Dedication of a New Altar
January 12, 2003
Ascension Lutheran Church
Green Bay, WI
By Rev. Luther Swenson

Announcments: New Altar
•	For the past few months our Worship & Music Mission Team has been brainstorming on altar designs along with one of our talented members who has been building the ideas into the real thing.   
•	Our new altar is in the table style, an altar style that emphasizes the holy meal, the Lord’s supper that is served from this holy table.  
•	We will be dedicating our new altar in a special prayer of dedication later in the service.

Prayers of The Church
We begin our prayers this morning with a prayer of dedication for this our new altar.  

Dear Father in Heaven, 
•	At the altars of the Old Testament Prophets, unblemished lambs and other animals were sacrificed in atonement for the sin of the people.
•	On the altar of the cross your only son, Jesus, the sinless lamb of God, was sacrificed as a once and for all final sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.
•	Jesus turned the table of the upper room into a new type of altar, one on which a holy meal was served.  “This is my body,” he said.  “This is my blood.”  For the forgiveness of your sins, do this in remembrance of me.
•	For 2,000 years now, in many times and many places, believers have gathered around tables and altars to continue to celebrate your holy meal.
•	Bless this altar now, O Lord, as it now takes its place standing beside all those other altars of the church through history so that your Holy Supper many continue to be served here in this time and in this place.
•	Bless the hands that crafted and made this altar.  Bless the hands that will set this holy table and clean up afterward.  Bless the hands that will pray, praise, and serve your holy meal.
•	Bless those who will gather here in Christ’s name and who will receive here Christ’s body and blood given for the forgiveness of their sins.
•	May we who communion at this table find a foretaste of the eternal feast to come that we will someday celebrate with you and all believers in heavenly eternity.
•	This we pray through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever.
Lord, in your mercy . . . “hear our prayer.”

Lord, this morning we also lift up before the prayers and concerns of this family of believers.  
Lord, we …