The Friends of St James the Great, Thorley
Festival of Flowers and Music
23rd, 24th and 25th August 2003
"Relationships - To Know Christ And To Make Him Known"
This charge upon our Church family calls us to reach out to all in love. To do this we must first know Jesus and have his love in our hearts.
The message within this Flower Festival concerns our coming to know Jesus more closely through what he said of himself, his intimacy with his Father in prayer, the way in which he treated others and promises that he left with us. We also want to represent the wonder of his birth, death and resurrection.
These are the ways through which we can express our love to others in our community.
Individual arrangements reflect the themes of each of the following paragraphs
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me. Lord, may the door of this your Church be wide enough to receive all who need love and friendship but narrow enough to shut out all envy and pride. May its threshold be smooth enough to present no stumbling block to children or to straying feet, but strong enough to turn away the power of evil.
Jesus said: "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry". Father, you feed us with the living bread from heaven, teach us to hunger for Christ who is the true and living bread.
Jesus said: "I am the water of life. Whoever drinks the water I give will never thirst. Indeed the water I give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life". Lord, we pray for the unity of your Church. Help us to see ourselves as streams flowing from one river, for you are our common source of life. May we pour fourth your flowing streams over all the earth, drawing our inspiration and joy from you.
Jesus said: "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die". Lord Jesus, killed by hate and raised by love. Help us to be your witnesses in this world; to show most love where there is most hate and to live united with you and one another until you come again.
Jesus said: "I am the way. No-one comes to the Father except through me". Lord, you have my heart, and I will search for yours; Jesus, take my life and lead me on.
Jesus said: "I am the truth. No-one comes to the Father except through me". Spirit of truth, you know what is in our hearts more clearly than we do ourselves. Help us to be truthful before you and with one another.
Jesus Jesus said: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness". Lord, in our diversity make us like you, that our souls may be the stained glass through which your light and purpose bring beauty and meaning into the world.
Jesus said: "I am the vine, and you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit. Without me you can do nothing". Lord, keep us abiding in you, then we'll grow in your love, go in your name and the world will surely know that you have power to heal and to save.
Jesus said: "I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me. The Good Shepherd calls his sheep by name and leads them out. He lays down his life for his sheep". I cannot tell why he, whom angels worship, should set his love upon the sons of men, or why, as Shepherd, he should seek the wanderers to bring them back, they know not how or when.
Jesus said: "Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father".
Jesus taught his disciples to pray in this way: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive everyone who sins against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever".
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from his baptism in the River Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. Jesus resisted and the Devil left him. When the prodigal son returned to his father full of repentance, his father saw him a long way off and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Jesus said: "Love one another as I have loved you". Father make us more like Jesus and deepen his life within us. Send us out into a world of fragile peace and broken promises so that hearts may be touched with your love.
Bear one another's burdens and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ. So let us learn how to serve and in our lives enthrone Him; each other's needs to prefer, for it is Christ we're serving.
Lord, thank you that in Jesus you became flesh; one with us in pain and laughter. Thank you that you did not remain an idea, even a religious idea, but walked, wept and washed feet amongst us. By your love, change our ideas, especially our religious ideas, into living signs of your will and your work.
Lord, in Jesus you touched the suffering, listened to the ignored and gave hope to the outcast and depressed. You bandaged the broken with love and you healed them. We believe that your power to heal is still present, so we call on your help.
Jesus said: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you". Rule me, King of gentleness, King of peace. Give me stillness of soul and let your mighty calmness reign in me. Give me control over my words, thoughts and actions so I may become more and more like you.
Jesus said: "It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he, the Spirit of Truth, comes he will guide you into all truth". The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against these things there is no law. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
The Last Supper: Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it and gave it to them, saying: "This is my body given for you; do this in rembrance of me". After supper he took the cup, saying: "This is my blood,of the new covenant which is poured out for you".
Jesus, stand among us at the breaking of the bread. Join us as one body as we worship you, our head. O Jesus we love you, so we gather here; join our hearts in unity and take away our fear. Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One, give thanks because he's given Jesus Christ, his son. And now let the weak say: "I am strong", let the poor say: "I am rich" because of what the Lord has done for us".
Lord Jesus Christ, you have come to us, you are one with us, Mary's son. Cleansing our souls from all their sin, pouring your love and goodness in, Jesus, our love for you we sing, living Lord.
Lord, you have consecrated your world by sending your Son into the midst of it, making all things new in him. We ask you to give us and all your people the courage and power we need to further your kingdom in the world.
My Jesus, my Saviour, Lord there is none like you. All of my days I want to praise the wonders of your mighty love. I sing for joy at the work of your hand, for ever I'll love you, for ever I'll stand. Nothing compares to the promise I have in you.
May the love of the Lord Jesus draw us to himself, the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen us in his service, the joy of the Lord Jesus fill our hearts, and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be among us and remain with us and those we love always.