St. Thomas Episcopal Church
The Sacraments of Holy Eucharist
A Wiggly Worship Service
for All of God’s Squiggly Children
Seventh Sunday of Easter: May 4, 2008
We’re glad you’re here, and we hope you feel welcome in this part of the family of God. This service is intended to offer meaningful and accessible worship of God to children of all ages, especially younger people. We celebrate that we are all called to make a joyful noise to the Lord, and we invite both young and old in this part of God’s Choir.
Offering authentic worship to God the Father, through His Son Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit is the most important thing that a community of Christians can do. We hold fast to the traditions of the Church through the centuries and offer it new to the modern world.
We especially welcome our visitors and guests. We hope you’ll feel welcome to take full part in our worship, in the prayers, the music and in taking communion. Please stay for Christian Formation classes after the service.
We start our worship with a song. Please stand and join in.
“The Lord of the Dance”
I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem I had my birth.
Refrain Dance then, wherever you may be.
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He.
I'll lead you all wherever you may be,
I will lead you all in the Dance, said He.
I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee
But they would not dance and they wouldn't follow me.
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John,
They came with me and the Dance went on. Refrain
I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame,
The holy people they said it was a shame,
They whipped and the stripped and they hung me high,
And they left me there on a Cross to die. Refrain
I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black,
It's hard to dance with the devil on your back.
They buried my body and they thought I'd gone,
But I am the Dance and I still go on. Refrain
They cut me down and I leapt up high,
I am the life that'll never, never die,
I'll live in you if you'll live in Me.
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He. Refrain
Celebrant Alleluia. Christ is risen.
All The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia
The Collect for Purity
We sing a song of praise.
“Glorify Your Name”
Father, we love You, we praise You, we adore You,
Glorify your name in all the earth.
Glorify your name, glorify your name
Glorify your name in all the earth.
Jesus, we love You, we praise You, we adore You,
Glorify your name in all the earth.
Glorify your name, glorify your name
Glorify your name in all the earth.
Spirit, we love You, we praise You, we adore You,
Glorify your name in all the earth.
Glorify your name, glorify your name
Glorify your name in all the earth.
Then the Celebrant says
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Let us pray.
The Collect of the Day
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen
Please be seated for the lesson and Psalm
A Reading from Acts
When the apostles had come together, they asked Jesus, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
Reader The word of the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.
We read verses from Psalm 118 together, repeating each phrase.
Psalm 118
There is a sound of exultation and victory *
in the tents of the righteous:
Open for me the gates of righteousness; *
I will enter them;
I will offer thanks to the LORD.
On this day the LORD has acted; *
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Hosanna, LORD, hosanna! *
LORD, send us now success.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD; *
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
Please stand
Deacon The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
All Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.
"I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. "
After the Gospel is read, the Deacon says
The Gospel of the Lord.
All Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Homily The Reverend John David Barnes
We all stand to say what the Church believes
The Nicene Creed from the Book of Common Prayer, p. 358
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Prayers of the People
Let us prepare and bring forth our prayers as we sing:
Evening comes, and morning comes, thank you for this day.
A time to sing; a time to pray, thank you for this day.
Prayer for our Search for a new Rector
Loving God, we give you thanks for the work of your Holy Spirit at St. Thomas. We ask that you continue to work through us and with us as we search for a new rector. Amen.
The Passing of the Peace
Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
We all greet each other and exchange the Peace of God.
Welcome and Announcements
As the Offering is gathered, please join us in singing
“I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light"
I want to walk as a child of the light,
I want to follow Jesus.
God sent the stars to give light to the world,
The star of my life is Jesus.
Refrain In him there is no darkness at all.
The night and the day are both alike.
The Lamb is the light of the city of God.
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.
I want to see the brightness of God.
I want to look at Jesus.
Clear sun of righteousness, shine on my path,
and show me the way to the Father. Refrain
I'm looking for the coming of Christ,
I want to be with Jesus.
When we have run with patience the race,
We shall know the joy of Jesus. Refrain
As the Offerings are brought forward, please stand.
The Eucharistic Prayer Prayer C, from the Book of Common Prayer, p. 369
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Lift up your hearts.
People We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People It is right to give him thanks and praise.
Celebrant God of all power, Ruler of the Universe, you are worthy of glory
and praise.
People Glory to you for ever and ever.
Celebrant At your command all things came to be: the vast expanse of
interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses,
and this fragile earth, our island home.
People By your will they were created and have their being.
Celebrant From the primal elements you brought forth the human race, and
blessed us with memory, reason, and skill. You made us the rulers
of creation. But we turned against you, and betrayed your trust;
and we turned against one another.
People Have mercy, Lord, for we are sinners in your sight.
Celebrant Again and again, you called us to return. Through prophets and
sages you revealed your righteous Law. And in the fullness of
time you sent you only Son, born of a woman, to fulfill your Law,
to open for is the way of freedom and peace.
People By his blood, he reconciled us. By his wounds, we are healed.
Celebrant And therefore we praise you, joining with the heavenly chorus,
with prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and with all those in every
generation who have looked to you in hope, to proclaim with them
your glory, in their unending hymn:
We all sing the Sanctus setting by Jeannie Randall
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 His glory
Blessed is He who comes
Holy, holy, holy Lord
Hosanna in the highest.
Celebrant And so, Father, we who have been redeemed by him, and made a
new people by water and the Spirit, now bring before you these
gifts. Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be the Body and Blood
of Jesus Christ our Lord. On the night he was betrayed he took
bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his
friends, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me." After supper, he took
the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, "Drink this, all of you: This
is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for
many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this
for the remembrance of me." Remembering now his work of
redemption, and offering to you this sacrifice of thanksgiving,
People We celebrate his death and resurrection,
as we await the day of his coming.
Celebrant Lord God of our Fathers: God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: Open our eyes to see your hand at work in the world about us. Deliver us from the presumption of coming to this Table for solace only, and not for strength; for pardon only, and not for renewal. Let the grace of this Holy Communion make us one body, one spirit in Christ, that we may worthily serve the world in his name.
People Risen Lord, be known to us in the breaking of the Bread.
Celebrant Accept these prayers and praises, Father, through Jesus Christ
our great High Priest, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, your Church gives honor, glory, and worship, from generation to generation. AMEN.
Now let us join hands, as we pray in the words Jesus taught us,
All
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread
Celebrant Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
All Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia!
The Celebrant invites the People to communion, saying,
The Gifts of God for the People of God.
All are invited and encouraged to join us in receiving the bread and wine of Communion. If you’d rather not receive communion, you’re invited to come forward to receive a blessing from one of the clergy.
During Communion today, we sing these songs.
“Take A Little Bread”
Refrain: Take a little bread in the morning, take a little wine right now;
Feed on the food of the Holy Spirit and spread the feast around.
Jesus died to save us, to take away our sin;
Put his spirit inside of us and said, Children now begin,
and we began to sing… Refrain
Jesus said to Peter, Is your love for me real deep?
Peter said yes and the Lord commanded, then go and feed my sheep,
and he began to sing. Refrain
Four thousand hungry on a hillside, with fish and a little bit of bread;
Christ gave thanks to God up above, And everyone was fed,
and they began to sing… Refrain
The Lord refreshes us daily. He brought us to this spring,
Put his spirit inside of us, until we bubble out and we sing,
and we begin to sing… Refrain
“Seek Ye First”
Seek ye first the kingdom of God And His righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you. Allelu, Alleluia.
Ask and it shall be given unto you; seek and ye shall find;
Knock and it shall be opened unto you. Allelu, Alleluia.
After communion let us pray together p. 365 in the Book of Common Prayer
Eternal God, heavenly Father,
you have graciously accepted us as living members
of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ,
and you have fed us with spiritual food
in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.
Send us now into the world in peace,
and grant us strength and courage
to love and serve you
with gladness and singleness of heart;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Blessing
Please stand to sing our closing song
“The Butterfly Song”
If I were a butterfly, I’d thank you, Lord, for giving me wings;
And if I were a robin in a tree, I’d thank you, Lord, that I could sing;
And if I were a fish in the sea, I’d wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee.
But I just thank you, Father, for making me “me.”
Refrain For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile,
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child;
And I just thank you, Father, for making me “me.”
If I were an elephant, I’d thank you, Lord, by raising my trunk.
And if I were a kangaroo, you know I’d hop right up to you.
And if I were an octopus, I’d thank you, Lord, for my fine looks.
But I just thank you, Father, for making me “me.” Refrain
If I were a wiggly worm, I’d thank you, Lord, that I could squirm.
And if I were a billy goat, I’d thank you, Lord, for my strong throat.
And if I were a fuzzy wuzzy bear, I’d thank you, Lord, for my fuzzy wuzzy hair.
But I just thank you, Father, for making me “me.” Refrain
The Dismissal
Deacon Alleluia, Alleluia. Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.
All Thanks be to God. Alleluia, Alleluia.
You have honored us with your presence this morning,
and we hope you’ll come back.