Alternate texts liturgy w/communion for October 22, 2023 (Pentecost 21/Trinity 20/Proper 24/Ordinary 29 - A)

Texts:  Isaiah 45:1-7; Psalm 96:1-9 (10-13); 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; Matthew 22:15-22

Call to Worship
From the corners of worry and fear,
from the shadows where we huddle with our doubts,
God calls us to this place of sanctuary
where we can draw from Love's deep wells.
In every moment where we look for strength to continue,
in every time wonder if faith is worth it,
Jesus calls us to this time 
where we can welcome the peace given to us.
In every person who embraces us with acceptance,
in every touch that offers healing and hope,
the Spirit calls us to see those around us
as God's beloved, our sisters and brothers of grace.

Prayer of the Day
Imitator of the Holy Spirit,
you grasp our hands
so, in finding hope and love
in your gracious touch,
we may reach out to those
we see as strangers 
and welcome them as family.
You are greatly to be praised,
God who is coming to us.

Imitator of God,
you write new words for us
so, in listening to your whispers,
we may hear the voiceless,
stand with the forgotten,
and share the justice 
which as been gifted to us.
You are greatly to be praised,
Jesus, who is coming 
to teach us all we need to know.

Imitator of Jesus,
you composed new tunes
so, in the gentle breezes of the morning,
and in the chords of the stars,
we may hear the music
of peace, life, wonder, and joy
which you would have us share
with those who long for community.
You are greatly to be praised,
Spirit, who is coming
to walk with us in every moment.

You are greatly to be praised,
God in Community, Holy in One,
as we join the imitators of grace
of every time and place, praying,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
We long to be like Jesus, but all too often we imitate the foolishness we find all around us.  Let us speak of our lives to the One who forgives us and calls us by name.  Let us join together, as we pray, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   You know how insincere we are, God who is coming.  We say we want to help others, but lay traps along life's paths for them.  We pat others on the back, while plotting how to trip them so they fall flat on their faces.  We know we could speak kindly to others, but prefer to ask trick questions so their answers will make them appear foolish.
   Forgive us, God of everyone.  When we could hold grudges, help us to grasp grace.  When malice gnaws at our souls, feed us with mercy.  When we would give power control over us, pour the grace and love of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, into our empty hearts.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
God takes our malicious words and transforms them into whispers of grace.  God uses hope to fill in the traps we dig for others, so we may walk hand in hand with everyone as sisters and brothers.
Thanks be to God, who summons us to new life.  We are no longer filled with fear, but are embraced in mercy and goodness.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
As we offer our gifts and lives in this moment, may we become imitators of you, Gracious God, who holds nothing back from us, but is generous and gracious with all that is yours.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
With the Spirit plinking the notes
on an old, battered piano and
the Word penning fresh lyrics,
you sang into the silence of chaos,
Composer of creations:
   birds caroling on foggy mornings,
   kittens purring on sunny carpets,
   crickets lullabying us to sleep.
These new songs, and more,
were shape-noted for those in your image,
   but we preferred death's dirges
   and sin's siren calls.
Prophets came, always mentioning you
and your longing for us to return,
   yet we continued to plot against you,
   malice our friend from childhood.
Finally, you sent Jesus to us,
so we might know of the welcome
you offer to each and every person.

With those who know your songs by heart,
with those who have trouble reading music,
we join in praising you greatly:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God who comes.
The seas roar and fields dance with joy
   as all creation is glad and rejoices.   
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who is impartial in loving.
Hosanna in the highest!

In your holiness, Framer of Light,
we discover your goodness and love,
and Jesus imitates you in his life and service.
He took off glory's garments
   so we might be stripped
   of death's grave clothes.
He was willing to work on our behalf,
   laying the kingdom's foundations
   with honor, strength, and beauty.
He was thrown into death's prison,
   but cut through the bars of sin,
   your resurrection power 
   opening the gates of grace forever.

As we remember his life and ministry,
as we celebrate his death and resurrection,
we sing of that mystery we call faith:
   
Christ went before us into death.

Christ was raised, breaking the grave into pieces.
Christ will return to share resurrection's treasures with us.

Here in these moments of silence and singing,
with those gathered from every corner of life,
pour out your Spirit upon the gifts of the Table.
May that bread which is broken
become the healing strength
we can offer to all who have been excluded
by fear, prejudice, and hate.
May the grace which is poured
into the cup of mercy
become the nourishment which can transform 
broken people into communities,
shadow dwellers into light bearers,
legalists into open handed lovers.

And when we are no longer bound by time and space,
welcome us around your Table of grace,
gathering us with our sisters and brothers,
teaching us new songs we can use
to praise you forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
From this sanctuary of song and silence,
we will go to be with God's people.
We will carry hope to the fearful and worried;
we will share light with those in the shadows.
From  this time of healing and hearing,
we will go to share Jesus' justice.
We will bring strength to those who falter;
we will walk with those weakened by the world.
From the companionship of our sisters and brothers,
we will go with the Spirit into our neighborhoods.
We will embrace the forgotten;
we will work to set the oppressed free.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for October 15, 2023 (Pentecost 20/Trinity 19/Proper 23/Ordinary 28 - A)

  Texts:  Exodus 32:1-14; Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23; Philippians 4:1-9; Matthew 22:1-14

Call to Worship

Here in this place, with these people,
we come to worship the living God.
In you, O God, we hope;
in you, Creator of love, we live.
Here in this sacred space, in these very moments,
we are invited to the Table of Joy.
In you, Christ of the Way, we rejoice;
in you, dear Brother, grace is as near as your heart.
Here on this day of gentleness and beauty,
we are filled with the peace of God.
In you, O Spirit, we find our path;
in you, Teacher of hope, we learn to serve.

Prayer of the Day
When we realize how we are
blessed beyond every imagining,
     we can sing of your surprising grace
     and your steadfast presence
          to a world which has grown deaf
          from the noise of empty clichés.
 
When we remember your love
which has no beginning and no end,
when we stand in grace's sweet waters
swirling around our hearts,
     we can rejoice in your hope
     which sees every person,
          even those we would
          never invite into our circles,
               as your beloved child.
 
When we remember your call
to treat every single person
with dignity, justice, and hope,
     we can share your peace
     (even when we don't recognize it)
          with a society which believes
          violence is the solution
               to every single problem.

God in Community, Holy in One,
as you live in us,
so we will live for others,
even as we pray as taught by Jesus,
(The Lord's Prayer)
 
Call to Reconciliation
Called to have the same mind as Christ, we often spend too much time thinking about all those ways which then lead us astray. But, if we confess our sins, God will forgive us, and strengthen us to be Christ's sisters and brothers. Join me as we pray together, saying,

 Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     You would call us to your feast, Inviting God, but our busy lives keep us from responding. You remember every word we utter, every prayer we whisper, but we forget all the little ways you care for us. You would make your gentleness known through us, but we lash out in anger and fear towards others.
     Forgive us, God of all hope, and remember your Servant, Jesus Christ. In him, we can live in your way. Through him, we can learn the dreams you have for us. With him, we can open our arms and embrace all the people we meet.  Amen.

Silence is kept
 
Assurance of Pardon
As we are forgiven by God, we can begin to reflect on all those ways in which we can live justly, act honorably, love completely. This is indeed good news for us.
At the Wedding Feast, we are fed with grace, and nourished with joy, so we may go and bring hope and peace to everyone we meet. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
May not only our gifts, but our lives, be the grace and hope which bring healing to the broken, as well as food and nourishment to all who hunger and thirst for justice and peace.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the One who works wonders be with you!
And also with you!
People of God, listen to the One who teaches you life.
Unlock our hearts, O God, that we might hear you.
Children of God, you are called to servanthood.
We sing praises to the One who fills us with compassion,
so we might know the deepest needs of those around us.

Silencing the noise of chaos,
God of wonder and might,
you created the heavens and earth,
     your steadfast love poured out
          into the oceans brimming with life,
     your joy flowing into every valley of hope.
Your heart melted with love
as you created us in your image,
     so we might live with you
     in that garden of peace.
But we exchanged your dreams
for the seductive lies of death,
     so we might graze in sin's fallow fields.
You longed to bring us back,
making your gentleness known
in prophets throughout the ages.
When we continued to refuse
your invitation to your heart,
you sent Jesus to us,
to round up all of your children
and lead them home to you.
 
So, with those who stood at the foot of mountains,
and those who continue on the journey,
we lift our hearts and voices,
praising your name forever.
 
Holy, holy, holy are you, God of peace and justice.
We have heard the good news of Jesus' grace;
     we have seen the service of his followers;
     we have received his hope from surprising people;
     we have learned to trust him in every moment.

Blessed is he who came to make us known to you.
Hosanna in the highest!

We praise your name, Catering God,
remembering your acts of grace.
Loving us with a passion beyond compare,
     Jesus came to fill us with compassion.
Aware of our hunger for hope,
     he feeds us with your steadfast grace.
Understanding death's grip on us,
     he came to defeat it's power,
     that we could live with you forever.
 
As we rejoice in the feast you provide,
as we remember the sacrifice, death and resurrection of our Lord,
we proclaim that mystery we call faith:
 
We celebrate the birth of the Babe of Bethlehem;
we remember the life which Jesus led;
we rejoice in Christ's coming to us in glory.
 
In your gentleness and wonder,
God of all joy,
pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
and the gifts of your Table.
As the bread of life
not only feeds us,
but makes us one as Christ's Body,
     may we bring healing
     to our broken world.
As the cup of grace
not only refreshes us
but unites us in the Spirit of service,
     may we go forth to be
     a river of righteousness
     flowing to those who live
          in oppression and hopelessness.
 
And when we gather at the Table
you prepare for us in glory,
when we feast with all
our siblings from every time and place,
we will join our voices
and praise you forever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
Now let us leave this place, 
to live and serve those not here, 
to share the hope of God,
to live in love with all creation.
Now let us leave this place
to offer the gifts of life and grace with all,
to bring joy to those who mourn,
to offer the heart of Christ to everyone.
Now let us leave this place
to fill our neighborhoods with peace.
to walk the Spirit's path with strangers,
to serve all as if they were family.

(c) Thom M. Shuman 

Liturgy w/communion for October 8, 2023 (Pentecost 19/Trinity 18/Proper 22/Ordinary 27 - A)

 Texts:  Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20; Psalm 19; Philippians 3:4b-14; Matthew 21:33-46

Call to Worship

From north and south,
from east and west, we come:
God's people called to the Table
where simple grace nourishes us.
From down the street to across town,
from single households to apartment dwellers:
God's people are called to community,
where we live and serve one another.
From every class, every race, every status;
from little ones with sippy cups to elders with overflowing hearts:
God's people are called to witness to God's hope,
to offer peace to a shattered world.

Prayer of the Day           

Seeing your children
in bondage and despair,
     you brought them to freedom
     by your compassion and hope.
Longing to create a people
who would care for one another,
     you spoke simple truths
     about integrity and justice.
Fill our worship
with sighs more precious than
all we value, Word Speaker.

You came,

not to build a grand scheme,
     but to be our foundation of faith.
You came,
not to choose sides like we do,
     but to be that peace
     which brings us together.
You came,
not worrying about what
lay ahead for you,
     so we could see
     your kingdom prepared for us.
Fill our worship
with your grace more precious
than our deepest fears, Word Bearer.

When we cling

to all which holds us back,
     you empty our arms,
     putting our past in a rummage sale.
When we hesitate
to stand with the lost,
     you nudge us forward
     with the wind of justice.
Fill our worship
with your peace more precious
than the brokenness we grasp, Word of Wisdom
 
God in Community, Holy in One,
hear the words of our hearts
as we pray as Jesus has taught us, saying,
 (The Lord's Prayer)
 
Call to Reconciliation
We are good at rules: making them and then breaking them. Paul reminds us that, when we gain Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive exactly what we need - forgiveness, grace, hope. Let us confess our sins to God, that we might know God's healing love for us!

 Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

   If we were to name all the gods we have before you, Rock of Redemption, we would be here a very long time. We elevate politicians into saviors, though they are as broken as we are. We misuse your name so much during the day, we have trouble speaking to you in prayer at night. We are so busy, we do not notice how creation witnesses to your goodness and grace.

   Forgive us, God our Hope. Help us to let go of what we value most, so we may open our emptiness, our hearts, our lives to the healing and loving presence of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

 

Silence is kept

 

Assurance of Pardon

Persistently, patiently, lovingly, God pours out grace and joy into our lives, healing our brokenness, forgiving our sin.

Loved, we are sent to love;

forgiven, we are freed to forgive;

graced, we can offer our gifts to everyone we meet.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

 

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

We can hoard the gifts with which you bless us, God of generosity, or we can share them with others.  May what we offer in these moments be the very blessing, the very hope, the very peace others need.  This we pray in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

May the composer of heaven's music be with you!

And also with you!

Beloved, God has created you for faithful living.

We lift our hearts to the One who calls us to be Christ's Body.

People of God, sing to the One who cleanses us of our fears.

We will dance with joy to the Table of peace and hope.

Chaos trembled as you spoke,

not wanting to hear

your goodness breaking it apart,

Rock and Redeemer of all.

     Creation sang oratorios for you,

     while earth drummed out the rhythm.

Each day testified 'God is good';

     each night whispered 'Glory!'

All that was beautiful and true was created for us,

but wanting to know sin and death,

     we exchanged the best you gave to us,

     for the garbage they offered.

Using words and wonder,

silence and speech,

prophets came to call us back

into your covenantal love,

     but we continued to yearn

     for what we could not have.

Finally, you sent your Son,

in love, in hope, in peace,

that we would accept him

and the gift of new life.

 

So, with those who trembled at

the foot of your holy mountain,

and with those who press on to follow you,

we join our voices in praise to you:

 

Your Word opens our eyes to all creation;

your Word is the sweet taste of joy for hungry hearts;

your Word endures through every trial and triumph.

 

Blessed is your Word who comes in your name.

Hosanna in the highest!

 

Holy are you, God of all creation,

and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.

Yearning for us to know you,

     he came to be your face

     of love and compassion for all.

Hungering for reconciliation

between you and your children,

     he became the broken Bread of Life.

Aching for our release

from the agony of sin and death,

     he suffered on the cross,

     so we might be made well.

As we remember his goodness and gentleness,

As we celebrate his life in us,

we would speak of that mystery we call faith:

 

Setting aside all he valued,

     Christ became our treasure;

setting aside his own life,

     Christ rescued us from sin;

setting aside our doubts and fears,

     we yearn for Christ's return in glory.

Here at your Table,

Redeemer of all creation,

pour out your Spirit

on the gifts of the bread and the cup,

and on our sisters and brothers in Christ.

Your Spirit gives us life,

     so we may go and serve others.

Your Spirit heals our brokenness,

     so we may bring healing to all.

Your Spirit graces us with peace,

     so we may be peacemakers

         for our communities.

 

And when we stand around your Table,

all hurtful words silenced,

all pain left behind,

with hope and grace our closest friends,

we will join our hearts and voices

with our siblings everywhere

who forever sing of your glory,

God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

 

Sending

You are a blessed people.

We will go to be a blessing in the world.

You are the face of Jesus.

We will go to be love and compassion to all.

You are the family of God.

We will go to serve our sisters and brothers

wherever we may find them.

 

© Thom M. Shuman

Alternate texts liturgy w/communion for October 8, 2023 (Pentecost 19/Trinity 18/Proper 22/Ordinary 27 - A)

 Texts: Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:7-15; Philippians 3:4b-14; Matthew 21:33-46

Call To Worship
We come because we want to know God,
who seeks to shape us as faithful people.
Not that we already are, 
but we strive to be the community of grace.
We come because we want to know Jesus,
who would plant justice deep in our hearts.
Not that we always do, ,
but we seek to welcome each person.
We come because we want to know the Spirit,
who shines hope on all people.
Not that we always are able,
but we seek to share the light of peace in our world.

Prayer of the Day
Planter of grace and goodness:
with compassion's eyes,
you see us struggle in life
   and come to rescue us;
with the voice of hope,
you call forth communities
to live in faith and service;
with a love that never ends,
you call us to be your Body,
those who share your grace
with everyone we meet.

Wordsmith of wonder:
you shape the paragraphs
of comfort which sustain us;
you craft the poems of peace
which bring healing
into the brokenness around us;
you amend our lives
so that we might become
the people whom you imagine.

Spirit of Confidence:
you bathe us in life-giving waters,
which cleanse us of our fears;
you strike a spark in our souls
which can consume all injustice;
you are the gentle breeze of hope
which nudges us out of our comfort
into neighborhoods longing for attention.

