Liturgy of Healing and Reconciliation

Programme for leader and readers

‘Your sins are forgiven.

Stand up, take your mat and go home.’

LEADER:  ‘Please stand and let us begin with the song indicated on your programmes, ‘How great Thou art’

 

OPENING SONG: (sung by all)

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds thy hands have made,

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

 

           Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee,

           How great Thou art, How great Thou art.(x2)

 

 And when I think that God, his Son not sparing

Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in-

That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin!

 

When Christ shall come with shouts of acclamation

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.

Then I shall bow in humble adoration,

And there proclaim, ‘My God how great Thou art’.

 

 

OPENING PRAYER: Leader: ‘Let us Pray.

(brief pause for silent prayer, then proceed…)

 

God of kindness and compassion

we gather in your presence today

aware of your greatness and majesty,

but also of the tenderness and care of your Christ.

Open our hearts to listen to your word

and our spirits to know its power to heal and sustain.

We place ourselves before you in our need

and in our deep trust that your mercies are unending

and that all of your promises will be fulfilled.

We pray this in the name of Jesus the Christ

and in the unity of the Holy Spirit

one God, forever and ever. AMEN.

 

SCRIPTURE READING: Mk 2:1-12.

A reading from the Gospel of Mark:

When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. When they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, Son, your sins are forgiven.’

Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ‘Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ At once, Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Stand up and take your mat and walk?”

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’ –he said to the paralytic—‘I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.’ And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; So that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying ‘we have never seen anything like this!’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

TIME FOR SILENT REFLECTION (seated)

Where do you place yourself in this gospel

With the crowds anxious to hear the words of Jesus?

With the paralytic?

With the friends of the paralytic carrying him and lowering

him in through the roof?

With the scribes criticizing Jesus?

With Jesus himself, forgiving and healing?

What ‘word’ do you hear?

 

 

GESTURE OF FORGIVENESS/HEALING:

Leader: Everyone in the row or table is invited to lay his/her right hand on the left shoulder of the one beside him/her while we together sing: Lay your hands

 

Lay your hands gently upon us,

let their touch render your peace;

let them bring your forgiveness and healing,

lay your hands, gently lay your hands.

 

1) You were sent to free the broken hearted,

You were sent to give sight to the blind.

You desire to heal all our illness.

Lay your hands, gently lay your hands.

 

2) Lord, we come to you through one another.

Lord, we come to you in all our need

Lord, we come to you seeking wholeness.

Lay your hands, gently lay your hands.

 

PRAYER OF INTERCESSION: (all are invited to stand)

Leader:

Let us stand now as did the crowds who pressed in for the healing word and presence of Christ, and bring our intercessions before him.

Reader: Let us think of and pray

• With all people who seek some words of healing and encouragement from the Lord, … (Silence)

• With all who suffer – paralyzed in their illness, abuse, addictions or ignorance.

• With all who seek to bring relief to victims of war, injustice, trafficking, and impoverishment.

• With all who bear burdens of responsibility in the church, in civil and economic societies, in pastoral or educational settings.

• With all who are struggling to forgive themselves and others; with all in need of forgiveness and new life

 

 

LORD’S PRAYER

Leader:

Confident in the mercy of God, let us pray in the words that Christ himself gave us: OUR FATHER…

 

CONCLUDING PRAYER:

Leader:

Let us pray:

God and gracious God,

we thank you for the many ways in which we have known your healing and forgiveness throughout our lives. Continue to sustain us for the work which you have called each of us to do. We ask that we, too, might be a source of the same love and compassion which we have experienced at your hand.

We ask this through Jesus our Lord and brother, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. AMEN

 

CONCLUDING SONG:

God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name;

I’ve been born again in Jesus’ name;

and in Jesus’ name I come to you

to share his love as he told me to.

 

He said: ‘Freely, freely you have received;

freely, freely give.

Go in my name, and because you believe,

others will know that I live’.

 

All pow’r is giv’n in Jesus’ name,

in earth and heav’n in Jesus’ name;

and in Jesus’ name I come to you

to share his pow’r as he told me to.

 

God gives us life in Jesus’ name,

he lives in us in Jesus’ name;

and in Jesus’ name I come to you

to share his peace as he told me to.

 

Liturgy of Healing and Reconciliation

 

‘Your sins are forgiven.

Stand up, take your mat and go home.’

OPENING SONG: (sung by all, standing)

 

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds thy hands have made,

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

 

           Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee,

           How great Thou art, How great Thou art.(x2)

 

And when I think that God, his Son not sparing

Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in-

That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin!

 

When Christ shall come with shouts of acclamation

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.

Then I shall bow in humble adoration,

And there proclaim, ‘My God how great Thou art’.

 

 

OPENING PRAYER: Leader: ‘Let us pray…

 

SCRIPTURE READING: Mk 2:1-12.

 

TIME FOR SILENT REFLECTION (all are seated)

Where do you place yourself in this gospel:

With the crowds anxious to hear the words of Jesus?

With the paralytic?

With the friends of the paralytic carrying him and lowering

him in through the roof?

With the scribes criticizing Jesus?

With Jesus himself, forgiving and healing?

What ‘word’ do you hear?

 

GESTURE OF FORGIVENESS/HEALING:

Everyone in the row or table is invited to lay his/her right hand on the left shoulder of the one beside him/her while we together sing: Lay your hands

 

Lay your hands gently upon us,

let their touch render your peace;

let them bring your forgiveness and healing,                                            

lay your hands, gently lay your hands.

 

1) You were sent to free the broken hearted,

You were sent to give sight to the blind.

You desire to heal all our illness.

Lay your hands, gently lay your hands.

 

2) Lord, we come to you through one another.

Lord, we come to you in all our need

Lord, we come to you seeking wholeness.

Lay your hands, gently lay your hands.

 

PRAYER OF INTERCESSION (all stand)

 

LORD’S PRAYER /CONCLUDING PRAYER:

 

CONCLUDING SONG:

God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name;

I’ve been born again in Jesus’ name;

and in Jesus’ name I come to you

to share his love as he told me to.

 

He said: ‘Freely, freely you have received;

freely, freely give.

Go in my name, and because you believe,

others will know that I live’.

All pow’r is giv’n in Jesus’ name,

in earth and heav’n in Jesus’ name;

and in Jesus’ name I come to you

to share his pow’r as he told me to.

 

God gives us life in Jesus’ name,

he lives in us in Jesus’ name;

and in Jesus’ name I come to you

to share his peace as he told me to.