Alternate Texts Liturgy w/communion for June 3, 2018 (Pentecost 2, Trinity 1, Proper 4, Ordinary 9 - B)

Texts:  Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Psalm 81:1-10; 2 Corinthian 4:5-12; Mark 2:23 - 3:6

Call to Worship
We gather on this day,
to praise our God, who is our strength.
We gather on this holy day,
to join with Jesus in relieving the burdens of others.
We gather in this sacred space,
to be fed by the Spirit with grace and hope.

Prayer of the Day
You alone are holy, Wondrous God,
yet you choose to use us
to bring about your dreams and hopes.
You could create a small group
around you who are perfect,
but you choose the fragile, the forgotten,
the voiceless, the overwhelmed
to be your household in this life.

You could come with a long list of rules,
Child of the Holy One,
but you choose to focus on relationships.
You see the refugee, not as a threat,
   but as a sister;
you see the bullied, not as weak,
   but filled with courage;
you see the suffering, not with pity,
   but those who can teach grace to all.

You could teach us words of judgment,
Wise Heart of the Holy,
but you write songs of grace and hope,
   so we can learn them from the broken;
you write poems of laughter,
   so we can hear them in children
   playing in the bathtub;
you craft visions of wonder and joy,
   so we can see them as each day
   becomes sacred by your love.

You make every moment sacred,
you create every day to be Sabbath,
you shape every person in your love,
God in Community, Holy in One,
and so we pray as we are taught,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
What a front we put up for people - strong, successful, unafraid, undiminished by life.  Yet, our lives and words reveal to others how fragile and foolish we truly are.  Let us bring our brokenness, our lives, our hearts to God, so we might be filled with grace and hope.  Join me as we pray together,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   God of mercy, on ordinary days we crush others under the weight of our unrealistic expectations.  We knock down friends and neighbors in our rush to get more for ourselves.  We bully those around us with stupid words and angry gestures.  We worship strange gods - plastic cards, athletes, celebrities - as we turn away from you.  We forget how you have set us free, when we turn our backs on the strangers around us.
   So on this holy day, Gracious God, we pray for your forgiveness.  When we could promote ourselves, let us honor those who care for us in ways we do not notice.  Instead of pushing people into the shadows, may we walk with them in your light.  May we open our hands to serve others with the grace, hope, and peace poured into us through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
No longer are we held captive by our foolish choices or our damaging words.  On this holy day, as well as all the ordinary days, our God blesses us with hope and mercy. 
With every instrument possible, but especially with our hearts and lives, may we praise the One who fills us with forgiveness and grace.  Thanks be to God.  We are forgiven.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
You have chosen to put your blessings in us, fragile containers of questions, and rules, and fears.  So give us the courage to offer these gifts to you in trust and hope, so that all might know of your grace and peace in their lives.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of Sabbath be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts to God.
We offer them to the One who fills us with grace.
Sing glad songs to the One who is always faithful.
We shout for joy to our God who is our strength.

By the time you decided to take a break,
God of incredible imagination,
the Word had whispered
   and birds began their morning songs,
   as owls were learning their lullabies;
the Spirit had breathed
   and waters sparkled in the moonlight,
   as babies took in great gulps of wonder.
You shaped us in your image,
handing us tambourines and lyres
so we could rejoice with your forever,
   but we listened to the silent whispers of sin
   and preferred to play death's dirges.
Prophets, those women and men who knew you,
came to bring us words of hope and healing,
   yet we continued to be bullied by fear,
   and to be burdened by temptation.
That is when you decided to send your Heart,
your Child who would come
so we might find our way home to you.

So with those who are full of themselves,
as well as those who empty themselves for others,
we join our voices in praising you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God of the Sabbath.
All creation shouts for joy to you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who teaches us true Sabbath keeping.
Hosanna in the highest!

In your holiness, God of the faithful,
you could have remained aloof from us,
but you chose to know our lives
by having your Child come to us.
In becoming one of us,
   the Babe made every birth a sacred moment.
In walking our streets,
   Jesus made every neighborhood holy ground.
In sharing your hopes for us,
   Jesus made every day a Sabbath from fears.
In knowing our pain,
   Jesus gave us the strength not to be crushed.
In hearing our cries for hope,
   Jesus turned our voices into songs of grace.
In experiencing our death,
   Jesus broke sin's power over us,
   as your resurrection grace
   became the promised hope of everyone.

As we remember his life and ministry among us,
as we give thanks for his death and resurrection,
we speak of that mystery we call faith;

Christ died, not because of rules, but for relationships.
Christ was raised, so the resurrection grace is for all.
Christ will return, so we will be joined with you forever.

Here on this holy day, and in this sacred space,
pour out your Holy Spirit on your people
and the gifts of the bread and the cup.
Though we often feel like empty, fragile containers,
may the broken bread give us the strength
to go out to serve your people:
   those bullied by classmates,
   those dealing with pain and grief,
   those overwhelmed by fears.
May the cup of grace nourish us
to be able to go into the world:
   to stand with the forgotten,
   to bring healing to the broken,
   to lift up those knocked down by hate.

And when we are united with those
of every place and from every time,
we will join our sisters and brothers
around your table of holiness and grace,
shouting our joy to your through eternity,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

 Sending
Now, our God sends us from this sacred space.
We will go to feed the hungry with food,
to share hope with those in despair.
Now, Jesus invites us to join him this holy day.
We will go to serve those bullied by the world,
to lift worries and fears off our sisters and brothers.
Now, the Spirit scatters us on this day.
We will to be with the Spirit in caring for all,
making every day holy and healing for everyone.

(c) 2018 Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for June 3, 2018 (Pentecost 2/Trinity 1/Proper 4/Ordinary 9 - B)

Texts: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20); Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18: 2 Corinthians 4:5-12; Mark 2:23 – 3:6

Call to Worship

When we are relaxing after a long day,
when we are pacing midnight’s floor,
God knows, and is with us.
When we are climbing the ladder of success,
when we have tripped over despair,
God knows, and guides us along the way.
When we are tongue-tied and in love,
when we struggle to speak of hope,
God knows, and gives us the words we need.

Prayer of the Day
You thought for a moment,
and creation sprang forth
from your Wisdom;
    and now,
    you know our thoughts:
        anger that can
            crush another's spirit;
        contempt that can
            drown a dream;
        hatred which could
            cripple a lover.

You spoke a Word,
and healing walked
among death's dark shadows;
    and now,
    before we can say a word,
    you know
        the loneliness        
            stalking our nights;
        the sin
            corroding our hearts;
        the emptiness
            flooding our souls.

You know
and yet
    you reach out
    to take our hands,
    walking with us,
so that
    at last,
        we are finally with you.

We pray that you will continue
to know us better than we know ourselves,
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we pray as we are taught,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
God knows – our thoughts, our hearts, our deeds, our inability to love, even our refusal to forgive others.  Yet the One who knows us best, is willing to gather us up in loving arms of grace and mercy.  Let us bring our confessions, as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     You search us, Wonderful God, and what do you find?  People whose minds are so full of the world’s trash, that there is no room to think of others.  People who offer stale crusts to the hungry, not the food which gives them life.  People who are so busy patting ourselves on the back, that we cannot reach out to those who have fallen.
     Forgive us, All merciful God.  May we listen to your words of grace, and become more gracious.  May we hear your words of hope, and then live as people overflowing with it.  When you call us, may we respond, ‘here am I,’ as faithfully as Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
This is the good news, dear friends: the One who knows our worst fills us with the best – grace, wonder, and forgiveness.
Our ears tingle with this news, our hearts overflow with hope.  Thanks be to God, we are forgiven.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
Because you know us, O God, you are aware of our reluctance to share what we have.  You continue to call us, to challenge us, to use us in the work of your kingdom.  So take these gifts, and continue to call us to faithful lives and generous giving, so that others might be blessed as we are.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of the Feast be with you.
And also with you.
Offer your hearts to our God, dear ones.
We do so, that God’s light might shine in them.
Sing praises to God who loves us.
We rejoice in the One who invites us to this Table.
 
From the hollowness of chaos,
Imaginative God,
you fearfully and wonderfully made all things:
     lightning that flashes on mountaintops,
     thunder that echoes off valley floors,
     snakes that slither through mud,
     dogs that keep a watchful eye while we sleep.
We were intricately woven in your image,
as you longed for us to be with your forever,
     but sin seemed too wonderful to us,
     and we followed it towards death.
You sent trustworthy women and men
to offer your invitation to come home,
     but we let their words drop from
     our ears and shatter on the ground.
Grieving over the hardness of our hearts,
you sent your Child to us,
your treasure in human form.
 
With all those who have found you,
with those who continue to search,
we lift our voices in thanksgiving:
 
Holy, holy, holy are you, God of delight.
All your wonder-filled works offer you praise.
Hosanna in the highest!
 
Blessed is the One who comes searching for us.
Hosanna in the highest!
 
You are holy, yet know us
intimately, God of love,
which is why you shared Jesus with us.
Noticing where we went wrong,
     he came to put us back
     on the right path to you.
Seeing we were burdened with
our foolish choices,
     he came, to take that
     weight off of us.
Knowing that our lives would
be withered by death,
     he went to the cross,
     so your healing resurrection
     might be offered to all.
 
While we are afflicted, we are not crushed;
while we are knocked down, we cannot destroyed;
while it is a mystery, we still proclaim our faith:
 
Christ died, carrying our death with him;
Chris was raised, bringing new life for all;
Christ will come, revealing your glory.
 
Before we even gather,
your Spirit has been preparing
the bread and the cup – and us! –
for this marvelous feast.
You invite us to eat of the Bread of life,
not so we might be made whole,
     but so we might go forth
     to break the hold of injustice and oppression
     on our sisters and brothers.
You offer us the Cup of grace,
not because you love us more,
     but so we will welcome
             the outcast,
     we will embrace
             the unloved,
     we will call
             the unwanted our family.
 
And when we come to the end of time,
we will find ourselves with you,
seated at your Table with our
sisters and brothers of every time and place,
joining to praise you forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
Knowing us better than we know ourselves,
God would have us go into the world.
We will go, so we might know others
as our sisters and brothers, not as strangers.
Trusting us better than we trust ourselves,
Jesus calls us to go and to serve others.
We will go, so that we might feed those who are hungry
and bring healing to those withered by hopelessness.
Gifting us better than we gift ourselves,
the Spirit fills us with all we need to be for those around us.
We will go, so that we might be those clay jars
broken and poured out as grace for others.

(c) Thom M. Shuman    

Liturgy w/communion for May 27, 2018 (Trinity - B)

Texts: Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 29; Romans 8:12-17; John 3:1-17

Call to Worship
God, who flung the stars into the night sky,
rejoices over all creation, especially us!
Come to us, Laughing God, and gladden
our hearts with your goodness and grace.
Christ, the Word of joy and life,
fills all creation with hope, especially us!
Come to us, Brother and Savior, and reclaim
our hearts as your own.
The Spirit, who breathes life into emptiness,
gives all creation the gift of peace, especially us!
Come to us, Spirit of Gentleness, and refresh us
with the dew of delight.
 
Prayer of the Day
You bind us to yourself
this day, God of seraphim and sinners.
You reach out to draw us ever closer,
that we might feel the brush
of your grace soft upon us,
that we might feel the healing touch
of your compassion resting gently within us.

You bind us to yourself
this day, Heir of Glory and Grace.
You keep us by your side,
that we might walk with you
through the streets of the kingdom,
bringing hope to the despairing,
offering consolation to the brokenhearted,
sharing love with those tossed aside by the world.

You bind us to yourself
this day, Spirit of Justice.
You fill our hearts with living water
that they might overflow to parched people,
you teach us how to give ourselves away,
so we might take on the burdens of others.
 
We bind ourselves to you this day,
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we pray the words Jesus has taught us,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation

Called to be God's people, we know how often we act as spoiled and petulant children. Yet, like a mother, God looks past our mistakes to see our hearts. Like a father, God lifts us to our feet to put us back on the path to life. Let us bring our prayers to the One who listens, and then forgives us with unceasing grace.

 

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   In the mystery of creation, Imaginative God, you shaped beauty and goodness, yet we damage it by our selfishness and anger. In the mystery of life, Child of Hope, you became one of us, yet all too often we turn our back on you. In the mystery of peace, Breath of Life, you would gentle our natures, yet we cling tenaciously to our bitterness and hurt.
   In the mystery of grace, Holy God, you forgive us our sins, that we might embrace others. In the mystery of mercy, you touch our lips, that we might speak gently to others. In the mystery of hope, you claim us as family, sisters and brothers of the One who brought new life for all, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

 

Assurance of Pardon

Here, in this moment and in this place, the Spirit of gentleness moves in our midst.  Mercy, hope and joy are the gifts of God to each and every one of us.
No longer lost, we have found our way home, surrounded by God's peace, by God's grace, by God's love. Thanks be to God, we are forgiven! Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
In grace, we bind ourselves to those who have no life;
in hope, we bind ourselves to those who live in despair;
in peace, we bind ourselves to all damaged by violence and hate;
in gratitude, we offer our gifts and bind ourselves to you, O God, in the work of justice, love, and wonder as you build your community in our world.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
God the Life, God the Hope, God the Peace be with you.
And also with you.
Children of the most Holy, open your hearts
to the One who has created you.
We open ourselves to the mystery
we know as the Community of God.
Heirs of salvation and joint heirs of grace,
give thanks to the One who loves you forever.
We lift our praise to God, crying out with all creation,
'Glory! Glory! Glory!'

You shattered the silence

of chaos, Majestic God,
as you spoke creation's language
with your voice of power and patience.
Your Word sang in the morning,
sending lambs skipping across
pastures lush with life,
young colts pranced through
valleys overflowing with wonder.
Your Spirit breathed life
into those shaped in your image,
filling our souls with joy and grace.
When we wandered far from you,
you remembered the soft touch
of our hands in yours,
and sent the prophets to call us home.
When we got in over our heads
in debt to sin and death,
Jesus came, to redeem our lives.
 
Therefore we lift our voices,
with those who worship you
in every time and place,
singing your glory forever and ever:

Holy, holy, holy, God of glory and grace.

All creation dances in joy before you.
Hosanna in the highest!
 
Blessed is the One who comes to bring us life.
Hosanna in the highest!
 
You are holy, God of all life,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, Word of creation.
Filled with your glory,
he emptied himself to become one of us.
Knowing the heartache of loneliness,
he became the friend of all;
walking the streets beside us,
he became the guide we need;
recognizing the power of sin and death,
he followed them to Calvary,
leaving them behind in the empty grave,
as he was raised to new life.
 
So, here in this holy time of celebration,
here at the sacred feast prepared for us,
we would speak of that mystery we call faith:
 
We remember Christ's death;
we remember Christ's resurrection;
we remember Christ will come again in glory.
 
Here in this place of gentleness,
here at the Table of goodness and grace,
pour out your Spirit, Eternal Love,
upon the gifts of creation made holy for us,
and upon your children adopted into your heart
through the life and joy of your Child, Jesus.
In the broken bits of the bread,
may we be made whole once again,
so we might bring healing
to the deepest sufferings of our time.
In the taste of salvation's joy,
may we be renewed in our calling
to justice and righteousness,
so we might go forth to be companions
for all those who have lost their way.
 
And when, in the mystery of your heart,
it will come to pass that we are gathered,
with our sisters and brothers of every time and place,
around the feast prepared for us in eternity,
we will join our hands and hearts,
crying with one voice, 'holy, holy, holy!'
to you forever, God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
God our Life sends us out in these moments.
We will go to bind ourselves to those who hunger,
to those who search for a home.
God our Hope sends us out in these moments.
We will go to bind ourselves to those who live in the shadows,
to those who long for companionship.
God our Peace sends us out in these moments.
We will go to bind ourselves to those who are forgotten,
to embrace those who are pushed aside by hate and anger.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for May 20, 2018 (Pentecost - B)

Texts:  Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 104:24-35; Acts 2:1-21; John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15

Call to Worship
Come, Holy, Spirit, come.
Come and move in and through us.
Whispers of hope around the corner of despair;
shouts of joy at a graduation:
You are around us in every place.
The sweet breath of a baby,
the remembrances of the elderly:
You speak to us through every person.
Soft breezes on a summer’s day;
bitter winds through frozen trees:
You are with us in every season.
The gentle lullabies of a parent;
the birds twittering us awake:
You sing glad songs to us.
The sudden rush of newness
throwing open our sheltered fears;
the gale of justice breaking down
the walls of oppression:
You sweep us up in your commitment
to transform all lives, all places.
In every breath, in every song,
in every moment, in every tongue:
Come
   Dance
       Enflame
   Engulf
Transform us!

Prayer of the Day
You come like a dove,
Anointing God,
in every time, in every place,
in every language and way of communicating,
announcing through your Spirit
that we are your Beloved.

You come like a whirlwind,
Spirit’s Brother,
justice doing cartwheels before you,
grace tumbling over grace,
hope gusting open windows
of our shuttered hearts.

You come first as a whisper
and then a mighty shout,
Wind of God,
a waterfall of peace and hope
cascading down into a pool
where we can swim forever.

You come, God in Community,
wind, flame, voice, joy, life
for all you call your children
and so we pray as we have been taught,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
We say we want change, but prefer the comfort of what we have; we long for new life, yet turn our backs on those around us.  We could open our arms to others, but close them tight around our fears.  Let us confess our lives to our God, as we hope for the Holy Spirit to come and dance among us, as we pray, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

   Your Spirit moves over the waters, Gracious God, but we prefer to splash in the puddles of temptation.  You would breathe life into us in every moment, but we hold our breath until we turn blue, wanting to get our way.  You would give us the words to bring hope to the despairing, to offer healing to the broken, and to share hope in the places of anger and violence, but we turn them in accusations towards those around us.
   In your mercy, forgive us, God of gusty grace.  May your Spirit sing in our hearts, so we may invite others to dance in joy with us.  May your Spirit be the still, small voice which silences the shouts of fear and worry all around us.  May your Spirit sweep us off our feet and into the arms of Jesus Christ, our Brother, our Savior, our Companion.  Amen.

 Silence is kept

 Assurance of Pardon

In every breath we take, there is the Spirit;

in every word we speak, there is the Spirit;
in every heart we touch, there is the Spirit;
in every person we welcome, there is the Spirit.
In forgiveness, we are given the words to speak; the courage to reach out to others; the open heart to offer others, the breath of life to share with those around us.  Thanks be to God, we are forgiven!  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

These gifts are but the bare bones of who we are, and what we could offer.  So, move over them, filling them with muscles, and sinews, and breaths of our lives, so they might become living gifts of hope and grace to others.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

May the God of wind and flame be with you.
And also with you.
Throw open the shutters of your hearts, so God may enter.
We offer our hearts so God’s joy might dance over our lives.
Take deep breaths and sing your praises to our God.
We join all people and languages in praising the One who feeds us this day.

You whispered in the silence
and the Spirit tumbled forth,
   moving over water buoying whales,
   rattling treetops on tall mountains,
   cradling hawks gliding over meadows.
You shaped us from creation’s dusty floor,
and Spirit breathed life into us,
so we might follow you through life,
   but we sought sin’s narcissistic vision
   in death’s mirror and like it better.
Prophets, both old and young, women and men,
spoke of your dreams for us,
   but we preferred to shutter ourselves
   in the shadowed rooms of temptation.
So, with the Spirit breathing hope,
you sent your beloved Child to us
so we might once again have hope.

With those who dance with joy on this day,
with those who long for the fresh breath of grace,
we sing out songs of praise to you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God of wind and flame.
All creation dances in the Spirit’s arms this day.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who is anointed by the Spirit.
Hosanna in the highest!

In the soft, warm breath
of a baby, you come
   to be one of us in every way.
In the gentle invitation
to followers, you whisper
   that all are welcome.
In the sobs
at the tomb of Lazarus, you echo
   our grief and loss.
In the anguished cry
on the cross, you join us
   on the last journey.
In the new life breathed
by the Spirit, you show us
   that death has no power,
   but love endures forever.

As we gather to celebrate this day,
as we remember the gifts Jesus shared,
we sing of that faith which is a mystery:

Christ died, his last breath stolen from him;
Christ was raised, the Spirit’s breath bringing new life;
Christ will come, breathing new grace and hope in our lives.

Here, where the bread and the cup wait,
breathe your Spirit upon these gifts.
Here, where the young long for visions,
and the old whisper their memories,
breathe your Spirit upon us, Holy God.
Let us not be content
simply to eat the bread,
but be strengthened by it
to blow through the fears among us,
   knocking them off their feet
   so they have to power.
Let us not just sip from grace’s cup,
but be enflamed by its passion for justice,
   to breathe new life into all
   who have lost that last bit of hope.

And when our journey has ended
and we are invited to with those
of every time and from every place,
breathe on us, very Breath of God,
so we may take in great gasps of grace,
to forever praise your name,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
God’s Breath of hope has torn open
the shutters of our hearts,
So that we may open them to all who long
for grace and life.
Justice is the strong wind poured into us
by the One who is Brother to the forgotten.
We will go into the streets of our neighborhoods
to serve our sisters and brothers.
A new community is being shaped by the Holy Spirit,
made up of those from every place, every tongue.
We will join hearts with those we meet,
we will learn songs of joy in new languages.

© Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for May 13, 2018 (Easter 7 - B)

Texts: Acts 1:15-17, 21-26; Psalm 1; 1 John 5:9-13; John 17:6-19

Call to Worship
From comfortable pews,
from tricycle seats,
from easy chairs in front of TVs:
God gathers us in, giving us the

words with which to proclaim the gospel.
At kitchen sinks,
at laptops and blackboards,
at nursing stations:
Christ calls us to share
in serving all creation.
In communities gathered to pray,
in memories of those who served,
in families grilling in the backyard:
The Holy Spirit fills us with God's joy.

Prayer of the Day
We do not notice,
Holy God,
but you give us:
time,
   so we can think
   about your Word;
silence,
   so it may fill
   our emptiness;
wisdom,
   so we may know
   the path to walk.

We do not notice,
Risen Christ,
how you have not given
   just a piece of yourself,
   or a portion of your grace,
but all of who you are:
for us  -
and yet,
you regard US
as God's amazing gift
to you!

We do not notice,
Nourishing Spirit,
how you remove our fears,
   simply by sitting with us
   and holding our hearts;
or how you swirl around us,
   pulling us deeper and deeper
   into love, grace and peace,
until we find ourselves
rooted forever in the One
who watches over us forever.

God in Community, Holy in One,
hear us as we pray as we have been taught,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
We gather as God's people, believing the promises fulfilled in Christ.  We do not need to confess out
of dread or fear, but in trust that God is faithful to forgive us and make us new.  Join me as we pray,
saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
How foolish we are, Calling God,
to think we could be happy
when we sit in seduction's comfortable seats,
    and scoff at your call to discipleship;
or run down the easy streets of sin,
    rather than following Jesus;
or idolize the celebrities and superstars,
    and not see you in those who wait on us
    in stores, restaurants, and sport arenas.

Forgive us, Author of Life.
Keep us from our silly selfishness
as we seek to become
    those branches children can climb on;
as we hope to provide shade
    for fellow pilgrims;
as we long to be continually nourished
    by the Living Water of Jesus Christ,
    our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
We are no longer blown about in the winds of the world, we are grounded, yesterday, today, tomorrow in God's forgiveness, hope and love.
Today, tomorrow, forever:  we can bear fresh fruit, sharing God's peace and joy with everyone we meet.  Thanks be to God, we are forgiven!  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication

As we offer our gifts, remind us that they will be used to heal the broken often lost in the systems we have created, to feed those who don’t have the forms filled out correctly, and to bring hope to those who wander the shadowed alleys of despair.  This we pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

May the God of joy be with you.
And with you as well.
We are called to share the gospel with all we meet.
God fills our hearts, as well as our hands,
to bring healing and hope to the world.
Join in singing God’s praise as we gather around the Table.
As streams of joy and wonder pour into us,
so our songs of thanksgiving flood through all creation.

You stood among chaos, Ever Watchful God,

and called forth creation in all its beauty:
   rooting oak trees in the rich loam of your Word,
   watering seeds with the Spirit’s showers,
   using goodness to pave the paths
through the garden of hope and grace designed
for those you shaped in your image.
You called to us to pay close attention,
   but we chose to follow sin’s directions,
   making death our ultimate destination.
Prophets were sent to take the witness stand,
placing their hands on our hearts
to offer testimony concerning your hopes,
   but we continued to listen
   to temptations broken promises.
So Jesus came to show us how
   to walk the right paths,
   to do the right things,
   to be people of righteousness and justice.
 
With those who listen to your heart,
with those who stumble along the way,
we lift our praise to you:
 
Holy, holy, holy are you, God who gives us eternal life.
All creation joins in praising your glory.
Hosanna in the highest!
 
Blessed is the One who sanctifies us.
Hosanna in the highest!
 
In your holiness, Tender God, we find life,
and in that blessing names Jesus, we find our Friend.
Seeing us sitting in chairs warmed by foolishness,
   he came to pull us to our feet,
   to offer us a seat handcrafted by his grace.
Noticing how we tended to listen only to seductive whispers,
   he came singing songs composed
   in the depths of your compassionate heart.
Watching our tendencies to drift through life
like dandelion seed heads floating on temptation,
   he came to plant us deep within your forgiveness,
   watering us with the spring showers of resurrection
   he brought with him on that first Easter morning.  
 
As we seek to walk the paths of righteousness,
as we long to bear witness to Jesus in our time,
we speak of that mystery called faith:
 
Dying, Jesus destroyed the power of death;
being raised to life, Jesus destroyed death’s sting;
coming for us, Jesus will guide us from death to eternity with God.
 
It is here at this Table,
where the Spirit is poured out
upon the gifts of the bread and the cup,
that we know of your love and grace.
Made whole by the brokenness of the bread,
we would go to bring words of hope
to all who have been told they are worthless,
to strengthen all weakened by grief and loss.
Watered by the goodness of the cup,
we would offer compassion
to everyone who has been hurt,
we would carry hope to all
whose hearts are emptied by despair.
 
And when we are gathered with our sisters and brothers
around your Feast of the Lamb in glory,
we will bring our songs of joy to you,
planted forever and ever in the depths of your heart,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending

From the comfort of this place,
to the discomfort of discipleship,
we will go to serve your people, Loving God.
Weeding community gardens which feed the hungry,
tutoring children after school,
we will go to wrap others in your grace, Jesus our Brother.
Listening to the stories of the ignored,
learning the language of our newest neighbors,
we will go to discover the truth you share in every moment, Spirit of Wisdom.

(c) Thom M. Shuman