Liturgy w/communion for July 5, 2026 (Pentecost 6/Trinity 5/Proper 9/Ordinary 14 - A)

 Texts:  Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67; Psalm 45:10-17; Romans 7:15-25a; Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Call to Worship
Come to our God, all who hunger for life:
for it is God who nourishes us at the Table of Grace
Come to our God, all who are worn out by life:
for it is God who provides the rest we need.
Come to our God, all who are weighed down:
for it is our God who carries our burdens with us.

Prayer of the Day
Eternal God:
you sing a song
of silence
to our noisy hearts,
inviting us to still
our fidgeting souls,
and find our peace
in your cupped hands
which cradle us.

Jesus Christ,
Wanderer of the kingdom:
you are called
to reveal God to us
and do so in
    the tenderness of your touch,
    the gentleness of your words,
    the goodness of your heart,
    the peace of your shared yoke.

Spirit of Rest:
your childlike presence
opens our eyes
to the wonders of the world.
As we hand you
our anger, our hurt, our sin,
may our burdens
become our songs of joy.

May we find our rest, our hope, in you,
God in Community, Holy in One
even as we pray as Jesus taught us, saying,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Fretful, agitated, longing for more and more of this and that, we spend our lives in a never-ending, never-fulfilled search for that which satisfies.  But Christ knows that we will only find the end of our journey in God, and so invites us to that peaceful place known as God's heart.  May we let go of our burdens of anger, hurt and sin so we can find our rest.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   We are so skilled at being in control, at taking charge, Sabbath-Taking God, that we are not very good at resting.  We think we have to be constantly busy, so we have no time for you.  We are trained to be extremely productive, and so create our harried, stress-filled lives.
   Forgive us, Shalom Giving God.  Help us to let go of our distractions, so you can act in us; calm our creaturely activity, so you can re-create us; help us to follow Jesus, not only into discipleship, but into our rest with you.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
It sounds so simple, we think it is too simple.  But which is the burden you would choose: hate or love; anger or forgiveness; pain or peace?  God invites us to receive the gifts which make it possible to have lives of faithful obedience.
This is the good news:  God forgives us and takes our burdens from us.  We would let go of them and welcome hope, joy, grace into our lives.  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
You invite us to offer our pain, our burdens, our troubles to you, and we do so easily.  Yet when you challenge us to offer our abundance for others, we resist and grumble.  Help us to be as welcoming, as caring, as generous as you, Loving God, as we share our gifts with you and the world.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you.
and also with you.
People of God, lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the One who invites us to rest in the heart of the Trinity.
People of God, give thanks to the One who offers you rest.
We bring our thanksgiving to God, who sings to us of peace.

With hearts filled with joy,
we bring our praise to you,
God of Rest.
On the first morning of creation,
you whispered of peace,
and the cacophony of chaos
was stilled.
You walked softly
through the grasses of the earth
and all creation
sang of your goodness.
Created to find our peace with you,
our fretful desire to be in control
led us into a nomadic existence
of rebellion against you.
Prophets spoke and angels sang
to invite us home,
but our stubborn pride
only grew stronger.
When the burden of our sin
became too great for your heart,
you sent Jesus to carry it for us.

With those who have found their rest in you,
with those who long for their burdens to be lifted,
we join in singing your praise:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God of the weary.
All creation celebrates your name in all generations.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who yokes himself to us.
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, God of our footloose hearts,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son,
our Lord and Savior.
Watching our restless striving
for more and more,
he modeled the life
of self-denial and service;
seeing us weighed down
with the burdens of sin and death,
he picked up his cross,
carried it to Calvary,
where he died to give us life.

As we remember his life and his rest in you,
as we celebrate the good news of lightened burdens,
we speak of that mystery we call faith:

Christ came, that we may have life;
Christ died, so that the burden of death might be lifted from us;
Christ was raised to new life, so grace might be revealed to every generation;
Christ will return, to yoke us to God through all eternity.

Pour out your Spirit of rest and shalom
upon this bread and this cup,
that these gifts might nourish us.
As we find our rest in you,
may we become restless
in service to your children;
as we engage with you
in solitude,
may we build a community
of justice and righteousness;
as we listen to your silence,
may we speak out
for all whose voices
are ignored by the world.

