INTRODUCTION

This service has been produced by the Worship and Liturgy Committee set up by the Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Moravian and Presbyterian Churches in East Africa, in the course of discussions for Church Union during 1963-1965. It is published in the hope that its use may help to draw the Churches together by providing a common form of worship which can be used both in united services and in the Churches separately. It is also offered, more widely, to any Christian congregation outside the five Churches, who may wish to use it.

In publishing this service, the Committee does not intend to impose uniformity of worship on any congregation. It recognises that the service will only be adopted as it commends itself to the Churches. Its use on any occasion will of course depend on the agreement of the appropriate authorities in each Church whose permission may be required.

This is not intended as a final draft. It is expected that over the years improvements will be desired. But for the present there is need for the service to be widely used and discussed. This printed edition has therefore been issued so that full use of it can be made in congregations all over East Africa.

In the conduct of public worship there is a great variety of customs in different parts of East Africa and in the different denominational traditions. We do not seek to abolish these. In different places the same order of service may be used in very different ways. It may be said or sung. The people may stand, sit or kneel for prayer. The order of service, however, will be the same. Therefore no instructions on these matters have been printed in the Liturgy itself, although some suggestions are given below. In particular no instruction has been given concerning the position of the Minister during the Service of the Word of God; but it is assumed that for the Service of Holy Communion the Minister will normally go to the Lord’s Table. Some parts of the service may be omitted, for example, in a shortened service on weekdays or an extra celebration of Holy Communion on Sundays. These parts have been marked with an asterisk (*). Words to be said by the congregation are printed in heavy type.

In some parts of the service alternative prayers have been printed. The Committee hopes that those who conduct the service will not confine themselves always to one alternative, but from time to time use the other. It also hopes that, where the service is sung, careful thought will be given to the way in which the words are set to music. It realises that in many cases alternative settings of the words are possible.

In the instructions the person leading the worship has been referred to as the Minister throughout. This is not intended to imply that the conduct of the service must be entirely in the hands of one person, or that he must always be an ordained Minister. The Service of the Word of God may equally be conducted by a layman where one is appointed to do so.

This service falls into two parts: the Service of the Word of God and the Service of Holy Communion. The Service is designed so that on days when there is no Holy Communion, the Service of the Word of God may be used alone as the normal service of worship. When Holy Communion is celebrated the Service of the Word continues into the Service of Holy Communion, to make one act of worship.

In the Service of the Word of God, we begin with confession and praise, and continue with the reading of Scripture and the preaching of the Word. This part of the service concludes with the offering of our gifts and intercession. The Service of Holy Communion, beginning with the greeting known as the Peace, in which the congregation are united for this act of worship, follows the pattern of our Lord’s own actions in the Upper Room. He ‘took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and have it to the disciples and said, “Take eat. . .” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, Drink it, all of you . . .”’ (Matt. 26: 26-27) So we also take the Bread and Wine in an act of thanksgiving to God, and call to mind the death and resurrection of our Lord. We break the Bread as he broke it, and eat and drink as he commanded. In so doing we obey his command to ‘do this in remembrance’ of him. Then, reunited to him and to each other, we are sent out by our Lord into the world, to bear witness to him in word and deed. The conclusion of the act of worship which begins in the Lord’s house is in the daily worship and service of our lives.

There are similarities between this service and other new forms of worship which have been issued recently. The Committee is indebted especially to the Liturgy for Africa issued by the Archbishops of the Anglican Communion in Africa, and to liturgical revision at present being undertaken by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. But for all of us the service involves something new. It involves dying to our old familiar traditions in order that we may seek the gift of united worship which our Lord is offering to us at this time.

NOTES FOR THOSE CONDUCTING THE SERVICE

THE CONGREGATION

In the early Church, the congregation stood for most of the service, kneeling only for the penitential prayers. Today we have many different traditions, and it is not easy to achieve a common practice so quickly. But when Christians from different backgrounds come together for united worship, it will be necessary for one practice to be followed, and preferably the Minister should instruct the congregation what to do. The following are suggestions:

For all hymns and psalms the congregation may either stand or sit;

for confession and absolution, kneel or stand;

for the prayer ‘Lord have mercy’ following the absolution, for the ‘Glory’ and the collect for the day, stand;

for the Old Testament and Epistle, sit;

for the Gospel and Creed, stand;

for the sermon, sit;

for the offertory, intercessions and the end of the Service of the Word of God, stand;

for the great thanksgiving, stand (perhaps kneeling for the words of institution);

during the distribution of the elements, the congregation may sit or kneel in their places, and for the thanksgiving after communion and the confession, they stand.

