We welcome all and especially newcomers and visitors, whoever you are and wherever you find yourself on the journey of faith. Whenever you see this sign, + before a word or text, you are invited to make the sign of the cross.
GATHERING THE COMMUNITY
PRELUDE
A minister welcomes the gathering informally, makes a territorial acknowledgement.
HYMN “To God be the Glory” CP371
To God be the glory, who great things has done:
God so loved the world, freely sending the Son,
who yielded his life an atonement for sin,
and opened the lifegate that all may go in.
Refrain: Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear God’s voice.
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father,
through Jesus the Son,
and give God the glory,
Who great things has done!
Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
to every believer the promise of God:
that when the offender, repenting, believes,
Through Jesus’ atonement, God’s pardon receives. Refrain
Great things God has taught us,
great things God has done,
and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son,
but purer, and higher, and greater will be
our wonder, our gladness, when Jesus we see! Refrain
THE GREETING
Celebrant The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit,
be with you all.
All And also with you.
COLLECT OF THE DAY
Celebrant O God,
the protector of all who trust in you,
without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy,
increase and multiply upon us your mercy,
that with you as our ruler and guide,
we may so pass through things temporal,
that we lose not the things eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
All Amen.
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
Celebrant Let us prepare ourselves for the Word of God
as it comes to us in the reading of Holy Scriptures.
All Our hearts and minds are open.
FIRST READING
Reader A READING FROM THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL
In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. David sent someone to inquire about the woman.
It was reported, "This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite." So David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself after her period.) Then she returned to her house. The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, "I am pregnant." So David sent word to Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people fared, and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house, and wash your feet." Uriah went out of the king's house, and there followed him a present from the king. But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.
When they told David, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "You have just come from a journey. Why did you not go down to your house?" Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah remain in booths; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing." Then David said to Uriah, "Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day.
On the next day, David invited him to eat and drink in his presence and made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house. In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In the letter he wrote, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, so that he may be struck down and die." 2 SAMUEL 11:1-15
Reader Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
All Thanks be to God.
Musical Interlude
SECOND READING
Reader A READING FROM THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE EPHESIANS
I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. EPHESIANS 3:14-21
Reader Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
All Thanks be to God.
Musical Interlude
THE GOSPEL
Reader The Lord be with you.
All And also with you.
Reader +The Holy Gospel of Jesus the Christ according to John.
All Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?" He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?" Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all.
Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost." So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets.
When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world." When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself. When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going. JOHN 6:1-21
Reader The Gospel of Christ.
All Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
SERMON
AFFIRMING OUR FAITH (The Apostles’ Creed)
Celebrant Let us give voice to our convictions and substance to our hopes.
All I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
Celebrant My friends, not out of dread and fear
but believing that God is faithful to forgive,
let us rid ourselves of what we need to carry no longer.
Silence is kept.
Celebrant Most merciful God,
All we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us,
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your name. Amen.
Celebrant Almighty God have mercy upon you,
+pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you in eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All Amen.
THE PEACE
The Celebrant may use some appropriate introductory words.
Celebrant The peace of Christ be always with you.
All And also with you.
CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST
The table is prepared.
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Celebrant Let us pray
The community prays in silence.
Celebrant God of grace,
accept all we offer you this day,
as we look toward the glory you have promised.
This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
All Amen.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
All And also with you.
Celebrant Lift up your hearts.
All We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Celebrant It is indeed right to thank you and praise you,
holy and gracious God,
creator of all things,
ruler of heaven and earth, sustainer of life,
for you are the source of all goodness,
rich in mercy and abounding in love;
you are faithful to your people in every generation,
and your word endures for ever.
Therefore with angels and archangels,
with the fellowship of saints
and the company of heaven,
we glorify your holy name,
evermore praising you and singing,
SANCTUS
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.
Hosanna in the highest.
Celebrant We praise you, merciful Father,
not as we ought, but as we are able,
because in your tender love
you gave the world your only Son,
in order that the world might be saved through him.
He made you known by taking the form of a servant,
healing the sick, liberating the oppressed,
reaching out to the lost.
Betrayed, reviled, and nailed to the cross,
he confronted the power of sin
and disarmed it for ever.
In his offering of himself,
he became the perfect and sufficient sacrifice
for the sins of the whole world.
Redeemed by Christ,
we have been adopted as your children;
by your pardon
you have made us worthy to praise you.
On the night he was betrayed,
Jesus, at supper with his friends,
took bread, gave you thanks, broke the bread,
gave it to them, and said, “Take and eat:
this is my body which is given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.”
After supper he took the cup of wine,
and when he had given thanks,
he gave it to them,
and said, “Drink this all of you:
this is my blood of the new covenant
which is shed for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Whenever you drink it,
do this for the remembrance of me.”
In obedience to him and with grateful hearts
we approach your holy table,
remembering our Saviour’s sacrifice,
and rejoicing in his victory.
Confident in his sovereign purpose,
we declare our faith.
All Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
Celebrant Send your Holy Spirit on us
that as we receive this bread and this cup
we may partake of the body and blood
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and feed on him in our hearts
by faith with thanksgiving.
May we be renewed in his risen life,
filled with love,
and strengthened in our will to serve others;
and make of our lives, we pray,
a pure and holy sacrifice, acceptable to you,
knitting us together as one in your Son Jesus Christ,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be all honour and glory, now and forever.
All Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER (said)
Celebrant As our Saviour taught us, let us pray.
All 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.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD
The Celebrant breaks the consecrated bread.
Celebrant Be present, be present, Lord Jesus Christ,
crucified and risen;
All make yourself known
in the breaking of bread.
THE INVITATION
Celebrant This is the table, not of the righteous,
but of the poor in spirit.
It is made ready for those who love God
and who want to love God more.
So come, you who have much faith and you who have little,
You who have been here often
and you who have not been for a long time or ever before,
You who have tried to follow and all of us who have failed.
Come, not because the Church invites you;
It is Christ who invites you to be known and fed here.
The gifts of God for the people of God
All Thanks be to God.
THE COMMUNION
Everyone is invited to share in the communion through receiving the bread or, if preferred, a prayer of blessing.
THE CONCLUDING RITE
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Celebrant Let us pray.
The community prays in silence.
Celebrant God of grace,
All we have received the memorial
of the death and resurrection of your Son.
May your love, poured into us,
bring us to your promises.
We ask this in the name of our Redeemer Jesus Christ. Amen.
Celebrant Glory to God,
All whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine.
Glory to God from generation to generation,
in the Church and in Christ Jesus
for ever and ever. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
HYMN “Lead Us, Heavenly Father Lead Us” CP564
Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us
o'er the world's tempestuous sea;
guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us,
for we have no help but thee;
yet possessing every blessing,
if our God our Father be.
Saviour, breathe forgiveness o'er us:
all our weakness thou dost know;
thou didst tread this earth before us,
thou didst feel its keenest woe;
lone and dreary, faint and weary,
through the desert thou didst go.
Spirit of our God, descending,
fill our hearts with heavenly joy,
love with every passion blending,
pleasure that can never cloy:
thus provided, pardoned, guided,
nothing can our peace destroy.
THE BLESSING
Celebrant Now go in peace do what God wills,
follow where Christ calls
pray for the gifts of the Spirit;
and may the blessing of God the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer
rest on and remain with you now and always.
All Amen.
THE DISMISSAL
Celebrant Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE