Sunday Evening Together – Holy Communion, 25 September 2022, 6:00pm

Join us this evening as Revd. Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga leads us in a service of Holy Communion.

Link to Zoom meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89234551904?pwd=dHBXaFI4OWVldFNkZkNIUEF4a2FPQT09

Welcome

Gathering Prayer

Amazing and loving God, as we meet together – inspire us by your word, renew us with your Spirit and unite us as we worship you, creator, redeemer and sustainer.
Amen.

Hymn

Bible Reading

I Timothy 6: 6-19

⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹ Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Final charge to Timothy

¹¹ But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you ¹⁴ to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which God will bring about in his own time – God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honour and might for ever. Amen.

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸ Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹ In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Confession

Following you, Jesus, does not guarantee an easy life.
There are challenges and obstacles as the sinful life constantly fights with our Spirit-filled life. We are sorry when our human condition takes over and we fight using our own efforts. We’re sorry for the times we retaliate when others are hurtful to us.
We’re sorry for relying on our own ideas and neglecting the wisdom of the Spirit’s guidance. We’re sorry for all the excuses we offer to get out of things you ask us to do.
We’re sorry for letting you down, for our complacency.
We know some things can’t wait. And that you call for action.

Silence

Forgive us, Lord.
Help us to centre our life on you, heeding the urgency of your call.
Amen.

The Thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life.
Blessed be God for ever.

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will become our spiritual drink.
Blessed be God for ever.

The Lord be with you
and also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.

Almighty God, good Father to us all, your face is turned towards your world. In love you gave us Jesus your Son to rescue us from sin and death.
Your Word goes out to call us home to the city where angels sing your praise. We join with them in heaven’s song:

Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

We bless the name of Jesus, bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh whose brokenness and suffering makes love real, who on the night in which he was betrayed took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his disciples saying, Take, eat. This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

After supper he took the cup saying, drink from this, all of you, this is my blood given for you. Do this whenever you drink it in remembrance of me.

This is the mystery of our faith.

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

Therefore, as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we acknowledge brokenness as a path to truth. We long for the bread of tomorrow: eternally broken and so able to nourish. We long for the new wine of the kingdom: continuously poured out that thirst may be quenched.

Send your Spirit on us now that by these gifts we may feed on Christ with opened eyes and hearts on fire. May we and all who share this food offer ourselves to live for you and be welcomed at your feast in heaven where all creation worships you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit:

Blessing and honour and glory and power Be yours forever and ever.
Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever.
Amen.

THE COMMUNION

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.

Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.
Amen.

After Communion

Return to God with all your heart: remove the burdens of the poor, let the oppressed go free, and speak evil no more. Offer your food to the hungry and care for the afflicted, and your light will break forth like the dawn.
Amen

Hymn

Blessing

For each step that we might take
Be our guide, O Lord of life

For each load that we might bear
Be our strength, O Lord of life

For each mountain we might face
Be our power, O Lord of life

For each river that might impede
Be our safety, O Lord of life

For each place where we might rest
Be our peace, O Lord of life

For each sunrise and sunset
Be our joy, O Lord of life

And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you today and always
Amen.

The Dismissal

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen