Translate

Friday, December 9, 2016

A New Liturgy Aid: Heart of Compassion International Faith Community, Windsor, Ontario, Canada by Rev. Dr. Barbara Billey, Priest ARCWP and Rev. Dr. Michele Birch-Conery, Bishop ARCWP

Sunday Liturgy and Celebration
Heart of Compassion
International Faith Community
All Are Welcome
Sunday Liturgy and Celebration   
CC – Co-celebrant       
                                  
Opening Prayer and Gathering In
Ringing of chimes
Celebrant 1:
Welcome and opening silence
Gathering Song or Chant

Celebrant 1: (make sign of the cross)
In the name of our Loving Creator, Source of all, and
of Jesus, Heart of Compassion, and
of Wisdom Holy Spirit.
Grace, love and peace are with us.
ALL: We give thanks and praise.
Celebrant 2: (orans hands)
Cosmic Christ, You who are with us and all of creation,
we gather to celebrate Your active presence, and to receive You


 Prayer of Healing and Reconciliation
Celebrant 1: (orans hands)
Divine Comforter, You heal and transform us. You long for us to be one with You, our brothers and sisters, and all of creation.  We take time now to reflect on ways we have separated from your love.
Celebrant 2:  If comfortable, please close your eyes. Beloved One, Your infinite love surrounds and enfolds us. Within the space of our hearts, we breathe in your love and breathe out Your love.
Now we reflect on our choices – any thoughts and actions that have separated us from Your love through harm we may have done to ourselves or another.
We take a few moments of silence and without judgment to be mindful of what is arising (pause).
Now we reflect on someone who has harmed us. In our hurt or anger, fear or sadness, we acknowledge our feeling of alienation.
We take a few moments of silence and without judgment to be mindful of what is arising (pause).
Holy Presence, we seek healing and reconciliation. Infill us with Your wisdom as we rest deeper into Your stillness (pause).
Celebrant 1: (orans hands)
Merciful Compassion, we know you forgive us even before we ask. We trust Your love in all we think and do. Your wide embrace holds us and all creation. Help us to be awake and aware, to love justly.
We ask this in Your Spirit, through the heart of Jesus, Cosmic Christ.
ALL: Amen. 
Song or Chant

Liturgy of the Word
Celebrant 1: Now for today’s reading(s).
Reading, Song, Chant or Dance followed by the Gospel Reading
Reader:  A Reading according to the Gospel of …
Homily or Homily Starter for Shared Homily                                            
Profession of Faith
(Celebrants in praying hands throughout the following prayers)
Celebrant 2: Together we pray our profession of faith
CC1: We believe in You God who is Divine Mystery present in all creation, in each moment, and in every breath.
ALL sing: We believe.
CC2: We believe in You Jesus who is God’s Word made flesh, healer and prophet for a new way of compassion and service to all.
ALL sing: We believe.
CC3: We believe in You Risen Christ who, filled with the Holy Spirit, promised the in-dwelling of this same Spirit in his disciples and in us.
ALL sing: We believe.
CC4: We believe Your kin-dom is here and now and that we are called to see it, receive it and to serve God’s way as prophets and mystics.
ALL sing: We believe.

Prayer of the Faithful
Celebrant 1: (orans hands)
We are the Body of Christ. From the sacred space within where You dwell, Mother/Father God, we offer our prayers for the highest good of all.
Our response: Holy One, we trust in Your mercy
(Celebrants in praying hands throughout the following prayers)
CC1: In thanksgiving for those we love, especially for those who have died. R
 CC2: For those of us who are suffering in body, mind, or spirit, and for those who care for them. R
CC3: For leaders, locally and globally, that they work for peace and the good of their people. R
CC4: For the poor, the outcast, the oppressed and the displaced. R
CC5: For victims of abuse, discrimination, greed and hatred. R
CC6: For the lonely, the forgotten and those who have no one to advocate or pray for them. R
CC7: I invite you to express your own particular intentions. We wait until all have shared before our response. R
Celebrant 2: For these and for all other petitions, too deep for words, we rest into a moment of silence (pause). R
Celebrant 1: (orans hands)
God of mercy and love, our essence is Your compassion – in thought, belief, word and deed. You are our source and guide, one with Jesus, the Cosmic Christ, and Spirit Holy, always and everywhere.

Liturgy of the Eucharistic
Preparation of the Gifts
(Celebrant 2 passes offertory basket and then brings bread and wine to table of worship)
Celebrants:
(slight elevation of plate with bread held by both Celebrants)

Blessed are You, Beloved Creator, through Your love we have this bread to offer, gift of the earth and created by our hands. It is food that nourishes our body and spirit, reminds us of You within and among us. 
ALL: Blessed are You, blessed are we, blessed is all.
Celebrants:
(slight elevation of cup with wine held by both Celebrants)
Blessed are you, Beloved Creator, through Your goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and created by our hands. It is our spiritual drink that reminds us of Your covenant of love with us.
ALL:  Blessed are You, blessed are we, blessed is all.
Celebrant 1: (both celebrants in orans hands)
Beloved One, we are united in this sacred meal by the love of Jesus Christ, in communion with Mary, Mother of Jesus, Mary of Magdalene and all the Saints. They and we are Your light in darkness.
ALL: We offer these gifts for our good and the good of all Your people.
Celebrant 2: (both celebrants in orans hands)
Beloved Creator, You reveal Yourself through Jesus Christ who shows us how to live compassion and love, to bring hope to all. Receive our gifts as we remember who we are in You.
ALL: Amen.

Prayers of the Eucharist
(Celebrants in orans hands throughout the following prayers)
Celebrant 1: 
Sacred Presence is one with us.
ALL: One with us.
Celebrant 2:
With gratitude, we lift up our hearts as we come to the table of Love.
ALL: We thank and praise You.
CC1: Thank You for Jesus who courageously lived Your vision, who set us free to be one with You. 
CC2: In the Spirit of the Risen Christ, we know our loving actions become a share in Your life. 
CC3: We join with the Saints of all times as they and we sing forever to your glory:   
ALL Sing:
We are holy, holy, holy. (X3)  We are whole.
Spirit Divine, come to us, feeling love, healing us.
Open our hearts, allow us to see, beauty and love that lives in us.
We are holy, holy, holy. (X3)  We are whole.

Invocation of the Holy Spirit
Celebrant 1: Please extend your hands toward and over the gifts.
ALL and Celebrants:
(Celebrant 1 places right hand over the bread and left hand in sideways orans)
(Celebrant 2 places left hand over the cup and right hand in sideways orans)
Loving Creator, intensify the presence of Your Spirit in these our gifts, as they, and we, become the Body and Blood of Jesus the Christ. 

In Remembrance
Celebrant 1: I invite you to set aside your worship aids and to repeat after us each sentence of the memorial meal.
(Celebrants in praying hands when not otherwise engaged)
Bread
Celebrant 2:   On the night before he died, Jesus was at supper with his friends.

Celebrant 1: (elevate the bread slightly above the plate)
He took the bread and spoke the blessing.
Celebrant 2: He broke the bread and offered it to them.
Celebrant 1: (elevate the bread higher)
Jesus said: Take and eat this is my body. (As people repeat sentence, move the bread left to right in a semi-circle)
(Elevate the bread higher as all bow)
(Celebrant 1 places bread on the plate and then bows) 
In Remembrance (continued)
(Celebrants in praying hands when not otherwise engaged)
Wine
Celebrant 2: (elevate the cup slightly)

When supper was ended, Jesus took the cup of wine.
Celebrant 1: He spoke the blessing and offered the cup to them.
Celebrant 2: (elevate the cup higher)
Jesus said: Take and drink of the covenant made new again in you.
Celebrant 1: Do this in memory of me.
(As people repeat this sentence, Celebrant 2 moves the cup left to right in a semi-circle)
(Celebrant 2 elevates the cup higher as all bow)
 (Celebrant 2 places cup on the table and then bows)

Eucharistic Acclamation
Celebrant 1: (orans hands)
Let us proclaim the mystery of faith.
All:  In every creature that has ever breathed, Christ has lived; in every living being that has passed on before us, Christ has died; in everything yet to be, Christ will come again (pause)
(Celebrants in praying hands throughout the following prayers)
CC 4: As we celebrate Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, we offer You, our Beloved the bread of life and the cup of hope, for the life of all creation.
CC5: We know that in receiving You we are gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.
CC6:  One with all creation, we remember those who have died (pause). We trust they have been received into Your light and love.
ALL: (Celebrant 1 simultaneously elevates the plate with bread as Celebrant 2 elevates the cup of wine)
Through Christ, with Christ and in Christ, now and forever.
ALL sing: Great Amen.

The Jesus Prayer
Celebrant 2:  Before we pray the Jesus Prayer, we begin by expressing our names for the Sacred.
(Celebrants in orans hands)
ALL: You who are with us and all of creation
holy is your truth
and generous is Your mercy.
May your Wisdom come,
your circle be one
uniting us within our difference.
Nurture our loving spirit
as Your vision evolves through us.
Heal and forgive us
as we heal and forgive one another.
Liberate our goodness
into Your fullness and joy.
For we are Your One Heart of Compassion,
now and forever. Amen.
The Sign of Peace
Celebrant 1: (orans hands)
Jesus said to his friends, “Peace I leave you. My peace I give you.”
ALL: Now we share our peace with one another.

Communion
Celebrant 1: While we break the bread please pray. (Celebrants break bread)
ALL: Loving Creator, we will live justly.
Loving Creator, we will love tenderly.
Loving Creator, we will walk with integrity.                                  
Celebrants: (orans hands)
Jesus Christ, You dwell in us. You liberate, heal and transform us and all of creation.  Blessed are You who provides food and drink for the journey.
ALL: (Celebrant 1 slightly elevates one piece of bread)
We are one Body of Christ, worthy to receive You and ready to be healed by You. We desire to become what we eat.
Celebrants: (Celebrant 1 elevates the bread and plate at the same time as Celebrant 2 elevates the cup; both sweep arms outward in a semi-circle then return arms inward, placing elements on table.)
The gifts of God for the people of God.
ALL: Thank You, our God.
Celebrant 1: As we pass the bread, please say “Jesus, Bread of Life” and as you receive, please respond, “Amen”. Once everyone has received we will eat together.
(When everyone has their bread) Jesus, Bread of Life. Amen
Celebrant 2: (pause as all eat bread) As we pass the cup, please say “Jesus, Cup of Hope” and respond, “Amen”.
Join in Song or Chant (Once all have received communion, Celebrant 2 or other designate clears the table of worship)
(Period of silence)

Prayer after Communion
Celebrant 1:  (orans hands)
Gracious Mystery, continue to be with us this and everyday as we follow in Your way, Your truth and Your life.
Final Blessing
Celebrant 2:  Please extend your hands in mutual blessing.
(Celebrants extend hands, palms facing downward)
We go in the peace of Christ. 
ALL: In gratitude we came …
In gratitude we celebrated …
In gratitude we are one in Christ.
Closing Song, Chant or Dance

Kindly return this worship aid for
our use at each liturgy.

Dec 2016

Heart of Compassion Faith Community

Rev. Dr. Barbara Billey, Priest
Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Rev. Dr. Jeni Marcus, Priest
Bloomfield Township, Michigan, U.S.A.

Karen Kerrigan, Candidate
Westland, Michigan, U.S.A.

Rev. Dr. Michele Birch-Conery, Bishop
Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Rev. Dr. Sydney Condray, Deacon
Toledo, Ohio, U.S.A.

Rev. Tish Rawles, Priest
Cincinatti, Ohio, U.S.A.

 Art Work by Marion Honors csj
Photography by RoK 
-->

No comments: