Parish of St Laurence, Northfield Holy Communion for the Feast Days and Church Seasons According to Order 1 in Common Worship Hearing loop available Please: no photography or recording during worship Welcome The Sacrament of Communion is placed at the centre of church life at St Laurence Church. For many, the intimate act of sharing the bread and the wine, given freely to us by Christ our Saviour, is central to our coming together with each other and with God. St Paul wrote to the church in Corinth ‘I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.’ I Corinthians 11.23-26 In celebrating Holy Communion together we obey Jesus’ command to ‘do this in remembrance of me’. Thus, we welcome each other to this celebration and if you are visiting we warmly welcome you into our fellowship. Jesus also said to his disciples, ‘Make the children welcome.’ We try to do this at St Laurence: Sunday School is run alongside part of our Sunday morning services (except one Sunday a month when we all worship together). Beyond the organ pipes there is a carpeted area and some books for your use. If you bring toys from home, please try to bring the quieter ones! St Laurence Church has a toilet with baby-changing facilities. It is situated beyond the choir vestry; children must always be accompanied by an adult if they enter the vestry area. If you struggle with steps it may be easier to approach the toilet from the outside door – please ask a church warden for help. The Gathering Welcome A Hymn may be sung Please stand / remain standing if comfortably able All In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen The Lord be with you All and also with you. Prayer of Preparation All Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen. Confession God so loved the world that he gave his only Son Jesus Christ to save us from our sins, to be our advocate in heaven, and to bring us to eternal life. or a seasonal introduction All Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we have sinned against you, through our own fault, in thought, and word, and deed, and in what we have left undone. For your Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may serve you in newness of life to the glory of your name. Amen. or a seasonal confession including Lord have mercy Lord have mercy Christ have mercy Christ have mercy Lord have mercy Lord have mercy Absolution 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. We say or sing the Gloria Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen. The Liturgy of the Word Bible Reading(s) These may be found on the long, thin notices sheet At the end the reader may say This is the word of the Lord. All Thanks be to God A Chant or Hymn may be sung Gospel Reading Please stand if you are comfortably able The Lord be with you All and also with you. Alleluia, alleluia. seasonal sentence is said All Alleluia. Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to N. All Glory to you, O Lord This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ Please be seated. At the 10am service the Sunday School gathers at the chancel step for prayer prior to moving to the vestry. We normally continue to sing/repeat the previous hymn Sermon The sermon will be followed by a short time of silence Nicene Creed or Affirmation of Faith Please stand if you are comfortably able Let us profess our faith together We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father…. Prayers of Intercession In faith and hope let us pray to the Father Please sit or kneel The prayers usually include these concerns and may follow this sequence: The Church of Christ Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority The local community Those who suffer The communion of saints These or other responses may be used Lord, in your mercy or Lord, hear us All hear our prayer Lord graciously hear us The Lord’s Prayer Believing the promises of God, let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us: All 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 those who 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. The Peace The President may use an introduction followed by: - The peace of the Lord be always with you All and also with you. Let us offer one another a sign of peace. We exchange a sign of peace with those around us. The Liturgy of the Sacrament The Preparation of the Table during which a Hymn may be sung The table is prepared and bread and wine are placed upon it. The gifts of the people are gathered and presented. Various electronic forms of giving are available. See back cover If you are a UK tax payer please place your gift in a yellow envelope and complete the details on the front. This enables your offering to be increased by 25% Taking of the Bread and Wine Please remain standing if comfortably able Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation: through your goodness we have this bread to set before you, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life. All Blessed be God for ever. Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation: through your goodness we have this wine to set before you, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will become for us the cup of salvation. All Blessed be God for ever. The Eucharistic Prayer (Eucharist means Thanksgiving) (Prayer E) The Lord is here All His Spirit is with us Lift up your hearts. All We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. All It is right to give thanks and praise. The president says a seasonal preface (prayer) which leads into the Sanctus (meaning Holy) which may be said or sung…. All 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 praise and bless you, loving Father, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; and as we obey his command, send your Holy Spirit, that broken bread and wine outpoured may be for us the body and blood of your dear Son. On the night before he died he had supper with his friends and, taking bread, he praised you. He broke the bread, gave it to them and said: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me. When supper was ended he took the cup of wine. Again he praised you, 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. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. So, Father, we remember all that Jesus did, in him we plead with confidence his sacrifice made once for all upon the cross. Bringing before you the bread of life and cup of salvation, we proclaim his death and resurrection until he comes in glory. Great is the mystery of faith: Christ has died: Christ is risen: Christ will come again. Lord of all life, help us to work together for that day when your kingdom comes and justice and mercy will be seen in all the earth. Look with favour on your people, gather us in your loving arms and bring us with Laurence and all the saints to feast at your table in heaven. Through Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory are yours, O loving Father, for ever and ever. Amen. The Sanctus bell is sounded The Breaking of the Bread We break this bread to share in the body of Christ. All Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread. We sit or kneel to say or sing the Agnus Dei All Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us, Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us, Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: grant us peace. Giving of Holy Communion Draw near with faith. Receive the body of our Lord Jesus Christ which he gave for you, and his blood which he shed for you. Eat and drink in remembrance that he died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving. We receive Holy Communion or a blessing at the high altar or the chancel step. If you receive communion in your own church, you are welcome to receive the bread and wine here. Alternatively, everyone is welcome to receive an individual blessing. Gluten-free wafers are available. Please ask the person administering the bread. This is a very holy time so please keep conversation to a minimum (though we appreciate this is not easy with tiny children.) If hymns may be sung please join in. The hymn numbers are on the long, thin notices sheet. Prayers for personal use during the administration of Holy Communion This is the table, not of the church, but of the Lord. It has been made ready for those who love Him and who want to love Him 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, You who have tried to follow and you who have failed. Come, not because I invite you: it is our Lord. It is His will that those who want Him should meet Him here. © Wild Goose Worship Group 1989 Hear the words of comfort our Saviour Christ says to all who truly turn to him: Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11.28 God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3.16 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 © Common Worship Holy Communion Post Communion Prayers Let us pray: - The priest may say the post-communion prayer on the long, thin notices sheet We say together All Almighty God, we thank you for feeding us with the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ. Through him we offer you our souls and bodies to be a living sacrifice. Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory. Amen. The Dismissal The Notices and Banns of Marriage Please stand if comfortably able for The Blessing A Hymn may be sung Please turn to face the centre of the church as the clergy recess The Dismissal Go in peace to love and serve the Lord All In the name of Christ. Amen An organ voluntary is usually played at services with hymns Refreshments are served after the 10am service on most Sundays. All welcome. There is no charge but smiles and donations are welcome! If you have any questions about the service or the Christian faith please speak to one of the ministers or one of the church wardens or welcomers. Electronic Methods of Supporting the Mission and Ministry of St Laurence Church We are able to take donations by CREDIT or DEBIT card – please ask at the Welcome Desk. You can donate by TEXTING STLAURENCE to 70085 to donate £5 (costs £5 plus a std rate msg). You will be offered the opportunity to Gift Aid the donation should you wish to do so. To donate to St Laurence by SMARTPHONE, please scan* this QR code which will take you to a dedicated donations page. Gift Aiding your donation is possible if you are a UK taxpayer. * the iPhone camera acts as a QR code scanner. If you have an Android phone you may have to download an App. JUST-GIVING www.justgiving.com/stlaurence-northfield Keep in touch…. 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