Riceville United Church

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Holy Communion

A Call to GiveThanks:
The Holy One is here.
Gods Spirit is with us.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Lets give thanks to God.
Its right to offer thanks and praise.

*Hymn:

Breathe on Me, Breath of God VU 382

Our Thanksgiving to God:

Blessed are you, gracious God, Creator of Light. Giver
of all Life, Source of Love. In the beginning your Spirit
moved over the waters and through your Word brought
all things into being. Through a burning bush, you

spoke to your prophets and your people. With glowing

coals your touched their lips, that they might speak
your word of truth and justice. By fire and your Spirit,
you have guided us through the wilderness. We give
you thanks and praise, O God of wind and word, power
and peace. Lover of all nations, although we have so
often betrayed your promise, you have never left us nor
forsaken us. You sent us Jesus, your Gift of Grace, our
Light and Flame. You poured out your Spirit upon us, to
create, renew, inspire, that all might be made whole.
We bless you, for your Spirit wraps us in your
presence, drawing us closer in community. And so it is
that on this feast of Pentecost, we give you praise and
thanks for your many gifts, joining with all your people
that as one body we may proclaim your praise:
Holy, holy, holy, vulnerable God. Heaven and earth
are full of your glory! Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of God.
Hosanna in the highest.
We do what Jesus did the night before he died. He took
bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, and gave it to his
friends, and said, Take, eat; remember me. Then he
took the cup, and said, Take, drink; remember.
Remembering the death and celebrating the
resurrection, we await with hope the coming again
of compassion and justice to the earth.
Therefore, as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we
are proclaiming Christ's death until he comes. In this
communion, we restore to memory and hope the
broken and unremembered victims of tyranny and sin;
and we long for the bread of tomorrow, and the wine of
the age to come.
2

Come, then, life-giving Spirit of our God, brood over

these bodily things and make us one body with Christ,
that we may labour with creation to be delivered from
its bondage to decay, into the glorious liberty of all the
children of God. With Jesus, we pray together, saying:
Our Father, who art in heaven ...

(the bread is broken, the cup is lifted,

and these words are said, responsively:)

The bread that we break

is our sharing in the life of Christ.

The cup for which we give thanks

is our sharing in the life of Christ.

Come, for all things are now ready.

(Today, you will be served in a traditional fashion. You
will be served the bread first, and we will partake
together; the juice will then be served, where we will
partake together)
The Bread of Life
The Cup of Blessing
3

The Prayer after Communion:

Gracious God, may your gifts of love transform and
enliven us that we may live lives of thanksgiving.
May your presence among us provoke such
longing for your realm, that we will never be
satisfied until the whole earth knows your justice,
your peace, and your love.
In Christ's name, we pray.
AMEN!

Please return to your bulletin.