The Holy Eucharist MW

From the Methodist Worship Book.

	The Gathering

	A hymn may be sung at the entrance of the ministers,
	or after the greeting

	The Greeting

	The presiding minister greets the people

	The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
	and the love of God, 
	and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, 
	be with you all.
All	and also with you.

	From Easter Day to Pentecost 
	this acclamation follows

	Alleluia. Christ is risen.
All 	He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

	Or from the Sixth Sunday of Easter:

	Alleluia! The Lord reigns!
All 	Let the earth rejoice! Alleluia!

	Words of welcome or introduction may be said.

	Prayers of Penitence

	A minister uses a seasonal invitation to confession
	or these or other suitable words

	My sisters and brothers in Christ,
	let us confess our sins to God,
	trusting in his mercy and forgiveness.

	(or)

	My brothers and sisters in Christ,
	let us call to mind our sins.

All 	Almighty God, our heavenly Father, 
	we have sinned against you 
	and against our neighbour
	in thought and word and deed,
	in the evil we have done
	and in the good we have not done,
	through ignorance, through weakness,
	through our own deliberate fault.
	We are truly sorry 
	and repent of all our sins.
	For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
	who died for us, 
	forgive us all that is past
	and grant that we may serve you in newness of life
	to the glory of your name. 
	Amen.

	Or a Kyrie Confession may be used 
	with these or similar verses.

	[Lord Jesus, you came into the world to save sinners:]
	Lord, have mercy.
	Lord, have mercy.

	[We have brought sorrow and hurt to you, 
	to others and to ourselves:]
	Christ, have mercy.
	Christ, have mercy.

	[You give yourself to heal and renew us, 
	and to bring us strength:]
	Lord, have mercy.
	Lord, have mercy.

	The presiding minister says either of these
 	or some other absolution.

	May almighty God have mercy on us,
	forgive us our sins, 
	and keep us in life eternal.
All	Amen.

(or)

	Almighty God,
	who forgives all who truly repent,
	have mercy upon you, 
	pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
	confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,
	and keep you in life eternal;
	through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All	Amen.

	The Collect

	The presiding minister introduces a period of silent prayer 
	with the words ‘Let us pray’ 
	or a more specific bidding.
	The Collect is said, and all respond.
All 	Amen.

	Gloria in excelsis may be used (except in Advent and Lent)
	or You are Worthy, or Tris-hagion may be used, 
	or else a hymn may be sung.

	Gloria in Excelsis

All 	Glory to God in the highest,
	and peace to his people on earth.

	Lord God, heavenly King,
	almighty God and Father,
	we worship you, we give you thanks,
	we praise you for your glory.

	Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
	Lord God, Lamb of God,
	you take away the sin of the world:
	have mercy on us;
	you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
	receive our prayer.
	
	For you alone are the Holy One,
	you alone are the Lord,
	you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
	with the Holy Spirit,
	in the glory of God the Father. 
	Amen.

	You are Worthy

All	You are worthy, our Lord and God;
	to receive glory and honour and power,
	for you have created all things:
	and by your will they were created 
	and have their being.
	You are worthy, O Christ, 
	for you were slain:
	and with your blood 
	you redeemed the human race for God,
	and have chosen us to be a holy priesthood  
	from every people and nation.
	To the One who is seated on the throne 
	and to the Lamb:
	be blessing and honour, glory and might,
	for ever and ever.  Amen.

	Tris-hagion

	Holy God
	Holy and mighty,
	Holy and immortal:
	Have mercy upon us.

All	Holy God
	Holy and mighty,
	Holy and immortal:
	Have mercy upon us.

	The Ministry of the Word

	Readings

	One or two readings follow.
	Psalms, Canticles and Hymns may be sung 
	between the readings.

	At the end the reader may say

	This is the word of the Lord.
All 	Thanks be to God.

	Gospel Reading

	When the Gospel is announced the reader says

	A reading from the Gospel according to . . .

	Hear the Gospel of Christ.
All 	Glory to Christ our Saviour.

	At the end

	This is the Gospel of Christ.
All 	Praise to Christ our Lord.

	Sermon
	A hymn may be sung.

	Prayers of Intercession

	The prayers are introduced by the presiding minister 
	using these or similar words.

	In faith let us pray to God our Father,
	in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
	and in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

	A minister or reader continues. 
	These responses may be used.

	Lord, in your mercy
All 	hear our prayer.

	(or)

	Lord, hear us.
All	Lord, graciously hear us.

