We prepare to worship God saying:
Praise God who loves us
All: Praise God who cares
[We light the candle]
We light this candle to remind us that the love of God is like a light in our darkness.
All: Blessed be God forever
We praise you, our God, for all mothers who have loved and laughed and laboured as they cared for their children.
All: Blessed be God forever
We praise you, our God, for all mothers who have wept in sorrow and joy for their children.
All: Blessed be God forever
We praise you, our God, for Jesus, born of a woman and nurtured in her love, and for Mary, a reminder of your patient, waiting love.
All: Blessed be God forever
Our Confession
You love gives us life from the moment of conception.
We fail to live as your children
Lord have mercy
All: Lord have mercy
You call us to do good and we seek our own good.
Christ have mercy
All: Christ have mercy
You hear us when we call for help.
We ignore the cries of others
All: Lord have mercy
All: Father forgive us our selfishness, ignorance and lack of love.
Help us to turn back to you.
The Absolution
The Collect: Mothering Sunday
God of compassion,
whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary,
shared the life of a home in Nazareth,
and on the cross drew the whole human family to himself:
strengthen us in our daily living
that in joy and in sorrow
we may know the power of your presence
to bind together and to heal;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
The readings from Scripture:
Exodus 2:1-10 and Colossians 3:12-17
This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
The Gospel
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John
Glory to you, O Lord
This is the Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, O Christ
The sermon
Our Affirmation of Faith:
We believe in God the Father, from whom every family
in heaven and on earth is named.
We believe in God the Son,
who lives in our hearts through faith,
and fills us with his love.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
who strengthens us with power from on high.
We believe in one God;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen
Prayers of Intercession:
Lord, in your mercy – Hear our prayer
Merciful Father,
Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen
The Peace:
Through the prophet Isaiah, God says,
“As a mother comforts her children, so will I comfort you”
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
Let us share the Lord’s peace with one another
Eucharistic Prayer G: Responses
The Lord is here: HIS SPIRIT IS WITH US
Lift up your hearts: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE
… You give us breath and speech, that with angels and archangels and all the power of heaven we may find a voice to sing your praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God or 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.
Great is the mystery of faith
Christ has died:
Christ is risen:
Christ will come again
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father…..
Breaking the Bread
Every time we eat this bread and drink this cup
WE PROCLAIM THE LORD’S DEATH UNTIL HE COMES
Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those who are called to his supper
LORD, I AM NOT WORTHY TO RECEIVE YOU, BUT ONLY SAY THE WORD AND I SHALL BE HEALED
WE DO NOT PRESUME
TO COME TO THIS YOUR TABLE, MERCIFUL LORD,
TRUSTING IN OUR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS,
BUT IN YOUR MANIFOLD AND GREAT MERCIES.
WE ARE NOT WORTHY SO MUCH AS TO GATHER UP THE CRUMBS UNDER YOUR TABLE.
BUT YOU ARE THE SAME LORD WHOSE NATURE IS ALWAYS TO HAVE MERCY.
GRANT US THEREFORE, GRACIOUS LORD, SO TO EAT THE FLESH OF YOUR DEAR SON JESUS CHRIST AND TO DRINK HIS BLOOD,
THAT OUR SINFUL BODIES MAY BE MADE CLEAN BY HIS BODY
AND OUR SOULS WASHED THROUGH HIS MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD,
AND THAT WE MAY EVERMORE DWELL IN HIM, AND HE IN US.
AMEN.
Prayer after Communion:
FATHER OF ALL, WE GIVE YOU THANKS AND PRAISE,
THAT WHEN WE WERE STILL FAR OFF YOU MET US IN YOUR SON AND BROUGHT US HOME.
DYING AND LIVING, HE DECLARED YOUR LOVE, GAVE US GRACE, AND OPENED THE GATE OF GLORY.
MAY WE WHO SHARE CHRIST’S BODY LIVE HIS RISEN LIFE;
WE WHO DRINK HIS CUP BRING LIFE TO OTHERS;
WE WHOM THE SPIRIT LIGHTS GIVE LIGHT TO THE WORLD.
KEEP US FIRM IN THE HOPE YOU HAVE SET BEFORE US,
SO WE AND ALL YOUR CHILDREN SHALL BE FREE,
AND THE WHOLE EARTH LIVE TO PRAISE YOUR NAME;
THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD.
AMEN.
Blessing and Dismissal