Jason and I made some slight adjustments to our liturgy yesterday in order to make some space to share using the practice of the examen during our gathering times as well. I've copied the new format below. You all were with us in spirit!
The scriptures from yesterday were the following in case you want to carve some time out to enter into this space with us this week:
Psalm 46
Micah 1:1-9
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Matthew 16:13-20 (Lectio passage)
Come Let Us
Worship the Lord
Call to Worship
O God, come to my assistance
Lord,
make haste to help me.
Glory be
to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the
beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Alleluia!
One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life;
to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek God in His temple.
Psalm 27:4
Confession of Sin
Let us confess our sins against God
and our neighbor.
Most
merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word and
deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole
heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in
your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen
Silent Confession
Assurance
of Pardon
Before God, with the people of God, we have confessed to our
brokenness; to the ways we wound our lives, the lives of others, and the life
of the world.
God forgives us, Christ renews us, and the Spirit enables us to
grow in love. Amen.
Exchanging the
Peace
As forgiven and reconciled
people, O Christ, bind us with a bond of love that cannot be broken.
The peace of the Lord be always
with you.
And also with you.
Examen
For what are you most grateful this week? For what are you
least grateful this week?
Hear the Word of God
The
Lessons & the Psalter
Lectio
Divina
Preparation (Silencio)
Read 1st time (Lectio)
– Listen for a word or phrase that is addressed to you.
Read 2nd time and reflect (Meditatio)- How does this speak to you? In what way do you hear an
invitation from God through this reading?
Read 3rd time and respond (Oratio)- What is your response to God based on what you have
heard?
Read 4th time and rest (Contemplatio)- Listen a fourth time and reflect on the passage once
again.
Resolve (Incarnatio) –
Incarnate (live out) the Word of God
The
Collect
Deliver us, Almighty God, from the service of self alone: That we
may do the work You have given us to do, in truth and beauty, and for the
common good; for the sake of the One Who comes among us as one who serves, the
one Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and
forever. Amen.
The
Prayers of the People
We
offer prayers for all those with whom we share the Journey: those who have been
given to us, and to whom we have been given, those to whom we promised our
faithfulness and prayers… especially……..
Lord,
have mercy; Christ, have mercy.
We entrust all who are dear to us to Your
never-failing love and care, for this life and for the life to come; knowing
that You will do for them far more than we can desire or pray for. Amen.
Choose
one song below:
Bring Your best to our worst, bring Your
peace to our pain, God of Love, heal Your people.
1. That none who cry aloud
may cry in vain-
2. That all who doubt may
find a deeper faith-
3. That all who fear may feel
your shelt’ring hand-
4. That guilty ones may know
they are forgiven.
5. That we may be Your hands
to heal the world.
God of mercy, hold us in love.
1. In peace, in peace, we
pray to you:
2. For peace and salvation,
we pray to you:
3. For peace between nations,
for peace between peoples:
4. For us who are gathered to
worship and praise you:
5. For all of your servants
who live out your gospel:
6. For all those who govern,
that justice might guide them:
7. For all those who labor in
service to others:
8. Grant weather that
nourishes all of creation:
9. Keep watch on our loved
ones and keep us from danger:
10. For all the beloved who
rest in your mercy:
Help us comfort us, all of
our days: Keep us hold us, gracious God.
Taste and See How Much He Loves You
The Holy Communion*
The Great Thanksgiving
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.
All: 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.
*or Agape
Feast alternative (see below)
Leader: Pour out your Holy Spirit on us, gathered here,
and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the
world the body of Christ redeemed by his blood.
By your Spirit make
us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in
ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at
his heavenly banquet.
All: Lord’s
Prayer (debts/debtors)
The Words of
Institution
Leader:
On the night he was handed over to
suffering and death , our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given
thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said: “Take, eat:
This is my Body, which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
After supper he took
the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said,
“Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the New Covenant, which is shed
for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do
this in remembrance of me,”
Leader: The gifts of God for the people of God.
The sacrament is received by the celebrant
and then by the people.
Prayer of Response
Holy One, to you I raise my
whole being
a vessel emptied of self. Accept, O Lord,
this is my emptiness, and so fill me with
yourself, your light, your love, your
life that these your
precious gifts
may radiate through me and over-
flow the chalice of my
heart into
the hearts
of all with whom I
come in contact this day
revealing unto them
the beauty of
your joy
and
wholeness
and the
serenity
of your peace
which
nothing can destroy.
(Francis Nuttall, The Prayer of the Chalice)
Let us Go Forth in the Name of the Lord
The Blessing:
Leader: Let us bless the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
Thanks be
to God- Creator, Redeemer, and Giver of Life.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all forever. Amen.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord, and to live our lives
so that those to whom love is a stranger will find in us generous friends.
(Excerpts
from Celtic Daily Prayer, Northumbria Community,
Daily Prayer
Breviary and Book of Common Prayer)
we used the water and bread yesterday since Mike was not with us.... May you share water and bread together this week too reminding each other that Jesus is indeed the bread of life and is the living water...
Liturgy for
an Agape Feast
Passing of the Bread
Leader: Jesus
said, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be
hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (John
6:35)
Blessed art thou,
O Lord, God of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
Bread is broken and passed.
Passing of the Cup
Leader: Jesus
said, "Whoever drinks the water I give them will never be thirsty.
The water I give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal
life." (John 4:14)
Blessed art thou,
O Lord, God of the universe, who brings forth water from the earth.
Water is poured
from a pitcher into a communal chalice or individual cups and passed.
Leader: By
your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry
to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his
heavenly banquet.
All: Lord’s Prayer
Prayer of Response (return to liturgy)