	At the end

	Merciful Father,
All 	accept these prayers
	for the sake of your Son,
	our Saviour Jesus Christ. 
	Amen.

	Or the intercession may end with the Lord's Prayer
	or else a collect.

	The Nicene Creed

All 	We believe in one God,
	the Father, the Almighty,
	maker of heaven and earth,
	of all that is, 
	seen and unseen.
	
	We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
	the only Son of God,
	eternally begotten of the Father, 
	God from God, Light from Light,
	true God from true God,
	begotten, not made,
	of one Being with the Father;
	through him all things were made.
	For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
	was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
	and was made man.
	For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
	he suffered death and was buried.
	On the third day he rose again
	in accordance with the Scriptures;
	he ascended into heaven
	and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
	He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, 
	and his kingdom will have no end.

	We believe in the Holy Spirit,
	the Lord, the giver of life,
	who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
	who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,
	who has spoken through the prophets.
	We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
	We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
	We look for the resurrection of the dead,
	and the life of the world to come. 
	Amen.					(Common Worship Text)

	The Lord's Supper

	The Peace

	The presiding minister introduces the Peace in these other words.

	[Our Lord Jesus Christ said to the apostles:
	'I leave you peace, my peace I give to you.'] 

	The peace of the Lord be always with you
All 	and also with you.

	Let us offer one another a sign of peace.
	
	All may exchange a sign of peace.

	Preparation of the Gifts

	A hymn may be sung, and the gifts of the people may be gathered 	and presented. The table is prepared, and bread and wine are 	placed upon it. The presiding minister takes the bread and wine. 
	He may lift them in the sight of the people and  say:

	Here is bread, God's good gift:
All	It will become for us the bread of life.

	Here is wine, God's good gift:.
All	It will become for us the cup of salvation.

	The presiding minister may add this or other suitable prayers

	Lord and Giver of every good thing, we bring you 
	bread and wine for our communion,
	lives and gifts for your Kingdom,
	all for transformation through your grace and love,
	made known in Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

	Eucharistic Prayer 

	For the full text of some Eucharistic Prayers see page 14.

	The Lord be with you
All 	and also with you.
	Lift up your hearts.
All 	We lift them to the Lord.
	Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All 	It is right to give thanks and praise.

	The presiding minister praises God, and the people respond

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.

	The presiding minister says the words of the Last Supper

	Great is the mystery of faith.
All	Christ has died:
	Christ is risen:
	Christ will come again.
(or)
	Praise to you, Lord Jesus:
All	Dying you destroyed our death
	rising you restored our life:
	Lord Jesus, come in glory.

	The presiding minister concludes the Eucharistic Prayer

	. . . for ever and ever.
All 	Amen.
	The Lord’s Prayer

	If the Lord's prayer has not been said, it is introduced now.

	As our Saviour taught his disciples, we pray:
All 	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.
	For thine is the kingdom,
	the power and the glory,
	for ever and ever.  Amen.

	Breaking of the Bread

	The presiding minister breaks the consecrated bread.

	We break this bread 
	to share in the body of Christ.
All 	Though we are many, we are one body,
	because we all share in one bread.

	These words may be said:

	Jesus, Lamb of God, 
All 	have mercy on us.
	Jesus, bearer of our sins, 
All 	have mercy on us.
	Jesus, redeemer of the world, 
All 	grant us peace.
	Giving of Communion

	The presiding minister says one of these 
	invitations to communion:

	Receive this holy sacrament
	of the body and blood of Christ
	and feed on the lamb of God
	with reverence and with faith.

(or)
	Jesus is the Lamb of God
	who takes away the sin of the world.
	Blessed are those who are called to his supper.
All	Lord, I am not worthy to receive you,
	but only say the word, and I shall be healed.

(or)

	The things of God for God’s holy people.
All	Jesus Christ is holy,
	Jesus Christ is Lord,
	to the glory of God the Father.

	or, from Easter Day to Pentecost

	Alleluia. Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.
All	Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

	The presiding minister and people receive communion.

	Baptized persons who are communicant members of other
 	Churches which subscribe to the doctrine of the Holy 
	Trinity, and are in good standing in their own Church 
	may receive Communion. 

	Prayers and Dismissal

	A post Communion Collect may be said, followed by this prayer.
	
All 	We thank you, Lord,
	that you have fed us in this sacrament,
	united us with Christ,
	and given us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet
	prepared for all people.  Amen.

	A Hymn may be sung here or after the dismissal.

