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Eucharistic liturgy

This liturgy calls for a leader and two respondents. Congregational responses are in bold type.

Call to worship:

Mother and Father God,
your love has no end.
We know you within our lives,
you rock each of us in your arms.

Jesus, Son of God,

We feel you suffer with us,

with the destitute and broken of the world.

Your face is stained with tears;

you watch with love and pity,
as we cry on your shoulder.

Spirit, Comforter,

You bring us close to God,

the dove of peace filling our hearts,

making us whole in our brokenness.

Sisters (and brothers) in Christ!

Celebrate with our God who loves us,

suffers with us,

enlivens our hearts,

and asks us to share

each other's burdens.

Amen.

Confession:

God of compassion,

God so near,

you know what it is to suffer and despair.

Be with us now

as we examine our lives

and see again, yet again,

how we shut you out.

Bring your candle into our darkness

to reveal, and then to comfort.

Be with us now,

in our silence.

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Silence

Absolution:

God has heard your cry for help.
Fear no more!

God's comfort has touched you.
Stand and step out along the path,
renewed in strength and joy.

Response:

Alleluia. God is with us.

Eucharistic Prayer (three readers and congregation):

Lift up your hearts!

We lift them up to God.

Let us give thanks to our gracious God!

It is good to offer thanks and praise.

With joy we give you thanks and praise
Mother and Father of all who live,
WISDOM AND TRUTH
Light and Laughter
CARING, FEEDING, HEALING.

With joy we give you thanks and praise

Jesus Christ

WHO BROUGHT THE DEVALUED AND DISPOSSESSED PEOPLE

OF YOUR WORLD—AND OURS—

into the centre of God's people.

JESUS CHRIST

who cast aside all that cripples or imprisons people

SO THAT WOMAN AND MAN MIGHT BE FREE TO BE WHOLE.

With joy we give you thanks and praise

Jesus Christ

WHO CAME TO SHARE THE LIFE OF MAN AND WOMAN

who endured the horror of death on the cross

WHO REVEALED TO US THE GOD WHO CONTINUALLY FORGIVES

setting aside all we do to hurt others and ourselves

REACHING OUT TO ASSURE US OF OUR WORTH

and of your healing, reconciling power

flowing forth into all the world.

With joy we give you thanks and praise

Holy Spirit

FREE AS WIND

testing as fire

WHO ENABLES ALL THAT GOD HAS DONE

to be real to us

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TO CHANGE OUR LIVES

so that we live in the love, hope and peace

WHICH WORKS FOR JUSTICE AND RENEWAL

in our city and our world

WHEREVER PEOPLE CRY OUT IN POWERLESSNESS AND PAIN,

With joy we give you thanks and praise

one God

WHOSE LOVE EVER WORKS

for the healing of our broken lives

OUR BROKEN WORLD AND CHURCH.

We long for that glorious day

WHEN MEN AND WOMEN

children and adults

PEOPLE, RACES, NATIONS

are one in Christ once more

AND FEAST TOGETHER IN JOY.

Maranatha. Come, O Christ.

Holy Spirit

come upon these gifts of bread and wine we offer you,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ
and nourish our souls with grace and love.

Remembering what Christ in life and death has done for us,
longing for the day when the universe is complete,
we celebrate Christ's death with bread and wine.

For we remember how, on the night when his life would

culminate in death,

Jesus took bread,

and blessed it

and broke it

and gave it to his disciples, saying:

"Take, eat, this is my body".
And he took the cup
and when he had given thanks
he gve it to them saying:

"Drink of this, all of you;

this my blood of the covenant

which is poured out for you and for many

for the forgiveness of sins".

Your death, O Christ, we proclaim
your resurrection we celebrate
your coming we await.

Maranatha. Come, O Christ.

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Holy Spirit,

you have given us this eucharist.

As we partake of Christ's body and blood,

fill us with yourself that we may be your people

following the path of Christ

even when our lives, too, are broken

for love of you and our neighbour.

Amen.

The Lord's Prayer.

The breaking of bread:

The bread which we break is a sharing in the body of Christ.

The cup which we take is a sharing in the blood of Christ.

Communion.

Thanksgiving prayer:

Gracious God,

you have sought us so patiently,

and loved us so generously.

We thank you for this supper

shared in the spirit with Jesus your son,

who makes us new and strong

and brings us eternal life.

We praise you for giving us

all good gifts in him,

and pledge ourselves to serve you,

even as in Christ you have served us.

Amen.

Benediction.

Erin White
Australia