Texts: Exodus 12:1-14; Psalm 149; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20
Call to Worship
L: When two or three gather,
Christ lives in every moment,
P: where two or three gather,
Christ is present with them.
L: Where two or three gather
to worship God,
P: glad songs of praise are lifted,
hearts are filled with hope.
L: When two or three gather
to serve God's creation,
P: Christ is feeding the hungry,
Christ is building shelters of peace.
Prayer of the Day
When we hold out our hands
to be cuffed by loneliness,
you clasp our wrists
to pull us into your heart.
When our lives are shattered
by the injustices done to those
passed over by the world,
your love puts us back together,
so we can serve them with your hope.
Emancipating God,
we praise you!
When we would build walls
between us and our neighbors,
you come to be the welcoming gate.
When we would curse someone
who has hurt us in our souls,
you sing us songs of blessing.
When we would focus only
on our needs and our desires,
you hand us the dinnerware
and ask us to set the Table.
Ever-near Salvation,
we would follow you!
When we would feed on
our bitter brokenness,
you would offer us
the Bread of reconciliation.
When we would grasp
the Cup of peace,
and drink it to the last drop,
you whisper, 'offer some
to those you don't like.'
Liberating Spirit,
we would be filled with you!
God in Community, Holy in One,
free us of all fears and doubts,
as we pray as Jesus has taught us,
Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
All we are called to do is to love - everyone.
Yet, as simple as it sounds, by our actions and
our words, we show how difficult a task it is.
Let us confess our failings as we pray together,
saying,
Unison Prayer of Confession
You do not ask much of us, Guardian of hope -
to love, to serve, to welcome, Yet too often, it is
words of bitterness we speak to friends and family.
It is our stiff-with-judgment backs we offer to those
looking for help. It is our hardened hearts people
find, when they reach out, hoping to touch grace.
Love lived as Compassion, forgive us. We
are broken, so make us whole through the life of
Christ. We are empty of peace, so fill us the
reconciling Spirit of Christ. We are alone, so
take us by the hand and lead us into your kingdom
of joy and grace, brought to us through Jesus
Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
L: Gathered as God's people, we hear the
good news: God has forgiven us, God
has made us whole, God sends us to serve.
P: We will not wear jealousy or resentment,
but put on the garments of peace and hope.
We are forgiven by our God. Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L: May God be with you!
P: And also with you!
L: People of God, open your hearts.
P: We open them to the One who feeds
us with freedom and hope.
L: Children of God, sings songs of thanksgiving
to the One who journeys with you.
P: Graced with abundant life, we join our hearts
and voices in praise to our loving God!
The moment you spoke
and liberated chaos, Holy God,
time marked the beginning
of created beauty and glory.
You watered earth with tears of joy,
planting those seeds of hope and peace
so we might be fed by your heart.
But asked to simply be your children,
we could not obey that request,
but wandered off to feast
at the table groaning with lies and curses.
Your gracious word was sung
in new ways by the prophets,
but we tuned them out,
so we could listen
to the seductive songs of sin.
You sent us your hope
in Jesus Christ,
who came to set us free
and bring us home from
our exile in rebellion.
So, with those who longed for your coming,
packed and ready to journey into freedom,
we sing our praises in the company
of our sisters and brothers from every time:
P: Holy! Holy! Holy! Living God of grace!
All creation echoes your praise:
creatures roaming the fields,
dolphins splashing in the seas,
eagles soaring in the bright sky.
Glory to you forever and ever,
God of the captives!
You are righteousness, God our Deliverer,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Child, our Brother.
Because we break your heart
with our words and deeds,
he came to shatter the chains
of our arrogance and selfishness.
Because we have become gluttons,
feasting on bitterness and fear,
he came to be the sweet Bread
of healing and hope.
Because we become drunk
on sin's soured wine,
he came to be salvation
poured into our parched souls.
Because death smiles at us,
waiting with open arms,
he came to gather us up
in the embrace of grace and life,
carrying us out of the empty tomb
into your life of joy forever.
As you have prepared this Table for us,
gather us as your children, so we might remember
all the promises fulfilled to us in Christ our Lord:
P: When we eat of the Bread,
Christ's life strengthens us;
when we drink from the Cup,
Christ's Spirit nourishes us;
when we go to serve others,
we proclaim Christ's death
until he returns in glory.
As you bless the gifts
of the Bread and the Cup,
anoint us with your Spirit
which brings us together.
As your grace touches our lips
with hope and healing,
may we reach out our hands
to set free those captive to injustice.
As your peace is poured
into the empty corners of our hearts,
may we go forth to love
others as much as we love ourselves,
and to serve them
as we show our love for you.
And when time has marked the end of history,
and we gather with all our sisters and brothers,
all division done away with,
all brokenness healed,
all barriers pulled down,
and all your children set free from despair,
we will join our hands and hearts
around your Table of eternity,
singing praise through forever:
P: Glory to you, Liberating God!
Alleluia to you, Christ our Servant!
Thanks to you, Spirit of Peace!
Now and forever. Amen.
(c) Thom M. Shuman
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time/Proper 17 - A
Texts: Exodus 3:1-15; Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b; Romans 12:9-21; Matthew
16:21-28
Call to Worship
L: Gathered as God's people,
we come to worship together:
P: singing praises to the One who loves us,
opening our hearts to the One who calls us.
L: Called to be God's people,
we come to share our lives together:
P: to celebrate the joys of our hearts,
to mingle our tears with God's.
L: Challenged to follow Jesus to the end,
we come to learn how to be disciples:
P: offering our food to our enemies,
giving a drink of water to those
who have drained our souls.
Prayer of the Day
When we would rush
to get all our to-dos done,
you call to us to turn
and notice your compassion
burning (but not reduced to ashes)
for those living in misery.
When we hesitate,
you ask us to remove
all we think protects us from
the fire of your justice
so we can draw closer
to your heart's warmth.
YOU ARE the One we search for,
God of all held in bondage.
When we become
stumbling blocks to you,
you polish our stony resistance
so we can become smooth pebbles
on the path to your kingdom.
When we would tell you
how we think you should
bring about your hopes and dreams,
you show us your heart,
broken for the lost and the last,
so we will look to their needs
rather than thinking about our own.
YOU ARE the One
who leads us to freedom,
Servant of the poor.
When we believe we cannot speak
about your peace and hopes,
you give us words
which spill out of our hearts.
When we put our palms
over our eyes, afraid to look
at the suffering around us,
you fill our hands with grace,
sending us to serve your children.
YOU ARE the One who
teaches us new ways,
Impassioned Spirit.
God in Community, Holy in One,
YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE,
and we lift our prayer to you, saying,
Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
In stories and in stores, in sandy deserts and
in rocky roads, at school events and Sunday
worship, we encounter God. We meet the One
who fills every moment with the sacred. We
confess our sins, in trust that we can turn
aside and notice God welcoming us with
forgiveness and hope.
Unison Prayer of Confession
God of Moses and Mary,
we could live at peace with others,
but we choose to do wrong to them;
we could welcome those we do not know,
but choose to close our hearts;
we could make outsiders our best friends,
but choose the safety of our cliques.
Forgive us, Genuine Love, for our foolish choices.
Hold on to our shaky lives,
until we learn to clasp your goodness to our hearts,
so we can give it away to those around us.
Whisper your grace and hopes to us,
until we can stop cursing our enemies,
and bless them as our friends.
Smooth the rough edges of our arrogance,
until we become polished enough
to win the gold in being honorable.
Then, we would put aside our stumbling blocks
to discipleship, so we can follow Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Savior, as he leads us to your way
of denial and life.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
L: In our love for others, we discover God's
love for us. In our forgiving of others,
we learn once more how deeply God
has forgiven us. Friends, this is the
good news offered to us!
P: We are God's children, called to be different,
called to act different, called to live as new
people. Thanks be to God. We are forgiven.
Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L: May the God of burning bushes be with you!
P: And also with you!
L: People of God, offer your hearts to God,
who calls to you from the mystery of grace.
P: We turn aside from our worries to open ourselves
to the One who calls us to new life.
L: Children of God, remember all the joy and wonder
which has been done for you.
P: We will lift our voices in praise to the One who is
beyond all imagining.
In a moment, creation began,
and from that time on,
God of Freedom,
you began to pour out
your goodness and genuine love.
Earth laughed with flowers
and rejoiced with sunrises.
You shaped us in your image
and began to show us all
you wanted to give us.
But chasing after the temptations
and seductions of the world,
we tripped over the stumbling blocks
of sin and death, falling flat
on our fears and doubts.
Observing our misery in such living,
you sent the prophets
to call us back to you,
but we did not hear their cries.
Knowing we would continue
to suffer and lose our way,
you sent Jesus to come
and deliver us from our slavery.
Joining our voices with those
who have faithfully followed,
and with those who stumbled along the way,
we call on your name, singing praises to you:
P: Holy, holy, holy are you, God of Wonder.
Watching our struggles,
your heart breaks;
hearing our cries,
you whisper our name;
knowing our loneliness,
you came to deliver us.
Blessed is Jesus Christ, who comes in your name!
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, Listener of cries in the night,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Child.
Hearing the pain of your heart,
he came to speak of your hopes;
seeing the brokenness of our relationships,
he came to make us whole;
knowing our fear of death,
he came to defeat its power,
aware of what it would cost him,
he journeyed to Jerusalem
to embrace suffering and heartache;
hating evil so much
he was willing to let it believe
it had won the battle,
until he burst from the grave
bringing life for all
even as you raised him from the dead.
Remembering his wonderful works,
recalling his miracles, his words, his life,
we speak of that mystery we know as faith:
P: Christ rejoices with us,
Christ weeps with us,
Christ died for us,
Christ was raised for us.
As we prepare to gather around
your Table, God of Love,
pour out your Spirit upon us,
and on the gifts of the bread and cup.
Feed us on the rich food
of your forgiveness and grace,
so we might go forth
to feed all those we only know
by the name 'enemy.'
Quench our thirst for power
with the sweet wine of your servanthood,
so we might choose
honor over fame,
humility over pride,
forgiveness over vengeance,
and in so doing,
lose ourselves in your life
of denial and service,
giving ourselves to others,
thus returning your love for us.
And when all moments come to an end,
and the time has come to gather around
that great feast in heaven,
there will be no enemy, no them, no us -
just sisters and brothers joining
hearts and voices in singing your praise,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
(c) Thom M. Shuman
16:21-28
Call to Worship
L: Gathered as God's people,
we come to worship together:
P: singing praises to the One who loves us,
opening our hearts to the One who calls us.
L: Called to be God's people,
we come to share our lives together:
P: to celebrate the joys of our hearts,
to mingle our tears with God's.
L: Challenged to follow Jesus to the end,
we come to learn how to be disciples:
P: offering our food to our enemies,
giving a drink of water to those
who have drained our souls.
Prayer of the Day
When we would rush
to get all our to-dos done,
you call to us to turn
and notice your compassion
burning (but not reduced to ashes)
for those living in misery.
When we hesitate,
you ask us to remove
all we think protects us from
the fire of your justice
so we can draw closer
to your heart's warmth.
YOU ARE the One we search for,
God of all held in bondage.
When we become
stumbling blocks to you,
you polish our stony resistance
so we can become smooth pebbles
on the path to your kingdom.
When we would tell you
how we think you should
bring about your hopes and dreams,
you show us your heart,
broken for the lost and the last,
so we will look to their needs
rather than thinking about our own.
YOU ARE the One
who leads us to freedom,
Servant of the poor.
When we believe we cannot speak
about your peace and hopes,
you give us words
which spill out of our hearts.
When we put our palms
over our eyes, afraid to look
at the suffering around us,
you fill our hands with grace,
sending us to serve your children.
YOU ARE the One who
teaches us new ways,
Impassioned Spirit.
God in Community, Holy in One,
YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE,
and we lift our prayer to you, saying,
Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
In stories and in stores, in sandy deserts and
in rocky roads, at school events and Sunday
worship, we encounter God. We meet the One
who fills every moment with the sacred. We
confess our sins, in trust that we can turn
aside and notice God welcoming us with
forgiveness and hope.
Unison Prayer of Confession
God of Moses and Mary,
we could live at peace with others,
but we choose to do wrong to them;
we could welcome those we do not know,
but choose to close our hearts;
we could make outsiders our best friends,
but choose the safety of our cliques.
Forgive us, Genuine Love, for our foolish choices.
Hold on to our shaky lives,
until we learn to clasp your goodness to our hearts,
so we can give it away to those around us.
Whisper your grace and hopes to us,
until we can stop cursing our enemies,
and bless them as our friends.
Smooth the rough edges of our arrogance,
until we become polished enough
to win the gold in being honorable.
Then, we would put aside our stumbling blocks
to discipleship, so we can follow Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Savior, as he leads us to your way
of denial and life.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
L: In our love for others, we discover God's
love for us. In our forgiving of others,
we learn once more how deeply God
has forgiven us. Friends, this is the
good news offered to us!
P: We are God's children, called to be different,
called to act different, called to live as new
people. Thanks be to God. We are forgiven.
Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L: May the God of burning bushes be with you!
P: And also with you!
L: People of God, offer your hearts to God,
who calls to you from the mystery of grace.
P: We turn aside from our worries to open ourselves
to the One who calls us to new life.
L: Children of God, remember all the joy and wonder
which has been done for you.
P: We will lift our voices in praise to the One who is
beyond all imagining.
In a moment, creation began,
and from that time on,
God of Freedom,
you began to pour out
your goodness and genuine love.
Earth laughed with flowers
and rejoiced with sunrises.
You shaped us in your image
and began to show us all
you wanted to give us.
But chasing after the temptations
and seductions of the world,
we tripped over the stumbling blocks
of sin and death, falling flat
on our fears and doubts.
Observing our misery in such living,
you sent the prophets
to call us back to you,
but we did not hear their cries.
Knowing we would continue
to suffer and lose our way,
you sent Jesus to come
and deliver us from our slavery.
Joining our voices with those
who have faithfully followed,
and with those who stumbled along the way,
we call on your name, singing praises to you:
P: Holy, holy, holy are you, God of Wonder.
Watching our struggles,
your heart breaks;
hearing our cries,
you whisper our name;
knowing our loneliness,
you came to deliver us.
Blessed is Jesus Christ, who comes in your name!
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, Listener of cries in the night,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Child.
Hearing the pain of your heart,
he came to speak of your hopes;
seeing the brokenness of our relationships,
he came to make us whole;
knowing our fear of death,
he came to defeat its power,
aware of what it would cost him,
he journeyed to Jerusalem
to embrace suffering and heartache;
hating evil so much
he was willing to let it believe
it had won the battle,
until he burst from the grave
bringing life for all
even as you raised him from the dead.
Remembering his wonderful works,
recalling his miracles, his words, his life,
we speak of that mystery we know as faith:
P: Christ rejoices with us,
Christ weeps with us,
Christ died for us,
Christ was raised for us.
As we prepare to gather around
your Table, God of Love,
pour out your Spirit upon us,
and on the gifts of the bread and cup.
Feed us on the rich food
of your forgiveness and grace,
so we might go forth
to feed all those we only know
by the name 'enemy.'
Quench our thirst for power
with the sweet wine of your servanthood,
so we might choose
honor over fame,
humility over pride,
forgiveness over vengeance,
and in so doing,
lose ourselves in your life
of denial and service,
giving ourselves to others,
thus returning your love for us.
And when all moments come to an end,
and the time has come to gather around
that great feast in heaven,
there will be no enemy, no them, no us -
just sisters and brothers joining
hearts and voices in singing your praise,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
(c) Thom M. Shuman
Sunday, August 14, 2011
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time/Proper 16 - A
Texts: Exodus 1:8 - 2:10; Psalm 124; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20
Call to Worship
L: Our help is in the name of the Lord,
P: who made heaven and earth.
L: Our joy comes from the heart of God,
P: who transforms us into open-handed givers of hope.
L: Our grace comes from God's compassion,
P: who breaks the bonds which tie us to sin and death.
L: Blessed be the Lord our God!
P: who reveals to us the One who brings us new life!
Prayer of the Day
When fear would enslave us,
you set us free by your faith in us;
when the currents of hopelessness
would sweep us away,
you cradle us in your promises;
when evil would exercise power,
you transform us into
members of the one Body,
so we can overcome its efforts.
You are always on our side,
All Watchful God.
Through the mouths
of children and youth,
you teach the foolish
the wisdom of your grace;
through the gentle lives
of those harmed by hate,
you open our locked hearts
to embrace the broken.
You are always by our side,
Heart of Compassion.
Reluctant to let go
of all our gifts,
you touch us with generosity's grace.
Hesitant as to what
we might do for others,
you teach us the skill set
of compassion and service.
Dwelling with loneliness,
you nudge us to welcome
the last and the least.
You are always at our side,
Spirit of Change.
God in Community, Holy in One,
we believe you are side-by-side with us,
even as we pray as Jesus has taught us,
Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
While we may yearn to be like Jesus, we
know that in our hotheaded choices, our
frantic lives, our impetuous words, we
are too often like Peter. But like him,
we can confess Christ as our Lord, speaking of
our need for your saving presence in our lives.
Unison Prayer of Confession
We look for you in all the wrong places, God
of the lost, and wonder why we cannot find you.
We wander the corridors of power, while you are
on the sidewalks, beside the homeless. We sit
at the head tables of the world, while you are
handing out soup to the hungry at the kitchen's
backdoor. We applaud those who win the race,
while you are cheering on those in last place.
In forgiving us, God of new life, you would
transform our cold hearts into those melted in
service to others. In granting us mercy, you
challenge us to think of all those we have
ignored. In gifting us with grace, you enable
us to proclaim Jesus Christ, our Lord and
Savior, as the hope, the joy, the peace the world
seeks.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
L: It's not money, but our generosity with it;
it is not power, but our willingness to
humble ourselves; it is not our efforts,
but Christ's gift, which transforms us into
God's children.
P: It is more than just how we think. In mercy
and grace, our hearts, our lives, our spirits
are transfigured and made new. Thanks be
to God. Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L: May the God of who watches over us be with you!
P: And also with you.
L: Children of God, open yourselves to the God of Moses and Miriam.
P: We raise our hearts to the One who changes the lives of all.
L: People of God, sing praises to the God of Jesus and Peter.
P: We raise our glad songs of joy to the One who is with us,
in this time, and in this place.
If you had not been on the side
of all that is good, perfect, and acceptable,
God of Joy,
chaos would have ruled.
But you swept it away
in your flood of creation,
which thundered through valleys
carving majestic mountains,
which showered the soil
with life, with hope, with love.
Transforming us from earth's floor
into people in your image and heart,
you gifted us to live with you.
Sin and death begged us
to follow in their footsteps,
nursing our infantile foolishness
with their seductions and desires.
You sent the prophets
to be midwives to us,
bringing words of new hope;
but our anger flared up
at their intrusion in our lives.
So, after we had ignored
Elijah and Jeremiah, Miriam and Hannah,
you sent Jesus to us,
to open wide the gates
to the kingdom of your heart.
So, with those who remained faithful as slaves,
as well as with those who proclaim your Child,
we join our voices with those in every time and place,
singing your praises forever:
P: Holy, holy, holy are you, God who keeps watch over us.
All creation is transformed by the wisdom of your Spirit.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who does not give up on us.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, God of Imagination,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Messiah, your Son.
If he had not been on our side,
we would have continued
to wander sin's pathways
into death's oppression.
In compassion,
he came to reveal your heart;
in generosity,
he offered us the means
to escape from sin;
conscious of his choice,
he took up the cross,
where he was put to death,
and swallowed up by the grave,
sweeping away death's power
when he was raised to new life
by your love and hope.
So, as we remember his willingness
to come and be by our side,
we sing of that mystery called faith:
P: Christ dies, taking our side against sin;
Christ rose, taking God's side against death;
Christ will come, taking us to his side and into eternity.
Renew us, God of all joy,
by the gift of your Spirit
upon the bread and cup prepared for us.
If the Spirit were not with us,
we would become gluttons,
stuffing ourselves on your grace.
But She sends us out
to empty ourselves for those
forced into hunger and despair.
She nourishes us with your hope,
so we might prevail
against all those powers
which would oppress your children
with injustice and hopelessness.
And when all powers have been defeated,
when evil has gone the way of chaos,
we will stand side by side at your Table
in that kingdom of eternal joy,
singing our thanksgiving to you,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman
Call to Worship
L: Our help is in the name of the Lord,
P: who made heaven and earth.
L: Our joy comes from the heart of God,
P: who transforms us into open-handed givers of hope.
L: Our grace comes from God's compassion,
P: who breaks the bonds which tie us to sin and death.
L: Blessed be the Lord our God!
P: who reveals to us the One who brings us new life!
Prayer of the Day
When fear would enslave us,
you set us free by your faith in us;
when the currents of hopelessness
would sweep us away,
you cradle us in your promises;
when evil would exercise power,
you transform us into
members of the one Body,
so we can overcome its efforts.
You are always on our side,
All Watchful God.
Through the mouths
of children and youth,
you teach the foolish
the wisdom of your grace;
through the gentle lives
of those harmed by hate,
you open our locked hearts
to embrace the broken.
You are always by our side,
Heart of Compassion.
Reluctant to let go
of all our gifts,
you touch us with generosity's grace.
Hesitant as to what
we might do for others,
you teach us the skill set
of compassion and service.
Dwelling with loneliness,
you nudge us to welcome
the last and the least.
You are always at our side,
Spirit of Change.
God in Community, Holy in One,
we believe you are side-by-side with us,
even as we pray as Jesus has taught us,
Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
While we may yearn to be like Jesus, we
know that in our hotheaded choices, our
frantic lives, our impetuous words, we
are too often like Peter. But like him,
we can confess Christ as our Lord, speaking of
our need for your saving presence in our lives.
Unison Prayer of Confession
We look for you in all the wrong places, God
of the lost, and wonder why we cannot find you.
We wander the corridors of power, while you are
on the sidewalks, beside the homeless. We sit
at the head tables of the world, while you are
handing out soup to the hungry at the kitchen's
backdoor. We applaud those who win the race,
while you are cheering on those in last place.
In forgiving us, God of new life, you would
transform our cold hearts into those melted in
service to others. In granting us mercy, you
challenge us to think of all those we have
ignored. In gifting us with grace, you enable
us to proclaim Jesus Christ, our Lord and
Savior, as the hope, the joy, the peace the world
seeks.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
L: It's not money, but our generosity with it;
it is not power, but our willingness to
humble ourselves; it is not our efforts,
but Christ's gift, which transforms us into
God's children.
P: It is more than just how we think. In mercy
and grace, our hearts, our lives, our spirits
are transfigured and made new. Thanks be
to God. Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L: May the God of who watches over us be with you!
P: And also with you.
L: Children of God, open yourselves to the God of Moses and Miriam.
P: We raise our hearts to the One who changes the lives of all.
L: People of God, sing praises to the God of Jesus and Peter.
P: We raise our glad songs of joy to the One who is with us,
in this time, and in this place.
If you had not been on the side
of all that is good, perfect, and acceptable,
God of Joy,
chaos would have ruled.
But you swept it away
in your flood of creation,
which thundered through valleys
carving majestic mountains,
which showered the soil
with life, with hope, with love.
Transforming us from earth's floor
into people in your image and heart,
you gifted us to live with you.
Sin and death begged us
to follow in their footsteps,
nursing our infantile foolishness
with their seductions and desires.
You sent the prophets
to be midwives to us,
bringing words of new hope;
but our anger flared up
at their intrusion in our lives.
So, after we had ignored
Elijah and Jeremiah, Miriam and Hannah,
you sent Jesus to us,
to open wide the gates
to the kingdom of your heart.
So, with those who remained faithful as slaves,
as well as with those who proclaim your Child,
we join our voices with those in every time and place,
singing your praises forever:
P: Holy, holy, holy are you, God who keeps watch over us.
All creation is transformed by the wisdom of your Spirit.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who does not give up on us.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, God of Imagination,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Messiah, your Son.
If he had not been on our side,
we would have continued
to wander sin's pathways
into death's oppression.
In compassion,
he came to reveal your heart;
in generosity,
he offered us the means
to escape from sin;
conscious of his choice,
he took up the cross,
where he was put to death,
and swallowed up by the grave,
sweeping away death's power
when he was raised to new life
by your love and hope.
So, as we remember his willingness
to come and be by our side,
we sing of that mystery called faith:
P: Christ dies, taking our side against sin;
Christ rose, taking God's side against death;
Christ will come, taking us to his side and into eternity.
Renew us, God of all joy,
by the gift of your Spirit
upon the bread and cup prepared for us.
If the Spirit were not with us,
we would become gluttons,
stuffing ourselves on your grace.
But She sends us out
to empty ourselves for those
forced into hunger and despair.
She nourishes us with your hope,
so we might prevail
against all those powers
which would oppress your children
with injustice and hopelessness.
And when all powers have been defeated,
when evil has gone the way of chaos,
we will stand side by side at your Table
in that kingdom of eternal joy,
singing our thanksgiving to you,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman
Sunday, August 07, 2011
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time/Proper 15 - A
Texts: Genesis 45:-15; Psalm 133; Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32; Matthew 10-28
Call to Worship
L: Here we can come together,
people searching for healing and hope:
P: here we are met by the One
who would bless us with abundant life.
L: Here we are called to gather
as the family of God:
P: we may find those who are strangers,
yet are sisters and brothers of ours.
L: Here we discover the truth that God
makes no distinctions among us:
P: here we are welcomed and embraced
by the One whose arms are open to all.
Prayer of the Day
When we are alone,
you make us known
to our sisters and brothers.
When we are lonely,
you whisper, 'come closer,'
inviting us into your heart.
Great is your love for us,
Welcoming God.
When we wander lost and afraid,
you take us by the hand,
so we may settle in your kingdom.
When we hunger
for the crumbs of hope
which the world offers to us,
you feed us with
the fullness of your joy.
Great is your grace for us,
Accepting Christ.
When those around us
make clear they want nothing
to do with us, ever,
you persist in being our friend.
When we stand on
despair's welfare line,
you invite us to come
to a sumptuous feast.
Great is your hope for us,
Embracing Spirit.
God in Community, Holy in One,
you weep openly as you welcome us
into your heart and your hopes,
even as we pray as Jesus teaches us,
Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
Our words, our deeds, our lives build
barriers between us and others, between
us and God. But God would shatter every
distinction, God would reshape us as new
people. Let us come to the One who loves
us, and longs to forgive us. Join me as we
confess our sins together, saying,
Unison Prayer of Confession
We admit, Providing God, that we have
difficulties living as your children. We could
live in unity, but our words fracture relationships
with family and friends. We have been shown
the way to your kingdom, but turn into blind guides
when asked for the directions by others. When we
could offer others the precious oil of peace, we hand
them the vinegar of despair and rejection.
Have mercy on us, Healing Heart, have mercy on us.
When you call to us, may we listen with open ears,
understand with embracing hearts, and share your
grace with others, even as we have been graced by
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
L: Hear the good news for you: God has provided
hope for you, filling you with joy, with mercy,
with peace.
P: As mercy leads to mercy, we will take these gifts
to share with the world. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L: The welcoming God be with you!
P: And also with you!
L: It is not crumbs, but the fullness of grace
given to you at this table.
P: We open our hearts to receive God's goodness.
L: Like precious oil to anoint us, God pours hope and
love into our lives.
P: How good it is to lift our praises to our God!
When chaos threatened to control,
you spoke out of your own mouth,
crying, 'let there be light!'
and creation burst forth,
rivers flowing like precious oil
through the valleys of love,
peace singing to all creatures,
whispering of the gift of unity.
Shaping us in the divine image,
you whispered to us, 'come closer,'
inviting us to live with you
in Eden's joy-dewed garden.
Sin and death, however,
dazzled us with their lies,
so we followed these blind guides
into a world scarce on hope.
You did not reject us,
but continued to call us
through the mouths of prophets;
you continued to gift us
with your faithful presence.
Your dreams would
not be dismayed,
as you sent Jesus,
your mercy to beget mercy
for all your children.
With those overlooked by the world,
with those who have sought you in every time,
we lift our songs of joy and praise:
P: Holy, holy, holy are you, God of this day of wonder.
All creation would live in unity with you.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who is sent to all people.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, Joy of Creation,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
When he could have turned
a blind eye toward us,
he came that we might
be able to see our hope;
when he could have sent
us away from his side,
he drew us closer
to your mercy and love;
when he could have been
dismayed by our foolishness,
he went into death's embrace,
providing salvation for us.
As we remember his words of teaching,
as we remember his hopes for us,
we speak of that mystery we call faith:
P: Christ died, sent before us to preserve our life;
Christ rose, rejecting death's claim on him;
Christ will come, ordaining life forevermore for all.
Here in this moment and place,
we pray you would pour out
your Spirit of peace and joy
upon the gifts of the bread and the cup
and upon your children
who have gathered around the Table.
You do not give us crumbs,
but nourish us with compassion,
so we might go to serve
a world hungering for healing.
You do not touch our lips
with only a few drops,
but offer us great gulps of grace,
so we might offer peace
to a fractured and frightened world.
And when the famine of our despair is ended
and you gather all your children around you,
to be fed at the feast of the Lamb,
we will sing our thanksgiving songs to you,
as the precious tears of joy run down our cheeks,
praising you through all eternity,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman
Call to Worship
L: Here we can come together,
people searching for healing and hope:
P: here we are met by the One
who would bless us with abundant life.
L: Here we are called to gather
as the family of God:
P: we may find those who are strangers,
yet are sisters and brothers of ours.
L: Here we discover the truth that God
makes no distinctions among us:
P: here we are welcomed and embraced
by the One whose arms are open to all.
Prayer of the Day
When we are alone,
you make us known
to our sisters and brothers.
When we are lonely,
you whisper, 'come closer,'
inviting us into your heart.
Great is your love for us,
Welcoming God.
When we wander lost and afraid,
you take us by the hand,
so we may settle in your kingdom.
When we hunger
for the crumbs of hope
which the world offers to us,
you feed us with
the fullness of your joy.
Great is your grace for us,
Accepting Christ.
When those around us
make clear they want nothing
to do with us, ever,
you persist in being our friend.
When we stand on
despair's welfare line,
you invite us to come
to a sumptuous feast.
Great is your hope for us,
Embracing Spirit.
God in Community, Holy in One,
you weep openly as you welcome us
into your heart and your hopes,
even as we pray as Jesus teaches us,
Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
Our words, our deeds, our lives build
barriers between us and others, between
us and God. But God would shatter every
distinction, God would reshape us as new
people. Let us come to the One who loves
us, and longs to forgive us. Join me as we
confess our sins together, saying,
Unison Prayer of Confession
We admit, Providing God, that we have
difficulties living as your children. We could
live in unity, but our words fracture relationships
with family and friends. We have been shown
the way to your kingdom, but turn into blind guides
when asked for the directions by others. When we
could offer others the precious oil of peace, we hand
them the vinegar of despair and rejection.
Have mercy on us, Healing Heart, have mercy on us.
When you call to us, may we listen with open ears,
understand with embracing hearts, and share your
grace with others, even as we have been graced by
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
L: Hear the good news for you: God has provided
hope for you, filling you with joy, with mercy,
with peace.
P: As mercy leads to mercy, we will take these gifts
to share with the world. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L: The welcoming God be with you!
P: And also with you!
L: It is not crumbs, but the fullness of grace
given to you at this table.
P: We open our hearts to receive God's goodness.
L: Like precious oil to anoint us, God pours hope and
love into our lives.
P: How good it is to lift our praises to our God!
When chaos threatened to control,
you spoke out of your own mouth,
crying, 'let there be light!'
and creation burst forth,
rivers flowing like precious oil
through the valleys of love,
peace singing to all creatures,
whispering of the gift of unity.
Shaping us in the divine image,
you whispered to us, 'come closer,'
inviting us to live with you
in Eden's joy-dewed garden.
Sin and death, however,
dazzled us with their lies,
so we followed these blind guides
into a world scarce on hope.
You did not reject us,
but continued to call us
through the mouths of prophets;
you continued to gift us
with your faithful presence.
Your dreams would
not be dismayed,
as you sent Jesus,
your mercy to beget mercy
for all your children.
With those overlooked by the world,
with those who have sought you in every time,
we lift our songs of joy and praise:
P: Holy, holy, holy are you, God of this day of wonder.
All creation would live in unity with you.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who is sent to all people.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, Joy of Creation,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
When he could have turned
a blind eye toward us,
he came that we might
be able to see our hope;
when he could have sent
us away from his side,
he drew us closer
to your mercy and love;
when he could have been
dismayed by our foolishness,
he went into death's embrace,
providing salvation for us.
As we remember his words of teaching,
as we remember his hopes for us,
we speak of that mystery we call faith:
P: Christ died, sent before us to preserve our life;
Christ rose, rejecting death's claim on him;
Christ will come, ordaining life forevermore for all.
Here in this moment and place,
we pray you would pour out
your Spirit of peace and joy
upon the gifts of the bread and the cup
and upon your children
who have gathered around the Table.
You do not give us crumbs,
but nourish us with compassion,
so we might go to serve
a world hungering for healing.
You do not touch our lips
with only a few drops,
but offer us great gulps of grace,
so we might offer peace
to a fractured and frightened world.
And when the famine of our despair is ended
and you gather all your children around you,
to be fed at the feast of the Lamb,
we will sing our thanksgiving songs to you,
as the precious tears of joy run down our cheeks,
praising you through all eternity,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
(c) 2011 Thom M. Shuman
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