Then, when we gather with all
who have found their rest with you
at the Table of the Lamb,
we will sing our praise for all eternity,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
We leave with the presence of the Holy,
so we may show others the way to grace and hope.
We leave with Jesus, who draws living water for us,
so we can share it in the heat of summer,
and in the bitterness of winter.
We leave with the Spirit, who teaches us how to listen,
so we may hear the cries of the lonely
and the voices of all who are ignored.

(c)  Thom M. Shuman

Alternate texts liturgy w/communion for July 5, 2026 (Pentecost 6/Trinity 5/Proper 9/Ordinary 14 - A)

Texts: Zechariah 9:9-12; Psalm 145:8-14; Romans 7:15-25a; Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Call to Worship
When God could stomp feet and yell,
God tiptoes into our hearts to whisper mercy.
When God could play favorites,
locking others out of the house,
God holds wide the arms of love
to embrace everyone.
When God could break promises,
going back on every word given,
God picks up those we trip
on the way to success,
and cradles the lonely and frightened.

Prayer of the Day
We sing glad songs to you,
God of early mornings.
Because your heart
is as broken as ours,
you tear down dividing barriers,
you bring an end to polarizing speech,
you send forth all who hold open
their arms to welcome the forgotten.

We shout from the rooftops
of our hearts this day,
Jesus who is velcroed to us.
For you are the One
who comes to rescue us,
riding in a refugee boat
on the open seas,
holding hands with children
at border crossings.

We lift our voices in praise
to you in these moments,
Spirit who is our teacher.
You are the One who
points us in the direction
of little kids at play, those
who easily change the rules
of games to include everyone,
who ignore the complexities of adults
and live out kindness, love, and grace.

Hear our voices, our songs,
our hearts, our longings,
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we pray as your Beloved Community,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
We know our foolishness, our hurtful words, the rejection we offer to others. And we think God wants nothing to do with us. But in Jesus, God holds our hands and will never let go, as we journey together through life into grace and forgiveness. Let us pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   Why do we keep messing up, O God? We know what is right but keep choosing the wrong. We wrestle with our consciences but get pinned to the mat every time. We argue with our desires but they always win the debate. There’s just something inside of us that keeps us from being us, those little nudges which just get pushier, those whispers of seduction getting louder and louder.
   But just when we think we are lost, Jesus comes along and says, ‘let me show you what I have learned.’ And, by your grace, Forgiving God, we find our way home, no longer burdened by our foolishness, no longer distracted by the trolls of life, no longer alone as we walk with the One who came to rescue us from ourselves, Jesus our beloved sibling. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
God promises us life, grace, forgiveness, and hope. And God never goes back on any promises. This, my friends, is our good news.
Thanks be to God, who never gives up on us, but whose love is always wrapped around us. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
May the forgotten know they are not alone, may the hungry be fed with food and hope, may the lonely find a friend in us, as we offer our gifts to you, O God. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May our promise keeping God be with you.
And with you as well.
Though weary, broken, fearful,
let us offer our hearts to God.
For God will heal our hearts,
strengthen them, fill them with hope.
Come now and join all creation
in singing glad songs to God.
Our voices join with morning songbirds
and crickets chirping in the night.

You lifted your voices,
God of incredible harmony,
singing into the silence of chaos
and bringing forth wonder and beauty.
Herons standing on one leg,
bullfrogs echoing across ponds,
bat flying through evening shadows,
all were the gifts you shared
with those who were crafted in your image.
We could have lived in your garden,
but we just kept making the wrong choices,
listening more to the whispers of temptation
then to your songs of compassion.
More times than you can count,
you sent women and men
to sing your songs,
tell of your hopes,
shout your invitation to return,
but we constantly choose the wrong paths,
rather than following your heart.
And so, you sent your Child,
the One who would experience our lives,
know our struggles,
and stay with us in every moment.

With all who seem to have their act together,
with those who keep making the same foolish choices,
we sing our praises to God:

You are holy, God who does not play favorites.
We join all creation in forever singing your praises.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One whose life
is ever interwoven with ours.
Hosanna in the highest!

While you alone are holy,
God of all space and time,
you are never afraid to get your hands dirty,
as seen in your creation.
Your beloved Child chose
to become one of us, in every way.
In him, the vulnerable
find an ally to defend them
from the bullies of wealth.
In him, frightened little children
hear lullabies of grace
so they can sleep at night.
In him, transgendered kids
are told over and over again
how much they are loved.
In him, seduction’s grip is broken,
death’s power is shattered,
and his siblings are gifted
with the promise of resurrection life.

As we remember his life, love, and grace,
as we are bound together in life and death,
we proclaim that mystery we call faith:

Gathering up his fears,
   Jesus forged them into faith.
Gathering up his brokenness,
   Jesus walked into new life.
Gathering us into his heart,
   Jesus will journey home with us.

Pour out your Spirit, Loving God,
upon the gifts of the Table
and upon your children gathered here.
As we eat of the broken bread,
may we be made whole, so we can
open up schools of peace,
welcome the forgotten,
seek justice for all people.
As we drink from the cup of grace,
may our thirst for reconciliation
never be quenched,
may our longing for hope be satisfied,
may our love be shared with everyone we meet.

And when all time comes to an end,
gather us with our siblings
from every moment and every space,
feeding us at the Table
which has room for everyone,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
We have sung songs of praises to our God.
We will now go to speak of justice
to all who hold power.
We have learned how Jesus would have us serve.
We will go to turn our thoughts into action,
and our prayers into caring for others.
We have been filled with the Spirit’s hope.
We will go into our neighborhoods
To share peace with everyone.

© Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for June 28, 2026 (Pentecost 5/Trinity 4/Proper 8/Ordinary 13 - A)

 Texts: Genesis 22:1-14; Psalm 13; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42

Call to Worship
With joy and celebration, God welcomes us to this place.
How good it is to gather in God's house!
With joy and celebration, we welcome one another.
We greet each other by name; we are equal in God's Kingdom.
We open our hearts, to welcome God's love;
we open our arms, to welcome God's people.
Here, every single one of God's children is welcome.

Prayer of the Day
You have invited us to this place,
Accepting God,
for this is where you want us.
Here, we learn to trust you,
    and to faithfully follow where you lead us.
Here, we learn to listen to you,
    and hear the words of life,
    of hope, of healing.
Here, we learn to bring everything to you -
    even our pain, especially our brokenness -
    that we might be made whole.

Pilgrim Jesus:
you are with us in this place,
    and in every place
    where we live, work, play, pray.
And, if we dare to trust
this good news,
we discover that grace
which sets us free:
    to treat one another
          as siblings;
    to use that grace
          to break down every barrier;
    to live that grace
          in every moment of our lives.

We would receive you
into our hearts, Abiding Spirit,
knowing that you have brought us together,
for by the gift of your presence,
    we are no longer strangers
    but friends and neighbors
          in your Kingdom.

God in Community, Holy in One,
hear us as we pray as Jesus taught us, saying,

(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Created to live with one another and our God, we know the truth about our shattered lives and relationships. Yet, out of this brokenness, God shapes new people, giving every one of us a new start. Let us confess those things which separate us from one another, that we might be 

made one in Christ.

Unison Prayer for Confession
    In your house, there is room for all; at your Table, we find a place set for us. But we admit, Inviting God, that we find it difficult to be as accepting as you and we find it easy to shoulder others away from your feast. You fling wide the doors to your kingdom, Welcoming God, but we are quick to try to shut them to those who are different from us. Your heart is open so that all might experience your grace, and we reluctantly remember our ungracious words and deeds.

    Forgive us, God of every person: heal our broken lives; mend our fragmented souls. Open our hearts to your vision of the Kingdom where all are welcome, all are affirmed, all are beloved - even as we receive these gifts from Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Can it be any clearer? God has created us to be a family - sisters, brothers, neighbors, friends. No longer strangers, we are all welcome in the kingdom of love, grace, and hope.
In Christ, we are one. There are no barriers, no differences, no divisions. We are a new people, forgiven and made whole. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

May the gifts that we offer break the bonds of injustice, put out the fires of prejudice, and embrace the lonely and forgotten, we pray. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord who provides be with you!
And also with you!
Lift your hearts to the One who frees us from sin.
We rejoice in God, who delivers us from death's power.
Offer songs of joy and wonder to the One 

who welcomes you to this Table.
We will sing to God, whose bounty fills our lives, 

our hearts, our souls.

With great joy and thanksgiving,
we lift our songs of praise to you,
God of all life.
You did not withhold
your treasures from us,
    but poured them out
    in overflowing abundance for us:
          sparkling streams, rolling clear and clean;
          carpets of grass,
              through which the wind tiptoes;
          crystal blue skies freckled
              with bright, billowing clouds.
All was created and called good by you,
and offered as gifts for us.
But when we could have danced
through Eden, free and joyous,
    we chose to let sin bind us,
    placing us on death's altars.
When we refused to answer you
when you called in the night,
when we turned deaf ears
to the prophets you sent to us,
    you did not withhold your only son,
    the Child you loved most of all,
          but sent Jesus to come to us,
providing a way home to your heart.

So, we lift our voices, filled with joy,
joining them with the glad songs
of every place and generation,
all creation praising your name:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God who does not forget us.
All creation trusts in your steadfast love.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who gives a cup of living water to the thirsty.
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, God of constant love,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior,
and the love of your heart.
When we thought you had forgotten us,
    he came to remind us
    of your eternal promises;
when we would lay in
the cradling arms of pain,
    he came to make us whole;
when we prepared to sleep
in death's comforting bed,
    he came to shine the light
    of your love upon us,
and to welcome us home
into your kingdom of eternal life.

As we remember his hospitality to all,
as we would not forget his dying for us,
as we would celebrate his resurrection,
we would tell of that mystery we call faith:

Christ died, welcoming death on our behalf;
Christ rose, welcoming the gift of resurrection on our behalf;
Christ will return, on our behalf, so we might not lose our reward.

You send your Spirit
to rest upon the gifts
of the bread and the cup,
and to welcome all your children
to the feast of the Lamb of Life.
As we eat of that Bread
which makes us whole,
    we would make room
    for all of your children,
          welcoming all who have been
          rejected by the world.
As we drink deeply from
that Cup which gives us life,
    we would leave this place
    to go and be with all
          who are bound by fear and failure,
          by hunger and hopelessness,
          by hate and persecution,
not withholding our
most precious possession,
but sharing our lives with them.

And when all time has ended,
when we are gathered as your family
at the table which you have prepared for us,
we will feast on the grace you provide,
praising you forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending

May we go out into our world with God.

Where we may work to set free

all bound by worry and loneliness.

May we go out into our communities with Jesus.

Where we will gather up those sacrificed

on the altars of success, hate, and greed.

May we go out into our neighborhoods with the Spirit.

Where we will offer ourselves as lambs

of peace, of gentleness, of justice.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Alternate texts liturgy w/communion for June 28, 2026 (Pentecost 5/Trinity 4/Proper 8/Ordinary 13 - A)

 Texts:  Jeremiah 28:5-9; Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42

Call to Worship
Sing, sing of God's unalterable love!
We will rejoice as we walk in the light of our God.
Tell everyone around you of God's faithfulness.
We will share the stories of the One who experienced
our life in all its fullness.
Shout out loud of God's presence with us,
on this day and in all the days to come.
Justice and goodness are God's gifts to us;
truth and love walk by our side.

Prayer of the Day
In a world shaped by conflict,
where we seem to be slipping
back into tribal divisions,
   you call us to welcome those
   with whom we have absolutely
   nothing in common.
In a culture full of inequalities
which only seem to be widening,
   you call us to treat each person
   as our sister and brother.
In a time of intensifying injustices
which are found in every community,
if not in every neighborhood,
   you call us to yoke ourselves
   to your radical hope.
In a lifestyle which idolizes the individual
to the exclusion of all others,
   you call us to notice
      the parent who works three jobs,
      the dementia-diminished senior,
      the refugee family on the corner.

May we offer not just cups of cold water,
but all that we are and all we have
to those who are in our midst,
even as we pray to you,
God in Community, Holy in One, saying,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
The idol of our times is personal independence, but in truth, we are bossed around by our faults, our poor choices, the hurts we cause to others.  Yet, by God's grace, we are set free from all these passions, so let us join in offering our confessions to the One who welcomes each of us with forgiveness and hope.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   It seems so simple, God of compassion, to offer a cup of cold water to a thirsty person, yet we know we worry more about how that might inflate our bill at the end of the month.  We are to open our hearts to others, but they may need to be careful lest they slip on our icy attitudes towards them.  People are looking for places to lay their heads, yet our spare bedrooms continue to be the place where only the dust bunnies sleep.
   Forgive us, Radical Hope.  You did not have to become one of us, but you did, so we might know your love.  You did not have to welcome us into your family, but you do, so we might experience unexpected grace in our lives.  You did not have to die for us, but in Jesus Christ you did, so we might have life with you forever.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Broken, we are made whole; thirsty, we are filled with living water; longing for a renewed relationship with God, we are welcomed with open arms by the One who forgives us.
Without a doubt, God's love never comes to an end.  We will tell our kids and grandkids of the grace and peace which is ours.  Thanks be to God, we are forgiven!  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offertory
We are not blessed by God so we might hoard them for ourselves, but use them to welcome those who are looking for a community, to feed those who hunger for friendship, to serve those whom the world has cast aside.  Here are our gifts, Holy God.  We pray you will use them as well as us in the work of your kingdom.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of constant love be with you.
And also with you.
Come to the One who welcomes each and everyone of us to this Table of grace.
We bring our broken hearts so they might be made whole.
Join hands with your sisters and brothers and sing to the One who fills us with hope.
Together we will praise God, who has made us one.

When chaos slammed the door on you,
God of faithfulness,
you whistled up creation and
she tagged along at your side
as your hospitality flowed forth:
   springs to refresh our wearied feet,
   sweet corn to fill our hunger,
   beds of pine needles on which to rest.
We were formed by you
so we might belong to you,
   but we let ourselves be held
   captive by lust, greed, and fear.
Prophets came, seeking to call us back
to you, fulfilling your words of welcome,
   yet we continued to obey our passions.
Jesus came, offering us cups of living water,
words of hope and grace,
wrapping us in arms of joy.

With those who seek your peace,
with those who work for your justice,
we sing our praises to you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God of radical hope.
All creation welcomes your words.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who walks in your light.
Hosanna in the highest!

Compassionate God, you are the Voice
behind the Word who comes in Jesus Christ.
When sin would hand us
a pay envelope stuffed
with evil's crumpled bills,
   he fills our pockets
   with your gifts so
   we may be a blessing to others.
When temptation and worry
become our jailers on death row,
   he comes, with your pardon
   in his hands, setting us free
   so we may walk in
   the new light of your hope.

We remember his love and grace offered to all,
we hear his welcome extended to each of us,
as we speak of that mystery of our faith:

Christ died, welcoming our death as his own;
Christ was raised by the gift of God's hope;
Christ will come to fulfill God's words.

Your compassionate welcome is extended
to anyone, any time, any place
as your Spirit is poured out
on the gifts of the Table of life
and on your people gathered for the feast.
Your life, which is broken in love,
becomes the wholeness which strengthens us
   to feed those for whom hunger
   is a constant companion,
   not a skipped meal.
Your grace, which is poured into us,
becomes the hospitality by which
   we welcome itinerant immigrants
      into our communities and hearts;
   we open our arms to every child
      held captive by poverty.

Then, when your glory becomes our home,
and we are gathered around your table -
con artists and poverty's prophets,
the most vulnerable and power brokers -
we will join in singing your praises
through all eternity,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen  

Sending
Let us go forth to walk in God's light.
We will show others the way to God's heart.
Let us go to bring hope and healing to the world.
With a gift as simple as a cup of water,
and as complex as our lives, we will join Jesus in serving those around us.
Let us go forth to gather up the little ones
of our communities into our homes and hearts.
With the gift of the Holy Spirit,
we are no longer strangers but God's family.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence

Call to Worship
Nations rise and fall,
but God’s steadfast love endures forever.
We worship the God of justice and mercy.
Empires boast of strength;
politicians guarantee superiority.
We hope in Christ, who welcomes the outsiders.
On city streets and down country roads,
in halls of privilege and homes filled with loss,
The Spirit gathers us as the Beloved Community.

Prayer of the Day
In freedom, you chose to create everything
which is good, which is gentle,
which is caring, which is beautiful,
God of incredible imagination.
From those snow-capped mountains
to sandy beaches at the edge of oceans,
from the meadows rippling with grain
to those forests overflowing with life,
you brought it all forth,
and then in freedom, you gave it all to us,
those creatures shaped in your image,
trusting that we would take good care
of every leaf, every flower, every bird.

In freedom, you became one of us,
Jesus of justice,
and we are set free from all our foolishness,
our fears of those who are different,
our inability to let go of harmful pasts.
So, in our freedom, may we see those
who are forgotten in our rush for more,
who have been belittled in the drive
to show how great, how powerful we can be,
who are seen as less than we think we are,
who are treated as if they are not our siblings.

In freedom, you offer us your wisdom,
Spirit of peace, patience, and practicality,
so that we can hear the voices of all who have
been ignored by those who control the narrative.
so that we can listen to hearts broken
by prejudices taught so long ago,
so that we can reach out our hands and walk
with the vulnerable and lonely who feel
that no one cares one tiny bit for them.

