Celebrating The Holy Eucharist
A Photographic Walk-Through the Prayer of Great Thanksgiving
According to The United Methodist Liturgy: Word and Table I

Prayer of Confession, Assurance, and Pardon



Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.

[All pray in silence]

Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, +
strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen!

***

The Great Thanksgiving
The United Methodist Liturgy: Word and Table I

Celebrant: "The Lord be with you!" People: "And also with you!"	Celebrant: "Lift Up Your Hearts!" People: "We lift them up to the Lord!!"
Celebrant: "Let us give thanks to the Lord our God!" People: "It is right to give our thanks and praise!"	Celebrant:"It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. You formed us in you image and breathed into us the breath of life. When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, and spoke to us through your prophets."
And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn: All: 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.	Celebrant: "Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. Your Spirit anointed him to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind. to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to announce that the time had come when you would save your people. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the spirit. When the Lord Jesus ascended he promised to be with us always, in the power of your Word and Holy Spirit."
On the night in which he gave himself up for us, Our Lord Jesus took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread gave it to his disciples, and said: "Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."	Likewise, when the supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his 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."
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:	All: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here...	... and on these gifts of bread ...
...and wine.	Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ...	... one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world ...
... until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet.	Through your Son Jesus Christ, with your Holy Spirit in your Holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and forever. Amen!
And now, as our savior Christ has taught us, let us pray:	All: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Because there is one loaf we, though we are many, are one body, for we all partake the one loaf.	The bread which we break, is it not a means of sharing in the Body of Christ?
And the cup over which we give thanks; is it not a means of sharing in the outpoured blood of Christ?	May the Body and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you in everlasting life.

The Communion









The Dismissal With Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you;
May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you;
May the Lord lift up His Countenance upon you and give you His Peace.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son +, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen!

Photos © 2006, Rev. Gregory S. Neal
All Rights Reserved