Category: Worship Resources

Lectionary Texts

Consider using psalm 148 instead of the lectionary Psalm. A slightly abridged version is below.

Prayer

Leader: Creator God, we celebrate your gift of Earth, your gift of all Creation.
All: We give thanks that you embodied your love in Jesus,
made your compassion real with the dust of the earth,
and so blessed our lives, our breath and our bodies.
Loving Creator, we renew our reverence for your gift.
We look to Earth not as a “resource,” for our use, but a temple of your presence,
a living being that we are part of and in relationship with.
God, we, praise you; we confess our self-centeredness.
We open our hearts to your Spirit, that we may love as you have loved us.

Prayer of Confession

Creator God, we confess we have not honored your Creation;
we have not loved it as you have loved us.
We have thought ourselves separate, not part of your Creation.
Forgive our ignorance and arrogance,
our greed and destructiveness.
Bring us again into the oneness of your Creation;
forgive us, heal our fears and transform our desires,
and shepherd us to be good stewards
of the gift of life.

Reading

From Psalm 148
Praise God! Praise the Holy One from the heavens;
       praise God in the heights!
Praise God, sun and moon;
       praise God, all you shining stars!
Let them praise the name of the Creator,
       who commanded and they were created.
Praise the Eternal One from the earth,
       you sea monsters and all deeps!
Fire and hail, snow and frost,
       stormy wind fulfilling God’s command!
Mountains and all hills,
       fruit trees and all cedars!
Wild animals and all cattle,
       creeping things and flying birds!
Rulers of the earth and all peoples!
       People of every gender, age and race together!
Let them praise the name of the Loving One,
       for God’s name alone is exalted.
God’s glory is throughout earth and heaven.
       Praise God!

April 20, 2025

Lectionary Texts

In Luke 24.1-12 the women come to Jesus’ tomb and find that he has been raised. They go and tell the others, who find it hard to believe.
—Or— John 20.1-18: Mary finds the empty tomb and tells Peter and the beloved disciple, who come and look. Mary then encounters Jesus in the garden.

In Acts 10.34-43 Peter tells the story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.
In 1 Corinthians 15.19-26 Paul proclaims the resurrection for all people: “as all die in Adam, all will be made alive in Christ.” Christ rules over all, even death.
Psalm 118 is a song of God’s victory. What we thought was failure God has made triumph: “the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”

Guiding Thoughts

The Gospel readings
If there is both a sunrise service and a regular one, I recommend using one Gospel at each. The John reading lends itself to two scenes that may be separate readings: verses 1-10, Mary at the tomb; and 11-18, Jesus and Mary. I like to begin the service with the first part of the gospel reading (Luke 24.1-7, or Jn. 20.1-0) followed by a response as a call to worship.

Preaching Resurrection
It’s common, I think, to preach stuff that’s almost Resurrection but not really. For some folks Easter is some kind of victory party as if our team won the championship. Easter is about victory, yes, but not ours. It’s God’s victory over our sin, over our judgment of others, over our injustice and violence. It’s love’s victory over death and our our fear of it.

Resurrection is not just happy endings. Resurrection isn’t the same as “bouncing back.” There’s no “back” to it It’s about being plunged forward, into a new life that’s not just more of the old one. Resurrection is more like an unexpected beginning than a happy ending. God miraculously creates life where there was none—and no potential—before. Resurrection is not the same as near-death. It’s actual death. Failure. Surrender. It’s out of our brokenness that resurrection comes. Resurrection is not “return;” it’s transformation. (I think that’s why his friends didn’t recognize him on Easter: he was changed.)

It’s tempting to make resurrection the doorway to the afterlife, but it’s not that, either. Resurrection is the doorway to this life. “Unless a seed dies and is buried it remains a single seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit” (Jn. 12.24). Jesus wasn’t interested in the afterlife—that is, being dead—but in living this life with love. “Eternal life” doesn’t mean immortality. (Are you kidding? People act as if they want to live forever but they can’t even abide a worship service that goes a few minutes over an hour—and they want to live for millions of years? No way.) Eternal life doesn’t mean life that’s long; it means life that’s infinitely deep. It means life with infinite life in it, with God in it. It means life that can’t be taken from us—not by what happens to us, not by our own actions, not even by death. It means harmony with the infinite love of God.

Resurrection is also about the rejected stone that becomes the cornerstone. Again, I don’t mean the triumph of the underdog. I mean the Divine Presence in places we don’t see it, in situations we discount and people we reject. It’s about God’s justice that comes about even if we miss it.

Call to Worship

1. [I like to use two readers for the leader part. They alternate two lines, then read the third in unison, to create a sense of crescendo.]

Christ emptied himself and became obedient to death,
obedient to death on a cross.
But Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed!
He is not among the dead anymore!
The stone has been rolled away!
The Crucified One is risen again!
He has come out of the tomb!
Christ has conquered by the cross!
All our hope is in him! Alleluia!
God has rescued us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the dominion of God’s beloved Son.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! ALLELUIA!

2.
Leader: Christ is risen!
All: Christ is risen in deed!
Light out of darkness!
Life out of death!
Hope out of despair!
Power out of surrender!
God, this is your grace, marvelous and wonderful!
This is your way, always and forever.
You raise us up with Christ, and we thank you.
You create us anew, and we worship you. Alleluia!

3.
In the nighttime of our sin, the grace of God rises like the dawn.
In the coldness of our hearts, hope rises like the sun.
Into all that is cold and shadowed in our lives, the light of God shines.
From the sleep of sin and the dust of our death
O God of grace, shine your light upon us!
Come to us, and renew us, O God of life!
May the light of Christ, rising in glory,
dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.
Thanks be to God for the light of Christ. Alleluia!
This is the Passover of Christ, the victory of love
over sin and death, evil and violence.
Thanks be to God for the life of Christ. Alleluia!
Christ is risen.
Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Holy God, we thank you and praise you for the mystery of your grace. On the cross Jesus your Christ bore all that separates us from you and from life; yet sin and evil and suffering and death were unable to defeat him. By his glorious resurrection you have delivered us from the power of death. Gracious God, make us die every day to sin. Birth us anew, so that we may walk in newness of life with Christ, in the joy of eternal life and in the company of the Holy Spirit, O God, our Creator and Redeemer. Amen.

2.
God of life, all that defeats life you have vanquished. All that opposes love you have overcome. We are in awe of your glory. We are in debt to your grace. We are in love with your Christ. Raise us up now in worship; create us anew, that we may serve you with joy and confidence as your resurrected people, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. , Amen.

3.
Christ loved us so dearly that he clung to us in this death; and still he holds us close as he rises. We are raised with him to new life. We are new creations. Grant us the grace to receive the new life you offer, to be transformed by your glory, and to serve you in the power of your love, as the risen Body of Christ, for the sake of the world. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

Spirit of Life,
roll the stone from my heart.
Let your light invade my shadows;
let your life transform my death.
I surrender all in the tomb of my heart.
Raise me to new life.
In the garden of this stillness,
come to me. Speak my name.
Fill me with your light.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1. (1 Pet. 1.3;   Eph. 2. 4-6;   Rom. 6.4;   Col. 3.3   Ps. 51.10)
Alleluia! Blessed be God, who has given us Jesus Christ.
In Mercy God has given us a new birth into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
God, rich in mercy, out of great love for us,
has made us alive together with Christ,
and raised us up and seated us with Christ.
We have been buried with Christ by baptism into death,
so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of God,
we too might walk in newness of life.
Gracious God, we have died, and our life is hidden with Christ in you.
Spirit of Life, create us anew!
Create in us a clean heart, and put a new and right spirit within us.
Forgive our sin, and wash us clean in the water of new birth.
Heal us, redeem us, and set us free.
Spirit of Blessing, be our freedom and our life!
Through your risen Christ give us courage to love fearlessly,
and to resist evil, injustice and oppression
in whatever forms they present themselves.
Through your crucified and risen Christ, we pray for your church,
that, committing our spirit into your hands,
we may die and rise to newness of life.
We pray for all those who suffer, struggle or despair,
that they may find renewal, hope and peace.
Grant us the joy of your life-giving resurrection,
and make us by your grace a new and holy people. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

[The body of the prayer may be read responsively with the leader and congregation, or by the presiding leader(s) alone.]

1.
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

God of glory, the rising sun praises you;
the light of day proclaims your goodness.
You create light out of darkness,
and you create your people out of the dust of the dearth.
You bring slaves out of Egypt to freedom,
and you bring Christ out of death to life.
Wonder of wonder, you raise us with Christ!
You bring new life to us, miraculous and beautiful.
Like wheat, sown and harvested and risen into bread,
we are made into the Body of your Risen Christ.
Therefore as risen people we sing your praise with all Creation:
     [Sanctus, sung or spoken]

Blessed are all who come in your name and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He brought healing where there was brokenness,
love where there was fear, and life where there was death.
He shone with your light, light that the darkness could not overcome.
He was crucified, but the life in him was eternal and could not be taken;
you have raised him from the dead.

[The Blessing and Covenant] *

Remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a living and holy sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith.
     [Memorial Acclamation, sung or spoken]

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again in love.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be the Body of Christ,
crucified and risen with Christ, made new for new lives,
by the eternal power of your love.
     [Amen, sung or spoken.]

_____________________
2.
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

God, we thank you, for you create us in love, and each moment you re-create us.
You create us in the image of your love, and claim us as your Beloved.
When we are lost and imprisoned you stay with us;
you overcome the forces of death and oppression, and set us free.
By the mystery of your grace you have raised Christ from the dead,
and raised us to newness of life.
From the power of death you have set us free.
From our fear and the failure of our love you save us,
and accompany us toward your peace.
Therefore with all Creation we sing your praise.

       [Sanctus]

Blessed are all who come in your name and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He loved and taught, he healed and embraced the outcast.
He occupied all that separates us from you, accepted our suffering and our sin,
and poured out your love for us, even to death, for our sake.
He was crucified, but you raised him to new life.

[The Blessing and Covenant]

Remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a living and holy sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith.

[Memorial Acclamation]
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us, that we may be the Body of Christ,
crucified and risen with Christ, made new for new lives,
by the eternal power of your love.
God, may your will be done on earth now
by all your church, the Body of Christ.
Praise to you, Mother, Son and Spirit. Alleluia. Amen.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending

1.
The Day of Resurrection has dawned upon us, for Christ, our life, has risen. We give abundant thanks and praise to you, O God! In your victory, O Christ, help us shed all sin and death. In your rising, help us receive new life. In your power, direct our lives as your new creation. In your Spirit, guide us in lives of compassion, trusting by the light of your glorious rising the great victory of love over all things. Grant that we may live new lives in Christ, free of our old ways, free of fear and distrust. Sustain us with your mercy, and bestow upon us your abiding peace, hope and gladness, so that we may find joy in serving you. O Christ, you are our life, which is eternal. We thank you. Grant us grace to receive the gift of life, and by your Spirit to live as fearless servants of your love. Amen.

2.
God of love, you have raised Jesus from death to life!
Lead us always into newness of life.
Light of Christ, rising as the sun on a new day,
overcoming the darkness of sin and death,
shine on our path, chase away all darkness,
and lead us to the heart of God.
Light of Christ, rising in glory,
be the light of our hearts!
Spirit of Resurrection, grant us your grace.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Prayer after Communion

Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. You have fed us with the body of the risen Christ, the bread of life, life that is eternal, and deeply beautiful. By the grace of these gifts, may the power of resurrection be within us. Send us out into the world, unafraid, to give of ourselves; to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with you, in the name and the Spirit of the risen Christ, who lives with you and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view on the Music page)

See all songs with “Easter” tag—especially these:

Communion Songs for Easter set to familiar tunes
(Eight songs of invitation to the table, set to these melodies:
All Creatures of Our God and King,
Infant Holy, Be Thou My Vision,
The Gift of Love / Water Is Wide,
Morning Has Broken, Fairest Lord Jesus.