	Blessing

	The presiding minister uses this or some other blessing.

	The peace of God, which passes all understanding,
	keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,
	and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord;
	and the blessing of God almighty,
	the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
	be among you and remain with you always.
All 	Amen.

	A minister dismisses the people.

	Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. 
All 	In the name of Christ. Amen. 

	or, from Easter Day to Pentecost

	Alleluia!
	Go in joy and peace to love and serve the Lord.
All	In the name of Christ. Alleluia.

	Eucharistic Prayer  M1

The Lord be with you
All 	and also with you.
	Lift up your hearts.
All 	We lift them to the Lord.
	Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All 	It is right to give thanks and praise.

	Here follows an extended preface, or the following.

	Father, almighty and everliving God,
	it is right to give you thanks and praise 
	at all times and in all places.

	Short Proper Preface, when appropriate

	Therefore, with angels and archangels
	and with all your people on earth and in heaven,
	we proclaim your glorious name,
	evermore praising you and saying:   

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.

	Holy and blessèd God,
	you have created all things
	and made us in your own image.
	When we had fallen into sin
	you gave your only Son Jesus Christ
	to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption,
	making there the one perfect sacrifice
	for the sins of the whole world.

	On the night that he was betrayed he took bread;
	and when he had given you thanks,
	he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying,
	'Take, eat. This is my body which is given for you.
	Do this in remembrance of me.'

	In the same way, after supper, he took the cup; 
	and when he had given you thanks,
	he gave it to them, saying,
	'Drink this, all of you.
	This is my blood of the new covenant 
	which is shed for you and for many
	for the forgiveness of sins.
	Do this, as often as you drink it,
	in remembrance of me.'

	Great is the mystery of faith.
All	Christ has died:
	Christ is risen:
	Christ will come again.
(or)
	Praise to you, Lord Jesus:
All	Dying you destroyed our death
	rising you restored our life:
	Lord Jesus, come in glory.

	Therefore, Father,
	we do as Christ your Son commanded;
	we remember his passion and death,
	we celebrate his resurrection and ascension,
	and we look for the coming of his kingdom.

	Accept through him 
	this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving;
	and grant that by the power of your life-giving Spirit,
	we who eat and drink these holy gifts
	may share in the body and blood of Christ
	and be united with all your people
	on earth and in heaven;

	through the same Jesus Christ our Lord,
	by whom, and with whom, 
	in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
	all honour and glory are yours,
	almighty Father,
	for ever and ever.  
All 	Amen.

	The service continues with the Lord's Prayer on Page 11.

	From Methodist Worship:
	Holy Communion in a Home or Hospital.
	Acclamations inserted.
	Short prayer for Field or Family use.

	Eucharistic Prayer  M2

	The Lord be with you.
All 	And also with you.
	Lift up your hearts.
All 	We lift them to the Lord.
	Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All 	It is right to give thanks and praise.

	Here follows an extended preface, or the following.

	Lord our God, 
	your love and grace fill everything you have made.
	In time and eternity your praise resounds 
	through earth and heaven.

	From age to age you gather a people to serve you,
	to proclaim your glory
	and to reveal your presence in all the world.

	In humility you came among us in Jesus Christ,
	who brought the good news of the kingdom,
	restoring the sick to health and the dead to life.

	Taking the form of a servant,
	he suffered and became obedient to death upon the cross.
	You raised him from the dead,
	breaking the power of death
	and exalting him to your right hand on high.
	Through him you sent your Spirit of life and power 
	into the hearts of the faithful,
	filling the Church with your presence.

	Short Proper Preface, when appropriate

	Therefore with angels and archangels
	and with all your people on earth and in heaven,
	we proclaim your glorious name,
	evermore praising you and saying:   

All 	Holy, holy, holy Lord, 
	God of power and might,
	heaven and earth are full of your glory.
	Hosanna in the highest.
	Blessèd is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 
	Hosanna in the highest.

	Father, we give you praise
	as we call to mind
	how, at supper with his disciples,
	your Son Jesus Christ took bread
	and gave you thanks. 
	He broke it and gave it to them, saying,
	'Take this, all of you, and eat it.
	This is my body, given for you. 
	Do this in remembrance of me.'

	After supper he took the cup. 
	He gave you thanks and gave it to them, saying, 
	'Drink this, all of you.
	This is my blood of the new covenant,
	shed for you and for all
	for the forgiveness of sins.
	Do this in remembrance of me.'

	Great is the mystery of faith.
All	Christ has died:
	Christ is risen:
	Christ will come again.
(or)
	Praise to you, Lord Jesus:
All	Dying you destroyed our death
	rising you restored our life:
	Lord Jesus, come in glory.

	Therefore, recalling Christ's offering of himself  
	and celebrating this feast of our redemption, 
	we offer ourselves to you 
	through Christ our great High Priest.

	Send your Holy Spirit
	that these gifts of bread and wine
	may be for us the body and blood of Christ.

	Remember, Lord, your Church throughout the world.
	Send your Spirit upon us;
	gather us into unity,
	strengthen our faith
	and sustain our hope.

	Bring us, with all who place their hope in you,
	to the promised feast in your kingdom,
	where for ever we may offer you our praise,
	through Jesus Christ our Lord,
	through whom, with whom, and in whom, 
	in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
	all honour and glory are yours, 
	now and for ever.  
All 	Amen.
	The service continues with the Lord's Prayer on Page 11.
	From Methodist Worship: Ordination of Deacons, adapted.

	Eucharistic Prayer  M3

	The Lord be with you 
All 	and also with you
	Lift up your hearts.
All 	We lift them to the Lord.
	Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All 	It is right to give thanks and praise.

	Here follows an extended preface, or the following.

	God our Father, fountain of goodness,
	creator of all that is,
	you have made us in your own image.
	You have given us life and reason,
	and love for one another,
	setting in our hearts a hunger for you.

	In darkness you are our light,
	in adversity and temptation our strength.
	You bear patiently with our folly and sin,
	granting us your law to guide us
	and your prophets to renew our faith.

	In the fullness of time you came to us in love and mercy
	in Jesus Christ, your living Word, full of grace and truth.

	He lived among us,
	declaring your forgiveness
	and revealing your wisdom
	in works of mercy and in his word of power.
	For us he suffered and died upon the cross,
	by death destroying death.
	You raised him from the dead
	and exalted him to your right hand on high.

	Through him you sent your Holy Spirit
	to be the life and light of your people,
	gathered together in every time and place
	to glorify your holy name.
	With them and all the company of heaven
	we join in the unending hymn of praise:
 
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.

	Holy God, pour out your Spirit
	that these gifts of bread and wine
	may be for us the body and blood
	of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
	who, on the night in which he was betrayed,
	took bread, gave thanks, broke it,
	and gave it to his disciples, saying,
	'Take this and eat it.
	This is my body given for you.
	Do this in remembrance of me.'

	In the same way, after supper,
	he took the cup, gave thanks,
	and gave it to them, saying,
	'Drink from it, 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, whenever you drink it,
	in remembrance of me.'
	Great is the mystery of faith:
All 	Christ has died:
	Christ is risen:
	Christ will come again.
	(or)
	Praise to you, Lord Jesus:
All 	Dying you destroyed our death,
	rising you restored our life:
	Lord Jesus, come in glory.

	And so, Lord, we obey his command
	with this bread and this cup,
	by which we recall his death and resurrection,
	the source of our life and salvation.
	Grant that we, who share in this holy sacrament,
	may be united by your Spirit and grow into perfect love.
	
	Bring us,with those who have done your will in every age,
	into the light of your presence and the joy of your kingdom.

	Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ,
	in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 
	all honour and glory are yours,
	Almighty Father, now and for ever.  
All 	Amen

	The service continues with the Lord's Prayer on Page 11.

	From Methodist Worship: Covenant Service, adapted.

	Eucharistic Prayer  M4

	The Lord be with you 
All 	and also with you
	Lift up your hearts.
All 	We lift them to the Lord.
	Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All 	It is right to give thanks and praise.

	Here follows an extended preface, or the following.

	We praise you, gracious Father,
	our Maker and Sustainer.
	You created the heavens and the earth
	and formed us in your own image.
	Though we sinned against you, 
	your love for us was constant,
	and you sent your Son Jesus Christ
	to be the Saviour of the world.

	Sharing our human nature,
	he was born of Mary 
	and baptized in the Jordan.
	He proclaimed your kingdom, by word and deed, 
	and was put to death upon the cross.
	You raised him from the dead;
	you exalted him in glory;
	and through him you have sent your Holy Spirit,
	calling us to be your people,
	a community of faith.

	Short Proper Preface, when appropriate

	And so, with angels and archangels
	and all the choirs of heaven,
	we join in the triumphant hymn:
All 	Holy, holy, holy Lord, 
	God of power and might,
	heaven and earth are full of your glory.
	Hosanna in the highest.
	Blessèd is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
	Hosanna in the highest.

