A Communion Litany For Advent

I've put this together for use at our service this coming Sunday. Some of it is completely original, and some parts are loosely adapted from other sources. I love the hymn "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear." It's known and used as a Christmas carol, but I've always thought that it worked really well as an Advent song, and I got it into my head that I wanted to write a Communion litany for Advent using the four verses of the song. This is what came of that idea. Thought I would share.

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION:

Leader: May God be with us.
People: God is here among us.
Leader: Let us open our hearts to God.
People: We open them to God and to one another.
Leader: Let us give thanks to God.
People: It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Leader: God, we give our thanks and praise to you today as we reflect upon your promise of peace to come upon the world. Through Jesus Christ you worked unceasingly to reconcile all peoples to yourself, to break down barriers and to offer to all people the hope of freedom and justice. And yet, we who speak for you today and who seek to live out your gospel, often fall prey to the ways of the world, and we fail to hear the lessons you taught.
People: Hush us, that we might hear your word:
HYMN #44 (VU): "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear" (verse 1)

Leader: God, even in the face of humanity's rejection of you and of your Son, Jesus Christ, your love continues to shine. But we have taken this world you have created, and engulfed it in chaos. We have stopped listening to you; we have stopped listening for you. We often believe you are silent, but we simply choose to drown you out with our foolishness. And yet, even over the din of competing and often angry voices, your word continues to go forth.
People: Hush us, that we might hear your word:
HYMN #44 (VU): "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear" (verse 2)

Leader: God, you have created the human family. You have called us and claimed us as your own. You love each one of us as your beloved children, and you call us to a radical and selfless love: for one another, for our neighbours and even for those we think of as enemies. But that love is difficult, and we often content ourselves with loving only those whom we feel are deserving. We resort to hatred and violence; war rather than peace becomes our norm.
People: Hush us, that we might hear your word:
HYMN #44 (VU): "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear" (verse 3)

Leader: And yet - God, you promise us new beginnings, in our lives and in the world. Long ago, in a Bethlehem stable, your love appeared in Jesus - not just to shepherds and wise men, but to us as well; not just to Israel, but to all the nations and people of the world. He lived, he loved and he died. But death could not contain him. The power of his life overcame death, and he was resurrected to glory, our hope that the challenges of this world can be overcome.
People: Hush us, that we might hear your word:
HYMN #44 (VU): "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear" (verse 4)

Leader: Now, together, hearts and souls joined with all the saints of every time and place, we join even the angels and archangels of heaven in proclaiming:
All: 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.

Leader: We gather at this table to remember that on the night before he died, Jesus ate with his friends, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it, he broke it and gave it to them, saying: “Take, eat. This is my body, given for you. Each time you do this, remember me.” That same night, Jesus also took a cup, and after giving thanks, passed it to his friends, saying: “Drink. This cup, poured out for you, is the promise of God. Whenever you drink it, remember me.”  We remember Jesus’ death and celebrate his resurrection; we await with hope his coming again to bring peace and justice to the earth; and we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

All: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again!

Leader: Send, O God, your Holy Spirit upon us and what we do here, that we and these gifts, touched by your Spirit, may be signs of life and love to one another, and to the world. Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory is yours, God most holy, now and forever.

The Lord's Prayer (Sung)

The Breaking of the Bread and The Raising Of The Cup

The Invitation To The Table

The Sharing

Prayer After Communion (from the Coptic tradition):
All: O God, how great is the gift that you saved for your people. How sweet is your grace to those who love you. We thank you our Lord for looking after us. You granted us this holy food that doesn’t perish, by which you opened to us all the way to eternal life. Kindle the flames of your love in us, save the blessing of Your grace in our hearts not for judgement or to fall into judging but to receive glory, purity of soul and body and to live with you, survive for you and continue with your grace. So guide us to your holiness and fill us with your grace and consecrate us with your soul. Glory to You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit now and until eternity arrives. Amen.