SHORTENED FORM OF SERVICE

These are many ways in which this service may be shortened. The following form is suggested for weekdays.

‘In the name . . .’
Psalm and/or Antiphon, or hymn
*‘Lord have mercy,’ or ‘Our Lord Jesus Christ said’
Confession
Absolution
Collect
Epistle
*Psalm verses
Gospel
*Brief address
Offertory
Short intercession
Peace
Great thanksgiving
Breaking of Bread
‘Lamb of God’
Communion
Short thanksgiving
Commission

*(These parts may be omitted)

ORDER OF SERVICE FOR MINISTERING TO THE SICK

Confession and Absolution
Collect and Gospel
‘Peace’ and great thanksgiving (the Minister may begin at ‘All glory be to thee’)
Lord’s Prayer
Communion
Short thanksgiving
Blessing

This order may be varied according to the state of the sick person.

THE SERVICE
OF THE WORD OF GOD
PREPARATION AND PRAISE

According to custom, the Bread and Wine may be placed on the Lord’s Table, under a veil, at the beginning of the service, or brought forward at a later point.

The Minister says:

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The PSALM and ANTIPHON for the day, or a HYMN, may be sung here (or as a processional at the beginning of the service). Where a hymn has been used instead of the Psalm, the Antiphon, or other appropriate Scripture sentences, may then be used by the Minister as a call to worship.

The Minister may now say:

* Our Lord Jesus Christ said: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength, and your neighbour as yourself.

or:

* God spoke all these words, saying:
I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make yourself any graven image.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.
Honour your father and your mother.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
You shall not covet anything that is your neighbour’s.

(The commandments may be omitted, if desired)

Now the Minister may say:

* Lord have mercy upon us.
Christ have mercy upon us.
Lord have mercy upon us.

Then the Minister says:

Our help is in the name of the Lord,
Who has made heaven and earth.

Dearly beloved in the Lord, let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins:

(Silence may be kept for a short space)

Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
I confess that I have sinned against thee and against my neighbours
in thought, word and deed.
Have mercy upon me, I beseech thee;
for Jesus Christ’s sake forgive me all my sins.
Cleanse me by thy Holy Spirit,
quicken my conscience,
and enable me so to forgive my neighbours
that I may serve thee in newness of life
to the glory of thy holy name. Amen.

(Other customary forms may be used)

Then the Minister says:

The Lord almighty and merciful grant to you pardon and remission of your sins. Amen.

or:

The almighty and merciful God, who had mercy upon us, and gave his only Son to die for us upon the cross, has forgiven all your sins for his sake. Amen.

(Other customary forms may be used)

The following or another prayer for grace may be offered:

* Lord God, our heavenly Father, we give thanks to thee that thou hast again shown us thy compassion. Let thy grace so fill our hearts, we pray thee, that we may live and do what is pleasing to thee. Amen.

The PSALM and ANTIPHON for the day, if they were not used at the beginning of the service, may be used here, if desired. The following form of the prayer ‘Lord have mercy’ may also be used, if desired.

In peace let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy upon us.

For the peace of the whole world, and the unity of the Church of God, we pray to thee, O Lord.
Lord have mercy upon us.

For all who in thy house offer thee their worship and praise, we pray to thee, O Lord.
Lord have mercy upon us.

Help, save, pity and defend us, O God, by thy grace. Amen.

Then is said or sung:

Glory be to God in the highest:
And on earth peace
for men on whom his favour rests.
We praise thee,
we bless thee,
we worship thee,
we give thanks to thee for thy great glory,
O Lord God, heavenly King,
God the Father Almighty.

O Lord,
the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ,
O Lord God, Lamb of God,
Son of the Father,
that takest away the sin of the world,
have mercy upon us;
thou that takest away the sin of the world,
receive our prayer;
thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father,
have mercy upon us.

For thou only art holy,
thou only art the Lord,
thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
art most high in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

or the Te Deum:

We praise thee, O God:
We acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth worships thee,
the Father everlasting.
To thee all angels cry aloud:
the heavens and all the powers therein.
To thee cherubim and seraphim continually cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts;
heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the apostles praise thee,
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee,
The noble army of martyrs praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world acknowledges thee:
The Father,
of an infinite majesty;
thine honourable, true and only Son;
also the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.

Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man,
thou didst not despise the Virgin’s womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death,
thou didst open the Kingdom of heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God
in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come
to be our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants,
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy saints
in glory everlasting.

(The Glory and the Te Deum may be omitted on weekdays

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

The Minister says:
The Lord be with you;
And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.

Here the minister reads the collect appointed for the day, or he may use extempore prayer.

* THE OLD TESTAMENT LESSON

(The lessons appointed in the lectionary may be used for the three readings from Scripture. At some services either the Old Testament lesson or the Epistle may be omitted)

Before reading from the Old Testament, the Reader says: Hear the Word of God, as it is written in . . . , and at the end of the lesson he says:

The Lord’s name be praised;
Thanks be to God.

A HYMN or PSALM may be sung.

* THE EPISTLE

Before reading the Epistle, the Reader says: Hear the reading of the Epistle, as it is written in . . . , and at the end of the Epistle, he says:

The Lord’s name be praised;
Thanks be to God.

A HYMN or PSALM is sung.

THE GOSPEL

Before reading the Gospel, the Reader says: Hear the reading of the Gospel, as it is written in . . . , and after the Gospel, he says:

Let us praise the Lord;
Praise be to thee, O Christ.

Here all say the Nicene Creed.

* We believe in one God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible:
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of his Father before all worlds,
God of God,
Light of Light,
Very God of Very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father:
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation
came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary,
and was made man,
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried;
and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of the Father;
and he shall come again with glory,
to judge both the living and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and Giver of Life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified;
who spoke by the prophets;
And we believe one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church;
we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;
and we look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.

Or the Apostles’ Creed may be used:

* I believe in God
the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth:
And in Jesus Christ
his only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;
he descended into hell;
the third day he rose again from the dead,
he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit;
the holy catholic Church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

(On weekdays the Creed may be omitted)

Here, or preferably before the Intercessions, announcements may be made.

The SERMON is now preached. A short prayer may be used before or after the Sermon. The Sermon may be omitted on weekdays.

THE OFFERTORY

The OFFERING is now received and presented at the Lord’s Table. A HYMN may be sung as this is done.

If Holy Communion follows, the Bread and Wine may be brought with the other gifts, and laid upon the Lord’s Table.

Then the Minister says:

O God, gracious and merciful, who hast shown us great kindness, accept, we pray thee, the gifts of thy people, and in thy love so use them that the fruits of the Spirit may abound, and thy kingdom increase here and throughout the world, through Jesus Christ thy Son. Amen.

What shall we render to the Lord for all his benefits toward us?
We will receive the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.

O Lord, we are thy servants: thou hast loosed our bonds.
We will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and call upon the name of the Lord. Amen.

If there is no Holy Communion following, the Minister says:

O gracious God, who hast given thy only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins and to rise again for our justification, and who with him hast freely given us all things, we pray thee to receive these offerings, which we now bring to thee. And with them we here present to thee our souls and bodies, to be a living sacrifice pleasing to thee and holy in thy sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We will give thanks to the Lord with our whole heart; we will tell of all thy wonderful deeds.
We will be glad and exult in thee; we will sing praises to thy name, O Most High.

(Other customary forms may be used)

THE INTERCESSION

ANNOUNCEMENTS may be made here.

Then the Minister says:

Let us pray.

(Silence may be kept for a short space)

Almighty God, eternal Father, grant to thy Church in all the world unity and peace. Where it is persecuted for thy name, strengthen it; and enable it to proclaim thy Gospel to all nations, we beseech thee, O Lord.
O Lord, hear our prayer.

Bless the bishops and all ministers of thy Church, (* especially . . . , our bishop) that they with all who serve thy Church may faithfully tend thy flock, we beseech thee, O Lord.
O Lord, hear our prayer.

Bless those who rule the nations of the world, that we may have peace; and especially . . . , our President, the ministers of state, and all in authority in this land, that they may govern us in justice and truth, we beseech thee, O Lord.
O Lord, hear our prayer.

