The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

The Invitation

It is appropriate that on a day when we have baptized two new daughters of God, we come together at this table, the family table of the Lord. At our baptisms we were washed up for dinner, and now we are invited to come to the feast of the Lord. We know that God always comes to us; yet God rejoices when we have the faith and the courage to come to God. Christ has set the table: come, all are welcome.

The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
One: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you.
One: Lift up your hearts.
All: We lift them to the Lord.
One: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All: It is right to give our thanks and praise.

 Creator God, everything we see and everything we are is the product of your handiwork; you are the potter who shaped our bodies, the painter who made the skies; the architect of the mountains; the playwright of history. You are the artist; we are your masterpiece.

Redeemer God, you never throw anything or anyone away, reworking, reshaping, redeeming us until we are beautiful again. When your chosen, beloved people rebelled against you, you refused to break your covenant with them. We gave up on you and on ourselves, but you would not give up on us. Eventually you sent your own son, uncreated Christ, who modeled for us what it meant to be your child. Jesus flouted expectations, doubled down on faith, ate with the wrong crowd, healed the sick, welcomed children, and went to his death rather than flee from God’s call. On the third day he rose again, shattering the chains of sin and death, living once more to be our Eternal Light and Unending Love.

Remembering your story, and how you have made space for our stories, we take these gifts of creation, bread and cup, and joyfully celebrate the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection, holding fast to our hope that he shall come again. With grateful hearts we offer ourselves, asking that you might transform our lives, that we too might be visible signs of your grace, in a world that sorely needs it.

The mystery of faith is great: we do believe that in dying, Christ destroyed our death; in rising, he restored our life, and that, as he promised, he will come again.

Sustainer God, pour your Holy Spirit on us and these gifts of bread and cup, that the bread we break and the cup we bless may, by your mysterious grace, be the communion of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Unite us with Christ and all who serve him, that we may be one family in every place, transcending language and culture. We bring before you, Spirit of peace and power, the prayers of our world: for those affected by earthquakes and hurricanes, for those living in fear of violence, for those who feel unloved and invisible. We lift also the prayers of this congregation. We lay these joys and heartaches before you, and pray that as the bread and cup are signs of your grace in our lives, that you would send us out to be signs of your grace in the world, a living sacrament in your name.

Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours, all-loving God, today, tomorrow, and forever. Amen.

Let us now join together in the words that Jesus taught us to pray, saying…

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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

The Words of Institution

On the night before Jesus died, when he knew he would not be with his disciples much longer, he gave them a sign to remember him by. First he took the bread from the table, the Lord and after giving thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat. This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

In the same way Jesus took the cup, saying: This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, 
do this in remembrance of me.

Sharing of the Bread and Cup

We take communion by the ancient practice of intinction. You are welcome to come forward, receive a piece of the bread, dip it in the cup, and return to your seat.

The feast is ready.

Closing Prayer (unison)

Holy Lord, as we rise from this sacred table, may we remember that we are never gone from your presence. May all our meals and all are living be a sign of your presence, that by our courage and compassion, we may be your true disciples. We go to serve you now with faith refreshed and restored. Amen.