Liturgy w/communion for March 31, 2024 (Day of Resurrection - B)

 Texts: Isaiah 25:6-9; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Mark 16:1-8

 

Call to Worship
This is the day:
when tears are wiped away;
shattered hearts are mended;
fears are replaced with joy.
This is the day the Lord:
rolls away the stone of fear;
throws off death's clothes;
goes ahead of us into God's future.
This is the day the Lord has made:
death has no fear for us;
sin has lost its power over us;
God opens the tombs of our hearts
to fill us with life.
This is the day - Easter Day!
Christ is Risen! Hallelujah!
 
Prayer of the Day
Very early on that first day
you caught chaos unawares,
Astounding God:
planting grace in a garden,
setting love loose on creation,
flinging joy into the air.
 
Very early on that first day
Jesus, Son of Justice:
you staggered sin,
throwing its weight off the world;
you confounded death,
leaving it alone in the grave;
you opened the gates of the kingdom,
so all could follow you into life.
 
Very early on this first day of the week,
while we were washing sleep from our eyes
and trying to make sense of our lives,
you sang glad songs to us,
Scarred Spirit:
rolling away fears from our hearts
so we can see the Risen Lord.
 
God in Community, Holy in One,
very early on this first day of the week,
as we do on every day of our lives,
we lift our prayers as Jesus has taught us,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation

Very early in the morning, God created all that is good and beautiful. Very early in the morning, a mother placed her newborn in a manger. Very early in the morning, the good news was shared with frightened friends, that Jesus was risen and alive in our midst. Let us confess the fears and the amazement we bring this morning.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

     On this morning of hallelujahs, we must confess how  human
we are, Emptier of tombs. We haven't done any great evil, but we have failed to do good when we had the chance. We have not intentionally hurt anyone, nor have we offered healing to the broken.  We easily accept the witness of the angel in the tomb, but find it difficult to share this good news with our friends and neighbors.
   Bring us new life, Dazzling God.  Where we are tired and stressed, give us the energy to serve your creation; transform our hardened hearts into fountains of grace; forgive us of all the damage we have done, and fill us with the joy of your Spirit.  In the name of Jesus Christ, who gives us new life, we pray.    
     

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon:

God, our Creator, gives us new life;
Christ, our Redeemer, prepares a Table for us;
Holy Spirit, our Joy, calls us to service.
This is the good news: the tomb is empty, sin is powerless, death is defeated forever.
On this very first day, and every day, we walk as God's people, forgiven and made whole.  Thanks be to God. Amen. 

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
Very early in our lives, you crept in to anoint us with your overflowing abundance.  We offer our gifts in thanksgiving so they may be used to serve all whose mornings bring heartache, whose days are filled with hopelessness, whose nights wrap around their souls with fears and worries.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen. 

The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

The God of every morning be with you.
And also with you.
People of Easter morning, lift up your hearts!
We lift them to the One who has raised Jesus from the grave.
People of Easter's joy, give thanks to the One who raises us to new life.
We sing our hallelujahs to the God of everlasting love.
 
On this day of joy and hope,
Redeemer of the lost,
we sing our praise to you.
Very early in the morning,
your Word shattered the silence of chaos,
and grace flowed forth like a river.
You reached down
and gathered up the dust of creation,
forming us into your image,
and breathing life into us.
Yet the day came
when we chose to turn from you
believing our wisdom was superior
to your will for us.
You sent us the prophets,
to speak of your gracious hope,
but we refused to listen.
When you could have let us remain
in the clutches of sin and death,
you sent Jesus to be one of us,
so we could come home to you.
 
Therefore, we join our voices this morning
with those who stood at the empty tomb,
as well as those of every time and place,
singing our Easter joy to you:
 
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of the empty grave.
Glad songs of resurrection joy are offered to you.
Hosanna in the highest!
 
Blessed is the One who comes bearing your steadfast love.
Hosanna in the highest!
 
Holy are you, God of every day,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
Bright Morning Star.
Creator of all that is good,
he entered the shadows of hell
to lead us into hope's light;
Beloved of your Heart,
he embraced our sin
so we could be forgiven;
Glory beyond imagination,
he welcomed death
so we could enter life eternal.
 
Even as we believe
what we may not understand,
we trust that mystery we call faith:
 
On the first day, Christ shaped all that is good and beautiful;
on the first day of the week, Christ swallowed up death forever;
on the last day, Christ will call us to the Table of the Lamb.
 
It is here at this Table,
Resurrecting God,
that we are fed by your love.
As you pour out your Spirit
upon the Bread and the Cup,
fill us with the spirit of Jesus,
so we may go forth to be your people.
Feed us with the Bread of Heaven,
so we can fill the hunger of the world.
Touch our lips with salvation's cup,
so we can proclaim the good news
of this day to everyone we meet.
 
And when the morning comes
when we are united with all the saints
gathered around heaven's Table,
we will lift our voices to you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
forever and ever. Amen.

Sending
On this morning, we welcome God's good news for our lives,
and go out to share it with everyone we meet.
Tomorrow morning, we will go with Jesus to serve the world,
to bring healing to the broken, hope for the despairing.
On every morning to come, we will join the Spirit in living the gospel,
to welcome all who have been abandoned by others,
to speak out for all whose voices are silenced by fears.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for March 24, 2024 (Palm/Passion Sunday)

 Texts:  Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Philippians 2:5-11;  Mark 11:1-11

Call to Worship
Here, we prepare ourselves for the week that is holy,
yet filled with unholy acts, words, thoughts.
In this week of journey, people lose their way;
in this week of betrayal, others find hope hidden in their hearts.
We will try to follow Jesus in the days to come,
sustained by the Word of grace and life.
Joining the children, we wave palm branches with joy,
while keeping nails ready if we need them.
The One who set aside glory, comes in humility;
the One who offers life, will challenge death itself.
Hosanna! Hosanna!
Blessed is the One who opens the heart of God to us.

Prayer of the Day
Creator God:
you give us days
filled with parades, bands, and balloons;
you walk with us
through days when we are overwhelmed
with pain, with doubt, with heartache.
We would empty ourselves
so we could make room for you
in our hearts.

Rider of Humility:
trusting God,
you offer your life
so we may no longer fear death;
loving God,
you challenge the powers
of the world;
following God,
you reveal faithfulness to us.
We would empty ourselves
so we could make room for you
in our hearts.

Wisdom's Tongue:
you come to us
with arms full of joy,
spreading it in our path;
you take us by the hand,
to walk with us through this week.
We would empty ourselves
so we could make room for you
in our hearts.

 God in Community, Holy in One,
we open our hearts to you,
as we pray as Jesus has taught us, saying,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Where do we hide our palm branches when the parade is over?  When do our hosannas become cries for punishment?  How do we, like those before us, turn our backs on the One who comes to us in the name of the Lord?  As we begin Holy Week, let us admit what is true about us, as we pray together, saying,

 Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   Steadfast Lover:  when things go well for us, we can easily song loud hosannas, but the words turn to ashes in mouths full of anger and bitterness.  We hide behind our palm branches, hoping you will not see the doubts we have about what you call us to do.  We eagerly feast on your blessings but are reluctant to offer even crumbs to those around us.
   Forgive us, Approaching God.  Now, more than ever, forgive us.  May we be as eager to lay down our fears and doubts, our sins and pride, as we are to lay don our coats for you.  May we praise you for your victory over death, as well as for the promise of resurrection to new life, the promise given to us in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. 

    Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
At his birth, Jesus comes bringing us hope.
Entering Jerusalem, he brings us assurance.
Walking to Calvary, he leads us to new life.
All this was for us - so we could bend our
knees before God in humility and praise.
God's steadfast love endures forever.
Hosanna!  Hosanna!
Blessed is the One who brings us the kingdom of God!  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We could offer nails made out of rejection to others, help us share in their lives.  We could wave the hurting and homeless away, help us to welcome them with love and hope.  We could keep our gifts stuffed deep in our pockets, help us to give away more than we ever dare.  This we pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of this week be with you.
May God journey with you as well.
People of God, offer your hearts in these moments.
We open the closed gates of our fears to the God who comes to us.
Children of God, sing loud praises to the One who approaches.
We praise our God whose steadfast love is forever.

This is your doing, Imaginative God,
transforming the emptiness of chaos
into the creation of beauty and hope where
   palms waved in summer breezes,
   colts frolicked in green meadows,
   children down streets in joy and wonder.
You created all this goodness, all this grace,
for those shaped in your image,
   but we took the nails and wood offered by sin
   to crucify your dreams for us.
You continued to invite us through
the gates of your love,
sending women and men to call us home,
   but we rejected the prophets,
   even as we continued to rebel against you.
So, you chose to become one of us,
not in glory or power or wealth,
but in humility, so we might be saved.

So with those who wave palm branches,
with those who stand at the back of the crowd,
we offer our thanksgiving to you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God of gracious love.
Morning by morning, creation sings its praise to you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who has a Teacher's tongue.
Hosanna in the highest!

This is your doing, God of our lives.
Though sharing in your holiness,
your Child chose to become human.
Setting aside glory,
   Jesus came to fill us with grace.
Taking off eternity's robes,
   Jesus knew our days of loneliness and fear.
Leaving behind all majesty,
   Jesus became as humble as a little child
   who gazes at everything with awe and wonder.
Deciding to set down power,
   Jesus went to the cross,
   letting death think it had defeated him
      as it gathered him in its cold embrace,
until you breathed new life into him,
the resurrecting Spirit of love being revealed for all.

As we step forward in fear and doubts to follow,
as we know how easily we would betray Jesus,
we sing of the mystery we call faith:

In steadfast love, Jesus was born;
with steadfast trust, Jesus died;
through steadfast grace, Jesus was raised from death;
for steadfast hope, Jesus will come to open the gates of eternity for all.

As you pour out your Spirit
on the bread and the cup
and your children gathered on this day,
we know that this is your doing, Holy God.
For through the bread which is broken,
you feed us,
   so we might become one with the excluded,
   so we might bring healing to the hurting.
And through the Cup which is blessed,
your open our ears, our eyes, our hearts, our mouths,
   so we might speak out against oppression,
   so we might see each person as our sibling,
      hearing in their words your voice of love.

And when the gates of time and history are closed,
as eternity with you swings wide open,
we will lift our voices with everyone
from every time, and of every place,
forever singing of your steadfast love,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
God sends us forth in this week of holiness.
We will go to clothe those who are cold,
we will offer our hearts to those who are lonely.
Jesus walks with us through the pain of the week.
We will listen to those who cry out for help,
we will forgive those who betray us.
The Spirit comforts and strengthens us on this journey.
We will take the hands of all who stumble along the way,
we will lean on strangers when we cannot take another step.

(c)  Thom M. Shuman
 

Liturgy w/communion for March 17, 2024 (Lent 5 - B)

 Texts: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 51:1-12; Hebrews 5:5-10; John 12:30-33

Call to Worship:
This is the day God has promised: the day of the new covenant.
We are here, because our hearts are filled with love for our God.
No longer carved on cold stone, this covenant is engraved on our hearts.
Our hearts are open so God's Word can shape us.
We will reach out to our neighbors, our friends and family, even to strangers.
Our hearts are ready to serve God and all of God's people.

Prayer of the Day
You have forgotten more
than we will ever think of;
you have forgiven more
than we will ever do;
you have shattered
the cold stones encasing our hearts,
so your could write
your name on them.
Redeemer of all,
we praise you.

You plant the seed
of grace and hope
deep within us,
watering them with your love;
you call us to follow,
so we may join you
in serving the broken
of our world.
Jesus of the tears,
we praise you.

You journey with us,
leading us closer to the cross;
you center us
on the One we would follow,
so we can see Jesus clearly;
you point to your watch,
so we know the hour
for faithfulness has come.
Generous Spirit,
we praise you.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we open our mouths to sing your praise,
even as we pray as we have been taught:
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
If we would see Jesus, we must open our eyes to the ways we have not followed him as disciples.  If we want God to create new hearts within us, we must speak of the old ways in which we continue to live.  If we seek God's mercy, we must confess all that keeps us from living as God's children.  Join me, as we come to the One who will forgive us.

Unison Prayer of Confession
   O Heart which seeks our own:  we yearn for your presence in our lives, yet turn away from you time and again.  We want to serve others, but become obsessed with our own desires.  We need your Word to fill our emptiness, yet let it be silenced by the noise of our world.  Our hearts are clogged with the foolishness of our lives, and often struggle to beat in rhythm with your own.
   In this silence, and in the depths of our hidden souls, come to us and make us whole, Steadfast Love.  Write grace upon our hearts, so we might be more forgiving people; write mercy on our hearts, so we might become more welcoming people; write hospitality upon our hearts that we might become more like Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who came for all people, even us.  Amen.

Silence is kept
 
Assurance of Pardon
A new heart, a generous spirit, a fresh start: these are the gifts our God gives to us.
Through Christ, we are cleansed; through Christ, we are healed; through Christ, we become new people.  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
As you write upon our hearts, soften them with your compassion.  As you soften them, open us to the needs of those close to us, as well as those in every corner of your world.  As you open us to the hurts and heartaches of your children, give us the grace to be as generous with our gifts as you are in blessing us.  Take these gifts and use them to share peace, love, grace, and joy with all of your people.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the Lord of Lent be with you.
May the Lord of Lent be also with you.
People of God, lift up your hearts.
We lift our hearts to the One who writes a new covenant upon them.
Give thanks to the God who makes you new.
We open our lips to sing praises to the One who sustains us with a generous spirit.

Our hearts are filled with joy
as we lift our glad songs to you,
Covenant Maker.
You created us in your image,
planting seeds of your love
deep within us.
But they could not bear fruit,
for we preferred death's darkness
to the light of your grace,
and the barren dust of the world
to the deep richness of your peace.
Despite our sin and arrogance,
you remained steadfast in your love,
calling to us through the prophets
to return to your side.
When we loved our way
more than your heart's desire for us,
you sent Jesus to restore us to your joy.

And so, we open our lips
to join our songs of praise
with the faithful
of every time and place,
singing to the glory of your name:

Holy, holy, holy are you, Writer of our hearts.
All creation is drawn to your side.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes with mercy for us.
Hosanna in the highest!

You alone are holy, Master of the Universe,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
Baptized as your Beloved,
he became one of us,
sharing our life in every way.
When the hour had come
for him to be glorified,
he went to the cross to be broken.
He who called life into being at creation
suffered death for us,
planted like a seed
in the cold, friendless tomb,
so you could save him.
You raised him from the grave,
so we could follow him
into the life everlasting with you.

As we come to this Table,
remembering all that he has done for us,
we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

Christ died, the One lifted up for all people.
Christ was raised, the One called forth from death for all.
Christ will come, the One who is the source of eternal life for all.

You provide the gifts
of the bread and cup for us,
so that we might taste
your grace and hope.
As we come to the feast
you have prepared for us,
plant the seed of your Spirit
deep within our hidden hearts,
so we may serve
without expecting recognition;
so our generous spirit
might ease the poverty of the world;
so the good news we have heard
may be proclaimed to all we meet.

Then, at last, when all people are free,
when all brokenness is made whole,
when all creation is once more new,
we will gather around your Table of joy,
singing your joy forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
God sends us forth as people of the covenant.
Our hearts are filled with compassion which we will share with others.
Jesus call us to share hope with all we meet.
Our hands will bring food for the hungry and build shelters for the homeless.
The Spirit of hospitality is engraved upon our spirits.
We will welcome everyone we meet with the grace which is written large upon our hearts.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for March 10, 2024 (Lent 4 - B)

 Texts:  Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22; Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:14-21

Call to Worship
In this place, the community of faith
is reminded of the promise:
God's love endures forever!
In spite of our impatient grumbling,
despite our attraction to the shadows:
Christ's light shines in us!
When we think our hands our empty,
when we have no music in our souls:
the Spirit fills us with glad songs, 
and creates us for good works!

Prayer of the Day
You reach deep
into your pockets
stuffed with mercy
and fill our empty souls;
refusing to be in
the condemnation business,
your rebuild
our shaky foundations
with your everlasting love;
you hear our cries
of loneliness and lament,
and reach down
to lift us into your presence.
Good and Generous God,
we give you thanks!

You save us by your grace,
so we may joyfully serve
our sisters and brothers;
you slide over
to make room for us
at your Table;
you step into
our shadowed lives
to take us by the hand
and lead us
into the light.
Healing Word:
we give you thanks!

You calm our impatience,
so we may tell of
God's presence in our midst;
you silence our grumbling,
to teach us joy's anthems;
you shower us with kindness,
so we may overflow
with love.
Spirit of Obedience,
we give you thanks.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we give you thanks for your steadfast love,
even as we pray as Jesus has taught us, saying,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
By nature, we are impatient, irritated, grumbling, disobedient children, always demanding our way. But God, who is good and kind and gentle, comes to transform us, by grace, into the people we are meant to be.  Let us open ourselves to the One who overflows with love for us, as we confess our sins to God.

Unison  Prayer for Forgiveness
   The Light of the world has come, Ceaseless Creator, but we admit we love the shadows all around us.  For there, we can boast of our achievements, rather than point to your grace; there, we can grumble of our unhappiness with you, instead of singing your praises; there, we can give into our natural anger, and not be touched by your call to be agents of peace and hope.

Forgive us, Eternal Love:
    lead us from the shadows of sin
        into the light of your joy;
    raise us up, as your children,
        so we may knell in service to others;
    shower us with the grace, the hope, the peace
    you have brought to us through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Let the community of faith say so:
God's love endures forever!
Let those gathered in grace say so:
God's love endures forever!
Let those gathered from all parts of the world say so:
God's love endures forever!
This is the good news for us:
God's love endures forever. 
Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
As we have been gathered in this place because of the faithfulness of those who have gone before us, so we pray that the gifts we offer in these moments might be used to reach out to those in all corners of the world who need hope, who hunger for food and justice, who yearn for peace, and who long for your graceful presence in their lives.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of the Lenten pilgrimage be with you.
And also with you.
Offer all you have and are to your God.
We bring our hearts, our hopes, our minds, our bodies.
Sing praises to the One whose love is constant and true
We sing joy, life, and peace to our God. 

Bypassing the emptiness of chaos,
you set out be way of creation
to bring beauty and goodness
into being, God of every moment.
You offered us the immeasurable riches
of your gracious and joyous heart:
   brooks rippling over stone paths,
   crocuses blooming in snowy fields,
   songbirds melting the winter of our mornings,
but we were impatient,
   speaking against your dreams and hopes
   and in favor of sin and death.
Through the prophets, you sent your word
which could heal us and bring us back to you,
   but we refused to give up
   living among our foolish passions.
So then you sent your Child,
to deliver us from all our distress,
and to gather us home.

With those who are rich in your mercy,
with those who long to draw near to you,
let your redeemed sing your praises:

Holy, Holy, holy are you, Steadfast Love.
From every corner of creation, your praises are sung.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes to save everyone and everything.
Hosanna in the highest! 

Though you are holy, you set out
by way of Bethlehem, God of wonder,
to redeem us from all that separates us from you.
Though we spoke in anger and rebellion,
constantly opposing you,
   your Word came speaking of grace.
Though we chose to follow the course
of the world which lead us the wrong way,
   your Light came into the shadows
   to show us the way to the kingdom.
Though we ignored his teachings and life,
and were complicit in his suffering,
   your Life broke the power of death,
   your Weakness broke the strength of sin.

As we remember how Jesus was lifted up on the cross,
as we celebrate how Jesus was lifted up from the grave,
we speak of that mystery that by grace we are saved:

Christ died, calling us back to you;
Christ was raised, so all the world might be saved;
Christ will come, lifting us up to bring us to you. 

Pour out your Spirit upon this Table
and the gifts of the bread and the cup,
that they might bless those you have gathered here.
It is by your grace that the broken bread
is able to strengthen us to serve;
it is by your peace that the cup
nourishes us to pray for others.
As we are made new by these simple gifts,
send us out by way of
   the broken, that we might bring healing;
   the oppressed, that we might offer freedom;
   the hungry, that we might feed them;
   the lonely, that we might offer a family.

And when, by your grace, we are gathered
from north and south, and from east and west,
not by anything we have done, but by your love,
we will join every one of our siblings,
the saints and sinners, the complainers and the committed,
in singing our songs of thanksgiving to you,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
As you leave this place,
remember you are God's community in the world:
for God's love endures forever!
As you leave this place,
remember you are alive with Christ:
for Christ's light shines
in the deepest shadows!
As you leave this place,
remember the gifts God offers to you:
for the Spirit fills us with good works to do,
and glad songs to sing to the world!

(c)  Thom M. Shuman