Texts: Lamentations 3:22-33; Psalm 30; 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 Musk or Bezos,
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 touch by the healing power of God.
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. Amen.
Silent prayers may be offered
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. Amen.
Prayer of Dedication/Offering
When the world would laugh at the broken, at all who struggle, those who have no resources, you gift us, Loving God, so we can share our portion of grace, love, hope, and healing with everyone we meet, as you bless these gifts we offer in the work of your Beloved Community. In Jesus’ name, we pray. 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.
Sing glad songs to God.
We lift them 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 love us.
We join all creation in praising you.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who comes
clothed in garments of healing.
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 your forever.
As we remember his life for us,
we tell of that mystery we call faith:
Christ died, hoping in you.
Christ was raised,
touching hem of resurrection.
Christ will cross to our side,
to gather us into the arms
of infinite grace.
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
Now, God sends us out into the world.
May we cross the seas of fear
which separate us from others.
Now, Jesus walks with us through
the streets and neighborhoods.
May we gather others together
so we can touch the hem
of justice, grace, and love.
Now, the Spirit empowers us
to go and serve others.
May we lift the little ones
to their feet, sharing in
the new life God gives everyone.
© Thom M. Shuman