Liturgy w/communion for August 9, 2026 (Pentecost 11/Trinity 10/Proper 14/Ordinary 19 - A)

 Texts: Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28; Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b; Romans 10:5-15; Matthew 14:22-33

(The responses of the congregation in the Great Prayer of Thanksgiving are adapted from a prayer by St. Francis of Assisi)

Call to Worship
Here, in this place, God welcomes all the dreamers,
as well as the doubters:

here, the worriers and wanderers

can call on God by name.

Here, in this time, we can remember 

all the ways God has graced us:
here, in these moments, we are reminded 

that God is with us, always!
Here are gathered those daring enough 

to step out of comfort into the unknown:
here, in this faith space, we will find the courage
to cry out, 'God, save us!' in every situation.

Prayer of the Day
Making sandwiches and stirring the soup
for the hungry lined up at the door;
taking the night shift
at the homeless shelter;
talking with the prisoners
awaiting their trials:
you surround us with signs
of your hopes for all,
God of justice.

Bringing reconciliation
to strife-torn communities;
mending the broken promises
which have shattered lives;
holding your arms wide open
to embrace weary searchers:
everywhere we turn,
we hear people say,
'here comes that Dreamer!"

Inviting us to wander down
the streets of sacrifice;
hoping that every breath
will be filled with peace and hope;
gifting us with joy and grace,
so they can be freely given away:
you nudge us to get out
of our comfortable religion,
and to walk on those unfamiliar
waves of faith and hope,
Spirit of trust.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we give thanks to your name,
even as we pray as Jesus has taught us, saying,

(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Too often when life threatens us, we trust the world to save us, finding it easy to believe the empty promises of seduction and doubt. But our God offers us forgiveness and healing, if we will but trust and follow. Let us begin, by confessing our sins together,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
    It seems so easy to get into the boat and set sail on our journey, God of Promises. But when the winds of change begin to blow, we want to turn around and head back to the past's safe harbor. When sin's waves crash over the side, we try to wrap ourselves in the cloak of pride thinking we will not get wet.  When Jesus calls to us to get out and follow in faith, we look around, hoping he is not speaking to us.
    Swamped by our fears, and sinking in doubt, we long for someone to help us - so save us, Holy One, save us! Stretch out your hand, so we might be lifted from our despair to hope, from our worries to trust, from our foolishness to faithful living. Then, we will dare to follow Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, even if it means getting out of the sheltered lives we have built for ourselves. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
In confessing that Christ is Lord, we let go of the past, and turn to God's future. We step out of our fears, and walk into the light and life offered by our God.
In trusting Christ's resurrection, we trust all of God's promises, letting the Spirit work in and through us, healing and making us whole. Thanks be to God, we are forgiven! Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
If we dare to be your followers, Jesus our Brother, than we must be daring enough to offer not just our hearts, our lives, our time, but our tangible gifts as well. Take what we share in these moments to care for others, we pray. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord is with you!
And also with you!
People of God: lift up your hearts to the One
who invites you to daring discipleship.
We lift our hearts to the One
who calls us out of our comfort zones.
People of God: give thanks to the Lord our God.
We sing praises to the One who
enables us to walk the paths of pilgrimage.

To the one true and living God,
we can only bring our songs of glory and praise.
Through you, the light of creation
    dispelled the shadows of chaos;
from you came the imaginative Word,
    shaping the mountains that touch the sky,
    scooping out the hollows for the seas;
by you the Spirit of beginnings breathed,
    giving life to people created in your image.
In love, you embraced us as your own,
giving us the freedom to make our own choices.
Our foolishness led us to believe
that we were wiser than Wisdom herself,
and greater than the Creator of the stars.
    So we ran away from your glory
    and into the arms of sin and disobedience.
But as a mother tenderly nourishes her children,
as a father welcomes home the wayward,
    you would not abandon us to the powers of evil,
    but in your graciousness, you came to us,
speaking through the words of the prophets
and the witness of the faithful.
When we continued to turn away from you,
you sent Jesus Christ, your true Heart,
that we might see your love face to face.

