The Great Thanksgiving for Advent 3A

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.

God of Joy, we give you our thanks and praise even as we await Christ’s return,
as we await Christmas Day and the second coming of the Lord of Life.

When Jesus came into this world, he humbled himself and took on flesh,
God’s very presence, one of us, with us.
The Lamb of the World continually showed us new ways to live -
from the manger to the cross, ever a joyful servant.

 And so, on the night before he gave himself up for us,
he was gathered together with his disciples at a table like this,
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, blessed it, 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."

It is in awe and wonder, praise and thanksgiving, and with great defiant joy,
that we offer ourselves up as a holy and living sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s sacrifice for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith:

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

God of joy, pour out your Spirit on us gathered here

And on these gifts of bread and juice.

Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ

That we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed and reconciling.

By that same Spirit, make us curators of joy and justice in this life.

Through your Son Jesus Christ, 

With the Holy Spirit in your holy church,

All honor and glory is yours, Almighty God,

Now and forever, Amen

- The Great Thanksgiving for the Third Sunday of Advent, Year A, Joy Sunday. Based on Isaiah 35:1-10 and Luke 1:47-55 Inspired by the sermon series "What Can't Wait" by A Sanctified Art. Liturgy written by The Rev. Allison LeBrun