Easter Eucharistic Responses
Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation and Amen set to:
All Things Bright and Beautiful (Includes Preface)
Christ the Lord is Risen Today
Fairest Lord Jesus
Morning Has Broken
Now the Green Blade Rises

Children of the Resurrection    (Tune: HOLY MANNA. Alternate: Ode to Joy)

Christ is risen! Baptized in his death and rising, so are we.
Children of the resurrection, we are one now; we are free.
Fear no longer holds us, and we live with love courageously,
giving gifts and sharing love for God, who loves eternally.

In this feast we greet the risen Christ,* who calls us all in grace,
gathered into one and fed with love, we now are mercy’s face.
Now we are Christ’s risen Body; for the world we now are light,
children of the resurrection, radiant with eternal life.

* Without communion: “With glad hearts we greet the risen Christ …”

Christ Is Our Sunrise (Tune: Morning Has Broken)

Christ is now living— Alleluia!—
wondrously giving life out of death,
hope gently spoken when we were hopeless,
when we were broken, life-giving breath.

God, you have sought us deep in our suffering,
and you have brought us out of our fear,
gently revealing your presence in us,
tenderly healing, drawing us near.

Christ, in your rising you are our sunrise,
drawing surprising green from the seed.
Still your light finds us, wrapped in our grave clothes;
from all that binds us, now we are freed.

God, your grace gives us brand new tomorrows.
As Christ forgives us we are made new.
Now liberated from sin and sorrow,
newly created, we follow you.


Like the Sun Rising     (Tune: Morning Has Broken)

Christ, we surrender all of our living
into your tender, merciful grace
Baptized in you, we join in your dying,
and rising, too, in your life’s embrace.

Christ, you are living in us in mercy,
faithfully giving life that is true.
Like the sun rising, fresh every morning,
free and surprising, we are made new.

Great Holy Spirit, live in us daily,
free from the fear that once bound us in,
free now to love our neighbors with courage,
rising above our death and our sin.

Blest and forgiven and resurrected,
set free for living by grace alone,
may we live lives of gentle compassion,
with the same light that in you has shone.


Morning is Breaking    (Tune: Morning Has Broken)

Morning is breaking, sorrowful morning,
as we are making haste to the tomb:
cold and despairing, numb and defeated,
painfully bearing darkness and gloom.

But in the dawning we see the grave now,
empty and yawning, bright like the sun.
Angels in glory say he is risen!
“Go tell the story: Death is undone!”

We came to grieve our crucified Jesus,
but, loving God, you opened his grave!
Jesus is living! Yours is the victory,
great in forgiving, mighty to save.

God, you have greeted sin with forgiveness;
you have defeated evil and fear.
Light of his rising, shine in our courage,
pure, energizing, radiant and clear.

Morning is breaking bright in our hearts now,
as we are waking, light in our eyes.
With him we offer love without fear, for
with him we suffer, with him we rise.


Resurrection Light (Tune: Joyful, Joyful)
[There are additional verses in the downloadable document,
especially for a sunrise service]

In your mercy you have shattered every tomb we cannot flee.
From whatever binds and traps us you have set your children free:
free to live in every moment life that is a gift from you,
life unfettered, in your Spirit, life unbounded, always new.

Help us to receive this life that rises up and soars above.
Grant us courage for self-giving; grant us trusting, fearless love.
Help us lose the lives we cling to; with compassion and delight
give our lives, receiving new ones, bright with Resurrection light.


Spring Now Blooms     (Tune: Now The Green Blade Rises)

Early in the morning we come to the tomb,
bearing sins and sorrows, wounds and hearts of gloom.
But what is this? The stone is rolled away!
And the tomb is empty! Wonder and dismay!

      Verse 2, Synoptic version:
Then an angel greets us, speaking to our fear,
saying “Christ is risen. See, he is not here.”
Now our despair itself has passed away,
and we feel new life rise in the dawning day.

      Verse 2, John version
So we ask the gardener where the body is—
and we hear the voice and know that it is his.
“Why do you weep?” Such sadness fills our eyes.
Then we see and fill with joy and glad surprise.

Christ now stands before us, living as he said.
Oh, what hope he brings us, rising from the dead!
Night was so dark, but with the rising sun
everything is changed now, in this grace-filled dawn.

We give God our spirits, buried just like seeds,
and emerge forgiven, healed, made new and freed.
Sorrow and dread are changed to joy instead.
Spring now blooms, for Christ is risen from the dead!

Click here to download a .doc file of this liturgy.

A Foot Washing Liturgy (Eucharist optional)

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.
Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”
—John 13.34

GREETING
Leader: Christ, our teacher and our healer,
you call us to your table, to celebrate our freedom in God.
All: We come, drawn by your Word.
Christ, our savior and our Sovereign,
you call us to be close to you in prayer.
We come, drawn by your Spirit.
Christ, our servant and our victim,
you call us to follow you in humility.
We come, drawn by your love. Amen.

SONG

OLD TESTAMENT — Isaiah 42.1-4

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
       my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit within you;
       you are to bring forth justice to the nations.
Do not cry or lift up your voice,
       or make it heard in the street;
Gently, so as not to break a bruised reed
       or quench a faint candle,
       faithfully bring forth true justice.
You will not grow faint or be crushed
       until you have established justice in the earth;
       and far lands wait for your teaching.

