An Alternative Prayer of Thanksgiving and Consecration

An Alternative Prayer of Thanksgiving and Consecration is now on the  A Prayer Book for North America website. The following comes from the introduction to the prayer.

"This Prayer of Thanksgiving and Consecration may be used as an alternative to the prayer in the Holy Communion, Second Order. Like that prayer, it has two epicleses. The first epiclesis is a petition that those eating the bread and drinking the wine will be partakers of Christ’s body and blood, an allusion to 1 Corinthians 10:16. The second epiclesis is is taken from Philippians 1:27. It asks  God, by the power of his Holy Spirit, to help them to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ and to grant them grace to stand firm in one spirit, contending as one for the faith of the gospel.   

"Like the prayer in the Holy Communion, Second Order, this prayer does not contain an invocation for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the bread and wine nor does it contain an oblation of any kind.

Unlike that prayer, it has no special prefaces. While this feature makes the prayer particularly suitable for use in the season after Epiphany and the season after Pentecost, it may be used year around. It is a good choice for a congregation worshiping in a non-traditional setting or targeting a population group that is more comfortable with a simple or informal celebration of the Holy Communion. It is also a good choice for mission conferences and similar gatherings."

Follow this link to A Prayer Book for North America.

Photo: A flowering dogwood tree. Note the cross-shaped flowers.