Fourth Week of the Month

Group examen
 
For what am I most grateful this week?
For what am I least grateful this week?
Where is God calling me and for what do I need to ask?
 
Honouring of sharing
 
Prayer, silence, clarification, request, accountability
 
Eucharist
 
Examine your motives, test your heart,
and come to this meal in holy awe.
 (1 Corinthians 11:28, The Message)
 
Pause for reflective self-examination
 
We come as pilgrims
from the journeys of the week,
each with our offering of joys and sorrows,
blessings and tiredness.
 
Readings from the lectionary
 
We come to this quiet center again,
recognizing Christ’s presence in each of us
who share this simple meal.
 
Lord, we gather around your table, and we remember.
We remember the loving meeting at the empty tomb;
Jesus, may our tears be turned to joy.
We remember the gracious overcoming of Thomas’s doubts;
Lord, help our unbelief.
We remember the joy of unexpected presence in locked rooms;
Jesus, may nothing keep us from your presence.
We remember the burning words on the Emmaus road;
Lord, may your words fire our hearts.
We remember the instant recognition in the breaking of the bread;
Lord, we affirm your presence in our midst.
We remember the restoration of the three-times betrayer by the sea;
Lord, heal our broken hearts in the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the wine.
 
As we partake of the bread and wine,
we do so with faith and hope in the coming Christ.
We serve each other as a sign of our commitment
to one another
and of our communion with all the saints.
 
We remember that Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took the bread, broke it (break the bread), gave it to his disciples (hold bread up) and said,
“Take and eat, this is my body given for you.”
In the same way he took the cup (hold up the cup) and said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for you.”
 
Let us give thanks for the bread and wine.
 
Prayer of thanks for the bread and wine
(Suggested prayer)
Jesus, we give you thanks for these gifts of broken bread and poured out wine, signs of your love and sacrifice for us. As we share this simple feast, may we be aware of the mystery of your loving, transforming presence in our midst.  Amen.
 
Words to share Eucharist
 
The body of Christ given for you.
The blood of Christ shed for you.
 
Silent reflection
 
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and forever.  Amen.
 
Offering
 
Share with the group or reflect in silence
 
A symbol of relationship.
 
What word, image or symbol can we bring that represents something we have discovered in relationship with God, ourselves or another.
 
Or
 
An offering of presence or attendance
 
To whom can we give the gift of our presence, or attention, this week?
 
As we constantly receive the gift of God as fully present to us, so we offer our intentional presence to another.
 
Offering prayer
 
Lord, you have held nothing back from us
but given us all things in the Son you love.
So we offer these tokens of our love to you
as a reminder to ourselves that all we have belongs to you
and as a sign to you of both our struggle and our longing
to be wholly yours.  Amen.
 
Lectio Divina or Colloquio Divina
 
Go in peace, the Lord is with you.
Go in peace, the Lord is within you.
Go in peace, for wherever you go,
the Lord is already there to greet you.
Go in peace, the Lord is with you.  Amen.