Introduction
This draft liturgy1 treats the first half of John chapter 6 as the ministry of the word, composed of narrative with an approximation to original responses. If any variation is desired, then the OT reading about the manna (Exodus 16) could be introduced.
There is no place indicated for a distinct sermon or homily, though it would be easy to introduce that, either after the most appropriate short reading at 1, 3, 5, or 7, or after 8, making the creed the response.
No forms of intercessions are suggested here. Intercessions could take any form usual for intercessions, or, to be true to the tightness of the liturgical dependence upon John 6, could have a sacramental framework. In this case sections of the intercessions would begin from the scriptural text, such as:
'Jesus fed the 5000 who were hungry. We pray for those facing famine today.'
'Jesus did not want to be made king by force. We pray for those tempted to use violent means for political ends.'
'Jesus said he had come to feed our inner selves. We pray for those whose lives are empty within.'
'Jesus said he would raise us up at the last day. We remember with gratitude the faithful departed and look forward to being raised with them at that last day.'
The sacramental part of the rite is as tightly drawn from the text of John 6 as the ministry of the word is. This means that in the eucharistic prayer features to which we are accustomed
(or which we think almost essential) such as the presence of a narrative of institution or an explicit affirmation that the death of Jesus was the one perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world,
have not been intruded into a text which follows the one passage of Scripture. These needs are acknowledged and so have been met allusively-almost en passant-within the John 6 development.
But the weight in John 6 is on eating and drinking, with little attempt to spell out-either for Jesus' hearers at the time, or for John's first readers-what eating Christ's flesh and drinking his blood actually meant.
Obviously, therefore, the rite is so weighted as to be useful (indeed, we hope, inspiring and nourishing) on 'once-off' occasions, but could not be suggested as a regular Sunday liturgy-quite apart from its not
meeting the Church of England requirement for an authorized creed or eucharistic prayer.
One compromise suggestion made within our Group was that the John 6 passage should contribute an 'extended preface' to go within an existing authorized eucharistic prayer. Although using such a
eucharistic prayer would import extraneous liturgical material into the rite, the suggestion has been met here by an appendix.
No hymnody is provided, nor place for it suggested. The mood of the liturgy is both reflective and repetitive within what is overtly a narrow theme. Thus hymns which introduced unrelated topics could complicate
the flow. Obviously, sacramental hymns may have a place, such as
I am the bread of life
I hunger and I thirst
Eat this bread; drink this cup
Or suitable hymns could be used to begin and end the service.
- Reading 6.1-13
- Have you seen what he has done?
He has fed five thousand.
Who then can this man be?
He must be the prophet to come into the world.
- Reading 6.15-21
- What has he done upon the lake?
He has walked on the water and come to the boat.
And what did he say to you out on the lake?
He said 'It is I; do not be afraid!'
Who then can this man be?
He is the Lord of the lake and the storm!
- Reading 6.22-24
- What did the crowd say when they found him?
They said to him 'Rabbi, when did you come here?'
And what did he tell them they really were seeking?
Not signs for the eyes, but contentment inside.
What did he offer in place of food that can perish?
Food that sustains our eternal life.
- Reading 6.28-31
- Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, of old the manna in the wilderness fed your people,
giving them strength, but not life eternal;
today, recognizing your Son as the true bread from heaven,
may we feed on him, the life of the world.
We would feed on this bread always.
Give us the bread of life that we may never hunger;
let us drink of Christ that we may never thirst;
Father, let all whom you have given to Christ now draw near to him.
Lord, we believe you will not turn us away.
- Affirmation of faith
We believe in Jesus Christ, God's true bread from heaven;
he came down to earth not to do his own will,
but the will of him who sent him.
This is the will of the Father who sent him,
that he should lose none of those whom the Father gave him,
but should raise them up on the last day.
For this is the Father's will,
that all who look to the Son and believe in him
should have eternal life,
and the Son will raise them up on the last day.
- Question and answer (said antiphonally right and left sides)
R But was not Jesus born of an earthly mother?
L Yes, but he is still the true bread from heaven.
R Can he indeed be from heaven and be yet one of us?
L Yes, and the Father who sent him draws us to know him.
R But surely we have never seen the Father?
L No, but we are drawn by him to come to the Son.
R Has only the Son then seen the Father?
L Yes, and those who believe in him have eternal life.
- Intercessions
- The Peace
As five thousand shared the bread of one boy
So we would share the bread and wine of our Lord.
The peace of the Lord be shared among you:
and also with you.
Greet each other as sharers in God's feast.
- The Preparation of the Table
Jesus is the bread of life, not to nourish our bodies as ordinary bread, nor even as the manna which the people of old ate in the desert;
no, he is the bread of life who has come down from heaven, that we should feed on him and never die.
- Eucharistic Prayer
The Lord is here.
His Spirit is with us.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.
We give you thanks and praise, living Father,
for sending to us Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.
For he is the living bread come down from heaven,
that whoever feeds on him should live forever.
He gave himself for the life of the world
and the bread that he gives is his flesh;
that whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood
should have eternal life and be raised up by him on the last day.
So, Father, we pray that this bread and this wine
may be to us the true food of his flesh and true drink of his blood,
and that we may abide in him and he in us.
As our Lord fed five thousand with the loaves and fishes,
and taught his disciples to hunger after the bread which truly satisfies,
so, mindful also of his Last Supper with his disciples,
and following his example and obeying his command,
we bless you for this bread and wine of eternal life
that, eating and drinking in accordance with his promise,
we today may also be partakers of his most blessed flesh and blood.
Jesus is the bread who has come down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever.
He has ascended where he was before,
he has given us his Holy Spirit.
May the Spirit give us his true life;
let our hunger not be met by lesser food.
And so, Father, led by his Spirit, we praise you through him;
his words to us are Spirit and life.
We cannot go to anyone else,
for he has the words of eternal life.
We come to him because you have drawn us;
we praise you through him because he now feeds us.
To you be all praise and glory through him
now and forever.
Amen.
- The Lord's Prayer
- Breaking the bread
Jesus is the bread of God which comes down from heaven.
Lord, give us this bread always.
- Invitation and distribution
Jesus said: 'Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.' Come, eat and drink as he has commanded, and have eternal life as he has promised.
Words of distribution:
The flesh of Christ. R. The true food
The blood of Christ. R. The true drink
- Post-communion
Jesus says, 'Do you wish to go away from me?'
Lord, to whom could we go? You have the words of eternal life.
He asks, 'Do you then believe?'
Lord, we believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.
Will you then stay with him?
That is our prayer.
Then let us pray.
Living Father, we thank you for feeding us
with the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ your Son,
that we might remain in him, and he in us.
Let your Spirit keep us faithful to him,
that we may live for him in this life
and that he may raise us up at the last day.
For he is the living bread
in whom all our hungers are satisfied.
We praise you through him forever. Amen.
- Blessing
May Jesus the true bread from heaven
feed you all the days of your life
and raise you up at the last day.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the living Father, the Son who was sent by him,
and the Spirit who gives life,
live within you now and forever.
Amen.
- Dismissal
Go and do the will of the Father:
Not our will but his.
Go in peace, for the Lord has fed you.
Thanks be to God.
Appendix:
The Eucharistic Prayer from John 6.51-65 in the main rite above rendered instead as an 'Extended Preface' for use with Common
Worship Eucharistic Prayers A, B and E
We give you thanks and praise, living Father,
for sending to us Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.
For he is the living bread come down from heaven,
that whoever feeds on him should live forever.
He gave himself for the life of the world.
and the bread that he gives is his flesh;
that whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood
should have eternal life and be raised up by him on the last day.
His flesh is food indeed and his blood is drink indeed,
so that, as we eat his flesh and drink his blood,
we abide in him and he in us.
Jesus is the bread who has come down from heaven;
and whoever eats this bread will live forever.
He has ascended where he was before,
and has given us his Holy Spirit.
It is his Spirit who gives us life
and we come to Christ, Father, because you have drawn us.
Therefore with angels and archangels...
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