Lent Communion, 7 March 2021

A service of Communion, in which those who wish may share

(you may wish at this point to have bread and wine or water to hand)

Links to today’s hymns with music, singing and words:

This week’s main service can be found here: http://dumbartoncofs.org/2021/03/sunday-worship-7-march-2021/

Welcome

The LORD is in his holy temple;

 Let all the earth be silent in his presence         

Habakkuk 2: 20

Hymn 510 Jesus calls us here to meet him

Reading        John 2: 13-22


Prayer

Loving God

We thank you for your great love

 the love we see in the life of Jesus

 he came from the glory of being your Son

 to live a life like ours

 to share our feelings and our experiences

 ready to serve you and to serve others

 even though that would cost him his life

We thank you that he was faithful to the end

 and that on Easter Day you raised him to a new life that lasts for ever

 so that we now have a new and solid hope for the future

 that beyond this life there is a life that will never end

 and that goodness, truth and love will have the last word

You love us so much

 but we must admit that our love for you is so faint and poor

 we forget to say ‘Thank you’

 we don’t follow Jesus’ teaching about how we should live

 we don’t follow his example about how to live

and we are sorry

Forgive us

Help us to love you as we should

Help us to live as we should

Help us to share your love and Good News with others

Through Christ our Lord we pray. Amen


Communion

INTRODUCTION

Jesus was baptised by John in the River Jordan.

He had committed no sins that needed forgiven or washed away, but in being baptised he identified with us, he shows us God sharing in our humanity and our pain.

For him, and for us, baptism is more than just a sign of sins forgiven. It is a sign of Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross. His baptism speaks of his coming death and rising again. Our baptism speaks of our sharing with Jesus in his death and rising again.

After his baptism God confirmed his call, and empowered him with the Spirit to go out and proclaim the Good News.

He was tempted in the desert to turn away from God’s plan and go for something easier, but he resisted all temptations, because he knew that he had to do his Father’s will.

In the days before Good Friday he set his face resolutely towards Jerusalem: he knew what lay ahead, but still he went – so great was his love for us, and his commitment to his Father.

Today in this season of Lent we gather at his invitation to share in communion together –

we remember his great love for us

his readiness to do his Father’s will, whatever the cost to himself

his strength of will to resist all temptation

his commitment to proclaiming the Good News

As we do so we know that he is here, Risen and Glorified, the host of the feast, our Saviour and our Lord

NARRATIVE OF THE INSTITUTION

On the night of his arrest

the Lord Jesus took bread,

and after giving thanks to God broke it and said:

‘This is my body, which is for you;

do this in memory of me.’

In the same way,

he took the cup after supper and said,

‘This cup is the new covenant

sealed by my blood.

Whenever you drink it, do this in memory of me.’

TAKING THE BREAD AND WINE

As the Lord Jesus took bread,

we take this bread and wine

to be set apart for this holy use.

And as he gave thanks,

let us give our thanks and praise.

THANKSGIVING

Heavenly Father

In the face of your love and goodness

in the face of Jesus’ commitment

in the face of his suffering

what can we say?

No words are adequate

especially in the light of our own shortcomings

But how can we not want to repeat hymns and songs

 words and shouts

of joy and praise to such a loving, caring God

 to such a wonderful Saviour

We rejoice and celebrate

that Jesus, who suffered and died,

rose from the dead

and lives for ever

bringing new life, new hope

bringing the assurance that victory

lies with goodness, love and truth

not death, not hatred, not indifference

Send down your Spirit upon us now

 and upon this bread and wine

so that as we eat together

we may know that Jesus is here with us

we may receive his new life

and remain his glad and faithful people

until we feast with him in glory

And we sum up our prayers in the words of the prayer Jesus gave us

Our Father, who art in heaven,

 hallowed be thy name;

 thy kingdom come;

 thy will be done;

 on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

 as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation;

 but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

 the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen

BREAKING OF BREAD

The Lord Jesus took bread

and after giving thanks to God,

he broke it

and said, ‘This is my body

which is broken for you;

do this in memory of me.’

In the same way he took the cup,

saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant

sealed by my blood.

Whenever you drink it, do this in memory of me.’

COMMUNION

God bless to us this bread

 sign of his body broken on the cross for us

 sign that each of us belongs to Christ

 sign that we are made one in him

 sign that he himself meets us and feed us here

God bless to us this wine

 sign of the Lamb of God

 whose blood was shed that the sins of many might be forgiven

He gives us cause to rejoice

 and celebrate in this season and every season

 God bless to us the cup of the new covenant

PEACE

Christ has died

Christ is risen

Christ will come again

The peace of Christ be with you

PRAYER

Lord we give you thanks

because around this table

our hearts have been fed

our thirst has been quenched

our strength is renewed

and we are filled

with a new longing for justice

and a new spirit of hope.

Around this table

we have been made one

with all your people in heaven and on earth

We look forward to the day

when all the earth is nourished by your bread.

We look forward to the day

when with all the company of your people

we eat and drink

in the glory of your eternal kingdom

through Jesus Christ our Lord


Hymn 110 Glory be to God the Father

Blessing

Be bold to share the life of Christ and show his love

and the blessing of God Almighty

 Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

 rest and remain with you,

 today, and every day, and for ever. Amen


This week’s main service can be found here: http://dumbartoncofs.org/2021/03/sunday-worship-7-march-2021/

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