The Table Prayer

We name you, Lord our God,
and we bless you now
on this day which you have given us.

We adore you,
overwhelmed or serene,
alienated or rebellious,
believing and not believing
at the same time.

You are a God of living people.
You were not ashamed to be our God,
eternal and faithful
in life and death,
in good times and in bad.

We ask you this
for the sake of Jesus Christ,
our brother, your beloved Son.
You called him and sent him
to go ahead of us to you.

He became man
and was tested in joy and suffering,
but clung to you.

He fulfilled everything that is human–
our life and death,
giving himself, heart and soul,
to this world.

For, on the night that he was delivered up,
he took bread into his hands
and raising his eyes to you,
God, his almighty Father,
he gave thanks
and broke the bread
and gave it to his friends
with the words:
Take and eat,
this is my body for you.
Do this in memory of me.

He also took the cup
and, giving thanks to you, said:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood
shed for you and for all mankind
so that sins may be forgiven.
Every time you drink this cup,
you will do it in memory of me.

So whenever we eat of this bread
and drink of this cup,
we proclaim the death of the Lord
until he comes.

Therefore, Lord our God,
we present this sign of our faith
and therefore we call to mind
the suffering of your Son.

We remember
that he was crucified and buried,
but above all we remember
that you saved him
from death, that abyss,
and that he became for us
a name above all other names,

a man of peace,
living with you
and praying for us,
a man who will come
to make all things new.

Then there will be no more sorrow
and no more death.
Then he will call all of us,
the living and the dead,
by our names
on the day that you have appointed.

We ask you, Lord our God,
give us all the power of his life,
your Holy Spirit,
so that we may,
with hope and resolution,
continue on the way of life
and hold on to each other,
taking care that not one of your people
is lost.

Through Jesus and with him and in him,
may we find you
and, near to you,
those who have gone ahead of us.

May we see you
and speak with you, God,
as one person speaks with another.
We ask and implore you
to grant us this
now and for ever.
Amen.

This is the bread of the resurrection. 
This is the cup of God's faithfulness. 
Take, eat and drink, 
and may peace be with you.

Let us pray
to God our Father
with the words
that Jesus has given us:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be 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.
Amen.