God is with you.
And also with you.
Let us open our hearts.
We open them up to our God.
Let us give thanks to God, the Light Everlasting.
It is right to give God thanks and praise,
because in the mystery of your Word made flesh, you have caused a new light to shine in our hearts, to give the knowledge of your glory in the face of your Son Jesus Christ.
Bright shining God,
inner light of all faithful souls,
we celebrate your gifts of light, love, and all of creation.
We rejoice that you have made us in your image, and touched all of creation with the light of your love.
You call us to live in your limitless love.
You call people and leaders to the dawn of your rising.
You sent your only child, Jesus, our morning star,
To light the way through our night,
and lead us to justice and peace.
Your Holy Spirit shines your Good News into our lives.
With each new day, you call us to feed the hungry, bring recovery of sight to the blind, liberate the oppressed, heal the broken hearted and bind up their wounds, and keep watch for the dawn of your reign on this earth.
For all of this we give you thanks.
And we praise you,
joining our voices with all life on earth and the company of heaven,
who forever sing their hymns to proclaim the glory of your name.
Holy, holy, holy, my heart, my heart adores you.
My heart is glad to say the words: you are holy, Lord.
On the night he was betrayed,
Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks
broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying,
Take, eat; this is my body given for you.
Whenever you do this, do it in remembrance of me.
After supper, he took the cup, saying,
This cup is the new covenant, sealed in my blood,
shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.
Whenever you drink it, do it in remembrance of me.
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
By your Spirit bless this bread and this wine
that they may become for us the presence of Christ among us.
Shine your light and your love on the offering of our lives.
Enlighten us that we may be your people,
the body of the risen Christ, the light of the world,
set apart to serve this earth that you have made.
Through Christ, with Christ and in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
we praise you now and forever, O Eternal Light.
Amen.
Resources:
The Book of Common Prayer
Feasting on the Word: Liturgies for Year A, Volume I, Advent through Pentecost. Kimberly Bracken Long, editor.
Wonder, Love and Praise, 785.