Breaking of Bread Worship Service;
Introduction Hymn;
Sing we the King Who is Coming to Reign
by Charles Silvester Horne
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7MhlxwUiKE
Lyrics to Hymn
http://hollowayrev.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/hymn-of-the-week-sing-we-the-king-who-is-coming-to-reign/
Bible Reading;
Book of Matthew, Chapter 6, verses 6 to 15
"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, Who is Unseen.
Then your Father, Who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans,
For they think they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
This, then, is how you should pray;
"Our Father, Who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy Will be done,
On earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day
Our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil."
For if you forgive people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
Collect
Almighty God, unto Whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from Whom no secrets are hid,
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify Your Holy Name, through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Confession
Minister; 'Let us humbly confess our sins'
A period of silence, during which we pray together, kneeling before God as we think of where we can improve our lives.
Minister;
'May God Almighty have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life, Amen.'
Hymn
Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz-iqQrmV1s
Lyrics at
http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/g/g051.html
Affirmation of Faith
Minister; 'We are not alone. We live in God's world.'
People; 'We believe in God, Who has created and is creating,
Who has come in the truly human Jesus, to reconcile and make new,
Who works in us and others through the Spirit.
We trust God, Who calls us to the Church, to celebrate life and its fullness,
To love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil,
To proclaim Jesus, Crucified and Risen, our Judge and our Hope.'
Minister; 'In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us.'
People; 'We are not alone. Thanks be to God!'
Sermon
We have heard Jesus' teaching on how to pray.
The hallmarks of Jesus' teaching are simplicity and brevity.
Keep it short. Keep it simple. Keep it honest.
Tell God how you really feel.
Throw yourself into the arms of God with all your problems;
the relationship problems. The family fights. The nasty comments you have had said about you.
The injustice you have suffered. The rent you can't afford to pay. The illness you are suffering.
The child you are worried about. The friend who is on drugs and drink, and whose life is spiralling downward.
The decision you have to make.
The spouse who is unfaithful. The partner who has broken your heart.
The difficult conversation you have to have. The lack of understanding and support you receive.
The prejudice you encounter.
The illness you are facing.
The physical pain you are feeling.
The baby you are scared you can't afford.
He knows all these things. He understands all these things.
As human, He suffered many things.
Now, let us ask God to
- please help us
- please guide us
- help us to honour Him here on earth as deeply and sincerely as the angels do in Heaven
- give us the grace to help us to forgive others the wrong they have done us
- throw ourselves on God's mercy for the wrong we have done to others
- ask God to help protect us from evil, both within and without.
Let us pray, sincerely and in private, to God.
It is good to worship together. Here Jesus teaches us that it is essential - in order to grow as a Christian -
to pray alone to the Father.
Jesus encourages us to build a relationship with God our Father.
His Father and our Father.
How wonderful is that?
Prayer to God is the water to our spiritual life's plant.
Without it, our inner spiritual life will wither and die.
Offertory
In our Offertory, let us decide to do one good work today.
There are so many to choose from.
We can forgive someone something they did to us years ago, and let the grudge go.
Or we can repair a broken relationship, by talking to someone whom we have refused to speak to for many years.
Or we can lovingly accept a family member, colleague or friend who has a different orientation to us, knowing that he or she is a loved son or daughter of God.
Or we can lovingly accept a child who was born outside the bonds of marriage into our midst as a treasured member of our family.
Or we can financially assist someone in need.
Or we can sponsor a child who has no possibility of education or a better future otherwise.
Or we can cook a meal for our spouse/partner, who always does the cooking and gets tired.
You can think of a way in which to do a good work.
Let a rainbow of blessings light our world today!
Offertory Hymn
Living Waters
http://africangospellyrics.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/living-waters-lyrics-by-hlengiwe-mhlaba/
Comfortable Words
Hear what comfortable words Jesus said; Come unto me all you who labour and are heavy burdened,
And I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart
And you shall find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden light.
Ask, and it will be given to you.
Seek, and you shall find.
Knock, and the door will be opened unto you.
For everyone who asks, receives, and they who seek, find; and to them who knock, it will be opened.
A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you,
That you love one another.
I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall not thirst.
COMMUNION
Take a moment to have spiritual communion with Jesus.
Invite him into your soul.
Perhaps you have been away from the Sacrament of Communion for many years?
Your personal circumstances have distanced you from this most necessary Sacrament?
Than perhaps Divine Providence is leading you to these words now to lead you back to His Table.
The Communion Table is the Table of the Lord, and belongs to Him.
Thus, all are welcome at His Table.
As sons and daughters of God, we have great need of our heavenly Father to assist us along our life's path.
Communion is Jesus' invitation to us to commune with Him and receive Heavenly strength and grace to face our life's tasks and challenges.
Sometimes we cannot receive Jesus in the Form of Bread and Wine because we are unable through geographical circumstance.
At times like these, a spiritual communion is helpful.
As we bless the wine and bread, and partake of them remembering Jesus' Life, Death and Resurrection, why not join with us by
- giving your life to Jesus Christ
- asking Him to enter your soul and help you with your life's needs
- rejoice in Jesus within your heart.
Blessings be with you, brothers and sisters.
The Lord's Prayer
"Our Father, Who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy Will be done,
On Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day
Our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not
Into temptation,
But deliver us
From evil.
For Thine, is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory,
Forever, Amen."
Communion Hymn
As the deer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no9StppmvGA
Prayers for Those Communing and Their Particular Concerns
Minister; 'Heavenly Father, I pray for all those communing and for all those reading these words.
I pray that you grant ease to those in distress, comfort for those who mourn.
I pray that you give guidance to the bereaved.
I pray for those who seek guidance as they realise their orientation.
I pray for the lonely, those seeking for love, sometimes in the wrong places.
I pray for those who feel they are living a lie in some area of their lives.
I pray for those who have lost children, those who have suffered miscarriage, and for those who grieve for their stillborn.
I pray for all those who have suffering of heart, and need easing of their inner pain.
I pray for those who struggle with ongoing health problems.
I pray for those who have regret for a deed committed in the past, and who wish to quietly confess it to you together with their repentance.
I also pray for those who are joyous today.
Those who have a new life in their families today.
Those who have received a graduation, or promotion, or job.
I pray for those who have received joyous news today at the end of health concerns.
I pray for all who have birthdays today.
I pray for all who suffer in the Philippines, and in areas of our world where there is earthly disaster.
Please be with them, dear Lord, and give them strength in this difficult time.
I pray, too, for all who seek to help people in distress, for their strength and safety.
Dear God, You Who are Lord over all,
I pray too that you bless the ministry to which You have called me.
Please let this Worship Service assist those You wish to strengthen.
Amen.
Benediction;
Minister; 'May God grant you to be strengthened with might through the Spirit,
That Christ may dwell in your heart with faith;
That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the saints
What is the breadth and length and height and depth,
And to know the love of Christ Which surpasses all knowledge;
That you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives give I to you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
The Service is over; go in peace to serve God and to bring His Love to the world.
Amen.'
Final Hymn;
Ave Maris Stella
http://kpshaw.blogspot.ca/search/label/Common%20of%20the%20Blessed%20Virgin%20Mary
Worship Service with kind permission of Unitarian Universalist Fellowship http://uuchristian.org/
Links with thanks to Youtube, hollowayrev.wordpress.com, oremus.org, pshaw.blogspot.ca
Artwork by Rev Catherine Nicolette. Please feel free to use copyright free for any worthy purpose
