Liturgy w/communion for July 13, 2025 (Pentecost 5/Trinity 4/Proper 9/ Ordinary 14 - C)

  Texts: Amos 7:7-17; Psalm 82; Colossians 1:1-14; Luke 10:25-37

Call to Worship
Blessed is God, who created us and loves us beyond measure.
Blessed is God, who calls us to stop measuring out our love.
Blessed is God, who speaks and tells us stories about ourselves.
Blessed is God, who reveals to us who we are
and who we could be.
Blessed is God, whose compassion is poured out
on every single person.
Blessed is God, who gives us compassion to share
with every single person,
even people we do not know or care about.

Prayer of the Day 
Eternal God,
Rescuer of the weak:
given every reason to judge us,
     you seek justice for us.
You stand with the poor
in the ditches
     where we have discarded them.
You plant your Word of truth
in the One who gives us
     unexpected answers.

Jesus Christ,
Word of Truth:
you will not pass us by,
     but stoop to lift us up
     and carry us out of our pain.
You love the faithful enough
     to tell us stories
          which will shatter our complacency
     and send us forth
          to carry mercy to others.

Holy Spirit,
Giver of mercy:
you carry hope in your mouth
     and breathe it into our souls.
You take us by the hand,
     leading us out of the ditches
     we have dug for ourselves,
          into the brightly lit streets of the kingdom.
You pray for us in every moment,
     especially when we are unable
          to pray for ourselves.

God in Community, Holy in One,
hear us as we pray as Jesus taught us, saying,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Are you in love with God? Do you show it in your words, your thoughts, your actions? Are you in love with your neighbor? Do they know this by your presence, your grace, your friendship?  Or are you so obsessed with yourself, that you have no time, no room, nor pity for others, or for God?  Let us confess the limits we place on our love, so we might be filled with God's limitless mercy.

Unison Prayer of Confession
They may not be beaten down or lying by the road,
but there are people we pass by, Watching God.
Some are family and friends
     we take so much for granted
          we cannot see how we have stripped
           them of our love and compassion.
Others are neighbors:
     who have been left half-dead by crushing work;
     who have fallen into the hands of despair;
     who have been abandoned by all those
          who walked on by them.
Many are strangers, people we don't know,
but quickly judge:
     they are weak,
         or poor,
     or the enemy
         or because they remind us of whom
          we once were, or could become.
Rescue us from the power of our sins,
Righteous One of all generations.
     Pour out your justice on us,
     rather than your judgment,
          that we would be moved with pity,
               and spurred to action;
          that we would hear of the hope that is ours,
                and share it with our sisters and brothers;
          that we would shower mercy on all we meet,
even as we have received forgiveness for our sins
through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Children of the Most High: you are forgiven and brought into the kingdom. Be filled with spiritual wisdom, lead lives worthy of your inheritance, bear fruit in all you say and do and think.
God has rescued us and redeemed us from our sins, setting aside judgment to shower us with mercy. We will go and do likewise.  Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
May these gifts which we offer be used to bring justice to the weak, a family to the orphan, fairness to the outcast, and hope to the needy.  This we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of justice be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, open your hearts to the One who restores you.
We bring our hearts to God, who has rescued us.
Faithful sisters and brothers, sing songs of praise to God.
Our voices unite in a chorus of thanksgiving.

We would not cease singing
our songs of thanksgiving to you,
Innovative Creator.
You imagine a sky
as wide as eternity,
     and fluff it with billowy clouds.
You shape mountains
     and top them with snow.
You notice our uncertainty of the dark,
     and shower us with fireflies
          to twinkle our fears away.
All this, you thought and did, for us.
You would teach us your ways
of kindness, peace and compassion,
     but we filled our minds
          with the empty words of a wayward world.
You sent the prophets
to retell your story of hope,
     but we urged them to go
          and preach to someone else.
But when the world turned its back on us,
when others pass by our pain,
you sent Jesus to come and find us
and to carry us into your heart.

Therefore, we lift our songs of joy to you,
joining our voices with those in heaven and on earth,
who forever praise your name:

Holy, holy, holy are you, Rescuer of the weak and needy.
All the hope in creation gives glory to you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who shows us mercy.
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, God of Wonder,
and blessed is Jesus Christ your Son.
Your heart, your soul,
your mind, your strength,
he was willing to love you enough
to become one of us;
loving us as much as he loved himself,
     he endured the battering of the world,
          and stripped of his glory and grace,
he was left by the side of the world
     by the gang of sin, evil, and death.
Moved by his love and sacrifice,
     you came and found him,
          alone and forsaken in the tomb.
Anointing him with the waters of baptism
and the oil of hope's gladness,
     you brought him into the new life
          of your resurrection love.

As we remember his life of great love,
we praise you,
that as we break the bread of life,
and drink from the cup of grace,
we know the risen Christ is among us:

Christ was broken, that we might be made whole;
Christ was raised, that the gospel might bear fruit;
Christ will come, that we might inherit eternal life.

We come to this Table
looking for answers to our questions
and for healing for our brokenness.
So, pour out your Spirit upon your children,
and upon the gifts of the bread and the cup,
that nourished and fed by you,
     we might we strengthened
          to serve our sisters and brothers around us.
As we get up from our seats at your Table,
     may we stand up for the rights of the lowly.
As you pour out your grace upon us,
     may we wrap it around the orphans and weak;
as you whisper your dreams for us,
     may we speak out on behalf of the poor;
as you offer us the bread and the cup from your hands,
     may we reach down and lift up those
          who have fallen through the cracks of our society.

Then, when all time has come to an end,
and there is only life forever with you,
we will join hands with all your children,
singing our joy and thanks to you,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
Now go, to be God’s blessing to others.
We will not stop measuring out our love by the spoonful,
but shower everyone with it.
Now go, to tell share the story of Jesus’ love and hope for all.
We will go to speak of the One who, with grace and wonder,
shows everyone who they are and who they might be.
Now go, to pour out the Spirit’s compassion in every corner of your life.
We will go to care for everyone, even those we do not know.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Alternate texts liturgy for July 13, 2025 (Pentecost 5/Trinity 4/Proper 9/Ordinary 14 - C)

  Texts: Deuteronomy 30:9-14; Psalm 25:1-10; Colossians 1:1-14; Luke 10:25-37

Call to Worship
We come, bringing our souls to God.
God delights in us, just as God 
has found wonder in every generation.
We come, bringing our hands to Jesus.
Jesus challenges us to see each person
as the neighbor we are to serve.
We come, bringing our hearts to the Spirit.
The Spirit teaches all we need to know
so that we may be faithful in our lives.

Prayer of the Day
When you show us Humble Street,
so we know where to walk;
when you model patience for us,
so we can share it with others;
when you never forget us,
but always hold us close to your heart,
we know your word of love
is closer to us than we think,
God of steadfast faithfulness.

When you tell us stories
of foolish children and tiny seeds;
when you hand us the map
with all the trails of hope marked;
when you rules we memorize
into acts of daily compassion,
we know your word of grace
is closer to us than we think,
Jesus of constant justice.

When you open our eyes
to God's heart, so we can learn peace; 
when you show us the way
out of ditches, so we can help others
further along the road of life;
when you are in the mouths 
that speak to us, 
and are in the words
we speak to those we meet,
we know your word of life
is closer to us than we dare imagine,
Spirit of continued hope.

You are nearer to us in every moment,
God in Community, Holy in One,
and so we lift our prayers to you,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
God longs to take delight in us, but too often we disappoint with our hurtful words, the rejection of those around us, the love we hoard only for ourselves.  Let us come to the One whose love is constant and true, as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   Holy God, called to walk with the vulnerable, we run to catch up with the powerful.  Asked to pray constantly for others, we are too busy bragging about ourselves.  Challenged to notice and to care for those tossed aside by the world, we rush by with our to-do list in our hands.
   Have mercy on us, God who loves us completely.  May we be the grace that a lonely person needs this week; may we be the hope the forgotten are looking for; may we be the peace that the broken long for in every moment, even as Jesus, our Lord and Savior, has been our peace, our hope, our grace, and so much more in our lives.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Today, in this moment, the word is very near to us.  The word of forgiveness, the word of hope, the word of our God for all of us.
God's heart is open to us, pouring mercy, wonder, and peace into our lives.  Thanks be to God, we are forgiven!  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We could hold onto our abundance, Generous God, or we could offer them who have been pushed aside, those who need food and shelter, those who long for healing.  May the gifts we offer in these moments, in the name of Jesus, be used for our neighbors.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God who loves completely be with you.
May the God of steadfast love be with you.
Open your hearts to the One who does not pass us by.
Our hearts will be filled with God's grace.
Let us lift our voices in glad songs to God.
Joyfully, lovingly, we offer our praise to our God.

We always give you thanks,
God of imagination,
for your good gifts of creation:
   for fireflies in backyards,
   for bullfrogs in ponds,
   for hawks soaring in the sky.
All that flowed forth from your love
was for those shaped in your image,
shown the paths of the Garden,
   but we wandered into the brambles
   of sin and death, choosing to play there.
The prophets came, women and men
who noticed us in the ditch of despair,
and they sought to pick us up with their words
and carry us to your healing heart,
   but we preferred to listen to the 
   temptations of the world.
And so, you sent the One we least expected,
to bring the good news 
of your steadfast love for us.

With those who are faithful mentors,
with those who long for healing,
we bring our songs of joy to you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God our trust.
All creation joins in praising your name.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes to show us our neighbor.
Hosanna in the highest.

We always give you thanks,
God of holiness and hope,
for the gift of Jesus who came to us.
He could have remained in glory,
loving you completely,
   but chose to search for us.
He could have walked by us,
   but stooped to pick us up.
He could have crossed 
to the other side of death,
   but stepped into its deep ditch,
   carrying forth your resurrection love
   out of the dust of its broken power.

As we remember the stories Jesus told,
as we seek to see ourselves in these tales,
we speak of that mystery we call faith:

Jesus died, trusting in God completely;
Jesus was raised, to offer God's love to all;
Jesus will come, to carry us into God's heart.

We always give you thanks,
God of the Feast of grace,
as you pour out your Spirit 
on the gifts of the bread and the cup,
and on all who have gathered here.
The brokenness of the bread
reminds us we have been made whole
   so we can love God completely,
   so we can serve our neighbors without question,
   so we can walk the streets of humility.
The taste of grace in the cup
nourishes and strengthens us
   so we can care for the rejected,
   so we can offer the lonely hope,
   so we can see every person as our sister and brother.

And when all time and life has ended,
and we are gathered around the Table
with our sisters and brothers,
we will sing our songs of praise without ceasing,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending 
We go now, as people of God.
To take the word of love to those
from whom it has been far away.
We go now, as followers of Jesus.
To be the word of justice to all
from whom it has been taken away.
We go now, as companions of the Spirit.
To the word of peace in all the places
from which it has disappeared.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for July 20, 2025 (Pentecost 6/Trinity 5/Proper 10/Ordinary 15 - C)

 Texts: Amos 8:1-12; Psalm 52; Colossians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42

Call to Worship
God has called us to this place.
What do you see?
We see people who model for us
God's joyous embrace of all people.
God has brought us to this place.
What do you hear?
We hear God's hope that we are able to see each person
as our sister or brother.
God has challenged us to open our lives and hearts to others.
What will you do?
We will do only one thing:
welcome everyone in God's name!

Prayer of the Day
You open our eyes to a world
which would sell the poor
     for the price of an SUV,
or trade the needy
     for a pair of Guccis,
or haul the weak
     into Judge Judy's court.
So come, God of Justice,
to make us
     as vocal as Amos.

You watch us
as we fill our days
     with endless work;
as we keep a list
of all our worries,
     never marking any off;
as we get easily distracted
     by others' inactions.
So come, Creation's Oldest Child,
to make us
     as still as Mary.

You take notice
of how quickly
we can overlook
those who hunger
     for their empty hearts
     to be filled;
those who long
     for a family
     to welcome them;
those who thirst
     for that relationship
     which will revive
     their souls.
So come, Reconciling Love,
to make us
     as welcoming as Martha.

God in Community, Holy in One,
come to make us your people,
even as we pray as Jesus has taught us,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
They are there in the Bible: men and women who are as weak, as foolish, as prone to sin as we are. Every page, every story reveals to us our brokenness. Yet every page, every story tells us of the One who longs to make us whole. Let us confess our sins, and clear the way for God's reconciling love to work within u. Please join me, as we pray,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     In the mirror we call scripture, Revealing God, we see ourselves for who we are and are not. We whine about those who are not doing what we think they should, and ignore our failings. We speak words which nibble away at the life in our family and friends.  We step over the poor on our way to get more and more, ignoring their needs.
     Forgive us, Reconciling Love. Sit us down at Jesus' feet, so we may learn the balanced life you intend for us. Then, and only then, we can set aside our grudges, to offer our gifts to our neighbors; we can stop licking at our hurts, to bring healing to others; we can reach out and welcome our sisters and brothers, even as we have been welcomed into your heart through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Christ Jesus comes to reconcile us to God, so we can be reconciled to one another.  Recreated in God's image, we are made whole. 
When we are in Christ, everything becomes new. Our past is just that - our past!
Do you really believe this - that your past is done, and you are a new person? If so, go out and reflect it in your life.
Thanks be to God! We will go forth and live as reconciled people. Amen.

 Prayer of Dedication/Offering
Because we trust in your never-ending love, Gracious God, we offer not only our thanks, but our gifts, knowing that what you have done in the past – rescuing the lost, healing the broken, feeding the hungry, loving the poor – will continue to be accomplished through our gifts.  Bless all that we offer to you, we pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God who embraces us be with you.
And also with you.
Children of God, lift your hearts to the One
who makes you welcome in every moment.
We lift them to the Lord our God
who is our host at this meal.
People of God, offer your praise and thanksgiving
to the One who comes bringing new life to us.
The sad dirges of our lives become praise songs
for the One who makes us whole.

We will thank you forever,
God of Reconciliation.
Through your imaginative Word,
all things were created:
     summer fruit to tingle our taste buds,
          and winter's ice sculptures to delight us;
     spring's breezes to disturb our complacency,
          and autumn's rainbow leaves
          to dance across our lawns.
Offered life in your garden of joy,
     we took refuge in the world's shadows;
invited to build a home in your love,
     we grasped the blocks of betrayal
          on which to build our false lives;
chosen to make known your grace for all,
     we proclaimed the lies of the Evil One.
Yet, you would not let us wander
from sin to sin,
but sent the prophets to speak
in the presence of the unfaithful,
of your forgiveness and hope.
And when our sharp tongues
slashed their words to ribbons,
you sent the fullness of your life,
Jesus the Messiah, to bring us back to you.

And so, we join our voices
with all who have gone before us
and all who will come after us,
singing your praises forever:

Holy, Holy, Holy, God of every season.
All creation trusts in your steadfast love.
Hosanna in the highest!

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

Holiness is who you are, Reconciling God,
and salvation is the blessing we receive
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
He came to bear the stain of our lives,
     so we could be made squeaky clean;
he walked the streets of the world,
     so we no longer needed to shuffle our feet
          in the dust of our failed dreams;
in his life, death, and resurrection
he revealed the mystery
of your glorious hope for us,
     before we had finished
          reading the story.
  
As we would welcome your loving embrace,
we would proclaim that faith we for which we long:

Christ died, suffering for our sake;
Christ was raised, our servant of resurrection;
Christ will come, the hope of glory.

Send your Holy Spirit
upon the gifts of the bread and the cup,
and upon those
who will receive these gifts.
May the bread which is broken
     make us one with each other;
may the cup which is shared
     be the healing we need.
Then, when we be nourished by your grace,
send us forth to be your servants:
setting aside our worries
     to welcome the weak and forsaken;
letting go of our grudges,
     so we may receive
     the grace the stranger brings to us;
releasing our fears and doubts
     so we may embrace
          your steadfast love.

Then when all time comes to an end,
and we are brought together at your Table
through him who reconciled us to you,
and who holds us together in his grace,
we will sing our praises through all eternity:
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
God sends us from this place, with our eyes wide open.
May we see all who hope for healing and for justice.
Jesus calls us to leave this place to go to listen.
We will hear the cries of those ignored by the world;
we will open ourselves to the anguish of those around us.
The Spirit challenges us to welcome everyone as our sister and brother.
May we offer our lives and hearts to all we meet.

©  Thom M. Shuman