Direct and prosper agriculture, industry and commerce, and grant to all engaged therein that they may work together in justice and brotherhood, we beseech thee, O Lord.
O Lord, hear our prayer.

Grant thy blessing to our homes, that love and purity may flourish, and our children and youth be reared in reverence for thy holy name, we beseech thee, O Lord.
O Lord, hear our prayer.

Grant to all who teach, and influence the minds of men, and to all who learn and hear, the light of thy Holy Spirit, we beseech thee, O Lord.
O Lord, hear our prayer.

Heal the sick (* especially . . . ) and help all who minister to them. Defend the traveller, comfort the sorrowful, aid those who are in trouble, we beseech thee, O Lord.
O Lord, hear our prayer.

Bless all who are gathered here to worship thee; all our absent brethren (* especially . . . ) and all catechumens of thy Church, we beseech thee, O Lord.
O Lord, hear our prayer.

Grant to all unbelievers (* especially . . . ) and those separated from thy Church, that their ears and their hearts may be opened, and that they may turn to thee, we beseech thee, O Lord.
O Lord, hear our prayer.

Rejoicing in the Communion of Saints, we give thanks to thee for all thine elect who have departed this life in thy faith (* especially . . . ). Grant that, with them, we may rejoice in thine eternal glory, we beseech thee, O Lord.
O Lord, hear our prayer.

Grant these petitions, O Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

Or:

Let us pray to our Father in heaven.

That his Church may be granted unity, and that all nations may have peace: let us pray to the Lord.
Hear us O Lord.

For the ministers of the Church, and for all the faithful: let us pray to the Lord.
Hear us O Lord.

For the rulers of the nations, and especially for our President and his ministers: let us pray to the Lord.
Hear us O Lord.

For all in danger, for the sick, for the needy and the sorrowful, that they may be delivered: let us pray to the Lord.
Hear us O Lord.

That, together with all who have departed in the Lord (*especially . . . ) we may rejoice in the glory of his heavenly kingdom: let us pray to the Lord.
Hear us O Lord.

Or: Almighty God, merciful Father, who hast commanded intercessions to be made for all men, we pray thee to direct thy holy Church, that it may abide and grow in unity and in its witness throughout the world, and that our faith may increase. Grant we beseech thee, that we may dwell in peace and have thy blessing in our work. Give grace to our government, that it may lead us aright, and that evil may not overtake us. Be thou the helper of all in need, sickness and distress. Grant that, together with all who have departed in the Lord (* especially . . . ), we may rejoice in the glory of thy heavenly kingdom. Grant these things, O Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

(Alternative forms of prayer, or extempore prayer, may be used)

Where the unbaptized are to be dismissed before Communion, this form is used:

* You who are not yet baptized, go forth in peace. Amen.

Where it is customary to dismiss those who are excluded from Holy Communion, they are also dismissed here.

A HYMN may be sung.

If there is no Holy Communion following, the Minister and people say the Lord’s Prayer:

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 them that 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.

Then the Minister says:
The Lord be with you;
And with thy spirit.

Let us bless the Lord;
Thanks be to God.

The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

(Or other customary forms of blessing may be used)

A HYMN may be sung as the Minister and congregation leave the Church.

THE SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING

The Bread and Wine are unveiled. The Minister, standing at the Lord’s Table, says to the congregation:

Peace be with you:
And with thy spirit.

(If desired, the Minister may greet individually those assisting him in the service, who in turn pass the greeting on to the members of the congregation, each one taking his neighbour’s hand, and saying the words of the greeting, with the response.)

Then the Minister says:
Lift up your hearts:
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God:
It is meet and right so to do.
It is very meet and right that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to thee, O Lord, Almighty Father, Everlasting God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We praise thee for the whole world which thou hast made and dost sustain through him, for the order of thy creation and for thy many gifts of grace.

Above all we praise thee for thy love for us fallen men, in giving thy Son Jesus Christ,

(These words are varied according to the season) to take our nature, that he might overcome sin and death and set us free to become heirs of thy kingdom.

We praise thee, O Father, for thy Holy Spirit, through whom we know that thou hast set thy seal upon us in baptism to be thine own, chosen to declare thy mighty works.

Therefore with angels and prophets, apostles and martyrs, and all the company of heaven, we cry aloud with joy, evermore praising thee and saying:

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts,
heaven and earth are full of thy glory.
Glory be to thee, O Lord Most High.

Glory be to thee, O heavenly Father, who in thy tender mercy didst give thy only Son Jesus Christ, that all who believe in him might have eternal life. Hear us, O merciful Father, we humbly beseech thee, and grant that we, receiving this bread and this cup as thy Son commanded, may be partakers of his Body and Blood.

In the same night in which we he was betrayed, he took bread, and when he had given 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 thanks, he gave it to them, saying: Drink of this, all of you, for 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. Amen.

His death, O Father, we proclaim:
his resurrection we confess:
his coming we await.
Glory be to thee, O Lord.

Therefore, O Father, we offer to thee our praise and thanksgiving for the perfect sacrifice of thy Son Jesus Christ, who once offered himself for our sakes upon the cross. We thank thee for his mighty resurrection and ascension into heaven, where he ever makes intercession for us.

Accept us in him, we beseech thee, that we may be filled with thy Holy Spirit, and made one in thy Church which thou art gathering together from all the ends of the earth; through him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be to thee, O Father Almighty, for evermore. Amen.

Blessing and thanksgiving and might be to our God for ever and ever,
Amen.

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 them that 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.

THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE ELEMENTS

Here, or at the distribution, the Minister may break the Bread, saying:

* The Bread which we break is a sharing of the Body of Christ.
We who are many are one Body, for we all share the one Bread.

Then the people may sing, or say responsively:

* O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world,
Have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world,
Have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world,
Grant us thy peace.

And this prayer may be said:

We do not presume to come to this thy table, O merciful Lord,
trusting in our own righteousness,
but in thy manifold and great mercies.
We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy table.
But thou art the same Lord,
whose mercy never fails.
Grant us therefore, gracious Lord,
so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ,
and to drink his blood,
that we may be cleansed in body and soul,
and evermore dwell in him and he in us.

Now the Minister and people receive the Bread and Wine. The Minister may say:

* Let us draw near in faith. Let us take the Body of our Lord and drink his precious Blood.

If the Bread has not been broken before, it may be broken now. The people may come forward to the Lord’s Table, or the Bread and Wine may be delivered to the people in their seats.

When he delivers the Bread, the Minister may say:

* The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for you. Amen.

When he delivers the Cup, he may say:

* The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for you. Amen.

A blessing may be given to groups of communicants as they leave the Lord’s Table. The HYMN ‘O Lamb of God’ and other suitable hymns may be sung. When all have received the Sacrament, or at the end of the service, the Bread and Wine remaining shall be reverently disposed of.

THANKSGIVING AFTER COMMUNION

Then the Minister says:
Let us give thanks to the Lord.

O Lord our heavenly Father, we thank thee with joyful hearts that thou hast fed us with the Body and Blood of thy Son, Jesus Christ, and hast assured us thereby that we are indeed thy children, living members of the Body of thy beloved Son, and heirs of thy eternal kingdom. Grant that at the last we may share in thy heavenly banquet, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Or:

We give thanks to thee, Almighty God, that thou hast renewed us with this sacrament of thy salvation; and we beseech thee to grant us, according to thy mercy, to be strengthened by this gift, that we may trust in thee and love one another with joyful hearts, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Or extempore prayer may be used)

Then the Minister says:
Bless the Lord, O my souls,
And all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all his benefits.
Who forgives all your iniquity,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
Who satisfies you with good things as long as you live,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Bless the Lord, all his works,
In all places of his dominion;
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

THE COMMISSION

The Minister may say:

Our Lord Jesus Christ says: As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.

Then he says:
The Lord be with you;
And with thy spirit.
Go forth in peace;
Thanks be to God.

If desired, the Aaronic Blessing may be used. A HYMN may be sung as the Minister and congregation leave the Church.

* * * * * * * * * *

If the consecrated Bread is finished before all have communicated, the Minister, in consecrating more, says:

Glory be to thee, O heavenly Father, who in thy tender mercy didst give thy only Son Jesus Christ, who in the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given 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.

If the Wine is finished, more is consecrated with these words:

Glory be to thee, O heavenly Father, who in thy tender mercy didst give thy only Son Jesus Christ, who in the same night in which he was betrayed, after supper, took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying: Drink of this, all of you, for 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.