Meeting with Jesus

(Text)

Welcome and Introduction

Notices:

- Spring Harvest meeting

Today is a bit of an experiment, and we'd like to know what you think of it.

As you know we've been having services in the hall for about a year now, ...and asking people for their reactions. One of the thinks that some people have asked for, is to have an informal communion service here in the hall. And so, that's what we're going to do today.

Most of the service will be exactly the same as what you're used to, ...but at the end of the service, those who want to can come to the front wither to receive the bread and wine, or to receive a blessing. I'll say more about that nearer the time, ...and if you'd rather stay just where you are at that point, that'll be absolutely fine.

As with most things we try, hopefully some people will like it, but maybe others won't. But it will be helpful if you could let us know what you think.

CM Song: 689 Thine be the glory

CM Prayer then Confession

GP God's word of forgiveness

CM Collect

Why have you come here this morning?

I don't want anyone to tell me, I just want you to think about it for yourself. Why have you come here this morning?

Have you come to church?

I would say 'definitely yes', (even though we're meeting in the hall). ...The church is "YOU, ...the people", not the building we meet in.

But services like this can be quite challenging for some people, as to what we mean by 'church'.

I wonder what the first disciples thought 'church' was all about, ...I hope it wasn't anything like this.

GP Sketch: "The First Church"

GP Introduce readings

As Peter said in that sketch, "The most important thing about church is Jesus. Learning how to love him, and learning how to live for him".

When I asked you, "Why have you come here this morning?", I hope that your answer might have been along the lines of:

"I've come here to worship God"

"I've come here to meet with Jesus, ...or to meet with God."

But how exactly do we do that?

Well during the service we are going to think about three different ways in which we can meet with God.

...And there's a clue to one of those ways in the Bible reading that Sandra is going to read for us.

Sandra Reading: 1Kings 19. 9-15

As Sandra read at the beginning of that reading, "The Word of the Lord came to Elijah". Elijah heard God speaking to him, and those words were written down for the benefit of countless generations, including us.

One of the ways that we meet with God today is through his written Word, ...the Bible.

(OHP).

Christians believe that the Bible is no ordinary book, ...but a book that has been inspired by God. It records how God has acted in the past, and the things that he said in the past, ...but it's not just a history book. Through the Bible God is able to speak with us today.

In a few minutes Chris is going to read our Gospel reading, and at that point it's normal for Christians to stand. ...That's because, as we listen to the words of Jesus, we recognise that he is speaking to us, just as much as he was speaking to his first disciples, ...and so we stand to pay special attention.

But before that we're going to sing our next song. It's the first time that we've sung it here at St. Barts, and it will be new to many of you.

Please remain seated as I play the first verse, and chorus, ...but try to follow the words on the screen.

(OHP - play first verse and chorus)

I've chosen this song for two reasons.

First, because it reminds us that just as God spoke to Elijah, so he can speak to us through his Word in the Bible.

Second, because the chorus reminds us that one day Jesus will return to Earth. When Jesus ascended into heaven, (which we celebrate this coming Thursday), he disappeared into the clouds, ...and angels said, "He has been taken into heaven, but one day he will return in the same way".

And then we will meet him face to face.

GP Song: Days of Elijah

CM Gospel: Luke 22.14-20

GP Talk

We meet with Jesus through his WORD.

A second way in which we meet with Jesus is through EACH OTHER.

(OHP)

St Paul says to a group of Christians, "You are the body of Christ, and each one of you has a part in it."

We together are the body of Christ.

Some are old, others are young;

some like one style of worship, others like another;

some are gifted with working with people, others are gifted in administration;

we are all different in many ways;

but together we are the body of Christ.

And so, there's a sense that we can meet with God through each other.

That's partly what lies behind 'the peace'.

For those of you who've not been to a communion service before, the peace is a part of the service when we shake the hand of the person next to us, and say "Peace be with you".

It's a way of recognising that if we are Christians, we all belong to each other, and that we all need each other.

And there's a third way that we can meet with Jesus, through the BREAD and WINE.

(OHP)

Just as when we listen to the Gospel, we believe that Jesus is speaking to us today, ...so as we eat the bread and drink the wine, we remember those words of Jesus, "This is my Body given for you, ...this is my Blood shed for you; do this in remembrance of me." ...and we believe that we meet with Jesus in a very special way.

It is the tradition of the Church of England that only people who have been confirmed, should receive the bread and wine.

The reason for that is because, is because we think that it's important that people be properly prepared for communion, so that they better understand what they are doing. Last year about 26 people were confirmed here at St. Barts, (ranging in ages from teenagers to over sixty).

If you might be interested in being confirmed, please have a word with me afterwards and I'll be pleased to explain what's involved.

We've come to church to meet with Jesus and to worship him, ...and we do that in three different ways through this service.

- through listening to his WORD, (the Bible);

- through meeting with one another, (the Body of Christ);

- through remembering his death on the cross through Holy Communion.

I pray that we may all know his presence with us here this morning. Amen.

CM Affirmation of faith

CM Prayers

CM Prayer of humble access

GP Peace

Song: 381 Jesus stand among us

GP Eucharistic Prayer

Invitation to receive communion or a blessing

(during which time the Junior Choir sing,

and tape music is then played)

GP Song: 572 Rejoice, Rejoice!

GP Blessing and dismissal