Category: inclusive

School Mass for Pentecost

Gathering Song

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

The Lord be with you and also with you

Penitential Rite (Ba Ba Blacksheep)

Just like lost sheep we have gone astray
Done bad things and run away
So we come to say sorry
Make things better as you see
Loving Jesus make anew
Our lives so we can be like you.

Absolution (If you’re happy…)

You’re forgiven and you know it, so clap your hands
You’re forgiven and you know, so you really ought to show it,
You’re forgiven and you know it, so clap your hands

Jesus loves you and you know it, so stamp your feet
Jesus loves you and you know it, so you really ought to show it
Jesus loves you and you know it, so stamp your feet

If you believe that God forgives you, say “We do” “We do”
When you say that you are sorry, you no longer have to worry
God takes away your sin, so say “Amen”. Amen!

Collect

Let us pray…

God our Father,
let the Spirit you sent on your Church
to begin the teaching of the gospel
continue to work in the world
through the hearts of all who believe.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Pentecost Story

This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Peace

Christ is our peace.
He has reconciled us to God
in one body by the Cross.
We meet in his name and share his peace.

The peace of the Lord be always with you
and also with you

Let us offer one another a sign of peace

Pray, my brothers and sisters, that this our sacrifice may be acceptable to God the almighty Father.
May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his Church.

Prayer over the gifts

Heavenly Father, we thank you for these gifts,
Bread and Wine, fruit of the earth
We pray you will change them
as you change us
by the power of your Holy Spirit

Preface

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 thanks and praise

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God,
we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks.

On the day of Pentecost you sent the Holy Spirit
on those marked out to be your children
by sharing the life of your only Son,
and so you brought the paschal mystery to its completion.

On the that day we celebrate the great beginning of your Church
when the Holy Spirit made known to all peoples the one true God,
and created from the many languages of man
one voice to profess one faith.

The joy of the resurrection renews the whole world,
while the choirs of heaven sing for ever to your glory:

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.

Eucharistic Prayer 2 for Children

Father, on the night before he died,
Jesus shared a meal with his friends.
He took the bread, and thanked you.
He broke it, and gave it to them, saying:

Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this to remember me.

After the meal, Jesus took the cup of wine.
He thanked you, and gave it to them, saying:

Drink this, all of you.
This is my blood,
the new promise of God’s unfailing love.
Do this to remember me.

Christ is the bread of life:
When we eat this bread and drink this cup
we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus,
until you come in glory

Father, as we offer this bread and wine,
and remember his death and resurrection,
send your +Holy Spirit,
that we who share these gifts
may be fed by Christ’s body and his blood.

Pour your Spirit on us
that we may love one another,
work for the healing of the earth,
and share the good news of Jesus,
as we wait for his coming in glory.

For honour and praise belong to you, Father,
with Jesus your Son, and the Holy Spirit:
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen

Lord’s Prayer (Pop Goes the Weasel)

Our Father, who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy na-a-ame.
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread
Forgive us all our si-i-ns
As we forgive
all those us who sin
or trespass against us

Let us not be drawn into
Any kind of temptation
Deliver us
from the evil one
Amen, Amen, Amen.

Agnus Dei (3 blind mice)

Lamb of God, Lamb of God
You take away, the sin of the world
Have mercy on us, Lamb of God
Don’t let us stray away from the flock
You take away the sin of the world
So grant us peace

Come and eat, come and drink
You’re welcome here, come quite near
Share in his body and blood with us
It tastes like wine and bread but just
Know that inside it’s not quite thus
Share the food of God.

Communion Antiphon:

They were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke of the great things God had done, alleluia. (Acts 2:4,11)

Prayer after Communion:

Father,
may the food we receive in the eucharist
help our eternal redemption.
Keep within us the vigor of your Spirit
and protect the gifts you have given to your Church.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

Blessing (Sing a Song of Sixpence)

The Lord be with you
And also with you

Bow your heads and pray for God’s blessing

May the Lord now +bless you
And keep you all safe
Send you out from here
In a state of grace
Take what we have learned
About Jesus our King
And do what he has taught us
To make the world a better thing.

Go, the Mass has ended
But our service has begun
We heard it straight from Jesus
What it means to live as one
With him now up in heaven
Looking from above
Blessing us in all our work
Let’s go and share his love.

The Mass is ended.
Go in the Peace of Christ.
Thanks be to God

Walsingham Taster Gathering in Exeter: Youth Liturgy

Gathering

Video:  God is here

Song:  Here in this time (CJM)

Here in this time, here in this place,
here we are standing face to face.
Here in our hearts, here in our lives,
our God is here.

Here for the broken, here for the strong,
here in this temple we belong.
Here in our hearts, here in our lives,
our God is here.
And we cry:

“Holy! Holy! Holy are you!”
We cry: “Holy! Holy! Holy and true!”
Amen, we do believe our God is here.
Our God is here.

Here in the Word, God is revealed,
here where the wounded can be healed.
Here in our hearts, here in our lives,
our God is here.

Here we become what we receive,
here in this Eucharistic feast.
We are his body, living as one;
our God is here.
And we cry:

“Holy! Holy! Holy are you!”
We cry: “Holy! Holy! Holy and true!”
Amen, we do believe our God is here.
Our God is here. 

 

In the name of the +Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Amen

 

The Lord be with you
And also with you

Words of introduction from the celebrant

Penitential Rite

Video:

Equipment: Flash Paper, Felt Pens

Text:

There are many things which we feel are not worthy of us
And need to be put aside

Write down something you want deeply to throw away

A behaviour
An action
A word said in haste
A relationship gone bad
A deed undone
An obligation unfulfilled

And give it over to God.

You can pour out your heart to God on the mountaintop
You can painfully trace each step in the darkness of the confessional
You can say the words we know so well without thinking
But have you written him a love letter?
Have you given what you want to throw away to God
Let God deal with your deepest fears and shame.

Write down something you want deeply to throw away
A behaviour
An action
A word said in haste
A relationship gone bad
A deed undone
An obligation unfulfilled

And give it over to God.

There are many things that we would like to discard
To throw away and have nothing more to do with

There are many things which we feel are not worthy of us
And need to be put aside

Put them aside, and give them to God.

For God will transform,
and the shameful past becomes the bright future

Screen: You are forgiven

Our Lord Jesus Christ, who has left power to his Church to absolve all sinners who truly repent and believe in him, of his great mercy forgive you all your offences; and by his
authority committed to me, I absolve you from all your sins: +In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit.

The Lord has put away all your sins, and of your charity, pray for me, a sinner also
Amen

Collect

Audio: Spooky Mysterious

Let us pray…

Lord God, in the mystery of the Incarnation
Mary conceived your Son in her heart before she conceived Him in her womb.
As we, your pilgrim people, rejoice in her patronage,
grant that we also may welcome Him into our hearts,
and so, like her, be made a holy house fit for His eternal dwelling.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

Scripture

Video: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Gospel:  Luke 14:15-24

Talk about Walsingham

Videos of past events:  2011 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-zSrNcG6wA

Being eaten by a crocodile: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPRKPKeWjJc

Everything: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecYO7alTEik

Chat with those who have been before

Response

Video:

Blow these bubbles…
Watch them form…
See the way the light shines on them: reveals the rainbow within.

Each of them shares the same shape,
but each one is different, unique special
Just like you…

The bubbles remind us of God, infinite in variety, beautiful in shape, perfect in form.

God the Father, created of the bubbles and the universe and each and every one of us
Do you believe this? Yes!

God the Son, Saviour of us all, who breathed the same air as us on this earth, the same air with which you fill these bubbles lives today in our hearts.
Do you believe this? Yes!

God the Spirit, who powers these bubbles, and which fills this space with power from on high plays with us and strengthens us
Do you believe this? Yes!

Intercessions

Video:

You got the Love

Led/Read by Young People

Peace

Christ is our peace,
he has reconciled us to God in one body by the cross.
We meet in his name and we share his peace.

The peace of the Lord be always be with you
And also with you

Let us offer one another the sign of peace

Offertory

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun’s shining down on me
When the world’s ‘all as it should be’
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

Pray, my brothers and sisters, that this our sacrifice may be acceptable to God the almighty Father.
May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his Church.

Prayer over the gifts

Lord,
make us worthy to bring you these gifts.
May this sacrifice
help to change our lives.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

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 thanks and praise

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God,
we do well always and everywhere to give You thanks,
and to praise You for Your gifts as we contemplate Your saints in glory.

In celebrating the memory of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
it is our special joy to echo her song of thanksgiving.
What wonders You have worked throughout the world!

All generations have shared the greatness of Your love.
When You looked on Mary Your lowly servant,
You raised her to be the mother of Jesus Christ,
Your Son, our Lord, the Saviour of humanity.

Through Him the angels of heaven offer their prayer of adoration
as they rejoice in Your presence for ever.
May our voices be one with their triumphant hymn of praise:

Sanctus: Soli Mass

Hosanna, Hosanna!
Hosanna, Hosanna!
Hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna, Hosanna!
Hosanna, Hosanna!
Hosanna in the highest.

Holy is the Lord, God Almighty
Heav’n and earth are full of his glory

Holy is the Lord!
Holy is the Lord!
Holy is the name of the Lord!

Hosanna, Hosanna!
Hosanna, Hosanna!
Hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna, Hosanna!
Hosanna, Hosanna!
Hosanna in the highest.

Blest is he who comes in the Lord’s name
Heav’n and earth are full of his glory

Blessed is the Lord! Blessed is the Lord!
Blessed is the name of the Lord!

Hosanna, Hosanna!
Hosanna, Hosanna!
Hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna, Hosanna!
Hosanna, Hosanna!
Hosanna in the highest.

Father, on the night before he died,
Jesus shared a meal with his friends.

He took the bread, and thanked you.
He broke it, and gave it to them, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this to remember me.

After the meal, Jesus took the cup of wine.
He thanked you, and gave it to them, saying:
Drink this, all of you.
This is my blood,
the new promise of God’s unfailing love.
Do this to remember me.

Christ is the bread of life:
When we eat this bread and drink this cup
we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus,
until you come in glory

Father, as we offer this bread and wine,
and remember his death and resurrection,
send your +Holy Spirit,
that we who share these gifts
may be fed by Christ’s body and his blood.

Pour your Spirit on us
that we may love one another,
work for the healing of the earth,
and share the good news of Jesus,
as we wait for his coming in glory.

For honour and praise belong to you, Father,
with Jesus your Son, and the Holy Spirit:
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen

Lord’s Prayer

Video:

Audio: Rimsky-Korsakoff Our Father from Mirfield.
The celebrant interrupts the praying of the prayer with these challenges….

Our Father in heaven.
Don’t say ‘Father’ if you do not behave like a son or daughter.
Don’t say ‘Our’ if you only think of your self.

Hallowed by your name
Don’t say ‘Hallowed’ if you do not honour that name.

Your Kingdom come
Don’t say ‘Your Kingdom come’ if you are weighed down with material goods

Your will be done On earth as in heaven
Don’t say ‘Thy will be done’ if you do not accept the hard bits
Don’t say ‘as it is in heaven’ if you only think about earthly matters

Give us this day our daily bread
Don’t say ’Our daily bread’ if you have no concern for the hungry or the homeless

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who against us
Don’t say ‘Forgive us our sins’ if you remain angry with someone

Lead us not into temptation
Don’t say ‘Lead us not into temptation’ if you intend to continue sinning

But deliver us from evil
Don’t say ‘Deliver us from evil if you are not willing to make a stand against injustice

For the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen
Don’t say ‘AMEN’ without considering the words of your prayer!

Fraction

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 one bread

Agnus Dei

Invitation

Come not because you are strong,
but because you are weak.
Come not because any goodness of your own
but because you need mercy and help.
Come because you love the Lord a little
and would like to love him more.
Come because he loves you
and gave his life for you.

This is the lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world.
Blesséd are those who are called to his supper
Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

Communion

Post Communion Prayer

Audio: Spooky Mysterious

Lord,
we give thanks for these holy mysteries
which bring to us here on earth
a share in the life to come,
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing

The Lord be with you
And also with you

Bow your heads and pray for God’s blessing…

God, who from the death of sin
raised you to new life in Christ,
keep you from falling and set you in the presence of his glory;
and the blessing of God Almighty
+Father, Son and Holy Spirit be upon you
And remain with you, this day and always
Amen

Dismissal

The mass is ended,
go in the peace of Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!

Your mercy taught us how to dance
To celebrate with all we have
And we’ll dance to thank You for mercy

Your glory taught us how to shout
To lift Your name in all the earth
And we’ll shout to the praise of Your glory

It’s the overflow
Of a forgiven soul
And now we’ve seen You, God
Our hearts cannot stay silent

And we’ll be a dancing generation
Dancing because of Your great mercy, Lord
Your great mercy, Lord
And we’ll be a shouting generation
Shouting because of Your great glory, Lord
Your great glory, Lord

END

Ministry to the edge: a meditation on Acts 8:26-40

With grateful thanks to Fr Gavin Tyte who brought this short meditation to my attention:

Acts 8:26-40. New International Version

Philip and the Ethiopian

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road – the desert road – that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means ‘queen of the Ethiopians’). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet.29 The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’

30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked.

31 ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.’

34 The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’ 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

36 As they travelled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptised?’ 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptised him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and travelled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Reflect

Read this passage three times.

The first time, as you read it, stand as an observer outside the story. Bear in mind that a dark-skinned eunuch would not have been permitted to worship in Jerusalem – it was clearly forbidden in scripture (on both counts as not being Jewish and being a eunuch).

The second time you read it, imagine that you are the eunuch. Think upon the very passage that you are reading from Isaiah – “In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants?” Read those lines over and over. Let the weight of those lines hit you in the the context of your own body.

The third time you read it, imagine your are Philip. Think about that simple question that the Eunuch asks you, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” What can stand in the way? How will you respond?

 

Think about those whom this applies to. You can identify them (and sadly it is not just a single constituency of the body of Christ who is consistently mallaigned) : in the media, in arguments in General Synod and railed against from various pulpits. The God of Love shines through. The God of welcomes bids you come. You know what we all have to do…

Cash and Shellfish

The third book of Scripture, Leviticus, has some wonderful passages. The Jubilee laws outlined in chapter 25, for example, provide an inspiring vision of liberty and justice for all which are an inspiration for us all.  Unfortunately, these Jubilee laws and the ideals they embody, are nearly wholly neglected and forgotten. Much of Leviticus was written for a different time and a different context: a nomadic people seeking to settle into an already populated land which they claimed their God had chosen for them, seeking to ethnically clense it and establish clear differentiation between “us” and “them”. So perhaps it is right that they turn away from many of the things forbidden or advocated by Leviticus

With some notable exceptions: some teachings are still regarded as unwavering and binding.

One such passage is Leviticus 20:13, says  If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.” (ESV)

That passage is frequently cited by those who hold that the Church is no place for anyone LGBT, that orientation is a bar to Church participation. This is the Daily Mail at prayer. However, the book of Leviticus condemns a lot of things as “abominations.” The 11th chapter is overflowing with abominations. For example, from verses 10-12:

And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you: They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination. Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.

So it is claimed that Leviticus says that the LGBT are an unclean “abomination,” yet they have no problem eating Prawn Cocktail.  There is that image going round of someone (probably in the USA, of course) with a tattoo citing Leviticus 18:22 (see)

leviticus-tattoo

but ignoring Leviticus 19:28 “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.”

Since many observers have satirically noted this apparent inconsistency (see, for example, godhatesshrimp.com) I wonder why it is that so many contemporary Christians reject gays while embracing shellfish (and tattoos).

To understand why God is no longer considered a hater of shrimp you have to see the Acts of the Apostles, the account of the early days of the Christian church.

Acts chapter 10 finds the apostle Peter on a rooftop in Joppa, praying at noon before heading down to lunch.

The impulsive former fisherman has grown into a genuine leader in the early church. At Pentecost, he preached the gospel to people from every corner of the Roman Empire and he is slowly appreciating that this new community is supposed to transcend any ethnic or cultural boundaries. But the goyim still seem to still grate with him. Especially the Romans.

So God gives him a vision. Peter falls into a trance and sees a vision of a giant tablecloth descending from heaven. The tablecloth is covered with honeybaked hams, cheesesteaks, crab cakes, calamari and lobster.

“Eat up, Peter,” a voice tells him

“Surely not, Lord!” Peter says. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

“Don’t call anything unclean that God has made clean,” the voice says. “And try the angels on horseback, they’re like butter.”

This happens three times.

This is generally regarded as an instance in which a New Testament passage seems to set aside a prohibition from the Old Testament. And that’s why our friends on the religious right do not feel compelled to eat kosher and do not consider shellfish to be “an abomination.”

Fair enough, but there’s something else going on in this story. The main point of Peter’s rooftop epiphany has nothing to do with diet. The main point of this vision had to do with the people who were about to knock on Peter’s door.

Peter is about to meet Cornelius. Cornelius is a gentile. Worse than that, he is a Roman. Worse than that, he is a Roman centurion. Cornelius is about as kosher as a bacon double cheeseburger.

But give Peter credit — he understood the vision. “Don’t call anything unclean that God has made clean.” Don’t call anyone unclean that God has made clean.

Peter does not treat Cornelius as an unclean outsider. He travels to the centurion’s house, where he says, “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.”

Peter understands: in this new community that God is building, this church, there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, slave nor free. No one is excluded as unclean. The church embraces Jews and gentiles, Roman soldiers and slaves, men and women, Africans, Greeks and even a token white European.

In our fondness for Easter Gammon, we Christians have fervently clung to the surface-level meaning of Peter’s vision. But we haven’t been as enthusiastic about embracing the larger, more important lesson God was teaching him there on the rooftop. When the “unclean” outsiders knock on our doors, we don’t like inviting them in.

That, in a nutshell, is why some Christians happily dismiss one “abomination” while still behaving abominably out of allegiance to another.

Oh, and what about Leviticus’ Jubilee laws? Those were never set aside by anything in the New Testament, but Christians no longer treat them as authoritative because, um …

Scripture is not a Haynes Manual which can be dipped into for a key solution, ignoring the context which results in that text. Neither should it be read from cover-to-cover like a novel; however, it is a document of our continuing walk with God, and it isn’t finished yet: those who limit their faith to that which is contained in the little book are falling foul of idolatory (and we can guess what Leviticus thinks about that! 19:4, look it up) and raising it up as an idol. Christ completes the Scriptures – look to him and see what God really intends for us all: Jew, Gentile, Straight, LGBT, White… the whole world

 

(with thanks to an original thought by Fred Clark)

School Mass: Lent 1

This is the liturgy for School Mass tomorrow, using Lent 1 Propers.  Some parts from the Nursery Rhyme Mass

Gathering

 Here in this time (Our God is Here)

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

The Lord be with you
and also with you

Confession

to the tune of Ba Ba Black Sheep

Just like lost sheep we have gone astray
Done bad things and run away
So we come to say sorry
Make things better as you see
Loving Jesus make anew
Our lives so we can be like you.

Absolution

to the tune of If you are happy and you know it

You’re forgiven and you know it, so clap your hands
You’re forgiven and you know, so you really ought to show it,
You’re forgiven and you know it, so clap your hands

Jesus loves you and you know it, so stamp your feet
Jesus loves you and you know it, so you really ought to show it
Jesus loves you and you know it, so stamp your feet

If you believe that God forgives you, say “We do” “We do”
When you say that you are sorry, you no longer have to worry
God takes away your sin, so say “Amen”. Amen!

Collect

Let us pray…

Father,
through our observance of Lent,
help us to understand the meaning
of your Son’s death and resurrection,
and teach us to reflect it in our lives.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

GOSPEL Luke 4: 1-13

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’

Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.”’ Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’

Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”’ Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you”, and  “On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”’

Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Peace

Christ is our peace.
He has reconciled us to God
in one body by the Cross.
We meet in his name and share his peace.

The peace of the Lord be always with you
and also with you

Let us offer one another a sign of peace

Pray, my brothers and sisters, that this our sacrifice may be acceptable to God the almighty Father.
May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his Church.

Prayer over the gifts

Lord,
make us worthy to bring you these gifts.
May this sacrifice
help to change our lives.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

Preface

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 thanks and praise

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God,
we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

His fast of forty days
makes this a holy season of self-denial.
By rejecting the devil’s temptations
he has taught us
to rid ourselves of the hidden corruption of evil,
and so to share his paschal meal in purity of heart,
until we come to its fulfillment
in the promised land of heaven.

Now we join the angels and the saints
as they sing their unending hymn of praise:

Holy, holy, holy Lord…

Eucharistic Prayer One for Children

Father, on the night before he died,
Jesus shared a meal with his friends.

He took the bread, and thanked you.
He broke it, and gave it to them, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this to remember me.

After the meal, Jesus took the cup of wine.
He thanked you, and gave it to them, saying:
Drink this, all of you.
This is my blood,
the new promise of God’s unfailing love.
Do this to remember me.

Christ is the bread of life:
When we eat this bread and drink this cup
we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus,
until you come in glory

Father, as we offer this bread and wine,
and remember his death and resurrection,
send your +Holy Spirit,
that we who share these gifts
may be fed by Christ’s body and his blood.

Pour your Spirit on us
that we may love one another,
work for the healing of the earth,
and share the good news of Jesus,
as we wait for his coming in glory.

For honour and praise belong to you, Father,
with Jesus your Son, and the Holy Spirit:
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen

Lord’s Prayer

to the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel

Our Father, who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy na-a-ame.
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread
Forgive us all our si-i-ns
As we forgive
all those us who sin
or trespass against us

Let us not be drawn into
Any kind of temptation
Deliver us
from the evil one
Amen, Amen, Amen.

Agnus Dei

to the tune of Three Blind Mice

Lamb of God, Lamb of God
You take away, the sin of the world
Have mercy on us, Lamb of God
Don’t let us stray away from the flock
You take away the sin of the world
So grant us peace

[priest]
Come and eat, come and drink
You’re welcome here, come quite near
Share in his body and blood with us
It tastes like wine and bread but just
Know inside it’s not like that
It’s the food of God.

Post Communion

Father,
you increase our faith and hope,
and deepen our love in this communion.
Help us to live by your words
and to seek Christ, our bread of life, who is Lord for ever and ever. Amen.

Blessing

The Lord be with you
And also with you

Bow your heads and pray for God’s blessing

Christ give you grace to grow in holiness, to deny yourselves, take up your cross, and follow him;
…and the blessing of God Almighty, the +Father the Son and the Holy Spirit be upon you and remain with you always
Amen

The Mass is ended.
Go in the Peace of Christ.
Thanks be to God

Blessed Be your name (Matt Redman)

Ash Wednesday Collective Worship

KS2 Teaching:

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KS1 is similar, but hugely simplified.

Objective:

To enable young people to encounter the idea of sin, the need for repentance and the wonderful opportunity of grace at a level which is appropriate to their age and faith development but which culminates in a key stage appropriate response and act of worship which reflects both traditional and creative methods of expressing the solemnity of Ash Wednesday

Strategy

Throughout the day (as timetabled), Fr. Simon to visit each year group. Each class to produce artistic/creative responses to that session and the meditation in each session which are then offered at the end-of-day act of collective worship which culminates in one of the Church’s finest multisensory rituals: ashing

Outline

Each theme below to be differentiated for each year group.

  • Recall Pancake Day / Shrove Tuesday
  • Identify today as Ash Wednesday
  • Set Ash Wednesday in context of Lent, Holy Week and Easter
  • Describe Ashing: where the ashes come from and what they are used for
  • Burn a Palm Cross with a blow torch to make the link clear
  • Doing Bad Things
    • The reality of bad things in the world, in the playground
    • How bad things affect relationships
    • How people feel when bad things are done to them (Golden Rules?)
    • Opportunity to recap School values
  • Bad things make God sad = sin
  • The effect of saying sorry and meaning it
  • The promise of forgiveness
  • The reality of grace
  • Opportunity for personal reflection on our actions
  • Including guided silence and reflection with music and images (visual)
  • Ritual with stones and large pot of water and/or cairns of stones scattered and then rebuilt depending on year group (kinaesthetic)
  • Task:

Draw/Paint/Collage in small groups/individually (decided by class teachers) pieces to offer reflecting on Ash Weds.

Examples might be:

• Ink ripple prints recalling the water/stones ritual earlier
• Charcoal as an art medium, recalling the Ash
• Collage of news items/internet images of things for society to repent about (older age group)
• …or of course any others thought up by Young People, Art Manager, Class Teacher etc!

Collective Worship

Gathering Song: King of Kings, Majesty

Mr Davey recaps the day’s Ash Wednesday activities

Collect

Lord,
protect us in our struggle against evil.
As we begin the discipline of Lent,
make this day holy by our self-denial.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Gospel: John 21:1-19

Retold in first person in the style of my next book Frontline Evangelism with Young People

1 Later, Jesus appeared again to his followers by Lake Galilee. This is how it happened: 2 Some of the followers were together—Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the two sons of Zebedee, and two other followers. 3 Simon Peter said, “I am going out to fish.”
The other followers said, “We will go with you.” So all of them went out and got into the boat. They fished that night but caught nothing.

4 Early the next morning Jesus stood on the shore. But the followers did not know it was Jesus. 5 Then he said to them, “Friends, have you caught any fish?”

They answered, “No.”

6 He said, “Throw your net into the water on the right side of your boat. You will find some fish there.” So they did this. They caught so many fish that they could not pull the net back into the boat.

7 The follower Jesus loved very much said to Peter, “That man is the Lord!” When Peter heard him say it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around himself. (He had taken his clothes off to work.) Then he jumped into the water. 8 The other followers went to shore in the boat. They pulled the net full of fish. They were not very far from shore, only about 100 yards. [b] 9 When they stepped out of the boat and onto the shore, they saw a fire of hot coals. There were fish on the fire and some bread there too. 10 Then Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish that you caught.”

11 Simon Peter got into the boat and pulled the net to the shore. It was full of big fish—153 of them! But even with that many fish, the net did not tear. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat.” None of the followers would ask him, “Who are you?” They knew he was the Lord. 13 Jesus walked over to get the bread and gave it to them. He also gave them the fish.

14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his followers after he was raised from death.

15 When they finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these other men love me?”
Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Take care of my lambs.”

16 Again Jesus said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Then Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

17 A third time Jesus said, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was sad because Jesus asked him three times, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you!”

Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep. 18 The truth is, when you were young, you tied your own belt and went where you wanted. But when you are old, you will put out your hands, and someone else will tie your belt. They will lead you where you don’t want to go.” 19 Then he said to Peter, “Follow me!”

This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Forgiveness Song

As the following song is sung, the art offerings are brought to the front. Candles are safely placed around them.

When I say I’m sorry
I know that You hear me
When I know I’m wrong
Your love will set me free

I’m sorry for not obeying
Sorry for sometimes straying
Sorry for things that make You sad

Liturgy of Ashing

Dear friends in Christ, let us ask our Father to bless these ashes which we will use as the mark of our repentance.

(Silent prayer)

Lord, bless the sinner who asks your forgiveness
and bless + all those who receive these ashes.
May they keep this Lenten season in preparation for the joy of Easter.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
Amen

The Ashes are sprinkled with Holy Water

Every person, beginning with the priests are offered to be ashed. They are then given a small prayer card. They are ashed with the words:

Remember you are dust and to dust you will return.
God loves you. God forgives you. God restores you through Jesus Christ

They are then given a small prayer card which says:

Remember you are dust and to dust you will return.
 God loves you. God forgives you. God restores you through Jesus Christ
Bickleigh Down Primary School, Ash Weds 2013

If anyone declines Ashing, they will be offered a prayer of blessing and a card. If they decline both, they will be offered a card.

Fr. Simon recaps on forgiveness and grace leads the Lord’s Prayer (Traditional Version) and teaches a very silly song on forgiveness:

You’re forgiven and you know it, so clap your hands
You’re forgiven and you know it, so clap your hands
You’re forgiven and you know, so you really ought to show it,
You’re forgiven and you know it, so clap your hands

Jesus loves you and you know it, so stamp your feet
Jesus loves you and you know it, so stamp your feet
Jesus loves you and you know it, so you really ought to show it
Jesus loves you and you know it, so stamp your feet

If you believe that God forgives you, say “We do” “We do”
If you believe that God forgives you, say “We do” “We do”
When you say that you are sorry, you no longer have to worry
God takes away your sin, so say “Amen”. Amen!

Simon Rundell (2011), Creative Ideas for Sacramental Worship with Children, Canterbury Press
Blessing

Christ give you grace to grow in holiness,
to deny yourselves, take up your cross, and follow him;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the +Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

Our service is ended. Go in the peace, love and forgiveness of Christ.
Thanks be to God.

Recessional Video

Matt Redman – Blesséd Be Your Name (source: Blesséd)

END

EDL – laugh against racism

Dealing with the English Defence League (those noxious racists who drape themselves in the flag of a long-dead Palestinian Saint who has no English connections whatsoever) by taking the Mick, the Euro Disco Lovers aim to reclaim those letters and shove the others down the Google rankings. In a small way, this link (and your click on it) will help that. Check them out!

This was our fave 70s classic. It’s about dancing right?

Embracing the unacceptable.

“There is someone that I love even though I don’t approve of what he does. There is someone I accept though some of his thoughts and actions revolt me. There is someone I forgive though he hurts the people I love the most. That person is……me.”

C.S Lewis

One

Is it getting better?
Or do you feel the same?
Will it make it easier on you now?
You got someone to blame
You say

One love
One life
When it’s one need
In the night
One love
We get to share it
Leaves you baby if you
Don’t care for it

Did I disappoint you?
Or leave a bad taste in your mouth?
You act like you never had love
And you want me to go without
Well it’s

Too late
Tonight
To drag the past out into the light
We’re one, but we’re not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other
One

Have you come here for forgiveness?
Have you come to raise the dead?
Have you come here to play Jesus?
To the lepers in your head

Did I ask too much?
More than a lot.
You gave me nothing,
Now it’s all I got
We’re one
But we’re not the same
Well we
Hurt each other
Then we do it again
You say
Love is a temple
Love a higher law
Love is a temple
Love the higher law
You ask me to enter
But then you make me crawl
And I can’t be holding on
To what you got
When all you got is hurt

One love
One blood
One life
You got to do what you should
One life
With each other
Sisters
Brothers
One life
But we’re not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other

One

One

 

We’re not the same. We have different views on so many things: sexuality, inclusiveness, the sacraments, the very nature of the Gospel that comes to redeem all humankind  But we get to carry each other. How dare you speak on my behalf and claim that your narrow and petty-mindedness is the “the view of the Church of England” when what you espouse is misogyny and homophobia. Out here where Christ is being made known, a million miles from your ivory towers and your narrow interpretations of Scripture, the Gospel looks and feels so very different: challenging, uncompromising, loving, radical and unapologetic. The Pharisees currently have the upper hand in the Church. I pray that whilst I hold tenure here, I have the inner strength to stand against the tide, and proclaim boldly the Gospel which screams to be heard: God is love. We carry each other. One life. After that, glory.