Two House Builders

Gathering

Let us gather
whoever we are
of every age and every generation
those who know their bible inside out
and those can can’t remember a single verse;

those those imagine they understand
and those who know they don’t;

those who put their faith into words
and those who turn their words into acts;

those who build houses on rock
and those who build them on sand;

let us gather
whoever we are
for here is a place for us
just as we are
where Jesus welcomes us
with bread and wine

Prayer

Loving God
because you call us
we gather
because you know us
we welcome each other

may we build a community here
a family
built on love being shared
hope being given
bread by broken
built on truth being spoken
grace being discovered
wine being poured

may we build a community here
a family
built round a table
that tells a story
of love given
and invites us
to retell the story
in bread and wine
and share it
with the world

may we build a community here
a family
welcomed
named
and loved
unconditionally

Loving God
we gather
in this story place
this sharing place
this heavenly place
and meet you here
So be it
Amen

House Builders

A Communion Service

Luke 6:46-49

Dialogue

A: I like what Jesus says
B: I like what Jesus does
A: I like his poetry
B: I like his commitment
A: I like his conditions
B: I like his courage
A: I like a house built on sand
B: I like a house built on rock

A: I like to listen
B: I like to do
A: I like to dispute
B: I like to trust
A: I like to hedge my bets
B: I like to take responsibility
A: I like a house built on sand
B: I like a house built on rock

A: I like to see if I can taste
B: I like to taste and see
A: I like to peacefully share
B: I like to share the peace
A: I like to remember to break bread
B: I like to break bread and remember
A: I like a house built on sand
B: I like a house built on rock

The Tradition

It was a night all the disciples were together with Jesus
in the upper room

perhaps they were talking about all that had happened that week
of donkey riding messiahs
of temple tables being turned
of fig trees conversations

perhaps as they talked
Jesus got quieter
as the disciples lost themselves
in speaking of the incredible things that had happened
perhaps as they told one memory after another
Jesus was hardly listening

and just then he reached across the cloth
and lifted the flat unleavened bread
crisp and brittle
and snapped it

everyone heard
and fell silent
and in a quiet voice
Jesus told them a story
about the bread
the same bread that reminded them of their ancestors
escaping Egypt
now the bread had a new story
for this bread was Jesus body
which would soon be broken
for everyone round the table and around the world

And as the disciples looked at each other
their faces confused
Jesus passed the broken bread around them
and instinctively they all took a piece
‘Eat this and every time you do so, remember me’
was all he said.

They fell quite again

(pause)

Jesus took the cup of bitter wine
lifted it and said
‘This cup is the sign of a new promise from God
sealed with my blood’
and again he passed it round
the disciples not knowing what was happening
they drank of it

‘Drink this, and every time to you do so, remember me’
he said

And even as they did not understand
and even as they had a thousand questions
and even as they were deeply confused
they continued to remember
and so this story has been passed down
through every generation
right to this place today
where we
even though we do not
and cannot
fully understand
we tell and share the same story today
and as we do so
we remember Jesus