And so, we join the faithful of every time and place,
who, beholding the glory of your presence,
sing with countless throngs of angels,
hymns of unending praise:

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,
who is, who was, and who is to come.
Let us praise and glorify God forever.

You are worthy, Lord our God,
to receive praise and glory,
honor and blessing.

How wonderful are the works of your hands, Holy God,
and how gracious is the gift of your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
When we were famished from eating
the empty promises of the world,
    he came, breaking the bread of fullness;
when we hungered from the vain feast of fame,
    he came, eating with the lost, the least, the little, the last;
when we found no nourishment in our disobedience,
    he came, breaking bread with sinners and outcasts;
when we chose to nibble on death,
    he came, to be broken on the cross of Calvary.

Giver of eternal life in Christ,
as we remember his life, his ministry, his gentleness,
his acceptance of all, his death, his resurrection,
we would speak of that mystery of faith
we claim as believers:

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive
divine power, wisdom, and strength,
honor, glory and blessing.
Let us praise and glorify him forever.

Breathe on us, Breath of God,
and upon these gifts of the bread and the cup.
As we join Christ at this Table,
to be strengthened by your gifts of grace and hope,
    send us forth to be your faithful people.
Having tasted the Bread of Life,
    may we go forth to bring healing
    to every corner of our shattered world;
as we drink of the Cup of Salvation,
    may we be poured out
    in service to those who can find no life;
as you have broken yourself for us,
    so we will do so for everyone in your kingdom.

Then, when all creation is healed,
and all people are one family,
we will gather around the Feast of the Lamb,
singing our praise to you, Holy God:
through Christ, in Christ, with Christ,
and in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever:

Praise our God all you servants,
honor God, you who would be faithful,
small and great, young and old.
Let us praise and glorify God forever.
Let heaven and earth praise God's glory:
all creatures in heaven, on earth,
and under the earth,
the sea and everything in it.
Let us praise and glorify God forever.  Amen.

Sending

Go now, to be the love of God for others.

Let us go to wander with all

the worriers and weary.

Go now, to be the grace of Jesus for all.

Let us dare to step out of worship's comfort

to serve the doubters and dreamers.

Go now, to be the peace of the Spirit to all.

Let us remember our calling

to be God's presence in every moment.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Alternate texts liturgy w/communion for August 9, 2026 (Pentecost 11/Trinity 10/Proper 14/Ordinary 19 - A)

 Texts: 1 Kings 19:9-18; Psalm 85:8-13; Romans 10:5-15; Matthew 14:22-33

Call to Worship
We gather to worship our God,
who speaks the words of peace we need in chaotic times.
We gather to follow Jesus,
who encourages to never fear, for he is near.
We gather to be filled with the Spirit,
who anoints us so we can go to serve our world.

Prayer of the Day
You come as a great wind,
splitting our fears into fragments,
breaking our prejudices into
tiny pebbles that hurt no one.
   You are a summer's breeze
   that stirs the growing grass;
   you are the soft breath
   which makes us more caring.

You come as an earthquake,
knocking all our doctrines
off their neat shelves,
smashing them beyond recognition.
   You are the gentle touch
   that wakens us from
   our nightmares, whispering,
   'it's just me; don't be scared.'

You are the fire that rages
against the injustices visited
upon the poor, the broken, the vulnerable
(often in your name).
   You are the spark that lights
   the passions for your people
   so we feed the hungry, clothe the naked,
   free the oppressed, visit the sick.

As you pass by us in so many ways,
may we take notice of you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we pray,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
The deepest longing of our hearts is to be forgiven and embraced by our God. As we confess our sins, God speaks peace to us and makes us whole.  Join me, as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   In truth, God of silence and seas, we are more adept at making waves than calming storms.  We find it easier to push people out of the boat,  rather than make room for those who are different from us.  And our lives are such a whirlwind of  activity, that we do not notice your presence or hear your sheer silence singing your shalom to us.
   Have mercy on us, God of patience.  Grab hold of us to keep us from drowning in our oceans of temptations.  Give us the words to speak of your hope to others.  Fill our hearts with the love of Jesus Christ, which is nearer to us than we dare to imagine. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Grace
Immediately, immediately! your sins are forgiven, your life is restored, and grace becomes your guide through this life.
Thanks be to God!  We are not left alone, but take heart in the forgiving love of our God.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
Not only with our lips, but with our lives and with our treasure we will proclaim that you are in our midst, Loving God.  Take these gifts, and use them so all might know that your love, your life, your hope, your healing is near to them.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May God be with you.
And also with you.
Let us open your hearts to God,
so they may be filled with grace.
Speak of the Word of life which is near you.
Glad songs of praise are on our lips.

