Texts: Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67; Psalm 45:10-17; Romans 7:15-25a; Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Call to Worship:
L: We stand here today,
in the presence of the Holy:
P: who will show us the way
to hope and grace.
L: We come today
to the spring of hope:
P: where Jesus will draw for us
all the living water we can drink.
L: We speak from our hearts,
lifting our praise and prayers:
P: 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
L: God deals faithfully and truly with us.
Choosing to forget our mistakes, and
to forgive our sins, God blesses us with
love and hope.
P: 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
L; May the Lord of rest be with you.
P: And also with you.
L: All who are weary, yoke yourselves to the Lord of life.
P: We join our hearts with God's Heart of compassion.
L: People of God, lift your glad songs to the One who loves us.
P: Praise is on our lips, thanksgiving overflows from our hearts.
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:
P: Holy, holy, holy, God of the weary soul.
Creation celebrates your name in all generations.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who offers our souls rest.
Hosanna in the highest!
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:
P: Christ died, gentle and humble to the end;
Christ rose, delighting in the new life given to him;
Christ will return, offering us the yoke of resurrection.
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) 2011 Thom M. Shuman
Monday, June 27, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time/Proper 8 - A
Texts: Genesis 22:1-14; Psalm 13; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42
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
The Lord who provides be with you!
And also with you!
Lift your hearts to the One who frees us from sin.
We rejoice in God, who delivers us from death's power.
Offer songs of joy and wonder to the One who welcomes you to this Table.
We will sing to God, whose bounty fills our lives, our hearts, our souls.
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:
Holy, holy, holy are you, God who does not forget us.
All creation trusts in your steadfast love.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who gives a cup of living water to the thirsty.
Hosanna in the highest!
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:
Christ died, welcoming death on our behalf;
Christ rose, welcoming the gift of resurrection on our behalf;
Christ will return, on our behalf, so we might not lose our reward.
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) 2011 Thom M. Shuman
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
The Lord who provides be with you!
And also with you!
Lift your hearts to the One who frees us from sin.
We rejoice in God, who delivers us from death's power.
Offer songs of joy and wonder to the One who welcomes you to this Table.
We will sing to God, whose bounty fills our lives, our hearts, our souls.
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:
Holy, holy, holy are you, God who does not forget us.
All creation trusts in your steadfast love.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who gives a cup of living water to the thirsty.
Hosanna in the highest!
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:
Christ died, welcoming death on our behalf;
Christ rose, welcoming the gift of resurrection on our behalf;
Christ will return, on our behalf, so we might not lose our reward.
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) 2011 Thom M. Shuman
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Trinity Sunday - A
Texts: Genesis 1:1 - 2:4a; Psalm 8; 2nd Corinthians 13:11-13; Matthew 28:16-20
Call to Worship
L: Called to be faithful stewards of creation,
we come to worship:
P: to sing to the One who has created all
that is good, beautiful, and true
and who has shared everything with us.
L: Called to be disciples of Jesus Christ,
we come to learn:
P: to follow the One who meets us
in every moment of our lives,
in every place where we find ourselves.
L: Called to proclaim the good news of Easter,
we come to find the words:
P: to be taught by the Spirit who moves
in and through us, as we serve the world.
Prayer of the Day
Hearing your whisper,
creation tingles with anticipation,
knowing that goodness
and wonder are your heart's desires.
Listening to your instructions,
the universe shimmers with delight,
and all creatures fall down
to worship you.
Imaginative God,
you are as close
as the early morning breeze.
God spoke,
and you ran forth
to sprinkle the heavens
with the shimmering stars;
you poured the waters of grace
into the hollows of the earth,
so all life might emerge.
Bone of our bone,
flesh of our flesh,
you are as close
as the love which
fills our hearts.
God dreamed,
and you flowed over chaos,
shaping, spinning, weaving
peace, wonder, and joy
into the fabric of all life.
Your passion for hope
became flames which
dance in our hearts.
Spirit of fanciful faith,
you are as close
as a butterfly's wings
brushing our cheeks.
You are closer to us
than we ever dared hope,
God in Community, Holy in One,
and so we lift our prayer to you, saying
Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
When God looks at us, the One who created
us sees hope, joy, grace, life. But all too often,
others see us as we are - broken, hurtful, sinful.
Let us confess our deeds and words to the One
who loves us, and longs to recreate us in the
image of true life.
Unison Prayer of Confession
Why do you pay us any attention, Artist of
Creation? Created in your image, we show faces
filled with desire, and offer hearts filled with anger
to those around us. Called to be disciples of Christ,
we all too often are seen chasing after the false
promises of the easy life. Offered the role of being
stewards of creation, we think that everything that
you have created is to be used up so we can enjoy
life, with no thought about future generations.
