Leader: God of Love and Goodness, on this holy night we give thanks to you with joy. For you created light out of darkness, and brought forth life on this earth. You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life.

People: We give thanks to you, God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

Leader: Your love has been constant and never changing. Even when we turned away in our sin you never forgot us. You delivered us, made a covenant with us to be our God, and continually spoke of your love for us through your prophets.

People: We praise you for your greatest gift of love, your only son, Jesus Christ our Savior.

Leader: As the angels sang glory to you in the highest and peace to all, so with your people on this earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn.

People: For heaven and earth are filled with your glory, O God of power and might.

Leader: On this night we celebrate the mystery of God being born a human being. As Mary and Joseph went from Galilee to Bethlehem and were unable to find room, so Jesus went from Galilee to Jerusalem and was despised and rejected.

People: You are holy, Lord God, and blessed is your son, Jesus Christ.

Leader: As in the poverty of a stable Jesus was born, so by the baptism of his suffering death and resurrection you gave birth to your church. You delivered us from the slavery of sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.

People: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Leader: And so, as we remember these mighty acts of love in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, as we proclaim this mystery of faith:

People: Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again.

Leader: Loving God, we ask that you would pour out your Spirit on all of us gathered here, and upon these gifts of bread and cup. Let them be for us the body and blood of Christ that we might be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.

People: Holy Spirit, make us one with Christ and one with each other.

Leader: May we truly be one in ministry to this world, proclaiming your love until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

People: Though your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy church, all honor and glory are yours, Almighty Father, now and forever. Amen.

(Comments to Howard at HOWARD.CHAPMAN@ecunet.org.)