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worship 4
Theme: A TOAST TO THE FUTURE
Celebrants: The
Rev. Arvind P Nirmal and
The Rev.
Nathanael Cortez
Liturgist: Mr. M.E. Prabhakar
Hymn: “Come to the lord,
let us joinfully sing” (Ps: 100)
Minister: We are here to celebrate
life,
To celebrate this world
and the Universe we live in,
So unimaginably vast
Yet, so minutely beautiful,
To celebrate human life
With all our physical
intellectual and spiritual delight,
In freedom and unity.
We are here as WOMEN AND MEN
created together IN GOD’S OWN
LIKENESS
To pray for joy, peace and love
for ourselves and every human being;
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We are here to Praise God,
The source
of all goodness and blessing.
People:
God,
We
praise you from the depth of our hearts.
We
praise you for this wonderful world,
And for
the glorious gift of human fellowship
shot
through with your LOVE.
Dear
God,
Lead us
into your light;
That we
may come before you
brothers
and sisters all
with the
Risen Christ;
And with
full hearts and open minds
we shall glorify your name
always.
Minister:
Do not come to this table proudly
but,
remembering the humility of Christ;
Do not
come to assert your own righteousness
but, to
remember that Christ died for your sin;
Do not
come with any display of your own strength
but, to
comprehend his weakness’;’
Do not
come for your own ends
but,
hungering and thirsting to do God’s Will;
Come and
be filled with living bread;
Come in faith and never
thirst again.
People:
Loving God,
We have
not come to receive
the
symbols of your great love,
the
broken bread and poured out wine;
On
account of our own goodness because we deserve to be loved;
On the
contrary,
We are
here because we know how much
we need to
be forgiven,
We dare
to come
only
because of your faithfulness
to
forgive and recreate us.
Praying
for every human being
We know
that in many of our sisters and brothers
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Your
image has been scarred and tarnished,
They
have been drained by exploitation;
Your image has been destroyed
by people subjugating one another;
The female part of Your image
Has been conveniently forgotten;
But you meant your creation to be good,
Your image to be whole;
We are here to beseech for your Grace
enabling us to strive for ways
of participating in your promised liberation
to restore the wholeness of your image
We know,
God, that all is not well with us
We try
to pretend that in the family
all
members are equal loved and protected;
We are,
however, blind
to the
hierarchical exercise of authority.
And
unconscious of our harsh ways
which
force submission and conformity.
We have broken faith with you, and with each other;
We have sinned against you and our neighbours;
But receive us in your loving-kindness
Your daughters and sons,
with Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Minister:
Be assured of God’s forgiveness
As parents have compassion for their children;
So does God pity us As we come to him with broken, contrite
hearts.
He will continue to raise us when we fall;
And will lift us to be with Himself
The children of His love
made perfect by His grace,
Through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
People: (sing) AMEN, AMEN,
A....a..me....n.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
The Scripture Lessons: Genesis 1: 26-31;
Galatians 3:23-29
Reflections
Hymn: “Praise God from whom all blessings flow”
EACC
no.131
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An Affirmation of Faith
Minister:Let us affirm our
faith.
Minister & People:
We worship
God, who created the universe
and
sustains it in love;
We trust
Jesus Christ
who
reveals God’s love, truth and power.
He lived
a life like ours,
And died
on the cross,
He
became the NEW MAN so we might share
in God’s
new creation.
And
reigns with God.
We
welcome the Holy Spirit
In whom
God’s love, truth and power
Still
come to us.
We
acknowledge God’s will that we be “one” --
Women
and men together in community,
In Jesus
Christ.
We
anticipate the FUTURE,
When
God’s creative work will be complete
When
God’s people will be ONE COMMUNITY
That
celebrates the distinctiveness of each person,
Male and
female;
Built
through cooperation,
Affirming
mutuality,
Independence and interdependence.
The new
community of new humanity,
That would
ask women and men to work
together,
Sharing
abilities and burdens
to
create the world that God intends
for us.
Intercession
Staff
person:
Living God,
Meeting as a family at this table,
We pray for all people.
For those women shut off from a full life by tradition and
practice;
For those people who are oppressed and exploited;
For those denied their freedom and dignity by systems and
authorities;
For those forced to leave their homelands because of their
ideologies;
For those seeking answers and meaning to their lives within
their own
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cultures
and religions;
For
those who labour too long and too
hard
only to barely feed and clothe
themselves
and their families;
For
those forced to sell their bodies
to
survive
For those
women and men who live lives
of quiet
desperation at the hands
of the
powerful and prestigious;
For
these and all who suffer
We pray,
Asking
that the Church may once again
Give
joyful expression to your
creative
love
Which
breaks down barriers
and
unites person to person, woman to
man, and
community to community;
Which
gives meaning and hope to empty
lives
And
makes us reach out to each other
in
generous self-giving,
Which
makes us more complete ourselves.
So, Lord
God,
Fulfill your promise in us
For the
sake of all human
through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
People: Amen
The Act
of Peace
Minister: We are the body of Christ. In one
Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Let us pursue all that makes for
peace and builds up our common life. The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People: And also with you.
THE PEACE IS NOW SHARED
The Hymn, “Let us Break Bread Together” No.96
EACC
(The offerings, the bread and wine are brought)
Minister: Let us present these offerings, and
with them ourselves, for the service of God and our neighbour
People: All
things come from you,
and
of your own do we give you,
Almighty
God, creator of the world.
We
ask you to accept these offerings
and gifts of bread and wine, even our-
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selves
for
the glory of your name and the good
of
your people;
through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Minister: Let us worship God.
People: It is right and appropriate that we should.
Minister: Living and loving God,
It
is right and appropriate and our joyful duty,
all
the time and wherever we are to give you thanks:
You
have created us
and
provided us with all we need for fulness of life;
and
in Jesus Christ whose body was broken
and
whose blood was shed,
You
have given us the hope of a New Humanity.
So we join with your whole Church on
Earth and with all who have triumphed before us,
to
praise and honour you.
People: Set us on fire with the light of your love.
Minister: Accept our praises,
heavenly Father,
through
Jesus Christ, our Lord:
and
as we follow his example and obey
his
command,
grant
that by the power of your Spirit
these
gifts of bread and wine may be to
us
the body and blood of him who died f
or
us and rose again:
For
before he was given up to death
Jesus
took bread, gave thanks to God,
and
broke it. And gave it to his disciples and said:
“This
is my body broken for you.”
When
supper was over, he took the cup,
gave
thanks to God, and said to his
disciples:
“Take
this cup, it represents the new
relationship
between God and humankind,
sealed
by my blood.
Whenever
you drink it remember I am with
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you.”
The Communion:
The bread and wine are received. The
following words of administration will be used: The Body of Christ, which was
given for you. The Blood of Christ, which was shed for you.
After Communion
Minister: Lord Jesus Christ,
You
died and you are alive.
As
we have received the bread and wine,
the
symbols of your dying and rising
and
your continued presence with us,
we
look forward in hope.
We
look for a time when everyday will be a celebration,
When
people no longer go hungry or cold,
When
they know that they are loved and wanted.
When
women and men join hands together,
sharing
in the fullness of life.
When
there will be joy at sunrise and
peace
at sunset.
And
all will be free as you are free.
But
here and now, having received the
bread
and wine,
We
will make a start on the new heaven and
new
earth you have in mind for us.
People: Honour and glory and praise
to you,
Living
God, here and everywhere, now and
forever.
Amen.
Minister: The order of the world is
shaped by the dying and rising of Christ.
People: With him, ours is the Kingdom, the
power and the glory for ever. Amen.
Minister: The feast is ended, the world is waiting; go, in
peace. Go in peace to love and serve the world. 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, “Ever and Always be
Praise” No.l02 EACC