Texts: Jonah 3:10 - 4:11; Psalm 145:1-8; Philippians 1:21-30; Matthew 20:1-16
Call to WorshipWe come to praise our God,
whose steadfast love is always with us.
God does not stand by idly,
but fills us with grace to share.
We are here to praise Jesus,
who chooses to be gracious with all.
Jesus does not stand by idly,
but brings justice to all treated unfairly.
We will praise the Spirit in these moments,
who is always at our side.
The Spirit is with us now and always,
so we may live as faithful people.
Prayer of the Day
All generations praise you,
Mind Changer, for every day
your unbounded love surrounds us,
your grace is shared abundantly,
your unsearchable nature is revealed
through all of creation.
All generations praise you,
Justice Singer, for in every place,
you show us the kingdom
standing by the side of the oppressed,
showing your concern for the last,
always with us wherever we are.
All generations praise you,
Peace Giver, for in every time,
you do not stand idle, but
share our struggles to be faithful,
heal all who have been wronged,
declare God's hopes for us.
All generations praise you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we pray as we are taught,
(The Lord's Prayer)
Call to Reconciliation
We think we know how God will react if we confess our lives - a rap on the knuckles, sending us to our rooms without dessert, or even an eternal time-out. But instead, we receive forgiveness, constant love, gracious justice. Let us lift our prayers to the One who always surprises us, as we pray together, saying,
Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
It is true that we grumble too much, Patient God. We are easily stampeded by the promises of those around us, only to wonder how we end up where we find ourselves. We see so much of everything on our devices, and become convinced we deserve more. Though we know others have the same struggles, we have trouble standing by their side.
Forgive us, Unpredictable God, as you continue to shower us with your steadfast love. You as so slow to get mad, yet rush to share your grace with us. May we continue to seek to live in the way of justice, hope, and peace shown to us through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
Unlike us, God chooses not anger, but mercy; not punishment, but peace; not just what we earn, but more grace than we can begin to imagine.
Now we know what the kingdom of heaven is like - steadfast love, joy and laughter, the life for which we have yearned. Thanks be to God, we are forgiven! Amen.
Prayer of Dedication/Offering
May we offer our gifts, not with grumbling under our breath about what you might do with them, but with thanks that you will use them to bring healing, hope, grace, and peace to all whose lives are empty of such needs. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the unpredictable God be with you.
And also with you.
Let us open our hearts to God.
We will welcome the constant love of our God.
Let us not stand idly by, but rejoice in the grace of God.
We will sing glad songs of praise forever.
When you saw chaos standing idle,
you chose to give us creation,
Imaginative God:
squirrels chittering in trees,
luminous rings around planets,
glaciers carving out lochs and fjords,
towering trees shading toadstools.
You did all this to show those created in your image
what the kingdom of heaven is like,
but we thought we should receive more,
so went to work in temptation's junkyards.
Prophets, both reluctant and willing,
came so we might know how gracious you are,
yet we chose to stand side by side
with death, grumbling every moment.
Given the chance to respond in anger,
you did not do it, but sent
your steadfast love to us in Jesus.
So with those eager to serve you,
and those pouting because of your generosity,
we bless you forever and ever:
Holy, holy, holy are you, God who cannot be predicted.
All creation sings of your justice and grace.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who continues to be with us.
Hosanna in the highest!
When you saw us standing idly by the world's side,
in your holiness, you chose to give us your heart,
Jesus, who shows us what the kingdom of heaven is like.
When we would hoard all we have,
he shows us how to share abundantly.
When we would mumble about life,
he calls us to serve all
oppressed by fear and hate.
When we would whisper behind the backs of others,
he turns us to face them
so we can see you staring back at us.
When we would mutter
of how little you have done for us,
he went into death's foul depths,
so we might receive resurrection
from our unpredictable God.
As we reflect on Jesus' works and words,
as we would live according to his way,
we proclaim that mystery revealed in faith:
Living, Christ showed us how to live;
dying, Christ showed us how to trust;
raised, Christ revealed resurrection hope for all;
now and always, Christ is with us.
We would not be idle by-standers
but come eagerly to the Table
which you have prepared for us.
Here, the Spirit is poured out
on the bread and the cup
and those gathered for this feast.
Here, the bread which is broken
strengthens us so
we may proclaim your grace
to those forgotten by others.
Here, the cup which overflows with grace
enables us
to give honor and hope to all
pushed to the back of the line.
And when the evening of all time comes,
we will gather with our sisters and brothers
at your Table of eternal joy,
each receiving the same as everyone else -
the grace, the love, the peace of
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
Sending
Now go to be with those forgotten by the world.
We will share God's constant love with everyone.
Now go to be generous with those around you
as well as those far away.
We will share Jesus' justice and hope
with all who need it.
Now go to live as faithful people.
We will join the Spirit in standing side by side
with those who are lonely and afraid.
(c) Thom M. Shuman