God in Community, Holy in One, 
we come to this place in these moments
to know more about you,
even as we pray as we are taught, saying,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
The world teaches us it is all about success, measurable goals, winning at every cost.  But like Paul, we gain what it is we truly need - forgiveness, peace, and hope - when we have Jesus as part of our lives.  Let us remind God and ourselves of how human we are, so we might embrace the grace and joy God offers to us.  Join me as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   We certainly have reasons to brag, Watching God.  We know all the rules and keep them (well, most of them).  We have dotted our i's and crossed our t's, even if we have trouble with words like forgiveness and hope.  We polish our trophies and mount our diplomas on the walls, but ignore those who haven't had the advantages which were such a big part of our lives.
   Forgive us, Merciful God.  We believe we are such a rich bouquet of wine, but our tangled lives often produce sour grapes for others to taste.  Whether it is our pride, our achievements, our success which we value the most, may we let them go to grasp that which all too often eludes us - that love, that peace, that hope which Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior presses on to offer to us in each and every moment.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Let us not boast, but simply open ourselves to the grace, the forgiveness, the hope given to us by our God.  It is that faith in Christ which restores us to new life, faith beyond anything of any value.
Thanks be to God for this good news.  We are prized, we are loved, we are valued.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We certainly have reason to boast of how successful, how well-off we are.  But in doing so, we ignore those in need of food, of shelter, of life, and of hope.  Let us close our mouths and open our resources so others might be blessed, even as we are.  This we pray in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May God be with you.
May God also be with you.
People of God, offer your hearts to the Planter of love.
May God pour the seeds of grace and peace into our hearts.
Children of God, let us offer thanks to God.
We join in glad songs of praise to the Vintner of hope.

   Stars followed by watchers
   in Bethlehem and Barcelona;
   rains which water crops
   in Cameroon and Canada;
   grass which feeds cattle in Ghana
   and cradles children in backyards,
if anyone has reason to boast,
it is you, Composer of creation.
Gently and softly, your Spirit filled the lungs
of those created in your image,
   but in our zeal to be like you,
   we gave into temptation's passions.
You gave us laws to shape communities,
   and we broke them;
you sent prophets to call us back to you,
   and we mocked them;
so finally, you gave us yourself,
pressing on to the prize of resurrection.

And so with believers here and everywhere,
with those whose voices echo off walls
and those whose hopes are never heard,
we join all creation in praising you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God of who cares for us.
All creation wants to know your love and grace.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who forgets what lies behind us.
Hosanna in the highest!

You are holiness, God of the ages,
and if anyone has reason to boast,
it is Jesus, our blessed hope, our grace.
The songs of peace and good will
sung at his birth are the songs
he would have us teach others.
When temptation's seductive whispers
echo in our hearts and souls,
this Word whispers of your life for us.
And forgetting whatever lay ahead of him,
he carried his cross to Calvary,
so we might enter into your resurrection.

As we remember his ministry, life, and death;
as we would hope to be like him in hope,
we sing of that mystery we call faith:

All that he valued,
   Jesus set aside to share in our suffering;
pressing on into death's embrace,
   you raised him to resurrection love;
wanting to know us,
   Christ will come so we will have a future with you.

If anyone has reason to boast
at this Table, it is you, God of goodness,
but instead you pour out your Spirit
on the gifts of the bread and the cup
and on those who are gathered in this place.
Through the brokenness of the bread,
may we be strengthened 
to offer ourselves to healing your creation;
through the gracious goodness of the cup,
may we be given the peace 
which we can share with everyone we meet.

And when all divisions and barriers are gone,
when harmful words and hate-filled voices are silenced,
when the hurt and shame we have caused are healed,
we will gather with our siblings 

from every place and from every time,
to rejoice at your Table and sing your goodness,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending

We will go now, as faithful people,
so others might know God.
We will seek to invite others 
into this community of grace.
We will go now, as seeds of justice,
so others might know Jesus.
We will seek to welcome all 
who have been rejected by the world.
We will go now, to be lights of hope,
so others might know the Spirit.
We will seek to illuminate the shadows
of brokenness with peace and life.

(c)  Thom M. Shuman