	Holy God, we praise you
	that on the night in which he was betrayed
	our Saviour Christ took bread 
	and gave you thanks. 
	He broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying,
	'Take, eat. This is my body, given for you. 
	Do this in remembrance of me.'

	After supper, he took the cup of wine,
	gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 
	'Drink from it, all of you.
	This is my blood of the new covenant, 
	poured out for all people
	for the forgiveness of sins.
	Do this in remembrance of me.'
	Remembering, therefore, his death and resurrection,
	and proclaiming his eternal sacrifice,
	we offer ourselves to you in praise and thanksgiving,
	as we declare the mystery of faith:

	Great is the mystery of faith:
All 	Christ has died:
	Christ is risen:
	Christ will come again.
	(or)
	Praise to you, Lord Jesus:
All 	Dying you destroyed our death,
	rising you restored our life:
	Lord Jesus, come in glory.

	Send down your Holy Spirit 
	that these gifts of bread and wine
	may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
	Unite us with him for ever
	and bring us with the whole creation 
	to your eternal kingdom.

	Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ,
	in the power of the Holy Spirit,
	we worship you in songs of everlasting praise.
	Blessing and honour and glory and power
	be yours for ever and ever.  
All 	Amen.

	The service continues with the Lord's Prayer on Page 11.

	From Methodist Worship: Ordinary Seasons (1)

	Eucharistic Prayer  M5

	This Eucharistic Prayer has unique responses.
	The congregation must be directed to read it
	from this page rather than use the cues on page 10.

	The Lord be with you 
All 	and also with you
	Lift up your hearts.
All 	We lift them to the Lord.
	Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All 	It is right to give thanks and praise.

	Here follows an extended preface, or the following.

	It is indeed right, always and everywhere,
	to give thanks to you, the true and living God.
	Endless is your mercy and eternal is your reign.
	All creation rejoices in your radiant splendour.

	You made a covenant with your people
	and declared your purpose of justice and love.
	When all things were ready,
	you sent your Son to be our Saviour.
	In words and deeds he proclaimed your kingdom,
	and obeyed your will even to death on the cross.

	Through his mighty resurrection 
	he overcame sin and death
	to set the whole creation free.

	Short Proper Preface, when appropriate

	Therefore with saints and angels
	and with all the choirs of heaven,
	we join in the song of eternal praise:

All 	Holy, holy, holy Lord, 
	God of power and might,
	heaven and earth are full of your glory.
	Hosanna in the highest.
	Blessèd is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 
	Hosanna in the highest.

	We praise you, Father, 
	that on the night in which he was betrayed,
	our Lord Jesus took bread and gave thanks,
	broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying,
	'Take and eat. This is my body, given for you.
	Do this in remembrance of me.'

	After supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,
	and gave it for all to drink, saying,
	'This cup is the new covenant of my blood, 
	shed for you and for all people
	for the forgiveness of sin.
	Do this in remembrance of me.'

All 	As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup
	we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

	Therefore, gracious God,
	with this bread and this cup
	we remember that our Lord offered his life for us.

	Believing the witness of his resurrection and ascension,
	we look for his coming in glory,
	and our sharing in his great and promised feast.

All 	Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

	Send now, we pray, your Holy Spirit,
	that these gifts of bread and wine
	may be for us the body and blood of Christ
	and that we may live to your praise and glory
	with all your saints in light.

All 	Amen. Come, Holy Spirit.

	Join our prayers
	and the prayers of all your people
	on earth and in heaven
	with the intercession of Christ,
	our great high priest,

All 	through whom, with whom, and in whom,
	in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
	all worship and honour are yours,
	almighty God and Father,
	for ever and ever.  Amen.

	The service continues with the Lord's Prayer on Page 11.
	From Methodist Worship: Ordinary Seasons (3)

General Notes

This booklet makes available substantial resources for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist from the Methodist Worship Book. It provides seasonal variety without the bulk of the official publication; it will render the current rites of the Methodist Church highly compatible with Common Worship; and will enable Methodist Chaplains to use their own liturgy with convenience in the field, and in other ecumenical situations. To make the RAChD scheme work, the texts of the Nicene Creed, and of the Sursum Corda are those in Common Worship; and the Common Worship, Common Order, and Methodist Worship Eucharistic Prayers have (mostly) been chosen for, or molded into, the same structure. 
In this doctrinal emphasis has been retained.            BE June 2001