Holy Communion Celebrating One World

THE THANKSGIVING

Come and see the table before us.
See the bread.  See the wine.  Come, see that God is good.
    Praise the Lord who created us.

Blessed are those who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.  The
feast is ready.
    Praise the Lord who feeds us.

Everyone is invited.
    Praise the Lord who loves us.

Come and join the feast.  Taste the bread.  Taste the wine.  Come, know
that God is good.
    Praise the Lord who sustains us.

Come, know the love of God.
Father God, we come as your children.
We know that we let you down; we are weak and far from perfect.
    Praise the Lord who knows us.

We make excuses; we build barriers; we discriminate.
    Praise the Lord who forgives us.

We come to the banquet; we come as equals; we come as one.
    Praise the Lord who unites us.

We thank you, Father, for sending your Son into the world.  He came to
this earth as one of us and died on the cross, suffering, bleeding and
dying alone, the remedy for our sin — the light of the world; our way,
our truth, our life; the bread of life and the true vine.  Gloriously
you raised him from death to be the resurrection and the life.

    We love you Lord.
    We acclaim your humanity.  We worship your deity.
    We honour your majesty.  We glorify your holy name.
    We love you Lord.

We love our Lord Jesus and praise our Father God, as we join the feast,
keeping our Lord’s commands.
When Jesus last shared supper with his disciples, he took bread, gave
thanks, broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying,
'Take this and eat it.  This is my body given for you.  Do this in
remembrance of me.'
In the same way, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave
it to them, saying,
'Drink from it 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
whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.'
    Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

As you have poured out your Spirit on the earth, so now send your
Spirit upon us as we share these gifts of bread and wine, that they may
be to us the body and blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.

[The bread is broken]

We break the bread, that it may be a sharing in the body of Christ.
    Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in the
    one loaf.

Receive our thanks and praise, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
    Blessing and honour, glory and power be yours forever.  Amen.

[Silence]

Let us pray.
    Only by your grace and love may we come to your table, Lord.
    Only in your mercy we rest.
    As we draw near to you, draw near to us.
    Declare yourself to us, that we may declare you to the world.
    As we open our hands and hearts to receive you,
    Open our hands and hearts towards others.
    Freely may we receive, that we may freely give.
    Amen.

Our Lord Jesus Christ says, 'Come, for all things are now ready.'

[Bread and wine are shared]

PRAYER

Let us pray.
    We thank you Lord that in this feast you have expressed your love
    for us and for the whole world.  Fill us with longing to share with
    all in the heavenly feast you have promised and to work that all
    may know they are invited.  Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

DISMISSAL AND BLESSING 

Go in faith in your heavenly Father, to join him in his work in the
world.
Go in the presence of Jesus, to spread a message of hope in his name.
Go in the power of the Spirit, to share the love of God with your
neighbours.
And the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you
always.
    Amen.