Liturgy w/communion for June 8, 2025 (Pentecost - C)

Texts: Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Romans 8:14-17; John 14:8-17, 25-27

Call to Worship
With a rush of wind and kisses of fire,
God’s Spirit invites us to dance.
As dust is shaken off our souls
and our hearts are stirred,
we take her hand in joy.
Our tongues touched with flames,
with hope tingling our tongues,
we utter words lodged deep in our souls
The Breath of God fills our lungs
so we can sing God’s praises.
Come, Holy Spirit, come,
blowing away our weariness
and rekindling our faith.
Blessed by the Spirit,
given new life by the Spirit,
we worship our God this day.

Prayer of the Day
Creator of wind as well as wonder,
on this morning, we are reminded
that you gather folks from scattered places,
you would take our divisions
and weave us into your Beloved Community.

Jesus, who calmed the wind,
on this morning, speak to us
in that language of grace
which can transform doubts into faith,
and turn ordinary people into folks
filled with compassion for all.

Spirit, who breathes wonder into us,
on this morning, may we find you
not just in words on a page,
but in the emptiness of our hearts,
in our longing for hope,
in the silence woven in our prayers.

On this morning, and every morning,
God in Community, Holy in One,
come to make us one in your Spirit,
come to make us children in your love,
come to make us witnesses
to the One who promised the Spirit,
even as we pray as we are taught,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
We lock our doors, shutter the windows, huddle in silence, hoping God will not care about our foolish lives, painful choices, hurtful words. Yet rather that breaking into shame and punish us, God’s Spirit blows into our lives bringing new hope, new life, new words to offer. Join me as we offer our lives to God.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   You send your Spirit to rattle our windows, and we call for repairs. You long to set us free from our hiding places, but we try our best to cling to the familiar. You want to create your Beloved Community with all of us, but we hold tight to old grudges and keep highlighting our differences.
   But you do not let a little thing like fear’s bolt get in your way of transforming our lives, Locksmith of Love. There is no door to thick that you cannot open to be with us. There is no window which can keep your Spirit from breathing new life into us. There is no hiding place where Jesus, who promised to be with us, will not find us to place our hands, our hearts, our lives into the Spirit who is our Companion. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Grace
Not with judgement, friends. The Spirit comes with forgiveness. Not with angry words, the Spirit comes with grace. Not with a sentence of shame, the Spirit comes with love.
The Advocate comes to remind us that we are forgiven, filled with new life, and sent out to share this is the good news today and, indeed, every day. Thanks be to God! Amen.

Affirmation of Faith 
We believe that by God’s love,
we are siblings of Jesus,
members of God’s family,
not out of fear, but of the Spirit.

We believe that by the grace of Jesus,
we are equal heirs of God’s promises,
woven into that Story
which dances on that floor
made from our tears as
salvation’s sweet song is played.

We believe that by the Spirit’s gift,
we are never on our own,
for when we cannot pray,
the Spirit lifts the sighs of our souls,
and when we falter in our faith,
the Spirit carries us as far as we need.
Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offertory
Somewhere, a child huddles in fear. May our gifts set them free. Somewhere, a family sleeps on the streets. May our gifts provide them with shelter. Somewhere, a lonely person longs to hear a voice of hope. May our gifts speak to them in whatever their native tongue. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

The Sacrament of Communion

Invitation to the Table
It is an old, old story,
wind rushing into fearful hearts,
flames dancing above tired heads,
unexpected words spoken out loud.
Yet, however old it is,
however many times we hear it,
it is like one of those locked room mysteries.
Which is fine, on this Pentecost Day.
Because you are invited to this meal
not because you have figured it out
but because you are starving for hope,
not because you know the story by heart
but because you are thirsty for grace.
So come,
for here, God has prepared the food,
Jesus has set the Table,
and the Spirit welcomes you
with open arms and a big smile.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the Breath of God be with you!
May the Spirit fill you with hope.
May the Spirit stir your hearts!
We offer them to God who sets them
on fire with love.
Let us sing praises to our God.
With the Spirit as the music
and Jesus as the lyrics,
we sing glad songs to our God.

There was no music, only silence.
There was no life, only emptiness.
But then, with wonder on your lips
and imagination running wild,
you danced and creation came
spinning and whirling out of your love,
God of wildness and whimsy.
You hung the moon to light our nights,
you showed rabbits how to leap,
you taught dogs the game of fetch.
You gathered up the dust
from the floor of your workshop
and breathed life into us.
You hoped that we would
be content living in the openness
of life in goodness and with you,
but we chose to close ourselves off
as we choose the company of sin.
You sent prophets to knock on our doors
and invite us back to you,
but we simply stiffened our backs
and remained rigid in rebellion.
So then you chose to send
your Child to us to reveal
your great love and grace.

Thus, with all who sing in joy,
with those whose fears
cause them to struggle to breathe,
we sing our praises to you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God of new life.
All creation joins in singing your name.
Hosanna in the Highest!

Blessed is the One who sends the Advocate to us.
Hosanna in the highest!

Only you are holy, God of grace,
and we are blessed that your Child
chose to come in our flesh and bone.
At the river, your Spirit came down
and called him your Beloved,
a name passed on to us
as his siblings.
By the grace of your Spirit,
he resisted the temptations offered,
providing hope for us
in our struggle to do the same.
Empowered by the Spirit,
he preached the good news
of freedom for the captives,
healing for the broken,
comfort for the grieving,
and the coming of your
Beloved Community.
Trusting the Spirit,
he gave himself up to the powers,
suffering for all people, dying for us,
and going into death’s arms
until you brought him out
with your resurrecting love.

As we remember his life and death,
as we remember his promise
not to leave us alone,
as we celebrate the gift of the Spirit,
we sing of that mystery known as faith:

Christ died, God’s faithful Child to the end.
Christ was raised, that we might become
siblings in love, grace, and hope.
Christ will come, to gather us in the Spirit.

Now we echo the ancient cry:
“Come, Holy Spirit, come.”
Come and make those gathered
in this place your Beloved Community.
Come, and use this bread
to shatter our fears
that we might trust you
so we can bring hope to others,
come, to give us the words
to bring compassion to the forgotten.
Come, and fill this cup
with that grace
which will strengthen us
to be your people in these days,
people who are
filled with the spirit of love,
our actions kindled by
the fire of your justice,
our love giving life to all.

And when all time ends
and we are gathered
as faithful siblings around the table,
may we sing your praises
in every language of love we know,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
Go, as the breath of God
carries you beyond your fears.
Come, Holy Spirit, and give us courage.
Go, as the peace of Christ
grounds you in grace.
Come, Holy Spirit, that we may
serve others with hope and healing.
Go, as the Spirit dares to lead you
into places you would never go alone.
Come, Holy Spirit, so we may join
in your wild dance of life.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Alternate texts liturgy w/communion for June 8, 2025 (Pentecost - C)

Texts: Genesis 11:1-9; Psalm 104:24-35; Acts 2:1-21; John 14:8-17; 25-27

Call to Worship
Before so many, there was one language.
After Pentecost, we are one in the Spirit.
All that is fragmented, God mends.
All that is blurred, God makes clear with love.
The breath of life, the wind on the air,
the Spirit stirs us out of weariness.
While tongues of fire rekindle hope,
warming hearts chilled by fear.
So come now, Holy Spirit –
fill this place, shatter our worries,
unclog our ears, loosen our tongues
Make us new in these moments,
so we can go and speak grace
to those longing to listen.

Prayer of the Day
God of every tongue and people,
if we believe, we no longer
need to build skyscrapers to the sky
but can offer affordable housing
to those who need it most.
If we believe, we have no need
for divisions or tribes or cliques,
but can walk in community with others,
speaking the common language of love.

Jesus who showed us God
in your words, your life, your love,
if we believe, we have no need
for amazing acts or astounding deeds
but can work for justice for those
whose conditions are unbearable.
if we believe, we no longer
need to favor the privileged and powerful
but can care for the most vulnerable.

Spirit who speaks through silence,
if we believe, we have no need
to rely on might and weapons
but can share work for peace
in all the places torn apart by war.
if we believe, we no longer
need to promote differences
but work to reconcile all people.

If we believe,
we might just experience
you burning through our doubts,
making us more alive than alike,
and giving us voices to sing
your name in every dialect of grace,
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we offer your prayer
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
It seems so simple – this commandment to love. Yet, you know as well as I do how hard it is to love the unlikeable, the stranger, or whoever. We know that our love does not shine through in some of the things we say or do, or those words we don’t speak or the kindness we cannot offer. Yet, because God continues to love us, we dare to bring our lives in hope and faith. Join me, as we pray together saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   The winds begin to pick up, and we rush to close the windows. You would send flames to dance on our hearts, God of mercy, and we look for buckets of water. You whisper new words of compassion to us, and we still utter the same unkind taunts. You would send us out into the world, and we cling to one another for safety behind the locked doors of our fears.
   Breath of God, Spirit of Grace, forgive us, we pray. Brush aside all our excuses for staying safe. Blow aside the walls we build to protect us, especially from you. Make us new people – your new people – even as we long to cling to the good old days, the comfortable ways. This we pray in the name of the One who promised us the gift of your Spirit, Jesus our Brother. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Grace
Listen carefully, beloved of God. The Spirit does not come to shame us. No. The Spirit shapes us into daredevil disciples, shaken from our fears and awakened to share God’s grace with everyone.
By God’s grace, we are given new words. By Jesus’ mercy, forgiveness pours out upon us. By the presence of the Spirit, we are sent to bring compassion, justice, and hope to all people. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We pray you will bless these tangible gifts we offer to you, Loving God. But more, we pray your Spirit will continue blow open our tight grip on all we have, so that others might receive those gifts which feed them, clothe them, house them, and remind them they are part of your Beloved Community. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Sacrament of Communion

Invitation
All they had was a promise.
They weren’t sure what it meant
and didn’t know when it would come.
And so they gathered in a room
huddling in both fear and hope,
waiting.
Then,
came that wind which
blew open their closed souls,
then came that fire which
melted their frozen hearts,
then came those words
which they didn’t know they had,
then came that life
when they thought all was dead.
Now, we gather,
in another room,
waiting, hoping, fearful.
We are here, not because we are holy,
but because we hunger
for that Spirit, those flames,
those words, that new life.
We gather in a room too.
we wait for the same Spirit.
We come not because we are holy,
but because we are hungry.
So come to this table
which, by the Spirit,
is big enough for all,
with bread more than enough,
with the cup overflowing with grace.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the Spirit breathe on you in this moment.
May the Breath of life rest on you.
Come, let us offer thanks to God,
who creates, who redeems, who sends.
We open our hearts to the One
whose heart welcomes all.
Let us, with words and music and love
sing our praises to God.
We join our voices with all
who say ‘thank you!’ to God.

When the only language
was the silence of chaos,
you spoke that Word which brought
everything you carried in your imagination
to life, Author of all that is good.
Universes filled with wonders,
seas that teemed with life still unknown,
creatures that boggle our minds.
Shaped in your image, filled with your Breath,
you longed for us to learn the words of grace,
but we babbled away in the language
of pride and narcissism temptation taught us.
Time and again, those women and me
we called prophets came to call us back to you,
but we just laughed in their faces
as we kept lifting ourselves above you.
Finally, when we persisted in pride,
you asked your Word to take on flesh,
becoming one of us in Jesus.

So, now with those who always
know the right words to say
and all who are still struggling to learn,
we offer our thanksgiving to you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, Wind Rider.
Giggling babies and tongue-tied believers
join all creation in praising you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who shares the Spirit.
Hosanna in the highest!

In your holiness, Loving God,
you chose to topple us
off our self-made pedestals
by becoming a helpless baby.
Jesus came walking dusty roads
where the arrogant had ended
after toppling off Babel’s tower.
He continually challenged the powerful
while gathering those left out in the cold
and warming them with the Spirit’s fire.
After giving voice to the voiceless
he silenced the shouts of death
and with his resurrection
gave hope to the hopeless.

As we gather around this Table
in remembrance of his death and resurrection,
we speak of that faith which is such a mystery:

Christ died, believing in God’s promises.
Christ was raised, believing in God’s love.
Christ will come, believing that we are all
one in God’s love, whatever our language.

So now, in this space, with this people,
we pray, ‘Come, Holy God,
pour out your Spirit of newness
on those gathered for your feast.’
May your Spirit rest upon the bread
which, though broken,
can make us whole to serve others
who are lonely, or afraid, or forgotten.
May your Spirit rest upon this cup,
which can fill those who thirst for hope,
can tough those who hunger for healing,
may comfort those who see peace.

And, when all time has come to an end,
and you gather us around your Feast,
make us one, we pray,
make us a family, we pray,
make us yours, we pray,
God in Community, Holy in One,
make us yours. Amen.

Sending
Go now with wind in your sails.
We will journey with God
across the wide seas of grace.
Go now with fire in your soul.
We will go out into our communities
to speak and serve in love with Jesus.
Go now to be the Beloved Community.
We will go with the whispers
of the Spirit in our hearts, turning
them into words all people understand.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for June 1, 2025 (Easter 7 - C)

 Texts: Acts 16:16-34; Psalm 97; Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21; John 17:20-26

Call to Worship
We come to this place of prayer,
for here we can bring our hopes and dreams,
our hidden fears and the doubts we dare wear on our sleeves.
We come to this place of grace,
for here we learn compassion and joy,
and discover how deeply we are loved.
We come with these people called the church,
to be blessed by the variety of gifts,
to live as one for our God.

