Easter 2-A

Call to Worship
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
We have not seen the risen Christ,
but we see him in the lives
of those transformed by grace.
We have not seen Jesus face-to-face,
but we have seen him in the faces
of everyone whose love encourages us.
We have not touched the wounds
from the cross,
but we have been called to bring healing
to the scarred of the world.

Prayer of the Day
On the evening
of the first day of creation,
Holy God,
you held out your hands,
filled with all the grace
we would ever need;
you began to surround us
with all that is good and pleasant.

On the evening
of the first day of Easter,
Defeater of Death,
you walked through
the closed doors
of our doubts and fears;
you held us tight
until the warmth of your grace
softened our hardened hearts;
you handed us the gift of peace
to calm our frightened faith.

On the evening
of the first day of following you,
Breath of Peace,
you open our eyes
to the bright color of hope;
you teach us
the glad songs of grace;
you share the most
valuable gift of all:
faith.

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

Call to Reconciliation
While it is true that we did not put Jesus to death, we are quite aware of all the ways in which we have not followed the paths of life that have been offered to us by God. Let us confess our sins, as we pray, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
We lock the doors of compassion, God of Easter, so that we may share it only with those we believe to be deserving. We harden our hearts to the cries around us, because we cannot be completely sure of who is in need. We close our eyes to the suffering around us, believing it will all go away if we don't look.

Forgive us, Hope of the Ages. You fill us with all the grace we need, not because we are so special, but because we are servants, called to hold out our hands to all in need, even as Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, holds out his hands to us, to lead us into your kingdom.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
From the shadows of life, God brings us into the Light of Christ. From the prison of sin and death, God sets us free to live in hope.
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has raised him from the dead, and given us new life. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord of Easter be with you.
And also with you.
People of the God of Joy, lift up your hearts.
We offer them to the Lord who gives us peace.
The Joyous Feast of the Lamb has been prepared for you.
We rejoice, clapping our hands and singing praises to our God.

Into the darkness of chaos,
you stepped, Creation's Joy.
You opened your hands,
and rivers flowed through
the deserts of delight;
you spoke a simple Word
and a universe complex
with beauty and diversity was formed.
You birthed us
from the dust of earth,
with the Breath of peace
filling our lungs.
Yet, we were attracted
by the deeds of sin and death,
and drank from their sweet cup.
You sent holy ones called prophets
to make known to us
your ways of life and grace,
but we multiplied your sorrow
by turning our backs on them.
By your great mercy,
you would not give up on us,
but sent Jesus Christ
for the salvation of our souls.

And so, we join our voices
with those of every time and place,
who forever sing your praises:

Sanctus

Holy are you, Path of life,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
Right Hand of the righteous.
With signs and wonders,
he pointed to your hopes for us;
with simple words of invitation,
he welcomed us into your family;
keeping you ever before him,
he looked sin direct in the face,
and broke its power over us;
with that hope grounded in you,
he entered into the locked room of death,
believing what he had not seen,
that you would bring him to new life,
our inheritance awaiting us
in your kingdom.

As we remember his life, his death, his resurrection,
as we seek to believe what we have not seen,
we tell of that mystery called faith:

Memorial Acclamation

Stir this cup with your grace,
and warm this bread with
the Breath of Peace,
Joy of our hearts.
You hold these gifts in your hands,
and offer them to us
as the living hope of our lives.
As you fill us with
the gladness of your presence,
may we go forth to be with those
who are forsaken by the world.
As you pour out your Spirit
into our hearts,
may we be sent to bring healing
to those whose brokenness
is ignored by our society.

And when, by your great mercy,
all time has ended
and we rest secure in your grace,
we will gather around the Table
joining hands with your children
of every time and place,
who will rejoice with glad hearts,
singing your praises forever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman

Easter - Year A

Call to Worship
This is the day:
when healing touches the suffering;
when loneliness discovers a family;
when peace caresses the stressed.
This is the day the Lord:
breaks free of death's clutches,
rolls away the stone,
folds the grave clothes into a neat pile.
This is the day the Lord has made:
the day of sin's defeat,
the day of resurrection,
the first day of the new creation.
This is the day!
Christ is risen! Hallelujah!

Prayer of the Day
Early in the morning
before chaos was awake,
you tiptoed quietly past,
Surprising God:
and whispered the Word
which caused grace and love
to blossom into creation.

Early in the morning
while the disciples slept,
Jesus, Son of the Living God:
you prepared a feast
to fill their emptiness;
you rolled away their hardened hearts
to open them to your grace;
you whispered their names
to awaken them to new life.

Early in the morning
while we are still drowsy,
you sing your songs to us,
Holy Spirit:
hymns of hope,
cantatas of compassion,
psalms of peace,
litanies of love.

