Communion on Maundy Thursday

  9th April 2020

---

Today is Maundy Thursday – a special day, as we share together in these days leading up to Easter. At 12.30pm we will be livestreaming Communion online from our Facebook page here – and from our kitchen table. You are very welcome to join us. Here are the words for the service – it will be helpful if you have more than one device you can use. Otherwise, join in where you can! We look forward to sharing with you…

Holy Communion for Maundy Thursday

After quiet music, we begin

The Lord be with you

and also with you

We prepare for the confession, then say

We confess to you our selfishness and lack of love:

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

We confess to you our failure to live out our faith:

Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

We confess to you our stubbornness and lack of trust:

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Holy God, our lives are laid open before you:

rescue us from the chaos of sin

and through the death of your Son

bring us healing and make us whole

in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent,
have mercy upon you,
pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you in life eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Reading   followed by reflection

Prayers   which may end   Lord, in your love   hear our prayer

The peace of the Lord be always with you

and also with you

Prayer of 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.

Father of all, we give you thanks

for every gift that comes from heaven.

To the darkness Jesus came as your light.

With signs of faith and words of hope

he touched untouchables with love and washed the guilty clean.

This is his story.

This is our song: hosanna in the highest.

The crowds came out to see your Son,

yet at the end they turned on him.

On the night he was betrayed

he came to table with his friends

to celebrate the freedom of your people.

This is his story.

This is our song: hosanna in the highest.

Jesus blessed you, Father, for the food;

he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and said:

This is my body, given for you all.

Jesus then gave thanks for the wine;

he took the cup, gave it and said:

This is my blood, shed for you all

for the forgiveness of sins.

Do this in remembrance of me.

This is our story.

This is our song: hosanna in the highest.

Therefore, Father, with this bread and this cup

we celebrate the cross

on which he died to set us free.

Defying death he rose again

and is alive with you to plead for us and all the world.

This is our story.

This is our song: hosanna in the highest.

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 for ever and ever. Amen.

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.

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

 Though we are many, we are one body,

 because we all share in the Lord’s gifts.

The gifts of God for the people of God. Draw near with faith.

As we give thanks for God’s outpouring of grace in his Son, made present in this communion, we receive the gift of God’s life and love in our hearts.

We then sit quietly for a few moments.

Father of all,

we give you thanks and praise,

that when we were still far off

you met us in your Son and brought us home.

Dying and living, he declared your love,

gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory.

May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life;

we who drink his cup bring life to others;

we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world.

Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us,

so we and all your children shall be free,

and the whole earth live to praise your name;

through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Christ crucified draw you to himself,

to find in him a sure ground for faith,

a firm support for hope,

and the assurance of sins forgiven,

and may the blessing of God who holds everything,

the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,

be with you and all who you love and care for,

now and always.

Amen.

Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord

in the name of Christ. Amen.