Breaking down the walls 6 July 2003

Leader: Grace to you and peace from God our Creator the love at our beginning and without end, in our midst and with us.

Leader: Let us give thanks for the coming of God's commonwealth of justice and love.

All: Jesus Christ is good news for the poor, release for the captives, recovery of sight for the blind and liberty for those who are oppressed.

	Draw the circle wide. Draw it wider still. Let this be our song, No one stands alone, standing side by side draw the circle wide.
1 God the stillpoint of the circle, Round whom all creation turns; Nothing lost, but held forever, In God's gracious arms.		2 Let our hearts touch far horizons, So encompass great and small; Let our loving know no borders, Faithful to God's call.
	3 Let the dreams we dream be larger, Than we've ever dreamed before; Let the dream of Christ be in us, Open every door.

All: Loving and all-seeing God, forgive us where we have failed to support one another and to be what we claim to be. Forgive us where we have failed to serve you; and where our thoughts and actions have been contrary to yours, we ask your pardon.

Leader: Rejoice and be glad, for Christ is resurrection, reconciliation for the human race

All: We shall all be one in Christ, one in our life together. Praise to God who has created us, Praise to God who has accepted us, Praise to God who sends us into the world.

Leader: We gather together, as people have gathered together since the beginning of time, to share a meal. There is nothing special about eating, but in gathering around food we follow the traditions set out in the Hebrew and Greek scriptures, and over and over again in history. Blessed be Christ the bringer of peace.

Leader: We gather together, as people have always done. There is much that is special about eating together. This is the time when we share our hopes, our cares, our little and great ideas, when we give something of ourselves to those who cat with us. This is the time when arguments happen, and reconciliations as well. Blessed be Christ the bringer of peace.

Leader: We gather together now for a special reason. Christ gathered with his friends on the night before he died, knowing that he followed a tradition, knowing that he would share his great hope and his great sorrow. He knew that arguments and dissension were coming and that his death would bring reconciliation. Christ ate with his friends. Blessed be Christ the bringer of peace.

Leader: On that night, he took bread, blessed and broke it. He gave it to his friends and said "Take and eat this bread. It is my body and it is broken for you. Eat it to remember me."
After they had eaten, he took a cup and blessed it. He gave it to his friends and said "Drink from this, all of you. It is my blood, the blood of the new covenant. Do this to remember me."
As Christ our teacher commands us, this is what we do.

Leader: Bread and wine are the gifts of God for the people of God: pass this nourishment on.

Communion:During which the choir will sing the Benedictus of the Schubert Mass.

Prayer to the Eternal Spirit
Eternal Spirit,
Life-Giver, Pain-Bearer, Love-Maker,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and for ever.
AMEN

1 In the name of Christ we gatherin the name of Christ we sing celebrate our vows of our life's whole offering. commonwealth of Christ to share Be there faithfulness in loving be there courage for this road.	2 Sons and daughters of the Spirit we are called to teach and care our promise called as were the first disciples by the bread and wine and water sacraments of grace declare.
3 Word of joy, enlivening Spirit, more than lover, parent, friend, born in Jesus, born in our lives help us make that love extend, grow within your chosen servants, life of God that has no end.

All: What has been done has been done; what has not been done has not been done; let it be.

All: Let our fears of the darkness of the world and in our own lives rest in you.

All: Let the quietness of your peace enfold us, all those dear to us, and all who have no peace.