Celebration of the Lord’s Supper – Short Form 2

Exhortation

Brothers and sisters, you who desire to come to the Holy Communion of the body and blood of our Savior must consider how the apostle Paul exhorts us diligently to “examine” ourselves before we “eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (1 Cor. 11:28). For as the benefit of this sacred meal is great, if we receive the sacrament with a penitent heart and lively faith, so is the danger great, if we receive it “in an unworthy manner” (1 Cor. 11:27). For then we are “guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:27), we eat and drink to our own “judgment” (1 Cor. 11:29), and we kindle God’s wrath against us (1 Cor. 11:30). But “if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged … by the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:31–32). Therefore, truly repent of your sins, place a lively and steadfast faith in Christ our Savior, and live in love with all people, so that you will be worthy partakers of this holy sacrament.

Above all things, you must give most humble and sincere thanks to God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, for the redemption of the world by the passion and death of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Give thanks that He who is God became man. Give thanks that the Son humbled himself to death upon the cross for us, miserable sinners. Give thanks that we, who walk in this dark world and in the shadow of death, have been made the children of God and exalted to everlasting life. Because of this, we should always remember the exceedingly great love of our only Savior, Jesus Christ, and the innumerable benefits that He has obtained for us by His precious blood. This is why He instituted and ordained holy sacraments, as pledges of His love and for a continual remembrance of His death, to our great and endless comfort. To Him, therefore, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, let us give continual thanks, submitting ourselves completely to His holy will and pleasure, and seeking to serve Him in true holiness and righteousness all the days of our life.

To all of you who truly and earnestly repent of your sins, who embrace Jesus by faith as your Savior, and who desire more and more to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, draw near and take this holy sacrament to your comfort.

Comforting Words

Hear what comforting words our Savior, Jesus Christ, speaks to all that truly turn to Him:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Tim. 1:15).

“If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2:1–2).

Then is said:
Minister: Lift up your hearts!

Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord.

Prayer of Humble Approach

We do not presume to come to this table, O merciful God, trusting in our own righteousness, but in Your great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under the table of Your Son. But You are our merciful and gracious Father. Grant us, therefore, that we may feed on our crucified Lord by faith, and that He may be united to us, and we to Him, who, with You and the Holy Spirit, is worthy of eternal thanks and praise. Amen.

Words of Institution

“The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me’?” (1 Cor. 11:23–25).

Communion

In eating the bread, the minister says,

May the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for you, preserve your body and soul unto everlasting life. Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on Him in your heart by faith with thanksgiving.

In drinking the wine, the minister says,
May the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for you, preserve your body and soul unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ’s blood was shed for you, and be thankful.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Almighty and ever-living God, we most heartily thank You. You have fed us, who have rightly received this holy sacrament, with the spiritual food of the most precious body and blood of Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. You assure us, by this bread and wine, of Your favor and goodness toward us, that we are members of the body of Your Son, which is the blessed company of all faithful people. You have made us heirs of Your everlasting kingdom by the merits of the most precious passion and death of Your dear Son. And we most humbly pray, O heavenly Father, assist us with Your grace, that we may continue in that holy fellowship and do all such good works as You have prepared for us to walk in; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with You and the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.