Celtic Retreat Evening Prayer

Celtic retreat – Eucharistic celebration 2010

The retreat is only a few days ago. We are pulling out our tents, packing our bags and getting ready to head up to Camano on Friday. So many of you have told me that you wished you could come that I thought I would share some of the programme with you. (More to come next week). Hopefully you can be with us in spirit if not in person. For those that are undecided there is still time to sign up.

Here is the prayer that we will begin with on Friday night – a prayer to prepare our minds for a time of thanksgiving and gratitude towards God.

Friday Evening Prayers

God we gather this night to thank you for the many blessings in our lives,

We praise you for your generous goodness new every day,

To you our God we offer praise and thanks.

God to you who created the earth and the heavens,

To you who are always merciful and forgiving,

To you our God we offer praise and thanks.

God to you who call us into relationship with yourself,

To you who give us the gift of family and friends,

To you our God we offer praise and thanks.

(Pause to remind yourself of all you have to be thankful for)

For the universe immense and unknown,

For the earth on which we live,

For humankind made in God’s image,

Thanks and praise to God our creator.

For entering human history as one of us,

For your life poured out in sacrifice for us,

For dying that we might live,

Thanks and praise to Christ our redeemer.

For the comfort of your indwelling presence,

For the wisdom of your guidance and direction,

For drawing us together as one family,

Thanks and praise to the Holy Spirit our enabler.

Through your will we are made whole,

Through your love we are renewed in body, mind and spirit

Through you we become one community from every tribe and nation.

Thanks and praise to the Father, Son and Spirit through all eternity.

Psalm 92: 1-8 (NLT)

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.
Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
Exult in his holy name;
rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
Search for the Lord and for his strength;
continually seek him.
Remember the wonders he has performed,
his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
you children of his servant Abraham,
you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.

He is the Lord our God.
His justice is seen throughout the land.
8 He always stands by his covenant—
the commitment he made to a thousand generations.

The Word of the Lord.     Thanks be to God.

A reading from the Gospel according to Luke. Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Luke 22:14 – 20 (NLT)

When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”  Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”  He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.”  After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.

The Gospel of the Lord.   Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray together now in the words Jesus taught us.

Our Father, who art in heaven hallowed by your name.  Your kingdom come your 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.  Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever.  Amen

Pause to offer up prayers of praise and thanksgiving

Gracious and generous God we give you thanks

For the gift of life for we are made in your image,

We pray for all your loved ones in whom your divine image is still hidden and distorted,

We pray for your mercy and compassion to rest upon them.

God in your mercy be with all those you love.

Caring and providing God we give you thanks,

For our homes that shelter and protect us,

We think of those without shelter and water and protection today,

We pray for your provision to be poured out upon them.

God in your mercy be with all those you love,

Abundant and giving God we give you thanks,

For our food that nourishes and strengthens us,

We thing of those without food and nourishment today,

We pray that you will feed them with the bread of life.

God in your mercy be with all those you love.

Loving and compassionate God we give you thanks,

For our friends and family who love and comfort us in times of need,

We think of those who are alone and feel abandoned today,

God comfort and surround them that they may sense your presence.

God in your mercy be with all those you love,

Gracious and generous God,

We remember all the gifts you have given us,

We remember how lavishly you have provided,

We remember how lovingly you have cared,

We remember especially that greatest gift of all,

Jesus Christ our Saviour,

And we give you thanks.

Amen.