This communion liturgy was written to accompany Acts 16:25-34, with a particular emphasis on the sharing of God’s good news.
Invitation to the Table
Scripture says that the jailor, on the day he heard the good news of Christ, had a four fold response:
He welcomed his former prisoners as brothers.
He washed their wounds.
He allowed his own to be washed in baptism.
And he gave them a meal.
I don’t know if he’d even heard of the Last Supper yet, but he knew, instinctively, that grace is found at the table.So come to a meal. It is a good place to start.
The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
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.
God, your goodness is woven through all creation.
You made the world, and called it good, and that should have been enough for us.
But we were curious about evil, too, and so the world split in two.
Your good voice calling out, and so much bad news everywhere.
Over and over, your goodness pulled us through.
Your goodness pulled a people out of the evils of slavery.
Your goodness called your people out of the evils of corruption, greed, and pride.
Your goodness brought a people home after the evils of war and displacement.
And in time, you sent good news in human form.
Angels spanned the sky, singing the good news of his birth.
Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.
Jesus told us the good news,
that the outcast could be welcomed in
the sinners forgiven
the hypocrites shown the way to integrity
and the children given place of honor in the kingdom of God.
But there were those that only wanted good news that was good for them,
not good for everybody.
And they killed our Christ, and hung him on a cross.
One final headline, to silence goodness forever.
But three days later, angels sat in a garden,
bringing the good news of his resurrection.
All the bad news in the world can’t silence God’s Good News.
And so we praise the Spirit, who keeps changing hearts,
and pulling us towards goodness.
Pour yourself out, Spirit, on this bread and cup,
that this meal may give us some of your boundless energy for the world you love.
In this meal, may we taste the power that will pull us through,
until your good news rings from east to west, and all creation rests in you.
With hope of that day in our hearts, we pray with the words Christ taught us:
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 the Bread and Cup
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Jesus Christ, thank you for this meal.
Strengthen and nourish us now
for the work you are calling us to do:
welcoming all people
until every table is full of your children
and every heart full of your love.
Amen.
Deep Well Worship 