This Communion Liturgy was written to accompany the sermon series “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: Spiritual Wisdom from Fred Rogers.”
Invitation to the Table
Mr Rogers’ Neighborhood had its own liturgy. Each show he would repeat certain actions, certain words. Each time he came home, he would feed his fish, sometimes saying what he was doing, sometimes not. One day he got a letter from a five year old girl who was blind, but listened each week to his show. She worried that when he did not say he was feeding his fish, that they were going hungry. From that day on, Mr. Rogers always said that he was feeding his fish, so Katie—one girl amongst his millions of viewers—would not have to worry that a fellow creature was hungry.
In that same way, when we come to this table, we use words. The prayer I say does not make this meal communion; God’s grace does that. Yet I pray, and we pray, to remind ourselves what we are doing. That more than snacktime, this is the feast of the Lord, a symbol of God’s love, mercy, and welcome. This is a neighborhood meal; all are welcome here.
The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving + The Lord’s Prayer
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.
It is truly right to give you thanks, God,
creator of all we know,
all that is seen and unseen.
You formed the worlds,
every star and tree and ocean
the work of your hands–even us.
But more than dust and clay,
you breathed your breath into us,
made us in your image,
every last one of your children
an echo of who you are.
Your faithfulness is an amazing story.
You brought your people out of Egypt,
where they were slaves
leading them into a home of their own.
You gave them rules to follow so they would love each other
and care for widows, orphans, and strangers.
When they let greed and violence lead them instead,
you sent prophets to call them back to your way,
and proclaim that you still loved them.
In time you moved into our neighborhood yourself,
in flesh and blood as Jesus Christ,
to eat with us, play with us, sing with us,
heal us, teach us, warn us, forgive us.
In fear and anger, we put Jesus on a cross.
Yet your love cannot be killed,
and your mercy cannot be contained.
After three days Christ rose again,
showing us once and for all
that God’s love is stronger than death.
And so death no longer haunts us.
It is a shadow, fleeing before the burning light of God.
Therefore we praise you,
joining our voices with choirs of angels,
and with that great multitude
no one can count,
from every nation,
from all cultures and peoples and languages
all the ordinary saints
who have finished their race
and sing forever to the glory of your name.
Spirit, move in us,
that we might know we too are counted among the saints
God’s beloved children,
vessels of God’s grace
We pray that we too might be vessels of your grace,
thankful and transformed,
so our lives may proclaim the one crucified and risen.
Great is the mystery of faith:
Christ has died, Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us,
and upon these your gifts of bread and wine,
that the bread we break together, and the cup we share together,
may remind us of that in ordinary things your love is found
in ordinary lives your grace is known
and in ordinary days we can find your presence.
Keep us breaking bread together
in joy and in faith
until you return to this world you love
this earth you made,
and this people you cherish.
Until that day, we lift our prayer to you,
using the words recited by all generations, saying:
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.
The Words of Institution
Sharing of the Bread and Cup
Closing Prayer
Jesus Christ, lamb and shepherd,
we remember you here,
as we remember all your saints.
Help us to remember you
not just in this sanctuary
but in our homes and schools
our cars and offices
to remember that every part of our life
is shot through with your grace
and that we are never alone
but surrounded by a cloud of witnesses,
united by your love. Amen.
Deep Well Worship 