The Methodist Conference 2016
Service of Holy Communion
Wednesday 6th July 2016
Walk through with Communion Distributors
Walk through with Presidency and Warden of the Order
President VP SOC Warden of the Order enter
Call to worship:
Leader:
Women:
Men:
All:
Leader:
All:
We come to seek you, O God;
from east and west,
from north and south,
we gather together in praise.
We come to seek you, O God;
not in the earthquake,
not in the fire,
Leader:
but in the quiet,
gathered around your table
to share bread and wine.
Hymn StF 499 Great God, your love has called us here.
1 Great God, your love has called us here
as we, by love for love were made.
Your living likeness still we bear,
though marred, dishonoured, disobeyed;
we come, with all our heart and mind,
your call to hear, your love to find.
2 We come with self-inflicted pains
of broken trust and chosen wrong,
half-free, half-bound by inner chains,
by social forces swept along,
by powers and systems close confined,
yet seeking hope for humankind.
3 Great God, in Christ you call our name,
and then receive us as your own,
not through some merit, right or claim,
but by your gracious love alone;
we strain to glimpse your mercy-seat
and find you kneeling at our feet.
4 Then take the towel, and break the bread,
and humble us, and call us friends;
suffer and serve till all are fed,
and show how grandly love intends
to work till all creation sings,
to fill all worlds, to crown all things.
5 Great God, in Christ you set us free
your life to live, your joy to share;
give us your Spirit's liberty
to turn from guilt and dull despair
and offer all that faith can do,
while love is making all things new.
Brian Wren (b. 1936)
Reproduced from Singing the Faith Electronic Words Edition, number 499
Words: (c) 1975, 1995, Stainer & Bell Ltd, 23 Gruneisen Road, London N3 1DZ <www.stainer.co.uk>
Prayers of Adoration and Confession
Glory to you, O God:
In your love you created the world
Glory to you, O Christ:
Through your cross you have revealed your saving love.
Glory to you, O Spirit:
Each day your love leads us into new life,
Glory to you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Glory and Praise to God!
If we have failed to act justly,
Lord, forgive us.
If we have failed to love mercy,
Lord, forgive us.
If we have failed to walk humbly with you,
Lord, forgive us.
If we have failed to proclaim the Gospel in word and in action,
Lord, forgive us.
Silence
May the living God
forgive our sin,
renew our vision,
and set us free in Christ.
Amen.
Hymn StF 654 The love of God comes close
1 The love of God comes close
where stands an open door
to let the stranger in,
to mingle rich and poor.
The love of God is here to stay,
embracing those who walk his way.
2 The peace of God comes close
to those caught in the storm,
foregoing lives of ease
to ease the lives forlorn.
The peace of God is here to stay,
embracing those who walk his way.
3 The joy of God comes close
where faith encounters fears,
where heights and depths of life
are found through smiles and tears.
The joy of God is here to stay,
embracing those who walk his way.
4 The grace of God comes close
to those whose grace is spent,
when hearts are tired or sore
and hope is bruised and bent.
The grace of God is here to stay,
embracing those who walk his way.
5 The Son of God comes close
where people praise his name,
where bread and wine are blest
and shared as when he came.
The Son of God is here to stay,
embracing those who walk his way.
John L. Bell (b. 1949) and Graham Maule (b. 1958)
Words: From Enemy of Apathy (c) 1988, WGRG, Iona Community, Glasgow G2 3DH Scotland.
<www.wgrg.co.uk>
Comment from President followed by guided silence. Explain that after words
following silence we’re encouraged to pray in pairs/threes as possible at our
tables or remain in quiet prayer.
OT Reading: 1 Kings 19: 1-13a
Narrator: King Ahab told his wife Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had
killed all the prophets of Baal with the sword. She sent a messenger to Elijah
Jezabel: May the gods strike me dead if by this time tomorrow I don’t do the same
thing to you as you did to the prophets.
Narrator: Elijah was afraid; and fled for his life, he took his servant and went to
Beer-sheba, in Judah. Leaving his servant there Elijah walked by himself for a
whole day into the wilderness. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and
wished that he would die.
Elijah: It’s too much Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.
Narrator: Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. (Pause) Suddenly an
angel touched him
Angel: Get up and eat.
Narrator: He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a
jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. The angel of the Lord came a
second time,
Angel: Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.
Narrator: Elijah got up, ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food
for forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. At that place he came to
a cave, and spent the night there. (pause) Then the word of the Lord came to him
The Lord: What are you doing here, Elijah?’
Elijah: O Lord I have been very zealous for you; but the Israelites have forsaken
your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I
alone am left, and they are seeking to kill me
The Lord: Go out and stand on the mountain before me.
Narrator: Then the Lord sent a great wind, so strong that it was splitting
mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in
the wind. After the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;
and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire
a sound of sheer silence. (long pause)
When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at
the entrance of the cave. Then the voice of God spoke to him
Hymn: StF 158 Lord, you sometimes speak in wonders
1 Lord, you sometimes speak in wonders,
unmistakable and clear,
mighty signs that show your presence,
overcoming doubt and fear.
O Lord, you sometimes speak in wonders.
2 Lord, you sometimes speak in whispers,
still and small and scarcely heard;
only those who want to listen
catch the all-important word.
O Lord, you sometimes speak in whispers.
3 Lord, you sometimes speak in silence,
through our loud and noisy day;
we can know and trust you better
when we quietly wait and pray.
O Lord, you sometimes speak in silence.
4 Lord, you often speak in Scripture,
words that summon from the page,
shown and taught us by your Spirit
with fresh light for every age.
O Lord, you often speak in Scripture.
5 Lord, you always speak in Jesus,
always new yet still the same:
teach us now more of our Saviour,
make our lives display his Name.
O Lord, you always speak in Jesus.
Christopher Idle (b. 1938)
Words: (c) Christopher Idle / Jubilate Hymns, Administered by The Jubilate Group, 4 Thorne Park Road, Torquay TQ2 6RX
<[email protected]> Used by permission.
A reading from the Gospel according to John Chapter 8
Gospel Acclamation: StF 758 Alleluia (South African Traditional)
Alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Reading:
John 8: 2-11
Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and
he sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a
woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of
them, 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of
committing adultery. 5 Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such
women. Now what do you say?” 6 They said this to test him, so that they might
have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his
finger on the ground. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up
and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw
a stone at her.” 8 And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground.[a]
9 When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and
Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus straightened
up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She
said, “No one, sir.”[b] And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and
from now on do not sin again.”
This is the gospel of Christ
Gospel Acclamation: StF 758 Alleluia (South African Traditional)
Alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Vice President to lead into silence with poetry
Beginning of silence: In the depth of silence,
no words are needed,
no language required.
In the depth of silence
I am called to listen…
Listen to the beating of your heart.
Listen to the blowing of the wind,
the movement of the Spirit.
Be silent – said the Lord
and know that I am God.
Guided silence:
And listen to the cry of the voiceless.
Listen to the groaning of the hungry.
Listen to the pain of the refugee.
Listen to the sigh of the oppressed
and to the laughter of children.
Organ offering some reflective music entry into 5 minutes of REAL silence
Ric Stott’s Holiness and Justice paintings to be shown on screen, roughly 1 per
minute
Prayers of intercession at tables
StF 530 To be in your presence is played underneath.
Remembering those who have gone before us
The Lord’s Prayer (Sung) StF 762
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen, amen.
Our Lord Jesus Christ said to the apostles:
‘I leave you peace, my peace I give to you.’
The Peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Hymn: StF 581 Come, my table is a meeting place
1 Come, my table is a meeting place,
here I'm waiting ready for you,
come and share, you are invited,
come, beloved, I chose you.
2 Come, my table is a feeding place,
bread, my body broken for you,
wine, my blood poured out to save you,
given eternally for you.
3 Come, my table is a touching place,
hands to greet you span time and space,
see my arms stretched out in welcome,
this for you a holy place.
4 Come and meet me in this moment,
taste and see this gift of my grace,
here, the feast spread out before you,
come, my child, and take your place.
Clare Stainsby (b. 1959)
Words and Music: (c) 2000 Hole Music
The Thanksgiving
Is God our Maker here?
God is here.
Is Christ among us?
He is.
Is the Spirit here?
The life giving Spirit is in our midst.
And who are we?
We are God’s people, redeemed by grace.
We bring bread, made from many people’s work,
from an unjust world where some have plenty and most go hungry.
At this table all are fed and no one is turned away.
Thanks be to God.
We bring wine, made from many peoples work,
from an unjust world where some live in luxury and most struggle to survive.
At this table all share the cup of pain and celebration.
Thanks be to God.
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 our thanks and praise.
Worship and praise belong to you, Holy God.
You have made us one family - different people, cultures and traditions;
you love us all in our diversity.
As a mother tenderly gathers her children,
you embrace us.
Again and again you call people to follow you in faith;
you rescue them from captivity.
You lead them in the wilderness;
you give bread to the hungry;
You speak through the prophets;
you rebuke greed.
You comfort those in exile;
you never give up on your people.
Showing us the depths of your love you sent Christ Jesus.
He reveals your mercy and compassion and shows us the pattern for our living.
As his witnesses, empowered by the Spirit, we share in building his kingdom on earth
until that day.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
So with all your people, past, present and to come, from every nation and language, and
with all the company of heaven, we praise your name, singing:
Holy, holy, holy
My heart, my heart adores you!
My heart is glad to say the words:
You are holy, Lord.
Santo, santo, santo
Mi corazon te adora!
Mi Corazon te sabe decir:
santo eres Senor.
StF 779 ©Words and music Iona Community
On the night of his betrayal, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it
and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take, eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this in
memory of me.’ After supper he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it
to them, saying, ‘Drink this, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant which is
poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me.’
Great is the mystery of faith.
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy Spirit that these gifts of bread and wine may be for us the body and
blood of Christ.
Gather your people from the four corners of the earth into your eternal kingdom. Renew
our vision of a world where divisions are overcome and fear is cast out by perfect love.
Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ; in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all blessing and honour
and glory and power be yours for ever and ever. Amen.
The Fraction
The bread we break is a sharing in the body of Christ
Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share the one bread.
Please be seated
Those involved in distribution move forward receive and move to their station
Jesus invites us to share this meal, so come God’s people; draw near in faith as Christ’s
sisters and brothers to receive this foretaste of the heavenly banquet.
We come to taste the bread of heaven and the cup of salvation.
Thanks be to God.
The Distribution
Let us pray:
Living God,
may love continue to fill us
and grace continue to thrill us,
as we return to the business of this day.
Teach us to give without reserve,
as you have so freely given to us,
so that the ordinary may be touched by the divine,
each moment consecrated to you.
In the name of Christ we ask it. Amen.
Hymn StF 503 Love divine, all loves excelling
Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesu, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.
Come, almighty to deliver,
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
Finish then thy new creation,
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation,
perfectly restored in thee:
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise!
Blessing
Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Reproduced from Singing the Faith Electronic Words Edition, number 503
Living God,
we have sought you and found you
in bread and wine, in sound and in silence.
Bless us now, we pray, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Copyrights:
Based on the SALT Liturgy
Prayer before the silence Adapted from ‘Bread for Tomorrow’ Copyright © SPCK
Post communion prayer: Copyright © Nick Fawcett, from ‘For you and for many’
Additional material: Paul Wood & Ian Worsfold