Communion at Home

Communion at Home

In these challenging times of social isolation, people may miss the experience of sharing communion.

Different churches have different views of the role of communion, who may administer it, who may receive it, and how it should be administered. The “at home” service described here is not intended to invite people to disrespect or depart from the beliefs and traditions that they embrace. Rather, it is offered in the hope that it may offer some consolation to those who feel moved to partake in it.

It is written so that communion could be shared by as few as two people. Even a person at home alone could perform the ritual as a form of prayerful meditation.

I have drawn the service from several sources. Almost none of it is original with me. Many parts of it will likely be familiar to you.

*

Call: The Lord be with you.

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

Together:

It is good and joyful thing to give thanks to you,
Loving and gracious God,

Creator of heaven and earth.

You formed us in your image
and breathed into us the breath of life.

When we have turned away, and our love has failed,
your love has remained steadfast.

So with your people on earth
and all the company of heaven
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed are they who come in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

Holy are you oh Lord,

and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ.
Your Spirit anointed him
to preach good news to the poor,
to proclaim release to the captives,
to recover sight to the blind,

to heal the sick,

to feed the hungry, and
to set at liberty those who are oppressed.

When Jesus ascended,
he promised that he would be with us always,
in the power of your Word and Holy Spirit.

(Share the bread among the participants)

Call: On the night in which he gave himself up for us,
he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread,
gave it to his disciples, and said:

Response: "Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."

(Eat the bread)

(Share the wine or juice among the participants)

Call: When the supper was over, he took the cup,
gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:

Response: "Drink from this, 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, as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of me."

(Drink the wine or juice)

Together:

.

And so, in remembrance of him,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a holy and living sacrifice,
in union with Christ's offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of faith:

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,
and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,
that we may be for the world the body of Christ,
redeemed by his blood.

Call: Now, beloved God, we ask that you hear us as we say together the prayer that Jesus taught us.

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 debts,
as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,

Amen.

Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery
in which you have given yourself to us.
Grant that we may go into the world
in the strength of your Spirit
to give ourselves for others—

by all the means we can,

in all the ways we can,

in all the places we can,

at all the times we can,

to all the people we can,

As long as ever we can.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.