SILENCE

PRAYER
Gentle Christ, in humble service you renounce power, comfort and status.
We surrender our fear, and open our hearts to your grace.
You do not cry out; you will not quench even a dimly burning wick.
We confess our anger, despair and violence,
and our distrust of the power of love.
We confess our envy and judgment, our thirst to dominate and control.
You call us to be light for the nations,
to open blind eyes and release imprisoned souls.
May your compassion flow through us to all living beings.
We pray for all whom we think are beneath us.
We pray for all those whom we have judged or wounded.
Gentle Christ, you establish justice in all the earth.
Grant us your spirit of nonviolence, justice and mercy. Amen.

SILENCE

NEW TESTAMENT — 1 Corinthians 1.18-31
SILENCE

PRAYER
Suffering Christ, you humble yourself to death,
even to the shame and pain and injustice of the cross.
We confess that we hurt others, seeking our own security.
We pray for all who suffer, who are ashamed,
who are accused, for they are the Lamb of God.
You lovingly serve even those who harm you.
Grant us your spirit of humble servanthood.
Your tender love is more powerful than all our evil.
Grant us your spirit of self-emptying love. Amen.

(OFFERING)

SONG

(SHARING THE MEAL OF JESUS)

MEDITATION

SCRIPTURE — John 3. 1-17
SILENCE

PRAYER
Loving Christ,
in our sin you wash us clean; in our grief you bless us,
in our shame you honor us, in our weariness you restore us.
We confess our resistance to your grace.
Wash the feet of our hearts, that we may wholly belong to you.
You pour out your Spirit upon us, and make us your brimming vessels.
Anoint our spirits, that we may find joy in serving you.
Grant us your spirit of love, O God, your life-giving spirit of love.
Amen.

SONG

THE FOOTWASHING

SCRIPTURE — John 13.34-35
SILENCE

PSALM (Psalm 141, paraphrased)
Holy One, you who are always present for me, I call to you.
Hear the cry of my heart — oh hear!
My prayer rises like incense before you,
my hands I raise as my evening sacrifice.
Beloved, keep watch over my mouth;
stand guard at the door of my lips.
Keep me from evil thoughts,
from joining in other people’s anger.
Help me stay free from joining them in accusing;
may I never seek comfort in belonging with them.
Let righteous people strike me,
let the faithful condemn me,
but may the wicked never anoint me with the acid of their praise:
for every day I pray blessing in defiance of their evil.
When with the stones they would throw they are wounded,
then they will see how gentle my way has been.
The whole warring world is divided and split:
our bones lie at the edge of hell.
So we turn to you, O Loving One:
You are our healing, and our only hope.
Keep me out of the trap of blaming and judging,
the pit of evil so easy to fall into.
Let the violent be entangled in their own nets,
while I go freely on a different way.

SILENCE

SONG

BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH

Click here to download a doc. file of this service.

Maundy Thursday Worship: A Service of Anointing

———— The Miracle ————

GREETING

PRELUDE

OPENING
Leader: As children of God our Creator we come together.
All: Upon the invitation of Christ we gather at this table.
In the power of the Holy Spirit we who have been served by love
are led to serve in love.
Holy One, Holy Three, bless us this night with your love;
anoint us with your grace, that your joy may be in us,
and our joy may be complete.

SONG

SCRIPTURE — John 11.17-27, 43-44*

John 12.1
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany,
the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.

SCRIPTURE — Romans 6.1-11

RESPONSE
All of our failure, O Christ, you bear,
you bear with love to the cross.
All of our losses, O Christ, you bear,
you bear with love to the cross.
Our world-weary clinging we surrender to you.
Our old lives we commit to you.
We die in you, O Christ;
raise us from our death.
Call us, with Lazarus, to new life.
Raise us with you, O Christ.

SILENT MEDITATION

PRAYERS … THE PEACE

THE OFFERING

SONG

———— The meal ————

John 12.2
There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served,
and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him.

SCRIPTURE — Mark 14.22-25

RESPONSE
God of love, we hunger for your love.
In this meal we are fed by your promise to be with us in love.
You set us free, and bless us, body and soul.
You make of us one flesh, the Body of Christ for the world.
Fill us with your Spirit, that we may live by the mystery of our faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

SILENT MEDITATION

PRAYER
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
baptized into his death and raised with him by your glory.SHARING THE MEAL

SONG

———— The anointing ————

John 12.3
Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard,
anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair.
The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

SCRIPTURE — John 13.3-11

RESPONSE
O Christ, you bear the suffering of the world.
Help us join you in compassion.
You died in loving service to even the lowest among us.
Give us the faith to serve you humbly.
As you took the lowest place,
help us find our place of service.
Anoint us with the oil of your gladness.
Anoint us with the oil of healing.
Anoint us with your Spirit, who calls us to serve.
May we receive and share the love of Christ.

SILENT MEDITATION

THE ANOINTING
[You may receive anointing of your head, hands or feet. (For anointing feet, if you keep your shoes on, a few drops of water will be used.) You may remain to anoint another. Pray for those who come forward to be anointed.]SONG

——— The charge ———

John 12.4-8
Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said,
“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii
and the money given to the poor?”
Jesus said, “Leave her alone.
She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial.
You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me

SCRIPTURE — John 13.12-17, 34-35

CLOSING PRAYER
Creator God, you make us new each moment, raising us to new life.
Loving Christ, you have given yourself to us.
Holy Spirit, you have anointed us with your power and your grace.
In humility and gratitude may we go into the world
to love and to serve, in the spirit and the company of Jesus.
Amen.SONG

BLESSING AND SENDING

POSTLUDE

_______________

* Recent scholarship has revealed that “Martha” is a character invented and inserted into the original text in the 2^nd or 3^rd Century. In John’s original gospel it was Mary Magdalene who proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah, as well as the one who first witnessed the risen Christ and proclaimed the Resurrection.

