Jubilee 2009 – Breaking the Bonds

GATHERING 

 

ENTRANCE

 

REFLECTION

See, the home of God is among mortals. The Holy One will dwell with them; they will be God’s peoples, and God’s own self will be with them and will wipe every tear from their eyes.

 

 

CALL TO WORSHIP 

Leader:      Come, people of faith, come together

                 to know you are in God’s loving presence.

 

People:       We come as we are, jubilant and mournful,

hungry and satisfied, rich and poor, all at once. 

 

Leader:       Open your hearts, people of faith.

Know that God is at home with us,

breaking the bonds that hold us back,

showing us how to love and serve.

                       

  All:             We come, ready to be embraced

into loving and doing God’s will.

 

INVOCATION

 

HYMN

WORD FOR THE CHILDREN

SILENCE

 

PRAYERS

COMMON CONFESSION

Leader:      We want to break the bonds that bind us.

 

People:      But we cling to our comforts, our habits,

our desires, our fears.

 

Leader:      We want to break the bonds that bind others.

 

People:      But we build walls against their pain, their need,

their sorrow, their joy.

 

Leader:       We want to live in the freedom of God.

 

All:              But we can see only a world

                   that holds everyone in bondage.

 

INDIVIDUAL PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

   

ASSURANCE

Leader:   Remember that God is at home in the world,

breaking all bonds, releasing all captives,

and wiping away every tear.

All:              Amen.

  

PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION  

 

PRAYER OF DEDICATION AND 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. 

 

                  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

GREAT THANKSGIVING

Leader 1:  Divine Creator, we offer our thanks
                  that you dwell among us

and claim us as your own.

 

Voice 1:     Our hearts swell with thanks for fellowship in faith;
for those who journey with us

                  straining against the bonds of fear.

                      

Voice 2:     We give you thanks for the gift of the Holy Spirit

moving within us as hope, giving us strength

to break the bonds of slavery and sin.

 

All:             We give you thanks for the Good News in Christ

who came to set the captives free.

  

BLESSING THE ELEMENTS

Leader 2:   Christ invites everyone to eat the bread of life,

to drink the cup of freedom and forgiveness.

  

Leader 1:   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 2:   On the night of his arrest, Jesus took bread,

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

This is my body, which is for you;

do this remembering me.

 

Leader 1:   After supper, Jesus took the cup and said,

                  This is the cup of the new covenant;

Whenever you drink it, do so remembering me.

 

Leader 2:    And so we eat and drink in anticipation

                   of the new heaven and the new earth,

                   as we proclaim the mystery of faith:

                  

All:              Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

 

SHARE THE ELEMENTS

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.

Amen.

SHARED REFLECTIONS 

                                

ANNOUNCEMENTS

  

HYMN

   

BENEDICTION

Leader:     Go into the world in peace.

Rejoice with those who rejoice.

Weep with those who weep.

 

Know that the Holy One dwells within you

and holds all of creation in sustaining love.

 

 

People:            Amen