The goal for this Eucharist was to make it participatory for children while at the same time providing something substantial for adults. What did we want to achieve? We wanted to make the meaning of baptism and Eucharist as transparent as possible in the liturgy. We wanted to provide accessible metaphors for the meaning of the Nicene Creed and Real Presence. We wanted to make transparent the connection between the liturgy and every day life. We wanted to make corporate prayer accessible. Praying litanies of Praise, Thanksgiving and Petition using the intonation patterns for the Lord, Have Mercy, S-106 has proven to be very accessible to young children. We wanted to make the service less wordy and more compatible with attention spans of children. We wanted to choose more child friendly songs, ones that could also include dance and gestures. We wanted to use young readers as our liturgists. Other things that we do to invite participation: We ask for children to express what they are thankful for before the litany of Thanksgiving. We have baskets of instruments which children can choose to play, including drums, tambourines, triangles, cymbals, wood blocks etc. The children also circle the altar after the Sanctus and remain until the Great Amen. They also "con-celebrate" in that they are encouraged to mimic the gestures of the celebrant.
Below is a sample of our Eucharistic Liturgy for families with Young Children
St. John the Divine Episcopal Church
17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Family Service with Holy Eucharist
September 25, 2011: Fifteenth Sunday of Pentecost
Gathering Songs: Do Lord; Thy Word; May the Mind of Christ, Our Savior; Awesome God
Liturgist: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
People: And Blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
Liturgist: Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.
And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.
Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Song: Do Lord (Christian Children’s Songbook, # 42)
1. I’ve got a home in glory land that outshines the sun. I’ve got a home in glory land that outshines the sun. I’ve got a home in glory land that outshines the sun, ‘way beyond the blue.
Refrain: Do Lord, oh do Lord, oh, do remember me. Do Lord, oh, do Lord, oh, do remember me. Do Lord, oh, do Lord, oh, do remember me, way beyond the blue.
2. I took Jesus as my Savior, you take Him too. I took Jesus as my Savior, you take Him too. I took Jesus as my Savior, you take Him too, ‘way beyond the blue. Refrain
Liturgist: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Liturgist: Let us pray
O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
First Litany of Praise: Alleluia (chanted)
O God, you are Great! Alleluia
O God, you have made us! Alleluia
O God, you have made yourself known to us! Alleluia
O God, you have provided us with us a Savior! Alleluia
O God, you have given us a Christian family! Alleluia
O God, you have forgiven our sins! Alleluia
O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead! Alleluia
A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Philippians
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus…
Liturgist: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 78
Hear my teaching, O my people; * incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
We will recount to generations to come the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the LORD, *
and the wonderful works he has done.
Birthdays:
Anniversaries:
Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)
Litanist:
For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!
For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!
For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!
For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!
For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!
For work and for play. Thanks be to God!
For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!
For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!
For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.
Thanks be to God!
Liturgist: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew
People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.
When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?" And they argued with one another, "If we say, `From heaven,' he will say to us, `Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say, `Of human origin,' we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet." So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. "What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, `Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' He answered, `I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, `I go, sir'; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him."
Liturgist: The Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Sermon – Father Phil
Children’s Creed
We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.
Since God is so great and we are so small,
We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.
We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.
We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is
welcome.
We believe that Christ is kind and fair.
We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.
And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever. Amen.
Your Prayers are asked for healing for
Faithful Departed:
Your Prayers are asked for those in the Armed Forces
Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy. (chanted)
For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.
For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.
For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.
For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.
For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.
For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.
For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.
For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.
For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.
For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.
Liturgist: The Peace of the Lord be always with you.
People: And also with you.
Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering
Offertory Music: Glory to God in the Highest, St. John’s Children’s Choir
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Prologue to the Eucharist
Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”
All become members of a family by birth or adoption.
Baptism is a celebration of our birth into the family of God.
A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.
The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.
The Lord be with you
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts. Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:
Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might. Heav’n 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. Hosanna in the Highest.
(Children may gather around the altar)
The Celebrant now praises God for the salvation of the world through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;
You have made us in your image
And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:
Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachael.
And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph
And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.
Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat
the bread and drink the wine, we can know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as
this food and drink that becomes a part of us.
The Prayer continues with these words
And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.
On the night when Jesus 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, Jesus 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."
Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of Christ and that his presence will be with us in our future.
Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ. May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and daughters.
By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory
is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.
And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,
(Children rejoin their parents and take up their instruments)
Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)
Our Father who art in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.
Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.
Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.
And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.
As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.
Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.
But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.
Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy name.
Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.
Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.
Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.
Breaking of the Bread
Celebrant: Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
People: Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia!
Words of Administration
Communion Hymn: May the Mind of Christ, My Savior, (Renew! # 285)
1. May the mind of Christ, my Savior, live in me from day to day, by his love and power controlling all I do and say.
2. May the word of God dwell richly in my heart from hour to hour, so that all may see I triumph only through his power.
3. May the peace of God, my Father, rule my life in everything, that I may be calm to comfort sick and sorrowing.
4. May the love of Jesus fill me as the waters fill the sea. Him exalting, self abasing: this is victory.
5. May we run the race before us, strong brave to face the foe, looking only unto Jesus as we onward go.
Post-Communion Prayer
Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus asked us to keep;
We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and the wine.
And His Presence has been known to us.
We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God and brothers
and sisters in Christ.
Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering that the blessing in the
bread and wine spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,
As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Closing Song: Awesome God, (Renew! # 245)
Our God is an awesome God, he reigns from heaven above, with wisdom, power and love our God is an awesome God. (Sing three times)
Dismissal:
Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.
People: Thanks be to God!
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