Service of Communion

Minister:  Now let us give thanks as we set apart this Bread and this Cup to the holy use for which our Lord has appointed them.

Minister:  The Prayer of Thanksgiving (This prayer or another)

We thank you, O God, joining our voices with the choirs of angels and with all the faithful of every time and place, who forever sing to the glory of your name: Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.

We give you thankful praise, remembering all your works:

For your work in creation and providence and in salvation history;
For the witness of the prophets
And for your steadfast love toward your people.
For the ultimate gift of Christ—
His birth, life, ministry, suffering, death, resurrection, ascension, his present intercession for us and the promise of his coming again—
As well as the gift of the Table, which Christ instituted.

We thank you for the Holy Spirit,
Who leads us into truth,
Defends us in adversity,
And out of every people unites us into one holy church.

Send your Holy Spirit upon us, we pray,
That the bread we break
And the cup we bless
May be to us an expression of the communion of the body and blood of Christ.

Grant that we may be joined together in him,
We may attain to the unity of the faith
And grow up in all things into Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Minister:  Let us hear the Words of Institution of the Holy Supper as they are recorded in the Scriptures.

Assistant: Words of Institution Compiled from the Gospels and 1 Corinthians

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is broken for you.

[Pause for Fraction]

And he gave it to the disciples.

Minister and Assistant shall distribute the bread.

They shall then return to the center and serve each other.

When the organist finishes playing, the Assistant continues:

Jesus said, “Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in Remembrance of Me.”

The Congregation shall eat the bread.

The Assistant Continues:

And Jesus took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

[Pause for Pouring]

And he gave it to his disciples.

Minister and Assistant shall distribute the cup.

They shall then return to the center and serve each other.

When the organist finishes playing, the Assistant continues:

Jesus said, “Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. All of you, drink of it.”

All the people drink together.

Then the Assistant says:

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Then the Elements are to be replaced on the Table and properly covered.

Then the Minister shall raise his hands and offer the following

 Ascription of Praise/Doxology (spoken at the Table, facing the Congregation):

Minister:  *The Ascription of Praise

Now to Him who loves us
and has freed us from our sins by His blood,
and made us a Kingdom,
priests to His God and Father,
to Him be glory and dominion
forever and ever. AMEN.

Minister:  *The Acclamation:

Minister: Great is the mystery of our faith!

People:  Christ has died!  Christ is risen!
Christ will come again!  Hallelujah!

Hymn