LABC, Oakland, CA
Invitation to Communion
Come to this table, not because you must but because you may.
Come to testify not that you are righteous but that you sincerely love our Lord Jesus Christ and desire to be his true disciples.
Come, not because you are strong, but because you are weak; not because you have any claim on heaven’s rewards, but because in your frailty and sin you stand in constant need of heaven’s mercy and help.
Come, not to express an opinion, but to seek a Presence and to pray for a Spirit. And now that the Supper of the Lord is spread before you, lift up your minds and hearts above all selfish fears and cares.
Let this bread and this cup be to you the witness and signs of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit.
For the Bread:
The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Let us pray.
O God, we who are at this table, trust that through the eating of the bread, the unity of this church is because we are in unity in Christ Jesus. Thank you for this bread in remembrance of Jesus Christ who come to dwell within and among us. Amen.
For the Cup:
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Pastoral Prayer
Gracious God, in whom we live and move and have our being, we lift our hearts and offer thanks to you for the wonders of the world about us, for humankind and the richness of love, for each new day of forgiveness and grace.
Lord, we lift up all who are confronted with health concerns that disrupt our normal schedules and pray to once again recover to have a balance in life that leads us to be active in your revealing of your realm on earth. Restore our bodies, our minds, and our hearts to be well again.
As your hands and feet of Christ in this world and particularly in Oakland, we pray for courageous and faithful discipleship to bear witness to your love demonstrated in the incarnation of Christ as a baby in Bethlehem.
Blessed with resources and abilities, call us to have compassion for the needy, speak for those who have no voice, advocate for those under repression when their civil rights are denied, and lead us to be mindful of all of your creation to have the love, peace, and the joy of life. Give us hope and that all people have hope to see yet another day of love.
Today when we have heard from Pastor Allison the conditions that the Palestinians are experiencing, we are moved to action to find a way toward peace and mutual respect so that brothers and sisters may grow old together. When we think of the many biblical places listed in our beloved Christmas stories, we are called back to the fact that in today’s Middle East, there is great grief and suffering. Allow us to have the capacity and willingness to call for inter-faith understanding and peace and rebuilding in Gaza, the West Bank and all places in great chaos.
Lord, we are also mindful that whenever there’s a time of joy, there would also be times of sadness. Let not our celebrations blind us from those who need our time and attention simply to get through the day.
Inasmuch as we have had our Thanksgiving dinners, we pray that we will continue to extend this hospitality of food to other days to feed the hungry.
Inasmuch as we decorated the church for Christmas, may we in our love for the world also go out into the streets and into the world to decorate it with love and caring.
Inasmuch as we lit a candle for peace, may we seek a cease fire in Oakland and around the world so that in the name of Christ, the Prince of Peace, we are at peace.
We pray that we live each day with hope and peace, welcoming one another. May we rejoice because Christ welcomes us and claims us and it is in his name, we pray. Amen.