God in Community, Holy in One,
early this morning we bring our prayer to you
as Jesus has taught us, saying,
Our Father...

Call to Reconciliation
It was early in the morning, when God created all the good and beauty in the universe. It was early in the morning that a baby cried in a manger. It was early in the morning on that first day, when a voice told us that death has been defeated and Jesus is alive in our midst. Let us confess the fear, and the great joy, we bring with us, early in the mornings . . .

Unison Prayer of Confession
This morning, Wonderful God, in the company of your church - saints and sinners - we gather to celebrate your life, your ministry, your death and resurrection, your great love for us. Yet, we know we often leave the celebration here in the sanctuary, as we leave and go back to our homes, our jobs, our fears, our doubts, our lives.

Bring us a new life, God of the living, where we are tired and stressed; transform our hardened hearts into fountains of love; forgive us the hurts and harms we have caused; fill us with the joy of your Holy Spirit in the hollows of our souls.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
God, our Creator, gives us new life;
Christ, our Reconciliation, invites us to a Table;
Holy Spirit, our Teacher, shows us the Way, the Truth, the Life;
this is the Good News: the tomb is empty, death is conquered, sin has lost its power.
We are a new people, shaped by the Risen Lord into new life forever! Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The God of early mornings be with you.
and also with you.
People of the first day, lift up your hearts!
We lift them to the One who makes every day Easter.
People of Easter joy, give thanks to the One who is your salvation.
We offer our hallelujahs to the God of steadfast love.

We lift our praise to you,
Gardener of Creation.
On the first day,
your Light split the shadows of chaos,
and all goodness flowed forth.
Gently and tenderly,
you gathered up the dust of the earth
and shaped us into your image.
But the day came
when we chose
to run away from you,
preferring our petty schemes
to your dreams for us.
You sang to us through the prophets,
hoping we would join you
in the heavenly chorus.
But we kept silent,
believing our wisdom
was far superior to your love.
And when we dug our heels in
through blind stubbornness,
refusing to follow you,
you became one of us
that you might lead us back to you.
Therefore we join our glad songs of Easter
with those in every time and in every place,
who sing to you their praise:

Rejoice, heavenly powers!
Sing, choirs of angels!
Jesus Christ, our Lord, is risen!

You alone are holy, Steadfast God,
and blessed is your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
God's true Light,
he wandered the shadows of hell
to bring us out;
God's own Beloved,
he endured our sin,
to heal us forever;
God's own Glory,
he went into the grave,
that we might enter
the gates of righteousness.

As we remember you raising him
from the dead and giving us life,
we proclaim our faith:

Sin is conquered;
death is defeated;
Christ is risen!
Alleluia!

Here at this Table
we are nourished by your steadfast love,
God.
As you pour out your Spirit
upon the bread and the cup,
fill us with the grace of Jesus.
As we have been raised to new life,
may we reach out to those who have fallen;
as we have been fed,
may we fill the hunger of the world;
as we have seen the empty tomb,
may we bear witness to the presence
of the Risen Lord in our lives.

Then, when we are united with all the saints,
may we gather around your Table,
one people, lifting our voices in praise to you,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Maundy Thursday Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

When the hour had come,
Creator of the heavens and earth,
you lifted up the cup of creation
pouring it into the emptiness of chaos.
Rivers played tag through the valleys,
stars spangled the blue-black night,
joy danced in the fields of grace.
Given that fountain
flowing with living water,
we drank from betrayal's bitter cup;
offered the feast of faith,
we sat down at
sin's groaning table.
You asked the prophets
to remind us of promises made,
but we continued to embrace
the pangs of hopelessness.
Then, because we are your own,
you sent Jesus
to glorify you
by saving us from ourselves.

Therefore, with those
whose feet are covered with sin,
and those whose hearts are gripped by fear,
we join the choirs of every time and place,
forever singing your praises:

Sanctus

Holy are you, God of Redemption,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Servant.
When the hour had come,
he got up from grace's side,
took off his glory,
tied humanity around his heart
to cleanse us of our sins.
In the midst of his friends,
in the congregation of his enemies,
he kept the promise made to you,
to love us to the very end.
Our friend,
he welcomed all;
our teacher,
he modeled the life
of obedience and faith;
our Lord,
he endured the snares of death,
that we might have life with you.

Every time we eat the bread,
our brokenness is made whole;
every time we drink from the cup,
we receive unceasing grace;
every time we come to the Table,
we remember that mystery called faith:

Memorial Acclamation

Now that the hour is come,
sent your Spirit upon the gifts
of the bread and the cup.
As you cradle the bread
in your gentleness,
break it, give it to us,
feed us with your compassion,
that we might be made whole,
and, in our healing,
become servants to a shattered world.
As you take the cup,
mingle its juices
with your tears of hope,
so we might carry this gift
to those who have lost everything.

