1st Sunday of Advent - B

Call to Worship
In every season of life,
God is always with us, even when we believe otherwise.
In this season of waiting,
Jesus reminds us that Bethlehem
is the beginning of our discipleship,
not the end of the journey.
In this season of Advent anticipation and hope,
the Spirit opens our ears to the songs of the angels.

Prayer of the Day
In this time
when hearts tremble
with fears about tomorrow:
come to us.
In those moments
when our hearts are parched
from wondering through
the wilderness of worry:
come to us.
Come to us,
God-who-is-present-even-now,
to fill us with your hope.

In these days
when the powers of the world
can distract us from faith:
come to us.
In this season
when our rush to Bethlehem
keeps us from seeing you
in every one we push past:
come to us.
Come to us,
God-who-is-our-Gift,
to fill us with your grace.

In those opportunities,
when we struggle to tell others
what you really mean,
come to us.
In the nights
when our souls grow cold with doubt,
come to us.
Come to us,
God-who-kindles-the-fires-faith,
to fill us with your Advent.

God in Community, Holy in One,
God-ever-always-with-us,
hear us as we pray for your coming, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
In this season of hope, joy and peace - how often do people receive these gifts from us? As we begin our journey through Advent, let us put down those failures and foolish behaviors which keep us from getting very far. Join me as we pray, saying,

Responsive Prayer of Confession
Holy God of Advent,
you come near to us,
yet we continue to seal our hearts
with indifference to a suffering world.
Tear open our hearts,
and make us more compassionate.
You approach us with bundles of mercy
to kindle our hope, but we continue to build
our lives with the bricks of bitterness.
Tear open our anger, so we might become
more forgiving.
You draw near, longing to embrace us,
but we fold our arms, closing ourselves off
from those all around us.
Tear open our souls, so we might become
children of Advent.
God, shaper-of-our-lives:
have mercy;
Jesus, Word-which-does-not-pass-away:
fill us with your grace;
Holy Spirit, Giver-of-the-Light-of-peace:
Shine through our lives.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Even now, God approaches us, mercy transcending anger, hope overcoming despair, life triumphing over death. This is good news, my friends; this is news of great joy for each of us.
Enriched in every grace, blessed with joy and hope, transformed by love, we will live as people of Advent. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of Advent be with you.
And also with you.
People of Advent, lift up your hopes.
We lift them to the One who comes
to share our lives with us.
People of hope, offer your thanksgiving to God.
Joy, praise, adoration are in our hearts
and on our lips.

At the Advent of creation,
chaos trembled at your approach,
Imaginative God,
as the moon shone the way
to your grace-filled garden
of joy and delightful grace.
Offered a feast from your plenty,
we nibbled at death's despair;
invited to drink from the fountain of life,
we filled our cups at sin's bitter well.
Faithful in every season,
you continued to send those
who offered us your tender words
of healing and hope.
But we made them the scorn
of our rebellious hearts,
laughing among ourselves at them.
So, in a moment we did not expect,
in a birth we did not recognize,
you sent Jesus, coming suddenly to us,
to gather us into your kingdom.

So, with the blameless, and the bewildered,
with those dozing off in their faith,
and those who dare not fall asleep lest they miss you,
se join our voices together,
singing our joyous wonder forever and ever:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Advent.
Heaven and earth await the coming of your Child.
Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is the One who comes to share our lives.
Hosanna in the highest.

You approach in holiness, God of every season;
your Child, Jesus Christ, coming to bless us with joy.
Setting aside his power and majesty,
he came with tenderness and peace,
so we might know your justice.
Casting off the garments of glory,
he put on the clothes
stained by our sins,
to leave them at the foot of the cross.
Seeing the hope on your face,
he turned his towards death,
tearing open the grave
and striding forth into the resurrection
promised to all.

As we prepare to celebrate his birth,
as we anticipate his return,
we tell the world of that Advent mystery we call faith:

Jesus was born that we might have hope.
Jesus died and was raised that we might have life.
Jesus will come again to welcome us home.

Pour out the Spirit of Advent
upon the gifts of the bread and cup,
simple goodness transformed by your grace.
As the Bread is torn
to be shared by those gathered here,
tear open our shuttered hearts
so we might become more compassionate.
As the Cup of Hope touches our lips,
may we not only proclaim your love,
but speak of peace, of reconciliation,
of healing in all the broken places and people,
until those words become the lives
we have been called to as your people.

And when that hour that no one knows, comes -
and we have been gathered from the four corners
of your good and gracious creation,
we will be seated together in your grace,
praising you to the ends of eternity,
God in Community, Holy in One.
And all of God's children said,
P: Amen.

Blessing
Be on guard!
We do not know when Christ will show up!
Be alert!
Our hearts will be open to everyone we meet.
Be on guard! Be alert!
We will welcome each person as if they are the Christ.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman

Reign of Christ - A

Call to Worship
We come, for God gathers us here,
with that community called faith:
where the hungry are served first,
where the thirsty drink life's water.
We come, for God welcomes us here
into that home called grace:
where the naked are clothed in robes of hope;
where the stranger is embraced as the long-lost prodigal.
We come, for God reunites us here,
sisters and brothers in that family called love:
where the imprisoned model justice,
where the sick are cradled in God's peace.

Prayer of the Day
Searcher of the scattered:
where the bullies and biased
have gorged themselves
at cruelty's banquet,
you will serve them justice
for dessert.
Where the wounded
are turned away by indifference,
you will bandage them
in the swaddling clothes of hope.
Where the hungry
press their foreheads
against the windows
at Chez Plenty,
you will open wide the doors,
having made reservations
for us all.

Bringer of justice:
when we would push
the outsiders further away,
you pull them closer to your heart.
When we would shove
the next-to-nothings aside
to get to the front of the line,
you pick them up
to keep them next to you.
When we scatter our gifts,
throwing them away on foolishness,
you gather them up
and give them back to us
saying, 'here, try again.'

Spirit of common sense:
as soon as
we wander into
the shadows of selfishness,
you open the eyes
of our hearts
so we can see
that place called home.
As soon as
we think we can find you
only in the rich and powerful,
you humble us
with the grace of Jesus.

God in Community, Holy in One,
gather us into your presence,
even as we pray as we are taught,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
They are the promises stretching back into the dim recesses of time, yet as new as this very moment. When we lose our way, God searches for us until we are found. When we hurt others, God brings healing to all. When we sin, God forgives us. Let us hold these promises close to our hearts, as we confess those things we try to hide.

Unison Prayer of Confession
We stock the food pantries,
but brush aside those
who hunger for friendship.
We give our hand-me-downs away,
but overlook those whose hopes
have been stripped away.
We glad-hand those just like us,
but turn a deaf ear to
our neighbors who 'talk funny.'

Forgive us, Hope of the ages.
You persistently search for us in the side streets of the world, gathering us up and bringing us home, so we may be drenched in the waters of your bottomless pool of forgiveness, watched over by your Child, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
God searches for the lost,
and finds us;
God invites the hungry to the table,
and feeds us;
God sends Jesus,
and frees us from death's prison;
God forgives all who sin,
and heals us with mercy and grace.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
Out of the clouds and
thick darkness of chaos,
you spoke the creative Word,
God of wonder,
and creation burst forth in joy.
Rivers and streams teemed with life,
mountains were topped with snow,
green pastures cradled all your creatures.
You shaped us in your image,
calling us to be your people,
living in your steadfast love.
But your hopes for us
were pushed aside by
the seductions of sin and death,
and we followed them into
the uninhabited wastes of the world.
Because we were your priceless treasure,
you continued to search for us,
sending prophets in all the ages.
When we continued to worship
all the false powers,
you sent Jesus to gather us up
and lead us back to you.

So, skeptics and scoffers,
with the faithful and the followers,
we join our voices together
singing our praise to you:

Holy, holy, holy, Shepherd of all creation.
Heaven and earth sing choruses of praise:
Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is the One who comes to gather us back to you.
Hosanna in the highest.

Holy are you, Steadfast Love,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Child, our Savior.
Seeing us stripped naked by sin,
he forages through glory's closets
to clothe us in your joy and hope.
Setting aside his power,
he would turn oppression inside-out,
and injustice upside down
to create the kingdom
where the least are the most valued.
Searching for us,
he left no stone unturned,
even going through death and hell
in order to find us
and bring us back to you.

As we remember his service to all,
as we celebrate the promised resurrection,
we sing of that mystery we call faith:

Christ has died, bringing us your justice;
Christ is risen, offering us your love.
Christ will come again, to gather us home.

In this sanctuary of your heart,
with sisters and brothers in the faith,
we pray that you pour out your Spirit
upon us and the gifts of the Table.
It is here all our scattered lives
are woven together in that tapestry
called the kingdom,
where we are strengthened
by the Bread of life,
so we may fortify all those
who have been exhausted by life;
where we are handed
the Cup of hope,
to quench the thirst
of all who wander through
the deserts of injustice.

And when you have gathered
all the nations into your joy,
when the losers and the lurkers,
the weak and the wise ones
are seated around your Table,
we will join our voices
with all of creation,
forever singing anthems of praise,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - A

Call to Worship
This is the Lord's Day, the day of wonder and grace.
This is the day to worship the One who calls us here.
This is the Lord's Day, the day we are given joy and peace.
This is the day promised to us, the day of healing and renewal.
This is the Lord's Day, and it has come just in time!
This is the day we gather with hope, with faith, with love.

Prayer of the Day
Now,
in the silence,
when we struggle
control our lives,
may we, once again,
empty ourselves of our pride and fears,
to be filled with your hope.
Now,
in these moments,
when we cannot let go
of our worries and doubts,
may we, once again,
open our hands to hold your faith.
Now,
on this day
which is only and always
your gift to us,
may we, once again,
live into your kingdom.

Now, as we lift our hearts to you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
we once again pray as we have been taught saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
When we remember all the mistakes we have made, all the careless words we have spoken, all the contempt we have given to those around us, we have trouble looking God in the eye. But God gazes at us with mercy and love, waiting to forgive us, even as we hesitate to speak of the brokenness of our hearts.

Unison Prayer of Confession
Again we must confess, Master of the Universe,
our struggles to be faithful disciples.
Entrusted with all your gifts,
we become fearful once again of misusing them,
missing the chance to be a blessing to others.
Invited to dance in the light of your love,
we stand against the wall once again,
keeping company with our old friend, sin.
Called to be emptied for those who struggle in life,
we fill ourselves once again, with scorn
for the poor choices they make.

Have mercy, Journeying God, have mercy on us.
Once again, open our eyes to your kingdom in our midst, so we might discover that your day of hope and grace has already come in Jesus Christ, our Lord and
Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
This is the good news: God intends for us to find life, to embrace hope, to receive forgiveness through Jesus Christ, our Servant.
The end our our journey is not rejection and emptiness, but the fullness of grace and hope in our God. Thanks be to God, we are forgiven. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
When you had
had enough of chaos,
Covenant God,
you cried out in love
and creation burst forth in joy.
You shaped us into images of you,
that we might be children of light,
but we were drawn into
the shadowy life of sin and death.
You sent people like Deborah
to call us back into your light,
but we were scornful of their words.
Then you sent Jesus,
who came to fill us
with your love and hope.

So, with servants and sinners,
with judges and those who endure injustice,
we lift our voices, our hearts, our eyes
singing to the One enthroned in our hopes:

Sanctus

Holy are you, God of Wonder,
And blessed is Jesus Christ, our Lord.
When the proud hurled
their contempt at him,
he humbly knelt to serve them.
When friends urge him
to play it safe,
he crawled out onto faith's limb,
trusting it would hold him.
When death wrapped him
in it's cold shadows,
he burst forth into the light
of resurrection joy,
that we might live
in the kingdom with you.

As we remember his mercy and hope,
as we celebrate the feast he has prepared,
we speak of that mystery we call faith:

Memorial Acclamation

Your grace showers down
upon the seeds you have planted,
your hope warms the harvest
planted in our hearts.
As the Spirit gathers your gifts
and prepares them for your Table,
make us ready to receive them
with joy and gratitude.
As you send us forth
to serve your people,
may our faith and love
be transformed into winter coats
we can give to the homeless;
may our hope become
the meals we fix for the hungry.

And when that long-awaited Day comes,
when all times and seasons have ended,
we will gather at your Feast,
joining our voices with our sisters and brothers,
as we sing to you through all eternity, God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - A

Call to Worship
God has gathered us to this place,
where we hear those stories which show us
what the kingdom of God is like.
God summons us to this place,
where we can learn how to serve our God
without reservation, or hesitation.
God will send us from this place,
to tell others of God's hopes and dreams,
so they, too, can choose to follow God.

Prayer of the Day
You do not want us
to be ignorant of your
dreams and hopes for us,
God of holiness,
so you speak to us in parables,
so we might pay careful attention
to your words;
you tell us stories about
our grandparents in the faith,
so we might become mentors
to our grandchildren, and theirs.
Filling us with the holy oil
of generosity and grace,
you make us ready to welcome
Jesus Christ into our lives,
and to open our hearts
to those who are in need.

On this day, we choose to serve you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we pray as Jesus teaches us,
Our Father. . .

Call to Reconciliation
Throughout Scripture's stories and people, God is bluntly honest with us about hopes, dreams, expectations. If we are to be as honest, we must stand before God, confessing what we have done and said, as well as our silences and inactions, so that we might be drenched in God's healing tears of forgiveness.

Unison Prayer of Confession
We have so much trouble putting away our false gods, Patient God. When we could place our hope in you, we trust platitudes and shaky promises. When we could tell our friends about what you have done in our lives, we become forgetfully silent. When we could make ourselves ready to serve in your kingdom, we find other places to put our time and resources.

Forgive us, Holy Lover, and fill us with your tender mercy. As you whisper to us of your faith in us, may we listen to your transforming grace, so we may follow wholeheartedly Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, being faithful in our calling as disciples.

Silence is kept.

Assurance of Pardon
Listen, my friends! The good news is that God is in our midst - moving, forgiving, renewing, restoring.
This day, we choose - to live with hope, to share God's grace, to tell of God's goodness in our lives. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the Lord be with you.
And also with you.
People fo God, lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the One whose faithfulness never ends.
People of God, give thanks to the Lord.
We offer our praise and thanks to the One whose love is eternal.

How good and right it is to praise you,
God who gathers us around this Table!
You opened your mouth,
and creation's glory sprang forth;
you appointed the stars
to glitter in the night;
you established the waters
to nourish the earth.
You shaped us in your image,
calling us to be your children,
to live with you in harmony and joy.
But we chose to serve sin,
crossing death's river back into chaos,
our false gods clutched tight to our hearts.
Yet, you did not give up your hopes,
sending us the prophets
to get our attention with words
of challenge, as well as comfort.
When we steadfastly refused
to let go of our reliance on idols,
you sent Jesus to us,
to die and rise again for us.

Therefore, we join our voices
with those who await in heaven,
as well as witnesses here on earth,
forever singing your joyous praise:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of parables and peace.
all creation sings of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who leads us across the waters
into the kingdom of God.
Hosanna in the highest.

You alone are holy, God of all time,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior.
When we turned our backs on your love,
following the false gods of sin and death,
you came to us in Jesus, to lead us home.
When we would no longer tilt our heads
in order to listen to your songs,
Your Word of hope walked among us,
to be your love in our midst.
When we could not shake off
sin's grasp on our souls,
Jesus reached out, taking our hands,
Showing us what the kingdom truly is.

As we remember his death and resurrection,
we would speak to others of that mystery we know as faith:

Christ has died;
Christ rose again;
God will bring with him into the kingdom
all who have died, that we will live forever.

It is at this Table of gentleness
that you pour out your Spirit
upon the cup and the bread,
and on your people you have gathered.
As we leave our false gods behind us,
We open our hands for that Bread
which, broken, can make us whole once more,
that we might offer our lives for others.
As we would encourage others
who are searching for your presence in their lives,
we drink of the Spirit of Christ,
that we might serve you in both the foolish and the wise.
Nurtured and refreshed,
we no longer can plead ignorance,
but with open eyes and embracing hearts,
we may welcome all you send our way,
that we might listen to their souls
even as we tell our stories.

And when we are gathered in your kingdom,
seated at the Table of the Bridegroom,
we will praise you forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman