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Service of
Rededication
The United Reformed Church is a united and a
uniting church, seeking wherever possible to fulfil the wish of our Lord
as expressed in the great High Priestly Prayer in John 17:20-21 -
“I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on
behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may
all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they
also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
And so it is set out in our Basis of Union:
(7)
The United Reformed Church humbly recognises that the failure and
weakness of the Church have in particular been manifested in division
which has made it impossible for Christians fully to know, experience
and communicate the life of the one, holy, catholic, apostolic Church.
(8)
The United Reformed Church has been formed in obedience to the call to
repent of what has been amiss in the past and to be reconciled. It
sees its formation and growth as part of what God is doing to make his
people one, and as a united church will take, wherever possible and with
all speed, further steps towards the unity of all God’s people.
In that sense the following material, whether used
as a whole or in part, is offered for the people of the United Reformed
Church to join together in rededicating themselves each year to the call
to repent of what has been amiss in the Church, through the ages
and in our present day, to be reconciled, and to take further
steps towards the unity of all God’s people. It is to be
remembered that this is not unity for its own sake (neither human
solidarity nor institutional union), but a unity of all God’s people
which is intended to challenge the world, the ‘Church is to be the
vehicle for the life of God to be lived in the world.’( John
Marsh: Saint John ,Pelican New Testament Commentaries)
If the Rededication is in the context of a
celebration of Holy Communion the preface for Pentecost should be used
with the Thanksgiving prayers in the Service Book
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1. Call
to Worship
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit.
Lord you have been our dwelling place
In all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
From everlasting to everlasting you are God.
2.
Hymn
3.
Introduction to the service.
(Or other similar words)
We are here to rededicate ourselves,
as members of the United Reformed Church,
to our calling to God’s purpose of making his people one
as God is one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
and to taking, wherever possible and with all speed,
further steps towards the unity of all God’s people.
4.
Prayers of Approach and Confession
Loving and faithful God,
we come into your presence rejoicing.
We come to sing your songs of praise;
we come to hear your words of power;
we come to share your all-enfolding love.
Be present among us
as we seek to commemorate our past
and dedicate ourselves to your future.
Called to be your people,
we pray in the name of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Our Lord Jesus Christ prayed that all who came to
believe in the Gospel might be one.
One in community and faith, one in witness and care.
As followers of Jesus we have failed time and again,
And so we make confession of those failures and seek God’s
forgiveness.
(Silence for reflection)
We have built up walls to divide the Body of
Christ
And ignored its unity.
We have sinned, God forgive us.
We have dwelt upon what separates us,
And not sought what makes us one in the Body of Christ.
We have sinned, God forgive us.
We have belittled each others gifts and traditions
We have sinned, God forgive us.
We have not loved you, Lord,
As we find you in our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We have sinned, God forgive us.
5.
Assurance of Pardon
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
that everyone who has faith in him may not perish
but have eternal life.
To all who repent and believe,
I declare in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit:
God grants you the forgiveness of your sins.
Thanks be to God.
(URCSB 1989)
6.
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God,
you promised through your Son
that you would remain with your Church forever.
We praise and thank you for those
who brought into being this United Reformed Church,
in answer to your Gospel call.
Increase in us the spirit of faith and love
that we may be worthy of our heritage,
and that our fellowship may be an example to all;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
7.
Hymn
8. First
Reading
Isaiah 11:1-9
9.
Psalm
Psalm 133
10.
Second Reading
1 Peter 2: 4 -10
11.
Gospel
John 17: 20-26
14.
Sermon
15.
Hymn
16.
Litany of Thanksgiving and Rededication
For the worship of God in prayer and praise,
for the preaching of the Word,
for the celebration of the Holy Sacraments,
through this church.
All praise and thanks to God.
For the faith of all believers in Christ,
for the carrying of the gospel into all the world,
for the furtherance of the unity of all God’s people
enabled by this church
All praise and thanks to God.
For the support and nurture of God’s people,
for the care of young and old,
for the calling of all to a life of service,
through this church.
All praise and thanks to God.
For the proclamation of your truth,
for the care of the downtrodden,
for the giving of hope and courage
enabled by this church
All praise and thanks to God.
For the opposing of all that is evil
for the promoting of human worth,
for action for peace and justice,
through this church.
All praise and thanks to God.
For all who by word and deed have brought this
church into being,
for their living example to us
for their faith and their hopes and dreams
built upon Jesus Christ the cornerstone.
All praise and thanks to God.
We give you our thanks and praise, O God,
for the past years in which you have led your Church,
and for the future years which lie ahead.
As we dedicate ourselves to continue
working for the unity of all your people
that all may be one as you are one,
and so we may be a means of proclaiming your Gospel to the world.
Encourage us in the tasks which are before us,
give us your consolation in our failures,
and never let us become complacent.
Confirm us in your Holy Spirit
that, in our life together, we may find joy and peace,
the strength and courage, to live in the world for your reign
and hope in the fulfilment of the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
(Material adapted from Litany for a Special Occasion UCC Book of
Worship and Litany of Thanksgiving PCUSA Book of Occasional Services)
17.
Confession of Faith
Use may be made of the URC Confession of Faith
or the Alternative Confession of Faith.
We believe in one living and true God,
creator, preserver and ruler of all things in heaven and earth,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
Him alone we worship, and in him we put our trust.
We believe that God, in his infinite love for all people,
gave his eternal Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who became man,
lived on earth in perfect love and obedience,
died upon the cross for our sins,
rose again from the dead:
and lives for evermore, Saviour, Judge and King.
We believe that, by the Holy Spirit,
this glorious gospel is made effective
so that through faith we receive
the forgiveness of sins,
newness of life as children of God
and strength in this present world to do his will.
We believe in one, holy, catholic, apostolic Church,
in heaven and on earth,
wherein by the same Spirit,
the whole company of believers is made
one Body of Christ:
to worship God and serve him and all people,
in his kingdom of righteousness and love.
We rejoice in the gift of eternal life,
and believe that, in the fullness of time,
God will renew and gather in one
all things in Christ,
to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
be glory and majesty, dominion and power,
both now and ever.
Amen.
18.
Prayers for the Church and the World
19.
Invitation to Communion
Let us celebrate this joyful feast. People
will come from east and west and north and south and sit at table in the
kingdom of God.
Jesus said, I am the bread of life; whoever comes
to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be
thirsty. Anyone who comes to me I will never turn away.
(John 6: 35, 37)
20.
Hymn
21.
Narrative of the Institution
Hear the narrative of the institution of the Lord’s
Supper as it was recorded by the Apostle Paul.
The tradition which I handed on to you came to me from the Lord himself:
that on the night of his arrest the Lord Jesus took bread and after
giving thanks to God broke it and said: ‘This is my body which is for
you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, he took the
cup after supper, and said: ‘This cup is the new covenant sealed by my
blood. Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.’
For every time you eat this bread and drink the
cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord, until he comes.
(1 Cor. 11: 23-26)
22. The Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
With joy we give you thanks and praise,
almighty God, Source of all life and love,
that we live in your world,
that you are always creating and sustaining it by your power,
and that you have so made us
that we can know and love you,
trust and serve you.
We give you thanks that you love the world so much
that you gave your only Son,
so that everyone who has faith in him
may not die but have eternal life.
We praise you that according to the promise of
Christ
the Holy Spirit came to fill the Church with power;
and that he comes to us today
that we being renewed and united by him
may be strong to proclaim the Gospel in the world..
Therefore with all your people in heaven and on
earth we sing the
triumphant hymn of your glory:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of 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.
Holy Lord God,
by what we do here
in remembrance of Christ
We celebrate
his perfect sacrifice on the Cross
and his glorious resurrection and ascension;
we declare
that he is Lord of all;
and we prepare for
his coming in his kingdom.
We pray that
through your Holy Spirit
this bread may be for us
the body of Christ
and this wine the blood of Christ.
Accept our sacrifice of praise
and as we eat and drink at his command
unite us to Christ
as one body in him,
and give us strength to serve you in the world.
And to you, one holy and eternal God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
we give praise and glory, now and forever.
Amen.
23.
The Lord’s Prayer
24.
The Peace
25. Breaking of the Bread
The bread which we
break is the communion of the Body of Christ.
The cup of blessing
which we bless is the communion of the Blood of Christ.
26.
Sharing of the Bread and Wine
Take, eat; this is the
body of Christ
Which is broken for you;
do this in remembrance of him.
This cup is the new
covenant
in the blood of Christ,
shed for you and for all, for the remission of sins:
drink of it.
27.
Prayer after Communion
Most gracious God,
We praise you for what you have given
And for what you have promised here.
You have made us one
with all your people
in heaven and on earth.
You have fed us
with the bread of life,
and renewed us for your service.
Now we give ourselves to you;
And we ask that our daily living
may be part of the life of your kingdom,
and that our love may be your love
reaching out into the life of the world;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
28.
Hymn
29.
Blessing
May the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that you may abound in hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
(Romans 15:13)
Suggested Hymns
R&S 636: The
Church of Christ in every age
559: Blessed city,
heavenly Salem
566: The Church’s
one foundation
569: We pause to
give thanks
650: God with
humanity made one
482: We are not our
own
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The service is
presented as a full service of Word and Sacrament.
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While some of
the material is new, some is taken from existing sources.
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The
Eucharistic Prayer was originally written for the 1974 Book of Order
for Worship and has been used in every Service Book since (including
New Church Praise). It is, therefore, part of our heritage as
the United Reformed Church.
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The URC
Confession of Faith printed here is the original version with minor
alterations to reflect the more inclusive use of language in today’s
church.
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Further
suggestions for readings and hymns will be made in the final
version.
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