In freedom, we could choose to be arrogant,
we could choose to be selfish,
we could choose to be uncaring,
so may we choose to be like you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
who created us to be good,
to be compassionate, to be loving,
even as we pray as Jesus taught us,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
We recall the days when freedom was seen as embracing each person. We also know there are promises put on hold, justice delayed, voices not heard. Yet, the God who created us welcomes the truth of our lives in these days. And so, trusting in God’s mercy and not our exceptionalism, we offer our broken lives to God.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   God of history, we celebrate freed in this time, yet so many are held captive by fear, hate, grief, and unjust systems. We speak of justice while some enjoy benefits and others are forgotten. We pledge loyalty to a flag while ignoring newcomers whose stories do not match ours.
   God of every nation, may we never let patriotism become idolatry or criticism become despair. May we never forget that we are citizens of your Beloved Community before any human loyalty. We pray this through Jesus Christ, who tears down all walls which divide us and creates one family from all peoples. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Grace
Remember: God sent Christ into the world not to condemn it but redeem it. Christ opens the doors we would lock, the Spirit gathers us as one when we would become many who are isolated, and no matter how often we forget, the Creator calls us beloved.
Thanks be to God – we are forgiven! God sends us forth to love our neighbors, to welcome the stranger, and seek good for all people. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication
You do not ask us to pledge our lives, our fortunes, our sacred honor, God of our times, but simply give a portion of our blessings that the forgotten might be exalted, the hungry fed, the lonely welcomed, the hurting healed, and for justice to be shared by all. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of freedom be with you.
And also with you.
Children of God, lift your hearts.
We lift them to the One who sets us free
for lives of service and hope.
God's children: let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
We will sing our songs of freedom
to the One who calls us to new life.

Before there were borders or flags,
before declarations or constitutions,
you spoke your Word into chaos,
Creator of every person, every nation.
Starry nights stretched across the sky,
waves of every grain shimmered in the sun.
Mountains towered above plains
overflowing with abundant fruit,
lands stretched from sea to sea
where we could live with you.
We were shaped in your loving image—
not to be strangers or enemies,
but neighbors and family.
Every time we built walls of fear,
you sent prophets of justice,
every place power crushed the vulnerable,
you raised voices crying out for freedom.
When we forgot that liberty belongs
to all your children,
you called us back to righteousness.
And when we wandered
from your dream of unity,
you sent your own Child,
not to wield power
but to wash feet,
not to destroy the enemy
but to love them,
not to create an empire
but reveal your Beloved Community.

Therefore, with saints and citizens,
with dreamers of freedom
and those still longing for justice,
we sing our thanksgiving to you.

Holy, holy, holy are you, God of all nations.
All creation rejoices in your freedom.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One whose truth sets us free.
Hosanna in the highest!

You are holy and just, God of life,
and blessed is your Child, Jesus.
As others built fences,
he opened doors to all,
when crowds sought revenge,
he offered grace to all,
where fear would divide neighbors,
he made room for all.
Loving your mercy for us
more than his own life,
he willingly chose to go to the cross,
that we might receive your gracious gift
of life forever with you.

As we remember the freedom he offered to all,
as we celebrate the gift of life which comes to us
here at this Table of love,
we speak of that mystery called faith:

In freedom, Christ came to live among us.
In freedom, Christ chose to die for others.
In freedom, Christ will return.

At this Table of grace and love,
pour out your Spirit upon these gifts
of the bread of life and cup of grace
and on all who gather in this moment.
As the bread which is broken
can make us whole,
may divided people become one,
may broken neighborhoods
become communities of healing,
may freedom walk hand in hand with justice,
and liberty, responsibility, and compassion
become our faithful guides in our time.
As the cup fills us with grace,
remind us that before any nation,
we are first citizens of your Beloved Community,
that in this land which is still
a work in progress, we may speak
truth and not angry words,
we may seek justice with hope,
we may share freedom with all,
and love neighbors without exception.

And when all time has ended,
all borders crumbled and nations dissolved,
we will gather with our siblings
from every time and place,
forever singing your praises,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
Our calling as God’s people
is the same call we have as a nation:
we are not to live as partisans,
but as disciples of God’s grace;
we are called to not win arguments,
but to share the justice of Jesus;
we are not to be bearers of fear,
but to carry Spirit’s peace and hope
into a world desperate for these gifts.
We will welcome the outsider,
we will hear forgotten voices,
we will respect the vulnerable,
we will practice humility,
we will speak truth to power,
we will seek justice with grace,
we will live as citizens
of God’s Beloved Community.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman