The Word of God

Opening Hymn: I come with joy to meet my Lord

I come with joy to meet my Lord, forgiven, loved and free, in awe and wonder to recall his life laid down for me.

I come with Christians far and near to find, as all are fed, the new community of love in Christ’s communion bread.

As Christ breaks bread and bids us share, each proud division ends. The love that made us makes us one, and strangers now are friends.

Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.

The Collect of the Day A Reading from Exodus

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance. Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people. Thanks be to God.

Psalm 116:1, 10-17, responsively by half-verse

I love the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplication, * because he has inclined his ear to me whenever I called upon him. How shall I repay the Lord * for all the good things he has done for me? I will lift up the cup of salvation * and call upon the Name of the Lord.

I will fulfill my vows to the Lord * in the presence of all his people.

Precious in the sight of the Lord * is the death of his servants.

O Lord, I am your servant; * I am your servant and the child of your handmaid; you have freed me from my bonds.

I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving * and call upon the Name of the Lord.

I will fulfill my vows to the Lord * in the presence of all his people,

In the courts of the Lord’s house, * in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.

A Reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians

I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people. Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation: Eat this bread (Taizé)

Eat this bread, drink this cup, come to me and never be hungry. Eat this bread, drink this cup, trust in me and you will not thirst.

The Holy Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ according to John.

Glory to you, O Christ.

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord–and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also

ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

“Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and where I am going, you cannot come. I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The Sermon                                                                    The Rev. Lisa Green

A period of silence follows the sermon.

The Prayers of the People

After each petition: Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

The Confession of Sin and Absolution

God of all mercy, we confess that we have sinned against you, opposing your will in our lives.  We have denied your goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the world you have created. We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf. Forgive, restore, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love and serve only your will. Amen.

The Peace and Announcements

Offertory Hymn Let us be bread

Refrain: Let us be bread, blessed by the Lord, broken and shared, life for the world. Let us be wine, love freely poured. Let us be one in the Lord.

The Holy Communion Eucharistic Prayer 1, Prayers for An Inclusive Church

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 God thanks and praise.

Eucharistic prayer continues . . . we take up the song of your praise: 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 continues . . . Great is the mystery of faith

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

Therefore, in our eating and drinking, we are filled with the life-giving presence of Christ; we proclaim him as creation’s host, transforming poverty into plenty in the reckless generosity of love. Inspire us with the hope that one day death and greed will be no more and people without number will come from east and west, north and south to share the kingdom meal. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom and with whom and in whom in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory be yours, Loving Creator, for ever and ever.

AMEN.

The Lord’s Prayer

The Breaking of the Bread

We break this bread to share in the Body of Christ.

We who are many are one body, for we all share in the one bread.

At Communion In Remembrance of Me              Geneva Perry, solo Let us pray.

Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Chant (solo) Now my tongue the mystery telling

The Stripping of the Altar (silence) The Watch

Stay with me (Taizé)

Stay with me, remain here with me, watch and pray, watch and pray. A Reading from the Gospel of Matthew

Stay with us, O Lord Jesus Christ (Taizé)

Stay with us, O Lord Jesus Christ, night will soon fall.

Then stay with us, O Lord Jesus Christ, light in our darkness.

Silent prayer. The people depart in silence.