5th Sunday in Ordinary Time/Epiphany 5 - A

Texts:  Isaiah 58:1-12; Psalm 112:1-10; 1st Corinthians 2:1-16; Matthew 5:13-20

Call to Worship:
L:    To a society that lives in the shadowed recesses of doubt and fear,
P:    God calls us to be light.
L:    To a world where every appetite is fed until there is not taste to life,
P:    God calls us to be salt.
L:    To a time when loyalties are discarded as easily as the clothes we wear,
P:    God calls us to be faithful.

Prayer of the Day
Creator of the Day,
you rise before dawn
to make breakfast for the poor,
to water our parched hearts
with the joy of grace,
and to patch the potholes
poverty has made
in the streets of the kingdom.

You proclaim
the mysteries of grace,
Voice of Fulfillment,
not with fancy words
but in weakness,
which gives strength
to the weary;
in compassion,
which offers the guest room
of your heart
to the homeless;
in love,
as you take off your coat,
and place it around the shoulders
of a shivering child.

You speak softly,
Revealer of Wonders,
using the alphabet blocks
of grace and hope,
so all can know
the hidden heart of God;
so all may know the words
to proclaim the Light
who has come into the world.

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

Call to Reconciliation
It is so simple  -  make a sandwich for the hungry,
open our ears to the crying child, and change unjust
laws.  These are how we are called to worship God.
Let us confess how we have not answered this call,
as we pray saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
   We admit, Holy One, how in superstition, we will
throw salt over our shoulders, but find it hard to
flavor a world made bland by the ordinary.  We dim
our gifts to save our energy, instead of shining as
long as we can in society's shadowed corners.  We
skip a meal once a week to show our faith, but are
unable to see those who go through the dumpster
to feed their children.
   Forgive us,  and have mercy, Creation's Goodness.
By your grace, heal our brokenness, so we might fix
the shattered dreams of our world.  With your hope,
strengthen our hearts, so we might fill the emptiness
of our society.  This we ask in the wonderful name
of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silence is observed

Assurance of Pardon
L:  God has heard our prayers and comes to us to sweeten
our bitterness with hope  -  to shatter our darkness with
the light of mercy.
P:  We will share this good news without being ordered to do so.
We will praise God's name because we want to!  Thanks be
to God!  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L:    May the Lord of the Feast be with you!
P:    And also with you!
L:    You are God's salt here on earth.
P:    We offer our hearts to God, so they may be spiced
       with mercy, justice, and love.
L:    You are God's light in this time.
P:    We show the world the brokenness in its midst,
       so that all creation might be healed!

You would not let emptiness remain constant,
God of wisdom and wonder,
but brought forth creation,
flavoring the seas with your salty tears,
lightening the shadows of chaos
so the universe could find the way
as it unfolded from your imagination.
you shaped us in your image hoping
that, in faith, we would fast with you
on justice, peace, reconciliation, joy.
But when sin laid out is feast,
we ran, pushing and shoving to the table,
to gorge ourselves on tempting entrees,
to be stuffed by deadening desserts.
Prophets came, reminding us of our stubbornness,
but we only practiced righteousness,
never getting past the first act.
So you sent Jesus to us,
to show us the fast you choose.

So, we join our voices with those
who call out to you in every age,
singing of your hopes for us:

P:    Holy, holy, holy are you, God who holds our hearts.
       All creation proclaims that mystery decreed before the ages.
      Hosanna in the highest!

      Blessed is the coming One, who is taught by the Spirit.
      Hosanna in the highest!

You are the holiness of our lives, Loving God,
and Jesus Christ is your Light for all.
The bright morning star of creation,
he would not remain hidden,
but came to light the way for us.
The one who hung the stars in the heavens,
he comes to loosen the knots
tied tightly around the hearts of the oppressed.
The one who received every gift from you,
empties the closets filled with grace and hope,
sharing them with sisters and brothers everywhere.
The one who holds us in his heart,
opens his hands in surrender on the cross,
so that death's clenched fist will release us,
so our healing will spring up to embrace us.

Was we remember how his light shone on all,
as we celebrate his spirit which enhances our lives,
we speak of that mystery of faith:

P:    Christ died, to fulfill the law and the prophets;
       Christ rose, to give glory to God;
       Christ will come, to illumine the way to the kingdom

Pour out your Spirit
upon the gifts of the bread and the cup,
prepared for those who love you.
As we unclench our fists
to receive your brokenness,
we would open our hearts in love
to those burdened by hopelessness,
we would feed all who hunger.
As we are welcomed at your Table,
and nourished by the cup of live,
we would add a room onto our homes,
to shelter a homeless family,
we would share from our abundance
to rebuild the shattered lives of the poor.

And when the yoke of time has been removed,
and we gather at the feast prepared for us in glory,
our songs of thanksgiving will be like springs of water,
which will flow for all eternity into your heart,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

© 2011 Thom M. Shuman