Yet, you have declared everything you created
to be good, even us, God of unexpected grace.
So, we know that, in Christ Jesus our Lord and
Savior, you will reshape our greed into generosity,
our bitterness into blessings, and our brokenness
into lives poured out in service to our sisters and
brothers.
Silent prayers may be offered
Assurance of Pardon
L: Lives that are chaotic become cradles of
peace; hearts malformed by meanness are
reshaped into goodness; souls filled with
despair are cleansed with grace.
P: This is the good news: the God who created
us is the God who redeems us; the God who
redeems us, is the God who sends us forth
to serve. Thanks be to God! Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L: May God in Community be with you!
P: And with you as well!
L: Shaped in the divine image, let us open ourselves to the Creator.
P: With grace-filled hearts, we come to the Redeemer's Table.
L: Called to be God's household, let us offer our praises.
P: We rejoice that, from many places, the Holy Spirit has brought us here to our home.
At the beginning,
God of Imagination,
you finger-painted
sunrises and sunsets
on the blank canvas of chaos.
You sang creation's cantata,
while suns, moons, and stars
kept watch over your delights.
You laughed, while
lions, tigers, and bears
danced joyfully in the meadows,
and everything that
wiggles, creeps, crawls
clapped their hands in time.
When you would have
clothed us in glory,
we found sin and death
to be a more comfortable fit.
Prophets came teaching obedience
and calling us to faithful lives,
but we continued to insist
on having control of our souls.
So, you sent Jesus,
to make our brokenness
whole once again.
So, with grace, love and unity
our faithful companions and teachers,
and with all the saints of every time and place,
we lift our songs of thanksgiving:
P: How majestic is your name in all the earth, Holy One.
All creation greets you with glad songs of praise.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who comes to make us disciples.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, God over us,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, God with us.
He took off glory's garb,
to put on humanity;
he set aside heaven's honor,
to be crowned with disgrace;
he spoke of love and hope,
silencing our enemy, pride;
he went into the grave,
to free us from death's grasp.
As we remember his life, death, and resurrection,
as we celebrate his recreative power in us,
we would speak of that mystery called faith:
P: Christ died, crowned with death's thorns;
Christ rose, crowned with resurrection's wonder;
Christ will come, to crown us with glory and honor.
Send your Spirit to move over
the gifts of the bread and the cup,
and to bring light and goodness
to those who gather around your Table.
As we break the Bread of life,
may we become living hope
to a world mired in despair.
As we drink from the Cup of grace,
may we cup your kindness and peace
in our hearts and souls,
so we might be poured out
to those who thirst for your
peace and gentleness in their lives.
And when your dreams which began at creation
are realized when all time comes to an end,
when we gather around your Table,
with saints and sinners, disciples and deniers,
we will find ourselves closer to you
that we ever thought we might be,
singing our praises forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
Charge and Benediction
L: God, who created you in the divine image,
sends you forth:
P: we go, to reflect the presence of our
Creator to everyone we meet.
L: Jesus, who has redeemed you,
has established God's Kingdom in
our midst:
P: we go, to bring healing
to the broken of the world.
L: The Holy Spirit, who calls you to be
God's people, goes with you to many places:
P: We go, to tear down the walls that divide
us, and to build lives of hope for all of
God's children.
L: And now,
may the peace of the rolling waves,
the peace of the silent mountains,
the peace of the singing stars,
and the deep, deep peace of the
Prince of Peace,
be with you now and forever.
Amen.
(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman
Call to Worship
L: Called to be faithful stewards of creation,
we come to worship:
P: to sing to the One who has created all
that is good, beautiful, and true
and who has shared everything with us.
L: Called to be disciples of Jesus Christ,
we come to learn:
P: to follow the One who meets us
in every moment of our lives,
in every place where we find ourselves.
L: Called to proclaim the good news of Easter,
we come to find the words:
P: to be taught by the Spirit who moves
in and through us, as we serve the world.
Prayer of the Day
Hearing your whisper,
creation tingles with anticipation,
knowing that goodness
and wonder are your heart's desires.
Listening to your instructions,
the universe shimmers with delight,
and all creatures fall down
to worship you.
Imaginative God,
you are as close
as the early morning breeze.
God spoke,
and you ran forth
to sprinkle the heavens
with the shimmering stars;
you poured the waters of grace
into the hollows of the earth,
so all life might emerge.
Bone of our bone,
flesh of our flesh,
you are as close
as the love which
fills our hearts.
