Texts:
Exodus 1:8 – 2:10; Psalm 124; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20
Call
to Worship
In
a time of bitterness and pain,
God
raised up Moses,
and
changed the lives of a people.
From
the shadow of death,
God
raised up Jesus,
and
changed the lives of all people.
In
every time, and in every place,
God
raises up witnesses,
people
whose lives are changed forever.
Prayer
of the Day
Like
Miriam with Moses,
you
watch over us,
Ever-seeing
God.
You
do not leave us
to
drift on the currents
of
the world.
you
will not give us over
to
the power of evil.
you
have not left us alone,
but
gifted us with your Body,
the
church.
Christ
of Compassion:
you
could have used the wise,
but
you work through the foolish.
you
could have chosen
the
most gifted talkers,
but
you speak through children.
you
could command us
to
do anything you wish,
but
you beg us
to
open our lives
to
God's Wisdom.
Helper
Spirit:
when
we are reluctant
to
part with our treasures,
you
fill us with generosity.
when
we are hesitant
to
help others,
you
make us passionate to serve.
when
we are lonely and afraid,
you
surround us with loving
sisters
and brothers.
God
in Community, Holy in One,
hear
us as we pray as we have been taught,
(The
Lord’s Prayer)
Call
to Reconciliation
We
are so much like Peter. Jesus tells us
what it will take to follow him, and we want to argue. Jesus shows us the way to the Kingdom, and we
seek a smoother path. Let us put down
all that keeps us from following Jesus, as we confess our sins to God.
Unison
Prayer for Forgiveness
We confess our struggle to be transformed
into disciples, God of mystery. The
desires of the world would shape us into people you would not recognize.
The
demands of our society pull us away from your heart. Our culture values the rich, the powerful,
the successful, but you are on the side of the weak, the poor, the outcast, the
oppressed.
Forgive us, Merciful God, for looking for
you in the wrong places. Reawaken us
with your voice that calls us to service; revive our weary hearts with your
vision of creation; refresh our fatigued spirits that we might boldly proclaim
Jesus as our Lord and as our Savior, and go forth to serve your people in
Christ's name.
Silence
is kept
Assurance
of Pardon
It's
too easy to think like the world, that money will give us happiness, that power
will earn us grace. But Paul reminds us
that if we think like Christ, and live like servants, we will find true freedom.
Not
only our minds, but our hearts and spirits will be transformed into the
likeness of Christ, enabling us to be faithful disciples. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Prayer
of Dedication
We will not proclaim our faith with our words only, but with our
lives and these gifts we offer to you, O God, we pray that others might be
transformed by your grace, your hope, and your peace. Amen.
Great
Prayer of Thanksgiving
God
watches over everyone, including you.
May
God watch over you.
Let
us open our hearts to the God of Miriam and Moses.
We
lift our hearts to the God who changes all lives.
People
of God, let us sing to the God of Jesus and Peter.
In
this time and this place, we sing glad songs
to
the One who is with us in every place, in every moment.
Chaos
thought it more powerful
than
you, God of the forgotten,
but
you were on the side of all
that
is beautiful, true, and gracious,
and
so, through the water of your creation,
rivers
thundered beneath mountains,
drenching
soil with all which would bring forth
life
in abundance, and hope overflowing.
Scooping
up dust from earth’s floor,
you
shaped us in your image and soul,
so
we might live with you.
Death
and temptation yearned for us
to
follow them down foolish paths,
and
we raced behind them.
Prophets
came, to be midwives
of
hope, of grace, of wonder to us,
but
we turned our backs in anger
as
they tried to bring us home to you.
We
ignored Miriam and Moses,
forgot
the songs of Hannah and Isaiah,
and
so, you sent Jesus to us,
to
throw open the gates
to
the kingdom of your heart.
So,
with those who long to remain faithful,
with
those who proclaim who Jesus is,
our
voices are joined as one in praise to you:
Holy,
holy, holy are you, ever-watchful God.
Creation
sings praises to you in every moment.
Hosanna
in the highest!
Blessed
is the One who never gives up on us.
Hosanna
in the highest!
Your
imagination mirrors your holiness, O God,
and
your Word is made human in Jesus, our Brother.
He
came to be on our side,
to
show us paths of grace and hope.
You
could have been judgmental,
but
he came to share your compassion.
You
could have been stingy with mercy,
but
opened up your heart.
You
could have left us in the grip of death,
but
he walked into the grave,
sweeping
it’s power away from us,
as
he was raised to new life
by
your love and hope.
So,
come to be at his side
around
this table of life and joy,
we
sing of that mystery called faith:
Jesus
died, taking our side against sin.
Jesus
was raised, God taking his side against death.
Jesus
will come, taking us home at his side.
If
the Spirit were not with us,
this
bread and the cup would mean nothing,
but
you pour the Spirit out on our side,
so
that we might be transformed by these gifts.
Filled
with the bread broken for us,
the
Spirit sends us out
so
we might empty ourselves
for
those forced into hunger and despair.
Handing
us the cup of grace,
the
Spirit nourishes us
so
we might be at the side of the forgotten,
challenging
all who would feed
your
children on injustice and hopelessness.
And
when the final moments come and
and
all oppression, all evil, all cruelty
has
gone the way of chaos at the beginning,
we
will join our voices with our sisters and brothers
in
forever singing your praises,
God
in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
Sending
We
are called to do God’s work in our communities,
and so, we go out on God’s side to love others.
We are called to serve every person, in every place,
and so, we go to work at the side of Jesus in the world.
We are called to proclaim peace, and live it in our lives,
and so, we go to be on the Spirit’s side.
© 2020 Thom M. Shuman
