Liturgy w/communion for December 21, 2025 (Advent 4 - A)

 Texts:  Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25

Call to Worship

Come, Over-flowing joy:
   tip-toeing into our lives
   like the children on the holiest of nights.
Come, Good News of grace:
   prepare our hearts to welcome you,
   and all whose hopes have turned to ashes.
Come, Dreamer of peace:
   so we may pour our lives and gifts
   into a world in need of reconciliation.

Prayer of the Day

You watched in silence,
   until you spoke in dreams,
   sang through angels,
   and cried a newborn’s lusty wails.

You were born for us,
   not to sit in power,
      but next to the bullied
      on school buses;
   not with a silver spoon in your mouth,
      but with words of justice,
      with songs for hope for the grieving.

You come, like the cold wind of winter,
or a warm breeze in the spring,
   to feed hungry souls
      with the bread of heaven;
   to share peace with those
      filled with bitterness and fear.

You came in love to us, for us, to be with us,
God in Community, Holy in One,
so come to us again, as we pray saying,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
How easy we lost our way on the road to Bethlehem!  How quick we are to dismiss the dreams and hopes our God has for us in this holy season!  Let us come to the One who approaches, ready to swaddle us in forgiveness and grace, as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

   Come now, Reconciler of the nations,
      for our world, our lives, need your peace more than ever before.
   Come, Caller to discipleship,
      for we long to let go of our self-interest and narcissism.
   Come, Word Gifter,
      for we hunger to hear your voice once again, ever always.
   Come, Servant of the poor,
      so we notice you in all those we push past in this hectic season.

Come, Silence of our nights and Holiness of our hearts, and forgive us for turning your compassion into commercials, your joy into jingles, your hope into hollow words, your love into lust for the short-lasting offerings of the world.  May we find our way to the One born simply, born gracefully, for us – Jesus, the Child of wonder and life.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon

We may not notice them there, at the back of the pile of presents, but it is God’s hope, God’s life, God’s mercy, which are the true gifts we receive each and every moment.
We give thanks to our gracious God, who has forgiven us and blessed us.  Amen!

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

We must not take the gifts God gives to us, even the most tangible ones, and hoard them for ourselves.  Rather, we offer them, as well as our hearts and lives as offerings to those in true need around us.  This we pray in the name of Bethlehem’s Babe.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

Come, God, to be with your people!
Come, God, to be with you!
Come, Turner of barren hearts into seas of overflowing wonder!
Come, Longing of our empty lives!
Come, Listener to the songs of all creation!
Come, Receiver of our joyful hearts and hopes!

Come, Dreamer of creation,
for by your Word you spoke,
   calling sheep to roam hillsides,
   crafting trees to touch the clouds,
   filling sea beds with teeming life.
Come, Face shining with grace,
for with your Spirit you shaped us
to be your people, signs of your hope,
   even when we listen
   to sin’s hollow voices.
Come, Listener to our hearts,
for by the prophets,
you never abandoned us to sin
or would let death separate us from you,
   even sending your Beloved to save us.

As we seek not to put you to the test,
as we would not weary those around us,
we offer our thanksgiving to you:

Come, God whose holiness shatters the stillness.
We join all creation in praising you:
Hosanna in the highest!

Come, Blessed of God’s love for us.
Hosanna in the highest!

Come, Spirit of holiness,
   as we celebrate the One
   who has come to be with us.
Come, Restorer of our empty hearts,
   and rebuild our ruined souls
   shattered by stress.
Come, Good News for our longing ears,
   and speak to us of
   God’s love and hope in us.
Come, Life-giver,
   destroying sin’s death grip
   over us forever, as
   you lead us into resurrection.

Preparing to celebrate the birth of hope,
making ready to welcome the gift of your heart,
we cry out the mystery we know as faith:

Come, Sufferer on our behalf.
Come, Resurrection’s bright hope.
Come, Promise keeper of our future.

Come, Bestower of grace,
   pouring out your Spirit
   on the gifts of this Table
   and your children gathered here.
Come, Baker of hope,
   mixing our tears with
   the flour of your hope,
   so the bread of life might
   fill all people with joy this day.
Come, Cradle of our hearts,
   so we as we drink
   the cup of grace
      bitterness may become benevolence,
      cynicism may transform into compassion,
      fear may be recast into faithfulness.

Then come, Keeper of all time,
when we least expect you,
to gather us with our sisters and brothers
of every place and from every time,
to joyfully feast with you in all eternity,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending

Come, let us go with God to bring healing to the world.
Come, let us bring family to the lonely,
comfort to those who grieve.
Come, let us go with Jesus to all are forgotten.
Come, let us carry justice to the oppressed,
to feed those who hunger in body and soul.
Come, let us go with the faithful Spirit.
Come, let us speak the gospel with our lips,
let us share grace with our lives.

© Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for December 14, 2025 (Advent 3 - A)

 Texts:  Isaiah 35:1-10; Luke 1:46b-55; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11

Call to Worship

One: Be patient!
The time is coming when
we will celebrate the birth of Jesus,
All: when we will sing and rejoice,
dancing with everlasting joy.
One: But for now, be patient,
as we wait in this time called Advent,
All: when God speaks through dreams and visions,
and we are invited to dance
down the holy way into the kingdom.
One: For this is Advent, as we prepare to join the world
in celebrating the Creator of goodness and hope,
All: when those who limp will teach new dance steps,
when the voiceless sing, ‘Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming.’

Prayer of the Day
God who approaches:
you gather the ignored,
   so you can accomplish the unexpected
   for a world which no longer cares;
with bread broken into pieces,
   you restore your shattered creation;
as you let go of your Child,
   our emptiness is filled
   with immeasurable grace.

Ever-new, always-scarred
Jesus of the forgotten:
through you,
   those whose voices are silenced
   hear the whispers of angels
   on hillsides and in shelters;
by you,
   those who are knocked over
   lead the way into your kingdom;
with you,
   those who wander in shadows
   are clasped tight in your love.

Breath of Advent:
you pour the promises of the Word
   into the shy and silent
   so they can carol of grace;
you stretch out your hand
to all in despair’s exile,
   to place them on the
   holy way of hope;
you gather up the scraps
of our scattered fears,
   to build a new crib
   for a refugee family.

Come, God in Community, Holy in One,
come to us, as we pray together saying,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation

There is no need to wait in long lines.  God is always willing to listen – to our hearts as well as our voices, as we admit how we have not cared as we could, have not shared as we should.  Let us join, as we pray, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

   This season is supposed to be so holy, God of Christmas, yet the din of sales pitches turns us into cynical grumps.  As we drive down the streets, the decorations on all the houses keep us from seeing the loneliness of the widower, the strained faces of those who fear the future.  We are so determined to find just the right gift or card which speaks of joy, we forget that you came so long ago to offer justice to those who have none.
   Be patient with us, God of our hearts, as we struggle to speak for the voiceless, to walk with those who have lost their way, to let go of our certainty of what really happened to long ago, and listen to the songs of children which speak of that peace which really can bring reconciliation, of that grace which really can offer hope, of that love which really can to us that night in Bethlehem, in the birth of Jesus, our Brother, our Savior. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Grace
One: Do not be afraid, but believe.  Our God is here, opening our eyes to see that salvation which is ours approaching us in this season of Advent.
All:We join our voices in rejoicing in God who is our Savior.  The One who calls us blessed, is the God who forgives us.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

We pray that with our gifts, as well as our lives, we will tell of those who are given voice, those who are put back on their feet, those who show us the way, and those who offer us grace and hope, as well.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

One: May the Creator of the Holy Way be with you.
All: And also with you.
One: Do not be afraid, people of God, but lift your hearts to the holy One.
All: Our hearts will be filled with God’s hope and grace.
One: Children of God, offer songs of goodness to the One who keeps faith forever.
All: We offer glad praises to the One who comes with justice.

One: You carved a holy way
through chaos, Unveiling God,
rejoicing with Word and Spirit as creation
   trickled down mountains to form rivers,
   birds built nests in shrubs and trees,
   bees and butterflies pollinated meadows.
These great, and good, things were
for those formed in your image
so we might be with you in wonder,
   but we were blinded by sin’s
   sparkling seductions and could not
   envision the life you offered to us.
Patiently, you sent prophets to us,
who urged us over and again to return,
   but we continued to look favorably
   upon the gifts offered by sin and death.
So you emptied your strong heart,
becoming weak in the baby
born in Bethlehem for us.

With those you have put back on their feet,
with those you knock off our presumptions,
we sing our carols to you:

All: Holy, holy, holy are you, God who does great things.
All creation shall rejoice, offering you praise.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who keeps your promises.
Hosanna in the highest!

One: Holiness is the path you walk, Gracious God,
and your Child, Jesus, is the One
who comes with justice for all your people.
When we are worry, world, and work weary,
   he comes to strengthen our hearts,
                   to stand us back on our feet.
When disappointment silences us,
   he comes to teach us
         how to proclaim the good news.
When we cannot see our way out of our foolishness,
   he comes to point us toward salvation’s dawn.
When we were held captive by sin,
   he came, giving himself in love,
   so joy might dance in our hearts,
   and we could gather bouquets
   of resurrection gladness as
         death ran away.

As we draw closer to the joy of his birth,
as we remember his death and resurrection at this feast,
we bear witness to the holy way of faith which is a mystery:

All: Christ died, trusting that your weakness destroys death;
Christ was raised, telling us of the resurrection he had seen and heard;
Christ will come again, to lead us home by the holy way of God.

One: Gather your people in these moments,
and lead us along the holy way to the Table
where the Spirit anoints the bread and the cup
and blesses all who have come for this feast.
As we are strengthened by the bread,
may we show the way toward healing
   to the imprisoned,
       the sightless,
       the sufferers of chronic pain,
       those who struggle to hear.
As we drink from grace’s cup,
may we notice what you are doing in our midst
   so grief and loneliness
   will disappear, never to be seen again.

And when all time has drawn to a close,
when we are gathered with our sisters and brothers
at Advent’s Table in eternity with you,
we will rejoice in your forever,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
One: Let us journey into the world with our God,
All: to rebuild shattered hearts with hope.
One: Let us spend each day with Jesus,
All: mending brokenness with love.
One: Let us share our hearts with the Spirit,
All: so we may be with those who are waiting for peace.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for December 7, 2025 (Advent 2 - A)

  Texts:  Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12

Call to Worship

In this season of bumper to bumper stress,
with life more crowded than the stores,
God welcomes us to a feast of faithfulness,
where we may sit in peace and gentleness.
In these times of rancorous rants and snide remarks,
with people too busy to offer words of compassion,
Jesus whispers of hope for broken hearts,
sings carols of justice for all the outsiders.
In these days of more and more time spent with devices,
and fewer moments with those who could touch us with joy,
the Spirit embraces us with peace that comforts,
loves us with a passion beyond 140 characters.   

Prayer of the Day

May these be the days
when conservatives will share
   a garden with liberals;
when people of all faiths and none
   will offer safety to each other.

May these be the days

when bullies and the tormented
   will serve side by side at the shelter;
when little ones will show grownups
   the paths we have forgotten to follow.

May these be the days
when justice will put on the tool belt
   filled with faithfulness, peace, and healing;
when the most vulnerable around us
   will shower us with a harvest of hope.

May these be the days,

God in Community, Holy in One,
when we will discover how near is your kingdom,
even as we pray as Jesus taught us,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
All too often, we believe God’s vision of justice and peace is only for us, not those around us.  We are sure others need to be cleansed and forgiven, but not us.  Let us seek to live as if, indeed, the kingdom is coming near, as we offer our prayers to the One who calls us to Advent living, as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgivness

   Goodness Incarnate, we must confess that we have not lived as your children.  We muddy the clear waters of baptism with the detritus of walking over those we claim we love.  We sit in our lonely lives feasting on bitterness, when we could be feasting with those we are told not to trust.  We wait for all our desires to be taken care of by you, while you hope we would fill the lives of others with your grace and hope. 
   Forgive us, God of this holy season, and help us to be as willing to draw near to others, so we might heal their brokenness, touch their loneliness, embrace their grief, and love them as you did when you came to us so long ago, as well as in these moments, in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Grace
Here is the good news:
speak with the whispers of hope until it silences despair;
sing the carols of compassion until all join in the chorus;
shower others with wonder and delight and join in God’s dance of grace.
Thanks be to God.  We are forgiven!  So, let us welcome others with open arms, just as we have been embraced in God’s love and laughter.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

May your Spirit of generosity rest upon us, Caring God, so that our giving does not end here, but only begins to flow forth in a baptism of hope, of grace, of healing, and of peace to all around us, as well as those we may never meet.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

May the Advent God give you hope.
May God grant you peace.
Let us lift our hearts to God who offers righteousness to all.
We open our hearts to the One who loves justice.
Children of God, rejoice in the One who call us to live in harmony with everyone.
Amen and Amen!  We give our thanks to God!

In those days when chaos reigned,
creation appeared, Coming God,
as you spoke the Word
   which caused snow to cap mountains;
as you breathed the Spirit
   which give life to sheep and shepherds;
as your steadfast loved shaped
   all that is good and beautiful and good.
All this was intended for those clothed
in your image of grace and hope,
   but we insisted on putting on sin’s coat,
   cinching death’s belt around our ways.
Through the prophets of every age,
we heard your words of encouragement,
   but chose to keep looking for life
   in the seductions offered to us by sin.
So, in that moment we least expected,
Jesus came, to baptize us with
the Holy Spirit’s peace and hope.

With those who have trouble playing nice,
with those who seek to bear fruit,
together with one voice, we glorify you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God who gives hope to all.
All creation gathers your harvest of peace.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who stands side-by-side
   with the most vulnerable.
Hosanna in the highest!

In your holiness, God who approaches,
we find righteousness and justice;
in your Child, Jesus, we discover
our salvation and hope.
When the world dumps buckets
of muddy meanness over us,
   he baptizes us in the
   Spirit’s cleansing waters.
When those around us throw
stones of bitterness and fear,
   he takes them to build
   homes of hope.
When people would try to divide us,
   he builds a park where enemies
      push each other in swings,
      and sit side-by-side on the grass
      for the Lamb’s picnic.

As we inch closer to Bethlehem,
as we wait for the kingdom to draw near,
we sing of that mystery which comes as faith:

This is the One who died, blessing those who feared him;
this is the One who was raised, the Spirit of resurrection resting on him;
this is the One who will come, to give justice to everyone.

Now in these days, as we gather
around the table gifted with
the bread and the cup,
may your Spirit of wisdom rest on us,
   so we may recognize the vulnerable
   and welcome their gifts in our lives;
may your Spirit of might rest upon us,
   so we may stand up
   to injustices around us;
may your Spirit of unity rest upon us,
   so we may resist all people,
   all words, which seek to divide us;
may your Spirit of compassion rest upon us,
   so we may remember, and serve,
   the hungry, the homeless, the lonely,
   in this holiest of seasons.

And when your harvest of peace
comes at the end of all time,
and we are gathered with 

our siblings  around your feast,
we will sing and glorify you forever,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
As God has welcomed us in these moments,
let us go to embrace each person we meet.
As Jesus has been our servant of hope and grace,
let us go to serve the most vulnerable around us.
As the Spirit of hope has filled us,
let us go to empty ourselves of joy and peace for all.

© Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for November 30, 2025 (Advent 1 - A)

  Texts: Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44

Call to Worship

We may not know when,
but you are coming to us,
grace overflowing from your heart, O God.
We may not know who,
but your hope will be shared
by the least likely people, Friend of the poor.
We may not know how,
but your peace will transform
our angry words into warm welcomes,
our bitterness into cups of love, Spirit of Joy.

Prayer of the Day

In the days to come,
may we work to establish justice
   in all the places of oppression;
may we learn to set aside our differences,
   like little children on a playground
   meeting those who have just moved in;
may we awaken from our apathy,
   to discover the wonder offered to us
   by those we do not recognize as family.
Then we will find ourselves standing
within the gates of your grace, Approaching God.

In the days to come,
may we be alert to the opportunities
   we will have to welcome the stranger;
may we keep our eyes open
   for the chances to offer hope to the despairing;
may we expect to find you
   in every person we meet,
   in every place we go.
Then we will find ourselves standing
within the gates of your love, Babe of Bethlehem.

In the days to come,
may we discover that fear has fled
   as your hope draws ever near;
may we lay aside the shadows of our doubts,
   and put on the shawl of grace;
may we go take all the weapons
crafted from our fears, our anger, our regrets,
   and transform them into generous gifts
   of hope and life for all around us.
Then we will find ourselves standing
within the gates of your peace, Spirit of gentleness.

In the days to come, may we find ourselves
standing within the gates of your heart,
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we pray the prayer of your Child,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
We may not know the time, but our every moment is held in God’s hands.  We may not do and say what we should or could, but God offers us words of forgiveness.  Join me as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   Sometimes it is hard for us to take you seriously, God of our lives.  With so many places damaged by war, terror, and fear, how do we hope for peace?  With bullies being given unlimited access on social media, why shouldn't we respond with anger and vindictive slights?  With our hopes turned to ashes, how can we become beacons of light for those in the shadows?
   Forgive us, God of holy seasons, and have mercy.  In the days to come, may we discover the grace which has always been ours, so we can share it with others.  May we taste the sweet goodness of your love, and feed those around us.  May we be filled with the peace of your Spirit, so we may expect you to come in those we least expect, in places which surprise us, in moments we overlook, just as you did in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

Silence is kept 

Assurance of Grace

Reach out and touch the kingdom, for it is right next to you.  Breathe in, and feel the Spirit of peace and hope.  Trust and believe this good news: God is nearer than you might ever imagine.
Thanks be to God, we are forgiven!  We can set aside our differences and embrace everyone, we can seek peace for all in our lives, our neighborhoods, our world.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication

Our gifts seem so insignificant considering the need, so paltry when we look at the brokenness around us.  But in the days to come, you promise to take them so that others might be fed, clothed, housed, and embraced in your grace and hope.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

May the Approaching God be with you.
And also with you.
In the days to come, People of God,
offer your hearts to the One who comes near.
We will lay aside all that keeps us from
opening ourselves to God.
Now is the time to sing praises to the One who loves us.
We offer our thanksgiving to God,
as we find ourselves standing within the gates of Advent.

You spoke of the days to come, Architect of life,

   when anthills would erupt from dirt,
   when cattle would gather under shade trees,
   when cats would nurture little children,
   when chaos would be transformed into creation,
and we stood within your garden of goodness.
All this beauty, all the wonder, was offered
so, we might walk in your light,
   but we preferred the shadows of sin,
   opening our hearts so that thief, death,
   could come and steal us away from you.
You sent the prophets to us,
urging us to lay aside our foolishness,
   but we continued to put on
   the armor of apathy and anger
   so, we could rebel against you.
Finally, when no one expected,
you came, not in power but poverty,
a crying baby born to nobodies.

With those who worry about your return,
with those who have forgotten to tell time,
we sing of your praises:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God of the welcoming heart.
All creation sings of your great love.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes when we least expect.
Hosanna in the highest!

In the days to come, God of life,
may we be reminded of your holiness,
and the blessing of your Child, Jesus.
When we fear what lies over the horizon,
   he comes, arms filled with grace.
When worries fall like leaves on our lives,
   he stands on the front porch,
   arm in arm with hope.
When the rumblings of angry rhetoric
waken us in the night,
   he lullabies us with songs of your love.
When sin would lock us away
in the shadows of death,   
   he comes like a thief in the night,
   to steal our hearts back for you.

As we begin our journey to Bethlehem,
as we seek to be alert and awake,
we would proclaim the mystery of faith:

Christ died, seeking the good for all;
Christ was raised, putting on resurrection’s love;
Christ will come, precisely when we least expect him.

Now, pour out your Spirit upon
the gifts of the bread and the cup
and on those gathered in these moments.
Feed us with the bread which is broken,
so, in the days to come, we may
   bring healing to the shattered,
   embrace the lonely,
   invite strangers to our family feasts.
Pour the grace of the cup into us,
so, in the days to come, we may
   wrap others in warm coats,
   lay aside our differences,
   walk with others in the light of justice.

And when you come when we least expect,
to bring all history to an end,
gather us around the Table of joy,
where we will join our siblings
of every place and time in forever praising you,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen

Sending
We may not know when, but we will go,
to bring God’s grace to our broken world.
We may not know who, yet we will go,
to receive Jesus’ hope from those
we are uncomfortable being around.  
We may not know how, so we will go,
to share the Spirit’s peace
in the most unusual places.

© Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for November 23, 2025 (Reign of Christ/Christ the King Sunday - C)

  Texts: Jeremiah 23:1-6; Luke 1:68-79; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43

 Call to Worship
Blessed be the Lord God who looks with kindness on us.
We are the inheritors of the promises
made long ago to our ancestors.
Blessed be the Lord God who gathers us here in this place.
From across the street, from halfway around the world,
God brings us home to the heart of grace.
Blessed be the Lord God who has remembered us.
Scoffers and singers, watchers and wigglers,
we are those redeemed by God.

Prayer of the Day
Gathering God:
when we have only
a few pennies of hope
in our pockets,
     you multiply us
     into a blessing.
When the world whispers
seductively to us,
     you tell us
     of your joy for us.
When everyone has forgotten
even who we are,
     you shout out our name
     with delight: "My Beloved!"

Dawn from on high:
when we would divide people
by class, by race, by age,
     you cast your lot
     with the outcasts of society.
When we get lost
from the muddled directions
the world gives us,
     you lead us down
     that path called Peace.

Spirit of wisdom:
when we grow impatient
with all the trivial matters of life,
     you surround us with serenity.
When the world puts us on
the route to sin,
     you transfer us
     to the streets of the kingdom.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we trust you will remember us,
even as we pray as Jesus teaches,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
We know that we have not lived as God hopes.  But however fragmented we become, God longs to hold us together in grace and peace. Let us come with our prayers of confession and need to the One who prepares the way for our words.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
In these moments, Remembering God, we bring to you all the ways we have not lived as your people:
     we stand by watching
          while those in need struggle to survive;
     we cast our lots with those
          who worship power and success;
     we offer insults rather than words of grace
          to those who care for us;
     we scoff at your words
          which call us to a different lifestyle.

Forgive us, God of Mercy, for not knowing what we do to you, to others, to ourselves.  Speak to us through Jesus Christ, our King and our Savior, who bears words filled with your tender mercy and gracious hope.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
This is the good news: God remembers!  Not our sins, not our foolish lives, not our rebellion. God remembers us -  and redeems us!
God prepares the way for us - the way to grace, to hope, to new life. Joyfully, we offer our thanks to God. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
As we offer our gifts to you, Holy God, may we remember those who are forgotten by us too many times - the hungry, the lonely, the homeless, the vulnerable - yet are important citizens in your kingdom of grace, justice, and hope.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the peace of God be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the One whose has favored us with grace.
God's beloved children, sing of your hopes and dreams.
We bless the One who remembers us and redeems us to new life.

Joyfully, we lift our songs
of praise to you, O God.
From the fragments of chaos,
you created all things.
Those that are visible to us
     in the leaves drifting to the ground,
     in the children playing hopscotch,
     in the moon shimmering at night -
and those that we cannot see,
but gift our lives beyond measure:
     grace, which heals our longing;
     hope, which fills our emptiness;
     love, which embraces our loneliness.
All were shaped and blessed for us,
but we chose to cast our lots
with sin and death,
     believing their powers to be greater
     that your hopes and dreams for us.
The prophets came to speak
about the One from on high
who yearned for us to come home,
     but we grew impatient with their words
     and mocked their faithfulness.
Finally, you sent Jesus
to gather your scattered children together
and to bring us back to your heart.

Therefore, we join our voices
with rulers and reprobates,
with the fruitful and the foolish
of every time and place,
who forever sing of your joy:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God our shelter.
All creation makes glad your heart.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who is exalted among the nations.
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, God who remembers us,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
Dawn from on high and creative Word.
Creation's true Light,
     he rescues us from the darkness of death;
speaker of promises
to our grandparents in the faith,
on the cross
     he kept the vows made to them;
the first-born of all creation,
he was born again
from the grave,
     so we could all be with you
     in eternity's kingdom.

As we reflect on his life, his ministry, his love,
we remember all that he has done for us,
that mysterious story we call faith:

Christ died, having done nothing wrong;
Christ was raised, having done God's will;
Christ will return, having reconciled us to God.

As we come to this Table of peace,
pour out your Spirit of life upon us,
and upon the gifts
of the Bread of life
and the Cup of salvation.
You nourish with grace,
     so we may go wherever
     the broken and lost live,
          that we might feed them.
You fill us with hope,
     so we would have no more fear,
     but would boldly reach out
     and gather up all
          whom the world has cast aside.

And when time has come to an end,
and all creation has been reconciled to you,
we will gather around the feast in heaven,
singing our joy and praise to you,
God in Community, Holy in One.
Amen.

Sending
Let us go as inheritors of God's promises,
carrying the gifts of joy and hope to the world.
Let us go as inheritors of Jesus' grace,
to bring justice to all, to share mercy with the forgotten.
Let us go as inheritors of the Spirit's peace,
to work for reconciliation in the brokenness of our places.

(c)  Thom M. Shuman