Outdoor Eucharist

Celebrant    Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People    And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.

Collect for Purity

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Celebrant         Lord, have mercy upon us.
People             Christ, have mercy upon us.
Celebrant         Lord, have mercy upon us.

Celebrant         The Lord be with you.
People             And also with you.
Celebrant         Let us pray.

The Collect of the Day

The First Reading

Psalm 

The Gospel Reading

Response to the Word

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father,
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Prayers of the People

This is Christ’s commandment to love one another as he loved us. With contrite hearts and respect for all humanity, let us pray to God that we may grow to care for not only our siblings, but for all God’s creation shown forth in the wonder of nature that maintains our common life.

Have compassion on all who suffer from trials and pain, especially the victims of natural disasters caused by our own greed and negligence. Grant them their needed relief and the help of your children in their daily struggles.

Inspire us to love the whole creation.

Kindle the hearts of the leaders in your Church; especially Rob, our bishop, and all other ministers. Reveal in them the example of your Christ, who revered and cared for the fullness of your creation.

Inspire us to love the whole creation.

Guide all civil authorities to dedicate their resources and efforts to the building of a better world for all your people. May they govern with respect and balance toward nature through policies that seek to relieve the environmental calamity that surrounds us.

Inspire us to love the whole creation.

Remembering those we love, have mercy on your children suffering from illness, granting them healing and comfort from their afflictions. Equip us to serve all who are ill as we would serve Christ.

Inspire us to love the whole creation.

Bring to your glorious presence all those faithful who have departed this world with faith in Jesus Christ. Grant them eternal rest in the company of Virgin Mary, apostles, martyrs, and all your saints.

Inspire us to love the whole creation.

Receive the prayers we now offer you as a sign of our immense gratitude for the many blessings you have given us, and above all for the life in nature that continues to flourish despite our carelessness. Grant that we may return your love in acts of charity and compassion toward the world that you created and all of its creatures.

Inspire us to love the whole creation.

Celebrant

Creator of all, whose Son came to reconcile all creation to you: inspire in us a reverence for your creatures in this world and accept the prayers that we now offer; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Peace

Celebrant         The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People             And also with you.

The Holy Eucharist

Celebrant         The Lord be with you.
People             And also with you.
Celebrant         Lift up your hearts.
People             We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant         Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People             It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is meet and right to give thanks to you always, O God, for you are the source of all life. Since the beginning of time, you have sustained us through the environment that you established in creation. You rule the universe with balance and generosity, for which all creation never ceases to praise you. Joining with the company of heaven and all the creatures of the skies, earth, and seas, we joyfully praise your holy name, saying

Celebrant and People
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven 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.

O God, our creator, you placed us in this world, but did not leave us to live alone. You surrounded us with your wondrous creation that we might live in harmony with it, taking only what is necessary to preserve our common life. Of the world you made a garden for the flourishing of your people, yet we strayed from your path. We judged ourselves powerful and mighty, planting destruction between us and nature, and creating a world of inequity, imbalance, and discontent. Countless times, your prophets led us to repentance and new life, yet we chose to walk in other ways and persist in our selfish error.

In the fullness of time and in your infinite mercy, you sent us your Son Jesus Christ, the source of new life. He taught us to live in unity with you, opening the doors to a new creation: one reconciled to you and sustained by your love.

On the night he was betrayed, Jesus took bread. Having given thanks to you, he broke it and gave it to those who were with him, saying, “Take, eat. This is my Body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

After supper, he took the cup of wine, and having given thanks to you, he gave it to them, saying, “Take, drink. This is my Blood of the new and eternal Covenant which is shed for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Therefore, we proclaim the wondrous mystery:

Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.

And, giving thanks to you for restoring us in the ways of your Kingdom, we offer you these gifts of bread and wine: fruits of the earth and of your creation. Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit, that they may be for us the Body and Blood of your Son Jesus Christ. Sanctify us also, that in union with Christ we may fill the world with your love, renewing it with the gift of your Gospel.

Preserve us in rebuilding the world around us and restoring the balance of nature. Grant that we may see in your creation that splendid garden, worthy of respect and care. Evermore strengthen your Church in the struggle to preserve the environment and the diversity of life within it. And, at the last day, bring us to your heavenly Kingdom, where in the company of Brigid, Hildegard, Francis, and all your saints, we may never cease to glorify you in the new creation of Jesus Christ.

By Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory are yours, Creator God, now and forever. Amen.

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,

Celebrant and People

Our Father, who art in heaven,
            hallowed be thy Name,
            thy kingdom come,
            thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
            as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
            but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
            and the power, and the glory,
            for ever and ever. Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant   Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
People         Therefore, let us keep the feast.

Prayer after Communion

Let us pray.

God of abundance,
you have fed us
with the bread of life and cup of salvation;
you have united us
with Christ and one another;
and you have made us one
with all your people in heaven and on earth.
Now send us forth
in the power of your Spirit,
that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world
and continue for ever
in the risen life of Christ our Savior. Amen.

The Blessing

God’s Blessing be with you,
Christ’s peace be with you,
the Spirit’s outpouring be with you,
now and always. Amen.

The Dismissal

Go in peace as witnesses to hope.
Thanks be to God.