14th Sunday in Ordinary Time - A

Call to Worship
We stand here today, in the presence of the Holy:
who will show us the way
to hope and grace.
We come today to the spring of hope:
where Jesus will draw for us
all the living water we can drink.
We speak from our hearts, lifting our praise and prayers:
leaning over to listen, the Spirit
hears us, filling us with peace.

Prayer of the Day
You bless us
beyond all reason,
that we might give
all that we have
(and all we are)
in service to you.
You speak hope
to our hearts,
that we might hear
the cries of your
little ones in our midst.
Your love is celebrated
in all generations,
Joyous Creator.

You befriend
all the outsiders
of every time and place;
you lead us by
the right way,
if we would but follow;
you rescue us
from our foolish wisdom,
carrying us like babies
into the kingdom.
Your grace is revealed
to every generation,
Servant of the weary.

You are the goodness
from which we draw life;
you are the comforter
who warms us
when death's chill comes;
you are the common sense
which helps us to live
God's gracious ways.
Your peace is celebrated
through all generations,
Spirit of rest.

In every generation, in our generation,
we would sing your praises forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we pray as Jesus teaches us,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
When we could delight in God's ways, we seem to wander down the paths of failings and foolishness. When we could dance in joy, we shuffle our feet through despair's dry dust. Let us confess our wayward lives to the One who longs to forgive us, as we pray, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
We are sinners, Creator of gentleness, and cannot make good choices. We know what is the right thing to do, yet end up acting in wrong ways. We know the gentle words a friend needs, yet raise our voices in anger and hurt. We hear you inviting us to crawl up into your gracious lap, but run outside to play with our old friend, evil.

Forgive us, Blesser and Blessing of our hearts, and rescue us from our foolish lives. Speak to our aching spirits with your healing hope. Yoke us with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, so we might lead gentle and gracious lives in the days to come.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
God deals faithfully and truly with us. Choosing to forget our mistakes, and to forgive our sins, God blesses us with love and hope.
Blessed, forgiven, healed - we are God's new people, going out to bring others to the waters of life. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
At the first moment of time,
you drew from the deep wells
of gentleness and goodness,
Compassionate Creator.
You wandered the fields,
planting the seeds which blossomed
into rainbows of beauty;
you walked in evening's coolness,
scattering the stars and moons
into the deep blue-black skies.
All that you made
was given to us that
we might eat, drink, and dance
with you forever and ever.
But we did not understand
all the blessing you offered,
choosing to sit in sin's marketplace,
as death played its
mournful tunes for us.
You offered us rest
from our wandering ways,
whispering to our souls
through the prophets' heartaches.
When we could not, or would not,
turn back to you,
you sent Jesus to
rescue us from ourselves.

So, with every generation before us,
with all who will come after us,
we lift our voices in praise to you:

Sanctus

Holy are you, God of every moment,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
friend of the forsaken, Savior of all.
Graced with your glory,
he humbled himself to come to us,
to lead us back to you.
Yoked with your heart,
he came to bear our burdens,
so we might find rest
in your hope and healing.
Fed by your love,
he came to eat and drink
with all the outsiders,
so we might dance forever
in your kingdom of love.
Embraced by your gracious will,
he handed himself over to death,
carrying the heavy burden of our sins,
so the joy of resurrection
might be revealed to us.

As we remember his life, his death, his rising,
as we come to meal prepared for us,
we celebrate that mystery of faith
given to every generation:

Memorial Acclamation

To what shall we compare your grace,
God of all hope and joy?
You pour it out upon us,
and upon the simple gifts of the Meal,
through your Spirit of gentleness.
You feed us with the Bread of hope,
not that we might be satisfied,
but so we would go forth
to embrace the outcasts of our world,
eating and drinking with them,
offering your love to them.
You tilt the Cup of mercy to our lips,
not that we might become smug,
but so we would be dissatisfied
until all the broken are healed,
until all the homeless are sheltered,
until all the hungry are fed,
until all the lost are found,
until all the least are celebrated.

Then, when the last moment of time has come,
and creation is restored to goodness and beauty,
we will sit at the Table with the Lamb,
with all the sinners and saints,
with all the winners and losers,
with all our sisters and brothers,
celebrating your peace and joy forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time - A

Call to Worship
With joy and celebration, God welcomes us to this place.
How good it is to gather in God's house!
With joy and celebration, we welcome one another.
We greet each other by name;
we are equal in God's Kingdom.
We open our hearts, to welcome God's love;
we open our arms, to welcome God's people.
Here, every single one of
God's children is welcome.

Prayer of the Day
You have invited us to this place,
Accepting God,
for this is where you want us.
Here, we learn to trust you,
and to faithfully follow where you lead us.
Here, we learn to listen to you,
and hear the words of life,
of hope, of healing.
Here, we learn to bring everything to you -
even our pain, especially our brokenness -
that we might be made whole.

Pilgrim Jesus:
you are with us in this place,
and in every place
where we live, work, play, pray.
And, if we dare to trust
this good news,
we discover that grace
which sets us free:
to treat one another
as sisters and brothers;
to use that grace
to break down every barrier;
to live that grace
in every moment of our lives.

We would receive you
into our hearts, Abiding Spirit,
knowing that you have brought us together,
and by the gift of your presence,
we are no longer strangers
but friends and neighbors
in your Kingdom.

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

Call to Reconciliation
Created to live with one another and our God, we know the truth about our shattered lives and relationships. Yet, out of this brokenness, God shapes new people, giving every one of us a new start. Let us confess those things which separate us from one another, that we might be made one in Christ.

Unison Prayer of Confession
In your house, there is room for all; at your Table, we find a place set for us. Yet we admit, Inviting God, that we find it difficult to be as accepting as you and we find it easy to shoulder others away from your feast. You fling wide the doors to your kingdom, Welcoming God, but we are quick to try to shut them to those who are different from us. Your heart is open so that all might experience your grace, and we reluctantly remember our ungracious words and deeds.

Forgive us, God of every person: heal our broken lives; mend our fragmented souls. Open our hearts to your vision of the Kingdom where all are welcome, all are affirmed, all are beloved - even as we receive these gifts from Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silent Prayers may be offered

Assurance of Pardon
Can it be any clearer? God has created us to be a family - sisters, brothers, neighbors, friends. No longer strangers, we are all welcome in the kingdom of love, grace, and hope.
In Christ, we are one. There are no barriers, no, differences, no divisions. We are a new people, forgiven and made whole. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
With great joy and thankgiving,
we lift our songs of praise to you,
God of all life.
You did not withhold
your treasures from us,
but poured them out
in overflowing abundance for us:
sparkling streams, rolling clear and clean;
carpets of grass,
through which the wind tiptoes;
crystal blue skies freckled
with bright, billowing clouds.
All was created and called good by you,
and offered as gifts for us.
But when we could have danced
through Eden, free and joyous,
we chose to let sin bind us,
placing us on death's altars.
When we refused to answer you
when you called in the night,
when we turned deaf ears
to the prophets you sent to us,
you did not withhold your only son,
the Child you loved most of all,
but sent Jesus to come to us,
providing a way home to your heart.

So, we lift our voices, filled with joy,
joining them with the glad songs
of every place and generation,
all creation praising your name:

Sanctus

Holy are you, God of constant love,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior,
and the love of your heart.
When we thought you had forgotten us,
he came to remind us
of your eternal promises;
when we would lay in
the cradling arms of pain,
he came to make us whole;
when we prepared to sleep
in death's comforting bed,
he came to shine the light
of your love upon us,
and to welcome us home
in your kingdom of eternal life.

As we remember his hospitality to all,
as we would not forget his dying for us,
as we would celebrate his resurrection,
we would tell of that mystery we call faith:

Memorial Acclamation

You send your Spirit
to rest upon the gifts
of the bread and the cup,
and to welcome all your children
to the feast of the Lamb of Life.
As we eat of that Bread
which makes us whole,
we would make room
for all of your children,
welcoming all who have been
rejected by the world.
As we drink deeply from
that Cup which gives us life,
we would leave this place
to go and be with all
who are bound by fear and failure,
by hunger and hopelessness,
by hate and persecution,
not withholding our
most precious possession,
but sharing our lives with them.

