Texts: Genesis 25:19-34; Psalm 119:105-112; Romans 8:1-11; Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
Call to Worship
Your grace is a lamp for our hearts, O God.
Light our way through the shadows of this world.
When we struggle with questions and doubts,
tell us your stories of hope and grace.
When we are about to wander off into the wilderness,
show us the paths to your peace and joy.
Prayer of the Day
When we wonder
why life is the way
it seems to be,
you teach us how
to live for others.
When we would sell
our birth gift of grace
for a bowl of sin's stew,
you nourish us with
a serving of hope.
Prayer Granter,
listen to our hearts and words.
When we are convinced
we are only barren soil,
you plant seeds of grace
deep within us.
When our souls are as
parched as arid deserts,
you refresh us
with the waters
of goodness and mercy.
Story Teller,
fill our hearts with your words.
You come into our hearts,
to remove the bricks and mortar
from that great wall of hostility
we have built over the years,
setting us free to play
in the kingdom of peace.
You help us to let go
of our focus on ourselves,
so we may reach out
to share with others.
Emancipator,
send us forth to live your words.
God in Community, Holy in One,
with our hearts and with our words,
we lift our prayers to you, saying,
(The Lord's Prayer)
Call to Reconciliation
We talk about lives of faith, but are usually found walking down the streets of seduction and temptation. God sends the Spirit to live in us, so we might have life with God. Let us confess our mis-steps as we pray together,
Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
We walk through the world, Life Giver, so focused on ourselves, that we do not notice sin laying traps for us. We choose favorites, hurting folks looking for love. In our rush to grasp what we want, we let go of your promises given for us. In resisting your claims on us, we turn our backs on your dreams for us.
Forgive us, Promise Keeper, and have mercy. Like Isaac and Rebekah, we are heirs of your trust; like Jacob, we receive your grace even when we have done nothing to deserve it; like Esau, we share in your promises. May Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, sow seeds of faithfulness and hope in our hearts.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
God leans over so that great heart of forgiveness and hope might touch our own, healing us and restoring us to new life.
Not condemnation, but God's compassion;
not judgment, but God's justice;
not a punishment, but God's grace.
We are forgiven and loved. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Prayer of Dedication/Offering
For all wandering in the shadows of loneliness, may our gifts bring light. For all who have had promises broken, may our gifts bring healing. For all who have been left behind by the powerful, may our gifts offer the gift of community. This we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The God of seasons be with you!
And also with you!
Offer your hearts to God, heirs of the promise.
We lift them to the One who sows seeds of grace in us.
May hope and wonder be on your lips this day.
We sing songs of grace and love to the One
who waters us with peace.
Into the rocky heart of chaos,
you sowed the seeds of beauty,
Heart's Imagination.
Into the thorny soil of nothingness,
you cast hope and grace.
Creation sprang forth,
your goodness bubbling up
in streams flowing down
to crystal clear oceans;
your compassion planting all
we would ever need to live.
You sowed,
so we might feast
on your peace and grace,
but once we had tasted
the fruits of the flesh,
we hungered for more and more.
Prophets came to teach us
how to live your will,
but their words fell on thorny hearts.
So then, you sent Jesus,
to call us home to you,
doing for us what we could not do.
Therefore, with those who hunger for your word,
in every generation, in every time, in every place,
we lift our songs of thanksgiving to you:
Holy, holy, holy are you, Light and Lamp to all.
All creation is filled with your Spirit.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the Sower of salvation who comes to us.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, Giver of all life,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Hope and Joy.
When he could have come
with words of condemnation,
he sat down and told stories
of forgiveness and hope.
When he could have claimed
the birthright due your own true Child,
he poured out his inheritance
of grace upon all sinners.
When we could not -
when we would not -
submit to your will,
he gave himself up
to sin and death
defeating their power
as he walked out of the tomb,
gripping our hearts
to lead us back to you.
As we remember his life, death, and resurrection,
as we listen once more to his words for us,
we would reflect on that mystery we call faith:
Christ died, severely afflicted for our sake;
Christ rose, given life according to your promise;
Christ will return, holding our lives in his hands forever.
As you send your grace
upon the gifts of your Feast,
may this Spirit of life
rest upon your children gathered here.
As the Bread of Life
feeds us with hope,
may we go out
to walk with all who stumble
along the paths of life.
As the Cup of Salvation
nourishes the rock gardens
of our barren souls,
may we become the foundation
of justice and peace for our communities.
As your Word of grace
prunes our thorny hearts,
may we welcome all those
who have sold their hopes
for a meal of broken promises.
Then, when all time comes to an end,
when we are called to your Table
for that great feast with our siblings,
we will grip one another's hands,
and join our voices in praising you,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
Sending
Now, go into the shadows of our world.
We will go carrying the light of God's love.
Now, go to where the forgotten dwell.
We will go to bring the justice and hope of Jesus.
Now, go to where the hurting are gathered.
We will go to bring the Spirit of healing.
(c) Thom M. Shuman
