The Size of Your Heart: A Communion Liturgy

This communion liturgy was written to accompany the sermon series “Great Wild Mercy”. The bolded words are spoken by the congregation. You are welcome to use or adapt these liturgies for worship, with credit. When printing these liturgies, please use the following credit line: “Prayer by Rev. Carol Holbrook Prickett.”

Invitation to the Meal

In the wilderness, God poured water from a rock
so the people would live, and maybe, if they let themselves, believe that they were loved.

In an upper room, Christ poured wine into a cup,
so that we would live, and maybe, if we let ourselves, believe that we are loved.

So whether you come at your best or at your worst,
Christ welcomes you here.
Not because you have earned grace, but because you need it.
Because we all need it.

Friends, the feast is ready, prepared for you.

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.

We praise you God, because you made us wisely and well.
As soon as you made one person, you made another,
because it was not good for him to be alone.
In time, you blessed families with your presence,
families that grew into a people, countless as the stars.

“My people,” you called us.

And it wasn’t because we were perfect.
You gave us freedom, and we demanded borders.
You gave us law, and we scavenged for loopholes.
You gave us neighbors, and we exploited them.
You gave us compassion, and we displayed cruelty.

And so you came down here, as Jesus the Christ,
anointed to show us the size of your heart, up close.
Jesus ate with sinners and called out hypocrites,
and he freed the woman caught in a faithless act.
He made mercy central to his mission,
and brought the unlikeliest of people into community.

Jesus’ forgiveness was not a weakness; it was strength.
He took that strength to the cross, when with a dying breath, he said,
“Father, forgive them.”

On the third day, God raised this Jesus from the dead,
freeing him from his captivity to death,
freeing us from every chain, and showing mercy everlasting.

And so we praise the name of Jesus,
and trust the Spirit’s power,
to make this meal more than bread and juice;
that, having tasted grace,
we might be more merciful people,
until you return to this world you love.

Awaiting that day, we pray the prayer you taught us, saying, “Our Father…“

The Words of Institution

Sharing of Bread and Cup

Closing Prayer

Jesus Christ,
we have taken the bread and juice,
receiving your mercy.

Teach us now to offer this gift to others,
that even today, we might see a world made new.
Amen.