And when all time has ended,
when we are gathered as your family
at the table which you have prepared for us,
we will feast on the grace you provide,
praising you forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

(c) 2005/2008 Thom M. Shuman

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time - A

Call to Worship
There is no hope like you, O God!
Hope for those who cry out from the deserts of their lives.
There is no grace like you, O God!
Grace for those rejected, ignored, and cast aside by the world.
There is no love like you, O God!
Love for those who have known days of trouble and nights of loneliness.
There is no one like you, O God!
No one! No one! No one!

Prayer of the Day
When we are filled
with loss and despair,
you gladden our hearts
with your hope.
When every one around us
turns a deaf ear,
you lean over and put
your hand to your ear,
to hear our cries.
There is no love like you,
Compassionate God.

When we long
to continue in sin,
you call us
to live with you
in the kingdom of God.
When we have fallen,
our souls parched by death,
you lift us up,
holding us tight to your heart,
carrying us to drink at
the deep well of living water.
There is no grace like you,
Brother of the hopeless.

When the world would stuff
our pockets with fears,
you turn them inside out,
and fill them with the
smooth stones of hope.
Why we see nothing
on the horizon of life,
you hold up the sign
which reads 'follow Jesus!'
When we are weakened
by our foolish choices,
you strengthen us with
joy overflowing from your heart.
There is no peace like you,
Spirit of wisdom.

God in Community, Holy in One,
there is no like you in our lives.
This we know, as we pray together,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
When we would keep our faults and failings in the shadows, you call us to bring them into the light of your grace and forgiveness. With such a promise, with such a hope, how can we not confess to the One who loves us so much? Join me as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
It is never easy to confess our sins to you, Listener to our words. When we have a chance to speak up for the outsider, we too often join in sending them away into the wilderness of hopelessness. When we could shout good news to a needy world, our voices drop to a whisper. When we could abound in grace, we continue to wallow in wrongdoing.

Forgive us, Hearer of our hearts, and have mercy on us. You lean over to listen to our words, and then to cast them into your sea of forgetfulness. You show us your signs of hope, that we might point others to you. You help us when we are weakest and, in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, you save us when we cannot save ourselves.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Do not be afraid. God cherishes us, God treasures you, beyond all else in creation. You are graced, you are forgiven, you are healed.
We will not keep this good news to ourselves. We will shout our hope from the rooftops of our hearts. Thanks be to God, we are forgiven! Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
There is none like you,
Everlasting Grace,
shaper of goodness and beauty
out of the shadows of chaos.
You gladdened the soul
of all creation
with stunning sunsets,
clear-streamed valleys,
mountains towering into the sky.
These gifts, as well as your
hopes and dreams, were for us,
but we sent them away into
the wilderness of forgetfulness,
choosing to live in
the long days of rebellion.
The God of forgiveness,
your words calling us back
overflowed from the mouths
of the prophets,
but we continued to sin.
Seeking to unite us
with you once more,
you sent Jesus,
to baptize us with your life,
even as he was baptized
into death for us.

Therefore, we join with those in this place,
as well as our sisters and brothers
throughout all creation
in singing your praises:

Sanctus

Holy are you, Steadfast Love,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior.
He could have remained
the Child of your heart,
but came to be with
his sisters and brothers.
Seeking to glorify your name,
he was called a blasphemer,
accused of usurping your power.
Longing to lead us out
of despair's deep desert,
he willingly went to the grave,
that we might be raised
to life with you forever,
walking the streets of the kingdom.

As we remember his baptism at the Jordan,
as we recall his baptism into death,
as we celebrate his resurrection to life,
we sing of that mystery called faith:

Memorial Acclamation

As we come to your
Table of peace and hope,
pour out your Spirit upon
the gifts of the bread and the cup,
and upon your children
gathered in your name.
As we are nurtured
by the Bread of Life,
may we have no fear,
but boldly go to serve
those cast out by our world.
As we are nourished
with the wine of wonder,
may we not keep
your love and grace a secret,
but shout the good news
of your salvation for all.

And when we have been
baptized into death like Christ,
and raised into life with you,
we will join our voices
with our sisters and brothers
singing your glory forever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time - A

Call to Worship
On an ordinary Sunday,
we come to worship God:
We come, trusting God will speak to us;
we come, hoping God will surprise us.
On this day, like every other day,
we seek to follow Jesus:
we follow, believing Jesus will be with us;
we follow, hoping Jesus will work through us.
On this day,
we lift our souls to God's Spirit:
we open our hearts, that the Spirit may fill us;
we open our hands, that we might be a gift to others.

Prayer of the Day
The mother watching
her son packing for camp,
the father teaching
his daughter how to drive;
the spouse worrying
over their spouse's addiction to work,
the child closing
her ears to her parents' arguing:
each is precious in your sight,
Compassion of Creation.

The grandmother hoping
for a telephone call,
the neighbor frantic
about selling his house;
the teenager struggling
with choices she cannot share,
the retiree wandering
the empty hours of daytime:
each is welcomed into your heart,
Haven for the hopeless.

The kids on the corner selling
lemonade to help a classmate,
the teacher already preparing
for next year's classes;
the parent wondering
how to pay for groceries,
the unemployed hoping
for good news this week:
each is cradled in your peace,
Spirit of Serenity.

God in Community, Holy in One,
each of us, all of us,
lift our prayers to you, as Jesus taught us,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
If you are looking for proof of God's love, here it is: at the very moment we realize we cannot help ourselves, that is the time we discover God has saved us in Christ Jesus. Join me as we pray to our God, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
How easily we pat ourselves on the back, Listening Love, for the lives we lead. We welcome the praise of others, but have little compassion for those who have failed us. We assume that a comfortable life is our birthright, yet believe poor choices produce suffering for those around us. We boast of the good we do, but forget to thank you for all that you have
given to us.

Forgive us, Companion of Compassion, for breaking your heart, and disappointing your hopes for us. As we seek to follow your Child, may we be found with those whose lives are barren, with those who know little laughter in their day, with those who have received no love from others - for in their presence, we will find Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Listen to the good news - the kingdom of God is very near. As close as a child's laughter, as embracing as a father's love, as enfolding as a mother's caress.
P: We are God's people:
called, that we may follow;
gifted, that we may serve;
forgiven, that we might bring hope.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
When there was no time,
when there was only chaos,
you knew it was the right moment,
Ingenious Love,
to bring forth creation
in all of its glory.
Butterflies dancing from
flower to flower,
birds harmonizing in praise,
gentle breezes caressing grass,
kittens chasing bugs they will never catch.
Given this bounty of goodness,
we returned your graciousness
with blatant betrayal,
tossing aside your hopes for us,
proclaiming sin and death
as the authorities for our lives.
Heart-broken,
you sought to provide a way
for us back to your grace
through the words of the prophets,
but we laughed to ourselves
as we continued skipping down
that never-ending road of rebellion.
But you proved your love for us
by sending Jesus to die for us,
an act we would not do
even for those we loved.

So, with those of every time and place,
with those in this place, and in this moment,
we will sing our praises to you
knowing you incline your ear to listen:

Sanctus

Holy are you, Compassion's Heart,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior.
You sent him to travel
our cities, our lives, our hearts
to teach us of your hopes for us.
He did not laugh
at our foolish ways,
but, with great compassion,
he reached out to help us.
Asking no payment,
he gave himself to death,
dying for all of us sinners,
that we might discover
the kingdom of heaven
which is nearer to us
than we would ever imagine.

As we remember his life and death,
as we seek to respond to his calling for us,
we would proclaim that mystery called faith:

Memorial Acclamation

Here, in these moments
as we prepare to feast on your love,
pour out your Spirit
upon the bounty of your grace,
this bread and this cup,
and upon those for whom they are given.
You would feed us
on the Bread of life,
so we might go out
to bring hope to all
whom the world has disappointed.
You offer us the cup of grace,
so, as your love is poured
deep within our parched souls,
we can become that offering
of peace and reconciliation
for which all creation longs.

And when time has come to an end,
and we are all one with you,
we will call on your name,
God in Community, Holy in One,
offering our thanks forever and ever. Amen.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman

10th Sunday in Ordinary Time - A

Call to Worship
L: The sinners, the saints;
the broken, the whole:
P: We all come seeking the One
who offers grace and hope.
L: The doubters, the devout;
the wonderers, the wanderers:
P: We all seek to follow the One
who works for justice and hope
for all of God's people.
L: The hesitant, the heroic;
the grandparents, the little children:
P: We all listen for the songs of joy
all creations sings to the One
who gives life and peace.

Prayer of the Day
When we begin
our journey of faith,
you are there,
Constant Love,
pointing the way
to the promises you offer.
When we stumble
over our own silliness,
and skin our knees
on the hardened pavement
of our pride,
you are there,
Companion of the world's riff-raff,
to take us by the hand,
to lift us to our feet,
to bandage our bleeding egos.
And you continue to call us,
Breath of life:
to follow,
even when our faith falters;
to drink
the living waters bottled
with your grace;
to serve
those whom the world
easily discounts;
to see
you waiting at the end
of our pilgrimage.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we will seek to follow you always,
even as we pray as Jesus teaches us,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
In this place, in this moment, we wonder, "is it true?" God's hopes, God's promises, God's grace - are they really for you, for me, for us? God invites us to bring our questions, as well as our fears and failures, so we might discover the truth for ourselves, as we pray, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
When we look for our place cards at the table of honor, do we see you standing at the back of the room with the servers? When we walk around the homeless on the way to the ballgame, do we see you sitting in the doorway with the hungry children? When we tell others to pull themselves up, have we forgotten how many people reached out their hands to us along the way?

Forgive us, God who offers mercy to us, and desires that we share grace with others. If we would truly follow, we must be willing to take off our Sunday best and put on the aprons of service, offering everyone we meet the bread of life and cup of hope which have come to us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Here's the good news: it's not up to us. God has not wavered in keeping the covenant of grace, of hope, of mercy, of life.
By God's grace, we are forgiven;
by God's healing, we are made whole;
by God's constant love, we are restored to life.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
You saw the well-laid plans
chaos had devised, Faithful Worker,
and laughed out loud,
the heavens bursting forth
with each great guffaw,
the stars spilling into places
with each breath of joy.
Filling the earth with
that love which never ends,
you created us so we might
live in your garden of grace.
But we reached out to grasp
the garment of sin,
letting it drag us through
the mud of despair and death.
Even then, you sent those
who spoke in your name
to remind us of the promises
made so long ago.
When we continued to cling
to trying to save ourselves,
you sent Jesus to us,
knowing his faith in you
would never weaken.

So, knowing praise is the only response
which we can make to such love,
we join our voices in this place and moment
with those in every time and place
who forever sing your joy:

Sanctus

Holy are you, God of Grace,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, Desirer of mercy.
He walked among us,
calling us to follow
that we might know
the way to your heart.
Sitting with the outsiders,
he fed them with that love
which welcomed and embraced them
as sisters and brothers.
Following your hopes,
he went into the grave
where death was waiting,
so he might take us
by the hand and lead us
into life forever with you.

As we remember your ancient promises
fulfilled in the One who will never die,
we would sing of that faith which is ours;

Memorial Acclamation

Pour out your Spirit
upon these simple,
yet so very precious, gifts
of the bread and of the cup.
By your grace,
when we would sanitize
our hands with piety,
the bread transforms us
so we would reach out
to the untouchables of our time.
By your compassion,
when we would sit at home,
at ease, in comfort, with plenty,
the cup alters our attitude
so we will get up
and follow Jesus into
the brokenness of our world.

And when we are gathered
around the great Table in heaven,
seated beside Abraham and Sarah,
Paul and the psalmists, Jesus and Joanna,
we will lift our voices together,
praising you forever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman