Texts: 2 Kings 2:1-12; Psalm 50:1-6; 2 Corinthians 4:3-5; Mark 9:2-9
Call to Worship
You are with us, God of sunrises:
you awaken us with each bright new day,
overflowing with promise.
You are with us, Inviting God:
calling us to respond to all the chances
to share the spirit of grace and hope.
You are with us, Glory of God:
gathering us into the presence of your peace,
listening to the deep sighs of our hearts.
Prayer of the Day
Glory of all creation:
as the sun nudges us
out of bed each morning,
so you gently lift the veil
of doubts and fears from our hearts
that we might see your joy.
At the setting of the sun,
you do not leave us alone,
but you sit with us
through the night,
sharing stories of hope.
And we do not lose heart.
Joyous Face of God:
on the peaks of promise,
we discover your grace,
sparkling with gentle delight
as it comes to rest
within our weary lives.
In the valleys of despair,
as we trudge long,
our burdens dragging behind us,
we turn to discover you
putting them on your shoulders,
the gentleness of your compassion
lighting the way to the kingdom.
And we do not lose heart.
Listening Spirit:
in the hard times
which life may offer,
you are there with us,
hearing not only our struggles,
but the hopes singing
silently in our souls.
In the barren seasons
through which we may walk,
we find you ahead of us,
planting the seeds of joy
which will once more blossom
in the springtime of God's love.
And we do not lose heart.
God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our hearts, our hopes, our voices
as we pray as Jesus teaches us, saying,
(The Lord's Prayer)
Call to Reconciliation
We can become so burned out by our hectic days that we lose sight of the One who gives us life. We can become so impatient waiting for God to astound us with wonders, when we have the simple pleasure of each day. In these quiet moments, away from all those things which distract us, let us bring our brokenness to the One who listens to our hearts, and heals our souls. Join me, as we pray, saying,
Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
The radiance of your grace is poured out in every moment, Shaper of mountaintops, but we dull its luster by living in the shadows. We indulge in fantasy games and watch shows which claim to be 'real,' but we have trouble simply sitting in your presence, in your healing silence. We can become so infatuated with your love for us, we overlook those who hunger for acceptance and hope.
Revealer of mystery, forgive us. In silence, may we hear your whispers of grace. In mercy, may we feel your forgiveness lifting the burden of guilt from us. In trust, may we go forth to serve your world, filling it with the light and love of the One who is the Light of the world, Jesus Christ.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
The promise is true--God's Light has come into the world, and into our lives. We are graced with glimpses of God's glory, even as we are filled with mercy and forgiveness.
Here we find the peace and quiet we need; here we are set free from all that keeps us from serving; here we are given mercy and hope. Here we give thanks to our God. Amen.
Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We could remember the giants of the past, or serve the little ones of today; we could build grand facilities, or restore neighbors; we could stay on mountaintops, or go into the valleys of loneliness with our arms full of grace. May our lives and gifts we offer be used in your work of justice and hope, we pray. Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May God be with you.
May God be with you also.
Lift up your hearts, people of God.
We open them to the One who loves us.
People of God, give thanks to the One who meets us
on the mountaintops of glory and in the valleys of service.
It is good that we offer praise and thanksgiving
to the One who is with us in every moment.
You crafted mountains on which
we might find your majesty;
you carved rivers of life
where we might bathe in your grace.
All things were shaped by you,
Bright Glory of creation,
and given that we might live
in the abundance of your hopes for us.
When we could have lived in that garden
of serenity which you planted for us,
we caught a glimpse of temptation
out of the corners of our eyes,
and sought gifts from sin and death,
who were only too eager
to offer us a double portion.
You sent the prophets to lead us out
of the valleys of despair
back to the mountaintop with you,
but we chose to remain in the company
of the false gods of this world.
But you would not forsake us,
but became one of us,
that we might be transformed
into your faithful children.
With the Breath of life within us,
with the Word of grace in our hearts,
we join all who have gone before us,
and with those who are with us now,
singing the ancient song of glory:
Holy, holy, holy are you, God of glory and grace.
Heaven and earth sing loud songs of praise to you.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who comes to offer us
a double portion of grace and mercy.
Hosanna in the highest!
Mighty God, lover of justice,
you summoned your Son, our Savior,
to come to us that we might be redeemed.
Coming down Glory's mountainside,
he does not remain silent about your hopes,
but calls to us to follow him into
your kingdom of mercy and love.
He carried his cross to the top
of that garbage heap called Calvary,
to be put to death beside two thieves.
Surrounded by sin and death in the tomb,
he made a path through them
into the new life given by God,
tearing their power over us into pieces.
Remembering that he could have chosen to stay
with Moses and Elijah, but came to serve us,
we proclaim our faith as we come to the Table:
In love, Christ died for us.
In joy, Christ was raised for us.
In glory, Christ will come again to us.
Now, on the gifts of the bread and the cup,
and on your children gathered in this place,
pour out your Spirit, God of Joy.
As we share the brokenness of Christ,
may we be restored to wholeness;
as we drink of his forgiveness,
may we become more gracious.
May his return in faith
find us praying for your peace;
may his return in hope,
find us working for your justice;
may his return in love,
find us welcoming all your children.
And when Christ does come again in glory,
when all have received a double portion of your grace,
when creation is made whole once again,
and joins in the glad songs of praise,
we will worship and adore you, forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
Sending
God sends us from this sacred space.
We will go to share the good news of grace,
to offer healing to the broken.
Jesus would not have us stay here forever.
We will go to find our sisters and brothers
in the valleys of injustice and the neighborhoods of addiction.
The Spirit fills us with the gifts we need as we leave.
We will go to help rebuild the lives of those around us,
to share feasts of hope and peace with everyone.
(c) Thom M. Shuman