By the 2^nd Century male church leaders sough to downplay Mary’s significance in relation to Peter by taking the the Messianic proclamation away from her and giving it to an invented character, Martha, likely lifted from Luke’s story of a Mary who has a sister Martha. In light of this, I read the passage according to John’s original story:

          When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
            … Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. … He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

_________________

Suggested Songs

At Your Feet (original Song)

Jesus, at your feet I bow.
I am yours completely now.
By your mercy show me how
to be loving.

Jesus, Master, you who save,
you have served me as a slave.
This, the perfect gift you gave:
to be loving.

In each hurting one I meet
it is you, O Christ, I greet.
Make my faithfulness complete,
to be loving.

Click here to download this liturgy in a .doc format.

Good Friday Liturgy

INTRODUCTION (Philippians 2. 5-11)

Though Christ was by nature divine,
he did not cling to equality with God,
but emptied himself, took the form of a slave,
and was born as a human.
Lord have mercy.
Appearing in human form,
he humbled himself,
and became obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Christ have mercy.
Therefore God has highly exalted him,
and given him the name above all others,
that every knee should bend, and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Giver of Life.
Lord have mercy, and grant us your peace.

KYRIE

PRAYER
Jesus, you carried our sins and sorrows in your own body on the cross so that we might have life. God, look with mercy upon your beloved people, for whom Christ was willing to suffer. Look upon us with mercy, that by your grace we, and all who remember this day, may find forgiveness, liberation from our sin, and new life in you, that we may walk in your ways, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to your eternal glory. Amen.
SILENT PRAYER

FIRST GOSPEL READING John 18: 1-27
SILENT REFLECTION

PRAYER
God of Truth, keep always in our minds your love for us, and our love for you. Deliver us from our fear of speaking out for justice and standing with those who are oppressed. Forgive us for tolerating injustice and wrong. Give us the strength to confront evil and to proclaim your grace, in the spirit of Christ. Amen.

HYMN

OLD TESTAMENT      (Isaiah 52:13 — 53:12)
My servant, you shall prosper;
        you shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.
Just as there were many who were astonished at you—
        so marred was your appearance, beyond human semblance,
        and your form beyond that of mortals—
so you shall startle many nations;
        rulers shall shut their mouths because of you;
for that which had not been told them they shall see,
        and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.

Who would have believed what you have just heard?
        And to whom has the arm of the Holy One been revealed?
For you grew up before God like a young plant,
        and like a root out of dry ground;
you had no form or majesty to impress us,
        nothing in your appearance that we should desire you.

You were despised and rejected;
        one who knew suffering and was familiar with pain;
people despised you and looked away,
        and considered you worthless.

Surely you have borne our weakness and carried our diseases.
We thought you were being stricken by God,
        punished and humiliated—
but you suffered because of our sins,
        and were wounded by the evil we have done.
You were punished, and yet we are made whole;
        for in your suffering we find healing.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
        we have all turned to our own way;
        in you God has exposed our violence.

SILENT PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

You were oppressed, and afflicted,
        yet you did not open your mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
        and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
        so you did not open your mouth.
By a perversion of justice you were taken away.
        Who could have imagined your future?
For you were cut off from the land of the living,
        and suffered what was not yours to suffer.

They made your grave with the wicked
        buried you with the rich,
although you had done no violence,
        and had only spoken the truth.

Though you were crushed with pain, yet God believed in you,
        and healed you, whom we made an offering for sin.
You shall see your offspring,
        and shall prolong your days;
        through you God’s will shall prosper.

Out of your anguish you shall see light;
        and knowing the truth, you will find peace.
You, God’s righteous servant,
        shall make many righteous,
        and you shall bear their sins.

Therefore God will allot you a portion with the great,
        and you shall divide the spoil with the strong;
because you poured yourself out to death,
        and were numbered with the transgressors.
You bore the sin of many,
        yet forgave the transgressors.

SONG

NEW TESTAMENT (Hebrews 10: 16-25)

RESPONSE     [Kyrie, Song, Choir or instrumental piece]

SECOND GOSPEL READING (John 18:28 — 19:16)
SILENT REFLECTION

PRAYER
God of mercy, deliver us from our fear in which we judge others. We pray for all who are oppressed, imprisoned, persecuted or rejected. To you who have delivered us from slavery we pray for the faith and courage to work for justice and the freedom of your children, and to proclaim the good news of your grace. Amen.
RESPONSE    [Kyrie, Song, Choir or instrumental piece]

THIRD GOSPEL READING (John 19: 17-30)

PSALTER — Psalm 22

FOURTH GOSPEL READING (John 19: 31-42)
SILENT REFLECTION

INTERCESSORY PRAYERS
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world.
Have mercy on us.
O Christ, in your humility, your lonely struggle and your agony,
you share our suffering. Give us faith to trust your grace.
In your weakness, rejection and humiliation, your crown of
thorns, your bitter death and your resting in the grave,
you accompany those who suffer, who are in sorrow or who are alone, who face death or who know injustice.
In your steadfast love and forgiveness,
receive our sins, set us free, and grant us peace.
In your kindness in the face of evil,
give us trust in the power of love.
By the mystery of your grace in the face of violence,
show us your way, God. Put to death all that is evil in us, that we may never judge, blame or harm your children; that we may resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves; that we may bear your love to the world. Grant that we may die with Christ; and raise us to new life. Into your hands we commit our spirit.
We pray for your holy Church, the Body of Christ. Impart to us the Spirit of gentleness and peace, the Spirit of compassion and forgiveness, the Spirit of justice and freedom for all. By the grace of the crucified Christ, may we learn your way of love.
God, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. God, have mercy.

SILENT PRAYERS … THE LORD’S PRAYER

HYMN

THE SEVEN LAST WORDS

SILENT REFLECTION

You may remain as long as you wish, in silent prayer.

Click here to download this liturgy in a .doc format.

Good Friday Liturgy

INTRODUCTION (Philippians 2. 5-11)

Though Christ was by nature divine,
Christ did not cling to equality with God,
but in utter self-emptying, took the form of a slave,
and was born as a human.
God have mercy.
Appearing in human form,
he humbled himself,
and became obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Christ have mercy.
Therefore God has highly exalted Christ,
with a name above all others,
that every knee should bend, and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ reigns supreme, to the glory of God the Giver of Life.
God have mercy, and grant us your peace.
SONG

PRAYER
Jesus, you carried our sins in your own body on the cross so that we might have life. God, look with mercy upon your beloved people, for whom Christ was willing to suffer. By your grace may we, and all who remember this day, find forgiveness, liberation from our sin, and new life in you, that we may walk in your ways, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to your eternal glory. Amen.
SILENT PRAYER

OLD TESTAMENT (Isaiah 52.13 – 53.12)
My servant, you shall prosper;
        you shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.
Just as there were many who were astonished at you—
      so marred was your appearance, beyond human semblance,
      and your form beyond that of mortals—
so you shall startle many nations;
      rulers shall shut their mouths because of you;
for that which had not been told them they shall see,
      and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.

Who would have believed what you have just heard?
      And to whom has the arm of the Holy One been revealed?
For you grew up before God like a young plant,
      and like a root out of dry ground;
you had no form or majesty to impress us,
      nothing in your appearance that we should desire you.

You were despised and rejected;
      one who knew suffering and was familiar with pain;
people despised you and looked away,
      and considered you worthless.

Surely you have borne our weakness and carried our diseases.
We thought you were being stricken by God,
      punished and humiliated—
but you suffered because of our sins,
      and were wounded by the evil we have done.
You were punished, and yet we are made whole;
      for in your suffering we find healing.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
      we have all turned to our own way;
      in you God has exposed our violence.

SILENT PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

You were oppressed, and afflicted,
      yet you did not open your mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
      and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
      so you did not open your mouth.
By a perversion of justice you were taken away.
      Who could have imagined your future?
For you were cut off from the land of the living,
      and suffered what was not yours to suffer.

They made your grave with the wicked
      buried you with the rich,
although you had done no violence,
      and had only spoken the truth.

Though you were crushed with pain, yet God believed in you,
      and healed you, whom we made an offering for sin.
You shall see your offspring,
      and shall prolong your days;
      through you God’s will shall prosper.

Out of your anguish you shall see light;
      and knowing the truth, you will find peace.
You, God’s righteous servant,
      shall make many righteous,
      and you shall bear their sins.

Therefore God will allot you a portion with the great,
      and you shall divide the spoil with the strong;
because you poured yourself out to death,
      and were numbered with the transgressors.
You bore the sin of many,
      yet forgave the transgressors.

KYRIE

GOSPEL READING (from John 18.27-19.42)

SONG

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
THE PRAYER OF JESUS (“Lord’s Prayer”)

MEDITATION ON THE SEVEN LAST WORDS

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
PRAYER
God of truth, we are not aware of our evil or conscious of how we hurt others. Awaken us, O God, that we may be mindful of our sin. Open the eyes of our hearts, that we may see ourselves with loving clarity, as you see us—and repent. God, have mercy.
SILENCE

“Today you will be with me in paradise.”
PRAYER
Holy One, you promise us a realm of mercy and justice, yet we thwart it by our judgment and injustice. Heal us and all the world, that we may truly enter into the Empire of your love that you have prepared for us. God, have mercy.

“Woman, here is your son. Son, here is your mother.”
PRAYER
Christ our brother, you make us one family in your love. We pray for all our siblings and our kin the world over, for communities, and for mothers who must see their children suffer because of injustice. For the sin of our racism, our divisions and our fears. Forgive us and heal us. God, have mercy.
SILENCE

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
PRAYER
Gentle God, you share our fear and loneliness. You are always present with us and for us. May the Passion of your beloved Son give us help in all our trials, and strength in our human weakness. We pray for all who are lonely, and all who feel unworthy. God, have mercy.
SILENCE

“I am thirsty.”
PRAYER
We pray for the poor and all who are hungry and thirsty in body or soul. We ourselves hunger for your presence and thirst for your grace. We pray for all who suffer, and for those who exercise power in the world. God, have mercy.
SILENCE

“It is finished.”
PRAYER
Eternal One, you have loved us so deeply, so dearly, so wholly. Christ has faithfully embodied your love among us; the light of your love has shone, even in the darkness. You have set us free from the fear of death, so that we may love courageously. May we, the church, the Body of Christ, embody your love and forgiveness, and radiate your light. God, have mercy.
SILENCE

“Into your hands I commit my spirit.”
PRAYER
O Holy, Indwelling One, may we live by your Spirit, the spirit of gentleness and peace, of compassion and healing. Put to death all that is evil in us, and grant that we may die with Christ, that you may raise us to new life. Into your hands we commit our spirit. God, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. God, have mercy.

SILENCE

SONG

BLESSING

Click here to download this prayer in a .doc format.

[After each segment of this prayer is a scripture reading, followed by silence. The contents of the scripture readings, in brackets, may be included or omitted from the congregation’s printed materials.]

Eucharistic Prayer

God be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God thanks and praise.

Loving God, for your abundant creation that sustains us
and fed multitudes in the wilderness,
for your re-creating us in each breath, we give you thanks.
For your presence with us in this meal,
and your giving of yourself in your very flesh, we give you thanks.
John 6.35
[“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever trusts in me will never be thirsty.”]
          Silence…

Holy, whole and infinite One, womb of all that is:
all Creation is glorious with your presence.
We turn to you alone for life.
Blessed is the one who comes in your love.
Ezekiel 34.16
[I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. .]
          Silence…

To your welcoming grace, accepting the sinner and the broken,
and your universal forgiveness and generous healing, we open our hearts.
To your grace that reconciles us with you and with each other,
and unites us even with our enemies as siblings at your table,
we open our hearts.
Luke 15.2
[“This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” ]
          Silence…

For your invitation to your table,
and the gift of gathering here, we give you thanks.
We pray for all who are not yet free,
who know oppression, servitude, poverty or discrimination,
who are trafficked, abused or imprisoned,
that we may ever be mindful of your yearning for their freedom.
Exodus 3.7-8a
[“I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land.”]
          Silence…

For your mercy upon us in our sin, we give you thanks.
For your mercy upon us whose greed and complacency
contribute to the suffering of others, we humbly thank you.
Luke 19.42
[If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.]
          Silence…

For your covenant in which you claim us as your beloved people,
and for your faithful mercy, we give you thanks.
For your grace in redeeming us in our poverty and slavery,
for saving us from the fear of death and the weight of our sin,
we give you thanks.
John 8.35-36
[The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. ]
          Silence…

To the mystery of your call to die and be raised with Christ;
and to your self-giving, in which we receive eternal life, we open our hearts.
To your grace by which we enter into new lives,
and to the love in which we lay down our lives for one another,
we open our hearts.
John 12.24
[I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.]
          Silence…

[The Blessing and Covenant]

Feasting on the food of eternal life, we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Remembering Jesus and his love, we offer ourselves with him
to you, for the healing of the world.
John 4.14
[Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.]
          Silence….

For the sake of the true spirit of this meal in solidarity with all who are oppressed,
for the sake of good news for the poor and freedom for those in prison,
pour out your Spirit on us.
For compassion for those who suffer, and strength for the journey ahead,
for courage in the struggle for justice, pour out your Spirit on us.
Isaiah 58.6-8
[Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? ]
          Silence…

For the sake of your Realm of mercy and justice which is to come;
for the sake of the Resurrection Life which you promise,
pour out your Spirit on us. Amen.
John 14.26-27
[The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom God will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.]
          Silence….

This liturgy is essentially an extended Eucharistic Prayer. The focus is on communion with Christ. The Eucharistic prayer is long—it takes up most of the service. You may break it up with appropriate music wherever it fits best.

Click here to download this service in a .doc format.
__________________________________

A Maundy Thursday Liturgy

“This is my command: that you love one another as I have loved you.”
—John 15.12

PRELUDE

GREETING
Dearly Beloved, siblings in Christ, in this Holy Week we proclaim the mystery of our faith as we behold the great love of Jesus, and contemplate his call for us to love one another. As Jesus faced his death with humility, compassion and grace, pray that we may watch with him in his passion. Set us free from our bondage to self, that by your grace we may enter into the fellowship of his suffering, trusting in your grace alone. Grant that in his spirit we may freely serve one another in all lowliness, for the sake of your will.

SONG

PRAYER
God of grace, as Jesus called his beloved friends to the table, so you call us now, to share in table fellowship as sisters and brothers, to give thanks for Jesus, and to receive him into our hearts. Fill us with the love of Christ, that we may be his faithful disciples. Amen.

GOSPEL John 13.1-17, 31-35

MEDITATION / HOMILY

SONG

PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Pastor: God of love, we give thanks for the mystery of this meal, in which, even in our sin, you offer us love and grace. Therefore we are bold to confess our sin to you with one another.
All: Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with all our heart, nor loved our neighbors as ourselves. In our fear we have withheld compassion. In selfishness we have thought ourselves separate from others. We have betrayed Christ. We repent of our sin, and ask your forgiveness.
SILENT PRAYER … PROCLAMATION OF GRACE
Sisters and brothers, you are forgiven. Trust in the grace of God.
We are forgiven. You are forgiven. We trust in the grace of God.

PASSING THE PEACE

PRAYER
Gracious God, grant us Christ’s spirit of humility, obedience and love.
Set us free from our bondage to self, that by your grace we may enter into the fellowship of his suffering and the body of his love, trusting in your grace alone. Grant that in his spirit we may freely serve one another in all lowliness, for the sake of your will. Amen.

PSALM Psalm 116

THE EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
Dearly Beloved, this is no ordinary meal, for Jesus himself has invited us,
and in it we experience his presence:
in the bread, in the sharing, and in one another.
Thanks be to God.
Jesus’ ministry was teaching and healing; it was also eating and drinking,
with friends, with strangers, even with enemies.
The accusation against him was true: “He eats with sinners.”
and so he invites us to dine with him, in love, in forgiveness, in community.
Thanks be to God.

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Blessed are you, O God, Creator of the Universe,
Infinite Love at the heart of all things.
You have given us the gifts of earth and food,
of life and blessing, and we thank you.
As we bless this bread we thank you for all your gifts
and praise you for all your blessings.

[You are invited to call out all of the blessings for which you are thankful. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!]

Holy God, Creator of this world and all that is to come,
we give thanks for your mighty acts of mercy.
You brought Creation out of chaos, light out of darkness.
You formed us in your image
and breathed into us the breath of life.
You made your Covenant with us, to be our God.
You condemn the powers that oppress us,
and set free your beloved people.
Even when our love fails, you remain steadfast.
You love us and redeem us
and bring us up out of slavery
in the life, death and resurrection of Christ.
You deliver us from our imprisonment in ourselves
and restore us to your beloved community.
In your Spirit you make us one body,
and draw us to your table as sisters and brothers.
Therefore we remember with love and gratitude
the cloud of witnesses who surround us and who have gone before.

[You are invited to share the names of all those whom you wish to remember, near or far, living or dead.]

SCRIPTURE Hebrews 12.1-3

For the gift of community, we give you thanks.
We ask your blessing for each person gathered here,
and for those whom we do not see—
for family and ancestors,
for travelers and sojourners,
for people in far off lands, for immigrants and strangers,
prisoners and laborers,
for all the faithful and their pastors,
for teachers and healers,
for our enemies and those whom we do not understand,
and for those people to whom you will send us
in humble, loving service.
For all your saints, known to us and unknown, we give thanks
and pray that in this meal we may be made one.
For your covenant of love, we give you thanks.
For the gift of Creation, for your faithful providence,
and for your mighty acts of salvation, we thank you.
As the grains of wheat are gathered and made into one loaf,
so in this meal we are one in the love of Jesus, the Body of Christ.
And so with all your Beloved, we praise you with one voice:

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed is Jesus, your Christ, who comes in your name,
who embodies your love among us,
who gives himself to us for heavenly food.
Jesus taught us of the Realm of your grace,
the banquet of your generous love.
He healed our bodies, our souls, our relationships,
and set us free from our fear.
On the night in which he gave himself for us,
he gathered his beloved for a meal.
In our fear and isolation he made a community.
In the face of injustice he showed generosity.
Against the powers of evil he shared love.
Amidst our betrayal he gave a feast of self-giving.
Though divine, Christ did not cling to equality with God,
but in complete self-emptying took the form of a servant,
becoming humble to the point of death, even death on a cross.

SONG

In the bread we feast on the love of Christ;
and in the cup we drink of his sacrifice for us,
and of the cup of pain and sorrow that all must drink who dare to love.
Fill us with the wine of gratitude, O God,
that we may both drink and share the cup of compassion.
In offering his body and blood to us, Jesus enters into our suffering.
Therefore we pray for all who suffer, for you, O God, are one with them.
Be with us in all our sorrows, O Christ,
and all who watch or wait this night.
Be with those who are sick or poor, in grief or afraid,
those who are imprisoned or enslaved,
victims of torture, persecution or oppression,
those who suffer from addiction or violence.
Gentle Christ, we thank for your great love,
for which you suffered the torture of the cross.
In your presence may all who suffer find hope and courage
and come to know the true promise of resurrection.

[You are invited to name victims of injustice for whom we pray.]

Other intercessory prayers may be offered here.

Gracious God, in Christ you have renewed your Covenant
to be our God and to be with us in blessing eternally.
You have brought about your new Passover:
for it was Christ who offered himself as the Passover lamb,
that the power of death may pass over us, and that,
in your suffering for our sin, all condemnation be destroyed.

…The Blessing and Covenant (“Words of Institution”)…

In the Covenant of your forgiveness of our sin, we receive new life.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
in union with Christ’s offering for us
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

SCRIPTURE Isaiah 42.1-4

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Renew your Spirit within us, O God,
grant us the peace of Christ,
and unite us with all who share in this meal.
In this meal you grant us solidarity with all who suffer,
that we may enter into the brokenness of the world;
May we, bearing the light of your resurrection,
live as signs of your covenant with all Creation,
and the coming of the Realm you have promised.

We pray that every oppressive force may be undone,
including those in which we have a part.
We ask for the courage and compassion of your Spirit,
that we may pray and work for justice for all people.
God of mercy, set us free, and free all your beloved children.
May your Spirit live in us, that we may be fearless in love,
and unafraid to give of ourselves.
Make us your humble servants for the healing of the world,
according to your will.
May your Word be made flesh by all your holy Church,
in the love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen, spoken or sung

THE PRAYER OF JESUS (“Lord’s Prayer”)

SONG

SHARING THE HOLY MEAL

PRAYER
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery
in which you have given yourself to us.
You have affirmed anew your covenant to be with us in blessing.
You have given us the Body of Christ,
and made us the Body of Christ:
you have united us with one another
and with the crucified and risen Christ.
In the grace of your forgiveness,
in the power of your resurrecting love,
send us into the world to be the healing hands of Christ.
Renew your Spirit within us, and grant us the peace of Christ,
that we may enter into the brokenness of the world,
and, bearing the light of your resurrection,
live as signs of the Realm you have promised.
In the grace of your communion with us,
strengthen us for the work of justice and healing.
Grant that we may be taken as your beloved,
blessed as the body of Christ in your Covenant,
broken, crucified for the healing of all people,
and given, raised, for the building of justice
and the redemption of all Creation.
In your Spirit we are one with you, one with each other,
one in ministry to the world.“This is my commandment,” Jesus says,
that you love one another as I have loved you.”
May we live in love according to your grace,
in the name and Spirit of Christ. Amen.

SONG

BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH

POSTLUDE

__________________________

Suggested songs

In Your Love (Tune: What Wondrous Love)

Our thanks we give to you, holy God, Loving One.
All earth and heaven shine with your love.
You form us wonderfully, and love us faithfully,
and come and set us free by your love, by your love.
Hosanna, God on high, Loving One!

How blest is Christ, who comes in your name, in your love,
who blessed and taught and healed in your love.
In love your Christ has died, is risen at our side,
and still will come again in your love, in your love,
and Christ will come again in your love.

Pour out your Spirit, God, on this bread, on this wine:
for they are Christ made real in your love.
Make us the Body, too, of Christ, now sent from you,
that we your will may do in your love, in your love.
We offer you our lives in your love.


This is the Passover (Original song)

This is the Passover you have desired to share
as you deliver us out of our slavery and fear.

This is the new living Covenant, sealed in your blood.
Grant that it may be fulfilled in the Kin-dom of God.

Stripped in our suffering of all but our need for your grace,
join us to you in your dying and rising, O Christ.

This is our passing from death into life, one with you.
Grant us your Spirit, united, set free and made new.


You Feed Us, Gentle Savior       (Tune: O Sacred Head Now Wounded)

You feed us, gentle savior, the bread that makes us whole,
the wine of your compassion poured out into our soul,
the food of your own presence, your spirit, strong, within,
the grace that heals us deeply and overcomes our sin.

You bind us, gentle savior, and weave us into one,
one flesh and blood, made holy, the Body of your Son.
We gather here in hunger, one hunger, all the same;
and with one grace you bless us together in his name.

You call us, gentle savior, and send us in your name.
You teach and heal and show us how we can do the same.
So strengthened by your Spirit and nourished by your grace,
we go to be your presence in love, in every place.