This is part of my liturgy for an Easter celebration of the Lord's Supper. The opening dialogue is from Psalm 118. The first half of the prayer (beginning We thank you, O God, Creator...) is adapted from the German Reformed liturgy, and the second half (beginning We thank you, eternal God, Three-in-One) is from the New Century Hymnal (UCC).
Open now the gates of righteousness,
That we may enter and give thanks to God.
O give thanks to God, for God is good.
God’s steadfast love endures forever.
This is the gate of God.
The righteous shall enter through it.
We thank you, O God, Creator of all that is—sun and moon, stars and galaxies, water and earth, plants and insects,
humans and animals: You are both the Giver and Sustainer of life:
We praise you, O Christ, begotten of God, yet one of us:
You showed us the meaning of existence;
and, when you had fulfilled God’s perfect will,
you died for us and rose from the dead,
that we who once were empty might know the fullness of being.
In you we are bold to approach the very throne of God.
We bless you, O Holy Spirit, the one who sanctifies,
gift of the Creator through the promise of the Anointed.
You are the divine Breath,
both drawing us toward God and filling our lives with God’s Presence.
Come now, and awaken us to new life.
We thank you, eternal God, Three-in-One,
that you invite us to this holy meal: the bread of life and the cup of joy.
We unite in this covenant of faith, recalling Christ’s suffering and death,
rejoicing in Christ’s resurrection, and awaiting Christ’s return in victory.
We spread your table with these gifts of the earth and of our labor.
We present to you our very lives,
committed to your service in behalf of all people.
We ask you to send your Holy Spirit
on this bread and wine, on our gifts, and on us.
Strengthen your universal church
that it may be the champion of peace and justice in all the world.
Restore the earth with your grace that is able to make all things new.
Be present with us as we share this meal, and throughout all our lives,
that we may know you as the Holy One,
who with Christ and the Holy Spirit, lives forever. Amen.
And now, with the confidence of children of God, we are bold to pray together...
[The Lord's Prayer]
