Communion Statement on Memorial Day

How fitting on Memorial Day we come to the Memorial Table. When it is my opportunity to give the Communion Statement,I prefer to share something positive, something uplifting. I cannot today because on Memorial Day I remember my generations war,a war that claimed over 58,000 lives.  I remember Vietnam.  I remember a young man, just out of high school,wwho chose to volunteer instead of going to college or waiting for the draft.  He died on patrol one week after being deployed in Vietnam.\

On Memorial Day, we remember service men and women, who like my high school friend, gave their lives to secure and protect the freedom we have in this country.  As we come to the Lord's Table, we remember Christ gave his life for us. In remembrance, let us live to be his hands in this world today.

Communion Prayer January 11, 2015

Join me now in prayer.

Father, you are Creator of all existence

And the Holy Spirit is our Companion.

But at this time,

I choose to think of the man in the upper room

Who knowing suffering and death awaited 
Ate supper with his disciples,

Then commanded them
To do this in remembrance of Him.
Let us do likewise.
In Jesus name,
Amen.

Christmas Invitation to Communion

I come to invite you to join us

In Communion.

Our statement of identity says that:

"We are Disciples of Christ

A movement for wholeness

In a fragmented world.

As part of the one body of Christ,

We welcome all to the Lord's Table

As God has welcomed us."

When I think of Christmas,

The baby in the manger,

I am not surprised that we all love this holiday

Despite its commercialization and too often, frantic pace.

We remember that

God came as a baby.

We  can hold a baby.  We could hold God.

I think deep within in each of us
Is the desire to be in control.

God as a baby gives us control

And sets Christmas in a special place.

But Christmas leads us to Easter,

And a Savior who did not conquer by might

But became the Lamb of God,

A living sacrifice,

Out of our control.

When we take the bread and wine,

We follow Jesus' command:
"Do this in remembrance of me."

In Communion,
God is in control.

I feel at peace with myself

When I take the bread and cup

And know that I do God's will.

That now the Christ holds me.

Join us at the Lord's Table.

Let Jesus cradle you.

Communion Prayer November 2,2014

Dear Lord,

Creator, Word, and Love,

You spoke creation into existence.

Chose to walk this earth in human form,

And to dwell with us now.

As we take this bread and wine,

We follow our Savior's command

To do this

"In remembrance of Me."

Bless this congregation

And make those in it the servants you need.

Let us work together in your love,

To make the world around us what you want

For we are your hands in this place.

In Jesus name we pray,

Amen.

Communion Prayer for April 6, 2014

Romans 8:6-11

⁶ The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life^[a] because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of^[b] his Spirit who lives in you.

Dear Lord,

We come to share the bread and wine

In celebration and remembrance of you.

     The passage from Romans we read today 

Reminds us that You sent Your Spirit

To dwell within us and

Give us life and peace.

So we know

As we eat the bread and drink the wine

The Comforter joins us.

Amen.