2nd Sunday of Advent - Year B

Call to Worship

Listen to what the Lord our God says to us:
Peace is God's hope for us;
salvation is God's gift to us.
See what the Lord our God reveals to us:
righteousness is the path to the kingdom;
faithfulness is the highway we build.
Tell what the Lord our God
asks us to speak:
prepare God's way;
the Christ is coming to redeem us.

Prayer of the Day

Comfort of the ages,
you come:
so you can fill our empty places
with your hope;
so you can level our pride
with your call to servanthood;
so you can smooth our toughened hearts
with your tenderness.

Herald of Good News:
when we hunger for exaltation,
you feed us with humility;
when we trip over sin,
you gather us up in love;
when we become satisfied with our faith,
you shake us with your Messenger.

Spirit of Advent:
in this hectic season,
give us the gift of patience;
when we overflow with stress,
soothe us with your serenity;
when we are overwhelmed
with the desire for more and more,
speak to us of the needs of the outsiders.

God in Community, Holy in One,
surround us with your presence,
and fill us with your love,
as we lift the prayer taught to us by Jesus, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation

God comes! Let us prepare the way.
God comes to forgive us! Let us prepare
our hearts as we confess our sins, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession

We confess that our penalty has been paid, God of Comfort, yet we still insist on earning our way into your heart. We confess that you are patient with us, but wish you would act quickly against those who hurt us. We confess your word will stand forever, but it is our words of pain and anger that cause long term harm to others.

Your Messenger has come, Approaching God, crying out of your forgiveness and hope. ThroughJesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, you speak to us: not of punishment, but of peace; not of judgment, but of justice; not of a sentence, but salvation.

Silent prayers may be offered

Assurance of Pardon

Hear the Good News God speaks to you:
I love you;
I forgive you;
I restore you to new life.
We will not ignore the fact that God comes:
not to condemn, but to comfort us; not to
scold, but to speak tenderly to us of hope,
of love, of joy. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
(preceded by singing verses 1 & 2 of "In the Bleak Midwinter")

May God be with you.
and may God be with you.
People of God, open your hearts.
We open our hearts to the One who comes to us.
People of God, give thanks to the Living God.
We praise the One who offers comfort and peace to us.

Acclamation, thanksgiving, songs of joy
are the gifts we offer to you,
God of all the ages.
You uttered the Word
and mountains burst forth;
your Breath blew upon the waters,
and stirred life into being;
you reached down and shaped us
in your own image,
from the dusty paths you trod.
In our impatience,
we refused to wait for your glory,
and rushed into sin's sweet embrace.
Yet you were willing
to outwit our foolish wisdom,
and outwait our childish tantrums,
sending the prophets to cry out
of your desire for us to return to you.
Finally, when we continued to cling
to death's strong hand,
you clothed your Word with human flesh,
that we might meet you face to face.

So with those who have waited for you
in every time and place,
with those who seek to live faithfully
for you in these days,
we lift our songs of hope to you:

(verse 3 of "In the Bleak Midwinter")
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim Thronged the air;
But his mother only, In her maiden bliss,
Worshiped the Beloved With a kiss.

All holiness is yours, Righteous God,
and blessed is your Word for whom we wait,
Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace.
When we had lost our way,
he came to straighten out the path to you.
When we wept at our lostness,
he came to comfort us.
When we had fallen hopelessly
at the feet of death,
he gathered us up in his arms
to carry us home to you.

As we come to this Table,
we remember the mystery of the One
who died that we might live forever:

(verse 4 of "In the Bleak Midwinter")
What can I give Him, Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: Give my heart.

As your Spirit moves upon the gifts
of the bread and the cup,
may she touch us with
unexpected hope and the power of patience.
As we wait for Christ's return,
we would fill the empty dreams of the world
with your vision of peace and wholeness;
we would feed the lost
with the bread of hope;
we would gently lead the exiled
back to your Kingdom.

Then, when the end of time comes,
and our waiting is over,
we will gather around your Table
in the new heaven and new earth,
where righteousness is our friend
and justice lives next door,
and you are our God forever and ever,
Creator of goodness,
Friend of the lost,
Spirit of joy. Amen.

Blessing

As you were present with us through your Word, O God:
May we be present to others who will come to us this week.
As you fed us with peace, Bread of Life:
May we grace others with your peace in the coming days.
As you welcomed us to your Table, Spirit of hope:
May we welcome those you send us who have no hope.

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

First Sunday in Advent - B

Call to Worship

Advent is the season of waiting:
for the One who is faithful in
every season.
Advent is the season of waiting
for the Lord:
who comes doing deeds
we never expect.
Let us wait in this holy season:
Let us keep awake!

Prayer of the Day

You could feed us
with bitterness,
if you wanted,
Approaching God,
but you offer us
the Bread of Heaven;
you could hand us
a glass filled with your tears,
if you wished,
but you touch
the cup of Hope to our lips.

The stars fall down
to shine the way for you,
Babe of Bethlehem,
the powers of the world
tremble at your approach.
You tear open
our hardened hearts
so you can come in
and live with us forever.

Advent's Spirit:
you unclog our ears
so we can hear
the songs of the angels;
you wipe the grit
from our eyes
so we can see
the One who is coming to us.

God in Community, Holy in One,
help us to wait patiently, and hopefully,
as we lift the prayer taught to us by Jesus, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation

Advent is the season
of preparing,
of waiting,
of hoping.
Let us confess to the One who comes carrying forgiveness to us.

Responsive Prayer of Confession

God who is drawing near to us:
we live in a world of violence,
which we do not condemn enough:
Come to us, with your peace.
We are filled with the best of intentions,
but are unable to follow through with action:
Come to us, with your will.
We are sinners, who are afraid
to gaze into your mirror of grace:
Come to us, with your mercy.
Word of Flesh:
have mercy;
Friend of the poor:
have mercy;
Bridegroom of the faithful:
have mercy.

Silent prayers may be offered

Assurance of Pardon

In this season of waiting,
the Good News is this:
mercy, new life, hope, and joy
are the gifts we receive from our God.
Thanks be to the God of Advent, who came
in the Child, who is with us in the Spirit,
who will come again in glory! Amen.

Blessing

Be on guard!
We do not know when Christ will return.
Be alert!
Our hearts will be open
to everyone we meet.
Be on guard! Be alert!
We will welcome each person
as if they are the Christ.

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

Christ the King Sunday - Year A

Call to Worship

We come: scatter-brained, fractured by work,
stressed and strained beyond limit.
God gathers us up and brings us to this place:
the Kingdom of healing and peace.
We come: scoffers of wisdom, skeptics of sainthood,
questioners of confessions and creeds.
God collects us in the power of the Word,
reminding us that we are never lost.
We come: mockers of motives, disbelievers in justice,
rogues about righteousness.
God scoops us up from every street corner
and brings us home with our sisters and brothers.

Prayer of the Day

You search for us
when we are lost,
and bring us home,
Master of the Universe.
Our scattered thoughts
are knitted together
by your grace
so we might know,
beyond any doubt,
that you are God.

Word-bearer of Hope:
we wander the deserts of desire,
and question why we are parched;
we feast on the scraps
of the table set by trouble,
and cannot imagine being filled;
we cling to every blessing
you have given to us,
and call ourselves impoverished.

Spirit of Wisdom:
reveal to us our brokenness,
so we might become whole;
enlighten our hearts,
so we can be more loving;
show us the path
from which we have strayed,
so we can find our way home.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift the prayer Jesus has taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation

None of us think we are lost--but the shadows of the world seduce us. None of us have strayed, though we often refuse to ask for directions. But when we confess our real situation, reveal who we are, we discover the One who has been searching for us. Please join me, as we pray together saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession

We like to pat ourselves on the back for all the good things we do, Pursuing God. We give a canned good to the food pantry; we drop an old coat in the collection barrel; we send a note to someone in the hospital. But when we look over our shoulders, we see you emptying out your refrigerator, pushing a cart filled with new clothes for the homeless, sitting by the bedside of a cancer patient in the early hours of the morning.

You go to the ends of the earth to forgive us, Merciful God, and to the very depths of death itself to give us new life. May we have the faith to live as your people, and the wisdom to share from the riches you have given us, in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silent Prayers may be offered

Assurance of Pardon

God seeks the lost:
that's us;
God adopts the strays of the world:
that's us;
God strengthens the weak:
that's us;
God forgives all who fail:
that's us! Thanks be to God. Amen.

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - A

Call to Worship

Before there was any time,
there was God.
When we wandered through the wilderness,
God built the way for us.
When we lived in exile,
our homes were built by God.
When we are overwhelmed by stress and change,
God unknots the tightness in our shoulders.
When we seek to serve faithfully,
God provides the opportunities.
when tomorrow comes,
we find God awake and waiting for us.
When time ends,
there will still be God.

Prayer of the Day

Conqueror of Chaos:
you reached down
gathering up the dust,
filling it with your Breath,
and giving us life.
We gather in worship
so we might continue
to be shaped by your love.

You walked the paths
of dusty earth,
Christ our Servant:l
ifting us up when we had fallen,
feeding us when we were famished,
healing us when we were broken,
saving us when we were sinners.

Spirit of Hope:
you laugh,
and leaves dance down the streets;
you whisper,
and children sleep in peace;
you clap your hands,
and our souls leap with joy.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our prayers to you,
using the words taught to us
by the Christ, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation

God created us for goodness, and too often we make the wrong choices. God, who walked this earth, knows our temptations. God, whose hope is for wholeness, waits to forgive us. Let us come to our God, as we confess our sins together, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession

God of promises, you offer us guidance, and we rush to grasp the hand of our world. You would nurture us with love and grace, and we feast on the empty calories of success and seduction. You call us to be your faithful people, and we are eager to follow the politicians, the promoters, the petty.

Forgive us, Covenant God. You have not forgotten your promises, nor will you break them. Rather, you come to us so we might know your love; you walk with us, so we might find our way; you redeem us so we might trust that your promises have been fulfilled once and for all in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silent Prayers may be offered

Assurance of Pardon

In every time and in every place, God shows
compassion and mercy. Thus, we know God
has heard our prayers and has filled us with
forgiveness and hope.
In this time, in this place, we are filled with
grace and sustained by love. Thanks be to
God, we are forgiven. Amen.

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

Call to Worship

If we will but listen,
God will speak to us in parables,
God will tell us stories lived out by our grandparents.
If we will but remember,
we will discover all we have heard and known,
all the wonders God has in store for us.
If we will but share,
we can tell our children and grandchildren -
even those not yet born -
the glorious stories of our God.

Prayer of the Day

We stand at the crossing,
Holy God,
arms, hearts, souls
full of the burdens
the gods of this world
have placed on us.
You remove them,
throw them to one side,
taking us by the hand
to lead us into your kingdom.

As we turn to you in our despair,
Holy Friend,
you come and fill our emptiness
with the holy oil
of your compassion,
so we might always
be ready to serve
those who come to us.

Holy Wisdom,
you would not leave us
uninformed of God's love for us,
so you whisper in our ears
of wonders beyond our dreaming;
you remove the blindfold from our eyes
to behold the grace flowing around us;
you open our hearts
to the family God has given us.

God in Community, Holy in One,
hear us as we pray as Jesus has taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation

How quickly we forget - our faith, our calling, our hope. All because we try to do everything our way, rather than God's. But God is quicker to forgive, and to restore us to new life. Let us confess to our God, as we pray saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession

It is never easy to admit how foolish we are, Approaching God. You have chosen us for yourself, and we continue to shelter false gods in our hearts. You promise to be with us in every moment, but we can find little time for you. You send your Word to us, but we are too busy listening to the noise of our culture to pay attention.

Have mercy, Eternal One, and forgive us. Speak to us, so we might listen, and in hearing be transformed into your people. Fill us with holiness, so we might give ourselves wholly to others. Enable us to serve you faithfully and completely, even as did our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Silent Prayers may be offered

Assurance of Pardon

This is our assurance: God forgives us.
This is our hope: God's love is everlasting.
This is our truth: God is with us always.
We will speak the truth;
we will live the hope;
we will share God's forgiveness.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

May the Lord be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the One whose
faithfulness never ends.
People of God, give thanks to the Lord.
We offer our praise and thanks to the One
whose love is eternal.

How good and right
it is to praise you,
God who gathers us
around this Table!
You opened your mouth,
and creation's glory sprang forth:
you appointed the stars
to glitter in the night;
you established the waters
to nourish the earth.
You shaped us in your image,
calling us to be your children,
to live with you
in harmony and joy.
But we chose to serve sin,
crossing the River back into chaos,
hugging our false gods to our hearts.
But you would not give up
your hope for us,
sending us the prophets
so we might pay attention
to the words of your heart.
When we would not forsake
our reliance on the world's idols,
you sent us Jesus,
who died and rose again for our sake.

Therefore, we join with those
who await us in heaven,
as well as those who witness to us on earth,
singing your glory forever:

Sanctus

You alone are holy,
God of all time,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Savior.
When we had walked away
from your gracious love,
you turned to us in Christ
to save us.
When we no longer
were willing to listen to you,
your Word of hope
came among us
to live your love in our midst.
When we foolishly clung
to sin's deadly ways,
Jesus reached outt
o pull us from death's grasp,
and show us what the Kingdom is like.

As we remember his death and resurrection for us,
we tell those to come after us
of that mystery we call faith:

Memorial Acclamation

As we come to this Tableo
f healing and gentleness,
we pray that you would
pour out your Spirit
upon these gifts of the bread and the cup,
and on your children gathered in this place.M
ay we put away our idols,
as we stretch out our hands
for the Bread which has been broken for us.
May we seek to encourage others
to discover your love,
as we drink from the Spirit of Christ.
May we no longer plead ignorance,
but with full awareness
and open hearts,
go forth to serve all your children.

Then, when we gather at
the Wedding Banquet in your kingdom,
we will praise you,
Creating God,
Jesus of the poor,
Healing Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

(c) 2005 Thom M. Shuman