Women’s History Month Communion Liturgy

Earlier this month, I was invited to lead communion in honor of Women’s History Month. The timing of Women’s History Month often coincides with Lent, and often, even in my own ministry, any special communion liturgies favored the liturgical season. This invitation seemed like an opportunity to craft a liturgy celebrating women and the feminine aspects of God, and it was an honor to write. While written for Women’s History Month, this could be used anytime of the year. The structure of this liturgy is based on the communion liturgy found in The United Methodist Hymnal and resources provided by Discipleship Ministries. You are welcome to use or adapt this liturgy in your ministry setting with credit given.

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A Communion Liturgy for Women’s History Month

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,

God, our nurturing Mother, creator of all that is.

You created all things, blessed them, and called them good. You shared your breath with us, making us in your image, a spectrum of male and female expressed in a myriad of ways, in all shape and sizes and colors, calling each one of us "beloved," calling each of us to share your goodness and love in the world. We don't always live into these gifts and callings; we don't always recognize the wonder of each person and the gifts each have for the ongoing work of creation; yet like a mother hen, you seek us out, calling out to us, gathering us under the wings of your love so that we may remember and follow you anew.

And 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 is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

Holy are you, and blessed is your child, 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. He called and treated women with respect and dignity,

reminding those around him

of your grace which is made visible in all people.

Through his birth, life, suffering, death, and resurection,

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.

So we remember today the table at which Jesus gathered with his disciples,

where 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.

Here at this table of grace and wonder, pout out your Holy Spirit on us, and on these gifts of bread and grape, they themselves gifts of earth, water, sunlight, and air. Make these gifts the body and blood of Christ, and make us, through them, Christ's body alive in the world, filled with the joy of your grace so that we may serve with your hope and love. By your Spirit, weave our hearts together in love with you and each other, in ministry to all creation, until all feast together as one at your table.

Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ,

and in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

all honor and glory and blessing is yours,

Almighty God, now and forever.

Amen.