OT 9 - A

Call to Worship
Be still!
The One who cradled the remnant of creation
in the cleansing waters calls us here.
Be still! And know this:
At the present time, God cradles us in safety
even as fear floods all around us.
Be still! And know who God is.
The One who is with us in every moment:
past, present, and future.

Prayer of the Day
In every city center
where lives teeter on the edge;
in every suburban home
where lives can be trapped
in the quicksand of complacency:
you are there, Helping God.

In every corridor of power
where nations hurl insults
or whisper hope;
in every prejudice
rooted in fear;
in every grace-filled conversation
between strangers:
you are there, Strength of the World.

In every heart that welcomes
the broken and beaten-down of the world;
in every reconciling embrace
of those we once boasted
were our enemies:
you are there, Spirit of Refuge.

God in Community, Holy in One,
early in the morning, your glad rivers
of hope and joy flow through us,
as we lift our prayers, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
When we gather to praise our God, we remember that we are people who tend to choose our will over God's. Accepting God's power to create us as new people in Christ, let us confess our sins before God and one another, as we pray,

Responsive Prayer of Confession
In the lonely neighbor next door, you come to us,
but we do not recognize you;
in the cries of the children sleeping in the street, you call,
but we do not hear you;
in the laughing hug of an old friend, you bless us.
but we cannot feel you.
Forgive us, and make us new.
In the immigrant who sits beside us on the bus, you accept us,
but we will not shake your hand;
in the family member who tells us to 'forget it,' you forgive us,
but we dare not let go of what they have done to us.
Forgive us, and make us new.
In a broken world, we see your mission,
but we insist on doing everything our way;
in the outcast, the poor, the needy, we find you,
but we do not care what is happening to you;
in your death and resurrection, we find life,
but we are unable to believe you.
Forgive us, and make us new.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
There is no shame in the good news - only hope, only life, only joy, only peace.
Even now, God is forgiving us; even now, God is making us new. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
You put an end
to the corruption of chaos,
Ark of our hearts,
filling its emptiness
with creation's beauty.
You whispered your dreams,
and the mountains echoed with praise;
you shaped us in your image
and the heavens saw your work.
You placed us right
in the center of your goodness,
giving us the solid foundation
of your heart as our home.
But we decided to stand
on the shifting sands of sin,
not fearing death's flood.
You sent the prophets
to remind us that
you were not ashamed
of your hopes for us.
But we would not keep
our covenant with you,
and so you sent Jesus,
to offer us the justice
of your righteous love.

So, with those who have found
their refuge in you in every time and place,
we lift our songs of thanksgiving:

Sanctus

Holy are you, Creator of all life,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Peace.
He could have stayed
in the haven of glory,
but came to walk our streets,
bringing the dawn of redemption.
He could have prided himself
on his signs and wonders,
but faithfully did your will.
Making no distinction
between your children,
he went to the cross,
willing to sacrifice his life,
to put an end to
death's control over ours.

As we remember his life, his death, his resurrection,
as we long to not be ashamed of his gospel,
we speak of that mystery we call faith:

Memorial Acclamation

Here, on this Table
are your gifts -
the bread and the cup.
But even more,
are the gifts of grace,
of hope, of peace.
So pour out your Spirit
upon all these gifts,
and those who gather
in this place and this time.
As we eat of the Bread of life,
may we reach out to those
starving for justice and peace.
As we drink from the Cup of joy,
may we live out our faith
by serving those damaged
by the violence of our world.

And when we enter heaven,
our feet on the firm foundation
of your love and grace,
we will gather around your Table once more,
singing our praises to you forever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman