The Parishes of Clent and Hagley

 

Holy Communion - 28 April - Easter 5

St Saviour’s

 

 

Call to Worship and Opening Prayers

 

 

The Lord be with you

and also with you.

 

Alleluia.  Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed.  Alleluia.

 

 

Jesus says, ‘I am the vine, you are the branches.
Those who abide in me, and I in them, bear much fruit.
Apart from me you can do nothing.’

 

Eternal God,

we come as one,
drawn together by your life-giving love,

to listen to your word,
and to reconnect with you and with one another.
Meet us in our prayers and praises, and nourish us,

that we may draw strength from you
and grow in harmony, unity and love,
in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

 

True God, true vine,
strength of all our being,
giver of all good gifts,
healer of all that is broken:
we worship you;
we glorify you;
and we rejoice in you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Opening Hymn      243       God is love, let heav’n adore him

Asking for God’s forgiveness

 

 

Gracious God,
we come to you aware of our failings

and conscious that we have tried to live in our own strength.

For times we have rooted ourselves in our own wills

and have not abided in your love:

forgive us and reconnect us to your vine.

For times we have looked for quick fixes

and not kingdom-shaped growth:
forgive us and reconnect us to your vine.

For times we have measured our worth by our own achievements

and not trusted your truth:
forgive us and reconnect us to your vine.

 

May the God of love

forgive you and free you from your past,

renew you and strengthen you by his Spirit,

and bring you to new life in Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

 

 

Praise and Thanksgiving  

 

Creator God, you made us in your image
and provide us with all we need:
a world with plenty for all to share and delight in.
For this we give you thanks and praise.

Saviour God, you came to forgive us our sins
and to show us the path we should follow,
through the highs and lows of all that life throws at us.
For this we give you thanks and praise.

Holy Spirit, you were sent to equip us for the tasks ahead
and to get us into shape for the journey,
challenging us, pruning us and encouraging us.
For this we give you thanks and praise. Amen.

 

 

God of life and love,
in you we are all we need to be;
through you we grow into all that we long to be;
with you we bear fruits

that can be used and shared and multiplied;
because of you our lives are rich and blessed and fruitful:
so we praise you in song and silence,

today and every day.
Amen.

 

 

Giving glory to God

 

 

Glory be to God in heaven,

and to all on earth, his peace;

Lord and Father, King in glory,

gifts of praise in us release,

so our worship and thanksgiving

from our hearts will never cease

 

Christ on earth, sent by the Father

to redeem, renew, restore;

risen Lamb, in glory seated,

hear our prayers, Lord, we implore.

Now to Father, Son, and Spirit

be all glory evermore.

 

 

A Collect

 

Risen Christ,
your wounds declare your love for the world
and the wonder of your risen life:
give us compassion and courage
to risk ourselves for those we serve,
to the glory of God the Father.

Amen.

 

First Reading                                                  Acts 8.26-end

 

           

Second Reading                                   1 John 4.7-end

 

 

Gradual Hymn                           4          A new commandment

 

 

A Gospel Reading                                John 15.1-8

 

         Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John

            Glory to you, O Lord.

 

 At end:           

 

            This is the Gospel of the Lord

            Praise to you, O Christ.     

 

 

A Reflection

 

 

An Affirmation of Faith

 

Let us affirm our faith in God:

 

We believe and trust in God the Father,

who made all things.

 

We believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ,

who redeemed the world.

 

We believe and trust in his Holy Spirit,

who gives life to the people of God.

 

We believe and trust in one God,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

Intercessions        

 

 

The Peace

 

The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples
and said, ‘Peace be with you.’

Then were they glad when they saw the Lord. Alleluia.

 

The peace of the Lord be always with you

and also with you.

 

We convey an expression of peace to one another.

 

Offertory Hymn     491       Love divine, all loves excelling

                                                

 

Prayers at the preparation of the table

 

Lord Jesus, you gave everything for us.
With these our gifts,

we offer you all that we have, and are, and will be,
praying that you will reach out through us

so that others may come to share in your risen life.
Amen.

 

 

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation:

through your goodness we have this bread to set before you,

which earth has given and human hands have made.

It will become for us the bread of life.

Blessed be God for ever.

 

 

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation:

through your goodness we have this wine to set before you,

fruit of the vine and work of human hands.

It will become for us the cup of salvation.

Blessed be God for ever.

 

The Eucharistic Prayer and Communion

 

 

The Lord is here.

His Spirit is with us.

 

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

 

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give thanks and praise.
           

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
almighty and eternal Father,
and in these days of Easter
to celebrate with joyful hearts
the memory of your wonderful works.
 

For by the mystery of his passion
Jesus Christ, your risen Son,
has conquered the powers of death and hell
and restored in men and women the image of your glory.
 

He has placed them once more in paradise
and opened to them the gate of life eternal.
 

And so, in the joy of this Passover,
earth and heaven resound with gladness,
while angels and archangels and the powers of all creation
sing for ever the hymn of your glory:

 

 

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord.

Holy is the Lord God almighty!

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord.

Holy is the Lord God almighty!

Who was and is, and is to come;

holy, holy, holy is the Lord.

 

 

Blessed, blessed, blest is he who comes,

Blest is he who comes in the Lord’s name.

Blessed, blessed, blest is he who comes,

blest is he who comes in the Lord’s name.

Hosanna in the heights of heav’n.

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord.

 

Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness;

grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit,

and according to your holy will,

these gifts of bread and wine

may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ;

 

who, in the same night that he was betrayed,

took bread and gave you thanks;

he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying:

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

do this in remembrance of me.

 

In the same way, after supper

he took the cup and gave you thanks;

he gave it to them, saying:

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.

 

Jesus Christ is Lord;

Lord, by your cross and resurrection

you have set us free.

You are the Saviour of the world.

 

And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross

his perfect sacrifice made once for the sins of the whole world;

rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension,

and looking for his coming in glory,

we celebrate this memorial of our redemption.

 

As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving,

we bring before you this bread and this cup

and we thank you for counting us worthy

to stand in your presence and serve you.

Send the Holy Spirit on your people

and gather into one in your kingdom

all who share this one bread and one cup,

so that we, in the company of all the saints,

may praise and glorify you for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord;

 

by whom, and with whom, and in whom,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

all honour and glory be yours,

almighty Father, for ever and ever.

Amen.

 

 

The Lord's Prayer

 

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.

 

 

 

The Breaking of the Bread

 

 

‘I am the bread which has come down from heaven’,

says the Lord.

Give us this bread for ever.

 

 

The Repton Agnus Dei

 

 

   O Lamb of God, come cleanse our hearts              

and take our sin away.                                    

O Lamb of God, your grace impart,      

and let our guilty fear depart,                          

have mercy, Lord, we pray,                         

have mercy, Lord, we pray. 

                   

O lamb of God, our lives restore,

our guilty souls release.

Into our lives your Spirit pour

and let us live for evermore

in perfect heavenly peace,

in perfect heavenly peace.

 

 

 

The Invitation

 

The gifts of God for the people of God.

Jesus Christ is holy,

Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

 

Everyone is invited to receive communion or a blessing

 

 

 

Communion Hymn                       16        All I once held dear

 

 

 

 

 

 

Closing Prayers and Blessing

 

 

Living God,
as a vine dresser you prune us for our own good.
Prune our lives
where they have become disconnected and unbalanced.
Enable us to let go of those things that have run their course,
that new things may grow in their place;
that our witness to you may be stronger
and we may bear more fruit to your glory.
Amen.

 

 

Father of all,

We give you thanks and praise,

that when we were still far off

you met us in your Son and brought us home.

Dying and living, he declared your love,

gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory.

May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life;

we who drink his cup bring life to others;

we whom the spirit lights give light to the world.

Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us,

so we and all your children shall be free,

and the whole earth live to praise your name;

through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

 

God the Father,

by whose glory Christ Jesus was raised from the dead,

strengthen you to walk with him in his risen life;

and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. 

Amen.

 

 

Closing Hymn                  692       Tell out, my soul

Dismissal

 

 

Loving God,

as we leave this place,
may we abide in you,
grafted and rooted and pruned,
and stay connected to one another and to you,
bearing fruit wherever your love takes us.
Amen.

 

 

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.   Alleluia, Alleluia.

In the name of Christ. Alleluia, Alleluia.

Please stand for the Eucharistic Prayer if you can - but if you would rather sit, then please do so.