Liturgy w/communion for January 25, 2026 (Epiphany 3 - A)

 Texts: Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27:1, 4-9; 1st Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-23

Call to Worship
Come out of the shadows and into God's light!
We will not play hide and seek,
but will make a pilgrimage to God's heart.
Lay down all which is a burden to you!
We will give our fears to God,
who is our help in every moment.
Follow the One who will lead you to new life!
We long to live in God's presence
every day of our lives.

Prayer of the Day
Your heart is the shelter
     for our weary souls.
You will not push us away,
     but clasp us tight in your embrace.
You refuse to abandon us,
     standing by our side all our lives.
Time Reaper,
you are our Hope!

When others try to tear us apart,
     you pick up the pieces,
     making us whole.
When we wonder what
the day might bring,
     you whisper, 'follow me,
     I will make you
          readers to little children,
          bandagers of bruised hearts,
          lovers of the forsaken,
          pilgrims who show the way
                    to others.'
Time Shaker,
you are our Dawn.

You appeal to us
to set aside all that divides us,
     so we might be one.
You send us to proclaim good news,
not with silver-tongued sophistication
     but with simple words:
          justice
          hope
          grace
          love
     which bring light to the shadows.
Time Keeper,
you are our Joy.

From the former times to the latter,
we lift our prayers to you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we offer the words Jesus taught us,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
If we come to God with open hearts and honest words, we will not be pushed away, but wrapped in God's loving and forgiving embrace.  I invite you to join me as we confess our lives to God, praying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     We admit, God our Light, that we do indeed try to tear Christ apart - a piece of him here to support our politics, a part of him to undergird our economic views, the rest of him to bolster our fears of others.  We could leave immediately to follow him, but need to wait until we see where he might lead us.  We want you to look upon us with favor always, but have no trouble turning our backs on those around us.
     Hear us, God our Deliverer, as we speak of our failures!  Have mercy on us, we appeal to you, have mercy!  May your love become the core of our hearts, may your compassion become the words we speak, may your hope illuminate the ways in which we serve others, even as we seek to follow the One who calls us to new life, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Grace
God is our help, so why should we be afraid?
God keeps us safe, there is nothing to dread!
This is good news for all of us.
Sheltered in God's gracious heart of mercy
and love, we raise shouts of joy: thanks be
to God, we are forgiven!  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
Use our gifts, Loving God, so others might not be scared by life; so they may be sheltered in the blanket of your grace; so they might find a home with us as their family.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of all time be with you!
And also with you!
God asks one thing, that we offer our hearts.
We lift them to the One who does not abandon us.
Do not turn your backs upon the One who loves you.
We will join in glad songs of joy and wonder to our God.

In that former time, you brought
into creation all that existed
in your imagination, Dawn of Life.
The sun, moon, and stars
     illumined the shadows of chaos;
melting snow trickled into creeks
     which joined together to rush
     to the seas;
every living thing multiplied in wonder,
     increasing your joy.
You did this for us, those
shaped in your image and heart,
     but when we heard sin calling,
     we immediately left your side,
          following down death's dusty road.
Longing for us to return to you,
you sent the prophets to us,
proclaiming the hopes of your heart.
     Yet we did not listen,
     letting evil continue to tear us apart.
Then you sent Jesus to us,
proclaiming that your kingdom had come.

With those who are of the same mind,
with those who long for your presence,
we sing our songs of thanksgiving:

Holy, holy, holy are you, Keeper of our hearts.
All creation joins in shouts of joy to you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who calls us to follow.
Hosanna in the highest!

You are holy, Shelter of our lives,
and Jesus Christ is your blessed Child of grace.
When he heard your call,
     he immediately left glory's side,
     to make a pilgrimage to our lives.
When he could have played
hide and seek with us,
     he revealed himself as
     the Dawn of our salvation.
When he could have abandoned
us to the yoke of sin and death,
     he took it from our shoulders,
     breaking it over his knees,
     shaping it into the cross where
          he broke their power forever,
as he calls us to follow him
into resurrection's new light.

As we seek not to divide Christ,
as we long to have the same mind,
we proclaim the gospel which is often a mystery:

Christ died, taking our sins upon him;
Christ was raised, casting off the yoke of death;
Christ will come, so we may live in your presence forever.

We appeal to you, God of our lives,
to send your Spirit upon us,
and upon the gifts of the Table.
As we eat of the bread,
we ask but one thing,
     that we might go forth
     to proclaim your kingdom with our lives.
As we drink from the cup,
we would make a pilgrimage
     to the broken of the world,
     so they would know they
     have not been abandoned by us,
          or by you.

And when the last moments come,
and we are gathered around
that great feast of the Lamb,
our hearts will rejoice in you,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
Let us take God's light into the world.
We will go to join others in pilgrimage of trust.
Let us go to gather the burdens of others.
We will take away their fears and offer them to Jesus,
who helps everyone in every moment.
Let us go to live in the Spirit's presence.
We will follow the Spirit into the peace
which is offered to all of God's people.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for January 18, 2026 (Epiphany/Ordinary 2-A)

  Texts:  Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 40:1-11; 1st Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42

Call to Worship
We wait patiently for our God.
We will sing, we will sing new songs
of the One who calls us here.
We will not chase after other gods.
We will sing, we will sing new songs
of the One in whom we can trust.
We will tell of all God has done for us.
We will sing, we will sing new songs
of the One whose salvation is for all.

Prayer of the Day
There is none like you,
God of infinite patience.
You promise to listen to us,
     always.
You speak more words
     of hope and grace
and offer more acts
     of mercy and hope
then we can count
on the fingers and toes
of every person who ever lived.

There is none like you,
Shaper of servants.
Gathering up all the words
     we should never have spoken,
  you rearrange them into
     stories of peace and reconciliation.
Sweeping up the messes
      we leave littered behind us,
   you recycle them into gifts
      which soften the hardest hearts.

There is none like you,
Ever-listening Spirit.
You gather up all our cousins
      scattered throughout the earth,
   bringing us to the Table of life.
You point the way to Jesus
      when we have lost sight of him
   on the fog-filled days of our souls.

There is none like you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
and our hearts will sing new songs
even as we pray, saying,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
It is clear that God wants to hear our prayers and forgive us, for God is willing to lean close to our hearts to listen to our failures, our poor choices, all the things we have done wrong.  Please join me, as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   You are faithful, Patient God, even as we continue to live in the shadows of life.  We could delight in your hopes for us, but choose to do things our way.  We could serve the most vulnerable around us, but long to pal around with the powerful.  We could share the glad news of deliverance, but prefer to swap stories and gossip.
   There is none like you, Redeemer of all your children.  You lean over to listen to our prayers, and whisper forgiveness to our souls. You lift us out of the holes we dig for ourselves, and set us on hope's solid ground.  You strengthen our weak faith with the life, grace, and love of Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Grace
Come, dear friends and receive God's grace; see all the God is doing for you; follow Jesus, as he leads you closer to God.
I will sing of God's love for me;
I will sing a new song of hope and wonder.
Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
May these gifts we offer, God of new ways, bring comfort to those who grieve; hope to those who live on the streets of despair; peace to all the broken places; and grace to all who long to draw closer to you.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of patience be with you.
And also with you.
Offer your hearts to the One who waits for you.
We open them to God, who is our Life.
Come and sing new songs to our God.
We will praise the One who dwells in our hearts.

You saw the emptiness of chaos,
God of before-time,
and so the Spirit and Word came
bearing the gifts of creation:
   coastlands lapped by ocean waves;
   goats playing king of the mountains;
   children laughing in summer showers.
You shaped us in your image, hoping
we would see you wonders,
and stand up to walk with you.
     But we chose to follow
     those false gods, sin and death.
Women and men came trying
to call your children back home,
     but we would not listen to them.
Then you sent Jesus to us,
the Faithful One pointing
out the way for us.

Together with all around us,
with those in every place, from every time,
we will sing our songs to you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, Redeemer of all.
Creation joins in praising your name.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who invites us to 'come and see.'
Hosanna in the highest!

You are the Holy One of all time,
and Jesus is the Lamb who takes
     away the sins of the world.
He would not remain in glory,
     but came to gather us up
     and bring us home to you.
He would not hoard,
     but poured out your grace
     on everyone he met.
He would not remain silent,
     but told us of your kingdom
     in our midst.
Despised by evil, abhorred by death,
     he defeated their power
     by dying on the cross and
     being raised to new life for us.

Called to be faithful as he was,
sanctified by his grace and love,
we sing a new song of the mystery called faith:

Christ died, blameless in God's eyes;
Christ was raised, honored in God's sight;
Christ will return, so we will be seen as without fault.

Here your children are gathered, where
the gifts of the Table are offered for all.
Here  you bring us together
from every place on earth,
where the Spirit transforms
simple gifts into sacred us.
Here where the bread is broken,
     we are strengthened to go
     and bring the good news to all.
Here where salvation is poured out,
     we are called into fellowship
     with those despised by the world,
     with those who live in the shadows,
     with those who long for someone
          to listen to their pain.

And when you have brought all time to an end,
when you gather your children home,
seating us around the great Feast of the Lamb,
we will sing that new, new song of praise to you,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
Having learned new words from our God,
we will go to warm others in the bleak midwinter of life,
to whisper to them of grace and hope.
Having learned new ways to serve from Jesus,
we will go to clear paths for those lost in oppression,
to wait with those in hospital rooms and job lines.
Having learned new songs from the Spirit,
we will go to sing of peace in all the broken places,
to light the way out of the shadows of injustice.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for January 11, 2026 (Baptism of the Lord - A)

Texts: Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 3:13-17

Call to Worship
Come to the waters, beloved—
where Spirit moved over at creation,
where Jesus was immersed in justice,
where God leaned close to us.
We splash in the river of God’s joy.
Come to the waters, beloved—
where God’s voice thunders,
where God whispers kindness.
We watch as Jesus steps
into the muddy mess of our lives.
Come to the waters, beloved—
where the Spirit gifts us so
we can stand side by side
with the broken and forgotten.
We come because we are indeed
God’s beloved children.

Prayer of the Day
In the beginning,
you whispered for light
to glow in the chaos,
in the blessing,
you spoke justice into
all the places of hopelessness,
into the deep water
of our lives, God of Imagination,
you sang grace.

as he stepped into the Jordan
you called Jesus your beloved,
filling him with hope
frightened people needed,
sustaining him with courage
to walk the dusty road to death,
resting your life on his shoulders
like the gentle touch of a dove.

as we gather to remember
those waters which touched us
with your grace, love, life,
we pray you will continue
to pour the Spirit’s peace
and passion into our lives.

God in Community, Holy in One,
silence those whispers which
tell us that we are not enough,
cleanse us of our dusty worries,
send us out as servants of the Beloved—
carrying the good news,
setting people free,
shining your light
into the corners of the world,
even as we pray as we have been taught
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
We cannot be reminded enough that God claims us as beloved children even before we are perfect people. As we remember our baptisms, let us confess those foolish choices which keep us from jumping feet first into that river of grace, where God meets us in the waters of life.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   We know we prefer to stand on the shore, gentle God, scared to run barefoot into the waters of faith. We take small sips of the living water of grace you offer but go on binges with the mixed drinks of anger and fear. We have trouble seeing some neighbors, much less strangers, as your beloved and believe our privilege means all are as comfortable as we are.
   As we draw near to the waters of baptism, God of grace, have mercy on us. Whenever we forget who we are, send us to serve the vulnerable. Whenever we forget what we are, challenge us to be more gracious and just. Whenever we forget whose we are, wash us again in that forgiveness deeper than our shallow lives, and fill us with new life in Christ. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Grace
This is our good news, friends. The Spirit descends upon us, the heavens open, and God speaks – not with judgment, punishment, or condemnation, but with joy, grace, hope, love.
We are God’s beloved children – forgiven, claimed, named, baptized. Thanks be to God. Amen!

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
As a river carries life to land, take our gifts and carry them into the world, God of waters. There, may they set people free, open closed eyes and clenched fists, proclaim faith instead of fear, share peace instead of platitudes. This we pray in the name of the Beloved. Amen.

Affirmation
God is the creator of wind
which stirs us to compassion
and the mover of wind
which carries God’s cries for justice
into every corner of creation.

Jesus is the Beloved
who stepped out of Glory
into the water of baptism,
who muddied his feet
walking the dusty road to death,
who was raised to make us new.

The Spirit still comes,
resting upon us like a dove,
transforming our ordinary lives
into gifts of peace and reconciliation,
sending us into a broken world
to bring healing and hope.

God in Community, Holy in One,
you are our faith, our hope,
our life, our love.
This we believe. Amen.

The Sacrament of Communion

Invitation to the Table
You do not need to be worthy
to be fed at this Table,
only hungry.
you do not need to be perfect
to drink from the cup of grace,
only thirsty.
for here at this Table,
heaven opens
the Spirit descends to bless
the bread and the cup
and all who are here,
and Jesus meets us
with open arms,
just as he met us
in the waters of baptism.

The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May you be showered with grace.
May the Creator of water be with you.
Come, dare to step into the waters of life.
Like little children, we laugh with joy
as we run into the waters of baptism.
Let us sing songs of wonder at this Table.
May the waters teach us songs of thanksgiving.

You soaked that desert called chaos,
God of wonder and work,
with waters of life and grace
droplets of rain cupped in flowers,
rivers which teemed with fish,
oceans where dolphins whistled
and whales leaped to touch the sky.
Your Spirit moved upon all these waters,
your spoken Word caused mountains to tremble,
your love longed to hold us forever.
Though created in your image,
we chose lives dehydrated from grace,
we thought we could grow planted
deep in the barren soil of temptation.
You continued to send prophets to us,
men and women who showed us the way,
but we continued to stand on the shore
watching living water flow by.
When hope seemed in short supply,
when just seemed all but lost,
you sent your Child to us,
to lead us to the waters of baptism.

So, with the dove and open skies
with dunkers, immersers, and sprinklers,
we sing your praises:

Holy are you, God of living waters.
All creation drinks from your grace
and offers thanksgiving to you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who stepped
into the waters of the Jordan.
Hosanna in the highest!

Glory could have stayed on the shore
but stepped into the waters muddied
from the dirt of our foolish lives.
Grace could have watched from a distance,
but dove headfirst to pull us out
of the deep end of our mistakes.
Love could have turned around
and headed back home,
but allowed the riptide of fear
to pull it under the surface of hate.
Jesus could have been left
in the arctic like waters of death,
but Love jumped in, breathing
resurrection into his lungs,
as the heavens opened
and all creation rejoiced.

As we remember the life, death, and resurrection,
as we renew those promises of our baptism
we speak of that faith which is such a mystery:

Jesus died, stepping into the cold waters of death.
Jesus was raised, the heavens opening,
a voice whispering, ‘my Beloved.’
Jesus will come, calling us to rest
in the waters of life which never evaporate.

Just like moving over creation’s waters,
may the Spirit move over the Table,
transforming the ordinary into sacred,
calling everyday people God’s beloved.
As we eat of this bread,
may we hear the voices
of the marginalized,
of the forgotten,
of the lonely and grieving.
As we drink from the cup,
may the dove of peace rest on us,
so we will work for justice,
so we will challenge cruelty,
so we will stand up to bullies.

And when all time ends
and the waters of life carry us to you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
we will join with our siblings
singing your praises forever. Amen.

Sending
The heavens have opened
and we have heard God’s voice.
Let us go to speak up for all
whom the world ignores.
We have stood in the waters of baptism
gathered into the welcoming arms of Jesus.
Let us go to embrace everyone who finds
the doors of hope, justice, life
slammed in their faces.
We have felt the touch of the Spirit
resting upon us like a gentle dove.
Let us go to be light in the shadows
cast by the privileged and powerful,
and bring peace to the broken places.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman