AN ALTERNATIVE GREAT THANKSGIVING FOR GENERAL USE

This text is used by the pastor while the congregation uses A Service of Word and Table II (UMH 13–15) or III (UMH 15–16) or one of the musical settings (UMH 17–25).

The pastor stands behind the Lord's table.

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts. The pastor may lift hands and keep them raised.
We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Blessed are you, our Alpha and our Omega,
whose strong and loving arms encompass the universe,
for with your eternal Word and Holy Spirit you are forever one God.
Through your Word you created all things and called them good,
and in you we live and move and have our being.
When we fell into sin, you did not desert us.
You made covenant with your people Israel
and spoke through prophets and teachers.
In Jesus Christ your Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
full of grace and truth.

And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

The pastor may lower hands.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

The pastor may raise hands.

Holy are you, and blessed is Jesus Christ, who called you Abba, Father.
As a mother tenderly gathers her children,
you embraced a people as your own
and filled them with a longing for a peace that would last
and for a justice that would never fail.
In Jesus' suffering and death you took upon yourself our sin and death
and destroyed their power for ever.
You raised from the dead this same Jesus,
who now reigns with you in glory,
and poured upon us your Holy Spirit,
making us the people of your new covenant.

The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the bread, or touch the bread, or lift the bread.

On the night before meeting with death, Jesus took bread,
gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to the disciples, and said:
"Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."

The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the cup, or touch the cup, or lift the cup.

When the supper was over Jesus took the cup,
gave thanks to you, gave it to the disciples, and said:
"Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant,
poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

The pastor may raise hands.

And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the bread and cup.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts,
that in the breaking of this bread and the drinking of this wine
we may know the presence of the living Christ
and be renewed as the body of Christ for the world,
redeemed by Christ's blood.

The pastor may raise hands.

As the grain and grapes, once dispersed in the fields,
are now united on this table in bread and wine,
so may we and all your people be gathered from every time and place
into the unity of your eternal household
and feast at your table for ever.

Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honor and glory is yours, almighty God, now and for ever.

Amen.

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AN ALTERNATIVE GREAT THANKSGIVING FOR GENERAL USE