New Eucharistic Prayers
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Directory for Worship offers the following outline for the church’s Great Thanksgiving, or eucharistic prayer:
The one presiding is to lead the people in the prayer,
- thanking God for creation and providence, for covenant history, and for seasonal blessings, with an acclamation of praise;
- remembering God’s acts of salvation in Jesus Christ: his birth, life, death, resurrection, and promise of coming, and institution of the Supper (if not otherwise spoken), together with an acclamation of faith;
- calling upon the Holy Spirit to draw the people into the presence of the risen Christ so that they
- may be fed,
- may be joined in the communion of saints to all God’s people and to the risen Christ, and
- may be sent to serve as faithful disciples; followed by an ascription of praise to the triune God,and
- the Lord’s Prayer.
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Book of Order, W-3.3613
This collection of new eucharistic prayers seeks to offer a variety of models for praying the Great Thanksgiving, with an emphasis on brevity, biblical imagery, and fresh language. Three kinds of eucharistic prayers are provided: prayers for general use, lectionary based prayers, and prayers for other occasions. All are available free of charge for congregational use; for permission to reprint, contact the Office of Theology and Worship.