Liturgy w/ communion for July 4, 2021 (Pentecost 6/Trinity 5/Proper 9/Ordinary 14 -B)

 Texts: 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10; Psalm 48; 2 Corinthians 12:2-10; Mark 6:1-13

Call to Worship
You awaken the sun, O God,
to guide us into the new day:
Your name, O God, like your praise,
sings in every person.
You speak your Word, O God,
to guide us into your kingdom:
Your hope, O God, like your joy,
echoes in every soul.
You guide us to those who are
looking for you:
Your love, O God, like your name, 
fills the emptiness of every heart.

Prayer of the Day
The rumbling of thunder in the distance,
the shade of an oak tree in the back yard,
the laughter of children splashing in the pool,
the stars glittering on a moonless night:
all the gifts of the universe
fill us with delight in every moment.
Great is your imagination,
Creation's Joy!

Broken,
you touch us to make us whole;
tear-stained,
you share our pain and struggles;
gifter of peace,
you replace our bitterness with hope;
teacher of gentle words,
you transform our unbelief into service.
Great is your love,
Christ, Companion of all people!

Making hardened hearts
as soft as a baby's breath;
turning stiffened necks
so we can see the poor;
placing wandering feet
back on the path of discipleship.
Great is your compassion,
Spirit of grace.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our prayers to you this morning
in praise and wonder.  Amen.

Call to Reconciliation
When we look at the relationships we hope to have with one another, and with God, we must admit how broken we are. But, as we gather in the presence of God, we are promised forgiveness and healing, if we will confess our sins.  Please join me, as we pray to the One who never ceases to love us, 

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   You know how stubborn we can be, Holy God.  You call us to serve others, and we stay in the coolness of our own homes.  You would send us to where the hopeless live, but we are reluctant to leave the comfort of our complacency. You would feed us on the peace and joy of your word, but we pull our chairs up to the tables of those who serve false promises.
  Forgive us, Guiding God.  Transform our defiance into discipleship, and our rejection of others into the resurrection of welcoming all people as sisters and brothers in Christ.  Help us to love as faithfully as you have always loved us, and send us forth to take the good news of Jesus Christ to everyone we meet. 

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
We open our lips and confess our hearts.  God hears our words and make us new, sending us out to bring hope and joy to all the world.
We hear the good news, we believe the good news, we will live out the good news.  Thanks be to God.  Amen!

Prayer of Dedication/Offertory
As we have heard, so we have seen God's compassion in our lives.  As we have seen, so we will live, offering our gifts to God, so others might know God's steadfast love is present with them in every moment.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of steadfast love be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, offer your hearts to God.
We open our hearts to the One who fills them with grace.
Children of God, sing your praises to the One who has gathered us here.
Our songs of joy travel to the very ends of creation. 

It was you, Imaginative God, who whispered
and the rumble of creation shook the rafters of chaos.
Mighty trees graced valleys with shade,
stars glittered in moonless nights,
children splashed in the pools of hope.
Every delight was crafted so we might know
of that love which would last forever.
When we could not have our way,
we took offense at your hopes for us,
throwing tantrums as we took flight
to follow sin and death through the world.
Amazed at our crafty rebellion,
you continued to love us,
longing to shelter us in your heart.
When we continued to dishonor your prophets,
when we would not welcome their words,
you sent Jesus to become that weakness
strong enough to destroy sin and death.

So, we join our voices with all
who have wondered at your steadfast love,
singing your name to the edges of the universe:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of enduring love.
All the gifts of creation delight in you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One whose weakness is our hope.
Hosanna in the highest! 

Holy are you, God of all goodness and truth,
and blessed is Jesus, your Child, our Savior.
It was he who came,
bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh,
with words which could transform our foolishness,
with weakness which could strengthen
our fatigued faithfulness,
with wisdom which could teach us
the way of life in all its fullness.
Yet, we were offended by
his life, his ways, his humility.
He continued to listen to you,
going wherever you sent him -
no glory, no wealth, no honor -
even to that place called Calvary
where sin's thorns crowned him.
Your grace was enough for him,
even in the cold shadows of the tomb,
and he walked forth into your steadfast love,
leaving death behind in the dust.

As we remember his calling us to follow,
as we seek to be sent forth to serve,
we proclaim that mystery we call faith:

Christ came, to shape our lives like his;
Christ came, to be our Guide forever;
Christ will come again, to gather us in glory. 

So now, in this place
where we have heard your promises,
among these people
in whom we have seen the Christ,
pour your Spirit upon the gifts of your Table.
The broken Bread of life
is all we need of hope for
filled, we can go forth
to anoint the lost and hopeless
with the oil of your compassion.
Your Cup of grace overflows,
more than we will ever need,
and more than enough to bring healing
to those who have known only
hardship, rejection, and loneliness.

And when at the end of all time,
we discover that it was you who
had led us all along the way
and brought us to the Table in glory,
we will join our voices as one,
singing our praise to you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we unite in praying as we are taught,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Sending
We will go to let the Joy of creation lead us into this new day.
We will sing glad choruses of hope to a world in despair.
We go to walk with our Heart's Love beside those whose hearts are broken.
We will touch boastful tongues with peace, 
we will offer compassion to those frozen with fear.
We will go with your gentle wisdom, Spirit of grace,
to walk the streets of the kingdom.
We will bring healing to grudges held far too long, 
filling those who grieve with the laughter of hope. 

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for June 27, 2021 (Pentecost 5/Trinity 4/Proper 8/Ordinary 13 - B)

 Texts: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27; Psalm 130; 2 Corinthians 8:7-15; Mark 5:21-43

Call to Worship
Come among us, Healing God; we wait for you.
We come, hungry for your Word to bless us.
Come among us, Compassionate Christ; we hope in you.
We come, hungry to be filled with the Bread of Heaven.
Come among us, Restoring Spirit; we wait and hope in you.
We come, eager to rest in your peace.

Prayer of the Day
With you,
God of Wholeness,
those who work the graveyard shift of life
find the dawn of resurrection;
those who look for healing
are led to the living waters.

Christ our Companion:
richer than Gates or Buffet,
you chose to become
as poor as Mother Teresa,
to touch us with hope;
you set aside Glory's robe,
to wear the servant's towel,
so we might touch you
and be made whole.

Spirit of Grace:
you encircle us
with love which never ends;
you touch us with grace
which mends all brokenness;
you pour out mercy,
which heals any wound we cause.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift the prayer Jesus has taught us, saying,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
There is nothing, nothing, which can divide us – in life and death - from God.  So let us confess our worst faults and eager failings, so we may be touched by the healing power of God.  Join me as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
We want to touch the hem of your garment, O God.
   Forgive us for being afraid to touch
   those who come to us for hope;
we want to love the whole world:
   forgive us for ignoring our neighbor;
we long for peace:
   forgive us for the pain we inflict
   on our families and friends;
we want to share with those we love and like:
   forgive us for walking past
   those who need you most.

Forgive us, Loving God, for we do not excel
in everything you call us to do.
Give us grace:
   to touch those who frighten us;
   to carry the Bread of Life to the hungry;
   to offer the blessings of the kingdom
       to everyone we meet,
even as you have graced us in Christ Jesus,
our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Listen to the Good News!  Hope in God, for God's love has no ending; God fills us with grace and hope, this day, and forever.
God hears our voice, and listens to our prayers, redeeming us from all our sins.  Thanks be to God, we are forgiven.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

From our present abundance, we offer our gifts to you, Generous Heart, so that the hungry might be fed, so that the broken might find healing, and so the grieving might be comforted.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Open your hearts to God.
We open our hearts to the God of healing and joy.
Lift your songs to God.
We offer glad songs to the One who brings us wholeness.

Hear our voices
as we sing our joy to you,
God of the listening Heart.
You reached out
and touched chaos
with your imaginative Spirit,
proclaiming goodness and wholeness
as Creation burst forth.
Shaping us in your image,
you breathed life into us,
so we could be united with you.
But grasping the hem of sin,
we chose to be dragged through
the mud of despair and death.
Your steadfast love
would not forsake us,
singing to us in the prophets' voices.
When you could
no longer wait
for us to turn back to you,
you came to us
in Jesus Christ,
Companion of the broken.

So we lift our voices in praise,
joining with those in heaven and earth,
who forever praise your name:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God who hears our voices.
More than those who watch for morning,
   all creation waits for you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes with healing grace.

Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, Listener to our deepest longings,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
He emptied himself of Glory's riches,
so we could be filled with grace and hope;
he endured our suffering,
so we could be healed;
he was broken,
so we could be made whole;
he died,
so we would live with you forever.

As we remember his life for us
as we seek to grasp the hem of your grace,
we tell of that mystery we call faith:

Christ died, so we might be made well and live;
Christ was raised, death overcome with amazement by the resurrection;
Christ will return, calling to us, ‘children, get up!’

Come among us, Source of healing,
your Spirit gracing the bread and the cup,
and nourishing your children
gathered at your Table.
Mend our broken hearts,
so we may love all your children;
touch our wounded souls,
so we may embrace all those
cast out by the world;
fill us with your gracious gifts,
so we may overflow in generosity
to those in need.

Then, when that Day of Joy comes,
and we are all made new,
and we see completely,
we will fill your Heart
with joy and praise,
singing to our
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending

Go now to where you find friends and neighbors,
as well as family and strangers.
We will share that never-ending love of the Healer of all.
Go now, with that faith which dares to touch the outcast,
with hearts that break for the pain of others.
We will share the compassion of the Friend of the broken.
Go now, carrying word and wonder to a weary world,
waiting in silence for the songs of hope to sing to all creation.
We will follow the Dryer of tears wherever we are led.

© Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for June 20, 2021 (Pentecost 4/Trinity 3/Proper7/Ordinary 12 - B)

 Texts: 1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49; Psalm 9:9-20; 2 Corinthians 6:1-13; Mark 4:35-41

Call to Worship
We gather in this place to worship our God:
calm Presence in our times of confusion,
Comforter in our nights of struggle.
We gather with fellow pilgrims,
as we seek to follow Jesus:
Brother to those swamped by fears,
Friend to all overwhelmed by loss.
We are brought together by the Spirit
who lives in the depths of our souls:
the Serenity who travels with us
on this up-and-down journey we call life.
 
Prayer of the Day
You lay the foundations of the universe,
building a shelter for our battered souls;
you create wonders which are priceless,
yet you always remember the needy.
We open our hearts to you,
God of Graciousness.
 
When evening comes and fears
prowl the shadows of our days,
you whisper, 'Peace! Be still!'
to our hammering hearts,
so we know that you are always with us.
We open our hearts to you,
dearest Friend of life.

Doubts and despair may

swamp our lives,
but you calm us with a word;
illness and death struggle
to control our futures,
but you comfort us with peace.
We open our hearts to you,
Spirit of hope and grace.
 
We open our hearts to you, now and forever,
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we pray as we are taught,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation

We let fears control us, we let doubt become the way of life for us. If we but look, we will see our lives, and our world, cradled in God's loving hands.  Let us confess our lack of faith, even as we trust the One who has promised to listen to our words, as well as our hearts. Join me as we confess together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

     They can be such giants in our lives, God of Grace. Each day, our fears, our doubts, our worries wash over us, until we come to believe that you do not care for us. There seems to be so much wrong in the world, we are convinced that there is nothing good we can do. The storms of sin and temptation batter at us, and we cower, unable to find the faith to withstand them.
     Forgive us. God of Hope. Remind us that if we but open our hearts, you will heal us. If we but listen to your words, we will hear peace and joy.  If we but open our lives to you, we can go forth to serve our sisters and brothers, even as we have been served by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

 Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon

With calming words, with a peaceful Spirit, with overflowing love and hope, our God forgives us and fills us with faith.
Our God affirms us for who we are - those whose brokenness is made whole, whose sin is forgiven, whose lives overflow with faith. Thanks be to God! Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offertory
Now is the acceptable time to offer our gifts to you, Holy God.  Now is the time to pray that they may be used to remove any obstacles which keep others from knowing your grace, experiencing your healing, or being filled with your hope.  Now is the time to give thanks for your blessings, praying they will be used to bless others.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.
 
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the Calmer of our storms be with you!
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts, all whose fears threaten you.
We open our hearts that God might touch them with peace.
People of faith, join in glad songs to the One who is with you.
Our voices join in praise and thanksgiving to God.

You poured the foundation of grace

over the emptiness of chaos,
Caretaker of the Cosmos,
so that creation would find firm footing
for all the gifts your imagination provided.
You formed the seas and filled them with life,
you created the morning stars to sing your praises.
You created us in your image, calling each of us by name,
but we defied your dreams and hopes for us,
choosing to live in the valleys of despair and sin.
Refusing to forsake us, you sent prophets
who urged us to embrace your grace,
but it was never the right time for us to listen,
and we opened our hearts wider to temptation.
But you would not let us stay
in the pits of suffering and death we had dug,
and sent Jesus, creative Word of life for all,
to remove all the obstacles in your way.
 
So as we prepare to come to the Table of joy,
we join our voices with those who open their hearts to you
in every time, and in every place, forever singing your praise:
 
Holy, holy, holy, God of grace and glory.
All creation declares the wonders of your hands.
Hosanna in the highest!
 
Blessed is the One who comes bringing salvation for all.
Hosanna in the highest!
 
Holy are you, Bulwark of the oppressed,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, who calms our troubled hearts.
When we were mired in the quicksand of our sin,
he came to pull us to safety.
When we treated him as an imposter,
he came to show us his true nature.
When we sat at death's door,
waiting for it to open and welcome us,
he went inside, in our place,
coming out to take us by the hand
and lead us into life with you.
 
As we sing praises for his life and ministry among us,
as we remember his death, as well as his resurrection,
we declare that mystery we call faith:
 
We declare that Christ has died for us;
we proclaim that Christ has been raised from the dead;
we believe Christ will come again in glory.
 
Here at this Table of life and hope,
you pour out your calming Spirit
upon the gifts of the Bread and the Cup,
and on your children gathered for this feast.
As you feed us with that brokenness
which can restore us to wholeness,
remind us that our lives are not empty,
but filled with every blessing which
can bring hope and joy to the poor.
As our hearts overflow with your grace,
let us hear the cries of the afflicted,
so we might go to stand with them
until all people are transformed
by your justice and righteousness.
 
And when our journeys have ended,
and the storms of life have been calmed forever,
we will gather around the Table in glory,
singing praises to you through all eternity,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
Go now into a world beset by storms of worries and fears.
Let us go to the far side of despair,
bringing God's hope to all huddled on that shore.
Go now into all the places where people are afraid.
Let us set out from the shore of our comfortable lives,
bringing the good news of Jesus' grace to all.
Go now to the distant shores torn apart by violence and oppression.
Let us set out with the Spirit as our guide,
crying out to all, "Peace! Be still, wars and terrors!"

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Alternate texts liturgy w/communion for June 20, 2021 (Pentecost 4/Trinity 3/Proper 7/Ordinary 12 - B)

 Texts: Job 38:1-11; Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32; 2 Corinthians 6:1-13; Mark 4:35-41

Call to Worship

Though others may forget us,
God remembers us in every moment.
Though we may seem worthless to some,
We are precious in God’s eyes.
Though we may feel hollow,
God pours grace into us.
Though we think our pockets are empty,
God gives us more than we ever imagined.
 
Prayer of the Day
You gather us from our neighborhoods
and from our playgrounds, Loving God,
so that we may discover,
in the torrents of fear,
   you would fill us with faith;
when we feel our lives about to sink,
   you would speak serenity and hope.
 
You gather us from our preoccupations
and from our prejudices, Challenging Jesus,
so that in the raging winds of society,
we may find the courage
   to challenge injustice;
we may speak the words
   which will offer healing to the broken.

You gather us from our apathy
as well as from our activities, Gentle Spirit,
so that as we journey with others,
we would put nothing in the way
   which would cause them to trip;
we would find every moment
   the acceptable time to call out the powerful.
 
In this place and in these moments,
as in every time and situation we find ourselves,
you gather us to learn from you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
and so we pray as we are taught, saying
(The Lord’s Prayer)
 
Call to Reconciliation
Our lives, our words, our foolishness show how hard it is for us to be confident to rest in God’s ways and hopes for us, and not become so scared when the winds begin to blow.  Let us confess our lack of faith to the One who knows this is the right time to receive forgiveness and hope.  Join me, as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

     We are at our wits’ end, O God, as we try to live each day.  We could confront the angry voices around us with peace and grace, but our courage melts away.  We could see you at work in those who care for the vulnerable, but we let our fears of those who we don’t understand wash our faith away.  We see your grace drawing close to us and cry out, ‘no further!’
      Because of such lives, it is tempting to blame you, Holy One, and think you are asleep at your post.  But you are the God who tells the storms of temptation to ‘shush!’  You are the God whose love is not just now and then, but offered to us in every moment.  You are the God who, in Jesus Christ, comes to us in order to comfort us, to encourage us, and to cradle us in your peace.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon

While we may believe God does not always have the time for us, there is not a moment that God is not listening, not forgiving, and not restoring us to grace-filled lives.
This is indeed the acceptable time, to recognize, to accept, and to live out the reality that we are redeemed by our God.  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

From cracked and flattened wallets, as well as purses stuffed with notes, Kleenex, and lozenges; from piggy banks and tips earned in eateries; from fixed incomes and great portfolios, we gather up our gifts and offer them to you, Steadfast Love, that you might use them to calm the fears of others, bringing them peace and hope.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

May the God of seas and lakes be with you.
And also with you.
Open wide your hearts to our God.
We open them so God might fill them with grace and hope.
Let us join the morning stars in praising our God.
We join all creation in shouts of joy to the One who created everything.
 
In that first moment of imagination,
Architect God,
you laid the cornerstone of creation
as rivers ran down to fill oceans,
as clouds became the shawls of blue skies,
as you swaddled forests in morning mists.
All this beauty and goodness was offered
to those shaped in your image,
but where were we?
   We were hiding in sin’s shadows,
   after death had shown us our nakedness.
Moment after moment, you sent
women and men to us,
to speak boldly to us,
   but their words were tossed aside,
   as each time was considered unacceptable.
Then you chose to send your Word,
the One who spoke everything into life
so we might be reunited with you.
 
With those who are afraid in every moment,
with those who know that faith is present,
we sing of your steadfast love:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God who offers grace.

Morning stars sing your praises,
   as all creation shouts for joy.
Hosanna in the highest!
 
Blessed is the One who speaks boldly.
Hosanna in the highest!
 
We admit we do not always understand
your holiness, God of all creation,
especially why you would become
one of us yet, in Jesus, you did.
In his trust in you,
   we discover we have no need
   to fear the storms of life;
in his faith in you,
   we learn you have not abandoned us
   but are with us on every journey;
in his life, death, and resurrection,
   we hear you saying to death,
   ‘you can come this far,   
    but no farther,’ as you
    dammed up sin’s waves
    with your redeeming love.

As we would learn not to be afraid

but to believe that you have not fallen asleep,
we seek to live out that mystery we call faith:
 
Christ died, knowing it was the acceptable time;
Christ was raised, as salvation came when we
   least expected it;
Christ will come, to gather us into your steadfast love.
 
Here in this place where you have gathered us
from our fears and foolishness,
pour out your Spirit upon the gifts of the Table
and those you have called as your children.
As we eat of this bread which,
in its brokenness, makes whole our lives,
may we hear you call ‘let us go’
   to the other side of oppression
      to bring justice;
   to the other side of cruelty,
      to swaddle others in compassion.
As we drink from this cup which,
with your touch, overflows with love,
may we hear you call ‘let us go’
   to the far shores of fear,
      to bring hope;
   to sail through the storms of anger,
      to sing songs of grace.
 
And when, with our sisters and brothers,
we are gathered from every time and place,
we will join the morning stars
in singing your praise in every moment,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.
 
Sending
Let us go to tell everyone of what we have heard.
Now is the acceptable time to share the love
which our God offers to each and every person.
Let us go to calm the fears of those we will meet this day.
Now is the acceptable time to work beside Jesus
in bringing justice and healing to our world.
Let us go to serve those who have been forgotten.
Now is the acceptable time to join the Spirit
in being the ‘Yes’ when people ask, ‘don’t you care?’
 
© 2018 Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for June 13, 2021 (Pentecost 3/Trinity 2/Proper 6/Ordinary 11 - B)

 Texts:  1 Samuel 15:34 – 16:13; Psalm 20; 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (11-13), 14-17; Mark 4:26-34

Call to Worship

All around us, God is looking for folks
who will join is serving others.
It is as if God is planting seeds of compassion in us,
watching for them to bloom in our lives.
In our midst, Jesus is walking among us,
tending our hearts, watering us with grace.
It is as if Jesus is trusting that our souls
will grow big enough to welcome everyone.
From morning to evening, the Spirit is at work,
gently tending this garden called life.
It is as if the Spirit has found the perfect spots
to bring forth crops of justice and peace.
 
Prayer of the Day
You listen to our cries
   of grief, when others
   kill our dreams;
you open your ears
   to the whispered fears
   on sleepless nights;
you hear our hearts
   cracking, just like
   ice on a frozen lake;
and we know,
‘this is the One,’,
our God who knows us
better than we think.

You call to us,

so we can watch
as you place
seeds of welcome
   in the hearts of the rejected;
seeds of wonder
   in the overgrown city lots;
seeds of laughter
   in the dull voices of grief;
and as we watch, we learn,
and as we learn, we say,
‘this is the One,’
the Grace who is our brother.

You are with us

as we sleep and
when we rise, nurturing
the tiny seeds of grace
   into bouquets of love;
the insignificant hopes of peace
   into communities of reconciliation;
the littlest thoughts about others
   into an embrace as big
   and wide as the sea;
and we rejoice,
‘this is the One,’
the Spirit who transforms us.
 
You are indeed the One,
God in Community, drawing us
into your circle of dance,
as we pray together, saying,
(The Lord’s Prayer)
 
Call to Reconciliation
We long to live as God’s people, yet in the very depths of our lives, we know how we have hurt those around us, through words and actions, as well as from indifference.  But God hears us when we call, and answers with the grace we need.  Let us pray together, as we confess our lives to our God.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

   How you must grieve over us, God of all.  You give us blessings to share with others, but we hoard everything for ourselves.  You look for us to join you in serving the most vulnerable, but find us worshiping the wealthy and powerful.  You offer us joy and wonder to embrace, but we continue to cling to weapons and things.
   Have mercy on us, Anointing God, as you pour your forgiveness into our foolish lives.  Plant the seeds of grace, hope, love, and peace in us, so we may blossom and share all these gifts with everyone we meet.  We pray this in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon

God’s love is not logical and understandable.  For God forgives those we never would, and welcomes those we would continue to ignore.
This is the One who has mercy on everyone, pouring grace and joy into everyone, including us!  Thanks be to God, we are forgiven!  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication

Let us remember those seeds of love, hope, grace, and peace which we carry in our hearts and souls, as well as our wallets and purses, so that in remembering, we would offer them to our God for use in the work of reconciliation and hope.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

May the Listening God be with you.
May God also be with you.
Let us open our hearts to the One who hears us.
We offer them to our God, who knows we are all the same.
Shout for joy, people of God, and sing glad praises.
We join praising the One who is always with us.
 
Into the emptiness of chaos,
you flung the seeds of creation,
Gardening God.
Volcanoes erupted,
   to become gentle lakes;
eye-delighting eagles
   soared high in the skies;
gentle does and fawns
   strolled through the mists of morning.
All this beauty and goodness
was shaped for those created in your image,
   but we reached out for the weapons of sin,
   and built homes on death’s condemned properties.
Prophets came to call us back home,
   yet we persisted in believing
   that our old ways were the best ways.
Determined to no longer grieve
over us, you sent Jesus
to plant resurrection in our lives.
 
With those who are well known to you,
and with those we have just met,
we sing our joy to you at this mean:
 
Holy, holy, holy are you, God who hears us.
All creation remembers your gifts.
Hosanna in the highest!
 
Blessed is the One who scatters your seeds.
Hosanna in the highest!
 
Night or day, you are holy, God of love,
and blessed is your Child, Jesus Christ.
Walking ancient roads,
   he would lead us into your kingdom;
when we are sleeping,
   he would give us fresh visions of you;
when we arise,
   he takes us by the hand
   to show us your wonders;
accepting everyone as sisters and brothers,
   he gave his life so death
   would lose its power over us,
   your resurrection love poured out for all.
 
As we remember his life, ministry, and death,
as we celebrate the gifts of his table,
we speak of the mystery we call faith:
 
Christ died, so the old creation could begin to pass;
Christ was raised, the new creation growing in our midst;
Christ will come, so everyone will be made new.
 
You would pour out your Spirit
upon the gifts of the bread and the cup,
as well as those gathered for this feast.
The bread which is broken
becomes the seeds
   of hope planted in despair,
   of joy planted in grief,
   of kindness planted in cruelty.
The cup which is poured out
becomes the grace which nurtures
   those who would welcome the forgotten,
   those who would listen to the voiceless,
   those who would become justice
      so all might find a welcome and home.
 
And when you gather us home
from all the far fields we have been planted,
we will join with our sisters and brothers
around your Table of grace and hope,
forever shouting our joy to you,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.
 
Sending
The God who has reconciled us to one another,
as well as the Holy Community, sends us forth.
We will go to gather the broken
as we bring healing in our hands.  
Jesus, who has shaped us into new people
with his grace-filled hands, sends us forth.
We will go to welcome those we have ignored,
drawing the stranger into a warm embrace. 
The Spirit, who teaches us how to look at others
with the eyes of love and hope, sends us forth.
We will go to become one with those tossed aside,
to be the community of hope for which they have searched.
 
© Thom M. Shuman