Liturgy w/communion for Christmas Day

 Texts:  Isaiah 62:6-12; Psalm 97; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:1-20

Call to Worship

One: In snow-capped churches,
and on sand-strewn beaches,
All: God’s people gather in joy
to celebrate a birth.
One: With hopes littering our hearts
like wrapping paper under a tree,
All: We offer our thanks and praise
for the gift of grace swaddled in love.
One: With eyes wide open like little children,
with hearts full of wonder and laughter,
All: We join our lives with Mary and Joseph,
with the shepherds who ran to tell the good news.

Christmas Morning Prayer

Grace dawned this morning,
   streaking our bleary eyes
   with bright shafts
   of beauty and goodness.

Joy sang us awake

with carols of wonder
   written by the shepherds,
   the tunes composed by children
      who could not sleep.

Hope was fixing breakfast
for us while we slept,
   toasting the Bread and
   slathering it with jam,
      pouring us a cuppa
      steaming grace.

We rejoice and give thanks
God in Community, Holy in One,
our Grace, our Joy, our Hope,
even as we pray as your Child taught us,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
On this morning of love and joy, of laughter and families, we must remember and confess how we dampen the spirits of others, speak hurtful words to those we love, turn our backs on those in need.  Join me, as we pray together saying,

 Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

   Manger-dwelling God,
      we heard the songs of the angels,
         yet we easily tune-out the cries of the needy;
      we feel the breath of our children on our faces,
         yet remain untouched by your Spirit of peace;
      we are surrounded by gifts as precious as those
      brought by the Wise Ones,
         yet have trouble sharing with those
         who are from other countries, other faiths.

   Forgive us, Grace swaddled in mystery.
      We believe in Christmas,
         help us to believe in you even more;
      we hunger for happiness,
         feed us on your peace;
      we long for community and acceptance,
         surround us with our siblings
         we find in all those, of every age and every place,
         who follow and serve alongside our Lord and Savior,
         Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate this day.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
One: Born that day was grace – for the broken and bereft;
born that day was hope – for the vulnerable and forgotten;
born that day was love – for all of us!
All: Thanks be to God, we are forgiven!  We will go to tell others of all we have seen, heard, experienced, and know.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

May the gifts we share be from the heart, just as yours was that day, God of Bethlehem.  ay they serve those who look for welcome,

those who struggle with loss and grief,

those who need to be blessed by hope

This we pray in the name of your Child, Jesus.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

One: Now, may Bethlehem’s Child bless you!
All: And also bless you!
One: Now, may the children of God open their hearts.
All: We offer them to the One who loves us each and every morning.
One: Now, may we join in the songs of the angels.
All: We join our voices with those of every time and place.

One: In the silenced night of chaos,
creation rejoiced with the carols of wonders
you had composed, God of surprises:
   as joy sparkled in the sky,
   as rivers swarmed with fish,
   as turtles plodded through meadows.
The Word gently gathered up earth’s dust
and the Spirit breathed life into those
shaped in your image, so we might
be at peace and be with you in joy.
   But we were tempted by sin’s decorations
   and death’s commercials of life without you. 
Time and again, you sent folks to call us home.
Miriam and Micah, Ruth and Habakkuk
spoke of your hopes for of us,
   yet we found rebellion the better
   road to take in our journey through the years.
Finally, you chose to offer yourself
in that Child born into poverty,
that little One who would strengthen all.

With those who gathered on that first morning,
with all who have celebrated with songs and service,
we sing carols of praise to you:

All: Holy, holy, holy are you, God of all turned away by the world.
Creation joins the angels in praising you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who clears the Way for us to walk.
Hosanna in the highest!

One: In the silence of the night, God of holiness,
your Child crept in among us,
so small no one would notice,
so poor no one would care.
But those who are forgotten by the world,
   like shepherds and the disabled,
   come to worship, and to tell us the good news.
Those who have no money to their name,
   gift us with their hopes and love,
   even as he did so long ago.
Those children who are overlooked by culture,
   sing to us of the One given to us,
      so we might find our way home;
   of the One who gives himself to death,
   so resurrection love might destroy sin’s power,
      and we might be swaddled in grace.

On this morning when we celebrate his birth,
in the days to come when we follow him to Jerusalem,
we sing carols of that mystery we call faith:

All: Christ was born, so we might have life;
Christ died, so we might have forgiveness;
Christ was raised, so we might have resurrection;
Christ will be born again, to gather us together with him.

One: In the silence of these holy moments,
pour out your Spirit upon
those gathered on this morning
and on the gifts of the Feast of Joy.
As we are welcomed here,
   may we remember and include
   all rejected by the world.
As we are fed by the bread,
   may we be strengthened
   to go and bring tangible hope
   to all who are famished by despair.
As we drink from grace’s cup,
   nourish us, so we may go
   to overflow with love and peace
   for everyone we meet in every season.

And when all history and time ends in silence,
and we are gathered with our siblings
around the feast of the lamb,
we will join the angels in singing carols to your forever,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.              

Sending
One: Let us go,
All: to join the angels in singing
of God’s glory and grace.
One: Let us go to share the good news,
All: that Jesus, the brother
of the vulnerable and forgotten
is in our midst still.
One: Let us go to offer
peace and goodwill to everyone,
All: joining the Spirit in telling
of all we have seen and heard.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/Communion for December 24, 2025 (Christmas Eve)

 Texts: Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-20

Call to Worship

With eyes wide open
and our ears on edge,
we look for shepherds
and listen for the songs of angels.
In the light of winter’s moon,
with the Southern Cross lighting the way,
we gather outside the door of a mystery,
wondering if we dare go enter.
With folks and friends we love,
with strangers we have just met,
we gather, becoming the holy family
for this time and in this place.

Christmas Eve Prayer

Now in the silence,
   whisper of joy which comes
   into every life.
Now in the comfort of carols,
   sing of hope which
   takes away the despair
   which envelops us.
Now in familiar words heard anew,
   speak to us of grace
   which is born into barren lives,
      of peace which is birthed
      in war’s shadowed fears.
Now leaning next to those
who have always been a part of us,
and those from whom we have been apart,
   remind us of your heart
   which always accepts us,
   always welcomes us.
Now in the love which is ours forever,
   draw us closer to your heart,
   so we can be surprised by wonder,
                         swaddled in serenity,
                         embraced by tenderness.

Now touch us once again with Christmas,
God in Community, Holy in One,
as we join in praying as we are taught,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
This is the night we are reminded that God loves to be with us.  Yet all too often – by our choices, our words, our silence – we choose not to be with Go.  Join me as we pray on this holy night to the One who was born to gift us with mercy and hope.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

   This was going to be the year, God of silent nights, when we were going to give away more than we spent, but we didn’t.  This was going to be the season when we spent more time with others, but we filled our calendars with meetings.  This was going to be the Christmas when we wrote personal letters to friends and family, but spent too much energy filling out our to-do lists.  This was going to be a truly holy season, but it just got to harried and hurried.
   Forgive us, Love Gifter, and draw us closer to the Baby born not into wealth and power, but into poverty and weakness; to the One who loves unconditionally and welcomes all; to the Child who gathers other children to him, to bless them and serve them; to the One who drew near to us, so we might be drawn to your heart – Jesus Christ, our Brother, our Lord.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Grace

Into the valleys of our death, Jesus comes with life;
into the shadows of our world, Jesus brings light;
into the brokenness of our lives, Jesus brings forgiveness and peace.
Thanks be to God for the gift of the Baby of Bethlehem, who brings joy and peace to us in these moments of forgiveness and in all the days to come.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

Now, on this night of giftedness, remind us of those who struggle to put food on the table, to buy a single gift for their child, to wrap a warm blanket around a grandparent, so we might realize how blessed we are and share from our abundance.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

May the God of silent nights be with you!
May the God of herald angels be with you!
Open your hearts to the One born in the little town of Bethlehem.
May Emmanuel come to abide in our hearts.
Join all believers in singing of our joy this night.
May our voices blend with those of the angels and shepherds.

You crept into chaos so long ago,
Star-shaper,
so creation might be born:
   sheep gathering on hillsides,
   stars glittering in the night skies,
   sea horses frolicking in warm waters.
Silently, you gathered up the dust,
shaping us in your image
as the Spirit breathed life into us.
All the gifts of your heart were for us,
   but we slammed the door of our hearts,
   saying there was no room for you in our lives.
Prophets came time and again,
scattering your clues throughout the Story,
   but we were too busy enjoying
   the sleights of hand done by sin and death.
When you saw we could not
understand the Mystery on our own,
you sent Jesus, to reveal everything to us.

As we gather with children dressed in bathrobes,
as we join with the voices around us,
we sing praises to you this Christmas night:

We will not be afraid,
   for great joy is ours this night;
we will look for the signs of your presence,
   grace swaddled in hope,
   love wrapped around broken hearts.

Glory to you, God in the highest heavens!
May peace fill the lives of all your children!

Leaving your side, God of holiness,
your Child came to walk with us
through the cold streets of our lives.
Born in poverty’s shadows,
   he is the light which illumines
   your heart for us.
Unwrapped from glory’s embrace,
   he gathers us from all the corners
   of our confused choices to make us one with you.
Placed in a rude feeding trough
layered with our fears and doubts,
   he breathes in your hopes
   and lives your will, until
      he is placed in death’s cold embrace,
      waiting in the silence,
   where he breathes in resurrection’s breath,
   and brings forth life for all who follow.

On this night, when we sing of the baby in the manger,
as the shadow of the cross is cast by the stars,
we proclaim that mystery called incarnation:

Christ is our light,
   and we will join the angels in singing the good news;
Christ is our life,
   and we will join the disciples in telling the Story;
Christ is our promise,
   and we wait for the joy of his return.

Here in the silence and the singing,
with children, carols, and candlelight,
we gather around the Table of joy,
as you pour out your Spirit upon
the most precious gifts of bread and cup.
As we feast upon the bread,
we remember a young pregnant girl,
   and would serve those who are expecting,
      those who cannot have a child,
      those who have lost children.
As we drink from the cup,
we think of a worried father,
   and would be with those who assemble toys this night,
       as well as those who will work this night
       to pay for food and medicine for their families.
As we are surrounded by family and friends,
we would care for
   those whose closest companion is loneliness,
   those separated from loved ones,
   those who hear no music, joy, or hope in their lives.

And when all time and history becomes silence,
we will be gathered with our beloved siblings
from Bethlehem and Belfast, from Cairo and Chicago,
from Capetown and Istanbul, from Sydney and Shanghai,
from every corner and moment of every universe,
to join the angel choirs in forever singing your praises
as we dance to the Table of wonder and grace,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.      

Sending
Let us go to be the gift another needs,
sharing God’s blessings of love and grace,
running to tell the Story we heard from the shepherds.
Let us go to be the comfort which can swaddle others,
sharing Jesus’ compassion with the poor and needy,
welcoming the holiness offered by the most vulnerable we meet.
Let us go to kindle the lives around us,
sharing the Spirit’s peace with all the broken,
learning the language of hope from the children in our midst.

© Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for December 21, 2025 (Advent 4 - A)

 Texts:  Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25

Call to Worship

Come, Over-flowing joy:
   tip-toeing into our lives
   like the children on the holiest of nights.
Come, Good News of grace:
   prepare our hearts to welcome you,
   and all whose hopes have turned to ashes.
Come, Dreamer of peace:
   so we may pour our lives and gifts
   into a world in need of reconciliation.

Prayer of the Day

You watched in silence,
   until you spoke in dreams,
   sang through angels,
   and cried a newborn’s lusty wails.

You were born for us,
   not to sit in power,
      but next to the bullied
      on school buses;
   not with a silver spoon in your mouth,
      but with words of justice,
      with songs for hope for the grieving.

You come, like the cold wind of winter,
or a warm breeze in the spring,
   to feed hungry souls
      with the bread of heaven;
   to share peace with those
      filled with bitterness and fear.

You came in love to us, for us, to be with us,
God in Community, Holy in One,
so come to us again, as we pray saying,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
How easy we lost our way on the road to Bethlehem!  How quick we are to dismiss the dreams and hopes our God has for us in this holy season!  Let us come to the One who approaches, ready to swaddle us in forgiveness and grace, as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

   Come now, Reconciler of the nations,
      for our world, our lives, need your peace more than ever before.
   Come, Caller to discipleship,
      for we long to let go of our self-interest and narcissism.
   Come, Word Gifter,
      for we hunger to hear your voice once again, ever always.
   Come, Servant of the poor,
      so we notice you in all those we push past in this hectic season.

Come, Silence of our nights and Holiness of our hearts, and forgive us for turning your compassion into commercials, your joy into jingles, your hope into hollow words, your love into lust for the short-lasting offerings of the world.  May we find our way to the One born simply, born gracefully, for us – Jesus, the Child of wonder and life.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon

We may not notice them there, at the back of the pile of presents, but it is God’s hope, God’s life, God’s mercy, which are the true gifts we receive each and every moment.
We give thanks to our gracious God, who has forgiven us and blessed us.  Amen!

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

We must not take the gifts God gives to us, even the most tangible ones, and hoard them for ourselves.  Rather, we offer them, as well as our hearts and lives as offerings to those in true need around us.  This we pray in the name of Bethlehem’s Babe.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

Come, God, to be with your people!
Come, God, to be with you!
Come, Turner of barren hearts into seas of overflowing wonder!
Come, Longing of our empty lives!
Come, Listener to the songs of all creation!
Come, Receiver of our joyful hearts and hopes!

Come, Dreamer of creation,
for by your Word you spoke,
   calling sheep to roam hillsides,
   crafting trees to touch the clouds,
   filling sea beds with teeming life.
Come, Face shining with grace,
for with your Spirit you shaped us
to be your people, signs of your hope,
   even when we listen
   to sin’s hollow voices.
Come, Listener to our hearts,
for by the prophets,
you never abandoned us to sin
or would let death separate us from you,
   even sending your Beloved to save us.

As we seek not to put you to the test,
as we would not weary those around us,
we offer our thanksgiving to you:

Come, God whose holiness shatters the stillness.
We join all creation in praising you:
Hosanna in the highest!

Come, Blessed of God’s love for us.
Hosanna in the highest!

Come, Spirit of holiness,
   as we celebrate the One
   who has come to be with us.
Come, Restorer of our empty hearts,
   and rebuild our ruined souls
   shattered by stress.
Come, Good News for our longing ears,
   and speak to us of
   God’s love and hope in us.
Come, Life-giver,
   destroying sin’s death grip
   over us forever, as
   you lead us into resurrection.

Preparing to celebrate the birth of hope,
making ready to welcome the gift of your heart,
we cry out the mystery we know as faith:

Come, Sufferer on our behalf.
Come, Resurrection’s bright hope.
Come, Promise keeper of our future.

Come, Bestower of grace,
   pouring out your Spirit
   on the gifts of this Table
   and your children gathered here.
Come, Baker of hope,
   mixing our tears with
   the flour of your hope,
   so the bread of life might
   fill all people with joy this day.
Come, Cradle of our hearts,
   so we as we drink
   the cup of grace
      bitterness may become benevolence,
      cynicism may transform into compassion,
      fear may be recast into faithfulness.

Then come, Keeper of all time,
when we least expect you,
to gather us with our sisters and brothers
of every place and from every time,
to joyfully feast with you in all eternity,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending

Come, let us go with God to bring healing to the world.
Come, let us bring family to the lonely,
comfort to those who grieve.
Come, let us go with Jesus to all are forgotten.
Come, let us carry justice to the oppressed,
to feed those who hunger in body and soul.
Come, let us go with the faithful Spirit.
Come, let us speak the gospel with our lips,
let us share grace with our lives.

© Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for December 14, 2025 (Advent 3 - A)

 Texts:  Isaiah 35:1-10; Luke 1:46b-55; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11

Call to Worship

One: Be patient!
The time is coming when
we will celebrate the birth of Jesus,
All: when we will sing and rejoice,
dancing with everlasting joy.
One: But for now, be patient,
as we wait in this time called Advent,
All: when God speaks through dreams and visions,
and we are invited to dance
down the holy way into the kingdom.
One: For this is Advent, as we prepare to join the world
in celebrating the Creator of goodness and hope,
All: when those who limp will teach new dance steps,
when the voiceless sing, ‘Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming.’

Prayer of the Day
God who approaches:
you gather the ignored,
   so you can accomplish the unexpected
   for a world which no longer cares;
with bread broken into pieces,
   you restore your shattered creation;
as you let go of your Child,
   our emptiness is filled
   with immeasurable grace.

Ever-new, always-scarred
Jesus of the forgotten:
through you,
   those whose voices are silenced
   hear the whispers of angels
   on hillsides and in shelters;
by you,
   those who are knocked over
   lead the way into your kingdom;
with you,
   those who wander in shadows
   are clasped tight in your love.

Breath of Advent:
you pour the promises of the Word
   into the shy and silent
   so they can carol of grace;
you stretch out your hand
to all in despair’s exile,
   to place them on the
   holy way of hope;
you gather up the scraps
of our scattered fears,
   to build a new crib
   for a refugee family.

Come, God in Community, Holy in One,
come to us, as we pray together saying,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation

There is no need to wait in long lines.  God is always willing to listen – to our hearts as well as our voices, as we admit how we have not cared as we could, have not shared as we should.  Let us join, as we pray, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

   This season is supposed to be so holy, God of Christmas, yet the din of sales pitches turns us into cynical grumps.  As we drive down the streets, the decorations on all the houses keep us from seeing the loneliness of the widower, the strained faces of those who fear the future.  We are so determined to find just the right gift or card which speaks of joy, we forget that you came so long ago to offer justice to those who have none.
   Be patient with us, God of our hearts, as we struggle to speak for the voiceless, to walk with those who have lost their way, to let go of our certainty of what really happened to long ago, and listen to the songs of children which speak of that peace which really can bring reconciliation, of that grace which really can offer hope, of that love which really can to us that night in Bethlehem, in the birth of Jesus, our Brother, our Savior. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Grace
One: Do not be afraid, but believe.  Our God is here, opening our eyes to see that salvation which is ours approaching us in this season of Advent.
All:We join our voices in rejoicing in God who is our Savior.  The One who calls us blessed, is the God who forgives us.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

We pray that with our gifts, as well as our lives, we will tell of those who are given voice, those who are put back on their feet, those who show us the way, and those who offer us grace and hope, as well.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

One: May the Creator of the Holy Way be with you.
All: And also with you.
One: Do not be afraid, people of God, but lift your hearts to the holy One.
All: Our hearts will be filled with God’s hope and grace.
One: Children of God, offer songs of goodness to the One who keeps faith forever.
All: We offer glad praises to the One who comes with justice.

One: You carved a holy way
through chaos, Unveiling God,
rejoicing with Word and Spirit as creation
   trickled down mountains to form rivers,
   birds built nests in shrubs and trees,
   bees and butterflies pollinated meadows.
These great, and good, things were
for those formed in your image
so we might be with you in wonder,
   but we were blinded by sin’s
   sparkling seductions and could not
   envision the life you offered to us.
Patiently, you sent prophets to us,
who urged us over and again to return,
   but we continued to look favorably
   upon the gifts offered by sin and death.
So you emptied your strong heart,
becoming weak in the baby
born in Bethlehem for us.

With those you have put back on their feet,
with those you knock off our presumptions,
we sing our carols to you:

All: Holy, holy, holy are you, God who does great things.
All creation shall rejoice, offering you praise.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who keeps your promises.
Hosanna in the highest!

One: Holiness is the path you walk, Gracious God,
and your Child, Jesus, is the One
who comes with justice for all your people.
When we are worry, world, and work weary,
   he comes to strengthen our hearts,
                   to stand us back on our feet.
When disappointment silences us,
   he comes to teach us
         how to proclaim the good news.
When we cannot see our way out of our foolishness,
   he comes to point us toward salvation’s dawn.
When we were held captive by sin,
   he came, giving himself in love,
   so joy might dance in our hearts,
   and we could gather bouquets
   of resurrection gladness as
         death ran away.

As we draw closer to the joy of his birth,
as we remember his death and resurrection at this feast,
we bear witness to the holy way of faith which is a mystery:

All: Christ died, trusting that your weakness destroys death;
Christ was raised, telling us of the resurrection he had seen and heard;
Christ will come again, to lead us home by the holy way of God.

One: Gather your people in these moments,
and lead us along the holy way to the Table
where the Spirit anoints the bread and the cup
and blesses all who have come for this feast.
As we are strengthened by the bread,
may we show the way toward healing
   to the imprisoned,
       the sightless,
       the sufferers of chronic pain,
       those who struggle to hear.
As we drink from grace’s cup,
may we notice what you are doing in our midst
   so grief and loneliness
   will disappear, never to be seen again.

And when all time has drawn to a close,
when we are gathered with our sisters and brothers
at Advent’s Table in eternity with you,
we will rejoice in your forever,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
One: Let us journey into the world with our God,
All: to rebuild shattered hearts with hope.
One: Let us spend each day with Jesus,
All: mending brokenness with love.
One: Let us share our hearts with the Spirit,
All: so we may be with those who are waiting for peace.

(c) Thom M. Shuman