At the corner of disarray and emptiness,
you came, Ingenuous God, passing by
as creation sprang forth out of the sheer silence:
   splitting valleys to push up mountains,
   breaking planets into moons,
   pouring waters into seas.
All this was for those shaped in your image,
   but we threw down your hopes,
   leaving you alone as we
   forsook you for sin and death.
Prophets came proclaiming your word
so we could hear, that in hearing
we might believe, and in believing
we could call on you,
   but we refused to listen.
Unwilling to give up on us,
you sent Jesus to us,
coming into all our broken places.

With those who confess you with their lips,
with those who believe in their hearts,
we sing our praises to you:

Holy, holy, holy, God who does not forsake us.
All creation worships and praises you.
Hosanna in the highest!

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

At the corner of justice and kindness,
Jesus came, your child of holiness,
our brother of hope and grace.
When the world would dismiss us,
   he would put us to work
   in your kingdom.
When others would toss us overboard,
   he reaches out
   to pull us to safety.
When the forces of sin and death
threaten to overwhelm us,
   he has already overcome their power
   once and for all, by dying
   and being raised to new life.

As we gather at this Table,
we will find him in our hearts,
even as we proclaim our faith:

Christ died, following God to the very end;
God raised him, restoring him to wholeness;
Christ will return, to guide us to God.

Here at the corner of fears and doubts,
we come to your Table,
where the Spirit blessed the bread and cup,
and all those who are in this place.
The bread is the gift of life, sending us
   to plant gardens in
      craters made by bombs;
   to offer a bouquet of
      faithfulness to the ostracized.
The cup is the promise of hope,
   which we would share with all
      who wander in despair.

And when we gather in that place
where you pass by us on the way
to prepare the great feast of the Lamb,
we will sing our songs of joy to you,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
We will go into the world as God's people,
telling of God's hopes for all.
We will go to serve the world as followers of Jesus,
showing with our lives that all are part of the kingdom.
We will go to share the Spirit,
to bring peace where there is war, to share love where there is hate.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for August 2, 2026 (Pentecost 10/Trinity 9/Proper 13/Ordinary 18 - A)

 Texts: Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:13-21

Call to Worship

We come to this place of worship,

to encounter the One who has called us here.

This Holy One - our God: is with us in every moment.

God is in our celebrations and joys, 

God is in our darkest nights of loneliness.

This Holy God - our God: blesses us and calls us by name.

As night fades before the coming Light,

we meet the One who saves us - even from ourselves.

This God - our Holy God: touches us with the Spirit of hope.

Prayer of the Day

In the darkest moments

of our lives, Intriguing God,

     we have struggled with you,

     believing that if we were to defeat you,

     you would have to give us whatever we want,

not realizing you have already blessed us

with everything we need in life.

When our hunger for hope

overwhelms us, Gentle Jesus,

     you fill us with your presence;

when our need for more and more

would pull us further and further away from you,

     you heal us of our desires;

when we look away from those in need,

     your tears of compassion cleanse our hearts.

We would leave our pain behind us,

and run through your streams of

living waters, Spirit of God,

     that we might embrace

     our sblings in peace,

          knowing that our broken relationships

          have been made whole.

God in Community, Holy in One,

we lift our prayers to you,

in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior,

(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation

We pick on our siblings; we argue with our partners; we fight with friends and neighbors - we all live broken lives. We even end up struggling with God, seeking to make God do our bidding. But it is God who can heal our brokenness, God who can reconcile our differences, God who can make us families once again. Let us confess our brokenness together, seeking God's promised blessing for each of us, as we pray, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

     Here at the river's edge, Healing God, we are hesitant to cross over. For on the other side are all the people we have hurt. On that far shore is everyone we have ridiculed, scorned, ignored. Across the water stand the poor, the homeless, the lost - all those we have looked down on, believing they are beneath us. On the other bank stands the cross we must carry if we are to follow Jesus. Before we can cross, Most Holy One, we must struggle with you. We cannot meet the others, if we have not encountered you.   

     Forgive us and reconcile us, not only to them, but to yourself. Bless us, that we would be a blessing to them. Rename us and carry us across the river as faithful disciples of the One we are blessed to call our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon

Here, face to face, God meets us. Here, face to face, we can speak every longing in our heart. Here, face to face, God forgives us.

Here, face to face, we meet the One who has great compassion for us, and who forgives us of every foolish choice, word, action of our lives. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayer for Dedication/Offering

For those living in the shadows, may our gifts be light. For who hunger, may our gifts bring nourishment. For all in broken relationships, may our gifts start the healing. As we stand on the edge of life, wondering if we should step into the fray, may you push us and our gifts to cross over to all the places where you are waiting.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

The God of crossings and healings be with you.

And also with you.

People of God, lift your hearts to the One 

who travels every journey with you. 

We lift them to the God who gives us rest when we are weary.

People of God, offer your praise and thanks

to the God who feeds the hungry.

It is our greatest joy to sing to the One 

who fills our emptiness with grace and joy.

Standing at the edge of chaos,

you took all the goodness in your heart,

and shaped it into the glory of creation,

God of Imagination.

Looking up, you placed

the moons, stars, and planets

     into the cradle of the sky.

You took the dust of the earth,

blessing it, and forming us

     into your image of hope and grace.

We were filled with the

abundance of your constant love,

     but we longed for the empty

     promises of sin and death,

          breaking your heart as

          we followed after them.

Prophets came to tell the truth

of your everlasting covenant,

     but we turned our backs on them.

So, to put an end to your great sorrow,

you sent Jesus to us,

bringing us all the gifts

you had stored up for us.

So, with those who stand at the edge of grace,

and with those who have crossed over to your peace,

we join our voices with all who forever sing to your glory:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God who listens to our prayers.
All creation beholds your face in righteousness.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who feeds us with grace and wonder.
Hosanna in the highest!

You are Holy, Redeemer of the lost,

and Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior,

is your true blessing and hope for us.

When he could have deserted us,

as we continued to stumble through sin,

     he was filled with compassion,

     and came to be with us in our pain.

When he could have kept silent

in response to our fears and doubts,

     he told stories of your love and grace.

When he could have detoured

around our violence and anger,

     he walked straight into death,

so we might be saved.

As we remember all the gifts he shared with us,

as we tell of his healings and feedings for all,

we speak of that faith which is often a mystery:

Christ died, compassion for us in his heart;
Christ was raised, blessing God forever;
Christ will come, so that we are never sent away.

As we gather at the edge of your kingdom,

coming once again to the Table,

we pray you would pour out

your Spirit of reconciliation upon us,

and on the gifts of the bread and the cup.

You feed us with this meal,

not that we might become gluttons,

     but so we might become servants

     in your kingdom of holiness.

Where we see only crumbs on the Table,

     you see enough leftovers for us

     to take to feed a hungry world.

Where we see only

the last few drops in the cup,

     you see enough grace for us

     to fill the empty hearts of your children

     forgotten and alone in the world.

And when we come to the edge of eternity,

all of our struggles over, all our pain left behind,

we will gather around your Table of grace,

joining with all who will forever sing of your love,

God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending

Here at the border where worship meets the world,

God sends us out to be caregivers to all.

Here, as turn our gaze from glory

to see the brokenness of our lives and those around us,

Jesus call us to follow into all

the broken places and people to bring hope.

Here, as we hesitate to cross over

to where we must meet those we have hurt,

the Spirit takes hold of our hands

so we know we are not alone on this journey.

(c) Thom M. Shuman