Holy Communion for Sunday, 4 July 2021

This service will be by Zoom at 10.00 am. Link details for Zoom session:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89615057058?pwd=QnRBU2NhZ1Q5SzduOWFHcStnYVV3UT09
Meeting ID: 896 1505 7058
Passcode: 746217

Led by Revd George Mwaura
Preacher: Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Welcome

Welcome to the house of God.
We have come from all the corners of the earth.

Welcome to the hospitality of God.
We come as we are; we bring our life, our stories, our journey.

Welcome, brothers and sisters.
We are the rainbow people of God.

Welcome, chosen people.
May God our companion bind us in his love.

Amen

Hymn

Prayer of Approach

Heavenly Father, heavenly King, we come before you today just as we are.
We come to listen and to learn.
We come and lay everything down to stand in your awesome presence.

Amen

[Silence]

Confession

Let us confess in silence our own struggles to love others,
to love ourselves, and to love God with all our being.

Kyrie

Holy One, we recognise the ways we have brought pain to you, to others and to ourselves.
Forgive us and send your living Spirit to renew us, inspire us, sustain us,
and encourage us in our journey.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

O God, all-sufficient one,
we give you thanks and praise that you are all we need.
You are enough.

Thank you that you love us so much,
and provide everything we need for the journey of life.
You didn’t promise that following you would be easy,
but we thank you that you care about us
as you do the birds of the sky and the lilies in the field.
You know our every need.

Thank you that your thoughts are higher than our thoughts,
your ways higher than our ways.
Thank you that when we come to you empty, your arms reach out to embrace us.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Psalm 123

1 I lift up my eyes to you,
to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he shows us his mercy.

3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
for we have endured no end of contempt.
4 We have endured no end
of ridicule from the arrogant,
of contempt from the proud.

NIV®

This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Music

Mark 6: 1–13

A Prophet Without Honour

1 Jesus left there and went to his home town, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.

‘Where did this man get these things?’ they asked. ‘What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence at him.

4 Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honour except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.’ 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few people who were ill and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Jesus Sends out the Twelve

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.

8 These were his instructions: ‘Take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.’

12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed with oil many people who were ill and healed them.

NIV®

This is the Gospel of Christ.
Praise to Christ our Light.

Meditation

By Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Choral response

Affirmation of Faith

We believe in the Creator:
the maker of all things

We believe in the Son:
the redeemer of our broken world

We believe in the Spirit:
The sacred wind that binds all things together in the family of God.

Creator Father, beloved Son and living Spirit.

Amen

Prayers and Intercessions

 

 

Amen

The Peace

Peace to you from God, who is our Father.
Peace from Jesus Christ, who is our peace.
Peace from the Holy Spirit, who gives us life.

The peace of God be always with you.
and also with you.

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

Holy Communion

The Thanksgiving

The Lord is here.
His Spirit is with us.

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 for ever.

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

Post-Communion Prayer

Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us
as living members of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ,
and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.
Send us now into the world in peace,
and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart;
through Christ our Lord.

Amen

Notices

Hymn: Go forth and tell!

Go forth and tell! O Church of God, awake!
God’s saving news to all the nations take:
proclaim Christ Jesus, Saviour, Lord and King,
that all the world his glorious praise may sing.

Go forth and tell! God’s love embraces all
he will in grace respond to all who call:
how shall they call if they have never heard
the gracious invitation of his word?

Go forth and tell! The doors are open wide:
share God’s good gifts – let no one be denied;
live out your life as Christ your Lord would choose,
your ransomed powers for his sole glory use.

Go forth and tell! O Church of God, arise!
Go in the strength which Christ your Lord supplies;
go till all nations his great name adore
and serve him, Lord and King for evermore.

James E. Seddon (1915–1983))
CCL31580

Final Prayer

Lord, you sent your disciples into the world to share your word with those in need –
may we approach this coming week with a similar desire.
You sent them carrying little but trusting much – may we live this week with a similar attitude.
May our lives be less about us and our needs, and more about you,
and your love and care for all people in all places and circumstances.
May we love as you love. We ask in your name.

Amen

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you;
may the Lord make his face shine on you, and be gracious to you;
may the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace:
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

Dismissal

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

Amen