Lent 1-B

Call to Worship

Here, at the outer limits of Lent,
we are called to walk:
to the paper-thin edges which cut us to the soul;
to the workplaces which weary us;
to the people who confuse us;
to the faith which threatens us.
Here, at the corner of Steadfast Love and Faithfulness,
we are called to wait:
when our clenched stomachs awaken us;
in the moments of unbearable sorrow;
with the angels who would carry us.
Here, where time is fulfilled,
where God's Kingdom is as near to us as our neighbor,
we begin Lent:
with the Beloved, whose tears wash away our fears,
with the God who will not let go of our hands.

Prayer of the Day

You love us, O God.
Like a mother who upholds her son through
the temper tantrums,
the ball-broken windows,
the smart-alecky remarks:
you love us, O God.
Like a father who walks his daughter through
the terrible twos,
the giggling fours,
the confusion and chaos of adolescence:
you love us, O God!

You give to us, Holy Brother.
In the tears crevassing our cheeks,
in the depths of our sighing;
in moments of exquisite joy
and the lingering days of loneliness:
you give to us - your self.
In the chorales of morning birds,
in the silent prayers of our hearts;
in a night sky splattered with stars,
in a cross stained with blood and tears:
you give to us - your self.

You dance with us, Gentle Spirit.
In baptismal waters soaking our knees,
when desert dust chokes our hymns:
you dance with us, Gentle Spirit.
In jail cells and courtrooms,
on the journey to death,
and striding forth from the tomb:
you dance with us, Gentle Spirit.

God in Community, Holy in One,
in any season, but especially in this Holy Season,
you love us, you give yourself to us, you dance with us;
and so we lift the prayer Jesus has taught to us, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation

God looks at the most broken soul and sees an angel aching to take flight. God sees our worst faults and washes them away in the waters of life. God hears our prayers of confession, and whispers sweet grace in our hearts. Let us pray together as we say,

Unison Prayer of Confession

Forgive
the silly sins of childhood,
the exuberant sins of adolescence,
the faded sins of aging;

forgive
the sins we shout in the streets,
the sins we whisper to ourselves;

forgive
the sins we didn't give a second thought to,
the sins we plot in the middle of the night;

forgive
the flood of sins which threaten us,
the wilderness of sin which we offer to others,
the sin which seeks to imprison us:
forgive.
Forgive us, Good and Gentle God,
forgive us and have mercy on us,
so we might walk the path of faithfulnesswith Jesus,
to Jerusalem and beyond,
so we might know your steadfast love in our lives.

Silent Prayers may be offered

Assurance of Pardon

What can sustain us in the days to come,
what will nourish us on our Lenten journey?
Look, here is all the food we need: God's Love,
God's Word, God's Hope.
Through the wilderness and into the kingdom
of life, we are given daily bread for every day
of the journey. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

May the Lord of Lent be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the One who calls us 'Beloved.
'Beloved of God, give thanks and praise
to the One who loves you forever.
We sing our hymns of joy to the One
who leads us into the kingdom.

Hearts full of joy are lifted to you,
Crafter of Covenants.
When there was no time as we knew it,
you created Day and Night,
so we could wait for you all day long,
enjoying your grace and goodness.
But instead of learning your ways,
we listened to the seductive whispers
of the Evil One,
and wandered into the wilderness
of rebellion and sin.
Remembering the promises made
so long ago to our ancestors,
you sent the prophets to teach us
and to show us your paths to hope,
but we ignored their witness and their words.
Yet, you would not see us left
in death's desert,
and so sent the One
who could lead us back to you.

Therefore, we lift our voices
with the faithful of every time and place,
and the choirs of the kingdom,
who forever sing of your goodness and love:

Sanctus

Holy are you, God of Faithfulness,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
your Steadfast Love.
In those days,
he could have remained by your side,
but came to be by ours;
in those days,
he could have feasted on your glory,
but came to eat and drink with sinners;
in those days,
he could have remained whole and pure,
but died broken on a sin-stained cross,
that we might have all the days of eternity with you.

As we begin that journey to Jerusalem
which will test our faith
and offer us opportunities to serve,
we remember the life, the death,
the resurrection of the One we follow.

Memorial Acclamation

On this day, and in this place,
God of Mystery,
pour out your Holy Spirit upon us
and upon the bread we break
and the cup we share.
Through these gifts,
make us one with the Risen Christ,
and send us forth to serve the world.
Set free by the goodness of your love,
let us proclaim liberty to the prisoners;
filled with the Bread of Life,
let us feed the hungry of our communities;
our thirst cooled be the Cup of Grace,
let us reach out to those
who stumble through the desert of life;
walk with us through the wilderness of the world,
so we can gather our sister and brothers
in your love, your hope, your joy,
and journey together into your kingdom.

Then, seated around the Table you set before us,
with the Beloved of every time and of every place,
we will merge our songs of praise
with those who have shown your steadfast love and faithfulness
to all generations,
singing our praise to you,
God of Abraham and Noah, of Rebecca and Mary;
Jesus of the poor and oppressed;
Spirit of the lost and the least:
God in Community, Holy in One.
Amen and Amen.

(c) 2006 Thom M. Shuman

Ash Wednesday

(Note that while we use Taize songs for our worship, other songs can be substituted for other congregations)

Silent Prayer in Preparation for Worship

As you begin this service, take a few moments to bring yourself before God - your present state of mind and preoccupations, as well as your desire to meet God during this time.

Call to Worship

God's people have been called to gather.
From breast-feeding infants to aged
grandparents, all are welcome.
God's people have been called to repent.
From those who wear their faults on
their sleeves, to those whose secret hearts
are broken, all are welcome.
God's people have been called to be
reconciled to our God.
From those who have turned away,
to those whose pain whispers in the night,
all are welcome.

Taize song "Wait for the Lord"

Prayer of the Day and our Lord's Prayer

God of holiness:
your day comes near,
and we tremble,
not out of fear,
but from awe and gratitude.
For on your day,
we are fully known,
completely restored,
reconciled to you forever.

Jesus Christ,
Grace Bearer:
as we come to your fast,
may we be filled with your hope;
as we receive your gifts,
may our hearts be opened to others;
as we begin our journey with you,
may we put no roadblocks
in the path to Jerusalem.

Holy Spirit,
Creator of clean hearts:
as water rushes
into an empty hole,
may your sacramental silence
fill the emptiness of our souls.

God in Community, Holy in One,
our Treasure, our Hope, our Joy,
hear us as we pray as Jesus taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .

Taize song "In the Lord, I'll Be Ever Thankful"

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

Taize song "Our Darkness"

Psalm 51 (read in unison)

Taize song "In God Alone My Soul"

2 Corinthians 5:20b - 6:10

Taize song "Our Eyes"

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Silence is observed (10 minutes)

Invitation to Lenten Disciplines

Beloved in Christ,
at the time of the Christian Passover,
we celebrate our deliverance from sin and death
through the death and resurrection
of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lent is the season of preparation
for this great celebration,
the means by which we renew our life
in the Paschal mystery.
We begin our Lenten journey
by acknowledging our need for repentance,
for in penitance,
we name those things
which damage us and others
for what they really are,
and we open ourselves
to the One whose love knows no boundaries
and whose mercy is demonstrated to us
in the life of Jesus Christ.

By taking an honest look at our lives,
and repenting of our humanness;
by praying quietly
but with full hearts;
by letting go of those things that harm us
and by taking on works of love for others;
by reading and feasting on God's Word,
we observe a holy Lent,
and prepare ourselves for the passion
of Holy Week
and the joy of Easter.

Let us prepare ourselves
to come to our God.

Taize song "O Lord, Hear My Prayer"

Call to Reconciliation

God begs us to turn from those words, those acts, those obstacles which keep us from being God's people. As we begin our Lenten journey, I invite you to join with me, with words and in silence, as we bring our brokenness to God who desires to make us whole.

Unison Prayer of Confession

Too long have traveled our own ways, Approaching God, too long have we sought to satisfy our hidden desires. We have trusted the falsehoods of the world, and relied on the power which would consume our souls. We have sought healing from impostors, and rejected the One who was broken for our wholeness.

Have mercy on us, God whose love overflows our deepest hopes. Let our hearts be a sanctuary for your Spirit; let our lives abound in service to others; let our spirits reflect the One we call our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Silence is observed

Assurance of Pardon

God lets go of the punishment we deserve
and gives us mercy in its place. Willingly,
God puts a new spirit into us, the spirit of
hope and joy.
We will sing to the One who has delivered us
from our sins. We will praise God with
cleansed hearts. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Imposition of the Ashes

Our ancestors in the faith
used ashes as a sign of our repentance,
a symbol of the uncertainty and fragility
of human life.
Like them,
we have tasted the ashes of hopelessness;
we have walked through the ashes
of our loss and pain;
we have stood knee-deep
in the ashes of our brokenness.

God of our lives,
out of the dust of creation
you have formed us and given us life.
May these ashes not only be a sign
of our repentance and death,
but reminders that by your gift of grace
in Jesus Christ, our Redeemer,
we are granted life forever with you.
Amen.

(A period of silence will follow. Those who wish to do so, may come forward to have the sign of the cross placed on their foreheads or hands. The ashes are from palm branches used at Palm Sunday services in the past, mixed with oil).

Invitation to the Table (from Isaiah 58)
We try, God knows, we try.
We show up at church, hoping God will notice..
We study Scripture, pretending god is reading aloud to us;
we put on those masks to show everyone
how proper we are,
how law-abiding,
how religious;
and we wonder - does God even care?
Not when we clench our fists in anger,
rather than opening them in love;
not when we work people too hard,
and pay them too little;
not when we speak bitter and harmful words
to those we are given to love.
So tonight, as we begin our Lenten fast,
God offers us a feast. Why?
So that the broken bread will strengthen us
to break the chains of injustice,
to take the burden of poverty off our neighbors,
to stop trying to control those around us,
to fix a meal for the hungry.
God offers us a feast
so that the cup of grace will free us
to take coats out of our closets
and wrap them around shivering shoulders;
to offer shelter to the homeless
without judging them;
to spend more time with our families
and less on the internet.
So, come to this Table and eat.
Then, you will see the light God offers to your darkness;
then, you will find the path God calls you to walk;
then, you will discover God waiting to help you,
even before you say a word.
We will come to this Table and feast.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

People of God, the Lord be with you.
And also with you.
People of dust, lift up your hearts to God.
We lift them up to the One ho created us.
People of ashes, give thanks to the Lord our God.
Praise and thanks are offered to the One
who restores us to life.

Now is the right time to praise you;
now is the moment to sing your praises,
Holy God of Creation.
You formed us to live in joy
and peace with you,
but we tore your heart
when we chose our desires
over your dreams for us.
We prefer to swim in the cesspool of the world
than to be cleansed in your living waters.
We hunger more for the adulation of others
than for the quiet intimacy of your grace.
Yet you did not turn away from us
but remained true to your covenant,
calling us to return in the words
trumpeted by the prophets;
inviting us to gather in your kingdom,
entreating us to accept your overflowing love.

Therefore, we glorify you,
joining our voices with those
who had wandered far from you,
but who were brought home;
and with those who seek you now
in this time and place:

Taize song "Bless the Lord"

Holy are you, Steadfast Love,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,Bread of Life.
Considered a pretender to David's throne,
he is your heart's true Son.
Taking on the poverty of the human spirit,
he shared the abundance of your heart;
weeping over our broken relationships,
he reconciles us with your saving joy;
having nothing he could call his own,
he gives us more than we ever need;
dying like a common criminal,
he gives us life,
releasing us from the grip of sin and death.

Preparing to journey with him once again,
we remember the mystery
of his faithful obedience to your heart:

Taize song "Jesus Christ, Bread of Life"

Holy Spirit,
Heart of Compassion:
as the ashes of our humanity
are placed upon your baptismal seal,
so the brokenness of our lives
is placed on the Table of grace,
so the bread might make us whole,
and the cup might fill us with hope.
Then, in your wisdom,
may we turn to serve others;
in your joy,
may we bear the burdens of others;
in your grace,
may our love overflow to others.

Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ,
in the community of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor are yours,
God of holiness,
now and forever. Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread
The Sharing of the Cup
(while receiving communion, you are invited to sing the Taize song, "Eat This Bread")

Prayers of Petition

Taize song "Jesus, Remember Me"

Please depart the sanctuary in silence

(c) 2006 Thom M. Shuman

Transfiguration of the Lord - Year B

Call to Worship

We gather as the faithful of God,
we come to listen to what God has to say to us.
God has invited us to this place:
may our faces reflect our hopes and our hearts.
We gather as the faithful of God,
people of the new covenant of hope and promise.
We boldly enter into the presence of God,
hoping to be transformed into new people.
We gather as the faithful of God,
our fears melting away in the heart of God.
We come to share in the freedom of the Spirit,
we come to praise God's holy name.

Prayer of the Day

Majestic Glory,
Heart of God:
on mountaintops crowned with mist
and in museums filled with wonder;
in tents pitched by singing brooks
and in theaters filled with laughing children;
in this sacred space
and in all the ordinary neighborhoods
where we live,
you are with us,
hearing us,
answering us.
And we do not lose heart.

Holy Beloved,
Face of God:
we glance at you
out of the corners of our souls,
and see grace surrounding us;
we look at you
conversing with the poor and rejected,
and see our family;
we watch you
as you come to us,
to touch us, to heal us,
and to give us back to God.
And we do not lose heart.

Holy Spirit,
Ear of God:
when our lips
cannot shape words,
you speak them for us;
when we can only sigh
our deepest needs,
you gather them up
and offer them to God;
when our hopes
are dashed to the ground,
you pick them up
and give them back to us.
And we do not lose heart.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our voices and hearts to you,
praying as Jesus taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation

Sometimes we wait for God to astound us with whirlwinds of wonders, while God silently offers us grace. God waits to forgive us, so let us hold nothing back, but trust in the One who listens to our prayers and answers us with mercy.

Unison Prayer of Reconciliation

God of mountaintops, the din of the world can harden our hearts to your Word. We watch news, reality TV, silly shows - yet have trouble bearing witness to your presence in our lives. Our faith is placed in those who fail us, our trust is given to those who misplace it.

Forgive us, Revealer of Mystery. You offer mercy to us, so we might hear your call to discipleship. You whisper our names, so we might know how loved we are. Caught by the surprise of your never ending joy in us, how can we not follow our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, onto the mountaintops of worship and into the valleys of sacrifice and service!

Silent Prayers may be offered

Assurance of Pardon

On mountaintops and in valleys, in our
homes and in our hearts, God knows us
better than we know ourselves, and God
forgives us when we cannot forgive ourselves.
By God's mercy, we are forgiven;
by God's mercy, we are made whole;
by God's mercy, we are equipped to serve others.
Thanks be to God. 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 Lord our God.
People of God, give thanks to the One
who meets us on the mountaintops of
glory and in the valleys of service.
It is good and right to give praise
to the One who is with us in every moment.

Shaper of mountains
and Carver of rivers:
it is our greatest joy to offer you
our praise and thanksgiving in these moments.
All things in every place
were created by you
to rejoice in your radiant splendor.
Created by you to live
in your garden of hope and joy,
we believed in the shrewd schemes of the world,
and wandered into the valleys of sin and death.
But you did not forsake us,
but became one of us
so we might be transformed
into new life.

You gave us the Breath of life
and the Word of grace
so all the living could find voice
to sing your glory.
Therefore, we join with those
of every time and place
singing the ancient hymn
of praise and glory:

Sanctus

Mighty God,
lover of justice,
you are seated upon the praise of your people.
On the mountain of holiness
you proclaimed Jesus Christ as your Beloved,
the hope of all your children.
He descended Glory's mountain
to climb up on a garbage dump called Calvary.
When he could have stayed
with Moses and Elijah,
he chose to be crucified
between two thieves.
When he could have taken shelter
within your hope and love,
he endured the cross of pain and suffering.
And so, we proclaim our faith
as we come to your Table:

Memorial Acclamation

Descend upon us, Holy Spirit,
and on these gifts of the Bread and the Cup.
As we share them with one another,
may we be restored to wholeness.
May Christ's return in faith
find us in service to others;
may Christ's return in hope
find us praying for others;
may Christ's return in love
find us reconciled with one another.

And when Christ comes again in glory,
all people will be set free,
all brokenness will be made whole,
and all creation will sing:
through Christ, with Christ, in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.

(c) 2006 Thom M. Shuman

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time - B

Call to Worship

We gather to worship our God,
who has done great things.
We rejoice in the One who lays a path
for us through the deserts of our lives.
We gather to worship our God,
who does great things.
We delight in the One who pours rivers
of grace into the emptiness of our world.
We gather to worship our God,
who will do great things.
We exult in the One who paves the streets
of the kingdom with peace and joy.

Prayer of the Day

When we clutch our old habits,
you offer us a future filled with hope;
when we make a mess of our lives,
you wipe up our mistakes
with your grace;
when we wander parched
in the wilderness of our souls,
you offer us the cup of living water.
Faithful God:
we have never seen anything
like your love!

You lay open our hidden hearts
so your grace
might heal us;
you wipe away our tears
of anger and frustration,
so we might see the wonders
of your gentleness and hope;
you take up your cross
so we might go home
with you to the kingdom.
Faithful Witness:
we have never heard anything
like your words!

Your breath fills our lungs,
giving us life and energy
to serve those around us;
you point to the poor,
so we will see them
as our sisters and brothers;
you wrap us
in the comfort of your kindness.
Faithful Spirit:
we have never known anything
like your peace!

God in Community, Holy in One,
we believe that in You all promises are kept,
even as we pray as we have been taught,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation

God promises to do new things in our lives: to wipe away our mistakes and to forget our sins. So, join me as we confess our failings, trusting that behind these promises is God's"Yes!"

Unison Prayer of Confession

We come to you paralyzed, Sustaining God. We are so overwhelmed by our pain, we are unable to feel your healing touch. We are so frustrated by the ways other folks treat us, we cannot hear your call to discipleship. We are so crippled by our anger, we find it almost impossible to be kind to others.

Be gracious to us, Healer of all brokenness.
In your "Yes,"
we hear the truth which exposes our lies;
we see the One who chooses to forgive and heal us;
we find the way to your heart prepared for us
by Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silent prayers may be offered

Assurance of Pardon

Forget about what has happened in the past!
God is in the business of newness: new
people, new creation, new hope, new life.
This is the good news: God doesn't keep
a record of our sins - God forgives us!
Thanks be to God! Broken, we are made
whole; lost, we are found; closefisted, we
open our hands to receive grace. Amen and Amen!

Blessing

From moment to moment:
Blessed be God our Creator.
From now until eternity:
Blessed be Christ, Servant of the poor.
From everlasting to everlasting:
Blessed the Spirit of Healing.
All: Amen and Amen!

(c) 2006 Thom M. Shuman

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B

Call to Worship

We cry for help, and you hear us,
turning our tears into streams of joy.
O God our Maker,
we will praise you forever.
We look for healing, and find you,
the One who chooses to make us whole.
O Healer of the Broken,
we will sing of your hope forever.
We gasp for air as we race through our days,
and you wait to revive us.
O Breath of Life,
we will tell of your faithfulness forever.

Prayer of the Day

At bedtime,
as our tears flow soundlessly
upon our pillows,
you pick us up
and rock us gently
in your grace,
so we can sleep
until your morning song
wakens us
and we laugh with joy.
Faithful God,
we adore you.

When we cry out
in the middle of the night,
our fears pushing us
into the Pit of loneliness,
you come to touch us
with your peace,
making us one
with you.
Servant of the suffering,
we follow you.

We trip in our efforts
to be perfect,
so you pull us to our feet
to teach us
new dance steps;
when our souls
are shattered by the world,
you dunk us in Living Water,
and dry us off with hope.
Gilead's Balm,
we welcome you.

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

Call to Reconciliation

What is God like? Like a mother who cannot stay mad for long at her children, like the father who lets go of his anger to help the child who made a foolish mistake: this is God. Let us join together to confess our sins, for God longs to make us whole and to dry our tears.

Unison Prayer of Confession

Too often, we wander aimlessly through our days,
not noticing how clearly you have marked
the way to the kingdom;

too often, we choose to belittle people
rather than encouraging them;

too often, we push others aside
when we could choose to lift them
to their feet;

too often, we cause others to weep,
rather than choosing to plant joy
in their hearts.

Forgive us and be gracious to us, Merciful God.
Open our hearts to your healing grace,
open our spirits to your Word of life,
open our eyes to the world around us:
so we may bring healing and hope,
even as Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior,
touched us with these gifts.

Silent prayer may be offered

Assurance of Pardon

This is what God does:
turns despair into dancing,
grief into grace,
brokenness into blessing.
Cleansed and made whole, we offer
our thanks to God.
As Jesus chose to make the leper whole,
so God chooses to forgive us. We can
take off sin's sadness and dress ourselves
in the bright clothes of joy.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

(c) 2006 Thom M. Shuman