Call to Worship
In cities like Charlotte and Tulsa,
where lives are lost and voices are not heard,
we call to mind that faith which is passed on to us,
that justice will speak out for all people.
In cities like Aleppo and New York,
where explosions destroy families and scatter neighbors,
we call to mind that hope which is passed on to us,
that peace and reconciliation will rebuild communities.
In neighborhoods not known, in places never mentioned,
where bitter tears are shed and the lonely walk the streets,
we call to mind that love which we can pass on
to those forgotten by the world, including us.
Prayer of the Day
It is not in the hollowness
of our fears,
but there in the depths
of your heart, Singer of Songs,
that the notes are written
that can reshape our lives,
that the melody of hope is composed.
Seed Planter,
you only did
what you ought to have done:
traveling our lonely cities,
listening to
the weeping of parents;
reaching out to
share our burdens.
You enter our hearts
to heal them,
Spirit of love;
you enter our fears
to open us to possibilities;
you enter our communities
to create families;
you empty yourself,
so we may share the good
treasure of hope with all
God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our prayers as Jesus taught us,
(The Lord’s Prayer)
Call to Reconciliation
Faith, hope, love have all been passed on to us, not so we can hoard these gifts for ourselves, but so we might share them with others. Let us lift our prayers to the One who is always ready to place forgiveness in our hearts, as we tell how we have not done this in our lives.
Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
We think if we turn off the media, we will not need to listen to the voices of our neighbors, God of all the world. We are blessed with family and friends, and so do not know the lonely. We are at ease in a world which is troubled, and so do not notice the bitter tears of others. Because we are people of affluence and privilege, we cannot understand those who are broken by the anger and brutality of the world.
Yet, you know, God of the sufferers. You hear the cries of those living in oppression, and call us to listen. Your tears mingle with those whose children lie mangled or dead in war zones, and would have us be peacemakers. Your faithfulness is great, when ours seems so futile, yet you would have us serve the world alongside your Child, Jesus, even as he served us with his life and gifts. Amen.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
Call this to mind: God is ever faithful; hope is the gift passed on to us, love is the gift we can share with others; God’s mercies never come to an end.
Great is God’s faithfulness to all people, in all places. Thanks be to God, who has given us the promise of life in Christ Jesus our Lord! Amen.
Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We are here, because of those who passed on their faith to us. We are generous, because God has blessed us with gifts beyond imagination. We would pass on these gifts, as well as hope and love, as we offer them to our God, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May God be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the One who cradles our hearts in loving hands.
People of God, let us give thanks to the God who sets a Table for us.
We praise the Lord our God who welcomes us with open arms.
How lonely was chaos, Gardener of the Universe,
until you spoke a Word, and your Spirit created:
leaves that burnish gold and red in autumn,
snow that drifts lazily in winter skies,
frozen brooks that burst in spring,
ponds splashing with children in summer.
You planted the seeds of joy in our ancestors
hoping they would pass them onto us,
but they walked sin’s lonely streets
and drank the bitter tears death offered.
Though the prophets came
to remind us of your great faithfulness,
we continued to feast on the
wormwood and gall offered by the world.
But you would not forget us,
and so sent Jesus to bring us home to you.
Therefore we join our voices,
as we sing of your mercies
made fresh in every moment
Sung: (tune: Bunessan 5.5.5.4D)
God of Creation, Lord of all beauty,
All creatures join in singing your love;
Holy Compassion, Joy of our mornings,
Fill us with grace which comes from above.
You alone are holy, heart Speaker,
and we are blessed through Jesus, life’s Promise.
When we would wander the lonely streets of the world,
he would take us by the hand,
to lead us into your joy.
When others would pass on
bitterness and hate to us,
he fills us with the gifts
of hope and love.
Splashing in sin's puddles,
he washed our feet
and dried them with his love,
leading us into the kingdom.
Daughters of despair, sons of sadness,
orphans of woe -
he gathers us all up
in his arms of mercy
wiping out death,
and sits us down
at the family Table.
As we remember his grace and love,
as we dare not forget his sacrifice for us,
we sing of that mystery we call faith:
Sung: Christ of the outcast, Comfort of mourners,
Neighbor to strangers, Love without end;
Bearer of burdens, Grace ever with us,
Blessing our children, Brother and Friend.
Holy Spirit,
as we offer the gifts
of the bread and the cup
for your blessing,
so we present ourselves:
our accomplishments, our failings,
our hopes, our realities.
Make us weak,
so we might rely
on your strength.
As we have heard the Word,
may we listen
to the cries of the poor.
As we are family
with those sitting beside us today,
may we love our sisters and brothers
in every corner of creation.
As you hold out
the bread and the cup to us,
may we reach out to enemies
to clasp hands as friends.
God in Community, Holy in One,
all honor and glory are yours,
as we sing our praises through all eternity:
Sung: Spirit of kindness, Breath of forgiveness,
Faithful Companion, just as Christ said;
God's little children gathered together,
Drink of salvation, feast on your Bread.
Sending
God would send you forth into the loneliness of the world.
we would call this to mind,
as we go to embrace all the rejected and forgotten.
Jesus would send you forth into the bitterness around us,
we would call this to mind,
as we seek to have all voices heard, all grief comforted.
The Spirit would send you forth into the brokenness of others,
we would call this to mind,
as we carry peace and love to neighbors and strangers.
© 2016 Thom M. Shuman
