The Parishes of Clent and Hagley

 

Holy Communion - 5 May - Easter 6

St John’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 said to his disciples:

‘No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’
 

Loving and living God,
you have called us to worship you,
chosen us to be your friends
and invited us to extend that friendship
to people everywhere.
May we live as Jesus lived,
serve as he served,
and love as he loved,
to the glory of your name.  Amen.

 

Jesus said ‘As the Father loved me, I have loved you.’
Let us abide in God’s love.
You are my friends if you do what I command you,
for we did not choose you, you chose us.
I have said these things to you,
so that our joy may be complete.
I am giving you these commands:
that we may love one another. Amen.

 

 

Opening Hymn      AM 170 The Church’s one foundation

Asking for God’s forgiveness

 

 

Ever-listening God, we come to you in penitence.

Your love is so precious;
for times we have turned away from you when life has been easy;
forgive us and help us to turn back to your ways.

 

You have commanded us to love others;
for times we have turned away from them when their lives have been difficult;
forgive us and help us to be there for them.
 

You have shared with us your ministry of welcome;
for times we have turned people away;
forgive us and help us always to be open to them.
 

May the God of love
bring you back to himself,
forgive you your sins,
and assure us of his eternal love
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

God of hope and healing:
for forgiving, redeeming and blessing us
we thank you, in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

 

 

Praise and Thanksgiving  

 

God of relationships,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, together and as one,
you draw us into friendship with you that we may draw others.
You command us to love as you have love,

that we might inspire others.
You fill our hearts with the passion of your heart,

that we might serve others.
You are the truest of friends, and the most enduring,

and we praise you.  Amen.

 

We thank you, Loving God,

that if we are truly open to you,
you fill us with your spirit.
You surprise us with your joy and power.
We are ready to accept your challenge,
and to live our lives open to you,
with hearts full of praise and thanksgiving.
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

 

God our redeemer,
you have delivered us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:
grant, that as by his death he has recalled us to life,
so by his continual presence in us he may raise us
          to eternal joy;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.

Amen.

 

First Reading                                                  Acts 10.44-end

 

           

Second Reading                                   1 John 5.1-6

 

 

Gradual Hymn                 AM 156 Come down, O Love divine

 

 

A Gospel Reading                                John 15.9-17

 

         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     AM 235 O Jesus, I have promised

                                                

 

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             AM 260          And now, O Father, mindful of the love

 

 

 

 

 

 

Closing Prayers and Blessing

 

 

Loving God,

we thank you for sending Jesus to show us your love.
Help us to know that, although we are all different,

we are all loved by you;

and surprise us with your love.
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                  AM 131 Love divine, all loves excelling

 

 

                   

Dismissal

 

 

Lord Jesus, we rejoice
that you have chosen us to be your friends.
Help us to be a friend to you by following your way;
and as we go out into your world,
help us to live a life that reflects your love,
by being a friend to others.
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.