A Communion Liturgy

The following is a Communion liturgy that I wrote for a celebration of the Lord's Table at Grace Church of Philly on June 20, 2011:

A Time of Thanksgiving

This table is a place of thanksgiving. It is here where, as a unified body, Christians commemorate and remember the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ our Lord.

It is “an occasion in which we present our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to the living God in gratefulness for God’s act of redeeming love in Jesus Christ.”[1]

This table is not a place of sacrifice. The place of sacrifice for sin was the cross. It is there, and not here, where redemption was accomplished. The sacrifice we offer here is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to our great and wonderful God for the giving of His Son in our place, and for our sins (cf. 1 Pet. 2:5).

These elements have no power to save in and of themselves. Instead, they are a visible testimony to the grace of God in the gospel message that is proclaimed to the world by the church. It is for this one-and-only saving message that we gather together around this table to give thanks.

Word of Warning – Fencing the Table

Obviously, one can only offer thanksgiving for something that one has received. Scripture defines a Christian as one who has received the new birth by the Spirit of God through a repentant faith in Jesus Christ (Luke 13:3, 5; John 3:3; Acts 3:19; Eph. 2:8-9; 1 Pet. 1:3, 23). In this conversion experience, the Christian receives entry into the new covenant, where God pours His love into and writes His law on the heart (Rom. 5:5; Jer. 31:33).

If you have not received the new birth by faith in Christ, then this table is not a place of thanksgiving for you, but instead is a testimony of judgment for sin. You cannot offer thanksgiving for a gospel message that you have not fully believed. You cannot offer thanksgiving for a Savior who has not yet become your Savior.

Further, if God has granted you the repentance that leads unto life (2 Tim. 2:25), and you are a member of the new covenant community, the church, but you are harboring some secret sin, worshipping some idol in your heart, or holding some grudge against a brother or sister in the Lord, please do not partake of this table. You are in no position to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving in your heart to the Lord.

A Time for Grace – Reflection and Confession

However, God gives grace. And He offers forgiveness in abundance. Now is the time to set aside the sins that so easily beset us and receive the grace of God that brings new life and a new heart (2 Cor. 6:2).

Let us bow our heads together for a time of self-reflection and confession unto the Lord. For those of you who have never turned your life over to God, who have never received the new birth by faith in Christ, you can call on the name of the Lord at this very moment, asking for mercy and forgiveness for the rebellion of your hardened heart.

Christian, now is the time to approach the throne of grace to ask forgiveness for worshipping the idols of your heart (money, success, the approval of others, safety and security). Now is the time to lay aside the grudge that you are holding against someone else in the faith.

At the end of this short time, we will recite the Lord’s Prayer together.

(A time of silence follows.)

The Lord’s Prayer

On this Father's Day, let us give honor and glory to our Father in heaven by reciting the Lord’s Prayer together:

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 (Matt. 6:9-13).

“Will those who are serving the elements please come forward at this time?”

The Breaking of the Bread

1Cor. 11:23 - For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 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.”

(Minister breaks the bread and hands it to those serving the elements.)

The Distribution of the Cup

1 Cor. 11:25 In the same way also he took 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.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

(Minister hands the cup to those serving the elements.)

Processional Communion

If you have been saved from the punishment of your sins, calling upon the name of the Lord with a sincere heart, you are welcome at this table. Let us not exclude those whom our Lord has welcomed into His family.

Beginning with the front rows, please make your way down the center aisle and come to receive the elements. Take them back to your seat and wait until all have received them so that we can partake together, as one body in Christ.

(When all have taken their seats:)

(Holding up the broken bread) Heb. 10:5 – When Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me…”

(Holding up the cup) The cup signifies the new covenant in Christ, ratified by His bloody death. Let us celebrate our participation in the new covenant together.

Thanksgiving Prayer

Almighty and ever living God, we give You praise and thanks for uniting us in the new birth by faith. We thank You for the joy and peace that flooded into our hearts when we came to know Your Son as our Lord and Savior.

Father, lead us towards the full visible unity of Your church and help us to treasure the signs of reconciliation You have granted us at this table. We pray for the overflow of Your Spirit’s sanctifying power in our lives to make us more and more like Jesus Christ, Your Son, and our Lord, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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[1] Donald G. Bloesch, “An Evangelical Theology of the Lord’s Supper,” in The Sacred Actions of Christian Worship, Vol. 6 of The Complete Library of Christian Worship, ed. by Robert E. Webber (Nashville, TN: Star Song, 1994), 244.

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