Sunday 30 March 2025

 

 

          Call to worship and Opening Prayer

 

 

The Lord be with you

and also with you.

 

 

Blessed are you, Lord our God,

for you have created us all;

we are your children,

loved by you

and ever under your care and protection.

We thank you for our life, your love,

and all that you give us.

 

Blessed are you,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

 

God our Father,
your Son, Jesus Christ,
lived in a family at Nazareth.
As we meet together now
help us to learn more about what it is
to love our families and friends as you love us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

 

 

Asking for God’s forgiveness

 

 

Let us call to mind our failure to love as God has loved us.

Faithful God, we know we don't always treat each other
as you want us to.
Forgive us;
and help us to be more loving.

 

There are times when we insist on getting our own way
despite what others feel.
Forgive us;
and help us to be more loving.

 

Sometimes we increase the tension
when we ought to seek peace,
or say things which hurt one another.
Forgive us;
and help us to be more loving.

You sent your Son Jesus

to show us the true meaning of forgiveness
Forgive us;
and help us to be more loving.

 

May God forgive you,

and strengthen you to live in the power of the Spirit,

all your days. 

Amen.

 

Praise and thanksgiving

 

 

Thank you, loving God, for those with whom we share our lives.
 

For parents, and the love which brought us to birth:
we praise you, O Lord, and bring you thanks today.

 

For mothers and others, who have cherished and nurtured us:
we praise you, O Lord, and bring you thanks today.

 

For mothers and others, who have loved and supported us,
we praise you, O Lord, and bring you thanks today.

 

For mothers and others, with whom we have shared our home:
we praise you, O Lord, and bring you thanks today.

 

For other relatives and friends,
who have been with us in our hopes and joys
and in times of sadness:
we praise you, O Lord, and bring you thanks today.

 

Help us to live as those who belong to one another,
and to you, our heavenly Father,
now and always.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

A Collect

 

God of compassion,
whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary,
shared the life of a home in Nazareth,
and on the cross drew the whole human family to himself:
strengthen us in our daily living
that in joy and in sorrow
we may know the power of your presence
to bind together and to heal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen.

An Old Testament Reading                

 

           

 

A New Testament Reading      

 

         

 

Gradual Hymn 

 

         

 

A Gospel Reading                               

 

         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 declare our faith in God.

 

We believe in God the Father,
from whom every family
in heaven and on earth is named.

 

We believe in God the Son,
who lives in our hearts through faith,
and fills us with his love.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
who strengthens us
with power from on high.

 

We believe in one God;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

 

 

 

Intercessions        

 

 

         

The Peace

 

 

Jesus said, ‘Whoever does the will of God

Is my brother, and sister and mother.’

As we have opportunity, let us work for good to all.

 

The peace of the Lord be always with you

and also with you.

 

We indicate an expression of peace to one another.

 

 

 

 

Offertory Hymn 

 

 

Prayers at the preparation of the Table

 

God of all goodness and grace,

receive the gifts we offer;

and grant that our whole lives

may give you glory and praise;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.  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 always right to give you thanks,
God our Creator, loving and faithful, holy and strong.

You made us and the whole universe,
and filled your world with life.

 

You sent your Son to live among us,
Jesus our Saviour, Mary’s child.

He suffered on the cross;
he died to save us from our sins;
he rose in glory from the dead.

 

 

You send your Spirit
to bring new life to the world,
and clothe us with power from on high.

And so we join the angels, praising you and singing:

 

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.

 

 

Father, on the night before he died,
Jesus shared a meal with his friends.

 

He took the bread, and thanked you.
He broke it, and gave it to them, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this to remember me.

 

After the meal, Jesus took the cup of wine.
He thanked you, and gave it to them, saying:
Drink this, all of you.
This is my blood, the new promise of God’s unfailing love.
Do this to remember me.         

 

 

Jesus Christ is Lord:

Lord, by your cross and resurrection

you have set us free.

You are the Saviour of the world.

 

Father, as we bring this bread and wine,
and remember his death and resurrection,
send your Holy Spirit, that we who share these gifts
may be fed by Christ’s body and his blood.

 

Pour your Spirit on us
that we may love one another,
work for the healing of the earth,
and share the good news of Jesus,
as we wait for his coming in glory.

 

For honour and praise belong to you, Father,
with Jesus your Son, and the Holy Spirit:
one God, 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

 

We break this bread
to share in the body of Christ.

Though we are many, we are one body,
because we all share in one bread.

The Prayer of the Lamb

 

   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

 

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

Give us this bread for ever.

 

 

Everyone is invited to receive communion or a blessing.

 

 

 

 

 

Closing Hymn

 

 

 

 

 

 

Closing Prayers and Blessing

 

 

Loving God,

help us to build relationships

in all the corners of our hearts;

to be like you, to love like you,

to heal brokenness and restore wholeness

in families worldwide.

Amen.

 

 

Almighty God,
we thank you for feeding us
with the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ.
Through him we offer you our souls and bodies
to be a living sacrifice.

Send us out in the power of your Spirit
to live and work to your praise and glory.

Amen.

 

 

May God the Father keep us in his care.
May the Lord Jesus Christ be our constant friend
and the Holy Spirit guide us in all we do,
now and always;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among us and remain with us always.

Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

The Distribution of Flowers

 

 

 

Loving God, you uphold us from birth to death,
and through all life’s changes,
with your grace and love.
In gratitude for all the love we have received,
throughout our lives,
may we be always ready to help those who are struggling,
to protect the vulnerable,
to feed the hungry,
and to comfort the broken.
 

Accept these flowers as symbols of our ongoing love
for those to whom we give them,
and may we all be blessed in giving and receiving;
in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

 

 

 

Departing

 

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

 

In the name of Christ. Amen.