Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - C

Texts:  Jeremiah 17:5-10; Psalm 1; 1st Corinthians 15:12-20; Luke 6:17-26

Call to Worship
Blessed are those who trust - in God!
We come in trust, to be grounded in God's love.
Blessed are those who hope - in God!
We come in hope, trusting in the One who gives us life.
Blessed are those who delight - in God's Word!
We come to hear God speak, hoping for healing and joy.


Prayer of the Day
God of our wonder,
Heart of creation:
we are blessed when
we feast on your Word:
that Word which embraces us;
that Word which teaches us;
that Word which transfigures us;
that Word which grounds us.
Give us your Word this, and every, day.

Jesus Christ,
Heart of God's children:
we are blessed when
we have your compassion:
that heart for the poor;
for the hungry;
for those who weep;
for those left out.
Give us your heart this, and every, day.

Holy Delight,
Grace's Heartbeat:
we bear fruit when
we overflow with your spirit:
that spirit of generosity;
that spirit of pouring ourselves out in service;
that spirit of bearing another's burden.
Give us your spirit this, and every, day.

God in Community, Holy in One,
may our hearts beat as one with your heart,
even as we pray as Jesus has taught us,
Our Father . . .


Call to Reconciliation
Now, if what we hear from the world is true, we would have no need to come before God. But in fact, the witness of scripture, and of the faithful, is true.  God is to be trusted with every secret of our hearts, as well as offered our brokenness. Join me as we pray to the One who waits to forgive us.

Unison Prayer of Confession
We confess what we are afraid to face, Blessing God, that the seductions of this world gnaw away at our hearts.  We have more and more to choose from at the market, and so we forget those whose only choice is hunger.  Our sense that we are your favorites causes us to make fun of those we are convinced are not. We are so consumed with saving enough for the future, we overlook those who have so little this day.

Forgive us, Heartbroken God, for thinking we are the center of your world. Pour your living water into us, so we might send down roots deep into your heart, and so become those people who are blessings to others, as we have received the gift of new life from Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silence is observed

Assurance of Pardon
Blessed are you: for God forgives you and restores you to new life. Rejoice in this day and dance for joy!
Thanks be to God! Our faith is true and our hope is grounded in the promises of the One we can trust not only on this day, but in every day to come. Amen.

© 2010 Thom M. Shuman