THE CIRCLE OF FAITH AND COMMUNION




SACRAMENT OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

Litany of Preparation
From the Statement of Faith, United Church of Christ

We believe in you, O God, Eternal Spirit,
And to your deeds we testify.
You call the worlds into being,
Create persons in your own image,
And seek in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin.
In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Savior,
You have come to us and shared our common lot,
Conquering sin and death and reconciling the world to yourself.
You bestow upon us your Holy Spirit,
Creating and renewing the church of Jesus Christ,
Binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues and races.
You call us into your church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship,
To proclaim the gospel to al the world,
And resist the power of evil,
You promise to all who trust you forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace,
Courage in the struggle for justice and peace,
And eternal life in your realm which has no end.
Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto you. Amen.

The Lord’s Supper
The Invitation

Leader: The table is now prepared for us. We are invited to share
in the feast of God’s presence, celebrating here and now all
that is meant by being alive.

The Spirit of God moves in and through all time, in every
age, in every corner of the earth, calling people to renew
their hope and joy.

All: At this table we celebrate Jesus, who touched our
brokenness with his life; who gathers us to gather, inside and out. We give ourselves to that wholeness ,moving from hurt to happiness and from darkness to light, filling our lives with love, laughter, and each other, and joining with all created things to say “Holy are you, O God.”

The Peace
Leader: The peace of God be with you always.
People: and also with you. ( Please greet your neighbors with Christ Peace.)

Communion Prayer
Leader: Holy are you, O God, for your mercy is endless.
You have filled all creation with light and life , and your glory stretches through the heavens. It was you who led Abraham and Sarah to the land of promise, who saved your people from the desert of bitter tears, who called them to the land of the living. It was you who blessed Miriam and David when they danced and sang in holy places, and through Jesus the Christ, you taught us to celebrate. Those who were blind saw the sun of your goodness, the lame leaped for joy, and those who were locked in the prison of their fears were given the freedom to love.

People: Your Spirit calls us now, in this place, to gather all people into our celebration, to help the lame and the blind, the lost and lonely, to wipe away tears with an outstretched hand.

Leader: The bread of life, the cup of joy, stand as reminders that miracles in faith and risk continue to happen. In thanks giving and remembrance, we ask you to bless this bread and cup so that, in sharing them together we shall be your church.

Words of Institution
Sharing the Bread and the Cup

Hymn: “Let Us Break Bread Together”
verse 1. Let us break bread together on our knees.
Refrain:
When I fall on my knees, with my face to the rising sun,
May God have mercy on me.
Verse 2: Let us drink wine together on our knees.
Verse 3: Let us praise God together on our knees.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Leader: Let us give thanks.
All: We give thanks, O God because in your own free gift of love you have reached out to us. You have refreshed us at your table, touched our deepest needs, and called us to a life shared in memory and hope. Send us forth with courage and joy in the name of Jesus Christ, that we too, may become bread and peace for one another and the world. Amen