The altar complete
Gathering Prayer: A Responsive Prayer
Eternal One you are our life,
Redeeming One you are our salvation,
Indwelling One you are our joy,
We give you thanks for the gift of this visit within your creation,
May our hearts swell with gratitude as we enter into your presence.
We give you thanks O God for the beauty of this land,
We give you thanks O Christ for the abundance of our lives,
We give you thanks O Spirit for the flourishing of friendship,
Most holy Trinity, One in essence Three in person,
We thank and praise you with heart and soul and mind.
God we pause in the busyness of our lives to give you thanks,
May we look back with gratitude,
May we look forward with anticipation,
May our hearts respond with thankfulness,
And our lives respond with praise.
God may we live fully in the wonder of this moment,
Our eyes open to see in every sight a cathedral giving glory,
Our ears unstopped to hear in every sound angels singing Alleluia
May we enjoy each cathedral moment before it bursts,
Giving thanks and praise with grateful hearts.
(Let us offer words of thanks to God)
God the fulfiller of enduring promises,
Christ the sharer of abundant love,
Spirit the giver of eternal life,
Holy Trinity, One in essence, Three in person,
For your welcome to this lavish feast of plenty,
We praise and give you thanks this day.
God of the plentiful and ever giving heart,
Christ of the generous and overflowing bounty,
Spirit who gives enough for our own needs and abundance for every good work,
Holy Trinity, One in essence, Three in person,
For the wonder of your provision that never runs dry,
We praise and give you thanks this day.
God whose love never gives up,
Christ whose forgiveness never says no,
Spirit whose mercy never lets go,
Holy Trinity, One in essence, Three in person,
For the hope and promise of your inexhaustible abundance,
We praise and give you thanks this day.
God may we always savour what each moment holds,
May we live in the promise of your love and faithfulness,
And ever trust in the One for whom all things are possible,
Holy Trinity, One in essence, Three in person,
For all that was, for all that is and for all that is to come,
We praise and give you thanks this day.
God may we look and see your abundance pressing in all around,
Rich fruit, luxuriant growth, laden branches hanging low,
May we remember they can obscure the path that winds so narrow out before us,
Holy Trinity, One in essence, Three in person,
For your provision that is inexhaustible, a harvest that never ends,
We praise and give you thanks this day.
God as we eat from your table of plenty,
May we see what you have placed in our hands,
Beauty beyond words, creativity beyond imagining, generosity overflowing,
Everything is God bathed, Son drenched, Spirit inspired,
May we taste and see that all you give is good,
And raise our voices in praise and thanks and gratitude.
Amen.
Song: For the Beauty of the Earth
Introduction to Celtic tradition
Setting up the Altar
Decorating the altar
God as we gather from your beautiful creation to build our altar,
Open our eyes to see the many gifts you pour into our lives.
We come to you with grateful hearts and thankful spirits,
Allowing love of you to bubble up from within us and overflow.
May we seek you with teachable spirits,
Willing to obey, to trust and to serve.
Let our lives give thanks as a sacrifice that truly honours you.
May we follow this path and see the revelation of your salvation.
(Go out to collect items for decorating the altar)
Regathering song – Morning Has Broken
Teach us to pray O Lord with gratitude and thankfulness,
Draw us closer to you, to your world, to each other.
Teach us to pray O Lord with compassion and love and forgiveness.
Open our eyes and our ears and our mouths,
Teach us to pray O Lord with joy and praise and faithfulness.
Until all that we are and all that we do,
Becomes a gift of prayer to you.
Scriptures for Lectio Divina & meditation
Psalm 100 (NLT)
Colossians 3:12-17 (NLT)
Song to end with – God Alone Suffices
Meditating sitting on the logs