Copyright ©2002-2007 Cindi Knox
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Our Heavenly Parent, we thank you for this gift of bread, the essence of sustenance for the journey, just as we find sustenance for our spirits in the life of your child Jesus, the Christ. Bless it, that it may strengthen us for the way ahead.
Source of all love and joy, we thank you for the gift of this cup. Though this drink comes from crushing of grapes, it becomes the cup of celebration; so too through the suffering of one comes our joy in this new covenant of life with You. Bless it, that we may remember the joy we have in being a part of Your family.
God calls all of Creation back home, and prepares the feast for those who come. This table belongs to God; all are welcome. You need only desire to come and dine as a part of God’s family.
Celebrant: Christ is here.
People: The Spirit is with us.
Celebrant: Open Your Hearts.
People: We offer them to God.
Celebrant: Let us give thanks to the Infinite One.
People: We rejoice and give thanks and praise.
It is a good and joyful thing to give thanks and praise to the You who created us, who loves us, who welcomes us home again.
Therefore, we join with all things created, in heaven and Earth, in recognizing Your Glory! We magnify You as we say:
Holy, holy, holy, God of love and power,
All creation speaks of Your glory, O God-with-us.
Blessed are we who come in the name of our God!
Hosanna, Hosanna from our hearts!
We remember that Jesus didn’t turn away those who others considered unclean, sinful, or unpopular. Tax collectors, fishers, lepers, no one was turned away from Jesus. And yet, those in power turned away from Jesus, frightened by the idea that such a motley crew could have such a strong effect on the people.
The night before those powerful ones took Jesus’ life, Jesus sat at dinner with those He called friends. Among them was one who would betray him, and one who would deny he ever met Jesus. And yet, Jesus offered to all who were there this meal of reconciliation.
Jesus took the bread of the field, gave thanks to God, blessed it, broke it, and shared it with all who were there, saying, “Take, eat. This is my body, broken for you.”
After the meal was finished, Jesus took a cup of the fruit of the vine, gave thanks to God, blessed it, and shared it with those friends, saying “Take, drink. This is the cup of the new covenant, poured out for all of you and others. Whenever you do this, remember me.”
Dear God, we pray that Your Holy Spirit would come to rest upon all these people of Yours, some of them doubting, some of them fearful, some of them feeling not worthy. We pray that we would all come to realize the hope we have in Your Child, Jesus, the Christ. We pray that we would all come to realize we are all precious creations of Yours, and that we may all be reconciled with you.
Let these gifts become, in a very real and personal way, the elements of our faith and understanding in the mystery of this sacred meal.
For it is through Christ,
With Christ,
In Christ,
In the unity of the Holy Spirit,
All glory and honor are Yours,
Almighty God,
Forever and ever,
Amen.
Please join with me now in saying the prayer that Jesus taught us.
God our Father, God our Mother, Holy are your names.
May Your community be realized, and Your desires manifest on Earth even as in the heavens.
Grant us this day all that we require,
And as we have been forgiven by You, help us to forgive others.
Walk with us through paths of adversity,
Stand firm with us in our times of suffering,
For Yours are Grace, Justice, and Love, now and forever.
Amen.
Holy One, may we recognize You every time we join someone on a journey; every time we share a meal; every time we take bread into our hands. May this recognition create in us such hope and joy that we might live consciously in Your transforming presence.
As we continue our Lenten journey, we walk in love, caring for one another and for the earth. We shall seek justice and make peace. We shall live boldly, celebrate and sing!