Call to Worship
God, whose imagination saw allthat is good, beautiful, and loving,
continues to see us as beloved
children in the divine family.
The Word which called forth
the stars in every universe,
speaks to us of giving ourselves
through the baptismal life.
The Spirit, which moved over creation,
breathing life into all things,
fills us with peace and patience,
with hope and healing to share.
Prayer of the Day
Like creation on that first morning,
may we tingle with anticipation
of your goodness and wonder
flowing into our lives,
God who shapes all things.
May we join all creation
in worshiping you,
who is as close as a heartbeat.
As God whispered into the silence,
you ran forth with creatures
of every size and shape at your side,
Word of wonder,
as river filled the valleys and ran to seas,
as flowers sprang forth in meadows,
as grace unfathomable sprang forth.
May we join all creation
in emulating you,
who is as close as our flesh
which you wore.
As God’s mind overflowed with dreams,
you brooded over the waters,stirred the clouds with your wind,
breathed life into all that is,
Spirit of fanciful faith,
planting the seeds of peace.
May we join all creation
in dancing with you,
who is as close to us
as every breath we take.
May we join all creation
in worshiping, emulating, dancing
as we offer our prayer to you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
as we have been taught, saying,
(The Lord’s Prayer)
Call to Reconciliation
We know too well our foolishness, our brokenness, our human ways of doing things. But God knows our hearts, our hopes, our desire to be made new. As we offer our prayers of confession, let us open ourselves to God, who will forgive us and give us new life.
Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
We have been created for goodness by you, Artist of all things, but we continue to be filled with bitterness. Your Word would enable us to speak of joy to others, but we offer only judgment. The Spirit which breathes hope into us could be shared with everyone we meet, but we are tempted to hold our breath until we turn blue, rather than giving peace to those around us.But you have said that everything created is good, even we foolish children of yours, God of wonder and grace. With the Spirit as our sister, we know we can bring healing and hope to those who need it most. With your Word, Jesus Christ, as our brother, we know we can tell others of your mercy and of our love for them in every moment.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
By God’s grace, our chaotic choices become creative grace for others; our foolishness can be transformed by God’s goodness; our lives can become new by the Spirit of our God.The good news is as true as it was on creation’s first morning: Creator God is the redeeming Word who is the Breath of life for all people, even us. Thanks be to God for forgiveness and grace in our lives. Amen.
Prayer of Dedication/Offering
Like the gifts of creation, we are but steward of all we possess. And like the gifts of creation, they are not to be hoarded, but shared with the hungry, the lonely, the lost, the struggling. As we offer our gifts, receive our thanks and praise in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
I pray God in Community be with you!And also with you!
May the Holy Three who are One be in your hearts.
May we be filled with imagination, with words, with life itself.
Let us sing our praises to God who makes us one with all people.
We join all creation in singing glad songs to our God.
You poured your imagination into chaos,
stirring all your dreams and hopes and,
placing them on that palette called your heart,
began to paint on the blank canvas of creation,
azure for clear morning skies,
bright yellows for marigolds,
deep green for grass in the meadows,
red and orange tickling lazy sunsets.
Simply, faithfully, graciously, all
was offered to those created in your image,
but we preferred the absence of color in sin,
and would paint our lives in death’s greyness.
You sent prophets and artists,
singers and poets, to point up
back to your beauty and art,
but we preferred the bleak mirages
offered by temptation and foolishness.
Finally, you appealed to your Word
to bring us the good news
of your salvific heart.
With those who see and worship,
as well as those who doubt and despair,
we offer our songs of praise to you:
Holy, holy, holy are you, Majestic Name.
All creation joins in praising your goodness and wonder.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who is with us to the end.
Hosanna in the highest!
Word of justice and love,
you pointed to the Holy One
in every word and deed, even
as God blessed your every step and breath.
A baby,
you showed us God’s vulnerability;
a young child,
you taught us to draw closer to God;
a storyteller,
you reminded us of the One
who would run to scoop us up
in arms of love and welcome;
a lover,
you enter into sin’s embrace,
taking the kiss death intends for us,
so that, as resurrection’s hope,
you offer us life with you forever.
As we struggle to understand such a gift,
as we seek to live such faithfulness,
we live in that mystery called faith:
Christ died, your Word silenced by the world;
Christ was raised, your Word singing of resurrection joy;
Christ will come, the Word which will call us home to you.
Like a storm, you blew over creation’s oceans;
with a gust, you blow open our shuttered souls;
with a light breath, you give us life, so now,
Breath of God, Spirit of all that exists,
touch the simple gifts of the bread and the cup
with the sacredness of your peace,
and stir us all from our fear and apathy.
The bread which is broken is filled with your strength,
so that we can go and offer freedom to the prisoner,
so that we can breathe hope into our dying neighborhoods,
so that we can be peace for an angry world.
The cup is never drained of your grace,
so that we may silence all hatred,
so that we might put evil in the past,
so that we might renew your fragile creation.
And when we are gathered in that place
to which you will direct us at the end of time,
we will join with our sisters and brothers
in forever praising your glory, your love,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
Sending
Created and called to be faithful stewards,
we are sent forth by our God.
We will take all that is good to places of brokenness,
all that is beautiful to those who live in despair.
Called and commissioned to be faithful disciples,
we are sent forth by Jesus, Word of hope.
We follow Jesus to every place he would lead us,
to every person who will bless us.
Called and filled with the very breath of peace,
we are sent forth by the Spirit, God’s grace.
We will join the Spirit in bring life where there is fear,
in offering love where hate seeks to take hold.
And now,
may the peace of creation’s Imagination,
the peace of grace’s Word,
the peace of hope’s Spirit,
and the deep, deep peace
of God in Community, Holy in One,
be with you this day and for always. Amen.
© Thom M. Shuman