And when there are
no more hours to come,
when there is only eternal
peace and life with you,
we will gather in
that upper room called your heart,
serving our families and friends with grace,
receiving forgiveness from our enemies,
singing your joy forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman

Palm/Passion Sunday - A

Call to Worship
Here in this place, with these people,
we begin that week we call Holy.
We crane our necks to see the parade,
we will bow our heads as the funeral
procession winds through the streets.
We have been with Jesus on this journey;
we long for courage to go to the end.
In one hand, we clutch the palm branches;
in the other, we cradle our broken hearts.
As children dance excitedly around him,
Jesus humbly enters our lives.
Hosanna! We welcome the kingdom
bearer into our midst. Hosanna!

Prayer of the Day
Our hearts are wounded
by the nails we carry in them,
yet you would heal us
with your love.
We are worn to the quick
by the struggles of our lives,
yet you carry us in your heart.
Our souls are emptied
by the loneliness of our lives,
yet you would fill us
with sisters and brothers.
Blessed are you,
who comes to live with us!

You could have remained
in Nazareth, caring for your family,
but you journeyed through our lives
to bring us home.
You could have stayed
at home in glory,
but you vacated God's heart,
to serve us with grace.
You could have come
clutching unbearable power,
but you filled your pockets
with humility's wealth
to share it with us.
Blessed are you,
who comes to save us!

When we would puff up with pride,
deflate us with your gentleness.
When we would go home,
after the parade has ended,
walk us to the foot of the cross.
When we would put
our "Hosannas" away
for another year,
teach us to sing
our gratitude for new life.
Blessed are you,
who comes to help us.

God in Community, Holy in One
we bless you, as we lift our prayer, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
We sing, we wave our branches, we shout Hosanna. Then, we turn away, to go back to our old ways, our old lives, our old sins. But God is in the business of granting forgiveness and filling us with new life. Let us confess to the One who comes to fill us with grace,

Unison Prayer of Confession
With eager hearts and open hands, Holy One, we welcome Jesus, until he refuses the power we offer him, choosing to become our servant. We pick up the faith we had laid on the ground before him, and put it back on the shelf where it belongs. Our pride keeps us from being able to follow him all the way to Calvary.

Hosanna, Steadfast God, save us! Help us to let our fears, our doubts, our faithlessness slip from our lives to fall at your feet, so we may stand with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who comes in your name, in your glory, in your grace to save us.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Tell the daughters of despair, proclaim it to the sons of sadness: Christ has come to save us!
Hosanna! We will give our thanks to God, who comes to bring us grace, hope, life. Hosanna in the highest. Amen!

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord of parades be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, open your hearts to the One who comes with hope.
We would receive the joy and grace the prophet from Nazareth brings us.
Give thanks to God, for God's love endures forever!
God is our God, the One who comes to make us whole

Joy is indeed the highest praise
we can offer to you,
Steadfast Love.
On that first morning,
you woke creation
from its slumbering sleep,
to give light to chaos' shadows.
Morning by morning,
you shaped your dreams
into everything that is true,
turning hopes into your justice.
You asked simply that we rejoice
in your gifts and glory,
but we chose to sing the choruses
of sin and rebellion,
following death as it paraded
through the world.
Prophets struggled to awaken
our dulled ears
with whispers of peace,
but we laughed at their ideas
that we should return to you.
When you could have set your face like flint,
when you could have hardened your resolve,
you sent your Child, your Joy,

Therefore, we join our voices in thanksgiving,
with those who shouted "Hosanna"
and with those who ran away from you,
with those in every moment, and in this moment,
singing with all creation to your glory:

Sanctus

You are holy, God our Creator,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
who comes in your grace.
When he could have filled your heart,
he poured himself out for us;
when he could have remained by your side,
he came to be a servant,
raising us to glory;
when he could have watched from heaven,
he came down to show us your heart;
when he could have taken the easy way,
he chose to be faithful to you,
even to the point of shameful death.
As he gathered up our brokenness
to make us whole,
you raised him to new life,
and he stands with us in eternity,
glorifying you forever.

As we remember the joy and excitement of the parade,
as we remember the gentle words he taught,
as we remember the spirit with which he died,
we proclaim the One who is the Bread of Life:

Memorial Acclamation

Here, at this Table,
we would receive the gifts
of the bread and the cup,
and your Spirit which anoints us with peace.
Nourish us with the Bread of hope,
that we might go into
the brokenness of our world;
fill us with the cup of grace,
so the weary would discover us
standing by their side;
fill us with the overflowing joy
of the good news,
so we might sing forever
of your heart's desire
for justice and peace for all people.

Then, on that final morning,
when we gather for the Feast of the Lamb,
when we are seated with those
who shouted their hosannas,
as well as those who yelled for death,
we will join our voices in eternity's anthem,
giving our thanks to you forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman

Lent 5-A

Call to Worship
The psalmist tells us if we will but wait,
God will whisper hope to us.
Do you believe this?
We believe God's Word is not a pipe dream,
but the river of love which flows forever!
Paul reminds us that it is foolishness to think
only of ourselves and our wants.
Do you believe this?
We believe that when we pay attention to God,
we will find joy, peace, love!
Jesus calls us to walk in the light, so we will
not continue to stumble over our sin.
Do you believe this?
We believe he is the One
who leads us out of Hopeless Valley
into the kingdom of grace and life!

Prayer of the Day
With you,
there is that life
broken enough to make us whole;
with you,
there is that gentleness
strong enough to save us from sin;
with you,
there is that grace
powerful enough to defeat death.
Bone of our bone:
our hearts hear your voice
and do handsprings of hope.

In you,
our death-stained souls
are cleansed by your tears;
in you,
we are brought out of
the graves of our bitterness;
in you,
our broken relationships
are knitted together
into the Beloved's community.
Flesh of our flesh:
our hearts hear your voice
and do handsprings of grace.

Through you,
our dried-up lives
are refreshed;
through you,
the valley of No Hope
becomes the Garden of Grace;
through you,
our exhausted souls
are filled with joy's breath.
Spirit of our spirits:
our hearts hear your voice
and do handsprings of laughter.

God in Community, Holy in One,
may your heart do handsprings
as we pray as Jesus has taught us, saying
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
If God was intent on keeping score, we would end up in the losers' bracket every time. But God loves us so much, that we are invited to join in that game of grace which never comes to an end. With such hope for our lives, let us confess our sins to God.

Unison Prayer of Confession
Like the disciples, Holy One, we drag our feet when it comes to following you. You would have us face conflict, and we prefer to look the other way. You would lead us into those hopeless valleys where so many of your children live, and we would build homes on the mountaintops. You would bring us into peace and reconciliation, but we would stay entombed in our troubles and fears.

Forgive us, Creator of new lives. As Lazarus was brought forth from the grave, unbind every worry which keeps us from living as your children. As the Spirit led Jesus from the tomb into the joy of the Resurrection, fill us with the power to walk in the light of this hope. As Jesus offers us the life and resurrection we need, help us to believe the good news which comes from our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Jesus loved Lazarus so much, he brought him back from the grave. God loved Jesus so much that he was raised to new life. See how much God loves us - loves you! - by forgiving and saving us.
We thank you for hearing our prayers, Lord God, and for setting us free from everything which would bind us to sin and death. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
Into the barren valley of chaos,
you breathed, River of Love:
joy raced through the heavens
flinging stars into the night;
grace danced upon the earth,
springing up in every place
in which it was planted.
Gathering up creation's dust,
you formed us as your image,
bone of your bone,
flesh of your flesh,
heart of your heart.
You gave us the garden of your heart
in which to dwell with you forever,
but we became entranced
with the world's seductive valleys,
and wrapped ourselves in death's gravecloths,
finding them a perfect fit.
Though your heart was broken,
you sent prophets to call us forth
from all those places littered
with our faithless hearts and souls.
But we would not breathe
the new grace you offered,
turning over to sleep in our dried-up dreams.
So, with tears running down your face,
you sent Jesus to become
our hope, our life, our salvation.

Therefore, we join our voices
with those whose dried bones were given new life,
and all who cry out to you for hope,
singing of the glory of your name:

Sanctus

Grace is who you are, God of Every Heart,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
our Brother, our Redeemer, our Hope.
Weeping over the brokenness
of your dreams for us,
he came to make us whole.
Weeping over the pain we cause,
he came to heal us.
Weeping over Jerusalem,
he came to bring forth
the new kingdom of peace.
Weeping over Lazarus,
he wipes away the tears
of all who grieve.
Weeping over the power
of sin and death,
he left them behind at the grave,
as your Spirit raised him
to the life of your new hope.

As we remember his life, his death, his love,
as we long for the promise of our resurrection,
we sing of that mystery called faith:

Memorial Acclamation

Send your Spirit upon those gathered
around your Table of joy,
and upon the gifts of grace and peace.
As we are fed by the Bread of Life,
may we be serve all
who live around us.
As we drink from the Cup of hope,
may we share it
with all who long for your presence.
As your Spirit moves into
the guestroom of our hearts,
may we welcome those
who have no family or home.
As you listen to our prayers,
may we open our hearts
to the cries of the broken of our world.

And when we are awakened from sleep,
to live forever with you,
as we join hands and hearts
around your Feast in heaven,
may we sing your praises forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman