Mother's Day Communion

Opening Prayer

God with a mother’s heart, You gather us as your children. You comfort and hold us in your warm embrace. When we hurt your arms enfold us. When we are afraid your wings protect us. When we are hungry you feed us with the bread of life. God with a mother’s heart, Your love surrounds and supports us, In good times and in tough, In the midst of joy and pain, Always and everywhere.

Even though we go astray.

Even though we participate in the brokenness of this world

You will never leave nor abandon us. God eternal and loving one, God with a mother’s heart, We thank you this day, For being part of your family.

(prayer by Christine Sine)

How wonderful the work of your hands, O Lord. As a mother tenderly gathers her children, you embraced a people as your own. When they turned away and rebelled your love remained steadfast. From them you raised up Jesus our Saviour, born of Mary, to be the living bread, in whom all our hungers are satisfied. He offered his life for sinners, and with a love stronger than death he opened wide his arms on the cross.

As Jesus taught us we pray (Dallas Willard)

On the night before he died, he came to supper with his friends and, taking bread, he gave you thanks. He broke it and gave it to them, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me. At the end of supper, taking the cup of wine, he gave you thanks, and said: Drink this, all of you; 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. Christ is the bread of life: When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus, until you come in glory.

Prayer Over Elements

Loving God, Like a mother, you brought all things into being. Through trial and truth-telling, touch, and tenderness, you nurture your people and lead us in the ways of justice and peace. Send your Holy Spirit upon this bread and this cup, that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ, so that we may be the body of Christ incarnate in this world, redeemed by Christ’s blood. Amen.

After Communion

Loving God, as a mother feeds her children at the breast you feed us in this sacrament with the food and drink of eternal life: help us who have tasted your goodness to grow in grace within the household of faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Benediction

May God, who gave birth to all creation, bless you: may God, who became incarnate by an earthly mother, bless you: may God, who broods as a mother over her children, bless you. May almighty God bless you, +Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Prayer of Blessing in honor of Women

God of Sarah and Hagar, Naomi and Ruth, Esther and Deborah,

God of Mary and Elizabeth, Mary and Martha, Mary Magdalene, Lydia,

and all the unnamed women of scripture,

as you anointed these women with the oil of faith and calling,

so anoint women everywhere.

as you blessed these women with finding the courage and strength, persistence and perseverance within them, so bless women everywhere.

as you transformed the world through the vision and work of these women,

continue to transform the world through the vision and work of good women everywhere.

From Australia to India, from Russia to Uganda, (alteration to original)

May women continue to form and build community in ways that birth justice, love and peace among us.

In gestation and through the laboring, keep them focused, strong, steadfast and unwavering.

God, bless the women who continue to work tirelessly, often unnoticed,

but full of beauty and power, for all manner of good.

Continue to make them vessels of your sustenance; instruments of your peace; an inspiration to all. Amen

(Prayer by Erin Matteson.)