4th Sunday in Lent - A

Texts:  1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41

Call to Worship
L:    Here, in this place, with these people,
P:    we find the One who leads us into God's Kingdom.
L:    Here, in God's Kingdom, with our sisters and brothers in Christ,
P:    we find a Feast prepared for us.
L:    Here, in God's sanctuary, at this Table,
P:    we eat of the good news which heals us,
       we drink of the mercy which is God's gift.

Prayer of the Day
Shepherding God:
you create life
from the mud of the earth;
you draw forth light
from the shadowed corners of chaos;
your goodness and mercy
are our closest friends.
Great is your name.

Jesus our Shepherd:
you open eyes
shuttered by sin
and prejudice;
you heal lives
shattered by bitterness;
you create pools of still grace
in our stress-filled hearts.
Great is your love

Holy Spirit,
our companion in every shadowed valley:
you plant seeds of goodness and mercy
deep within our souls,
that we would bear fruit for others;
you awaken us from
our troubled sleep,
that we might be a light to the world.
Great is your peace.

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

Call to Reconciliation
How quickly we notice the mistakes of others,
but never see our own faults!  Before we judge
others, we need to pray that our blindness
might be healed by God's gracious love.  Please
join me as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
  God our Great Shephed: it is easy for us to lose
sight of your kingdom, and your way for us.  We
hope that love conquers hate, that light shines in
our shadows, that life is stronger than death--yet
our lips are filled with bitter words, our lives
are weak and shallow, the shadowed corners of
the world beckon to us.
 Have mercy on us and lead us to the still waters
of your grace and the healing garden of your
heart, Tender Shepherd.  Restore our sight to see
you living with us, restore our hope that we might
trust you, restore our speech that we might praise
you for your great gift to us in Jesus Christ, our
Lord and Savior.

 Silence May be kept

Assurance of Pardon
L:    With a gentle touch, with the anointing of
       the Holy Spirit, with the joy of love, God
       reaches out to forgive us and make us whole.
P:    Touch us, eternal Spirit;
       heal us, Light of Love;
       fill our lives with new meaning, God of joy,
       as we receive your forgiveness and grace.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L:    May the Lord of green pastures be with you.
P:     And also with you.
L:    People of God, open your hearts to the One
        who leads to pools of serenity.
P:    We are transformed by the One who restores our souls.
L:    Goodness and mercy are our companions on our journey.
P:    We offer songs of praise to the One who leads us home.

It is our greatest joy to offer you praise,
God of all hope and power:
you whispered your goodness,
and the stars leaped for joy;
you spoke your tenderness,
and all creatures sang your name;
you sang your love,
and we were created in your image.
But placed in the Garden of heavenly delights,
we hungered for the unfrutiful ways of the world.
Bathed in the radiance of Eden's light,
we walked into the shadows of our sin.
But your mercy is like the river
which flows through the new Jerusalem,
and never fails to bring us hope.

So, with the choirs of angels
and with every generation of believers,
we proclaim your glory:

P:  Holy, holy, holy are, Shepherd of us all.
    Still waters and green pastures, far-flung stars
      and daffodills sing your praises.
    Hosanna in the highest!

   Blessed is the Lord's Anointed who comes to us.
   Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, Glorious God,
and blessed is your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Through him, you spoke the words
which transformed our unbelief;
you mixed the waters of baptism
with the dust of the world
and smeared grace on our eyes
that we might see your glory;
you walked the paths of the world,
stopping on a cross,
that death might lose its power over our hearts,
and sin its grip on our souls,
so we could follow Jesus into your kingdom.

As we gather to remember his love for us,
may we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

P:  Christ died, going into that valley we fear;
    Christ is risen, that we might live as children of the light;
    Christ will come again, so we might dwell in God's house forever.

Healing God, send forth your Spirit,
upon these gifts of the bread and the cup,
that as we taste of their goodness and mercy,
we would be transformed into your holy people.
Open our eyes to the suffering of all your people;
open our ears to the cries of the lost and lonely;
open our hearts to the brokenness of the outsiders;
open our hands in service to all your children.

Then, bring us to that Table of Grace
where we will sit with all your children in eternity,
feasting on your goodness, living in your light,
one people, one heart, in joy and at peace with you,
God in Community, Holy in One, now and forever.  Amen.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Lent 3-A

Texts:  Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-11; John 4:5-42

Call to Worship
L:  We come, our souls thirsting for God,
    our spirits longing for love.
P:  We come to the One who supplies every need;
    we come to the One who gives us living water.
L:  We come, with prayers in our hearts,
    and with words too painful to speak.
P:  We come to the One who listens to our hearts,
    who carries our suffering through eternity.
L:  We come, with our brokenness and loss,
    with our hope to be made whole.
P:  We come to teh One who knows all our secrets,
    who brings peace to all of us  -  and to each of us.

Prayer of the Day
When we were determined
to remain at war with you,
you sent the Prince of Peace.
When our relationship with you
was lying in pieces on the floor,
you offered the broken Bread
to restore us to wholeness.
When petty pride
stiffens our necks so much
we cannot bow down
in your holy presence,
you massage our souls
with grace's tender touch.
We worship you in joy,
God, our God.

When our ears become stuffed
with our selves,
you open them with songs
of grateful praise.
When our mouths overflow
with rich, sweet whine,
you wash them out
with living waters of hope.
When all we can say
is 'Give me! Give me!'
you challenge us
to submit to servanthood.
We worship you in sprit,
Jesus, Water Giver.

When our souls are empty,
you fill them with living water.
When we are reluctant
to follow Jesus,
you steer us in the right direction.
When we are tempted to boast,
your whispers of grace silence us.
We worship you in truth,
Comforter of our hearts.

God in Community, Holy in One,
our joy, our truth, our spirit,
we worship you, as we pray, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
Walking the dog, reading a bedtime
story, recycling newspapers - in every
moment, in every place, God is there.
Let us confess how often we do not
see God in our lives, especially in
how we live them.

Unison Prayer of Confession
  God of eternity, you know how often we
travel down the rocky roads of doubt and
fear.  We pester others with our worries;
we hurl bitter words at those we love.
We have chances to offer ourselves in
service, but only give our contempt to
those in need.  We could share the living
waters with the world, but want to store
it in jars for safe-keeping.
  Fountain of Grace, you turn towards us,
to meet us wherever we are.  You break
open our rock-hard sin, so we might be
made whole.  In Jesus Christ, our Lord
and Savior, our thirst for hope and joy
is quenched.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L:    God does not disappoint us.  Our sins
       are forgiven, our lives are made whole,
       we are sent forth to serve.
P:    In Jesus Christ, living water breaks through
       the roof of our hearts, in such abundance
       that we don't have enough buckets to
       hold it all.  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L:  May the God of love be with you.
P:  And also with you!
L:  May the God of dolphins and little children fill you.
P:  Our hearts swim in the depths of God's joy.
L:  Sing praises to the One who saturates our arid souls with peace.
P;  Our voices are lifted in glad songs of thanksgiving.

With the Spirit,
you struck stony chaos,
and creation gushed forth,
to fill the hollows of heavens,
to seed the mountains
you cradled in your wisdom.
You longed to sit by Eden's well,
telling us stories of the world
you were shaping for us.
But we tested you
with our quarreling ways.
Hearing the boasts of sin and death,
we bowed down and
worshiped at their altars.
Prophets came to lead us
through despair's desert
back home to you,
but our ears were clogged
with temptations seductive songs.
Finally, you sent Jesus
to meet us in our brokenness,
to save us by your grace.
Therefore, we join our voices
with saints and sinners,
with testers and pesterers,
who forever sing your praises:

