Some phrases/concepts come from the 1993 PCUSA Book of Common Prayer.
Image https://tamerakraft.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/advent2peace_sm.jpg
PRAYER of GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
…who forever sing the glory of your name
O God, from Mordecai to Esther, from John the Baptist and Elizabeth to Mary and Joseph, you call us to serve you. You speak peace and justice to us, that we may in turn speak peace and justice to the world.
We turn our hearts to you in faithfulness and gratitude.
During this time of Advent, we thank you that your salvation is a hand. We thank you for the glory of Jesus, your only Son, sent to dwell among us full of grace and truth. We thank you for his light, the light that no darkness can extinguish. We thank you that he came that we may know that light of your love, enabling us to share that light with the world.
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with the angels predicting and celebrating the birth of Jesus, the one bringing great joy to all peoples and peace to your people on earth:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might;
heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is the One who comes in
the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest!
Jesus existed before you created the world, yet in due time you sent him into this world to satisfy the longings of your people for a Savior.
He comes among us as one of us, taking the lot of the poor, sharing human suffering. Through him, you bring freedom to the captives of sin, and establish justice for the oppressed. We rejoice that in his death and rising again, you set before us the sure promise of new life, the certain hope of a heavenly home where we will sit at table with Christ our host. We thank you for the great mystery of faith:
Christ has died; Christ has risen; Christ will come again.
As you used a humble woman and her husband, a stable, the shepherds, and even the stars above to dwell among us, use this bread and this cup to dwell among us. Re-kindle your light within us. Fill us and renew us. Strengthen and nourish us. Embolden and empower us. Unite us to bring good news to the poor, lifting blind eyes to sight, loosening the chains that bind and claiming your blessing for all people. Keep us faithful in your service until we feast with all your saints in the joy of your eternal realm. Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours, almighty God, now and forever. Amen.
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