1: Come, let us gather round the table,
here in the upper room, as we remember
2: Come, bring your worries and woes
Your joys and your doubts
3: Bring your whole selves
Here to the table
4: Come, let us gather round the table, and share
A meal with friends.
P: Why are you here tonight?
(The congregation is invited to share their reflections)
Verse 1
Jesus loves me, this I know,
for the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong;
they are weak, but he is strong.
Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
5: The disciples brought many things to the table
6: Ignorance and fear
7: Jealousy and ambition
8: Doubt and faith
9: Loss and regret
10: Hope and dreams
11: Love and betrayal
P: What do you bring to this table?
(The congregation is invited to share something that weighs on you and/or something that lifts you up)
P: What do you bring to Christ table? (bread is brought to the table)
All: We bring bread, made by many people’s hands, in an unjust world, where some have plenty and most go hungry.
P: What do you bring to Christ table? (wine is brought to the table)
All: We bring wine, made by many people’s hands, in an unjust world, where some have leisure and some struggle to survive
12: What do you bring to Christ table?
All: We bring ourselves, all our doubts, all our fears
We bring all of our selves – our minds, our hearts, our souls, our bodies,
Struggling to live fully, to love unconditionally
Just as Jesus did.
13: And the table
will be wide.
And the welcome
will be wide.
14: And the arms
will open wide
to gather us in.
15: And our hearts
will open wide
to receive.
16: And we will come
as children who trust
there is enough.
17: And we will come
unhindered and free.
18: And our aching
will be met
with bread.
19: And our sorrow
will be met
with wine.
20: And we will open our hands
to the feast
without shame.
21: And we will turn
toward each other
without fear.
22: And we will give up
our appetite
for despair.
23: And we will taste
and know
of delight.
24: And we will become bread
for a hungering world.
25: And we will become drink
for those who thirst.
26: And the blessed
will become the blessing.
27: And everywhere
will be the feast.
28: Jesus on the night he was betrayed took bread
29: and when he had given thanks, broke it (bread is broken)
30: and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’
31: In the same way also, he took the cup, after giving thanks, he said, (wine is poured and the chalice is raised)
32: ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’
33: For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
P: We would now partake of the communion by intinction – that is dipping of the bread into the wine. Out of consideration for friends who may not partake alcohol, we are using grape juice in place of wine. We would pass the bread and the wine to our left, and offer it to the person next to us, saying “This the bread of life, and this is the cup of salvation.” After we have received communion, we would offer it to the next person.
Sibling let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant too
We are pilgrims on the journey
We are brothers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load
I will hold the Christ light for you
In the night time of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the peace you long to hear.
I will weep when you are weeping
When you laugh, I’ll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we’ve seen this journey through.
When we sing to God in heaven
We shall find such harmony
Born to all we’ve known together
Of Christ’s love and agony
Will you let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant too
34: The festive table glowed with candles,
Warding off the darkness lurking
In the corners of the upper room.
35: As soon as we found a place,
For once not quarrelling over who
Sat next to Jesus, he removed
His outer robe, wrapped a towel
Around himself, poured a basin
Full of water, and knelt at Peter’s feet!
36: “Lord,” he blurted, “you shall never
Wash my feet!” Jesus warned him:
“If you do not let me wash you,
You can have no share with me.”
37: Poor Peter begged, “Then wash my hands
and head as well.” But Jesus answered:
“Those who bathe need only have
Their feet washed.” We sat embarrassed
Listening to the water splash.
38:”Still on his knees, the Master looked
At us then. “You are clean,”
He added, “though not all of you.”
39: And so we let him wash our feet!
Afterwards, he questioned, “Do you understand what I have done?”
40:Our hopes of glory gone, we sat
In silence. He went on: “You call me
Lord and Teacher. You are right.
Tonight I, your Lord and Teacher,
Have set you an example: Do
For one another as I have done.”
41: The supper table glowed with candles
warding off the crouching darkness
As we – his chosen servant leaders –
Listened to our master Teacher
Nailing down his final lesson
On the night before he died.
[ FOOTWASHING ]
P: “And so we let him wash our feet!
Afterwards, he questioned, “Do you understand what I have done?”
Our hopes of glory gone, we sat
In silence. He went on: “You call me
Lord and Teacher. You are right.
Tonight I, you Lord and Teacher,
Have set you an example: Do
For one another as I have done.”
The supper table glowed with candles
warding off the crouching darkness
As we – his chosen servant leaders –
Listened to our master Teacher
Nailing down his final lesson
On the night before he died.”
