The Gathering

Our worship begins at the sound of the bell, please stand as the sacred ministers enter, during which the introit hymn is sung.

Alleluia, sing to Jesus,
his the sceptre, his the throne;
alleluia, his the triumph,
his the victory alone:
hark, the songs of peaceful Sion
thunder like a mighty flood:
Jesus, out of ev’ry nation,
hath redeemed us by his blood.

Alleluia, not as orphans
are we left in sorrow now:
alleluia, he is near us,
faith believes, nor questions how;
though the cloud from sight received him
when the forty days were o’er,
shall our hearts forget his promise,
’I am with you evermore’?

Alleluia, bread of angels,
thou on earth our food, our stay;
alleluia, here the sinful
flee to thee from day to day;
intercessor, friend of sinners,
earth’s redeemer, plead for me,
where the songs of all the sinless
sweep across the crystal sea.

Alleluia, King eternal,
thee the Lord of lords we own;
alleluia, born of Mary,
earth thy footstool, heav’n thy throne;
thou within the veil hast entered
robed in flesh, our great High Priest;
thou on earth both priest and victim
in the Eucharistic Feast.

Words: William Chatterton Dix (1837-1898)
Music: Rowland Huw Pritchard (1811-1887)
arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

The Greeting

Grace, mercy and peace
from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ
be with you

and also with you.

Words of Welcome

Invitation to Confession

As we prepare to celebrate the mystery of God’s love,
revealed in Word and Sacrament,
let us call to mind our sins.

Silence is kept.

Like as the hart longs for flowing streams,
so longs my soul for you, O God:

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

O send out your light and your truth,
that they may lead me:

Christ, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

May we come to your altar, O God,
the God of our salvation:

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

May almighty God,
who sent his Son into the world to save sinners,
bring you his pardon and peace,
now and for ever.

Amen.

The Collect

The president introduces a period of silent prayer with the words ‘Let us pray’.

Lord Jesus Christ,
we thank you that in this wonderful sacrament
you have given us the memorial of your passion:
grant us so to reverence the sacred mysteries
of your body and blood
that we may know within ourselves and show forth in our lives
the fruits of your redemption;
for you are alive and reign
with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

The Liturgy of the Word

Please sit.

A reading from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians.

For 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.

Corinthians 11.23-26

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Please stand with the president as an acclamation is sung to herald the Gospel.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever.

John 6: 51

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

Glory to you, O Lord.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live for ever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live for ever.”

 John 6.51-58

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Please sit after the preacher leads us in prayer.

Prayers of Intercession

Following an invitation to pray from the intercessor we sit to pray:

We pray to the Lord.
Lord, listen to the prayers of your people,
gathered at your table.

In faith we pray:

we pray to you our God.

Here, where we celebrate how Christ gave us his body
to be our spiritual food,
listen as we pray for his body the Church,
spread throughout the world …

In faith we pray:

we pray to you our God.

Here, where we recognise the presence of Christ,
who takes away the sin of the world,
listen as we pray for that world
and for its peoples for whom his blood was shed …

In faith we pray:

we pray to you our God.

Here, where we come together as Christ gathered with his
friends to give us this meal of holy fellowship,
listen as we pray for all whom you have given us,
our friends and all whose lives are joined with ours …

In faith we pray:

we pray to you our God.

Here, where we remember the night of Christ’s agony and trial,
listen as we pray for all who share his sufferings
through fear or pain or distress of many kinds …

In faith we pray:

we pray to you our God.

Here, where we join our praises with the whole company of heaven, listen as we pray for all who have trusted Christ’s promise to raise up on the last day those who eat his flesh and drink his blood …

In faith we pray:

we pray to you our God.

Lord, satisfy our hunger with the food that lasts,
the bread of God which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world,
Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.

Amen.

The Liturgy of the Sacrament

Please stand with the president.

The Peace

Our Lord Jesus Christ says:
If, when you are bringing your gift to the altar,
you remember your brother or sister has a grievance against you, leave your gift where it lies before the altar.
Go, make peace; and only then come and offer your gift.

The peace of the Lord be always with you

and also with you.

Preparation of the Table

The table is prepared and bread and wine are placed upon it.

A Hymn is sung.

Lord Jesus Christ,
you have come to us,
you are one with us,
Mary’s Son;
cleansing our souls from all their sin,
pouring our love and goodness in,
Jesus, our love for you we sing,
living Lord.

Lord Jesus Christ,
now and ev’ry day
teach us how to pray,
Son of God.
You have commanded us to do
this in remembrance, Lord, of you.
Into our lives your pow’r breaks through,
living Lord.

Lord Jesus Christ,
you have come to us,
born as one of us,
Mary’s Son.
Led out to die on Calvary,
risen from death to set us free,
living Lord Jesus, help us see
you are Lord.

Lord Jesus Christ,
I would come to you,
live my life for you,
Son of God.
All your commands I know are true,
your many gifts will make me new,
into my life your pow’r breaks through,
living Lord.

