St Luke’s Church Fontainebleau

Agape Feast

10:30 Paris, (via ZOOM) Sunday, 14 June 2020

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

(As we gather for worship, please light your candle)

Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. All: AMEN. Leader: Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you. All: AND ALSO WITH YOU. (Please ‘mute’ your device now)

Hymn: LOVE DIVINE, ALL LOVES EXCELLING

1) Love divine, all loves excelling, 2) Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit Joy of heaven to earth come down! Into every troubled breast! Fix in us Thy humble dwelling, Let us all in Thee inherit, All Thy faithful mercies crown. Let us find Thy promised rest. Jesus, Thou art all compassion, Take away the love of sinning; Pure unbounded love Thou art; Alpha and Omega be; Visit us with Thy salvation, End of faith, as its beginning, Enter every trembling heart. Set our hearts at liberty.

3) Come, Almighty to deliver, 4) Finish then Thy new creation, Let us all Thy life receive; Pure and spotless let us be; Graciously return, and never, Let us see Thy great salvation Never more Thy temples leave. Perfectly restored in Thee! Thee we would be always blessing, Changed from glory unto glory, Serve Thee as Thy hosts above, Till in heaven we take our place; Pray, and praise Thee without ceasing, Till we cast our crowns before Thee, Glory in Thy precious love. Lost in wonder, love and praise.

OPENING RESPONSES

Leader: Out of darkness came light;

All: and the power of God was revealed

Leader: In the running wave and the flowing air

Page 1/6 All: in the quiet earth and the shining stars.

Leader: Out of the dust came life;

All: and the image of God was revealed

Leader: in the human face and the gentle heart

All: in the warmth of flesh and the depth of soul.

Leader: Out of justice came freedom;

All: and the wisdom of God was revealed

Leader: in the need to grow and the will to love,

All: in the chance to know and the power to choose.

Leader: And God looked at the creation,

All: and behold, it was very good.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Leader: Salt is good, but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it?

Giving God, you blessed us with saltiness,

All: But we become bland.

Leader: You gave us your living Word,

All: But we did not keep it.

Leader: You gave us a world to live in, and others to love,

All: But we neglect them.

Leader: You give us all that we need,

All: But we forget to thank you.

Leader: God, in your mercy:

All: Forgive us.

(Silence)

Page 2/6 Leader: Forgiving God, we believe that you have called us.

All: To be salt and light.

Leader: that you offer us time and space and strength.

All: To begin again.

(Silence)

Leader: Giving and forgiving God,

All: We thank you.

Leader: May we be salt and light again, and be at peace with one another.

Hymn: LET THERE BE LOVE

Let There Be Love Shared Among Us, Let there be love in our eyes; May now Your love sweep this nation, Cause us, O Lord, to arise. Give us a fresh understanding Of brotherly love that is real; Let there be love shared among us, Let there be love.

READING: Colossians 3 : 12-17

12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, hu- mility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord* has forgiven you, so you also forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ* dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing , hymns, and spiritual songs to God.* 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

READING: John 19 : 25b-27

25 Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the dis- ciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ 27 Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

Page 3/6 REFLECTION

INTERCESSIONS & THANKSGIVINGS

Leader: God of love,

All: Hear our prayer

THE PEACE

Leader: May the God of peace make you perfect and holy, that you may be kept safe and blameless in spirit, soul and body, for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Leader: The peace of the Lord be with you all.

All: And also with you.

(We share the peace of Christ with each other using British Sign language – make sure your hands can be seen!)

INTRODUCTION TO THE

Leader: Taste and see that God is gracious;

All: Blessed is the one who trusts in Him.

Leader: As we tear and share this bread, and these drink,

All: We thank you, God, for our daily bread

Leader: For the food which delights and nourishes us

All: For companionship, in all forms, that sustains us.

Leader: And for your living water which transforms our lives.

All: Amen.

(as music plays, enjoy your bread and drink. Take time to really taste it and enjoy it)

PRAYER AFTER AGAPE

Leader: With gratefulness to each other for all that we have shared,

All: and thankfulness to God and all the people who have brought this good food to us, we begin to look outwards and ahead to our lives beyond this week and this place.

Page 4/6 Leader: So let us pray as Jesus taught us:

All: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

CLOSING RESPONSES

Leader: O God of life, of all life and of each life,

All: We lay our lives before you;

Leader: We give our lives to you.

All: From whom nothing in us is hidden.

Leader: You are before us, God, you are behind.

All: You are around us, God, you are within.

Leader: O God of life, O generous Spirit,

All: Renew us with your life today, tomorrow and always. Amen

Hymn: MAKE ME A CHANNEL OF YOUR PEACE .

1) Make Me a Channel of Your Peace 2) Make me a channel of Your peace. Where there is hatred let me bring Your love; Where there’s despair in life let me bring Where there is injury, Your pardon, Lord; hope; And where there’s doubt, true faith in You. Where there is darkness, let me bring your light; Oh, Master, grant that I may never seek And where there’s sadness, bring your joy. So much to be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand; 3) Make me a channel of Your peace. To be loved as to love with all my soul. For when we give we will ourselves receive, It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, And in dying that we gain eternal life.

THE BLESSING

Leader: Giving God, bless all who have gathered to share in this food today, and all who feel alone. May we know the fullness of your presence at every meal and in all our

Page 5/6 sharing, and may we be welcomed with all your saints to the heavenly feast on the day of your kingdom.

Leader: God to enfold us,

All: God to surround us;

Leader: God in our speaking,

All: God in our thinking;

Leader: God in our life,

All: God on our lips;

Leader: God in our souls,

All: God in our hearts.

Leader: And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. All:

All: Amen.

Please ‘un-mute’ your device now

THE

Leader: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

ALL: IN THE NAME OF CHRIST. AMEN.

Based on an Agape service in the Iona Abbey Worship Book © 2001 Wild Goose Publications Iona Community

Coffee & Fellowship:

You are invited to stay for a time of “coffee” & fellowship. Thank you for joining St Luke’s today and we look forward to seeing you again soon. Service led by Reverend Canon John Smith

 For more information about our church family, current studies, events, or simply how to get involved, please contact us at  Email: [email protected]  https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/19620/  https://saintlukesfontainebleau.org  https://www.facebook.com/saintlukesfontainebleau/

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