Easter 7 - A

Call to Worship
The hour has come to worship our God:
to gather together as people of faith,
to glorify the God of all grace.
The time has come to devote ourselves to prayer:
to bring the burdens we carry,
to lift our hopes to the God who hears us.
The hour has come to rejoice and make God's name known:
to lift a song of thanksgiving,
to praise God for all our blessings.

Prayer of the Day
Your love is so limitless
that the needy receive goodness,
and the prisoner finds
a well-paying job;
the homeless find your heart
open to them,
and all can place their worries
in your hands.
Parent of Orphans,
we will make your name known
to all the world.

We gaze at the sky
looking for you,
when you can be found
in the laughing play of children;
we wonder where you have gone,
while you are all around us
in our sisters and brothers.
Cloud Rider,
we will sing your name
to all the world.

When our hearts
are hardened by fears,
you melt them
with your hope;
when our lips
can only utter boasts,
you teach us songs
of humility.
Caregiver of Widows,
we will exult your name
in all the world.

We will make your name known,
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we pray as we have been taught, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
When we look to God in prayer, are we looking for condemnation and punishment? Or do we look for the One who promises to forgive us and make us new? Let us pray to God for mercy, as we offer our confessions, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
We cannot put it off any longer, Gracious God, it is time to confess our unfaithfulness. Our appetites for all things threaten to devour us like hungry animals. We are reluctant to humble ourselves to serve others, believing we are special. We are afraid to share in the sufferings of children and the elderly.

Forgive us, Voice of Mercy and Hope. Bless us with grace and life, so we might rejoice in your love, tell of your faithfulness, and join Jesus Christ, our Lord and
savior, in making you known to all people.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Unfailing love, the Spirit of healing, the life of faith in Christ--all are Easter gifts God offers to us.
We rejoice and are glad. We are blessed: with mercy, with hope, with joy. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
On that first morning of creation,
Rider of the Cosmos,
you rose up and scattered chaos
and it melted into the silence
and beauty of the universe.
You hiked the valleys,
and rivers raced to keep up;
you showered goodness on the earth,
and planted a garden of grace
for your beloved children.
You would provide
all we could ever need,
but we looked longingly
after the delights of sin and death,
letting them devour us
with their hungers.
You sent the prophets
to remind us of your name,
but we were too busy
gazing at our exalted opinions
of ourselves to listen.
Then, you humbled
yourself to save us,
sending Jesus into our midst.

So, with those who share in Christ's suffering,
and all who make your name known
in every word they speak, in every act they undertake,
we sing loud songs of praise to you:

Sanctus

Holy are you, Pilgrim guide of prisoners,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
brother to all orphaned by sin and death.
When we were destined to be lost,
he came to find us;
when we thought
nothing could ever surprise us,
he shouldered our sins
carrying them to the cross,
where he was lifted up to his death.
Rising from the grace,
your spirit of glory
rested upon him,
so we might know you forever.

As we come to this Table remembering his life,
as we humble ourselves in the face
of his death and resurrection,
we will tell the world of that mystery called faith:

Memorial Acclamation

Here at this Table,
where the Bread and the Cup wait,
bless these gifts with your Spirit,
so salvation might fill our emptiness,
and grace might overflow our hearts.
As we eat the simple loaf,
may we humble ourselves
to exalt the broken and forsaken
the world has cast aside.
As we drink from the common cup,
may we become alert
to those opportunities
we are given to
provide for the needy,
to learn from the prisoners,
to be adopted by the orphans
of this time and place.

And when we are seated around
the Great Feast of Heaven,
with those who suffered to know glory,
and those who humbled themselves
in order to lead us to faithfulness,
we will join our hearts and voices
in never-ceasing praise to you,
God in Community, Holy in One.
Amen.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman

Ascension

Call to Worship
We gather in this place,
some empty, some filled,
some whole, some broken:
yearning for the Holy Spirit to fill us.
We come, with these ordinary people,
who have shown us the way:
trusting that God will continue
to illumine our hearts.
We surround the Table of grace,
so we might be fed by the Bread of life:
that graced, we may serve others;
that healed, we may bring hope to the world.

Prayer of the Day
Exalted God,
you are the constant lover
who never forsakes us;
you re the mother
who cradles her children,
you are the teacher
patiently repeating your words for us.
We worship you.