Prayer of the Day
In your presence,
Creator of the Universe,
     mountains melt into
          muddy puddles
     and stars whisper
          your name to us.
Faithfulness and justice
     are the scuffed shoes
          you put on each morning,
clouds are your prayer shawl
     in the evening.

When you could have
kept God's glory in your pocket,
Servant of the poor,
     you took it out
     and spent it on us.
Confident in that love
which was yours before
the world began spinning,
     you came to walk
     the dusty path of death.

Spirit of Blessing,
like a crossing guard
you keep your eyes on us
as we cross the busy streets of life,
     ready to pull us out of the way
          of oncoming sin.
You take us by the hand
     to lead us to the shade
          of the tree of life.

God in Community, Holy in One,
make us one Body from many individuals,
as we pray as Jesus teaches us, saying,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Plastic cards, shiny cars, brick and glass homes - what idols we fashion with our hands, how much energy and time serving them occupy our hearts!  Let us confess how we have misplaced our priorities, and seek the One who asks us to be first in our lives.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     Enslaved to sin, we cannot see the lives we lead, God of Glory. Each day, and every day, there are those times when we ignore you and your dreams for us. Each week, and every week, we find the time to ridicule others, when we could have affirmed them. Each moment, and every moment, though we do not want to admit it, we seek our own way rather than skipping down your path of joy and obedience.
     We come asking forgiveness for our foolish lives, Eternal Blessing. Deliver us, and break the chains of sin and death which hold us captive. Open us to that grace you offer, and give us the gift of the Spirit so we may live as people of the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ.


Silence is observed

Assurance of Pardon
In the beginning was God, and at the end will be God, and in every moment in between, there is God: creating, redeeming, and sustaining us.
And through Christ, gracious love is poured into our empty souls; through the Spirit, peace becomes the gift we can share with those around us. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We cling so tightly to our worthless idols, Holy God, and so have trouble sharing from the abundance with which you have blessed us.  Unclench our hands, our hearts, our spirits, so we may be as generous with those who need healing, feeding, loving, caring, far more than we do.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of wonder be with you.
And also with you.
Lift your hearts to the One who invites you to this Table,
calling, "Come, Come!"
Thirsty for life and hope, we bring our hearts to this feast.
Rejoice in the Lord, all you people!
We sing glad songs of thanks to God's holy name!
Disturbing chaos at the very beginning,
Dawn for the righteous,
you created wonder and beauty.
Coastlands were filled with life's abundance,
     clouds scudded across the skies,
     justice became the foundation for hope.
Crafted in your image to behold your glory,
     we believed the boasts of worthless idols,
          bowing down to worship sin and death.
Prophets came, speaking your word,
but we accused them of disturbing our peace.
When you saw no hope
of our returning on our own,
you sent Jesus, who came,
not only on behalf of those who knew him,
but also for all who would believe in him.

So with those who thirst for righteousness,
and with those who hunger for justice,
we lift our voices to you:

Holy, holy, holy, Joy of the upright in heart.
All creation beholds your glory.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who testifies to all things.
Hosanna in the highest!

You are most high over all Creation, Holy One,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Joy, our Hope.
You gave him your glory,
which he shares with all your children.
The Bright Morning Star, he came
     to illumine the shadows of our lives.
Bringing the testimony of your salvation,
     he proclaimed the good news to all who listened.
Desiring that we might be with him wherever he is,
he went to the cross,
     throwing open death's imprisoning doors,
         that we might have life eternal.As we celebrate his life and love,
as we testify to his peace and hope,
we witness to that mystery called faith:

Christ died, that we may enter the holy city by the gates;
Christ was raised, that we may receive the water of life as a gift;
Christ will come soon, your grace calling us home.
Come, Holy God, come,
pouring out your Spirit upon this feast,
transforming your children
with the simple gifts of the bread and cup.
As we eat of the bread,
we find you within us,
     uniting us, wherever we are divided;
     healing us, where we are broken;
     sending us, when we are reluctant;
          to throw open wide all that imprisons
          our sisters and brothers throughout the world.
As we drink from the cup,
we realize how deeply we know you,
     and will go forth to witness to all around us,
          that the love with which you have loved us
               may be in them, and we in them.

And when the end of all time has come,
when the Alpha and Omega invites us to "come,"
we will gather around your Table in the holy city,
clothed in your grace with all the saints,
we will sing your praises forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
We leave this place of prayer,
to join God in listening to the hopes and dreams,
the hidden fears and the doubts of our neighbors.
We leave this place of grace,
to share the compassion and joy of Jesus with others,
so they will discover how deeply they are loved.
We leave to be with the people of our world,
so the Spirit might bless us with their rich gifts,
so we may discover our oneness in God.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Alternate texts liturgy for June 1, 2025 (Easter 7 - C)

 Texts: 2 Kings 2:16-34; Psalm 2; Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21; John 17:20-26

Call to Worship
Political junkies think they know best,
conspiracy theorists have all the answers.
but God who holds all power as well as peace
simply rolls God’s eyes and laughs at us.
Jesus reminds us to pay attention, for soon
he brings joy, justice, and grace to us.
So let those who thirst for hope come,
as we give drinks of living water at no cost.
The Holy Spirit gathers us to worship God
as Creator, Redeemer, and Companion.
The God who always was, who always is,
and who will come to bring us home.

Prayer of the Day
We look for words sounding like thunder,
but you come in whispers in the morning
and whirlwinds of grace in our lives,
God of mystery and majesty,
drawing near to us to lift us
into the compassion of your embrace.

You gather us around your Table
with your arms wide open,
the bread broken to make us whole
the cup of grace to nourish us,
Bright Morning Star of life,
and when we fail you,
when we cannot live together,
when we choose comfort over love,
you continue to pray for us.

Spirit of comfort and peace,
who drifts over waters of life
and dances on chariots of fire,
drench us with your presence,
seeping into the barren soil of our souls,
so, we become brave enough
to follow wherever the whirlwind takes us.

Gather us in your love,
whisper your Word in our hearts,
stir our longing for living waters,
God in Community, Holy in One,
until we join in singing, ‘come, Lord, come,
even as we pray together, saying,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
When our hearts falter, when we take missteps, when we repeat the same sort of foolish behavior, God is always willing to listen, to hear our words, and to offer us grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Join me, as we offer our lives to God, praying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   When the whirlwind of your grace comes toward us, forgive us, Generous God, when we try to wrap ourselves in the storm jacket of fear. When we watch mentors of love, of justice, of hope depart, forgive us that we are not willing to pick up their passion for others or their hope of compassionate communities.
   Have mercy on us, God of all people. May we listen with fresh ears to that prayer Jesus offers for unity, and offer a welcome not rejection, to greet others with kindness not suspicion, and to serve with humility not control others with arrogance. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Grace
Whether we believe Christ is coming soon, still he is in our midst. Offering healing, whispering forgiveness, and love others with a generous heart.
May we recognize him in those around us, and may we be more like Christ in every moment. Thanks be to God, we are forgiven. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We learned generosity from those who have gone before us. So, as they pass the mantle of giving with love, may our gifts wrap others in hope, life, and grace. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of the prophets be with you.
And also with you.
Friends, let us offer our hearts to God.
We lift them to the One who gives life.
May our songs of glad thanksgiving be raised.
We sing with one voice of God’s grace.

Author of all life,
with fire, mountains rose from seas,
with wind, seeds were carried to meadows,
with water, life was given nourishment.
You created us in your image
and with breath filled our lungs
to praise you in every moment.
When we thought we could reach
glory by our own efforts,
you chose to meet us in low places,
walking with us, shedding tears for us,
using prophets to tell truth
and poets to whisper your promises.
When we continued to break your heart
with our love affair with sin,
you became one of us, in Jesus,
not clothed in glory
but wearing the mantle of grace,
not shining with wonder
but reflecting the radiance
of your love for all people.

With all the saints
and with all the foolish,
we sing our songs to you:

Holy, holy, holy are you,
God of wonder and wisdom.
All creation glorifies you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who makes us one.
Hosanna in the highest!

You alone are holy, God,
and in your compassion
you sent Jesus to us.
He did not condemn us,
but prayed for us.
He did not distance himself,
but stood with the ignored.
He was willing to be broken,
so that all might be made whole.
He poured himself out for us,
that we might be filled
with resurrection love.

As we give thanks for his life,
as we remember his death and resurrection,
we proclaim that mystery we call faith:

Christ died, taking on suffering for us.
Christ was raised; new life being passed on to him.
Christ will come, to wrap us in the mantle of grace.

Here, where the cloak of faith
is passed on to others,
pour out your Spirit, Tender God,
on the bread, the cup, this feast,
on your Beloved Community.
As the broken bread
makes us one with you,
may we offer solidarity with the forgotten,
may we welcome others,
may we stand with the oppressed.
And as the cup fills us with grace,
may we be one in witnessing hope,
may we be one in offering grace,
may we be one in seeking justice.

And until Christ returns,
drying every tear
and gathering us in grace,
may we continue to serve you,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
Now let us go with God,
to share the mantle of grace with all.
Now let us go with Christ,
living out his prayer for unity.
Now let us go with the Spirit,
gathering all into the Beloved Community.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for Ascension of the Lord

Texts: Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47; Ephesians 1:15-23; Luke 24:44-53

Call to Worship
We gather in this place
some empty, some filled, some whole, some broken:
yearning for the Holy Spirit to fill us.
We come, with these ordinary people, who have shown us the way:
trusting that God will continue to illumine our hearts.
We surround the Table of grace, so we might be fed by the Bread of life:
that grace, we may serve others;
that healed, we may bring hope to the world.

Prayer of the Day
Exalted God,
you are the constant lover
who never forsakes us;
you are the mother
who cradles her children,
you are the teacher
patiently repeating your words for us.
We worship you.

Jesus Christ:
in you
we are convinced
God loves us;
through you,
we are formed
into your people;
with you,
we serve those
the world has forgotten.
We follow you.

Holy Spirit:
you are the power
that gives us peace;
you are the wisdom
that reveals the broken
in our midst;
you are the spokesperson
of the voiceless
to whom we are deaf.
We welcome you.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our prayers to you
as Jesus taught us, saying,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Called to proclaim repentance, we are reluctant to look at our own failings. Invited to witness to God's loving forgiveness of sins, we would rather not speak aloud of our own. Let us trust in the One who offers us hope and healing, as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
    You call us to proclaim a gospel we find difficult to practice, God Most High. We watch our clocks to make sure we spend more time with ourselves than with you. We are hesitant to witness to your power from on high, as we are uncertain of your presence in our lives.
   Forgive us, God of Light. Fill us with the healing presence of your Spirit, that we may proclaim your good news, as we participate in the life and suffering of our world, as did your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Choosing to set aside judgment, God gives us justice; choosing to let go of punishment, God fills us with peace; choosing to release anger, God's steadfast love rests upon us.
Forgiven, redeemed, restored – we tell everyone through the lives we lead, what God has done for us. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication

Remind us, Loving God, to keep our eyes focused on those you have given us to serve, not looking in the distance waiting.  May the gifts we offer this day bring grace, hope, and love to others, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Ascended Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts to the One who gives us a spirit of wisdom.
We offer our hearts to Jesus, who opens God’s words to us.
Clap your hands, God's people! Sing songs of praise to our God!
We sing praises to the One who blesses and blesses us!

We do indeed lift loud songs of joy to you,
Awesome God!
Everything in heaven, and on earth,
provides all the proof we need
of your goodness and mercy.
But closing our hearts to such evidence,
we looked to our own wisdom,
devising foolish ways to save ourselves.
Patiently you waited, hoping
we would return to you,
but when you could no longer wait,
you came to us
in your Word made flesh and blood.

Therefore, with all your people
of every time and every place,
we sing our glad songs to you:

Holy, holy, holy Lord God, Sovereign over all the earth.
The riches of your glorious creation forever praise you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who will return for us.
Hosanna in the highest!

All glory is due to you, God on High,
and blessings on your Son,
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Stripping himself of glory
he came that we might be clothed
in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Wearing the thorny crown of death,
he is the Head of all the Church,
his Body made whole for the world.

As we remember his life, his service,
his death, his resurrection, his ascension,
we speak of that mystery called faith:

Christ died to reveal salvation to us.
God raised Christ to reveal resurrection life to us.
Christ ascended and will return to reveal glory to us.

We will not stop giving thanks to you,
Generous and Wonderful God,
as we pray that you
would pour out your Holy Spirit
upon your children gathered at the Table,
and upon the gifts of the bread and the cup.
We are filled with Christ's presence,
so we may go to empty ourselves:
telling your story of grace and hope,
carrying your mercy to those
who cannot forgive themselves,
pouring cups of cold water,
embracing the untouchables of our time.

Then, when we gather at your feast in glory,
seated with our sisters and brothers from all time,
we will clap our hands, shouting our joy to you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
now and forevermore. Amen.

Sending

Go now with God into the world.

May we see with God's eyes

those we are called to serve.

Go now with Jesus into the world.

May we see with Jesus' eyes

those who long to be lifted to hope.

Go now with the Spirit into the worlds.

May we see with the Spirit's eyes

those who need a community of grace.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Alternate texts liturgy w/communion for Ascension of the Lord

Texts: Daniel 7:9–14; Psalm 113; Ephesians 1:15–23; Luke 24:44–53

Call to Worship
We can stare up at the sky,
or be Jesus' followers here and now.
We can search for directions to glory,
or we can serve with hope and love.
We can wring our hands, worrying we are alone,
or we can discover the Beloved Community
which is all around us.

Prayer of the Day
God of the heavens,
the lowly left in the dust
you take time to life,
the poor consigned to the ash heap
you raise to be close to you.

We think we must keep
our eyes trained to the sky
to find you,
Beloved of God’s heart,
but you continue to walk
with us at every moment.

Spirit of awareness,
open the eyes of our faith
to see the Risen Christ
not far off in the distance,
but as close as our breath,
as you continue to guide,
feed, love, inspire, and send us.

God in Community, Holy in One,
even while we feel alone,
remind us you are with us,
even as we pray as we are taught,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Though we may tend to believe that hope as disappeared as like smoke from a blown-out candle, still God is present in our lives. Listening to our words, knowing our hearts, blessing us with grace and mercy. Let us pray together as we tell God of our foolish lives.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   Why do we spend so much time staring off into space, Ancient of Days, when you make it clear we are called to serve others around us? We admit we would prefer seats of power not towels and basins to clean up messes. We long for proof when we should focus on your promises. We daydream of glory and so come to believe being humble is for suckers.
   Forgive us for how quickly we forget, God of grace. Jesus has not left us but filled us with all the things we need. Compassion for the hurting, justice for the vulnerable, a community for the lonely, love for the hated, hope for these moments of concern. May we continue to look for Jesus, not in the distance, but in those who are around us, with us, among us each day. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Grace
Remember this, dear friends. We have not been left alone; we are not on our own. Christ is the Risen Lord, still present in our lives and in our world.
This is indeed good news. We have been forgiven, lifted, and now are sent out to share grace, hope, justice, and life with all people. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Affirmation of Faith (Adapted from Ephesians 1)
We believe
in the God of glory and grace,
who brought forth Jesus from the grave
and lifted him to rule over every power.

We believe that Christ is the head
of all who seek to follow him.
The Church, fallible and faithful,
is his body on earth.

We believe that
the Beloved Community
is filled with the Holy Spirit
calling us to bear witness
to the hope of our calling
to share good news with
with all of God’s people. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
Ancient of Days, you are fresh and alive in our midst. Receive the gifts we offer, so they may be used to bring new life, new hope, new love to all our siblings. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the One who was lifted up be with you.
May the Ascended Lord be with you.
Let us offer our hearts to the Ancient of Days.
We bring them to the One
who gives our hearts their true home.
May we join in singing praises to our God.
We sing glad songs to our God.

It is always right, as well as your delight,
God of days ancient and fresh,
to raise your children from the dust of poverty
and to lift those we toss aside
like so many worthless souls.
Before you taught time to dance,
you imagined that dust which
would not only make the stars
but which you would use
to shape us into your image.
You thought of prophets and pilgrims
who would carry your words
and you hoped for mothers
who would sing songs of justice
to children who looked for hope.
You wrapped muscles and sinews,
skin and nerves around us while
Spirit breathed life into us,
but we decided that we would rather
listen to the boasts of the arrogant
and the foolish promises of the powerful.
When we continued to turn away
you sent your Beloved to us
to show us the way back home.

So, with those who serve you
and all who long for your grace,
we sing your praises:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God of all time.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes in your name.
Hosanna in the highest!

You alone are holy, Ancient of days,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior.
He was not only your Word
at the beginning of all things,
he is the One who opened the scriptures
and fulfilled all of your promises,
He chose to set aside his glory
to become as human as we are,
to reveal that Beloved Community
not built on power and threats,
but on grace and hope.
Refusing the garb of glory,
he put in death’s crown,
giving his life in trust to you,
until you brought him
out of the grave to new life.

And as we remember all that he did and said,
as we recall that presence of grace and love,
we sing of that mystery we know as faith:

Revealing salvation to us, Christ dies.
Revealing resurrection life for us,
   God raised Christ from the dead.
At the right time, glory will be revealed
   to us when Christ comes.

As we gather around this Table
where you pour out your Spirit
upon these gifts, and on your children,
we pray, Loving God,
that by the broken bread and
the cup pf grace,
we might be filled the presence
of the One who is still with us,
so we may no longer look
to the sky afraid and alone,
but go to bring justice,
to share grace,
to confront hate with love,
and to defeat evil with goodness.

And when time comes to an end,
gather us with our siblings from all time,
as we sing our praises to you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
now and forevermore. Amen.

Sending
May we go, not in fear but with faith.
We will go with open hearts
trusting in God’s love.
May we go, not looking up but around.
We will go to share the grace of Jesus
as well as his justice for all the world.
May we go, not alone but together.
We will be sent by the Spirit
to be blessings which heals the broken,
offers comfort to the lonely,
which lifts the poor.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

Alternate texts liturgy w/communion for May 25, 2025 (Easter 6-C)

Texts: Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Psalm 109:21-31; Acts 16:9-15; John 5:1-9

Call to Worship
Here, those who wander find a home,
those who wonder discover words of hope.
We gather because we have heard
God’s whispers of grace.
Here, we discover promises are kept,
that shattered hearts are made whole.
We gather because we are invited
by Jesus to come and receive a welcome.
Here, those who are afraid to step into living waters
are filled with the courage to jump in feet first.
We gather because the Spirit pulls us to our feet,
meeting us in words, at the table, in community.

Opening Prayer
To all left behind by the world,
to those wounded by cruelty,
to everyone who longs for someone,
anyone to listen to their hearts,
you call, Compassionate God,
‘come over to me and let me cradle
you in love and hope.

To pilgrims in the lonely places,
to the ones aching from injustice,
to those who sit at the side of life
thinking we dare not enter,
you call, Brother of the vulnerable,
‘come to me, walk with me, learn from me,
as we become the Beloved Community.’

To people too scared to ask for help,
to those whose pain keeps them on the sidelines,
to the weary who struggle to keep up.
you call, Spirit of peace and strength,
‘come to me, as we walk together
in a neighborhoods empty of grace.

‘come to me,’ you call,
God in Community, Holy in One,
so may we not only listen
but respond in every moment,
even as we pray the longing
of the Beloved Community,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
We need God’s mercy but are hesitant to ask, we often ignore God’s words of healing, we often feel stuck at the edge of grace. Yet God comes to ask, simply asking if we want to be made whole. Let us bring our foolish lives to God in these moments, that we might step into the waters of life.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   You invite us to get up, Holy God, but too often we stay where we have always been. We seem to want clearer signs but then ignore them, stronger voices but then do not listen, for someone (anyone) to act, but then turn away. Grace is offered to us without reservation, but we cannot bring ourselves to believe it is meant for us.
   Forgive us, Gracious Heart. Keep calling to us until we listen and in listening, get to our feet to walk into your promised community, and to speak of love and grace and justice, just as Jesus gives us the words to offer to others. Amen.

Silence is observed

Assurance of Grace
Listen, friends. The One who gathered Moses to grace, the One who invited others to be whole, the One who opened hearts in unexpected places is the One who pours mercy out upon you this day.
God’s grace stirs still waters, God’s hope swaddles the suffering, God’s love calls us to walk into the world. Thanks be to God! We are made whole! Amen.

Affirmation of Faith
We believe that God
never ignores the vulnerable,
never turns a deaf ear
to cries of broken hearts,
never looks past those standing
at the edges of grace.

We believe that Jesus
speaks words of healing
to those by pools and wells,
who welcomes the forgotten
to the feast he prepared,
who walks with the weary
calling them siblings.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
who stirs our stubborn souls
to walk in the waters of peace,
who is there in the silence
which challenges our faith,
who walks with us as we dare
to journey in hope each day. 

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
Stir our apathy, our fears that we don’t have enough, our worries that others will misuse what is given, so that our generosity may overflow into grace, life, justice, and hope for others. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Invitation to the Table
Here, the broken are fed
with the bread of wholeness,
here, the cup of grace
is offered to those who thirst
for hope, justice, and peace.
here, at God’s table, are welcomed
those who dream of new life,
those who wonder about faith,
those who wander in weariness.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of still pools be with you.
May the God who stirs up
good trouble be with you.
In these moments, offer your hearts to God.
We offer them to the One
who will heal our brokenness.
In this place, and with these people,
let us sing praises to God.
It is our greatest joy to praise our God!

God of overwhelming love,
you called to creation to come over
and inhabit the nothingness of chaos,
creating fields where wanderers could walk,
shaped mountains where words might be spoken,
created lands filled with promise and hope.
You longed to share all this goodness
with those shaped in your image
but when you wanted to walk with us
as you did Moses,
we ran in the direction of temptation,
when you wanted to open our hearts
by the waters of life as you did Lydia,
we chose to follow the dusty road of death.
But you would not give up on us,
continuing to call to us through the prophets,
‘come back to your only true Love’
but when we turned away
you finally chose to send your Heart
to be broken for us and all creation.

So, with those who have stood
on mountaintops and witnessed hope
and those who have always clung
to the edges of their fears,
we offer our songs of thanksgiving:

Holy, holy, holy are You, God of promise.
All creation gives great thanks to you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who asks if we want to be made whole.
Hosanna in the highest!

In your holiness, Tender-hearted God,
you listened to our cries for help
and so sent your Child to us.
With courage, he broke barriers
to build bridges of justice.
With words of grace and humor,
he told parables about families
and taught by lakeshores.
With compassion,
he healed lepers,
gave words to the silent,
invited the afraid to dip their toes
into the waters of life.
With complete trust,
he challenged the privileged
and confronted the authorities,
and was executed for stirring up trouble.
With unexpected love,
you did not leave him in death’s prison
but set him free in resurrection’s love.

As we remember his life and his love,
and we recall his death and his resurrection,
we speak of that faith which is often a mystery:

Christ died, while the powerful watched from a distance.
Christ was raised, while the privileged 

consigned him to the dustbin of history.
Christ will come, to call us to that promise of grace

Pour out your Spirit of life
upon these people in this time
and on the gifts of the meal of grace.
Though it is broken, we pray
that this bread might
bring healing to the shattered,
offer hope to the forgotten,
shawl the grieving with compassion.
May you stir this cup with grace,
so that as we drink from it,
we might be moved to be more just,
we might be shaped as more loving people,
we might be filled with more than enough love to change the world.

And when all time has ended,
gather us, we pray,
those healed by pools,
those who stood on mountaintops,
those who wrote psalms of lament,
with all our siblings from every moment
so we may praise you for all time,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
Now may we go with the trust of Moses.
We go with God to show others the way
to that Beloved Community of love.
Now may we go with the courage
to rise and walk into the waters of life.
We will go with Jesus to share that compassion
deep enough to bring hope to all.
Now we will go hearts as wide open
as Lydia’s as well as the psalmist.
We will go with the Spirit of peace
to offer life, grace, justice, and joy to everyone we meet.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

Liturgy w/communion for May 25, 2025

 Texts: Acts 16:9-15; Psalm 67; Revelation 21:10, 22 – 22:5; John 14:23-39

Call to Worship
God calls us to this place, a haven for healing and hope.
We come, with the pain of our burdens,
we come to hear God's Word of hope for us.
Together, we will sing songs of joy;
each of us will hear God whisper our name,
'Beloved of my heart.'
We join our voices in prayer and praise;
we sing of our longing for new lives.
Here, our shadowed corners are filled with Light;
here we discover that God dwells in us.
And not just us, for God would teach all to love;
God's Spirit would lead all peoples in peace.

Prayer of the Day
Lord God the Almighty,
you bless us with all
that you have created:
     you teach us to swim
         in the bright crystal water of life;
     you cook breakfast for us
         in that eternal city;
     you open your heart to us
         and will never close its door.
We worship you.

Jesus Christ, Lamb of God:
you stand at the door,
     your hand on the knob,
     your coat over your arm,
     ready to go away.
Yet you do not leave us
trouble-hearted,
but fill our emptiness with your peace.
We praise you.

Holy Spirit, God-sent Gift:
you come to our defense
     when we are falsely accused;
you rescue us
     from the school yard bully
     who always picks on us;
you sit by our beds
     and comfort us
     when the nightmares of life
     keep us awake.
We open our hearts to you.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we sing for joy to you, even as we pray with all people
as Jesus taught us, saying,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
How easy we can learn of God's love - but how hard it is to live it! The world distracts us with its easy choices, while we know how intentional we must be to love one another. Join me as we confess our failures to love and we open our hearts to God, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
     Because you dwell in our hearts, Eternal God, you know how the anger, the pain, the bitterness of our lives try to crowd you out. The noise of the world deafens us to that Word which can heal us. We want our children to be good, kind, and gentle to others, and then they hear us call others names, and speak of them with demeaning words. Our desire for revenge towards those who have hurt us shows that your peace, indeed, is not in us.
     You promise a new heaven and a new earth, so create new spirits and new lives within us, Healing God. Shattered by our sin, your heart can still heal our brokenness. Your Spirit, living deep within our souls, can teach us faithful ways.  Your Word, Jesus Christ our Lord, whispers to us of your mercy, your hope, your love.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
The Word which can transform us is not some idle gossip, but good news for us. It fills us with forgiveness, equips us for service, and sends us forth to love others as God loves us.
In our midst, the Holy Spirit teaches us all we need to know, gives us what we need in order to be faithful, and fills us with peace. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We do not only offer our gifts to you, but our community to all who are lonely, our hearts to all who are grieving, our hope to all who have lost their way, our lives to all who are tossed aside by the world.  This we pray, in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May God be gracious to you.
And also to you.
Children of God, offer your hearts to the One who saves you.
We open our hearts to the Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end of hope, life, grace.
As God's people, sing for joy to the One who is with you.
We join all creation in lifting our praises to our God.

God of all beginnings,
you spoke a Word, your Spirit acted,
     calling forth the first heaven and the first earth.
Rivers teeming with life flowed to the seas,
holiness roamed the hills and valleys,
     peace was planted deep in the heart of creation.
To your children created in your image,
you made the promise to be our God,
     but we heard sin and death calling to us
     and crossed the boundary into their power.
You did not turn your face away from us
but longing to be gracious to us,
     you sent your messengers to invite us
     back to your heart, where we might live.
When we continued in our foolish ways,
you sent Jesus to us, in your name,
to remind us of all the promises you have made.

So, with those who have been called home to you,
and with those who continue to journey your way,
we join the peoples in praising you:

Holy, holy, holy, God whose face shines upon us.
All the ends of the earth bless your name.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes to give us peace.
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, God who makes all things new,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Joy, our Savior.
Hearing our cries for help in the dark nights of the soul,
     he came bringing the light of your love;
finding us living in sin's squalor,
     he came to make a home for us;
Going to the cross for us,
     he went into death's cold tomb,
so we might not be afraid,
but cradled in the warmth
of the power of the resurrection.

As we remember his promise to always be with us,
as we celebrate his saving power among all nations,
we speak of that mystery we call faith:

Christ died, so death would be no more;
Christ was raised, so the first things might pass away;
Christ went away, and will come to us to take us back to you. 

Here at this table of grace and wonder,
where the simple gifts you have prepared
are set aside for sacred use,
your Spirit is poured out upon them
and your children gathered in this place of prayer.
As we eat of the bread broken for us,
     we feast on the promises that, one day, pain will be no more,
          that our tears will mingle with the waters of life.
As we drink deeply from the cup of peace,
     we are filled with the joy of your grace,
          and hearing the cries of those around us,
          we go forth to serve them with your hope and justice.

And when the first things have passed away,
when we wander down the streets of the new Jerusalem,
we will find you waiting for us,
our sisters and brothers gathered together
around the Table of glory and wonder,
where we will sing our praises to you forever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
Our God, who is gracious, sends us out to be a blessing.
With our hearts, we will sing God’s praises;
with our hands, we will serve God’s people.
Jesus, who is our Brother, sends us to be with others.
We will comfort all whose hearts are troubled;
we will go to help all who cry out to us.
The Holy Spirit, who is our Advocate, sends us into a broken world.
We will work for justice for all who are oppressed;
we will teach songs of hope to all who despair.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for May 18, 2025 (Easter 5 - C)

 Texts: Acts 11:1-18; Palm 148; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35

Call to Worship
Praise God, all people!
Praise the Lord, all creation!
Whales doing backflips in the air,
squid and octopi dancing on the ocean floor;
giant redwoods stretching to the sky,
tomato vines cuddling around a stake.
Mountains blocking the sunrise,
moles tunneling through our front lawns;
5-year-olds sitting in a story-time circle,
grandparents singing 'their song.'
Redbuds decorating our backyard,
grass growing faster than our children;
seals getting a suntan on the rocks,
teenagers knotted together at church.
Praise the Lord, all creation!
Praise God, all people!

Prayer of the Day
Vision-Giving God,
when you put bandages
     on skinned knees;
when you hold the hand
     of a teenager
          grieving unrequited love;
when you wipe away the tears
     of parents at graduation day:
you show us
your new creation.

Brother to little children,
when you hang out
     with the world's outcasts;
when you stay a little longer
     with those we rush past;
when you will not take sides
     in our petty little games:
you show us
the new earth.

Holy Spirit,
when you turn on the
     'no vacancy' sign
          as death comes our way;
when mourning becomes
     a distant memory;
when pain is found
     only in dusty history books:
you show us
the new heaven.

God in Community, Holy in One,
make us new,
as we pray as Jesus teaches, saying,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
We show others who we are by the lives we lead, the words we speak, the actions we undertake.  Let us confess how we have not been God's little children, when we fail to love as we have been loved.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     Who are we to get in your way, Holy God?  We put people into neat, little boxes, but you rip them open, so folks can dance in your joy. We imprison others with our unmet expectations, and you set them free with a Word. We build walls around those we don't know, and you tear them down, so they can run wild in the kingdom.
     Who are we to get in your way, Saving Power, especially in the way of your forgiveness offered to all! Give us your vision that sees everyone as equal - forgiven, graced, loved - even as we seek to follow our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
We know who God is by the love shown to us in Christ Jesus.
We will show others who we are - and Whose we are - by the loved poured out by our lives.  Thanks be to God, we are forgiven! Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
You bless us in so many ways and with so many gifts, Loving God.  As we praise you, may we offer our gifts so those who have so little may be fed, clothed, healed, restored, and graced.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May God be with you.
And also with you.
Little children, lift your hearts to God.
We lift them to the One who loves us forever.
Let us glorify the One who has raised Jesus to new life.
We sing praises to God, who makes all things new.

You commanded, Holy God,
and chaos yielded to your Word,
so all that is beautiful and good
     might be created by your grace.
The sun and moon were shaped
so we would have days and nights
     in which to praise you,
but we spent our time
denying your dreams for us,
     living each moment for ourselves.
You fixed the boundaries for your Garden,
where we could have life and joy with you,
     but we chose to play
          on the garbage dumps of sin.
You told the prophets to 'Go!'
to bring your vision
of healing and restoration,
     but we thought them to be fools,
     standing on the edges of our lives.
When we had decided
to have nothing to do with you,
you chose to become one of us,
living, calling, creating once again
through Jesus the Christ.

Therefore, with those around the Throne,
and with those in every time and place,
we sing our praises to you:

Holy, holy, holy, God who makes all things new.
The height, the depth, the breadth, the width
     of creation praises you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes, the Alpha and Omega.
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, Creator of the Universe,
and blessed is Jesus, your Son, our Lord.
When he could have left us
to deal with sin and death on our own,
     he came to live with us;
when he could have chosen
the path to power and fame,
     he walked the deadly road to Calvary;
when he could have called down
the angels to save him,
     he cried out for forgiveness
          for all your children.
When you could have left him
alone and forsaken in the grave,
     you graced him with new life.

So as we sing our Easter Alleluias,
we echo that mystery we call faith:

Christ died, that death would be defeated.
Christ was raised, that God would be glorified.
Christ will come again, that we would be led to life.

Pour out your Spirit
upon this Bread and this Cup, O God,
that they might become
your grace and peace for us,
     so we might become your servants
     of hope and joy to our world.
As we come to your Table,
remind us of your promises
that when the sea is no more,
     you will flood us with your grace;
that when the earth is a hollow husk,
     you will walk with us
     through the streets
          of the New Jerusalem;
that when the sun, moon, and stars
have burned out in space,
     the Light of your love
          will shine for us forever.

And when we sit down
at the Feast of the Lamb,
receiving grace from those we loved,
and passing it on to those we feared
until all people are served,
we will sing with one heart and voice:
"Glory to the One who makes all things new -
     even us;
Glory to the One who comes in the name of the Lord -
     for us;
Glory to the One who makes no distinction -
     among us!'
Glory to God in Three Persons, now and forever. Amen.

Sending
Let us go now to praise God with our hearts.
To see the imagination of God in every moment of creation,
in every person we meet in the days to come.
Let us go now to praise Jesus with our lives.
To bring justice to those who are oppressed,
to bring hope to those who live in despair and worry.
Let us go now to praise the Spirit with our lips.
To speak peace into all the broken places of our communities,
to whisper grace to all those forgotten by the world.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Alternate texts liturgy w/communion for May 18, 2025 (Easter 5-C)

Texts: Leviticus 19:9-18; Psalm 24:1-6; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35

Call to Worship
Come, you who have more than you need
and you who live at the edges of life.
God has more than enough grace
for each person everywhere.
Come, you whose hunger for justice is not fille,
and you who yearn for mercy in life.
The love of Jesus is wide enough
to encompass us all in loving arms.
Come, you who glide like eagles in the sky
and you who totter like babies learning to walk.
The Spirit throws wide the closed doors
to welcome everyone looking for community.

Prayer of the Day
Compassion beyond compare,
as you gathered up the dust
and breathed life into us,
you whispered your hopes
that we would become grace
swaddling shattered hearts,
we would become companions
to those whose loneliness
is ignored by far too many.

Jesus of that upper room,
you put aside your weariness
to wrap love like an apron around you,
kneeling at callused and aching feet
when you should be handed a crown.
And with those simple tools
of a towel and water-filled basin,
you teach us to kneel,
to care for the forgotten,
to love with generosity,
to show mercy to all.

Spirit who is in every breath,
where we look at strangers,
you see a new community,
when we find it too risky to love,
you push us to embrace others.
you whisper for us to go sit
at the table where the loneliness is,
to live peace not just speak it,
and cradle hope in our hands
to give away to everyone we meet.

God in Community, Holy in One,
may love not just be a word,
but become foot rubs,
baths for little kids,
and fresh bread for neighbors,
even as we pray as we are taught,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
It is no longer a new commandment; we have known it all our lives. Yet we find it so hard to love – ourselves, others, sometimes even God. But God loves us enough to forgive us for all our faults and foolishness. Join me as we tell of how we have hurt God, others, and even ourselves.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   Gardener of holiness and hope, you shower us with abundant blessings, yet we are reluctant to share from the bounty. You seek to plant justice in our hearts, but we often pluck it out before it can take root. Your wish is that we might leave grace at the edges for all who are broken or hungry or lonely, but we tend to harvest it all for ourselves.
   When we fail to love others as ourselves, forgive us, God of our lives. When we trip our neighbors with our judgments, forgive us, God of the forgotten. When we utter hurtful words instead of kind ones, forgive us, God of healing. When we lose our way, continue to point us to Jesus, our Brother, who will walk with us to lead us to serve others, we pray. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Grace
If God based grace on what we deserve, our lives would be empty. But God’s grace flows into us like rain on drought-baked soil, to nurture the seeds of life, of hope, of love within us.
What marvelous, good news! We are forgiven, we are healed, we are loved. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
More than enough, more than we need, more than we should hoard. There are neighbors, strangers, those who need your grace, your love, your hope in their lives, Gracious God. Take our gifts and transform them into all the need. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Invitation to the Table
Come to the feast of grace
prepared for those who hunger for hope.
Come to the table of love
where strangers become family.
Come to the table of justice
where those who have so much
are reminded to share with all
who have little in their lives.
Come to the table of life!

The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of love be with you.
May you be surrounded by God’s love.
In these moments, let us offer our hearts to God.
May God fill us with that love we share
with our neighbors, as well as strangers.
With all those in this place, we lift
our glad songs of praise to God.
Whether we sing with gusto or in silence
we rejoice in God’s love for us.

There at the edges of chaos
is where you gleaned creation,
open-hearted God,
planting wildflowers in meadows,
illumining the night sky with stars,
teach dolphins to swim.
Into the dust of your artistry
you breathed life,
not treating us as strangers
but as family of your heart.
All that flowed from your
imagination was for us,
but we would rather gather
from the edges of sin.
Longing to keep your gates
wide open for sojourners,
you called us through prophets,
but we closed our ears
as well as our hearts to them.
So, at the right time,
you sent your Child –
Bread, Shepherd, Friend, Life –
who taught us by example
to love one another
as we are loved by you.

And so, with those dear to us
as well as all called beloved by you
we sing of wonder and hope to you:

Holy, Holy, Holy are you, God of the edges.
All creation hopes for the new heaven and earth.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who gleans hope for us.
Hosanna in the highest!

While you are holy, God,
you are even more loving,
which is why you sent your Child
to be with us, to be one of us.
Refusing to measure grace
by any form of merit,
he poured it out freely
like rain ending a dry spell.
Knowing us better
than we know ourselves,
he gathers up our mistakes,
plows under our grudges,
and plants hope deep within us.
Trusting you without reservations,
he went into the grave’s cold embrace
where you chose to make
all things new, including Jesus,
restoring him to resurrection life.

As we join all in seeking to gather hope
in these times where to love the stranger
as if they were our neighbor is ridiculed,
we speak of the mystery which is our faith:

Christ died, because he loved.
Christ was raised, because he was loved.
Christ will come, because we are loved.

Now, in this moment and in this place,
pour out your Spirit on the gifts
of the bread and the cup, and on all
who will be blessed by the meal.
With the bread which is broken,
feed us with love and justice
so we may care for the vulnerable,
speak out for the forgotten,
welcome the stranger as family.
With the cup of life,
fill us with your grace,
so we may love those
who are hated by so many,
may we become a community
for all the lonely of our world.

And when the moment arrives
of the new heaven and new earth,
gather us with our siblings
from every time and place
around the Table of grace,
where we will sing your praises
forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One.
Amen.

Sending
Go now, as God’s people.
May we glean hope from
the edges of our fears
to share it with those we meet.
Go now, as followers of Jesus.
May we love our neighbor
as much as we love ourselves,
and love the stranger even more.
Go now, with the Holy Spirit.
May we gather with everyone
as we are woven into a new community.

© 2025 Thom Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman