Set Up: In preparation for celebrating this service at home you may wish to gather the following:
One or more rocks (a small or medium sized landscaping rock is perfect!)
A bowl of water
One or more candles to light during the prayers
GATHERING Gathering Song-Welcome Everyone to the Love of God
Come let us worship (come let us worship). Come let us worship (come let us worship). Welcome everyone (welcome everyone) to the love of God (to the love of God.)
Food for the hungry Rest for the weary Hope for the children Light in our darkness etc.
Welcome everyone, to the love of God, in the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. Penitential Rite (Rocks and Water)
As we come to worship, we carry with us the weight of many things: the weight of worries and regrets, of things done, and things undone. Take a stone in your hands, and kneel down as you’re able. Get as still and quiet as you possible can. Notice the heaviness of the stone in your hands. Notice if there is heaviness in your soul.
Short Silence
Now, as we sing this next song, set down your stone and ask God to lift any weight from your Spirit. Then gently touch the water, remember your baptism, and ask God to cleanse and refresh your soul. Song: Thuma Mina
Hear us Jesus, Help us Jesus, Wash us Jesus, Heal us Jesus, Thank you Jesus etc.
STORYTELLING God carries our burdens. God refreshes our souls. And God opens our ears, and minds, and hearts, to hear the Good News in the Word of God.
Listening Song- Listen to the Word that God has spoken
Listen to the word that God has spoken Listen to the One who is close at hand Listen to the Voice behind creation Listen even if you don't understand
Gospel Story (Share a Story of God's Good News from the Bible, Godly Play, or a Story Book) PRAYERS
Prayers of the people (with Candles)
God speaks to us, in stories from the bible and God listens to us. God hears our prayers. Who and what do you want us to pray for today? As we pray, I invite you to light a candle, and hold all our prayers in the light of God's love. As we pray, we’ll sing together: Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy) Christe Eleison (Christ have mercy.)
God fills us with peace so that we can share that peace with one another and with the whole world. As we sing the next song, I invite you to open your hands in this ancient "orans" position and send God's blessing of peace to fill up the people around you, then to spread out and fill up the whole world. The Peace of the Lord be with you always.
Peace Song--Shalom My Friend
Shalom my friends, shalom my friends, shalom, shalom.
Now gather up the peace we shared with each other, rub it between your hands until it grows warm. Then bring those warm hands to your head...letting God's peace fill your thought and your mind; to your heart...letting God's peace fill your heart; to your legs...letting God's peace fill your whole body. Breathe in peace. Breathe out peace. Rub your hands together one more time, then bring your hands to gently cover your eyes. Behold the dark. Now, on the count of three open your arms and eyes-1, 2, 3--and behold the light!
The Eucharist
"Behold!" means "Look! See! Notice! Pay Attention!"
We usually celebrate the Eucharist by eating the bread and drinking the wine together at church. But people haven't always been able to eat the bread and drink the wine at church. In the olden days, sometimes people celebrated the Eucharist with their eyes instead of their mouths! There's even a fancy word for when people celebrate the Eucharist with their eyes instead of their mouths...by watching rather than eating--it's called "ocular communion."
Today we'll bless the bread and wine together with a song, then we'll share communion together--just with our eyes instead of our mouths!
As we sing and pray to bless the bread and wine, we'll remind each other to "Behold!" To look, pay attention, and notice the real presence of the living God right before our very eyes!.
I'll sing Behold! Then you'll sing Behold! Then together we'll sing "We see, we remember, Holy, Holy, Holy Hosanna!"
You can help keep the rhythm with a heartbeat on your chest.
(Refrain) Behold! Behold!We see!We remember! Holy! Holy! Holy! Hosanna! *** May God be with you-May God be with you May God open our hearts-May God open our hearts May our offering of thanks to God be whole and true.- May our offering of thanks to God be whole and true. (Refrain) Behold! Behold!We see!We remember! Holy! Holy! Holy! Hosanna! Beautiful mystery, we bow before you Hearts and hands open we arise in awe. You called forth Creation, earth, fire, wind, and water. And all earth’s children to share in Her care. And so we join in the Song of Creation Ringing above, and below, and within (Refrain) Behold! Behold!We see!We remember! Holy! Holy! Holy! Hosanna! You came to walk with us, a child of the earth Holy Spirit, Human Flesh in Mother’s arms You learned and you followed; you taught and you led You healed, you became, living water, bread of life You called us to look; But we would not see. Holy Spirit, Human Flesh, on the cross, in the grave. (Refrain) Behold! Behold!We see!We remember! Holy! Holy! Holy! Hosanna! The night before your death, you shared in a feast Taking bread you gave thanks, and you broke it to share: This is my body, take it and eat Whenever you do this, remember me (Refrain) Behold! Behold!We see!We remember! Holy! Holy! Holy! Hosanna! After the feast, you raised up the cup Giving thanks, you shared it with all and said: This is my blood, the sign of the promise Poured out for all; my lifeblood is yours Drink of this cup, poured out for you, Whenever you do this, remember me. (Refrain) Behold! Behold!We see!We remember! Holy! Holy! Holy! Hosanna! You descended to the dead. God raised you to new Life. You are here and we look to see you come again. (Refrain) Behold! Behold!We see!We remember! Holy! Holy! Holy! Hosanna! This Body is yours; This Blood is yours Yours the Creation, and we are yours May we know your Spirit in this Bread & Cup May we know your Spirit now alive in us (Refrain) Behold! Behold!We see!We remember! Holy! Holy! Holy! Hosanna! We join together with all earth’s children North, South, East, and West; Above and Below We join with Creation: earth, fire, wind, and water With all Saints and Angels as they sing your praise. (Refrain) Behold! Behold!We see!We remember! Holy! Holy! Holy! Hosanna! Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread Behold the Gifts of God, for the People of God. The Body of Christ, the Bread of Heaven. The Blood of Christ, the Cup of Salvation.
Behold the Body of Christ, the life of the World. Receive the Body of Christ, the life of the World. Become the Body of Christ, the life of the world. Amen.
The Dismissal God has filled our hearts with Good News, and Peace. We have seen the Bread of Life with our own two eyes! Now it's time for us to say goodbye and continue with the work of our day. But before we go, we'll sing one more song. Sending Song: Go now in Peace
Go now in peace, go now in peace may the love of God surround you everywhere, everywhere, you may go.