Words & Music: Patrick Appleford (1925-2018)

Taking of the Bread and Wine

Be present, be present Lord Jesus Christ.
Make yourself known in the breaking of the bread.

Amen.

The Eucharistic Prayer

Please sit.

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.

It is indeed right and good,
our duty and our salvation
always and everywhere to give you thanks and praise
holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Jesus Christ our great high priest.
He offered himself to you as the Lamb without blemish,
the acceptable gift that gives you perfect praise.
At the Last Supper, seated with his apostles,
he left this memorial of his passion
to bring us its saving power until the end of time.
In this great sacrament you feed your people
and strengthen them in holiness,
so that throughout the world the human family
may be enlightened by one faith
and drawn together in one communion of love.
We come to this foretaste of your heavenly banquet
to be transformed by your grace
and restored in the image and likeness of the risen Christ.
Therefore, earth unites with heaven
to sing a new song of praise;
we too join with angels and archangels
as they proclaim your glory without end:

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.

Accept our praises, heavenly Father,
through your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ,
and as we follow his example and obey his command,
grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit
these gifts of bread and wine
may be to us his body and his blood;
who, in the same night that he was betrayed,
took bread and gave you thanks;
he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.
In the same way, after supper
he took the cup and gave you thanks;
he gave it to them, saying:
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.

Therefore, heavenly Father,
we remember his offering of himself
made once for all upon the cross;
we proclaim his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension;
we look for the coming of your kingdom,
and with this bread and this cup
we make the memorial of Christ your Son our Lord.

Great is the mystery of faith:

Christ has died:
Christ is risen:
Christ will come again.

Accept through him, our great high priest,
this our sacrifice of thanks and praise,
and as we eat and drink these holy gifts
in the presence of your divine majesty,
renew us by your Spirit,
inspire us with your love
and unite us in the body of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him, and with him, and in him,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
with all who stand before you in earth and heaven,
we worship you, Father almighty,
in songs of everlasting praise:

Blessing and honour and glory and power
be yours for ever and ever.
Amen.

Silence is kept.

The Lord’s Prayer

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us.

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.

Breaking of the Bread

The president breaks the consecrated bread.

Jesus is the living bread which came down from heaven;
if anyone eats of this bread, they will live for ever.

Lord, give us this bread always.

Invitation to Communion

‘I am the bread of life,’ says the Lord;
‘whoever comes to me will never hunger;
whoever believes in me will never thirst.’
‘I am the vine: you are the branches.’

May we dwell in him as he lives in us.

The president and people receive communion. At the giving of communion, the president receives communion in both kinds.

The words of distribution (“The body and blood of Christ, broken/shed for us all”) are spoken to the congregation, and all who intend to receive reply with “Amen”.

At the distribution, please follow the guidance offered by the stewards. Holy Communion is administered without speaking. The consecrated bread is dropped into the hands of communicants. To reduce the risk of spreading any infection, communion will be in one kind (bread) only. This is still considered to be complete communion by the Church of England.

For those at home it might be helpful to use this prayer during the distribution.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds hide me.
Permit me not to be separated from you.
From the wicked foe, defend me.
At the hour of my death, call me
and bid me come to you.
That with your saints I may praise you,
for ever and ever. Amen.

The Post Communion Prayer

Please stand with the president who introduces a time of silent prayer with the words ‘Let us pray’.

All praise to you, our God and Father,
for you have fed us with the bread of heaven
and quenched our thirst from the true vine:
hear our prayer that, being grafted into Christ,
we may grow together in unity
and feast with him in his kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

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.

We remain standing as a hymn is sung.

All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
This our song shall ever be;
for we have no hope nor Saviour
if we have not hope in thee.

All for Jesus! thou wilt give us
strength to serve thee hour by hour:
none can move us from thy presence
whilst we trust thy love and pow’r.

All for Jesus! at thine altar
thou dost give us sweet content;
there, dear Saviour, we receive thee
in thy holy sacrament.

All for Jesus! thou hast loved us,
all for Jesus! thou hast died,
all for Jesus! thou art with us,
all for Jesus, glorified!

All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
This the Church’s song shall be,
till at last the flock is gathered
one in love, and one in thee.

Words: William John Sparrow-Simpson (1859-1952) alt.
Music: John Stainer (1840-1901)

The Dismissal

The Blessing

May the Father,
who fed his children with manna in the wilderness,
strengthen you in your pilgrimage to the Promised Land.

Amen.

May the Son,
who gave his flesh for food and his blood for drink,
keep you in eternal life and raise you up on the last day.

Amen.

May the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth,
help you discern the Lord’s body
and empower you to proclaim his death until he comes.

Amen.

And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.

Amen.

Jesus said,
‘I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry,
and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’

John 6: 35

The Dismissal

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

In the name of Christ. Amen.