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communion: do not be afraid

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Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe,
for your promise is true, you are with us always, even to the end of the age.
We give you thanks
for in the beginning you created with a word
and the whole world reflects your glory.
We give you thanks,
for with a word you called for yourself a people
gave us your breath, your name, your blessing.
We give you thanks,
for your prophets through the ages
who shared your vision, spoke your truth,
called us to your way even when we turned our backs on you,
our eyes set on our own design.
When we would not listen,
your persistent promise sought us,
your word became flesh
you walked among us and offered your very body, your life and love,
to bring us home in relationship to you.
Even when we acted out of fear,
uncertain what a life based on love could accomplish,
you reached out to save us.
Even when we speak out of fear,
blaming and accusing, shouting without listening,
you whisper your still small voice,
do not be afraid, I am with you.
Gratitude and praise fill our hearts, O God,
and lift us up to your heavenly banquet,
where we join our voices with your people throughout the ages
proclaiming your goodness,
praying for courage to live from your grace.
Open our eyes to see your glory at this table,
and to see that your guest list extends far beyond our own.
Give us courage to enact your kingdom feast at our own tables.
In a world where some thrive on fear,
where profit is often more important than people,
and where violence seems the order of the day,
fill us again with your Spirit of peace.
Let your whisper be heard above the roar
of bombs and bullets
of shouts and jeers
of advertising and posturing.
We carry these burdens to your table, Lord Jesus,
and pray that you would carry the load of your world’s suffering—
hear the cries of those who thirst for clean water and for justice,
of those who speak truth and long for someone to believe them,
of those who look at the week ahead and feel only despair.
Give us hope in the midst of grief, and illness, and political campaigns.
Give us courage to live as if your promise is true.
Give us a sure sense of your abiding presence,
in bread and wine,
in the fellowship of friends and the meeting of strangers,
in the work of your kingdom.
Give us eyes to see and ears to hear your Spirit among us and within us.
Feed us at your table,
fill us with your grace,
and then send us out to be your people,
your body on earth,
overflowing with your hope in the world.
We pray these and all things in the name of Christ, host at this and every table, who taught us to pray together…

 

Submitted by Rev. Teri Peterson, the Presbyterian Church of Palatine, IL

POP: our help in ages past

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O God, you have been our help in ages past,
and you are our hope for years to come.
We give you thanks for calling us together to worship,
and for hearing us when we pray.
Before the word is on our lips, you know the desires and cries of our hearts,
your healing balm covers our hurt and your spirit of joy dances in our midst.
We celebrate together, rejoicing with those who rejoice,
for life and family, health and opportunity.
Help us to live in gratitude, recognizing all you have done for us.
And we lift up to you a world in need—
people in need of healing,
communities in need of comfort,
nations in need of guidance.
Where there is violence, give us courage to make peace.
Where there is fear, give us courage to stand with hope.
Where there is illness and disease, give us courage to reach out with healing hands.
Open our hearts, O God—break our hearts open for what breaks yours.
Pour in your hope, and then lead us into your world unafraid,
ready to stand with your people near and far,
as signs of your kingdom here on earth, among us and within us,
hope overflowing,
until all creation sings your grace.
We pray these and all things in the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

 

Submitted by Rev. Teri Peterson, the Presbyterian Church of Palatine, IL

communion: our faithfulness comes from you

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Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe,
for you have loved the world into being,
formed it with a word, enlivened it with your breath,
cared for it with your life.
We give you thanks for your faithfulness,
upholding your promise even when we fail.
As you created in love, so you call in love—
again and again, bringing us together, making us your body.
When we lost our way, or turned away,
still you sought us.
Through the voices of your prophets,
you showed us your vision and offered us your hand.
Though we do not often show it well, we are grateful, O God.
We give you thanks for Christ who came to walk among us,
living our life and dying our death,
teaching and eating and healing,
drawing us close to you,
feeding us with your word and your presence,
and showing us the extent of your love.
Though we did not recognize you in our midst,
our hearts full of our own ways and gods of our own making,
you stretched out your arms and gave us your last breath,
and then in the shadows of the morning you broke the last barrier,
bringing life yet again into your world,
proving love always has the last word.
It is still hard to see you, Lord Jesus, in the world today.
Love is elusive, healing seems far off, peace an impossible dream.
We pray that just as you fed the multitudes,
you would once again make your abundance known.
Where your children go hungry, break us open like bread.
Where your people are thirsty, pour us out in streams of clean water.
Where the earth groans, let your dew refresh and your shade protect.
You promised flourishing life, abundant,
and we beg you to continue your promise, O God.
Make your reality seen among us, even now.
May your Holy Spirit open our eyes and ears, hearts and minds,
to know you and your call,
and to serve you with every breath.
Give us courage to be makers of peace and doers of justice,
courage to confess our own shortcomings without highlighting the sins of others,
courage to trust your word of hope in a world of fear.
God of grain and grape,
from our many stalks and vines we pray that you would create one body,
as we share one bread and cup,
broken and poured for the healing of your world.
Lift us into your presence yet again, that we may feast at your heavenly banquet,
and then send us out nourished and prepared to build your kingdom here on earth.
We pray these and all things in the name of Christ, whose healing spirit overflowed into all who even touched his cloak, and who taught us to pray together…

Submitted by Rev. Teri Peterson, the Presbyterian Church of Palatine, IL

CTW: answer the call

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Church! Do not be afraid, God is happy to give you the Kingdom.
We answer the call and follow, preparing ourselves for God’s unfailing treasure.
Give your whole life, including your own treasure, to Christ in faith.
We are waiting, we are ready for Christ. Come, Jesus, come!

 

Submitted by Rev. Will Ryan, First Christian Church, Burlington IA

communion prayer: flawed and faithful

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Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe,
for your mercy is from everlasting to everlasting.
We give you thanks,
for you create with a word,
and you sustain all life with your own breath.
We give you thanks,
for your abundance is beyond our imagining,
providing enough for all—
enough food, enough water, enough time, enough love
for every person, for every creature, for every blade of grass and drop of water.
We give you thanks,
for when we have been unfaithful to you,
still you have always been faithful to us.
You have called us over and over,
even when we have turned our back on your way.
You walked among us in your Son,
living our life,
dying our death,
and rising to prove your power of love is greater.
Where still the powers of this world hold sway,
we pray for your grace to be known again this day.
Where there is hatred, make us your seeds of love.
Where there is illness, let your healing power flow free.
Where there is fear, make us beacons of your light.
Help us, O God, to reflect your glory into the world,
our every action and word rising from your love.
When we are tempted to keep silent in the face of injustice,
give us courage to speak out.
When we would prefer to explain things away,
give us courage to see what you would have us see.
When we are on the cusp of giving in to our own ideas about you,
reveal your true self to us again in the breaking of bread,
and nourish us in the life of your Spirit.
Here at your feast of life,
we join all those women who have been blamed for an abuser’s behavior,
all those children who learned not to cry,
all those men wondering if they are alone.
We break bread with people who have known heartache,
and with people who have caused it,
and join together in praying for your will to be done, not ours.
As we come to your table,
surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
flawed and faithful each in their own ways,
remake us into your body yet again,
loving, serving, and caring for the world.
We pray these and all things in the name of the One who proves your faithfulness, Jesus the Christ, who taught us to pray together…

Submitted by Rev. Teri Peterson, the Presbyterian Church of Palatine, IL