Jesus Christ:
in you we are convinced
God loves us;
through you,
we are formed
into your people;
with you,
we serve those
the world has forgotten.
We follow you.

Holy Spirit:
you are the powerr
that gives us peace;
you are the wisdom
that reveals the broken
in our midst;
yo are the spokesperson
of the voiceless
to whom we are deaf.
We welcome you.

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

Call to Reconciliation
Called to proclaim repentance, we are reluctant to look at our own failings. Invited to witness to God's loving forgiveness of sins, we would rather not speak aloud of our own. Let us trust in the One who offers us hope and healing, as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
You call us to proclaim a gospel we find difficult to practice, God Most High. We watch our clocks to make sure we spend more time with ourselves than with you. We are hesitant to witness to your power from on high, as we are uncertain of your presence in our lives.

Forgive us, God of Light. Fill us with the healing presence of your Spirit, that we may proclaim your good news, as we participate in the life and suffering of our world, as did your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Choosing to set aside judgment, God gives us justice; choosing to let go of punishment, God fills us with peace; choosing to release anger, God's steadfast love rests upon us.
Forgiven, redeemed, restored--we will tell everyone, through the lives we lead, what God has done for us. Thanks be to God. Amen.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Easter 6 - A

Call to Worship
Here, in this place, in these moments,
we can speak of what God has done:
the One who is closer
than our imagination tells us.
Here, in these moments, with this people,
we will sing of what God is doing:
the One who lives in us,
and calls us the Beloved of the Lord.
In every place, at every moment, with every person,
we dare imagine what God will do:
the One who will move us to serve others,
to be with them as surely as God is with us.

Prayer of the Day
Your imagination
cannot be confined
to any buildings, boxes,
or barricades we try to shape.
Your hope
cannot be captured
in any stone, wood, or
artifact we might create.
You live, and move,
and are our joy,
and we adore you,
God, our Creator.

Your love
cannot be intimidated
by any reluctance
in our hearts.
Your grace
cannot be incarcerated
in any prison our fears build.
You live, and move,
and are our salvation,
and we thank you,
Jesus, our Friend.

Your peace
cannot be overcome
by any anxiety
in our souls.
Your truth
cannot be drowned out
by sin's seductive songs.
You live, and move,
and are our hope,
and we worship you,
Spirit, our Lover.

You live, and move, and are our
God in Community, Holy in One,
and we pray together saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
If our consciences were clear, we would have no need to confess. But we stand transparent before God, who knows our thoughts, our hearts, our misdeeds. Let us speak to the One who has promised not to put us to shame, but to forgive us of our sins.

Unison Prayer of Confession
As painful as it may be, God of our lives, we will try to speak our hearts. Called to live gently with our families and friends, we cause great hurt by our words and actions. Created in your image, we live as if it were the evil one who shapes our hearts. Given the simple command to love, we complicate it with our expectations, our fears, our doubts.

You cannot overlook our sin, Loving God, and so you sent Jesus to redeem us. Through the waters of baptism, the fire of our failings is extinguished. Through the grace of your heart, we are made whole. Through the gift of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, we do indeed live, and move, and have our being with you.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Do not be afraid of God. In love, God forgives us; in grace, God redeems us; in hope, God sends us forth to share this good news.
Through Christ's resurrection, we become new people. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
When chaos was all
that was known,
you became Lord
of heaven and earth,
as you poured your imagination
into creation's rich variety:
mountains and trees
casting long shadows
in the light of suns and stars.
You longed for us
to inhabit this goodness and beauty,
as your offspring formed
by your love and hope.
But we chose to live
with sin and death,
their altars of temptation
the objects of our worship.
In times of human rebellion,
you sent the prophets
to call us back
from those sin-splattered places,
but we could not obey.
Though you could not
overlook our disobedience,
you would not leave us parentless,
and so sent Jesus
to come to us in grace.

So, with the angelic choirs,
with those of this time and every moment,
we lift our songs of praise:

Sanctus

Holy are you, God of imagination,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior.
When he could have
remained in glory,
he came to visit
those imprisoned by sin.
When he could have
stayed in heaven,
he wandered through
our fears and doubts,
to proclaim your love for us.
When he could have
been cradled in your right hand,
he took our side
against sin and death,
defeating their power
and authority over us.

As we remember the words he spoke,
as we recall his death and resurrection,
we will sing of that mystery we call faith:

Memorial Acclamation

Pour out your Spirit
upon these gifts
of the Bread and the Cup,
and upon your children
who gather for your feast.
Welcomed by the Spirit,
may we become friends
with those the world rejects.
Fed by your love,
may we become joy
for those hurt and saddened.
Nourished by your grace,
may we become advocates
for those society has silenced.

And when we are led to
that abundant Table in heaven;
when we gather to feast
with everyone we love,
and everyone we have rejected,
your heart will echo
with our praises,
as we sing to you,
God in Community, Holy in One.
Amen.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman

Easter 5 - A

Call to Worship
The One who shaped the universe,
crafts us into a community of faith:
a people to shelter the homeless,
a family to feed the hungry.
The One who made kittens and elephants,
shapes us in the divine image:
so we can glow with grace
as we welcome the lost and the least.
The One who blesses us with flowers and waterfalls,
gifts us with the way, the truth, the life:
so we can go to tell the story,
to bring healing to a broken world.

Prayer of the Day
In you, Glory of Grace,
we will find that heart
which shelters us
when grief overwhelms us.
In you,
we will find the Parent
who crouches down on one knee,
to listen to us more carefully.
In you,
we discover that Face
which glows with joy
every time you catch
sight of us.

Through you, Servant's Heart,
we can hear that truth
which will cut us loose
from the world's net of lies.
Through you,
we will find our way
back to the paths of peace.
Through you,
we will have the lives
God envisions for us.

With you, Spirit of welcome,
we find the nourishment
we need to follow Jesus.
With you,
we are cemented,
by your grace and love,
with others into God's
community of hope.
With you,
we embrace all the nobodies
rejected by our world.

In you, through you, with you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our prayer as Jesus taught us,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
The Stone tossed aside by the architects of sin and death, is the One who becomes the foundation for redemption, the cornerstone for grace and hope. We can confess freely and openly to God, who will not shame us, but forgive us and welcome us home.

Unison Prayer of Confession
In humility, we must confess how we have not matured as your children, Gentle Parent. The hurting and helpless of our world cry out, and we cover our ears with hands which could be serving them. The forsaken and ridiculed of our neighborhoods and schools are looking for a community of acceptance, and we cover our eyes with hands which could welcome them. The lonely and grieving are listening for hope, and we cover our mouths with hands which could embrace them, as we sing gentle songs of grace to them.

Forgive us, Refuge of the broken. Our times are in your hands, so help us to believe we can be healed in this moment. Our hearts are in your heart, so transform ours that we can serve your children. Our lives are redeemed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, so call us to give them away in his name.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
The good news is that in Christ, our sins are forgiven, our lives are made whole, we become God's own people. Do you not believe?
We believe. And in believing, we will live as those chosen, not only to tell a Story, but to live it out each and every day. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
(boldfaced/italicized responses are sung to the tune of "Bunessan". They are also copyrighted, 2007, by me)

Chaos covered its ears,
Crafty God,
as you began constructing creation.
Joyous noise filled the air,
as rivers cascaded
through verdant valleys.
>From the heavens
came love's raucous laughter,
echoing down mountain passes.
You would gladly guide us
along Eden's paths of peace,
but we shook off your hand,
rejecting your dreams for us.
Women and men were called
to tell the story
of your love and grace,
but we covered our ears
as we continued to drink
the soured milk of sin.
But continuing to believe in us,
you sent Jesus,
to show us the way back to you.

So, with saints and sinners,
with seniors and newborn infants,
with all called to be your people,
we sing our loud songs of praise:

God of Creation, Lord of all beauty,
All creatures join in singing your love;
Holy Compassion, Joy of our mornings,
Fill us with grace which comes from above.

In you, Foundation-building God,
we can find a safe haven;
and a guide for our lives
in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
With you at the beginning of time,
he became a newborn babe,
longing to share the milk
of grace and peace with us.
He became the cornerstone
of mercy and hope,
that rock standing forever,
while sin and death crumble
at the foot of the cross.
Believing in your promises,
he opens us to the beauty and life
you shape out of our grief and sin.

So, as we come to this Table of hope,
as we remember the truth of that life given for us,
we sing of that mystery called faith:

Christ of the outcast, Comfort of mourners,
Neighbor to strangers, Love without end;
Bearer of burdens, Grace ever with us,
Blessing our children, Brother and Friend.

And now we pray you
would fill these gifts
of the bread and the cup
with your welcoming Spirit.
As you open your heart
to feed us with your grace,
we would place our hearts in yours,
as we would go out to heal
the brokenness of our world.
As you pour the Cup of joy
into our arid souls,
we would see the rejected around us,
and rush together to embrace them.

And when we have followed the Way
home,
when we gather around the Table
you have prepared for us,
we will sing our songs of thanksgiving,
ever praising you,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Spirit of kindness, Breath of forgiveness,
Faithful Companion, just as Christ said;
God's little children gathered together,
Drink of salvation, feast on your Bread.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman

Easter 4 - A

Call to Worship
Day by day, God leads us:
to the deep, deep pools of peace,
to the green,lush lawns of grace.
Day by day, Jesus calls us:
to pour out ourselves in service,
to anoint the stranger with hope.
Day by day, the Holy Spirit shows us:
the community we could be,
the family we are called to become.

Prayer of the Day
Day by day, Gate of grace,
your love is poured
into the emptiness of our souls.
You share your joy
so we might be a blessing
to those all around us.
You are generous to a fault,
that we might have
glad and generous hearts.

Day by day,
Doorway to God's Heart,
you would lead us
down the streets of
discipleship and service,
uncomfortable as they
may seem to us,
knowing that at the
end of our journey,
we will find ourselves
at home with goodness and mercy.

Day by day,
Spirit of openness,
you watch over us,
so we will not wander
into the busy traffic
at the corner
of sin and death,
but will find our life
in the front yards
of the kingdom.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we open the gates of our hearts to you,
even as we pray, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
It is not just material things, but the 'stuff' that makes us who we are - our hearts, our hopes, our dreams - that we have trouble sharing with others. But the more we hoard, the less we trust God to use us, and all our gifts, in the work of the kingdom. Let us entrust our brokenness to our God, that we might be made whole, as we pray saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
Why is it so hard to trust in your grace, Generous Heart? You promise to pour out blessings upon us, but we are reluctant to let go of what we have. We put a lock on our hearts and feelings, while you share your precious Child with us. You call us home to dinner, but we would rather keep playing in the shadows of life.

Forgive us, Goodness and Mercy. Anoint us with the oil of grace, until our hearts overflow with praise. Fill us with the living waters of hope, so we can share with others. Feed us at your Table of joy, so we might follow Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, with glad and gracious hearts.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
When we would stand on sin's shoulders, trying to peer through the windows, God throws open wide the front door, so we can come in and live forever in joy.
We are led through death to life; we are fed at grace's table; we are forgiven. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
You stilled chaos,
Compassionate God,
so creation could burst
forth in joyous song.
You planted lush carpets
of grace where we could rest;
you filled pools with
the waters of peace;
you showed us
the hiking paths
through Eden's gardens.
But we chose
to devote ourselves
to that skimpy existence
offered by the world,
playing in the revolving door
of sin and death.
Prophets listened
to your heart breaking,
and called us back
to fellowship with you,
but we ignored their hopes.
When you could no longer
stomach our disobedience,
you sent Jesus
to re-open the door
to the kingdom.

Therefore, we would join our voices
with those of every time and place,
who lift their songs of praise to you:

Sanctus

Holy are you, Soul Shepherd,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
Heart Opener, Grace Giver.
Ridiculed and rejected by us,
he offers back friendship and hope;
trusting in you alone,
he devoted himself
to setting us free from sin;
braving the pain of death,
he healed the wounds
we caused ourselves,
to lead us hand-in-hand
to play in Joy's Garden.

So, as we remember his coming to find us,
as we celebrate his opening his heart to us,
we would tell of that mystery called faith:

Memorial Acclamation

Come, Holy Spirit,
to fill these gifts
of the bread and the cup
with your goodness and mercy
which never end.
As we are fed by hope,
open our gated hearts
that we might welcome
the weak and weary of our world.
As the cup of life
restores our arid souls,
may we follow Jesus,
that we might lead others
to the One who sings
the glad choruses of grace.

And when we gather
around that Table in eternity
which has been prepared for us,
and for those we have ignored,
we will break bread together,
our wounds healed, our hearts made whole,
forever singing your praises,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman

Easter 3 - A

Call to Worship
Where shattered hearts are made whole,
where wounded souls are healed,
where life is stronger than death:
there, the stone has been rolled away.
Where the lonely become our friends,
where a stranger is welcomed home,
where hope is stronger than despair,
there, we find Jesus walking.
Where closed wallets are opened,
where the anxious find serenity,
where love is stronger than hate:
there, Jesus is opening our eyes.
The stone has been rolled away!
Jesus is our companion on the journey!
Our eyes are opened to the needs of others!
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Alleluia! Christ is with us!

Prayer of the Day
Splattering the black-blue night
with the twinkling stars
and spinning fluffy clouds
out of the fabric of your hope,
you raised creation out of chaos,
Gracious God,
giving life and calling it good.

Walking with disciples
down grief's lonely road,
you sang of how
God had raised you from the dead,
so that listening,
they might believe;
believing,
they might understand;
understanding,
they might obey:
going forth to invite all
to follow you,
Bread of Life,
to feast on your love forever.

Reaching out your love to us,
so we would touch others;
filling us with your gifts,
so we could be a blessing to the world;
piercing our darkness with hope,
so we might bring healing
to the broken:
you raise us to new life,
Spirit of God.

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

Call to Reconciliation
Here! Christ is here! In our hearts, in our lives, and in our midst. As on that road to Emmaus, Jesus is with us--teaching, loving, leading, feeding. Let us confess how we have overlooked the presence of the living Christ, and ignored the words he whispers to our hearts, as we pray, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
We become comfortable, Joyous God, with our lives, with our faith, with our friends and family. We are so secure, your gospel jars us with your hopes for us. We know we should tell your story, but doesn't everyone who matters know it already? We could invite others to your table, but then we might have to share. We could welcome the strangers, but worry they might feel uneasy among so many unfamiliar faces.

Forgive us, God of Easter. Walk with us, so we can become companions to the lost. Welcome us, so we can include the hopeless and the homeless. Love us, so we can share that love with everyone we meet on our journey, as we follow Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, into life with you.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
God loves us so much, God will listen to our cries, our prayers, our hopes, and our dreams. God's promises are for all, those who are right beside us, as well as those who live on the other side of the world.
What can we give to God for us grace? We will lift our hearts to God, giving thanks for the mercy that has been given to us. Thanks be to God! Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
When silence was caught
in the traps of chaos,
you spoke a Word,
Heart of Hope,
and the rivers sang
sonnets of joy,
the stars rang with laughter,
and the valleys echoed
the choruses of all creation.
Made in the image of your love,
you considered us more valuable
that the finest jewels and metals.
You cupped your ear
to listen to our praises,
but heard only our complaints,
as we foolishly interpreted
the stories sin and death told us
as being the truth we should follow.
You longed to open our eyes,
but we were blinded by disobedience.
Your heart broken,
you sent Jesus to come to us,
to lead us back to you.

Therefore, we join our hearts and voices
with those right next to us, and those far way,
of every time, and from every place,
who sing forever your praises and glory:

Sanctus

Holy are you, Ever listening God,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Having learned compassion
while sitting on Spirit's lap,
he came to be our Servant.
Walking by your side in creation's gardens,
he came to travel
pain and loss with us.
Listening to your promises
to all your children,
he came to tell us
of their fulfillment in hope.
Your Beloved Child,
he showed on the cross
that grace and love
are able to defeat sin and death
for all time.

Remembering his compassion and service,
made whole by his brokenness,
we proclaim that mystery we call faith:

Memorial Acclamation

As we lift the Cup of salvation,
as we grasp the Bread of life,
pour out your Spirit
upon these simple gifts
and all who seek your presence.
As our eyes are opened
by the breaking of the bread,
may we see those around us
whose lives have been shattered
by an uncaring world.
As our hearts are thawed
by the sweet taste of grace,
may we serve them
to all who hunger of healing.

And when all time has come to an end,
when we are gathered around
the feast you prepare for all your children,
we will lift our hearts and voices,
singing your praises forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman