Advent Communion Service
Communion Prayer for Advent Year A
December, 2019
Holy God,
We give thanks for your creation,
fragile, yet fruitful,
enough for all.
We give thanks that you call us into community
where love and justice may flourish,
enough for all.
We give thanks that you invite us on this Advent journey.
Awake, curious, longing to meet you,
we set out for your table of grace.
You light our path one step at a time,
beckoning us onto a Way that offers us
new eyes to explore the vision of the Promised One;
new senses to feel the heartbeat of the Vulnerable One
new courage to share the urgency of the Ruler of Peace.
One more step, one more stretch, one more challenge
takes us deeper into the mystery of your abundant life:
a world healed, renewed; all nature, all people at peace.
Along the Way
we join our voices with those of all created beings
in Heaven, and on Earth singing:
Holy, holy, God almighty
You are wholly, Love and light
Hea’vn and earth are flowing with your glory,
Holy God of power and might.
Sing Hosanna, in the highest
Sing hosanna, we proclaim!
Crying blessed be the faithful, who are coming in your name.
Mark Miller Still Speaking Sanctus
(Lead sheet at end of service)
We give you thanks for sending us Jesus, Emmanuel, God-with-Us,
whose life, death and resurrection
have become for us the Way
to find you,
to know you,
to join with you in creating
your new heaven and new earth.
We remember the night
when Jesus gathered at table with his friends
in a time of struggle and fear,
took bread, blessed it and gave it to them saying
“Take and eat: for this is my body.”
And after supper,
as Jesus looked forward to your desired day of joy and power;he took the cup of wine,
again gave You thanks and praise and said
“Take this, all of you, and drink.
This is the cup of the new covenant, my life poured out for you.
I will drink this with you again in the reign of God.
Share this bread and this cup in memory of me.”
Come now, Holy Spirit of God—
As you were present at creation,
be present now,
and let these gifts of bread and cup
become for us the bread of life and the cup of blessing.
As you were sent by Jesus
to accompany us on our journey of faith,
be present now,
and transform this community,
sharing this bread and cup, into one body in Christ
Recommended song during Communion: Come to the Table of Grace by Barbara Hamm, found in Sing! Prayer and Praise, 112
Service of Holy Communion for Advent was written by the Rev. Susan A. Blain, Minister for Worship and Gospel Arts.
Copyright 2019 Justice Local Church Ministries, Faith INFO Ministry Team, United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-1100. Permission granted to reproduce or adapt this material for use in services of worship or church education. All publishing rights reserved.