best have strayed from your ideal and your way.
For when what we have has become more important than who we are.
For our self-absorption and need for control.
As individuals and as members of the one common humanity,
we confess our sins, our shortcomings, our failings.
We are sorry that this world does not look as you would want
and for our part in that.
We seek your guidance to make changes –
personally, locally and globally,
so we can work more faithfully
to be bringers of your word, will and way.

SILENCE

Jesus said: Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Let us lose the anxiety, embrace the future and trust in God.
Let us turn again to Christ and commit to live love.
We wrap this all up by saying the Lord’s Prayer…

Yr C Ordinary 18 / Proper 13
The Revd Jenny Mills

 

____

Awesome God,
when we consider your creating power, we stand amazed.
You spoke, and worlds came into being:
the star-spangled universe,
the beautiful green-blue earth,
the expanse of the heavens,
stretching beyond our imagination
the abundance of nature on land and in seas,
from the tiniest insect to the great beasts
that dwell in forest and savanna,
from minnows to the great whales
that frolic in the seas,
everyone the work of your hands.

Awesome God
when we consider that out of dust
you created human beings, we stand amazed.
Flesh and bone, muscle and sinew, life and breath, all working in harmony;
each unique and precious, the same yet different, gloriously diverse.

Awesome God,
we barely dare to stand before you -
you who are both mystery and yet present with us.
And yet you call us to you.
You open your arms to greet us.
In Jesus you share our lives;
our sorrows and joys,
our disappointments and anxieties,
our hopes and dreams.

Awesome God,
we respond to your call and come to worship you.

And even as we sing your praise
and reflect on your goodness
we are aware of our own shortcomings and failures.
Though we seek to follow Jesus, we often give up when the path is hard,
We follow our own desires instead of listening to your voice.
We harden our hearts to the needs of others and put ourselves first.
We bring to you what we would have you change in us

Silence is kept

Awesome God,
love is your nature and forgiveness freely given.
Renew and restore us to live your ways and be your people Amen.

With thanksgiving we accept your mercy and grace,
newness of life and endless fresh beginnings.
Gracious God let us trust in your words of healing and life.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is Your love for those who fear You;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far have You removed our transgressions from us. Amen

Yr C Ordinary 19 / Proper 14
The Revd Dr Marion Tugwood

____

Based on verses from Psalm 82 – two voices could be used – one to read the verse of the Psalm and one to lead the prayer.

v1 God takes his stand in the council of heaven.

Living God, You created all of heaven and earth, and we bow our heads before your power and your might. Loving God, You came to us in Jesus Christ so that we might see you in flesh and blood teaching and healing dying and rising.

v2-4 "How long will you judge unjustly, and show favour to the wicked? Save the weak and the orphan; defend the humble and needy; rescue the weak and the poor; deliver them from the power of the wicked.

God whose Spirit brings your word to life for us, help us to hear and respond to your challenge. Make us those who live for justice, who defend and save the weak, who deliver others from wickedness.

v5 They do not know, neither do they understand; they go about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

God forgive us when we fail to hear and understand your commands. Give us a fresh start this day and each day we live, that our lives may declare your greatness.

v8 Arise, O God, and rule the earth, for you shall take all nations for your own.

God, all-holy, all-loving, all-merciful, be present in your people and bring your rule to all the earth. In the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Yr C Ordinary 20 / Proper 15
The Revd Ruth Whitehead

____

Eternal One,
we give you thanks and praise
for the invitation you give to each of us to join you at the feast.
At your table we gather:

rich and poor,
saint and sinner,
old and young,
healthy and frail,
black and white,
women and men,

made in your image, loved to the core of our beings,
invited to feast with you and with each other,
as a sign of radical love and equality.

Yet we realise, O God,
we have swapped Your glory for that which does not last:
offered Your plenty, we turn our backs and wander into the wilderness;
offered Your richness we prefer the poverty of dark drought;
offered Your abundant blessings we defile our land.
We value that which has no real worth and so we see ourselves as worthless;
lacking Your wisdom we choose politicians, priests, and princes
like cracked cisterns that spill precious resources, and there is no health in us.

Yet You, Eternal One,
raise the lowly,
invite to Your table those who can’t repay You,
reward the righteous,
and make all people welcome.

Forgive us when we turn away from You, and all You offer us;
forgive us, and give us time to change. Amen.

Words of Healing

The good Lord offers us healing, wholeness and welcome;
all are welcome to recline at His table,
to join with the outcast and feast with Him.
So turn from Your pride and fear, embrace the One who runs to welcome you home.
You are forgiven; have the courage to forgive yourself. Amen.

 

Yr C Ordinary 22 / Proper 17
The Revd Andy Braunston

____

Creator God,
at the very beginning,
you formed humankind from the clay of the earth
and breathed your life into our inmost parts.

In Jesus,
you revealed your truest likeness
loving, healing and forgiving
– showing us all we can be when we put love first.

Your Spirit,
like a potter at the wheel,
continues your artistic work today,
shaping and moulding our clay-like form
prompting and drawing us
ever more toward love and beauty, justice and peace.

As we gather,
may we centre ourselves in you,
may we be drawn into the great mystery and wonder
of your Holy Trinity,
may we be refreshed and renewed
as we encounter divine presence here in our midst. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

Holy One,
fearfully and wonderfully made as we are,
we struggle to live from the truth
of our infinite worth in your sight.

Short silence

We have failed in the cause of self-giving love,
valuing our own comfort and security
above that of the common good.

Short silence

We have ravaged our beautiful earth,
trading the integrity of creation
for material goods and wealth.

Short silence

We have judged harshly,
excluding those who do not fit
our predetermined and partial expectations.

Forgive us.

Short silence

God of grace and new beginnings,
heal us,
make us whole,
free us to live ever more in the likeness of Christ
we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness

Friends,
let us proclaim good news to one another.
In Christ we are forgiven,
thanks be to God.

 

Yr C Ordinary 23 / Proper 18
The Revd Jonnie Hill

____

 

Eternal God,
we come seeking you, but not to test you,
nor in finding you to bind you to an image or a gesture.
We need from you no tricks to prove you exist.
No miracles.
Just a clearer sense of your love,
by which all things are made
and we are each brought to completion.
Let it be so, in this sacred hour,
and in our every hour,
through Jesus Christ, Amen.

Prayer of Confession

“Fools say in their hearts, ‘there is no God’.”

God, you are beyond our ken; your ways are not our ways, and your thoughts are not our thoughts; for you are very big, ‘a sun without a sphere, and a sea without a shore.’

And that’s right. Why would we put trust in a god so small that the poor reach of our mind could contain you?

But to acknowledge your mystery is not to deny your existence; nor to refute that you are responsible for ours; less still, is it to pretend that we do not need you.

So, with the Psalmist, we are sorry when we live as if we aren’t accountable to you – as if our lives aren’t examined by your call to truth, justice and love.

We regret any time that we fail to see you in people who are poor, people who are marginalised, people who are disadvantaged, people who are weak. In this penitential moment, we confess how our abuse of those around us is an affront to you, the one who is within us.

Above all, we confess how our disrespect and naïveté, our pride and hypocrisy, our self-sufficiency too often give the impression that we do not seek to do your will, to enjoy your freedom, or to accept your salvation.

Silence

By the work of your Spirit in us we ask you to preserve us from that folly which says there is no God, and rather to look to you to deliver us and restore our fortunes, that we might rejoice and be glad.

Assurance of Forgiveness

‘The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.’ Your sins are forgiven for his sake. Thanks be to God.
I Timothy 1.15

Yr C Ordinary 24 / Proper 19
The Rev'd Nigel Uden

 

____

From west and east, from south and north, we come to worship you O Ancient of Days,
to enjoy Your peace,
to rest in your presence,
and to praise Your holy Name.

From the ends of the earth, O Christ, Your Church gathers this day:
not only to praise - but to learn;
not only to rest - but to change;
not only to enjoy - but to be disturbed.

From the mess of our own lives and loves You call us O Spirit,
in churches and chapels,
around screens and speakers,
on pew or easy chair,
to rely on you, not mammon.

Yet our world, O God, loves wealth and practices deceit,
tramples the poor and needy,
creates unfair systems which value silver and gold over humanity.

Yet you are a God who never forgets these things,
a God from whom we cannot hide,
a God who calls us to do better, to create a fairer world.
Give us time, O God, to change,
time to turn away from our greed and selfishness, time to repent.

Silence

Amen

Declaration of Forgiveness

The Eternal One is faithful and just,
showering us with extravagant love and kindness in Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit moves amongst us allowing us to know we are forgiven,
giving us time to change, and the courage to make a difference;
so know this loving kindness and forgive yourselves.

Yr C Ordinary 25 / Proper 20
The Revd Andy Braunston

____

Prayer of Adoration

Loving and gracious God,
you are the source of all goodness,
on earth and in heaven.
We praise you for your love for each one of us,
love seen in the offering of yourself in your Son Jesus Christ,
love that surrounds and uplifts us in our struggles and suffering.
We praise you that you touch our lives with your Holy Spirit,
bringing us healing from the things that wound us
and giving us the courage to try new ways of living.
Living God, one in three and three in one,
we praise you that you invite us to share in the relationship of love of the Holy Trinity,
reaching out in love to those we meet day by day.
But as we come before you, we are also aware of our own shortcomings.
We turn to our prayer of confession.

Prayer of Confession

Gracious God,
Forgive us when we forget your life-giving presence,
and live in ways that are not full of life.
Forgive us when, in the midst of all that we have to be thankful for,
even in the midst of the most difficult times,
we forget to offer you our thanks and praise.
Forgive us when we get caught up in arguments with one another,
instead of listening to you and to each other.

A moment of silence for reflection on what we regret in our own lives.

Words of Forgiveness

God knows your voice;
God hears your cry for mercy;
God turns his ear toward you.
God is gracious and righteous,
God is full of compassion;
in your need God has saved you.
Be at peace God forgives you, through Jesus Christ. Amen

 

Yr C Ordinary 28 / Proper 23
The Revd Dr Elizabeth Welch

____

God of many names,
those revealed in scripture – Mother, Father, Christ, Spirit -
and those known personally to us.

God, we proclaim your holy names,
longing to know you more fully,
yet aware that any name we invoke
can never capture your true likeness.

Holy Mystery, loving Saviour, creative Source,
in you we discover our own true name – beloved child,
one in whom you are well pleased.

Open our hearts, that as we come to meet you in worship.
we might be reminded of your words of grace
– those pronounced over us at baptism.

As we encounter your divine presence now,
may our souls be saturated in your love,
may we be strengthened in faith
and empowered for loving service.

We pray, in all your holy names – one God in perfect unity,Amen.

God of grace and mercy,
very often, confession does not come easily.
We would rather not admit our mistakes,
prefer not to air our dirty laundry,
whether in private or in public.

But somehow, deep down, we recognise,
confession as that necessary first step,
an admission of how things truly are,
which offers freedom and the possibility of all we might become.

Help us now, in a moment of silence,
to be honest about ourselves,
to admit how things truly are,
we come seeking healing and wholeness.

silence

God, forgive us, we pray, and help us to forgive ourselves.

silence

God of grace and new mercies, remind us once again,
that in Christ, we are forgiven.
We are freed from all that is passed,
and offered the fullness of new life.
Thanks be to God, Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 29 / Proper 22
The Revd Jonnie Hill

____

Loving God, You have created all that is.
You love all that you have created.
You look and see that it is good.
We are a small part of your creation.
You love all of us. Even when we do not live as you desire.
You are almighty, Lord. You are wonderful.
You are beyond our understanding and our true comprehension.
Bigger than we can imagine and yet more caring than we deserve.
You know us all, as we are, and still, even when we struggle to love ourselves,
you let us know we are precious to you.
You chose your people to grow-
leading them through journeying and exile and betrayal and redemption.
And when they still failed to live as you had taught them through the prophets,
you gave your Son to show the way to real life.
And when he had to die to show the world the breadth and depth of your love,
still you gave your people more through your Holy Spirit:
guide and strength and sustainer.

Today you keep calling your people to live as you desire.
To seek righteousness and justice,
to live lives caring for each other and sharing all we have.

Yet still today we fail, as so many have before, and you do not turn away -
you are always allowing us the chance to repent and be forgiven.

We know we have not lived as you want us to –
we have failed in thoughts, words and deeds,
through what we have done and what we have left undone.

We have told others how to behave when scarcely thinking about our own behaviour.
We have considered ourselves the permanent top priority
and hardly given a thought for those who should be there.
We have judged ourselves in need help
when we have failed to look and see that others may need help, too.
For all the times we have chosen the path that has separated us from you,
we ask for forgiveness and the chance to start again.

silence

Let us be open to the prompting of your Holy Spirit
and to open our hearts to change, to reconsider, to listen more closely
and live more faithfully.

Jesus said: ‘come to me all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’
We come. Help us to let go of the burden of self-righteousness and to let you in
and allow you to speak to our souls and know ourselves forgiven, loved and free.
Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 30 / Proper 25
The Revd Jenny Mills

____

Prayer With Focusing Movement

A movement is offered for the congregation to make while saying the words which open the prayer. It is suggested you invite people to try the movement before formally joining in prayer.

Learning the movement: Invite people to point back over their shoulders with both hands, whilst saying: God of the past who has fathered and mothered us. Then to point forward with both hands, whilst saying: God of the future who is always ahead of us. Then to hold both hands in front of you, palms upward and fingers open, as you say: God of the present, who is here in the midst of us. Please let the congregation know that they are welcome to join in the movement or to remain sitting still, as they feel comfortable. Don’t rush the movements or words. Offer easy pace to think about them as you say and do them.

Holy One, we pray…
God of the past who has fathered and mothered us (point behind)
God of the future who is always ahead of us (point in front)
God of the present, who is here in the midst of us (hands open)
God of all time, we offer you our worship and praise.

We gather in this moment bringing with us:
joy and sadness from our past,
hope and fear for our future,
faith and doubt in the present.
God of all time,
You have seen our love and fear.
You have seen our prejudice and acceptance.
You can see our self-loathing and our kindness.
God of all time and beyond time, help us always to trust in your love.
As we look to the past, grant us wisdom and insight.
As we look to the future, inspire us with vision and hope.
As we live in the present, transform us with your love which knows no limits.
We unite our prayers together in the Lord’s prayer,
using the form of words most worshipful for us…

Yr C Ordinary 32 / Proper 27
The Revd Fiona Bennett

Prayers for Illumination

When the Church celebrates Holy Communion we have an epiclesis - in other words a prayer to the Holy Spirit asking that the bread and wine are transformed from all common use and that, through this earthly food we are raised to the heavenly places and fed with God's own self.  In the Reformed tradition we pray that the Holy Spirit will break open the readings and sermon that through them we may hear Jesus, God's eternal word.  A prayer for illumination is a prayer for understanding as the Word is read and proclaimed.

 

YEAR A

Loving God we seek your face,
your voice and your way
as we turn to your word.
Shine on us, speak to us and guide us we pray.
Amen

Yr A Ordinary 12 / Proper 7
The Revd Ruth Whitehead

____

Holy Spirit, come to us as we open the Bible.
Take these ancient words and let them live.
Take each of us as we read and as we listen.
Inspire, encourage and equip us to follow Christ.  Amen.

Yr A Ordinary 11 / Proper 6
The Revd Neil Thorogood

____

Spirit of God,
among us, and within us,
may the true living Word be made manifest
in the sharing of words
ancient, yet alive to us now
through your power and presence, Amen.

 

Yr A Ordinary 14/Proper 9
The Rev'd Jonnie Hill

____

O Lord, your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.
Give us grace to receive your truth in faith and love,
and strength to follow on the path you set before us;
may your kingdom come and your will be done.
In the name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Yr A Ordinary 15 / Proper 10
The Revd Nicola Furley-Smith

 

YEAR C

Break open Your Word to us,
O Rock of our salvation,
that as we hear, ponder and understand,
You may shatter our resistance to Your uncontainable word,
that we may follow You wherever You call.
Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 12/Proper 7 Year C
The Revd Andy Braunston

____

O Lord our God, your Word is a lamp to our feet
and a light to our path.
Give us grace to receive your truth in faith and love,
that we may be obedient to your will
and live always for your glory;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 13 / Proper 8
The Revd Sarah Moore

____

Loving God, Spirit of Wisdom and Truth,
Break through our drowsiness,
Break through our stubborn-ness,
Break through our prejudice,
Break through our comfort-level,
Break open your Word
That our lives might be turned towards your Glory. Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 15 / Proper 10
The Revd Phil Nevard

____

Open your Word to us, O God,
as we listen to Scripture and introduction,
proclamation and challenge,
words - ancient and modern,
that in our hearing and thinking,
our reflecting and resolving,
we may see how to change our world.  Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 17 / Proper 12
The Revd Andy Braunston

____

O God,
open out ears to Your Word;
open our hearts to Your Love;
open our minds to Your wisdom.
As we hear the Scriptures,
let us know You speaking to us.
Let us see Jesus showing Your way.
Let Your Spirit move us to action in the world.
Open our ears, our hearts, our minds. Amen

 

Yr C Ordinary 19 / Proper 14
The Revd Dr Marion Tugwood

 

____

Speak to us in your holy word,
that we may know Jesus the living Word
and show your grace in all our words. Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 20 / Proper 15
The Revd Ruth Whitehead

____

Hear O people, listen for God’s word

in reading and sermon,
in song and silence,
in bread and wine,
in saint and sinner,

broken open for us, that we might live. Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 22 / Proper 17
The Revd Andy Braunston

____

Spirit of God,
present now in each of us,
bring forth truth
from ancient words spoken and heard,
as we seek to follow in the way of Christ
the eternal living Word. Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 23 / Proper 18
The Revd Jonnie Hill

____

Eternal God, we are aware that sometimes our unbelief is born of ignorance. As we turn to the Scriptures now, we pray that your Holy Spirit will interpret them to us, so we discover the grace of our Lord overflowing for us with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.  Amen

after I Timothy 1.13-14

Yr C Ordinary 24 / Proper 19
The Rev'd Nigel Uden

____

Challenge us by your Word, O God
as it is read and proclaimed,
pondered and wrestled with,
embodied in our lives
and enfleshed in the things we love,
that we may hear, understand, and respond. Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 25 / Proper 20
The Revd Andy Braunston

____

Spirit of life, bearer of truth,
dwell now in our hearts and open our minds,
that as we hear scripture read, and the word preached,
Sophia, divine wisdom personified might be heard and received. Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 29 / Proper 22
The Revd Jonnie Hill

Affirmations of Faith

It is good to remind ourselves of aspects of our belief.  We will never encapsulate all we believe in any simple statement but to reflect on our beliefs in the context of the theme for the day can be useful.

YEAR A

We believe in God,
who shapes and creates all that is,
whose touch is traced in creation’s wonders.

We believe in Jesus Christ,
Son of God and risen Saviour,
whose heart welcomes all,
in whose life we find all that life can be.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
evocative and inspiring,
troubling and challenging,
our teacher and guide.

We believe in the Church,
the Body of Christ,
fallible and faltering,
wise and welcoming,
our home,
sign of God’s love made real in community.

We believe in callings,
ours and our neighbours,
to be and to become the children of God,
to be witnesses to God’s love,
to be carers and workers,
to be allies in all that lets life flourish upon God’s good Earth.

Yr A Ordinary 11 / Proper 6
The Revd Neil Thorogood

YEAR C

We believe in God the creator,
maker of sea and sand,
of waterfall and winding pathway,
bringer of apples on trees and carrots in the ground.
Who breathed life into birds, fish, animals and insects,
who equally loves us, starfish, fir trees and slugs.

We believe in Jesus Christ,
who lived on earth to show us how to live.
Who taught love, patience, peaceful protest and compassion.
Whose way is open to all, encouraging welcome, inclusion, diversity and justice.
Who gave of himself
so that God’s love may be seen, heard, felt and known in this world.

We believe in the Spirit
that blows wherever there is life.
That touches hearts and inspires minds,
that encourages creativity and dance,
laughter and uncontrollable giggles,
silly faces and simple paintings.
We trust in the Spirit to
guide, trouble, challenge, lead, enable and comfort.

We believe in God: community three in one
showing us the need for relationships, communication,
tolerance, accepting difference,
valuing each other and trusting one another.

We believe in heaven on earth, here and now.
We believe we all have a part to play
in being, bringing and celebrating the love of God,
joining in with where God is already at work.
This we do because of all we have received and all we know.
This we do as we anticipate the world finally becoming true to the vision
of ultimate peace, joy and love being the way of the world.
This we do because God is.

 

Yr C Ordinary 18 / Proper 13
The Revd Jenny Mills

____

We believe that God is the God of all time and space: filling all things, yet close to each one of us -
Creator, Father and ground of all being

We believe that God came to us in Jesus Christ: flesh of our flesh, yet fully God -
Saviour, Son and redeemer of the world.

We believe that God send the Holy Spirit: fire and wind, yet soft as a whisper -
Sustainer, Spirit and power of the Church

We believe that we are God’s people: falling and failing, yet redeemed and forgiven -
made in God’s image to proclaim God’s glory.

Yr C Ordinary 20 / Proper 15
The Revd Ruth Whitehead

____

Today, we affirm our faith that we cannot serve both God and wealth.

Yet we recognise that’s hard. Prices are rising faster than wages and pensions; we worry about the power, fuel, and food bills and, despite fine words about trusting in God, we are worried. We struggle to remember that, even in these times, we cannot serve both God and wealth.

The One we follow, left the richness of heaven for the poverty of earth. Living a simple life, owning very little, he challenged the rich and powerful reminding them that, we cannot serve both God and wealth.

The Spirit who formed the earliest Church, and called them to live in community sharing their wealth, calls us to use our resources to relieve poverty, challenge the comfortable, and change our economic systems because we cannot serve both God and wealth.

From before the ages the Eternal One calls us to live justly, to love righteousness, to lift up the poor and broken, and work for the coming of the Kingdom where we will no longer try to serve both God and wealth.

Until then we work and pray for change, so that the pain and oppression of our world will be transformed into justice and joy and we will forget that we ever attempted to serve both God and wealth.

 

Yr C Ordinary 25 / Proper 20
The Revd Andy Braunston

Communion Prayers

There are a variety of ways in which we celebrate the Lord's Supper; sometimes with sung, sometimes with spoken responses, other times with simplicity.  In our tradition Communion prayers will always recall Jesus' words at the Last Supper "this is my body, this is my blood" and will have a prayer to the Holy Spirit to transform the bread and wine into signs of God's presence amongst us.

YEAR A

Jesus often shared food and drink with those he loved.
Outcasts and ne'er-do-wells, fishermen and tax-collectors,
deniers and traitors, his friends and his family.
Today, Jesus wants to share bread and wine with you.
So I invite you now to prepare yourself to eat and drink with each other and with him.

Lift up your hearts
We lift them up to the Lord

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

Generous host,
you made the whole world for us to enjoy and to share.
You came in Jesus to teach us how to be your guests.
Your Spirit joins us together in the joy of hospitality.
So we praise you, 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.

Come to us where we are, God our Host,
worshipping, may we meet around your table
as we remember Jesus, who, on the night before he died,
took bread and wine, blessed them
and gave them to his invited guests,
saying: 'This is my body; this is my blood.
Eat and drink to remember me.'
And I invite you to join with me in saying:

Pour out your Holy Spirit,
on this bread and this wine; and on these your people.
May we worship you with body, heart and spirit
online and face to face,
now and in the whole of our lives. Amen.

Let us proclaim together the mystery of faith.

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

As Jesus taught his friends, let us pray together: Our Father…

Among friends, gathered around a table, Jesus took bread and broke it and said,
‘This is my body, broken for you.’

Later he took a cup of wine and said,
‘This is the new relationship with God made possible because of my death.
Take it, all of you, to remember me.’
So eat this bread. It is the bread of life
And drink this wine. It is the cup of blessing.

Prayer after Communion

Loving God, you have fed us generously at this table,
as we have remembered Jesus and rejoiced that he is with us today.
We hear your call to follow him, and to be your people in the world.
May your Holy Spirit show us the way, make us holy and fill us with love.

Yr A Ordinary 10 / Proper 5
The Revd Sarah Hall

 

YEAR C

The Lord be with you;
and also with you!

Lift up your hearts:
we lift them up to the Lord!

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God:
It is right to give our thanks and praise!

O Most High we give You our thanks and praise,
for before the ages You created our world and all that is therein,
in the dawn of time You created women and men to reflect your glory,
to be integral to Your created order.

In due time You called a people to be Your own,
You rescued them from slavery and led them dry shod through the sea,
in the wilderness You led them by fire and cloud,
fed and gave them drink,
nurtured them through precious Law,
and taught them to honour Your ways of justice.

In the Promised Land You raised up judges to protect Your People,
You gave them kings when they asked and,
through the prophets, taught them to hope for salvation.
You sustained them in the bitterness of exile,
and reformed Your people in new found freedom.
In the fullness of time You raised up Jesus from them.

Jesus proclaimed:
good news to the poor,
release to the captives,
recovery of sight to the blind,
freedom for the oppressed,
and the year of God’s favour.
yet he was
ridiculed and doubted,
tried and tortured,
mocked and killed,
and placed in a borrowed tomb.

But You, O Most High, raised him from the dead,
breaking the power of injustice and sin,
and seated Him in glory at your side.

And so, with all the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven,
we praise Your holy name as we sing:

Holy, holy, holy the Lord! God of endless power and might.
The earth, the heavens are full of your love, sing hosanna! Glory to God.

Blest is He, the One who is sent, in the name of God the Most High,
O holy, holy, holy our Lord, sing hosanna! Glory to God.

(Sanctus by URC Minister the Rev’d Michael Forster
and set to the folk tune Scarborough Fair)

On the night before he died,
Jesus shared in the simplicity of a meal with his friends,
taking the common things of bread and wine,
he prayed the ancient blessings,
broke the bread, gave it to His friends saying:

take this all of you and eat it,
this is my body which is broken for you.

After the meal Jesus took the wine, gave thanks for it and gave it to his friends saying:

take this all of you and drink from it,
this is the cup of my blood,
the blood of the new and everlasting covenant,
it will be shed for you and for all,
so that sins may be forgiven.
Do this in memory of me.

Let us proclaim the central mystery of our faith:

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again

Come, O Holy Spirit and transform these simple gifts of bread and wine,
that as we eat and drink we are lifted into your presence.

Come, O Holy Spirit, and transform us,
that as Your people we will see the world as it really is, and seek to change it.

Come, O Holy Spirit, and renew the face of the Earth.

These are God’s gifts for God’s people; come and join the feast!

O Lamb of God, you take away our sins;
Have mercy, Lamb of God, have mercy.

O Lamb of God, You take away our sins;
Have mercy, Lamb of God, have mercy.

O Lamb of God, you take away our sins;
have mercy, Lamb of God, and grant us peace.

Lamb of God (traditional liturgical words)
arranged by John Ballentine for the tune Plaisir D’Amour

Post Communion Prayer

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless God’s holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all God’s benefits.

Loving God,
we thank you that you have fed us in this sacrament,
united us with Christ,
and given us a foretaste
of the heavenly banquet in your eternal realm.
Send us out in the power of your Spirit
to live and work to your praise and glory,
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Post communion prayer from the Presbyterian Church of the USA

Yr C Ordinary 17 / Proper 12
The Revd Andy Braunston

____

Invitation

Hear the gracious words of our Lord Jesus Christ: Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

I am the bread of life; those who some to me shall not hunger, and those who believe in me shall never thirst. Those who come to me I will not cast out.

Matthew 11.28 and John 6.35-37

Words of Institution

Hear the narrative of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper as it was recorded by the apostle Paul.

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

I Corinthians 11:23-26

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise

With joy we give you thanks and praise,
Almighty God, source of all life and love,
that we live in your world,
that you are always creating and sustaining it by your power,
and that you have so made us that we can know and love you,
trust and serve you.
We give you thanks that you loved the world so much
that you gave your only Son so that everyone who has faith in him
may not die but have eternal live.

We thank you that Jesus was born among us;
that he lived our common life on earth;
that he suffered and died for us; that he rose again;
and that he is always present through the Holy Spirit

We thank you that we can live in the faith that your kingdom will come,
and that in life, in death and beyond death you are with us.
Therefore with all the company of heaven, and with all your people,
of all places and times, we proclaim your greatness and sing your praise.

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.

Holy Lord God, by what we do here in remembrance of Christ
we celebrate his perfect sacrifice on the cross
and his glorious resurrection and ascension,
we declare that he is Lord of all;
and we prepare for his coming in his Kingdom.

We pray that through your Holy Spirit we may be your people,
this bread may be for us the body of Christ
and this wine the blood of Christ.

Accept our sacrifice of praise;
and as we eat and drink at his command
unite us to Christ as one body in him;
and give us strength to serve you in the world.

And to you one holy and eternal God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
we give you praise and glory, now and forever. Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

Breaking and Sharing

The body of Christ was broken, the blood of Christ was spilled, for us.
Let us eat and drink in faith and in thanksgiving.

We eat and drink.

Prayer after Communion

God, you allow us to see such marvellous goodness
and have spread it before our eyes in the sacrament.
God, enlighten more and more the eyes of our understanding
so that we may grasp what is the height and depth,
the length and breadth of your love toward us.
What depth, that your love is real however low life plunges us.
What height, that your love cannot be bettered.
What length, that your love knows no limits.
What breadth, that your love embraces us all.
Grant us to contemplate that goodness with such delight
that we may be transformed into the image of your own graciousness
and may be all love toward you
and toward one another. Amen

Yr C Ordinary 24 / Proper 19
The Rev'd Nigel Uden

____

Invitation

After walking with the disciples on the Emmaus Road, Jesus went into the house with them, took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him.
St Luke 24.30,31

Open our eyes O God, that we may see Jesus as we break bread, wherever we are today.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

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.

We thank you, loving God.
You are present with us, joining us together as your people,
wherever we might be.
In your grace, in the risen power of Jesus,
you open the fullness of life to each one of us.
We gladly thank you
with everyone who believes in you,
with the saints and the angels,
we rejoice and praise you, 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.

Gracious God, you are holy,
Your loving holiness offers us new life,
on this Sunday and day by day
For this we thank you.

Jesus brings us together to one table
and asks us to do share as he shared.
Holy God, pour out your Spirit
upon these gifts of bread and wine and make them holy,
that they may become for us the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

On the night before he died for us,
he had supper for the last time with his disciples.
He took bread and gave you thanks,
he broke the bread and gave it to his friends, saying:
Take this, all of you and eat it:
this is my body, which will be given up for you.
In the same way, he took a cup of wine.
He gave you thanks and handed the cup to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you and drink from it:
this is the cup of my blood,
the blood of the new and everlasting covenant.
It will be shed for you and for all people
so that sins may be forgiven.
Then he said to them: Do this in memory of me.

Let us proclaim the mystery of faith

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

Loving God, we remember with joy all that Jesus did.
In this holy sacrifice which he gave as a gift to the Church,
we remember his death and resurrection.

Loving God, you have called us
to receive the body and blood of Christ at this table
and to be filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit.
Through this sacred meal,
give us strength to please you more and more.
All glory and honour is yours, almighty God, for ever and ever. Amen

Yr C Ordinary 28 / Proper 23
The Revd Dr Elizabeth Welch

 

Blessings

Traditionally the blessing at the end of the service is given in the name of the Trinity - often using the formula Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  If you prefer to use non gendered terms for God you may find this formula helpful - Eternal Majesty, Enfleshed Word, Abiding Spirit.   Feel free to adapt the material below for your own contexts.  It is a common practice in the URC to end worship with the words of the grace but it's also good to bless the people in God's name and send them out for mission and service - otherwise what's the point of worship?

YEAR A

Lord, in your compassion and mercy, bless us this day.
Lord, in your authority and power, send us this day.
Lord, in your love and strength, sustain us this day. Amen.

Yr A Ordinary 11 / Proper 6
The Revd Neil Thorogood

____

As we go from this place, let us be alive to God’s presence with us.
May we be God’s agents God’s very hands and feet
offering love and joining in with God’s beautiful story.

May we be blessed by and offer in turn
the blessing of the triune God,
this day and always. Amen.

Yr A Ordinary 14/Proper 9
The Rev'd Jonnie Hill

____

May God sow in you the seeds of an abundant harvest;
May Christ the Word be a lamp for your steps;
And may the Holy Spirit give life to you - body and soul.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen

Yr A Ordinary 15 / Proper 10
The Revd Nicola Furley-Smith

YEAR C

May the One who
gave the thirsty water from the rock,
told us to build on firm foundations,
and formed God’s people into living stones,
quench your thirsts,
enable you to build on the rock of faith,
and trim your rough edges,
that you be transformed from glory into glory,
and may the blessing of Almighty God,
Eternal Majesty, Enfleshed Word, and Abiding Spirit,
be with you all,
now and always, Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 12/Proper 7 Year C
The Revd Andy Braunston

 

May the One who
created women and men in the divine image,
taught the people to respect the dignity of all creation,
and drove the People to seek justice,
create you anew that you may recognise your worth,
teach you anew that you may respect the dignity of all
and drive you to seek justice.

And may the blessing of Almighty God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
be with you all now and always, Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 17 / Proper 12
The Revd Andy Braunston

____

Send us out with hearts filled with love.
Send us out in the name of Jesus.
Send us out in the power of the Spirit.
Send us out alert to need,
awake to opportunities to be and tell Good News.
Send us with your blessing Holy God.
And may that same God, Mother and Father to us all,
Jesus our brother,
and the Spirit of joy and hope,
be with us and in us, around us and before us,
in all our coming and going,
today and always. Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 19 / Proper 14
The Revd Dr Marion Tugwood

 

____

May the God who fills heaven and earth,
fill you with grace, joy and wholeness, that you may see:
God the Creator at work in this world,
God the Son in the faces of all you meet,
God the Spirit alive inside and outside the Church,
now and forever more. Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 20 / Proper 15
The Revd Ruth Whitehead

____

May the One who
has bought you this far neither forsaking or ignoring you,
fills you with good things,
invites you to share your food with others,
enable you
to remember all that has been done for you,
to fill others with good things, and
to feed others that you might be considered righteous.
And the blessing of Almighty God,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be with you, now and always, Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 22 / Proper 17
The Revd Andy Braunston

May the God who is faithful uplift you this day
May the God who assures freedom accompany you on the way
May the God who above all else seeks love enfold you always.
And the blessing of God,
Creator, Christ and Spirit
be with you and all whom you love,
this day and always. Amen.

 

Yr C Ordinary 23 / Proper 18
The Revd Jonnie Hill

____

May the One who used humour to make devastating points,
the One who challenged the structures of His Day,
the One who championed the poor, fill you with His Spirit,
that you may reject mammon’s false security,
challenge the economic systems of our day,
turn your backs on dishonest wealth,
and lift up the poor and dispossessed.
And the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
be with you, and all whom you love, now and always, Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 25 / Proper 20
The Revd Andy Braunston

 

____

Go out into the world to love.
God out into the world knowing God goes with you.
Go out into the world seeking to be the person God wants you to be.
Go out into the world seeking to bring justice, peace and hope.
Go out into the world and live the abundant life God wills for all.
Go out into the world to sow seeds of love.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
Creator, Son and Sustainer,
be with you and those you love,
now and always. Amen

Yr C Ordinary 30 / Proper 25
The Revd Jenny Mills

____

May the blessing of God,
the source of all life,
the source of all living,
the source of all abundance,
be with us today and always, Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 32 / Proper 27
The Revd Fiona Bennett

Offertory

Giving is good for us - it reduces the toxicity of money and reminds us that whilst our discipleship can be measured in many ways if it's not measured through our giving we're not living up to our calling.  In worship we are gently reminded of the importance of giving as a key facet of our discipleship.

YEAR A

God who gives each good gift,
receive now all that we would offer you with thankful hearts.
Loving God, take all our gifts, given to you today or kept for our use.
Bless us with generous hearts
so that your world may be enriched through our gifts. Amen.

Yr A Ordinary 12 / Proper 7
The Revd Ruth Whitehead

God the giver of gifts,
the one whose blessing gives life and hope,
receive all that we now offer;
take and use what we can give,
that your will be done,
in Christ’s name. Amen.

 

Yr A Ordinary 11 / Proper 6
The Revd Neil Thorogood

____

God has given us all we need for abundant life.
We need only share what we have been given
so that all may enjoy God’s generous gifts.

Generous God,
we thank you for the abundance we know
in this part of the world,
which we confess, we struggle to share.
May these gifts of money
and the offering of our lives,
be used generously
for the good of all. Amen.

Yr A Ordinary 14/Proper 9
The Rev'd Jonnie Hill

 

YEAR C

In a culture where material goods are valued, and security is measured in how many possessions we have, giving is radical. In an economic system which favours the wealthy giving seems foolish. In a political culture which is obsessed by appearing to cut taxes, giving is a stumbling block to those who see themselves as wise. In an age where power and fuel bills rise way faster than pensions and wages generosity is counter cultural. In worship we challenge the way things are as we long for the age to come which will be radical, foolish to the wise of the world, a stumbling block to the powerful and where our culture is inverted. And so we give. We give to challenge the wisdom of the world. We give to further the work of the Church. We give to show our gratitude to God. Let us pray.

O God you call us to envision a different age,
a different economic model,
a different political structure,
a different way of being wise,
where generosity is life giving.
Bless these gifts and help us to use them wisely
as we proclaim your coming Kingdom. Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 12/Proper 7 Year C
The Revd Andy Braunston

____

God, you have called us to be your people in this place
You have given us so much,
Let us now take time to respond with gratitude
and share what has been given to us.

Generous God,
For all that you have given us, we thank you.
Accept our offering, as a token of our love and gratitude.
Use our money, our time and our talents,
to build your Kingdom in this place,
that others may come to know you are a God who saves.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 13 / Proper 8
The Revd Catherine McFie

____

Giving is a hallmark of our faith – the theologians of liberation reminded us that living the right way is as important as believing the right things. One of the most important reflections of how we live is how we use our financial resources. What we give to reflects our values; the charities and causes we support reflect our deepest desires for how the world should be – whether that’s preserving historic buildings and landscape or working to alleviate suffering; whether it’s supporting the lifeboats or our veterans, giving to support the work of a campaign or a political party – our finances tell our story. In worship we are reminded to give as God gave. As part of our faith we realise that not all we are given is really ours, that God has the first call on our resources and so, now, in worship we give thanks.

We give thanks, O God,
for all You’ve given us,
for the loving kindness we experience
through love and fellowship,
through word and song,
through bread and wine,
through movement and silence,
and so we give back to you something of what You’ve given us,
bless it and enable us to use it wisely,
to your glory which is found, always,
in the poor and marginalised. Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 17 / Proper 12
The Revd Andy Braunston

____

God calls us to think about how we use all we have. So, we come as people of faith, bringers of God’s kin-dom, called to share with others that which we have received. Through our giving God’s love can be more clearly seen, known and experienced.

Come, let us pray:

Gracious God, we are fortunate to have shelter, warmth, food and freedom.
As you give to us, so we respond, with our lives, our time, our hearts.
We offer our gifts, talents and money to be used for your purposes in your world.
May all we offer bring light and love as it is shared.
May all we offer be a force for good.
May all we offer be a blessing.
In your world, for your people, until your kingdom come. Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 18 / Proper 13
The Revd Jenny Mills

 

____

God’s love for us knows no bounds. In Jesus, God comes into the mess and muddle of our humanity and makes it sacred. We bring our gifts to God. Gifts that we offer out of the ordinariness that is our daily living. Gifts that we offer in gratitude for all that God has done for us through the Cross and Resurrection. Gifts that we bring inspired by the Sprit to offer with our thanks, praise, and ourselves.

O God,
We offer our gifts as symbols of our lives.
Help us to use these and all of your gifts wisely,
Bless our offering of money and of ourselves
and use all to build your Kingdom and share your love. Amen

 

Yr C Ordinary 19 / Proper 14
The Revd Dr Marion Tugwood

____

God has blessed us in order that we may be a blessing to others; we’re not lavished with love and good things simply for our own good but that we might be channels of grace and blessing to others. We do this in many ways of course but we are called, to the best of our ability, to support the work of the Church. We give in the collection, we give by standing order direct to the church’s bank account, we give of our time and our talents as well as of our treasure and God, in great love and mercy, takes our gifts and uses them for good. So let’s pray:

God of all good things
take our humble offerings,
of money, of time, of talent,
and multiply them
that through our resources which we return to you,
our world may be changed. Amen

 

Yr C Ordinary 22 / Proper 17
The Revd Andy Braunston

____

Just as we are called to love, because God loved us first, so too are we called to give,
because God has given first.

Generous God, as we acknowledge that all we have is from you,
accept our gifts of money, and the gift of our lives,
so that we might be instruments of love, justice and peace
– kingdom builders in Christ’s name,
and in the power of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 23 / Proper 18
The Revd Jonnie Hill

____

The resources we have to fund the church vary from person to person. Some have a widow’s mite, some a king’s ransom. Some spend plentifully, some save carefully. Some have experienced theft, some have lost their coins. Whatever we have available, and feel moved to offer for the work of the church, and for other charitable purposes, comes to us first from God. So we dedicate it in prayer:

Generous God, everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your own hand.
I Chronicles 29.14

So we dedicate it to be used for your purposes
in and through the Church,
to source of new beginnings and resilient love,
because of Jesus Christ, Amen

 

Yr C Ordinary 24 / Proper 19
The Rev'd Nigel Uden

____

Our economic system is based on growth at any cost, profit or surplus without regard to the consequences, the acquisition of consumer goods that wear out or fail all too soon so we are forced to buy more. We know this needs to change but have no idea how; in the meantime we can show a different way of using money. Instead the desire to gain more, get richer, have more in the bank we can change the story and give.

Giving frees us from our addiction to always wanting more. Giving frees us from the fear that we don’t have enough. Giving frees us from the poison of capitalism. Giving reflects the divine nature in that God loved us so much that He gave without regard to the cost.

We give in many ways, through the collection, straight to the bank, through our time and talents, through our gentle presence with others in need. But now, at this point, we give thanks for the financial gifts which are used to show a different economic theory, a different way of working, a different kingdom. Will you pray with me?

O God of the ages, we give because you first gave;
help us to use our resources to bring about change
that the poor will be lifted up, the broken healed,
and the despised included,
let our love for you increase and our love of mammon fade away. Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 25 / Proper 20
The Revd Andy Braunston

We are but custodians of this earth and all its resources. God grants enough for all people, and yet fears of scarcity and greed mean few have much and many have little. Let us be like God in our generosity, let us not give from fear of lack, but from the truth of God’s abundance.

God of all people, you give us what we need
use the gifts we offer, of money and of our lives
to bring the good news of your abundance
that your kingdom might come on earth as in heaven. Amen.

Yr C Ordinary 29 / Proper 22
The Revd Jonnie Hill

Prayers of Approach, Confession & Pardon

God of the journey,
your invitation is to all, to walk with you without fear of stumbling.
Your arm is enough to secure the weakest soul.
Your grace rescues us, should we fall.
So Lord, grant us faith enough to take you at your word,
to know that when our hearts are heavy,
and the destination seems so distant,
that you are there with us along the road.

Forgive us those times when we doubt your Word,
when we awake and feel alone.
Above all, draw us ever closer into your family,
that we might know your presence, and sing your praises, all the days of our lives.

God of justice, in baptism you anointed us to live boldly
in the reality of your coming kingdom.
We confess that we have not fulfilled our calling.
We have not used your power to serve our neighbours.
We have walked away from oppression and injustice.
We have turned our backs on your beloved children
who hunger and thirst in a world of plenty.

Forgive us, Lord, and make us
courageous servants of your justice, peace and fullness,
in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Friends, believe the Good News of the Gospel:
In Jesus Christ you are forgiven!

Samuel Cyuma Lent 1 Yr B

~~~

Loving God, in hunger we come.
May we be filled with your words of love.
In weakness we come.
May we find strength in the power of your love.
In humility we come.
May we find our voices in the glory of your love.
And when the devil is in the detail, God,
help us to see beyond self-gratification to the bigger picture,
to the wider vision, to horizons where grace hovers with blank pages and a new agenda.
In faith we come, God.
May we know your presence every day,
and may our deserts bloom in the hope of one who loved too much to compromise.

It must have been tempting, God.
Warm bread over hunger’s hardness.
Power’s sway over a weakened world.
Divine protection over human exposure.
It is tempting, God, with our full stomachs, to forget the hungry;
in our strength and position to ignore the weak;
through self-righteousness to display our inhumanity.
If we believe that we can have it all without the pain of sacrifice,
if we would bargain rather than buy into your promises, may we hear one word, God. Forgiveness.

Tempt us, God of grace, with visions of your kingdom.
Turn our eyes away from what the world might offer to what you have guaranteed.
Free us to choose you. Amen.

Michael Hopkins Lent 1 Yr C

~~~

Long ago, Eternal Majesty,
You called Abram and Sarah to follow You,
to leave their home, their family, and all that was known and secure;
we thank You for their faith.

At night, Embodied Word,
Nicodemus came and spoke with You,
seeking to understand the demands You make,
yet not quite risking the commitment;
we understand his reluctance.

In our time, Enlivening Spirit,
You call us to leave our complacency,
to see our world as it really is,
and, through the simple things of bread and wine,
You transform us.

Help us, Eternal One,
to hear and respond to Your insistent call.
Forgive us when we hear but don’t follow,
when we turn our ears to other sounds;
when the silent music of Your praise is overcome with our own noise.
Forgive us when we refuse to analyse the ills of our world,
and when we use complexity as an excuse to do nothing.
Forgive us, O God, and give us time to change. Amen.

Hear, O people, good news!
Whilst we are still far off,
God runs to embrace and welcome us home.
Know you are forgiven,
know you are given time to change;
know you must forgive others
and find the courage to forgive yourself. Amen.

Andy Braunston Lent 2, Yr A

~~~

God of grace and God of glory.
You are the divine, the almighty, the Lord of all.
You created and love all that is.
You created and love us all,
just as we are, without exception.
Not because we deserve your love,
not because of what we have done.
but because you are God.

You know us,
know the things we like and value about ourselves,
the things we struggle with and dislike.
You know the ways we behave,
our thoughts, words and actions.
And still you love us, unconditionally.
Gracious God,
may we truly absorb, believe and appreciate this,
worship and praise you,
and seek to live our lives for you,
through the power of your Holy Spirit
and following Jesus’ example.

And yet, despite all we can profess to understand and all we commit to do,
we fail to truly live as people who are blessed by your love.
We limit you.
We box you in.
We make up rules and processes that keep you away from others.
We live in ways that directly contradict your ways revealed through Jesus.
We falsely convince ourselves that you have favourites and like some people more than others.
We elevate ourselves to the ‘good’ pedestal whilst knocking others down, judging them
and finding them wanting and then make excuses and justifications for our words and actions.
We look at ourselves through rose coloured spectacles and look at others from positions of power and arrogance and pride.
We think of ourselves more than others and live with unchallenged prejudices and hate.
We are guilty of failing to act to bring justice and peace,
we are guilty as individuals and as members of humanity.
So often we do not even do it consciously.
So often we do not even know we are doing it.
So often we do not even see what we are doing.
And yet we fall short.

Help us to take steps closer to you,
to be a truer reflection of Christ in how we live in this world.
Help us Lord to stop and reflect:
on our words and actions, our attitudes and ways.
Reveal again to us your compassion, your justice, your will and way.
Help us turn from the self-absorbed and insular, to focus on the wider world and on others.
May we be seen as light and love, not judgment and condemnation.

Gracious God, forgive us our sins and help us turn again to you
knowing we are loved and forgiven.
Jesus said: ‘Come to me all you who are heavy-laden and I will give you rest’.
We come, we bring our burdens, lay them down and seek that rest.
Let us then help others, forgive others, love others, and forgive ourselves,
in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jenny Mills Lent 2 Yr B

~~~

Eternal God of this time and all time,
we come to you in this blessed Lent to worship you,
to bring you the reality of our lives and to connect with you in body, mind and spirit.
We adore you for the enormity of your connection with all creation;
with our beloved planet, with our companion life of all varieties.
We praise you that you have made yourself real to us,
come out of the eternal spirit life in the person of Jesus, showing yourself to us in the acts of others.

When we see and experience you, Oh God,
we see ourselves in sharp relief.
We are aware of the commitments we wish we’d made and didn’t,
the promises not kept, our silence when we should have spoken.
We are aware of the alliance with ideas or actions where we should have kept away,
when we spoke and should have been silent. In this silence, we speak our confession from our hearts.

Forgive us as only you can, Good God.
Praise you. You have lifted our faces to you,
looked us in our eyes and declared that we are forgiven and set free.
Alleluia, Amen.

Elizabeth Gray King Lent 2 Yr C

~~~

Loving God, your greatness surrounds us.
Your blessings threaten to overwhelm us.
You are great, and greatly to be praised.
Accept now our offering of worship and praise.
Bless us in all that we seek to do in your Name.
And make us a blessing to others.

O God, you are our rock and our salvation.
You are our God, and we seek you.
Our souls thirst for you.
Our flesh faints for you.
Our souls cling to you.

O God, you are our help.
Help us now, as we seek to live as your holy people.
And forgive us our failings,
the things we have done that we shouldn’t,
and those we have failed to do that we should.
Help us to live in the light of your love and forgiveness.  Amen

The Scriptures tell us: if we confess our sins,
God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Thanks be to God.

Paul Whittle Lent 3 Yr C

~~~

God, our creator, we are so thankful
that you do not perceive as we perceive,
that you experience the world differently,
that you know our hearts and minds,
that you undermine the judgments and stereotypes
that are so prevalent in this world.

Sometimes we ask the wrong questions,
We take a moment hold our questions before you in the quiet

silence

Sometimes we seek the wrong answers,
We take a moment to shake off our need for certainty, just for now.

silence

Sometimes we seek to assume your judgment of others,
We take a moment to dwell in the mystery of grace

silence

The good news is that God does not see as mortals see but, instead, looks on our hearts.
Thanks be to God, Amen.

Alex Clare Young Lent 4 Yr A

~~~

Let us pray

God our Parent,
we gather to open our hearts to you,
trusting that you will welcome us with open arms.
We come to worship you.

You are the one who leads us through times of trial;
the one who supports us in sorrow and struggle;
the one who is beside us when all is bleak.
Holy One, we praise You.

God our Shepherd,
we confess that we often lose our way.
Sometimes we follow like sheep and end up in places that we should not be.

At other times we choose our own paths and end up hitting a dead end.

In a moment of quiet,
we bring before you those things we have done in our straying
and ask that, in your mercy, you will bring us back on track.

Silence

Thank you, God, that you have forgiven us and set us free.
May we come to walk your path once again.
We accept your loving forgiveness,
and we pray together as Jesus taught us: Our Father..

Michael Hopkins Lent 4 Yr A

~~~

God of all, who loves and treasures all of creation,
we worship and adore you.
We come,
knowing we are loved,
knowing we are precious in your sight,
knowing that we are enough, just as we are.
You have shown us the height, depth, breadth and width of your love:
through time and tradition,
through people and places,
through words and witnesses,
through prophets and prayers,
through Scripture and sources.
You have shown us through Jesus,
through the power of your Holy Spirit
and through the life of the church universal
that you are the divine power,
the source of life, and the ongoing presence in this world.

We see all this
through the lives of faithful followers,
through the relationships we have with family and friends,
and through your transforming love that melts hearts and inspires change.

And yet, despite these constant reminders,
we still fail to truly live as your people in this world.
We allow injustice, abuse, persecution, unfair practices, poor behaviour and inequality to go unchallenged.

We fall short as individuals, communities and as humanity. Forgive us, Lord.

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven:
Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
Blessed is the one whose sins are covered.
Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them.
Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

I acknowledge my sin to you,
and you forgive the guilt of my sin.
I do not cover up my iniquity,
and you forgive the guilt of my sin.
I confess my transgressions to the Lord.
And you forgive the guilt of my sin.

Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous.
for while I am still far off, you see me and run to me.
Sing, all you who are upright in heart,
for you are filled with compassion for me.
Have a feast and celebrate,
for I was dead and am alive again,
I was lost and now I am found.

Let us give thanks that God finds us, accepts us and loves us, where we are and as we are.
Let us know we are forgiven and can turn from our sins and find peace.
By the power of the Holy Spirit may we challenge our ways and words and endeavour to be more Christlike in all we do.
This we commit to as we hear again the words: ‘Your sins are forgiven, go in peace’. Forgive yourself, forgive others.

(Pause)

Jesus gave us the pattern for all prayer and so, using the words that you are most comfortable and familiar with, we say the Lord’s Prayer:  Our Father…

Jenny Mills Lent 4 Yr C

~~~

God of grace,
there are times when we feel so far away from you:
when we are swamped by the depths of trouble;
when we are dried up, isolated, broken;
when we long for a peace we cannot find,
for a rest that will not come.
We wonder why you do not hear our cries for help.
In you, Lord, there is forgiveness.
And when we stop, and turn to ask for the forgiveness you promise,
we find it is already given.
When we silence our cries, we find you have heard us all along,
and your still, small voice speaks to us of steadfast love.
In your endless mercy, give us the grace to receive your forgiveness,
to embrace your love, and to live again in the light of your hope. Amen.

Sue McCoan Lent 5 Yr A

~~~

Gracious God,
we come to you as scattered individuals with joys and sorrows, hopes and fears occupying our thoughts,
wanting to be drawn into your presence and united as your people.
We come to worship you, to sing your praise, to discern your voice in prayer.
Turn towards us, we pray and show us your glory.

We come before you confessing our unworthiness to be called your servants.
Too often we have been angry or impatient with others and failed to recognise our own faults.
Too often we have been selfish and lazy, unwilling to respond to the needs of others.
Too often we have failed to put our trust in you, relying on our own strength and understanding.
Forgive us, we pray and set us free from the burden of guilt.

God of mercy, you have promised to forgive anyone who truly repents.
In humility, we believe your word and receive your grace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

Janet Tollington Lent 5 Yr C

~~~

Holy, Holy Holy! Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee

The confident song of a well-known hymn
The slightly hesitant song of a chorus we haven’t heard before
The triumphant song of the organ with power and depth
The song that makes our spirit dance at the sharing of good news
The silent song in a minor key as we hear of those who grieve
The song of hearts being lifted as we offer our lives to God in worship

Holy, Holy, Holy! All the saints adore thee
Casting down their golden crowns…

A tide of worship reaching back through the ages
and sweeping ahead to the future
A sea of witnesses gone before – we add our voices to theirs
Casting down our golden crowns…
laying before God what belongs to God
Our time, our wealth, our energy, our life
Our hospitality, our devotion, our generosity
The choices we face, the opportunities that come our way

Holy, Holy, Holy Though the sinful human eye
thy glory cannot see

You do not hide from us – our sin clouds our vision
You do not hide from us – our sin deafens our ears
you do not hide from us – our sin deadens our hearts
We are blind to your glory, deaf to your voice and cold in your presence
Change us through our worship, warm our hearts, enliven our spirits
make us one in worship and service one with you, one with each other

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty
All thy works shall praise thy name

Take us beyond an hour of worship to a life of worship
Take us beyond a hymn of praise to a life of praise
Take us beyond a prayer of dedication to a life of dedication
Take us beyond these walls to be your people in the world
Joining all your creation – in earth and sea and sky –
In one great song of Praise!

Loving God, the words of our hymns and our prayers
bring us face to face with an uncomfortable truth:
our daily living and our hourly choices
do not match what we sing or pray.
Too often the words feel like vague and hopeful aspirations
which we will never quite live up to.
We KNOW we have fallen short and we are fairly sure we will CONTINUE to fall short.

Loving God, forgive us.

(moment of silence)

Yet, here are words you may trust;
here are words you may cling onto;
here are words which can free you from the paralysis of guilt;
here are words that offer you a way forward;
here are words that send you unburdened back out into the world:

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
To all who turn to him, he says: “Your sins are forgiven.”
He also says: “Follow me.”

Phil Nevard Lent 5 Yr A

~~~

Lord, we know there is hardness in our hearts.
We find it hard to forgive:
hard to love others especially those who need it most;
hard to give freely;
hard to live as you would wish.
Write your ways on our hearts that we may serve you more fully.
Amen

Lord we give thanks that you will indeed forgive our iniquity and will remember our sin no more. Amen

Peter Pay Lent 5 Yr B

Prayers for Illumination

Eternal One,
we come knowing that we cannot rely on bread alone,
but on You, who are our drink and food.

Most High,
we come knowing that You satisfy our hunger,
and quench our thirst.
Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.

Ancient of Days,
we come knowing You blow through our lives and our world,
setting us free and giving us grace to follow.

Speak to us now as we hear Your Word, read and proclaimed,
that we may listen, understand and respond to your call,
now and always.  Amen.

Andy Braunston
Ash Wednesday Yr A

Bless with Your Spirit, O God, our flesh,
that as we hear Your voice in word –
read and proclaimed –
we may hear anew Your call to us.  Amen.

Andy Braunston
Lent 2 Yr A

~~~

Some of us sense through sight, through touch, through taste, through smell, through sound.  Some of us experience sightlessness, numbness, a loss or change of taste or smell, deafness. God knows all that is created and calls us good, just as we are.

Open our hearts to perceive your Word in our own, unique, ways;
engaging with the world around us, and sharing the particular ways
in which we perceive you, our environment, and the people we meet, generously with each other. Amen.

Alex Clare-Young
Lent 4, Yr A

~~~

As we break open the Scriptures to hear your word,
break open our minds to let it speak to us afresh,
and break open our hearts to let it settle into our lives.  Amen

Sue McCoan
Lent 5 Yr A

~~~

We are about to listen for God’s Word.  Notice I said “listen for” and not “listen to”.  God’s Word is not simply words, not even words written in a special book or read in a Sunday voice.  God’s Word is not simply text to be read and studied.  God’s Word isn’t a thing to be looked at even listened to.  God’s Word is something that HAPPENS.  One of the ways God’s Word happens is when the words we are about to hear connect with our minds and our hearts and change our living through the power of the Holy Spirit.  That’s why we pray before we read, and that’s why listening for God’s Word can be a risky business! So we pray:

Calm us now, O Lord, into a quietness that heals and listens.
Unlock the doors of our hearts;
open the shutters of our minds;
that we might hear Your voice
and be bathed anew in your Light.   Amen.

 

Phil Nevard
Lent 5 Yr A

Affirmation of Faith

We believe in God, the Ancient of Days
who designed all creation, from cosmos to crustacean,
and who set humanity the task
of living in harmony with all the life that teems over mother Earth.

We believe in God, embodied in Jesus,
born poor, exiled due to murderous powers,
preacher of the coming Kingdom, healer and teacher.
Crucified by the religious leaders,
He died and was buried.
On the third day God raised Him on high,
showing that the powers, even death, are defeated.
He will come again.

We believe in God, Enlivening Spirit,
who calls us to be Church,
to see our world as it really is – and to work for change.

We know our baptism changes us,
and at the Lord’s Table we are fed with His own self
until we meet with again with Him, and all whom we love,
in the coming Kingdom. Amen

Andy Braunston, Lent 2 Yr A

Communion Prayer

Invitation

As we begin this Lenten journey, let us remember Jesus offering himself for us, in the bread of life shared at the Passover table, in his death on the cross and in the promise of new life in his resurrection.

When the hour came, Jesus took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. He said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ He took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. (Luke 22)

Jesus invites us to join him on his journey. We pray that we may be open to joining him, wherever we may be. We pray that we may trust that he will feed us with all that we need.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Lift up your hearts!
We lift them to the Lord!

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God!
It is right to give God thanks and praise!

Gracious God, you offered your Son for us.
He journeyed through the wilderness,
facing up to the temptations that came his way.
He was faithful, even unto death on the cross.
You raised him from the dead and opened the gift of life for all people.
As we travel this Lenten journey ourselves,
Facing up to the struggles and temptations that lie in front of us,
Grant us the courage to follow faithfully in Jesus’ way.
For he gives us the strength to travel with him,
Having opened the door to life.
He offers his body as our bread and his blood as our wine.
We give thanks and praise you for these gifts, as we say together

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.

Gracious God, you are holy,
Your loving holiness offers us new life,
Even as we share in the struggles of the world and in our own lives.
For this we thank you.
Jesus brings us together to one table and asks us to share as he shared.
Holy God, pour out your Spirit upon these gifts of bread and wine and make them holy,
that they may become for us the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
On the night before he died for us,
he had supper for the last time with his disciples.
He took bread and gave you thanks,
he broke the bread and gave it to his friends, saying:

Take this, all of you and eat it:
this is my body, which will be given up for you.

In the same way, he took a cup of wine.
He gave you thanks and handed the cup to his disciples, saying:

Take this, all of you and drink from it: this is the cup of my blood,
the blood of the new and everlasting covenant.
It will be shed for you and for all people so that sins may be forgiven.

Then he said to them: Do this in memory of me.

Let us proclaim the mystery of faith

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

Loving God, we remember with joy all that Jesus did.
He struggled with temptation,
but you gave him the power to resist.
He lived his life to the full in his care for others
and his concern for all in need.
In this holy sacrifice which he gave as a gift to the Church,
we remember his death and resurrection,
opening the door to life for all people.

Loving God,
you have called us to receive the body and blood of Christ at this table
and to be filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit.
As we walk the forty days of the wilderness,
Strengthen us to live more fully in Your way.
As you feed us today, grant us the power to resist the temptations
that come our way day by day.
All glory and honour is yours, almighty God, for ever and ever. Amen

The Breaking of the Bread

The bread which we break is the communion of the Body of Christ.
The cup of blessing which we bless is the communion of the Blood of Christ.

Prayer after Communion

Loving God, in our sharing of bread and wine
we have received the life of Jesus Christ your Son.
We ask you that, strengthened by him,
we may live in love, peace and justice.
May our lives be a witness to the new life Jesus offers,
so that he may be present wherever we speak words
and we may become his body in this world for ever.  Amen.

Elizabeth Welch  Lent 1 Yr A

Blessings

Go, ready to face the wilderness.
Go, with the strength to resist temptation.
Go, to live in the way that God opens up.
Go, knowing that God is present each day and surrounds you with love.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
Father and Creator,
Son and Redeemer,
Spirit and Sustainer,
rest upon each one of you, now and always. Amen.

Elizabeth Welch, Lent 1 Yr A

~~~

May the One who, through the waters of baptism,
has made you part of the Church,
sustain and strengthen your faith.

May the One who,
through loving kindness,
feeds you with His own self at His own table,
give you the grace to challenge and change our world.

May the One who, in mysterious ways,
has guided the Church throughout the ages,
guide you in your everyday discipleship.

And may the blessing of God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
[or  Eternal Majesty, Embodied Word, Fire of Love,]
be with you and those whom you love,
now and always, Amen.

Andy Braunston, Lent 2 Yr A

~~~

May God who is light shine in your darkness.
May God who is love be the love between you.
May God who is life be your life everlasting.
And the blessing of God,
Eternal God, Incarnated Christ and Inhabiting Spirit
be with you and remain with you now and forever.
Amen

Elizabeth Gray King, Lent 2 Yr C

~~~

Let us go as those whom God has called to bear witness to the love and justice of heaven,
to be beacons of light and signs of transformation, for of such is the Kingdom of heaven.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer,
be with each one of you, now and always.  Amen.

Paul Whittle, Lent 3 Yr C

~~~

Living Lord,
as Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem,
facing uncertainty and challenge,
speaking out and speaking truth,
He trusted in you to sustain and enable him.
Help us as we journey through this Lenten period,
to continue to trust in you and learn from you.

May we be brave enough to challenge that which needs challenging;
discerning enough to step back when necessary;
thought-full enough to step in when needed;
and care-full enough to reach out to those rejected.

And may God, Creator, Child and Spirit,
bless us, those we love, and those we struggle to love,
now and every day. Amen

Jenny Mills, Lent 4 Yr C

~~~

May the Spirit  of God breathe into your life,
bringing renewed strength and hope,
and may the blessing of God,
Creator, Redeemer and Spirit,
be with you all, today and always.  Amen

Sue McCoan, Lent 5 Yr A

Other Prayers

Almighty God, you light up the way for us.
Help us to see our path and our purpose
as we journey through the season of Lent.
Strengthen us to re-commit our lives to you
and share your love in the wider world.

Fiona Crowther

Wild and restless spirit of God
Accompany our Lenten journeys.
Give us courage to spend time in the wilderness
The place where you bring us face to face with ourselves.
Help us to pray with honesty
Help us to live with simplicity
Make us hungry and thirsty for your life-giving presence.
When we return to the comforts of our lives
And the company of others,
May we do so as those who have been transformed
By the sharp truths of the desert.

 Cara Heafey

Blessing of Palms

Eternal One,
from before the ages you loved the world
and yearned for creation’s reconciliation with you.

Embodied One,
in the fullness of time You came to show us how to live,
challenged the powers, upset the religious, worried the authorities,
and on this day, entered your city as its rightful king.
The people acclaimed you with joyful shouts and strewn palms.
May we acclaim You as our king, and follow You in Your work.

Holy One,
bless now these palms,
let them remind us of the ways in which Jesus unsettled the status quo,
showed a different way of being royal,
and undermined the powers of His age.
As we keep these palms at home,
remind us of the radical nature of Your call to us,
now and evermore, Amen.

Andy Braunston Yr A

Prayers of Approach, Confession and Forgiveness

We come to worship You O King of the Ages,
but puzzle at this thing called kingship.
Aren’t kings meant to be powerful?
Shouldn’t they have security and attendants?
Surely they ride in state -  in horse and carriage?
Yet you rode on a donkey – hardly befitting a king!
Your attendants were a rag bag of assorted fools,
no red carpet, no preparation,
just the shouts of fickle crowds with makeshift palms.
And where, O King, was your security?
Kings aren’t supposed to be put on trial and executed.

What type of king are you?

As we ponder your crucified victory, we confess that we’ve failed to understand You.
We’ve acclaimed you as king without thinking about what You mean by kingship.
We’ve grumbled about crucifixes without thinking of the pain you endured.
We jump to the empty tomb but skip Gabbatha and Golgotha.
We sing hosanna and hallelujah, but forget your pain and passion.
Forgive us O Wounded King, give us time to change,
that as we follow You, we learn to count the cost of Your terrifying triumph. Amen.

Our help is the name of the Lord, who is making heaven and earth!
The Eternal One is our strength and joy and forgives us when we turn around.

So have faith –

• faith that you are forgiven,
• faith that you can follow,
• faith that the crucified triumph of Calvary is yours too,
• faith that you can have the grace to forgive yourself and find freedom. Amen

Andy Braunston Yr A

~~~

Lord of palm and protest,
we come to you today with joy in our hearts,
we acclaim you as our king,
knowing no other king, no other Lord, no other emperor but you;
the king who serves and lays down his life for his friends.

Lord of praise and procession,
we remember those who, throughout the world worship you today,
recalling your marvellous deeds,
rejoicing in your presence in grand cathedral
and quiet room away from prying eyes,
from pristine meeting house to cold basement amidst falling bombs.
Remind us all you are the world’s true King,
despite so many who deny you your place.

Lord of forgiveness and compassion,
we bring to you the times we have not acknowledged you as our King, (pause)

the times when we have failed to love you in others, in ourselves
and the times when we’ve failed to love you in your serving majesty.
Forgives us, good Lord, and give us time to change.  Amen.

Here is good news,
before we were made,
the Rock of Ages knew us and loved us.
We cannot be loved any more completely than we are;
the One who loves us, forgives us and desires we become whole,
so accept the forgiveness proclaimed to you this day
and have the courage to forgive yourself.  Amen.

Andy Braunston Yr C

Prayers for Illumination

Open your mind to us, O God,
as we again listen for your Word,
contained in the Scriptures,
that we may hear, understand and obey.  Amen.

Andy Braunston,
Palm Sunday Yr A

~~~

Eternal God, whose word silences the shouts of the mighty:
quiet within us every voice but your own.
Speak to us through the suffering and death of Jesus Christ
that by the power of the Holy Spirit
we may receive grace to show Christ’s love
in lives given to your service.  Amen.

Geoffrey Clarke
Palm Sunday Yr B

~~~

Life-giver, Pain-bearer, Love-maker,
day by day you sustain the weary with your word
and gently encourage us to place our trust in you.
Awaken us now to your Word, read and proclaimed,
that we may, through you, serve our world and those in pain, Amen.

Andy Braunston
Palm Sunday Yr C

~~~

Open the power of your Word to us, O Most High,
that we may hear and ponder
Your gracious love, Your fierce tenderness
and Your insistent call
to recognise the powers of our age are overthrown,
that we may acclaim Jesus, our crucified God,
as our subversive yet victorious king. Amen.

Andy Braunston
Palm Sunday Yr A

Affirmation of Faith

We believe in God, the Eternal Majesty,
source of all light and love, in whom we live, move and have our being.

We believe in God, En-fleshed Word,
who proclaimed the coming Kingdom,
preached good news to the poor
and release to the captives.
He healed the sick, bound up the broken hearted,
ate with outcasts, forgave sinners, and called all to repent and believe.
Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition,
Jesus was tortured, crucified, and made to suffer unimaginable pain.
On the Cross Jesus defeated the powers of evil
that seek to rule our world.
God, the Eternal Majesty, raised Jesus from the dead,
vindicating his crucified victory.

We believe in God, Abiding Spirit,
who calls us to be Church,
who binds us together in the waters of baptism,
and who sustains through the Lord’s Supper.

We pray and work for the coming Kingdom,
and know, at the last, that God is our ultimate comfort in life and in death.
Amen.

Andy Braunston Yr A

Blessings

As we have watched our wounded lover
suffer betrayal and unjust trial, all for the love’s sake,
be ready to defend the cause of justice in the face of tyranny.

As we have seen our wounded healer
be nailed to the Cross by human hatred,
be ready to love, even in the face of hate.

As we have seen our broken victor
die a death of ignoble nobility,
be prepared to live valiantly.

And the blessing of our almighty, yet crucified, God:

Father, Son                             or        Eternal Majesty, Enfleshed Word

and Holy Spirit,                                   and Abiding Presence

be with you all, now and always, Amen.

Andy Braunston Yr A

~~~

May the One who so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
bring you by faith to his eternal life.

May the One who accepted the cup of sacrifice
in obedience to the Father’s will,
keep you steadfast as you walk with him the Way of the Cross.

May the One who strengthens us to suffer with Christ
that we may share his glory,
set your minds on life and peace.

And may the blessing of Almighty God,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, or  Majesty, Word, and Flame

be with you, and all whom you love,
now and always, Amen.

Andy Braunston Yr A

~~~

May the cry of “Hosanna” lift our spirits and warm our hearts
and the cry of “Crucify” ever remind us of our calling to carry our cross.
And the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
remain with you, now and always.  Amen.

Geoffrey Clarke Yr B

~~~

May the One who upholds the created order with the power of truth,
the One who showed kingship through sacrifice
the One who energises with grace all those who search and justice
bless you with truth and enable you to live sacrificially
that you may proclaim and embody justice from on high,
and the blessing of Almighty God

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit or Majesty, Word, and Flame

be with you now and always Amen.

Andy Braunston Yr C

Other

Palm Sunday Praise (inspired by Psalm 118)

Open now the gates to God’s holy place.
The foundation stone which the builders set aside
has proved the most important of all.
This was achieved by God
and how wonderful to behold.
So, with hosannas in your hands,
begin the festivities.
This way, we give thanks to our God
whose love knows no limits.

Duncan Wilson

Prayers of Adoration

Let us pray:

Holy God, who is eternally Father Son and Spirit,
We take this time to pause in our lives to wonder at the Cross.
We wonder how you, heavenly Father,
could bear to send the Son to die out of love for the world.
We wonder how you, Jesus the Son of God,
could bear to suffer at the hands of those who hated you,
and yet forgive.
We wonder how you, the Holy Spirit,
could move in the lives and the hearts of those who feared so deeply.
As we wonder, so surround us with your love, we pray,
that we may bear to look again at the Cross
And know how dearly we are loved. Amen

Ruth Whitehead

~~~

O crucified Jesus,

Son of the Father,

conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the virgin Mary,

eternal Word of God,

we worship you.

 

O crucified Jesus,

holy temple of God,

dwelling place of the most High,

gate of heaven,

burning flame of love,

we worship you.

 

O crucified Jesus,

sanctuary of justice and love,

full of kindness,

source of all faithfulness,

we worship you.

 

O crucified Jesus,

ruler of every heart,

in you are the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,

in you dwells all the fullness of the Godhead,

we worship you.

 

Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us.

Jesus, bearer of our sins, have mercy on us.

Jesus, redeemer of the world, grant us peace.

John Bradbury

No Content

Intercessions

These intercessions have been adapted from the traditional ones used in the Catholic Church on Good Friday. They work well when led by two people, one reading the introduction, the other the prayer.

We bring our prayers to the Eternal One, Everlasting Majesty, Crucified Word and Abiding Spirit.

Let us pray for the Jewish people, the first to hear the word of God,
that they may continue to grow in the love of God’s most holy Name
and in faithfulness to God’s everlasting covenant.

(silence)

Almighty and eternal God,
long ago you gave your promise to Abraham, Sarah, and their posterity.
Listen to your Church as we pray that the people you first made your own
may arrive at the fullness of redemption. Amen

(pause)

Let us pray for the Church throughout the world, that God will grant us peace,
and, as we stand before the Cross, we may work for unity.
As we remember the torture and death of Jesus,
we remember all who suffer persecution and oppression.

(silence)

Almighty and Eternal God,
You pour out Your Spirit on the Church,
and call all people to find their fulfilment within it.
Listen to us as we remember the love that drove Jesus to the Cross,
help us to work to end oppression in our world,
especially hatred fuelled by religious fervour.
We pray for the Church, that it might,
through sensitive evangelism, nurturing worship, loving service and credible witness,
be a sign of your coming kingdom. Amen.

(pause)

Let us pray for those who don’t believe in God,
that by searching for truth and beauty, for justice and freedom,
they find God at work in their lives.

(silence)

Almighty and Eternal God, we confess our failures
in bearing true loving witness to You; forgive us.
We ask that those who seek You, will find You,
that Your loving kindness will seek out those who yearn for You,
and that we may not be stumbling blocks to belief. Amen.

(pause)

Let us pray for all who serve in public office,
that God may inspire them to offer loving service,
and concern for the common good.

(silence)

Almighty and Eternal God,
as this day we remember the weakness of Pilate,
we pray for all who hold elected or appointed office in our world,
that they may always seek the common good,
strive for right, administer true justice, and lift up the poor.
We pray, in particular for the leaders of our nations,
that they may work for sustainable prosperity,
better health, peaceful policies and true freedom. Amen.

(pause)

Let us pray for those in need this day,
those known to us and those known only to God,
that our hearts may be stirred by compassion,
and we may seek to change the world.

(silence)

Almighty and Eternal God, we pray today for those in agony,
mothers watching their children die,
the earth itself pillaged and polluted yearning to be clean,
those who die this day and those who mourn them,
those who language in prison this day
and those who work to rehabilitate them,
those on our hearts this day.

(pause)

Give us the grace, Eternal One, to both love this world,
and to seek to change it. Amen.

We join our prayers together as we pray as our Crucified God taught us… Our Father…

Andy Braunston

~~~

Loving God,
Even as Jesus is abused and scorned, his cross speaks to us of your love for all.
In Jesus, ‘sorely pressed’, yet still forgiving, we glimpse your healing for human bodies and souls.

And so we bring to you our prayers for ourselves and our world.

 

You know our need for release from illness, guilt and death.

We pray for the millions affected by the spread of Covid-19, for a greater equality in healthcare and vaccine availability,

and for all who care for others, that they may know healing.

Loving God we turn to you.. and we know you hear us

You know our need to be fed in body, mind and soul. We pray for those in desperate poverty, or who scrape an existence,
that they may know life in all its fulness.

Loving God we turn to you.. and we know you hear us

You know our need for peace and wholeness of mind. We pray for those battling injustice or facing danger and hatred,
that those with power may use it wisely.

Loving God we turn to you.. and we know you hear us

You know our need for security and a loving home. We pray for those driven out as refugees by poverty, violence, or human wickedness,
that they may find a safe place.

Loving God we turn to you.. and we know you hear us

Loving God, as we turn to you, you find that you have turned to us –
with forgiveness, grace, healing and new life.
Thanks be to you. Amen.

Ruth Whitehead to follow Bonhoeffer’s hymn

We Turn To God when We Are Sorely Pressed

Closing

Much of the Church observes a custom of the people departing quietly at the end of the service with no blessing. It’s good to do different things on Good Friday so after the last hymn why not play some music and then move to the door to greet people as they leave with no blessing or sending words?  If that doesn't seem right we offer these blessings:

before the hymn What Wondrous Love Is this:

May the wondrous love of God be with you.
May the wondrous glory of Jesus on the cross go with you.
May the wondrous peace of the Spirit stay with you,
today and forever. Amen.

Ruth Whitehead

~~~

Giver of life, we wait with you to offer the hope that comes from the cross to earth’s darkest places.

Where pain is deep and affection is denied: let love break through.

Where justice is destroyed, let sensitivity to right spring up.

Where hope is crucified, let faith persist.

Where peace has no chance, let passion live on.

Where truth is trampled underfoot, let the struggle continue.

Where fear paralyzes, let forgiveness break through.

Eternal God, reach into the silent darkness of our souls with the radiance of the cross.

O you who are the bearer of all pain, have mercy on us.
Giver of life, have mercy on us.
Merciful God, have mercy on us. Amen.

John Bradbury

Reflections 

God groans
the world whimpers.
Be not afraid.
Follow the light.
Follow peace.
Where?
Into the brokenness.
Into this new reality.
Into the unimaginable.
Cling to faith.
I tremble. I falter.
God, shine your light down a different path.
I’m afraid of the cracks.
I’m afraid of falling,
afraid of breathing in death,
of touching death.
I want to say the way is unclear,
But, in truth, the path is clearly lit,
as it always is when illuminated by faith.
The path leads into today,
Into the brokenness,
Into the unknowing
With you.

Ana Gobledale

Who will keep watch with you?

Who will keep watch with you?
Who will stand with you?
Your disciples disappear into the darkness.
Their resolve dissolves.
Denial.
Detained.
Assaulted.
Battered.
Like a detainee of today shuttled from pillar to post.
From Pilate to Herod, from court to court.
Yet, even from the cross you plead for us,
“Forgive them for they know not what they do.”
We rejoice as you call us by name,
And we follow you.

Tod Gobledale