As communities gather around Cincinnati in order to worship together, this guide will serve as a resource for discussion either on Sunday for a video cast of the worship gathering or for mid-week discussion. We pray that it is an effective resource as you think creatively about connecting with Jesus, His people, and your neighbors this week.

LIVESTREAM

scripture

Philippians 2:1-4

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Romans 8:34-39

34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Partners

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COMMUNITY COMMUNION LITURGY

INTRODUCTION

Each week, our goal is to call attention to both our need for Christ and His availability to us. On the night Jesus was betrayed and served as our substitute on the cross, he took two elements of the Passover meal to invite us in a faithful participation of His sacrifice.

He took bread, broke it, and declared it to be His body and commanded that we eat it. As we consume it, we are reminded that Christ was broken for us.

Later he took the cup, declared it to be His blood and commanded that we drink it. As we do, we are partaking of a new promise of renewal by the blood of Christ.

We are to examine ourselves as we partake so that we don’t eat the bread or drink the cup in an unworthy manner. That is not to say, examine your worth. The only thing that makes you worthy is the sin that made Christ’s sacrifice necessary. Recognizing your need for renewal is the proper way to approach this rite.