2017 Epiphany – Loving Our Enemies

GATHERING.                 

ENTRANCE

REFLECTION

Wage peace with your breath.

Breathe in firemen and rubble,

breathe out whole buildings

and flocks of redwing blackbirds.

Breathe in terrorists and breathe out sleeping children

and freshly mown fields.

Breathe in confusion and breathe out maple trees.

from the poem, “Wage Peace,” by Judyth Hill

http://www.judythhill.com/home.html

CANDLE LIGHTING

CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader: Holy Light of the World,

             you call us to be salt and light,         

              to show the world your love through our deeds.

People: We come to wage peace,

              to become light for a world that is filled with shadows.

Leader You call us to love our enemies,

             to breathe in the pain of the world

             and breathe out compassion.

People:We come to wage love,

             to become a shelter from the storms of rage and hatred.

Leader: You call us to loose the bonds of injustice,

             to let the oppressed go free.

All:        We come now to become the Body of Christ,

             breathing out the healing of the world.

OPENING PRAYER

HYMN

WORD FOR THE CHILDREN

SILENCE

PRAYERS

CONFESSION

Leader:            Holy One, Jesus challenged us to love our enemies.

People:            But we confess

                         that we would rather ignore our enemies

                         than love them.

Leader:             Even when we try, our efforts are half-hearted.

People:             We fail to understand the power of your love.

Leader:             Our hearts are too small and too guarded

                          to truly love our enemies.

All:                     Forgive us for not remembering

                          not on our capacity for love, but on yours.

INDIVIDUAL PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

ASSURANCE

Leader:            God forgives us for our unloving ways.

People:            Amen

THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE

INTERCESSION AND PETITION

COMMITMENT

All:                               O Holy One, we come today
to claim our relationship with you.

                                    We pray for the commitment to grow together,
sharing the gifts you give us with others
here and in the wider world.

                                    Forgive us for the hurt we have inflicted,
and help us forgive those who have hurt us.

                                    Give us strength and discipline
to nurture our relationship with you;
to care for every part of your creation;
to foster justice and be in solidarity with those in need;
to work to end all war, and violence, and discord;
and to respond joyfully when you call,
freely giving our selves as you have shown the way.

                                    We open our hearts to you and your creation                                                                                                           

                                    in the name of Jesus, who is the Christ.  Amen.

HYMN

THE WORD

SCRIPTURE

SERMON

SILENT REFLECTION

OFFERING

 COMMUNION

PREPARATION

                 Leader 1: This is the table of the Heavenly Feast,

                                  the joyful celebration of the people of God.

                 Leader 2: We gather now as one body, joined around the table.

                 All:             Nourished and hungry, loved and loving,

                                  believing, rejoicing, being,

                                  as God lights and rests among us.

 

GREAT THANKSGIVING

Leader 1:                    Gracious loving God,

                                    we give you thanks for your breath

                                    that allows us to find healing for ourselves

                                    and to offer it to our world.

 People:                       We give you thanks for Jesus,

                                    who forgave others,

                                    even with his last breath.

Leader 2:                    We give you thanks for your Holy Spirit,

                                    the very breath of your being,

                                    that heals our wounds

                                    and stirs our compassion.

All:                                We give you thanks for your Holy Church

                                    that supports us as we breathe out

                                    the fragile breath of peace.

BLESSING THE ELEMENTS

Leader 1: Christ invites everyone to eat the bread of life,

                to drink the cup of the new covenant.

Leader 2: Jesus said, I am the bread of life.

                You who come to me shall never hunger,

                You who believe in me shall never thirst.

Leader 1: On the night of his arrest, Jesus took bread,

                 and after giving thanks to God, broke it and said,

                This is my body,

                broken for the healing of the world.

                Whenever you eat it, do so remembering me.

Leader 2: After supper, Jesus took the cup and said,

                This is the cup of the new covenant,

                poured out for you and for all.

                 Whenever you drink it, do so remembering me.

All:            O Holy One, send down your Spirit

                that these gifts of bread and cup

                 may be for us the body and blood of Christ.

                 Unite us with Christ forever

                 and bring us with the whole creation

                 to your eternal realm.

SHARE THE ELEMENTS

         If you do not wish to receive the elements today you are welcome to join the circle and allow them to pass, or remain in your seat. We serve grape juice in our cups.

         The wafers are gluten-free.

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND DEDICATION

All:            God of abundance and mercy,

                 we give joyful thanks

                 for your eternal love and healing presence

                 in our celebration of bread and cup.

                 Bless this body of Christ

                 that we may attend faithfully

                to our call to be your servants,

                with each other and throughout the world.

All:            Amen.

 

SHARED REFLECTIONS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HYMN

BENEDICTION

Leader:                       Let us answer God’s call to wage peace,

                                    to breathe out love and light,

                                    healing and compassion.

                                    And now, with God surrounding us,

                                    Jesus beside us, and the Holy Spirit within us,

                                    let us greet one another with signs of peace.

All:                               Amen.