World Communion Sunday – October 3, 2010 (may be celebrated at any time)
World Communion Sunday is one of the six church wide Special Sundays of The United Methodist Church. World Communion Sunday provides scholarships for U.S. racial- and ethnic-minority students and international students, on both undergraduate and graduate levels. World Communion Sunday is celebrated on the first Sunday in October. For more information about World Communion Sunday and other Special Sundays, visit umcgiving.org.
A Prayer for World Communion Sunday
On this World Communion Sunday, give us eyes to recognize your reflection in the eyes of Christians everywhere.
Safiyah Fosua
Jesus prayed that we might be one.
One in spirit
One in mission
In union and communion with each other and with You.
Today, God, we confess fumblings and failures in accomplishing unity, as we set aside yet another day to remind ourselves of the task. On this World Communion Sunday, give us eyes to recognize your reflection in the eyes of Christians everywhere. Give us a mind to accept and celebrate our differences. Give us a heart big enough to love your children everywhere. We thank you for setting a table with space enough for us all! Amen.
From the Africana Worship Book, Year B, (Discipleship Resources, 2007) Used with permission.
The Great Thanksgiving for World Communion Sunday
As Autumn comes our way we see the work of your paintbrush upon every face and tree.
The Great Thanksgiving for World Communion Sunday
Nathan Decker
Adapted by Nathan Decker from a Service of Word and Table II
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.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, Always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
You created for yourself a world filled with diversity and blessed by your breath of life. Rainbow colors bloom in spring, summer breezes bring garden delight, and now as Autumn comes our way we see the work of your paintbrush upon every face and tree.
In mercy, while we still held to the chains of our winter, of pride, self-righteousness, and historic egos you loved us steadfastly and delivered us as babes to reflect the beauty and diversity of your grace, to bring us into a community of love, hope, and peace.
And so, with all your people on earth in every place where two or more are gathered in your name and all the company of heaven who have gone before us 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 is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. Your Spirit anointed him to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to announce that the time had come when you would save your people.
He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.
He prayed that we might be one as he is one with you, Father and he asked that we might be known by the love we have for one another.
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: “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
When the supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: ”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.”
And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ 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, together as a new creation and a new community around the globe may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.
By your Spirit help the body of Christ be one. Help the left hand and the right hand work as one in ministry to all the world. Help the eyes and the ears sense your present and coming kingdom. Bring the blessing of the diversity of the body to bear fruit until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet.
Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy church, all honor and glory is yours, Almighty God, now and forever. Amen.
The Great Thanksgiving for World Communion Sunday was adapted from “A Service of Word and Table II” by the Reverend Nathan Decker. The Reverend Nathan Decker is a clergy member of the Virginia Annual Conference, where he serves as the pastor of the Cheriton Charge on the Eastern Shore District.
The Great Thanksgiving for World Communion Sunday (adapted by Nathan Decker from a Service of Word and Table II) Copyright © 2008 Nathan Decker. A Service of Word and Table II ©1972, 1980, 1985, 1989 The United Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission.
“Copyright General Board of Discipleship. www.GBOD.org Used by permission.”