November 2021 Network Gathering

Greeting

The Lord’s Supper

The Table

Passover: celebration of deliverance from death and slavery.

Jesus with his disciples: I want to eat this meal with you before I suffer.

Understand my sacrifice (I am the lamb) in the depth of meaning of this meal - there is coming a deliverance from a deeper slavery of all humanity to the power of sin and death.

I will soon confront and defeat the powers that hurt, destroy, kill (resurrection)

Paul - this meal is communion, fellowship, participation in the risen Christ.

TODAY

Jesus is hosting us. He is communing with us with his presence.

Through this meal, Christ makes us participants in his nature and character.

His presence feeds us.

It is food for this life; kingdom life.

It is a taste of what is to come.

Because the Lord himself communes with us in this bread and wine, we too are to commune with one another (Acts 2:42–46; 1 Cor 10:17; 11:17–34).

SLIDE: Jesus too bread, GAVE THANKS, and BROKE IT, and GAVE it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you.

SLIDE: When our prayers seem unanswered and silence surrounds us, then be present with us Spirit of truth.

For you never will leave us, and never forsake us;

You promise to see us through.

For to you all our hearts are laid open, so we come as we are when we sing.

From you no secrets are hidden, so in worship, we'll bring you everything.

Singing

Communion

Prayer

SLIDE: We thank you, Father for your son, Jesus who knows us and you made possible for us to know.

You created all things for your purposes giving us all we need for life together as your people and we thank you.

Responsively

SLIDE:

The Lord is here.

His Spirit is with us.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

When we went our own way you did not reject us but came to meet us in your Son.

You embraced us as your children and welcomed us to sit and eat with you.

In Christ you shared our life that we might live in him and he in us.

He opened his arms of love on the cross, sacrificing himself to erase sin that keeps us distant from the Father.

Bread

Jack: Last Supper Bread

On the night he was betrayed, at supper with his friends he took bread, and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to them, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.

SLIDE: All: Father, we do this in remembrance of him: his body is the bread of life.

Eat bread

Cup

Jack: At the end of supper, taking the cup of wine, he gave you thanks, and said: Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins; do this in remembrance of me.

SLIDE: All: Father, we do this in remembrance of him: his blood is shed for all.

Drink cup

Close

SLIDE: All: As we eat and drink, make us one in Christ, our risen Lord. Amen.

HC Leader Commissioning

Introductions, Calling Stories, Questions

You were called to be with Jesus on his mission, to make disciples who make disciples. You are charged to represent the Kingdom of God and its gospel with gentleness and insight as the Spirit guides you.

Do you promise, by the grace of God, to give yourselves to this calling with diligence, energy, and love, and to be guided by the Spirit and the Word of God?

We do, by the grace of God.

Prayer

Group Sharing

Song

Sending