Invitation
Come! Come and gather here in this sacred place to worship the God who loves and nurtures us into wholeness. Come and sing the praises of Christ the Son who teaches us what it means to be human. Come and embrace the Holy Spirit who guides and comforts us as we live out our lives. Come and remember those saints who held us, understood us, accepted us, and made us better people. Come, people of God, and rejoice!
Prayer and Confession
We come, Holy One, into your presence with joy and thanksgiving! We rest in the security of your love and grace. Although we have been given the commandment to “love one another as I have loved you,” we do not always follow Christ’s directive. We fail to say a kind word, comfort a friend, help a stranger, and thank those who have shaped our lives. Our fears and excuses hold us back when you would have us act. In admitting out loud, and inwardly, our faults, we are asking for your forgiveness and mercy. Create in us a desire, a thirst, to do your will. Mold us into your saints, people who do your work here on earth. Amen.
Dearest children, you are forgiven! The slate is wiped clean. Go with a cheerful heart and right spirit, knowing you are loved.
Go with a cheerful heart and right spirit, knowing you are forgiven and loved!
The Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
You who have divided light from dark
and water from land,
you have breathed life into
each of your children.
You who have fashioned the birds
and animals, each with a purpose,
you have gifted each person with
talents to use according
to your will.
With great love, you have shaped
and molded us into your image.
To some have been given
your faithfulness and we
seek to know you,
even through questioning
and doubt.
To some have been given
your mercy and we
forgive with openness
and vulnerability.
To some have been given
your grace and we
make life a beautiful tapestry
of kindness and delight.
And to some have been given
the gift of compassion,
melding faithfulness, mercy,
and grace into one,
seeing your people
through your eyes and heart.
These are the people who love
when we are unloveable;
who forgive when we are
unforgivable; who listen
when we complain; who
encourage when we are
disheartened; who stay
even when we push them away.
These are the people who reflect Christ
in their words and actions.
These are the saints of the church
and saints of our everyday lives
who work tirelessly for your kingdom;
who lead, teach, parent, nurture,
and feed us with their goodness.
We are grateful for these servants and
for you who sent them to us.
They ground us and give us hope.
They show us with their lives your love.
They are whom we desire to become.
And so,
with your people on earth
and all the company of heaven
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
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.
We recognize that all of your people,
saints and sinners alike,
are invited to your table
of communion.
It is here we receive Christ.
It is here we remember his love for us.
It is here we are changed.
At that first table, Jesus took bread,
the food that had feed so many
during his ministry,
and he broke it, just as his body would
be broken,
and he gave it to his friends, saying,
“Take and eat;
this is my body which is given for you. Do this
in remembrance of me.”
Then he took the cup, full of the sweet
and sour juice of the vine, and
made the ordinary into the
extraordinary by saying,
“Drink from this, all of you;
this is my blood of the new covenant,
poured out for you and for many for the
forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of me.”
Hear, now, this good news:
Jesus has extended to each
and every one of us the sustenance
of his body and blood; life-changing
elements that unite us with Christ
and with each other; simple nourishment
that infuse us with grace; a gentle
reminder that we are his hands and feet.
And so,
as we eat and drink with our friends and neighbors,
we rejoice and are grateful for the life Jesus lived
and the death he suffered on our behalf.
We offer ourselves as a holy and living sacrifice,
in union with Christ,
as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
Spirit, flow in us, and through us, surrounding
us and guiding us toward a life of peace for all.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill our minds and hearts.
May this sacrament transform our thoughts
and actions so we might be the Body of Christ
in the world: erasing divisions, healing the wounded,
fulfilling the needs of others, and offering shelter
to those who have none.
Shape us into the saints our community, our nation,
and our world so desperately longs for.
Amen.
Through your Son Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit in your holy church,
all honor and glory is yours, almighty God,
now and for ever.
Amen.
Liturgy for This and That 