Feast of the Nativity • Eucharistic Prayer

I wrote this for Christmas 2007, and ideally would have made some revisions, yet I still like this one a lot...Blessed Christmas/Epiphany Seasons to all!

• The Lord be with you.
• And also with you.
• Lift up your hearts.
• We lift them to the Lord.
• Let us give thanks to God.
• We rejoice to offer thanks and praise!

Root of Jesse, Son of Heaven, Mary's Child,

Cradle of Joy, Word in the Manger, Astonishing Grace and Lord of Creation, in jubilation heaven and earth adore you!

Abundant Promise and Dayspring of Peace,

At the dawn of time you spoke a Word of light into the darkness, taming the primeval disorder;

From the mountain you offered a Word of Covenant and Freedom;

Prophets spoke your Word of Justice and Hope, and in Jesus, born of Mary, you came to earth as God-with-us, a Ransom for all.

With the angels, the stars, the Bethlehem hills and people in every time and every place we sing:

Holy are you, God of mercy and love, and blessed is Jesus, your Son;
He left the realms of heaven, was born, served and taught as one of us, died for all on Calvary Hill, rose from death for the life of the world and ascended to reign over all creation.

And with the saints we confess the mystery of faith:

• Christ has died;
• Christ is risen;
• Christ will come again!

On the night of betrayal and desertion, our Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
In the same way after supper, he also took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes again in glory.

Come, Spirit of Holiness—come upon the prairies, the hills, the deserts, the seas, this city and upon this assembly;

Come, Holy Spirit—sanctify these gifts of grain and fruit of the vine uniting us with all creation;

Come, Spirit of Life—bless our feasting at this table and open our eyes to recognize the risen Christ in each other, in all for whom Jesus died, and especially our enemies...

Make us bearers of your peace and shepherds of your grace,

That washed in the waters of rebirth and reborn in the image of the Bethlehem Baby, we may live as people purified for your own purpose,

So in that day, when all creation dwells in heaven's reign, as we gather around heaven's Welcome Table, we will celebrate you as Emmanuel, God-among-us, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, endlessly throughout eternity,

Amen!

© leah chang 2007, 2012

season of creation 2012

Although I'd hoped to write a eucharistic prayer that would fit all 4 Sundays of this year's Season of Creation, I haven't yet done so; in the meantime, here's my illustration—the original version of the photograph I edited is by Kevin Connors from morguefile:

faith, order & witness opening prayer

God of all creation, you have journeyed with the church through seasons of Lent and Easter; we have experienced the glory of the cross, the surprise of resurrection morning, and celebrated the Lordship of the Ascended Christ.

Today as we again gather gather from with own diverse individual histories and varied ecclesiastical traditions, we long to understand each others perspectives and we yearn for essential unity in Christ.

During this green and growing season of ordinary time, may our conversations continue to bear fruit in ways that extend far beyond this place and this time.

In the name of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen for the life of all creation—Amen!

Lent 4 / Laetare

God of the Covenants, you gather us from south and north, from west and east – from all corners of creation – and in your son Jesus you embrace us with merciful lovingkindness. May our lives show your steadfast love to all we encounter; may our actions announce your gracious redemption with joy, that all creation would dwell in justice, freedom, and light. In the name of the crucified and risen one, Amen!

Lent B Eucharistic Prayer

• The Lord be with you.
• And also with you.
• Lift up your hearts.
• We lift them to the Lord.
• Let us give thanks to God.
• We rejoice to bring our thanks and praise!

Holy God, Mighty Lord, Boundless Spirit,
Giver of the Law, and Fountain of Grace!
In the wilderness desert you formed a people after your own heart.
Prophets spoke your words of judgment and hope
kings and rulers worshiped before your throne.
In Jesus, born of Mary, you showed us your face;
in righteous obedience he was baptized.
Jesus spoke truth to power, dined with sinners and outcasts, and called us friends.
During the week we now call holy, Jesus was tried and convicted, bore his own cross,
disarmed the powers and principalities,
took the sin and brokenness of the world upon himself,
was executed between thieves, and fulfilled all the law.
Jesus rose from the grave for the life of the world
and ascended to reign in grace.

You baptized us into the righteousness of Jesus Christ
and you baptized us in Spirit and Fire, reclaiming a people after your own heart.
You call us to righteous obedience
to speak truth to power
to resist the principalities and powers
to be the voice of the silent
to silence the voices of greed and oppression
to befriend the lonely and forgotten
to be the living presence of Jesus Christ.

With all the company of heaven and earth we proclaim:

Holy Holy Holy, God of power and might
Heaven and Earth are full of your glory
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest!
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of Heaven
Hosanna in the Highest!

And with all the company of earth and heaven we confess the mystery of faith:

• Dying you destroyed our death;
• Rising you restored our life;
• Lord Jesus, come in glory!

On the night of betrayal and desertion, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body, broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
After supper, he also took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes again in glory.

Send your Spirit of Life upon these gifts of grain and grape, that they would be for us the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Pour out your Spirit of Life upon this assembly, that we would be the incarnate presence of Jesus Christ in the world.

Endless thanksgiving, glory and dominion
Be to God, Father, Son and Spirit
Amen!

Lent 2 / Reminiscere

God of the Covenants, your word calls forth life from death, and you call us to take up the cross and follow Jesus. We ask that in the Spirit we will resist deadly powers of violence, greed and exploitation, that as we bear the name of Jesus Christ, our acts of love and words of care will trace the pattern of the cross. In the name of the Crucified and Risen One, Amen!

Inspired by "Make Our Church One Joyful Choir" by Thomas H. Troeger, a hymn I heard and blogged on Reformation 2004.

Lent 1 / Invocabit

26 February 2012

God of the Covenants, from the waters of Noah's flood, to the rivers of Jesus' baptism, to the font of our baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ, you have shown us your mercy and your steadfast love. As we trek mindfully through the desert of this season of Lent, may we trust your Spirit's leading as you continue forming us into your people who show steadfast love and mercy to all. In the name of the One crucified and risen for the life of the world, Amen!