Texts: Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28; Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b; Romans 10:5-15; Matthew 14:22-33
Call to Worship
Here, in this place, God welcomes all the dreamers,
as well as the doubters:
here, the worriers and wanderers
can call on God by name.
Here, in this time, we can remember
all the ways God has graced us:
here, in these moments, we are reminded
that God is with us, always!
Here are gathered those daring enough
to step out of comfort into the unknown:
here, in this faith space, we will find the courage
to cry out, 'God, save us!' in every situation.
Prayer of the Day
Making sandwiches and stirring the soup
for the hungry lined up at the door;
taking the night shift
at the homeless shelter;
talking with the prisoners
awaiting their trials:
you surround us with signs
of your hopes for all,
God of justice.
Bringing reconciliation
to strife-torn communities;
mending the broken promises
which have shattered lives;
holding your arms wide open
to embrace weary searchers:
everywhere we turn,
we hear people say,
'here comes that Dreamer!"
Inviting us to wander down
the streets of sacrifice;
hoping that every breath
will be filled with peace and hope;
gifting us with joy and grace,
so they can be freely given away:
you nudge us to get out
of our comfortable religion,
and to walk on those unfamiliar
waves of faith and hope,
Spirit of trust.
God in Community, Holy in One,
we give thanks to your name,
even as we pray as Jesus has taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
Too often when life threatens us, we trust the world to save us, finding it easy to believe the empty promises of seduction and doubt. But our God offers us forgiveness and healing, if we will but trust and follow. Let us begin, by confessing our sins together,
Unison Prayer of Confession
It seems so easy to get into the boat and set sail on our journey, God of Promises. But when the winds of change begin to blow, we want to turn around and head back to the past's safe harbor. When sin's waves crash over the side, we try to wrap ourselves in the cloak of pride thinking we will not get wet. When Jesus calls to us to get out and follow in faith, we look around, hoping he is not speaking to us.
Swamped by our fears, and sinking in doubt, we long for someone to help us - so save us, Holy One, save us! Stretch out your hand, so we might be lifted from our despair to hope, from our worries to trust, from our foolishness to faithful living. Then, we
will dare to follow Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, even if it means getting out of the sheltered lives we have built for ourselves.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
In confessing that Christ is Lord, we let go of the past, and turn to God's future. We step out of our fears, and walk into the light and life offered by our God.
In trusting Christ's resurrection, we trust all of God's promises, letting the Spirit work in and through us, healing and making us whole. Thanks be to God, we are forgiven! Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord is with you!
And also with you!
People of God: lift up your hearts to the One
who invites you to daring discipleship.
We lift our hearts to the One
who calls us out of our comfort zones.
People of God: give thanks to the Lord our God.
We sing praises to the One who
enables us to walk the paths of pilgrimage.
To the one true and living God,
we can only bring our songs of glory and praise.
Through you, the light of creation
dispelled the shadows of chaos;
from you came the imaginative Word,
shaping the mountains that touch the sky,
scooping out the hollows for the seas;
by you the Spirit of beginnings breathed,
giving life to people created in your image.
In love, you embraced us as your own,
giving us the freedom to make our own choices.
Our foolishness led us to believe
that we were wiser than Wisdom herself,
and greater than the Creator of the stars.
So we ran away from your glory
and into the arms of sin and disobedience.
But as a mother tenderly nourishes her children,
as a father welcomes home the wayward,
you would not abandon us to the powers of evil,
but in your graciousness, you came to us,
speaking through the words of the prophets
and the witness of the faithful.
When we continued to turn away from you,
you sent Jesus Christ, your true Heart,
that we might see your love face to face.
And so, we join the faithful of every time and place,
who, beholding the glory of your presence,
sing with countless throngs of angels,
hymns of unending praise:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,
who is, who was, and who is to come.
Let us praise and glorify God forever.
You are worthy, Lord our God,
to receive praise and glory,
honor and blessing.
How wonderful are the works of your hands, Holy God,
and how gracious is the gift of your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
When we were famished from eating
the empty promises of the world,
he came, breaking the bread of fullness;
when we hungered from the vain feast of fame,
he came, eating with the lost, the least, the little, the last;
when we found no nourishment in our disobedience,
he came, breaking bread with sinners and outcasts;
when we chose to nibble on death,
he came, to be broken on the cross of Calvary.
Giver of eternal life in Christ,
as we remember his life, his ministry, his gentleness,
his acceptance of all, his death, his resurrection,
we would speak of that mystery of faith
we claim as believers:
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive
divine power, wisdom, and strength,
honor, glory and blessing.
Let us praise and glorify him forever.
Breathe on us, Breath of God,
and upon these gifts of the bread and the cup.
As we join Christ at this Table,
to be strengthened by your gifts of grace and hope,
send us forth to be your faithful people.
Having tasted the Bread of Life,
may we go forth to bring healing
to every corner of our shattered world;
as we drink of the Cup of Salvation,
may we be poured out
in service to those who can find no life;
as you have broken yourself for us,
so we will do so for everyone in your kingdom.
Then, when all creation is healed,
and all people are one family,
we will gather around the Feast of the Lamb,
singing our praise to you, Holy God:
through Christ, in Christ, with Christ,
and in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever:
Praise our God all you servants,
honor God, you who would be faithful,
small and great, young and old.
Let us praise and glorify God forever.
Let heaven and earth praise God's glory:
all creatures in heaven, on earth,
and under the earth,
the sea and everything in it.
Let us praise and glorify God forever. Amen.
(The responses of the congregation in the Great Prayer of Thanksgiving are adapted from a prayer by St. Francis of Assisi)
(c) Thom M. Shuman