P:  Holy, holy, holy, God of rocks and rebels!
    From the depths of the seas to the far reaches
       of the stars, all creation praises you.
    Hosanna in the highest!
    Blessed is the One who comes to be among us.
    Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, Grace-giving God,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
the Fountain of our hope.
When we were too weak to resist,
Christ came to take on sin and death.
When we are unfaithful,
Christ shows us your constant love.
When our fears and failures
stain our souls,
Christ cleanses us.
When our hopes for life had faded,
Christ died that we might live forever.
As we remember his gentle touch,
as we recall his words of hope and grace,
we speak of that mystery called faith:

P:  Christ died, that we might have hope;
     Christ rose, God's hope not disappointing us;
     Christ will return, that we might have peace
         forever with God.

Pour out your Spirit
upon your children
gathered in this place,
and on the gifts
of the Bread and the Cup.
May they be the grace
which nourishes and sustains us.
As we come to reconciliation's table,
may our broken relationships
be made whole again.
As we see you in these gifts,
may we go and proclaim the good news.
As we open our hearts
to your never-ending love,
may we offer our selves
to everyone we meet.

And when all time is ended.
when hunger and thirst is no more
as we are fed at the Lamb's feast,
we will join our hands and hearts,
bowing down to worship you forever:
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman

Lent 2-A

Texts:  Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17; John 3:1-17

Call to Worship
L:    In this season of discipleship,
      God calls us to leave our comfortable lives,
P:    to journey, like Abraham and Sarah,
      into that unknown, yet strangely certain,
      country called faith.
L:    On sleepless nights, in fear's shadows,
       we toss and turn with doubt's questions,
P:    hoping, like Nicodemus, to find Jesus
      and to listen willingly to his responses.
L:    Reluctant to deny ourselves, convinced
      that everything, every thing, depends on us,
P:    we struggle to affirm, as Paul did,
      that everything, every thing, is in God's hands,
      and we can let go of all to which we cling.
L:    In this season of discipleship,
      we long to follow Jesus,
P:    wherever he may go, wherever he may lead,
      just like Abraham, Sarah, Nicodemus, Paul,
      and so, so many others.

Prayer of the Day
Every moment is a gift,
from you, Keeper of our lives.
When we would foolishly
slip away from your side,
you take our hands,
and lead us into that adventure
we call obedience.

Every day which races by,
every moment which drags
through the night, you are with us,
Watcher of our souls.
When our thoughts get
tangled with temptations,
you unravel the knots
so we can listen to you.
When we toss and turn
with our doubts and fears,
you lullaby us to sleep
with God's promises.

Every breath we take,
every grace born in us,
is our immersion in you,
Spirit which never rests.
In the words we speak,
  you sing of hope;
in the prayers we whisper,
  you bring healing;
in the service to which you call us,
   we find our peace and purpose.

God in Community, Holy in One,
hear us, in this and every moment,
as we pray as Jesus teaches us, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
Late at night, in the shadows and the silence,
we know ourselves for who we truly are: people
who have stumbled over sin, those who wander
the wasted walkways of the world.  Knowing
this truth, let us come to God, not to boast of
who we think we are, but to confess our failures
and our foolishness.

Unison Prayer of Confession
  We want to brag about how good we are, and
all the good we do, but you do not want to hear
it, Generous Grace.  You know how easily we slip
off the paths of discipleship, as we come near the
distractions of the world.  We seem to be more
comfortable in the shadows of doubt, than basking
in the warm sun of trust.  We try to control the
Spirit, so she blows when we choose, and works
according to our directions.
  Forgive us, and fill us with new faith, Keeper of
all hearts.  If we will but listen to you, we will know
your ways.  If we know your ways, we can go to
others to proclaim the gospel.  If we proclaim the
good news with our lives, we will bear witness to
the One who came to save not only us, but all the
world - Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L:    Lift up your eyes!  God loves the world -
       God loves YOU! - so much that Jesus
       was given to grace us with life.
P:    Our salvation comes from God, who will
       lift us up when our faith has fallen, to place
       us on the paths to the kingdom.  Thanks
       be to God.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L:  The God of journeys of faith be with you.
P:  And also with you.
L:  People of God, offer your hearts to the One
      who keeps them.
P:  We open ourselves to the Watcher of our nights and days.
L:  Sing praises to the One who transforms despair into hope.
P:  We join in the glad chorus of joy to the One who keeps
       our lives in every moment.

Holy Eternal One:
in that moment
when time began,
you took life by the hand,
bringing it out of chaos's night,
to be a blessing to all creation.
You lifted up mountains we could climb,
puddles in which we could play,
trails on which we could walk with you.
But we became star-struck
by the performances of sin and death,
believing their lies to be words of truth,
trusting their boasts of success and power.
You called the prophets
to show us how
to find our way back to you,
but our feet kept skipping after
those who would destroy us.
So, out of your great love,
for us - and for all creation -
you sent Jesus,
who came by your Light
to save us.

Therefore, we would lift up our voices
wth Abraham and Sarah, with Paul and Phoebe,
with all the saints (and sinners) of every time and place,
forever singing to the One who watches over us:

P:  Holy, holy, holy are you, God who calls into existence
       the things that do not exist.
    All creation lifts its eyes to you.
    Hosanna in the highest!
    Blessed is the One who comes to redeem all the families
      of the earth.
    Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, Watcher of our nights,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
Answerer of all our questions.
He came,
to teach us wonders
we could never imagine;
he came,
to show us that grace
is not the bonus we earn,
but the hope given
to the out-of-luck;
he came,
to silence the boasting
of sin and death,
by being lifted on the cross,
lowered into the grave,
and raised to new life -
for us and for all the world.

As we sing of your help
which comes in every moment,
as we remember that life
which graces us forever,
we would testify about that mystery
we call faith:

P:  Christ died, in order that we might be saved;
    Christ rose, to keep our lives;
    Christ will come, to keep our going out and
       coming in forever.

Though we cannot direct her,
we pray the Spirit chooses
to grace the bread and the cup,
and those who gather for this feast.
Made whole by the Bread of life,
may we go to the brokenness
where you would send us.
Nourished by Christ's Spirit,
may we go to the needs
of our neighbors around us.
Saved by your love
which we dare not control,
may we go to the strangers
who are all around us, so
that hand-in-hand
we may enter the kingdom.

Then, when our moments
are folded into your eternity,
when our boasting is silenced
and our eyes are lifted to your glory,
we will sing forever to the One
who has kept us safe in Love's heart:
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

(c) 2011 Thom M.Shuman

Lent 1 - A

Litany for Lent
L:    O Christ,
       led by the Spirit
       to wander temptation's wilderness,
       you show us how
       to turn our backs
       on the wrong ways of the world,
       so we can follow you faithfully:
P:    Walk with us, Lord Jesus.
L:    O Christ,
       Wellspring of wonder,
       you let go of your glory,
       so you might hold
       our shattered hearts.
P:    Cradle us, Lord Jesus.
L:    O Christ,
       grace-full and truth-full,
       you empty yourself
       to fill us with the bread
          which makes us whole,
       with the living waters
          which burst the banks
          of our faded dreams.
P:    Fill us, Lord Jesus.
L:    O Christ,
       Shatterer of sin's deathgrip,
       into our despair, you bring hope;
       in our fear, you come with peace;
       in our loneliness, you become our brother.
P:    Save us, Lord Jesus.
L:    Jesus Christ, Lamb of God:
P:    have mercy on us.
L:    Lamb of God, who takes away
       the sins of the world:
P:    pour our your grace upon us.
L:    Jesus Christ, gift of salvation:
P:    grant us your peace.
           Silence is kept
L:    You hold nothing, nothing!
       back from us, Gardener of Grace.
       Your very self came to us,
       your very heart was broken for us,
       your life was poured out for us,
       in Jesus, our Brother, our Savior.
       We seek to do your will,
       to share your truth,
       to sing of your faithfulness,
       to proclaim the good news,
       as we follow Jesus
       into the wonder of your kingdom,
       praying as he taught us, saying,
           Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
Like a parent, God seeks to set boundaries
for the children of God.  And, like children,
we are stubborn enough to want to do things
our own way.  So, we become easy prey for
the evil one.  But Jesus, our Brother, shows
us how to find the will, the strength, to resist
and to know the mercy of God.  Together, let
us confess our sins, so God might fill us with
hope and joy.

Unison Prayer of Confession
  God of Eden's morning, we know that Lent
is a hard time for us.  In a culture which showcases
success, you call us to sacrifice ourselves for others.
In a world which promotes power, you invite us
to deny ourselves.  In a society which encourages
us to 'feel good,' you point us to the struggles of
our sisters, the burdens our brothers bear.
  By your mercy, forgive us, Hope of our lives.
Remind us that as we journey with Jesus, we learn
the steps of discipleship.  As we listen to his call
to obedience, may we learn how to say 'no' to all
that tempts us.  As we see his suffering, may we live
out the good news which has come to us through
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

   Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L:    By ourselves, we would be easily controlled
       by sin and temptation.  But God has given us
       the free gift of grace, and so we are set free
       to live as disciples.
P:    This is the gift which brings us hope;
       this is the gift which brings us joy;
       this is the gift which brings us life.
       Thanks be to God, we are forgiven!  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L:  The Lamb of God be with you!
P:  and also with you!
L:  All who search for God, lift your hearts.
P:  We offer them to the One who comes searching for us in the
wilderness of life.
L:  People of God, sing praises to the Lord.
P:  We worship our God, and will serve God alone.

You tilled the barrenness
of chaos, Gardener of Genesis,
freely giving life to all
that is good and beautiful.
Shade trees with ripe fruity,
flowing streams, and creeping things,
skies bright with your joy,
clouds scudding across your hopes -
all were formed for our safe keeping.
But what was a delight in your eyes,
was a disappointment in ours,
and so we looked to the world,
finding the bread which
cannot fill our emptiness,
drinking from temptation's cup,
which only increases our thirst.
You sent the prophets
to lead us out of our wilderness,
but we clung to the rocks
which gave us no foundation.
Then you sent Jesus,
to carry the free gift of grace
into our hearts.

Therefore, with all those
who have journeyed with you
in every time and place,
we lift our glad cries of deliverance:

Sung:    Creator of the stars of night,
           Your people's everlasting light,
           O Christ, Redeemer of us all,
           We pray you hears us when we call.

Holy are you, God of goodness and glory,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Holy Child.
Fluent in the language of grace,
he speaks to us of
your steadfast love for us;
passing every test and temptation
offered to him,
he teaches us
obedience and faithfulness;
willing to be the one
to carry the sins of others,
he went tot he cross,
faithfully serving only you,
even into suffering and death.
Risen in glory from the grace,
he welcomes us to this Table,
even as we sing of that mystery called faith:

Sung:    At your great name, O Jesus, now
           All knees must bend, all hearts must bow:
           All things on earth with one accord,
           Like those in heaven, shall call you Lord.

Pour out your Spirit
upon the bread and the cup,
and upon your children
gathered around this Table.
As we turn towards Jerusalem,
may we reject the temptation
to focus only on ourselves,
but engage in
radical acts of obedience:
feeding the hungry around us,
nurturing the children left behind,
comforting the lonely and ignored,
picking up the brokenness
and restoring our world
with your peace and reconciliation.

Then, when our journey has ended,
and we are surrounding your Table in glory,
we will welcome our family and friends,
as we share peace with our enemies,
singing through all eternity
of the One who has brought us home:

Sung:    To God the Father, God the Son,
           And God the Spirit, Three in One,
           Praise, honor, might, and glory be
           From age to age eternally.  Amen.

(sung responses are from a Latin hymn
dating back to the 9th century "Creator
of the Stars of Night")

(c) Thom M. Shuman