Prayers

Table Prayer

Loving God,
thank you for offering us Jesus Christ,
like the simple gifts of bread and grape juice,
to satisfy our deepest hunger
and quench our deepest thirst.

Please come
into even the darkest corner of our lives.
Please come
into our heart, and mind and soul.
Uncurl your strength and beauty within us.
until we become more like you
and show it in the things we do and say.

Through Jesus our Brother and our Saviour.

Amen!

~ written by Bruce Prewer, and posted on Bruce Prewer’s Home Page.
http://www.bruceprewer.com/

Thanksgiving

God of fresh bread and new wine,
we sense your presentness among us
in grace-filled moments of sharing,
in carefully created communities of loving solidarity,
in holy times of birthing new life amid all the suffering.

We delight in the moving of your steadfast Spirit
demanding that we find water for the thirsty,
demanding that we prepare meals
for all who hunger, and
encouraging us to welcome all in our midst.

As we share this meal
may we be nourished by the dangerous memory
of Jesus and his friends,
who dared to feed those no one else would feed,
who included the ‘sinners’ that society shunned and oppressed,
who drew healing energy out of people past hope of healing,
who heard the cries of people dried up and desperate,
and nourished them with living water,
and life-giving bread.

~ posted on the Rex A.E. Hunt website.
http://www.rexaehuntprogressive.com/

Table Prayer

Lord God, you draw and welcome us,
emptied of pride and hungry for grace,
to this your kingdom feast.
Nowhere can we find the food for which our souls cry out
but here, Lord at your table.
Invigorate and nourish us, good Lord,
that in and through this Bread and Wine
your love may meet us and your life complete us
in the power and glory of your kingdom.

Amen.

~ from the Church in Wales Holy Eucharist 2004. Posted on the USPG: Anglicans in World Mission website.
http://www.uspg.org.uk/

wounded eucharistic prayer

lift up your hearts
we lift them up to god
lift up your heads
we lift them up to god
lift up your voices
we lift them up to god
lift up your hearts
we lift them up to god

we praise you for your unswerving love for us
though we are fragile
though we are wounded
though we are broken
you have never stopped loving us
and you have never forsaken us

greater love has no one than this
that they lay down their life for their friends
you take what is broken
and transform it through your death and love
what once was hurt
what once was friction
what left a mark
no longer stings
because grace makes beauty
out of ugly things

so we join with the angels singing
holy holy holy
holy holy holy
lord god almighty
lord god almighty
heaven and earth are full of your glory
heaven and earth are full of your glory
hosanna in the highest
hosanna in the highest

in your last meal with your friends
before your betrayal
you took the bread and gave thanks
you broke it and shared it saying
'take and eat. this is my body broken for you'
christ's body is broken
we are christ's body, we are broken
may christ's broken body nourish you in all the right places
you took the cup of wine, gave thanks and shared it saying
'drink this, my blood shed for you'
christ's body is wounded
we are christ's body, we are wounded
may the blood that flowed from christ's wounds
heal you in all the right places
send your holy spirit on us
heal our brokenness
by showing us our place in your community of faith
great is the mystery of faith
christ has died
christ is risen
christ will come again

this is the table of christ
today it is literally made of our brokenness
a sign that christ welcomes us all as we are
there is no need to pretend and no need to hide

so gather at this table
not because you are whole
but because you recognize your need for healing
not because you are good enough
but because you recognize these gifts of god

~ from the Grace website worship archive.
http://www.freshworship.org/