House Church with Communion

2/2/2022

The Preparation

The leader refers to the consecrated bread and wine and where it has been received from.

If you wish, open with song/s of praise & worship.

The leader says

Grace and peace to you from God
God fill you with truth and joy.

We say together:
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,
so that we may truly love you
and worthily praise your holy name:
through our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Our Thanksgiving

The leader says

Let us give glory to God, our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier.
Glory to God in the highest.
Glory to God in the highest.

God our Creator, we thank you for the world you have made;
we thank you for your loving care watching over all creation;
we thank you for entrusting part of your world to us to tend,
to care for and to develop.
Glory to God in the highest.

You made us to know you and to be near you,
our hearts are restless until we come to you.
To bring us nearer to you when we were still far off,
you sent your prophets and teachers
to show us the glory of your steadfast love.
Glory to God in the highest.

The wonder of your redeeming love was fully shown
in Jesus the Christ, who walked among us as one of us,
meeting us face to face,
person to person, God in human form.
Glory to God in the highest.

Yet we did not value him and sent him to death,
a death he freely accepted,
stretching out his arms on the cross
to embrace the whole human race
and to bear our sin in himself.
By his death and resurrection,
death is destroyed and we are delivered from sin
to share his risen life.
Glory to God in the highest.

You sent your Holy Spirit upon your Church
so that, in Jesus, we are united to you, Father,
with all the redeemed.
Glory to God in the highest.

We thank you that we can worship you
with prayer and praise as one with all your people.
Above all we thank you for the sacrament
of the body and blood of Christ.
Glory to God in the highest.

The Confession

The leader says

Happy are those whose sins are forgiven,
whose wrongs are pardoned.
I will confess my sins to the Lord,
I will not conceal my wrongdoings.

We keep silence

God forgives and heals us.
We need your healing, merciful God:
give us true repentance.
Some sins are plain to us;
some escape us,
some we cannot face.
Forgive us;
set us free to hear your word to us;
set us free to serve you.

The leader says

Hear the word of God to all.
God shows love for us
in that while we were yet sinners
Christ died for us. Amen.

The Readings

We encourage you to use the Gospel reading from the Lectionary for today. Feel free to add in other readings as you wish.

An online version of the Lectionary can be found right here.

You may wish to take turns reading portions of the Scripture with your group.

Teaching and Reflection

Watch this week's sermon video and answer either the following questions or the questions presented by the preacher:

What does this story tell me about God?
What does this story tell me about people?
If this is really God's word, what changes would I have to make in my life?
Who am I going to tell?

Prayer

We encourage you to enter a time of prayer for our world, our communities and for each other - which can conclude together with:

God of mercy,
you have given us grace to pray with one heart and one voice;
and have promised to hear the prayers
of two or three who agree in your name;
fulfil now, we pray,
the prayers and longings of your people
as may be best for us and for your kingdom.
Grant us in this world to know your truth,
and in the world to come to see your glory.
Amen.

The Peace

We encourage you to share the peace with one another, using creative non-contact ways of doing so!

Sharing Communion

he leader continues

E te whānau, we are the body of Christ.
By one Spirit we were baptised into one body.

God, creator of time and space,
may the love and faith which makes
this bread the body of Christ
enfold us now.
We thank you for the blood of Christ
that covers us as we put our trust in Him.
Make us one with
the whole body of Christ.
May Christ’s Holy Spirit
bring to us in the sacrament
the strength we need,
and an abiding trust
in your gift of eternal life.
Amen.

(Referring to the pre-consecrated bread & wine)

As we give the bread, we say to each other
The body of Christ given for you.
Ko te tinana o tō tātou Ariki, i tukua nei mōu.

As we give the wine, we say to each other
The blood of Christ shed for you.
Ko nga toto o to tātou Ariki, i whakahekea nei mōu.

The Lord’s Prayer

As Christ teaches us we pray

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 for ever. Amen.

The Blessing

The leader shares a common blessing

May the Creator
bless us and keep us;
may the beloved companion face us
and have mercy upon us;
may the eternal Spirit’s countenance
be turned to us and give us peace;
may the Three in One bless us.

The service concludes
The divine Spirit dwells in us.
Kia noho te Wairua o te Runga Rawa ki a tātou.
Thanks be to God.
Whakamoemititia a Ihowā.

Looking Outwards

As you conclude your time together, we encourage you to discuss together any local needs you have identified in your group or wider neighbourhood, and what your response to those might be.

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