The Lord’s Supper

Invitation and Great Thanksgiving
Friends, why have you come?
To taste and see that the Lord is good.
Whom do you seek?
Our Lord, Jesus Christ, our host and guest.
Who may gather at this table?
The Lord invites everyone; no one is turned away.

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

 On this holy night, gathered around your table,
we remember how you have fed us.

In Eden’s garden, you gave us everything good to eat
but we wanted the one thing we could not have.
God’s people ate, and it was the first sin.

In the desert, you led us towards a promised land,
but we grumbled that we were hungry.
So you gave us manna and quail and water from a rock.
God’s people ate, and our strength was renewed.

In the kingdom, we became powerful and greedy,
cheating our neighbors and starving the poor,
so your prophet set us right again, set out food without cost.
God’s people ate, and relearned how to share.

In a stable in Bethlehem, a mother nursed her child
and placed him in a feeding trough.
He would eat with sinners, and be called the bread of life.
God ate with us. God shared our life.

On a hillside in Galilee, a hungry crowd gathered,
fed by Christ’s words, and by a child’s gift;
five loaves and two fish became a feast for thousands.
God’s people ate, and believed the good news.

On a mountain by the sea, Jesus taught us to pray
to praise God, ask for bread, heal rifts, and be free from evil.
Every bite we eat is an answer to our prayer.
God’s people pray still:
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.

Holy Spirit, as you dwell in us,
dwell in this meal.
Help us to experience in bread and juice
your forgiveness and love.
As God’s people eat, transform our hearts.

In an upper room in Jerusalem, thirteen friends shared the Passover,
one would betray Jesus, one who would deny him,
all would fall away from him,
and he looked on them with love,
those sinful, beloved people of God.
He promised them forgiveness, sealed in his own blood.
God’s people ate, and their sin was lifted from them.

On that night of his betrayal, the Lord Jesus took bread.
After giving thanks, he broke it and said,
“This is my body, broken for you; do this to remember me.”

He did the same thing with the cup, after they had eaten:
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.
Every time you drink it, do this to remember me.”

Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

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

Sharing the Meal:
We will share the Lord’s Supper by intinction. You may come up, receive a piece of bread, dip it in the cup, and return to your seat. All are welcome at Christ’s table.

Prayer After Confession:
Great and holy God,
you have fed us through the ages,
and you have fed us tonight.
Keep us satisfied by your love,
and hungry for your presence.
Quench our aches with your peace,
and help us thirst for justice.
Comfort us with the company of all the saints,
and stir in us a longing to welcome others.
Above all, help us follow your commandment:
to love one another as you have loved us. Amen.