God dreamed,
and you flowed over chaos,
shaping, spinning, weaving
peace, wonder, and joy
into the fabric of all life.
Your passion for hope
became flames which
dance in our hearts.
Spirit of fanciful faith,
you are as close
as a butterfly's wings
brushing our cheeks.
You are closer to us
than we ever dared hope,
God in Community, Holy in One,
and so we lift our prayer to you, saying
Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
When God looks at us, the One who created
us sees hope, joy, grace, life. But all too often,
others see us as we are - broken, hurtful, sinful.
Let us confess our deeds and words to the One
who loves us, and longs to recreate us in the
image of true life.
Unison Prayer of Confession
Why do you pay us any attention, Artist of
Creation? Created in your image, we show faces
filled with desire, and offer hearts filled with anger
to those around us. Called to be disciples of Christ,
we all too often are seen chasing after the false
promises of the easy life. Offered the role of being
stewards of creation, we think that everything that
you have created is to be used up so we can enjoy
life, with no thought about future generations.
Yet, you have declared everything you created
to be good, even us, God of unexpected grace.
So, we know that, in Christ Jesus our Lord and
Savior, you will reshape our greed into generosity,
our bitterness into blessings, and our brokenness
into lives poured out in service to our sisters and
brothers.
Silent prayers may be offered
Assurance of Pardon
L: Lives that are chaotic become cradles of
peace; hearts malformed by meanness are
reshaped into goodness; souls filled with
despair are cleansed with grace.
P: This is the good news: the God who created
us is the God who redeems us; the God who
redeems us, is the God who sends us forth
to serve. Thanks be to God! Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L: May God in Community be with you!
P: And with you as well!
L: Shaped in the divine image, let us open ourselves to the Creator.
P: With grace-filled hearts, we come to the Redeemer's Table.
L: Called to be God's household, let us offer our praises.
P: We rejoice that, from many places, the Holy Spirit has brought us here to our home.
At the beginning,
God of Imagination,
you finger-painted
sunrises and sunsets
on the blank canvas of chaos.
You sang creation's cantata,
while suns, moons, and stars
kept watch over your delights.
You laughed, while
lions, tigers, and bears
danced joyfully in the meadows,
and everything that
wiggles, creeps, crawls
clapped their hands in time.
When you would have
clothed us in glory,
we found sin and death
to be a more comfortable fit.
Prophets came teaching obedience
and calling us to faithful lives,
but we continued to insist
on having control of our souls.
So, you sent Jesus,
to make our brokenness
whole once again.
So, with grace, love and unity
our faithful companions and teachers,
and with all the saints of every time and place,
we lift our songs of thanksgiving:
P: How majestic is your name in all the earth, Holy One.
All creation greets you with glad songs of praise.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who comes to make us disciples.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, God over us,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, God with us.
He took off glory's garb,
to put on humanity;
he set aside heaven's honor,
to be crowned with disgrace;
he spoke of love and hope,
silencing our enemy, pride;
he went into the grave,
to free us from death's grasp.
As we remember his life, death, and resurrection,
as we celebrate his recreative power in us,
we would speak of that mystery called faith:
P: Christ died, crowned with death's thorns;
Christ rose, crowned with resurrection's wonder;
Christ will come, to crown us with glory and honor.
Send your Spirit to move over
the gifts of the bread and the cup,
and to bring light and goodness
to those who gather around your Table.
As we break the Bread of life,
may we become living hope
to a world mired in despair.
As we drink from the Cup of grace,
may we cup your kindness and peace
in our hearts and souls,
so we might be poured out
to those who thirst for your
peace and gentleness in their lives.
And when your dreams which began at creation
are realized when all time comes to an end,
when we gather around your Table,
with saints and sinners, disciples and deniers,
we will find ourselves closer to you
that we ever thought we might be,
singing our praises forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
Charge and Benediction
L: God, who created you in the divine image,
sends you forth:
P: we go, to reflect the presence of our
Creator to everyone we meet.
L: Jesus, who has redeemed you,
has established God's Kingdom in
our midst:
P: we go, to bring healing
to the broken of the world.
L: The Holy Spirit, who calls you to be
God's people, goes with you to many places:
P: We go, to tear down the walls that divide
us, and to build lives of hope for all of
God's children.
L: And now,
may the peace of the rolling waves,
the peace of the silent mountains,
the peace of the singing stars,
and the deep, deep peace of the
Prince of Peace,
be with you now and forever.
Amen.
(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman
Monday, June 06, 2011
The Day of Pentecost - A
Texts: Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:24-34, 35c; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13; John 20:19-23
Call to Worship
L: On this first day, the Lord's Day,
we gather in this place, with this people:
P: though we have different gifts,
we are blessed by the same God.
L: On that great day of Pentecost,
the disciples gathered together:
P: though uncertain, they trusted God's future,
though many, they were one in Christ.
L: On the last day of all time, God's daughters
and sons will be together, in one place:
P: until then, we will talk of God's dreams,
with every breath we take, with every moment we live.
Prayer of the Day
Astonishing Creator,
at Pentecost,
you could have been
calm, cool, analytical -
but you decided to no
longer play it safe,
but once again
(and for all time),
unleashed the Spirit
into our babeling
and humble-jumble lives.
Like an artist using
a variety of mediums,
Living Water,
you proclaim good news to us:
to those who hunger for hope,
you feed them
from the banquet of justice;
to those parched by loneliness,
you hold that precious cup
overflowing with your tears
to their cracked lips.
Unbridled Spirit,
you calm us when
we are racing around
like four-year-olds
playing tag;
you come rushing
through our soul's backyard,
knocking our dirty lives
off the closed-lines,
to shawl us in
salvation's spring garb.
May our words please you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
as we pray as Jesus taught us,
Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
Called to be one body, we live as fragmented
members. Our selfish desires, our lust for more,
our belief we have no need of others, leads not
to unity, but to division. Let us confess our
brokenness to the God who saves us.
Unison Prayer of Confession
In the arguments which divide us, Hope's Heart,
we cannot hear your voice calling us to be one.
In the rush to judge others who speak, dress, or
look different from us, we cannot stop to experience
your grace. In our devotion to our selves and our
needs, we cannot open our hearts to receive your gifts.
Silence our babeling lives, Sculptor of Salvation, so
we might hear the clear, sweet voice of the Spirit,
announcing that we are forgiven, calling us to proclaim
the good news to all the world, baptizing us into the
Body of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
L: On this day, as on every day, God stands,
arms wide open to embrace us; heart wide
open to forgive us. Friends, this is the
good news.
P: God's glory is forever; God's grace will
never end. We will rejoice in God's healing
hope, as long as we have breath. Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L: May the Spirit of Pentecost be with you.
P: And also with you.
L: People of Pentecost, lift up your hearts.
P: Come, Holy Spirit, and fill our hearts with
the flames of your justice for others.
L: Spirit's Children, join your voices in praise.
P: Come, Holy Spirit, to teach us new songs
of compassion and service.
Architect of the universe:
when chaos had grown old and wrinkled,
you sent Spirit to give it a new face -
imagining, shaping, painting -
until the starlight shimmered
on the watery deeps
and the earth trembled
from the trees dancing in delight.
You created critters which tip-toe
across our floors at night,
and great whales that play
hide-and-seek with submarines.
You formed humanity in your image,
and filled us with your Spirit,
so we could sing praises
to you every moment.
But sin and death
took our breath away
with their fireworks made
of futility and fear,
and we chased after them
clapping our hands in delight.
Prophets came, entreating
your daughters and sons to come home,
but we thought they were drunk
on ecstasy's sweet wine.
So, you sent Jesus,
hoping to get our attention
with glory made flesh.
So, with all who have gone before us,
and all who will come after,
we sing our songs of praise:
P: Holy, holy, holy are you, God who sweeps away all barriers.
All creation trembles as it rejoices in you.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who breathes the Holy Spirit on us.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, our only Hope,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son.
When our souls thirsted
for your presence,
he came,
to offer us a drink of grace.
When our hearts cracked
from the strain of unbelief,
he came,
to mend us with faith.
When we had lost our way,
he came,
to follow agony
to it's bitter end,
so we could begin
our journey home to you.
As we remember his life, his death, his rising,
as we celebrate the fulfillment
of the Spirit he promised,
we sing of that mystery we call faith:
P: Christ died, giving his last breath for us;
Christ rose, the fresh breath of resurrection filling him with life;
Christ will come, breathing new life into us forever.
Pour out Pentecost's Spirit
upon these gifts of the bread and cup,
and on your daughters and sons
who hunger for your goodness.
As we eat of the Bread,
may grace dance in our hearts,
so we will want
to rush out with healing
for a broken world.
As we drink for hope's Cup,
may it cascade through us,
filling us with your
undying compassion,
till we become lives
of flowing love
to a parched people.
And when that great day comes
when you gather your children
in one place, around one great Table,
we will receive the Spirit,
being fed by your Servant, Jesus,
and sing to you
with one voice, one heart,
God in Community, Holy in One.
Amen.
(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman
Call to Worship
L: On this first day, the Lord's Day,
we gather in this place, with this people:
P: though we have different gifts,
we are blessed by the same God.
L: On that great day of Pentecost,
the disciples gathered together:
P: though uncertain, they trusted God's future,
though many, they were one in Christ.
L: On the last day of all time, God's daughters
and sons will be together, in one place:
P: until then, we will talk of God's dreams,
with every breath we take, with every moment we live.
Prayer of the Day
Astonishing Creator,
at Pentecost,
you could have been
calm, cool, analytical -
but you decided to no
longer play it safe,
but once again
(and for all time),
unleashed the Spirit
into our babeling
and humble-jumble lives.
Like an artist using
a variety of mediums,
Living Water,
you proclaim good news to us:
to those who hunger for hope,
you feed them
from the banquet of justice;
to those parched by loneliness,
you hold that precious cup
overflowing with your tears
to their cracked lips.
Unbridled Spirit,
you calm us when
we are racing around
like four-year-olds
playing tag;
you come rushing
through our soul's backyard,
knocking our dirty lives
off the closed-lines,
to shawl us in
salvation's spring garb.
May our words please you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
as we pray as Jesus taught us,
Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
Called to be one body, we live as fragmented
members. Our selfish desires, our lust for more,
our belief we have no need of others, leads not
to unity, but to division. Let us confess our
brokenness to the God who saves us.
Unison Prayer of Confession
In the arguments which divide us, Hope's Heart,
we cannot hear your voice calling us to be one.
In the rush to judge others who speak, dress, or
look different from us, we cannot stop to experience
your grace. In our devotion to our selves and our
needs, we cannot open our hearts to receive your gifts.
Silence our babeling lives, Sculptor of Salvation, so
we might hear the clear, sweet voice of the Spirit,
announcing that we are forgiven, calling us to proclaim
the good news to all the world, baptizing us into the
Body of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
L: On this day, as on every day, God stands,
arms wide open to embrace us; heart wide
open to forgive us. Friends, this is the
good news.
P: God's glory is forever; God's grace will
never end. We will rejoice in God's healing
hope, as long as we have breath. Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L: May the Spirit of Pentecost be with you.
P: And also with you.
L: People of Pentecost, lift up your hearts.
P: Come, Holy Spirit, and fill our hearts with
the flames of your justice for others.
L: Spirit's Children, join your voices in praise.
P: Come, Holy Spirit, to teach us new songs
of compassion and service.
Architect of the universe:
when chaos had grown old and wrinkled,
you sent Spirit to give it a new face -
imagining, shaping, painting -
until the starlight shimmered
on the watery deeps
and the earth trembled
from the trees dancing in delight.
You created critters which tip-toe
across our floors at night,
and great whales that play
hide-and-seek with submarines.
You formed humanity in your image,
and filled us with your Spirit,
so we could sing praises
to you every moment.
But sin and death
took our breath away
with their fireworks made
of futility and fear,
and we chased after them
clapping our hands in delight.
Prophets came, entreating
your daughters and sons to come home,
but we thought they were drunk
on ecstasy's sweet wine.
So, you sent Jesus,
hoping to get our attention
with glory made flesh.
So, with all who have gone before us,
and all who will come after,
we sing our songs of praise:
P: Holy, holy, holy are you, God who sweeps away all barriers.
All creation trembles as it rejoices in you.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who breathes the Holy Spirit on us.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, our only Hope,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son.
When our souls thirsted
for your presence,
he came,
to offer us a drink of grace.
When our hearts cracked
from the strain of unbelief,
he came,
to mend us with faith.
When we had lost our way,
he came,
to follow agony
to it's bitter end,
so we could begin
our journey home to you.
As we remember his life, his death, his rising,
as we celebrate the fulfillment
of the Spirit he promised,
we sing of that mystery we call faith:
P: Christ died, giving his last breath for us;
Christ rose, the fresh breath of resurrection filling him with life;
Christ will come, breathing new life into us forever.
Pour out Pentecost's Spirit
upon these gifts of the bread and cup,
and on your daughters and sons
who hunger for your goodness.
As we eat of the Bread,
may grace dance in our hearts,
so we will want
to rush out with healing
for a broken world.
As we drink for hope's Cup,
may it cascade through us,
filling us with your
undying compassion,
till we become lives
of flowing love
to a parched people.
And when that great day comes
when you gather your children
in one place, around one great Table,
we will receive the Spirit,
being fed by your Servant, Jesus,
and sing to you
with one voice, one heart,
God in Community, Holy in One.
Amen.
(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman
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