A Holy Communion Service for Lent

Holy Communion For Lent

HYMN

Greeting

Priest:    In today's celebration, the Lord Jesus speaks to us:

"Repent, and believe in the good news."

 May the Spirit who reconciles us with the Father be with you all.

All:            And also with you

Priest:      We have come from our own places

to this special sacred place.
This is a place where we know
we can share community and be blessed.

We gather here to celebrate life's beauty
and find healing for its pain;
to honour our kinship with each other

and with the earth;
and to create a more compassionate world,
beginning with ourselves.

May we recognise and affirm

the pieces of possibility we bring,

allowing our individual gifts
to weave a patchwork of celebration and justice.

Lent recalls the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert,

during which time he was tempted by the devil.

But through prayers, fasting, and fidelity to the word of God he overcame the tempter.

We too have to face temptations.

We need God's power to resist them,

and to follow with confidence

the footsteps of Jesus.

Invitation to confession

Please sit

Priest:        Compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, though we have rebelled against him.

               Let us then renounce our wilfulness and ask his mercy by confessing our sins in penitence and faith.

All:      We confess to you our selfishness

                    and lack of love:

          fill us with your Spirit.

                    Lord, have mercy.

We confess to you our fear and failure

in sharing our faith:

fill us with your Spirit.

Christ, have mercy.

We confess to you our stubbornness

and lack of trust:

fill us with your Spirit.

Lord, have mercy.

Priest:      The almighty and merciful Lord grant you pardon and forgiveness of all your sins, time for

amendment of life, and the grace and strength of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Collect

Bible reading

At the end:

This is the word of the Lord

All :            Thanks be to God

Hymn

Gospel

Please stand

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to N.

All:         Glory to you, O Lord.

At the end:   This is the Gospel of the Lord.

All:             Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon:

 A Lenten Creed (The Order of St Columba, Patmos Abbey)

Please stand

All:               We believe that our lives are held

                    within the encircling love of God,

                    who knows our names and

                    recognises our deepest needs.

                    We believe that Christ is the divine Child

                    of the living God, and that his grace

                    is like living waters that can never be exhausted.

                    We believe in the birthing, renewing, enabling Spirit of God

                    who yearns over our welfare

                    as a mother yearns for her child.

                    We believe that God is in the arid desert

                    as well as in green pastures,

                    and that hard times and disciplines

                    are also loving gifts.

                    We believe that our journey has a purpose

                    and a destination, and that our path

                    leads to a human glory we cannot yet imagine.

                    We believe that in the church

                    we are fellow pilgrims on the road,

                    and that we are called to love one another

                    as God loves us.

                    This is our faith and we are humbled

                    to profess in Jesus the Christ the Lord. Amen

Intercessions

Please kneel or sit for Intercessions. 

During the prayers the Intercessor may say:

          Lord in your mercy

All:                 Hear our prayer

At the end:               

All:    Merciful Father accept these prayers for the sake of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ.    Amen

Introduction to the Peace

Please stand

Priest:   Since we are justified by faith,

          we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

          who has given us access to his grace.                                                                                           

          The peace of the Lord be always with you

All:     and also with you.

We offer each other a handshake as a sign of peace and welcome

Hymn  during which the offertory is taken

Prayer at the preparation of the Altar

Priest:   God of our journey,

          as we walk with you on your path of obedience,

          sustain us on our way and lead us to your glory;

          through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Eucharistic Prayer E

Priest:            The Lord be with you                 

All:                  and also with you.        

Priest:             Lift up your hearts.

All:                 We lift them to the Lord.

Priest:             Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All:                 It is right to give thanks and praise.

Please sit

Priest:       It is indeed right and good

to give you thanks and praise,

almighty God and everlasting Father,

through Jesus Christ your Son.

For in these forty days

you lead us into the desert of repentance

that through a pilgrimage of prayer and discipline

we may grow in grace

and learn to be your people once again.

Through fasting, prayer and acts of service

you bring us back to your generous heart.

Through study of your holy word

you open our eyes to your presence in the world

and free our hands to welcome others

into the radiant splendour of your love.

As we prepare to celebrate the Easter feast

with joyful hearts and minds

we bless you for your mercy

and join with saints and angels

for ever praising you and saying:

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.

We praise and bless you, loving Father,

through Jesus Christ, our Lord;

and as we obey his command,

send your Holy Spirit,

that broken bread and wine outpoured  +

may be for us the body and blood of your dear Son.

On the night before he died he had supper with his friends and, taking bread, he praised you.

He broke the bread, gave it to them and said:

Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;

do this in remembrance of me.

When supper was ended he took the cup of wine.

Again he praised you, 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.

Do this, as often as you drink it,

in remembrance of me.

So, Father, we remember all that Jesus did,

in him we plead with confidence his sacrifice

made once for all upon the cross.

Bringing before you the bread of life and

cup of salvation,

we proclaim his death and resurrection

until he comes in glory.

Jesus Christ is Lord:

All:        Lord, by your cross and resurrection

               you have set us free.

               You are the Saviour of the world.

Lord of all life,

help us to work together for that day

when your kingdom comes

and justice and mercy will be seen in all the earth.

Look with favour on your people,

gather us in your loving arms

and bring us with [N and] all the saints

to feast at your table in heaven.

Through Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

all honour and glory are yours, O loving Father,

for ever and ever.      Amen

The Lord’s Prayer 

Priest:

In order that our heavenly Father may deliver us from the evil one we pray as Jesus taught us.

All:          Our Father in heaven, 

                hallowed be your name,

                your kingdom come,  

                your will be done, on earth as in heaven.

                Give us today our daily bread,

                Forgive us our sins

                as we forgive those who sin against us.      

                Lead us not into temptation, 

                but deliver us from evil.   

                for the kingdom, the power, 

                and the glory are yours

                now and for ever.  Amen

Breaking of the bread

Priest:        This bread which we break is the bread of life.
                    It is the sign of Christ's body
                    prepared by the Father
                    and offered in sacrifice by the Son
                    in a spirit of obedience to the Father's will.

All:               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.

Priest:         Blessed are we who "live on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God."


All:                Blessed are we who are called to the banquet of the Lamb.

If you are a visitor and would usually receive Communion in your home church, you are welcome to receive Communion here.

If you do not wish to take Communion, please come for a Blessing, and carry this booklet when you come to the altar rail.

Prayer after communion

All:               Lord God, you have renewed us

                    with the living bread from heaven;

                    by it you nourish our faith,
                    increase our hope, and strengthen our love:
                    teach us always to hunger for him

                    who is the true and living bread,
                    and enable us to live by every word
                    that proceeds from out of your mouth;
                    through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Hymn

Blessing

Priest:        May God the Father, who does not despise

                    the broken spirit,
                    give to each of you a contrite heart. Amen

                    May Christ, who bore our sins in his body

                    on the tree,
                    heal you by his wounds. Amen

                    May the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth,
                    speak to you words of pardon and peace. Amen

                    And may our merciful God bless you,
                    the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

                    Made strong by your word and the bread

                    of heaven, let us go forth and face temptation

                    with courage and hope.

All:                  In the name of Christ. Amen