World Communion Sunday Liturgy from Canada

Richard Bott of British Columbia shares his liturgy with us all in advance of World Communion Sunday which will be October 6 this year.

“Here are the gathering words and the communion liturgy I put together for World Communion Sunday. We’ll be celebrating with breads from around the world.”

Call to worship

One: The whole world is in God’s hands.
All: Everything that lives and breaths.
Everything that simply is.
Everything.
One: From the farthest spaces, to the inmost places!
All: God is with us
and we are with God.
Alleluia!
One: As people of Christ, gathered at table,
with our sisters and brothers around the world,
to remember whose we are,
we shout,
All: Alleluia! Thanks be to God!
One: Shall we pray?
With all that we have,
with all that we are,
we worship you, God-of-all-Being.
Bless this day. Bless this time. Bless this gathering.
Bless this world, with your overflowing love.
Alleluia!
All: Alleluia! Amen!

Great Thanksgiving

O: God is with you.
A: And with your spirit.
O: Lift up your hearts.
A: We lift our hearts to God.
O: Let us give thanks to God, our God.
A: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
O: We do give you thanks,
and we do praise you,
God of all creation.
From before there was a beginning,
until after there is an end,
you were and are and always will be.
All creation is animate – alive –
in you, and with you, and beside you.
For everything that is, came into being through you.
In praise and thanksgiving,
with leaves that whisper,
brooks that babble,
coyotes that yip,
the birds of the air, the fish of the sea,
the squirmers and the squigglers –
even the stars above…
A: We shout ALLELUIA!
We sing AMEN!

O: With our sisters and brothers around the world,
those who profess faith in Christ,
and those who live other paths,
we celebrate Life!
For we, who follow the Way of Jesus,
this is a day we remember all who gather
to eat the bread and drink from the cup.
With those who call this bread, pa, pain, brød,
bukë, çörək, matsoh, psomi –
and more!
With those who call this wine, wyn (vayn), vin,
verë, geenee,yah-een, krasee –
and more!
We come together to re-member,
that we are Christ’s people,
all around the world.
We are Christ’s people – no matter what!
A: We shout ALLELUIA!
We sing AMEN!

O: Even in our brokenness,
even in our sin,
you call us back with your love.
Through mothers and grandmothers,
grandfathers and fathers,
through prophets and priests and
everyday people,
you call us back to your love.
A: And through Jesus the Christ!
A tiny baby, a teenager,
a person, like us!
Through him, you taught us
that there is nothing
that can separate us from your love –
not even death!
ALLELUIA!

O: In celebration for the gift of his life,
the gift of his teaching,
the gift of his death and resurrection,
we sing,
A: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might;
holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might.
Heav’n and earth are full, full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest, hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest, hosanna in the highest.

O: On the night before he was taken to his death,
Jesus gathered with his followers,
he took bread, gave thanks to you,
God of all creation,
and offered it to those gathered at the table saying,
A: Take this and eat.
This is my body, given for you.
Each time you eat it, remember me.

O: After the meal was over,
he took a cup of wine, and gave thanks to you,
God of all love.
He offered it to those gathered at the table saying,
A: Take this and drink.
This is my promise, in my life’s blood,
given for you.
Each time you drink it, remember me.

O: So we eat, we drink, and we remember.
We eat, we drink, and we remember.
A: Christ has died. Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
We celebrate that your Holy Spirit is present,
in these gifts, and in us,
that they – and we – can be Christ’s gifts to the world.
In celebration, we offer the words that Jesus
gave to all of his disciples, saying to God,
who is like our Mother, who is like…
A: 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 sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.
(Great Amen – VU p.943)

Amen, amen, amen, amen.

Sharing the Bread and Cup

One: Jesus Christ, the bread of life!
All: Amen!
One: Jesus Christ, the cup of love.
All: Amen!
One: The gifts of God, for all God’s people!
All: Thanks be to God!

The elements are shared

Prayer after Communion
All: For the bread we have eaten,
for the wine we have tasted,
for the Spirit in which we live,
we thank you, God of all love!
May this burst of flavour,
be on our lips and in our hearts,
so we can share your love,
with your world.
Alleluia! Amen!