Liturgy w/communion for July 12, 2026 (Pentecost 7/Trinity 6/Proper 10/Ordinary 15 - A)

 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. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Grace
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

Alternate texts liturgy w/communion for July 12, 2026 (Pentecost 7/Trinity 6/Proper 10/Ordinary 15 - A)

 Texts:  Isaiah 55:10-13; Psalm 65:1-13; Romans 8:1-11; Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Call to Worship
Fresh corn dripping with butter,
juicy peaches topping our cereal:
praise is due to you, God of the harvest!
Children chasing fireflies in evening's shadows,
families picnicking in the backyard:
Praise is due to you, God of summer days!
Mothers tightening training wheels on bikes,
fathers teaching kids to bait a hook:
praise is due to you, God of our lives!

Prayer of the Day
You open our hearts, O God,
as you put a sail on your hope
so it may reach the furthest
shores of our despair.
Your showers of grace
fall softly upon the loose soil
of our dried-up dreams.

Your words do not return
empty to you, Story-teller.
They take root deep within us,
blossoming into gentleness
which can comfort a broken heart,
into compassion which can transform
a cold shoulder into an embrace,
into kindness which can make
a curmudgeon break into laughter.

You move into our lives,
Spirit of life,
quietly taking those fears
which trip us in the night hours
and putting them out in the trash;
gently watering the seeds
planted in our inept souls
until they become bushels of grace.

We join all in coming to you
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we pray together, saying,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
We could offer seeds of hope, but don't.  We could help a friend with a difficult problem, but won't.  We could smooth the way for someone stumbling through life, but can't.  Let us confess our harvest of sin to our God, as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     We know the seeds we have sown, Harvesting God: anger which springs from our flinty hearts; bitterness which flows like a rushing river into another's heart; hurtful words which wrap their thorny briars around a friend's kindness; passion which poisons an innocent relationship.
     Forgive us, Loving God, and have mercy.  Your grace can turn our fallow hearts into rich fields of love.  Your hope can smooth the rocks in our way, so we can go to be reconciled to another.  Your love for us in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, can untangle the thorny mess we have made of our lives.  Bless us with these gifts, we pray.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Grace
No ifs, no ands, no buts.  Now there is no condemnation - period!  God answers all our hurts, our wrongs, our sin with salvation.  Believe this good news, my friends.
We are stunned by your grace, and embraced in your love, Forgiving God, and lift our thanks to you.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offertory
What we offer may not seem significant in a world of so much, Caring God, but we pray they may become seeds of hope, of grace, of change, of life to all those around us.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the Sower of grace be with you!
And also with you!
Seeds of hope and joy are planted in you.
May our hearts yield a rich harvest for God.
Join your voices with the valleys and mountains in praise.
We rejoice in the One who welcomes us at this Table.

You cast your seeds upon chaos,
Sower of creation, and
     pastures overflowed with flocks,
     valleys brought forth flowers to welcome you,
     mountains sang out their praises to you
          as trees clapped out the beat.
We were shaped in your image
to enjoy all these generous gifts,
     but we chose to walk the rocky paths
     of sin and death, their thorny temptations
     choking us off from your hopes for us.
Prophets came to us with joy,
hoping to lead us back to you in peace,
     but we sent them away empty-handed,
     scattering their words on our sinful paths
     like bread crumbs left for birds of prey.
Yet you would not leave us condemned,
and sent Jesus to accomplish your hopes.

With those whose ears are wide open,
with those who struggle to walk with you,
we lift our songs of thanksgiving to you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God our Presence.
All creations is stunned by your deeds.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the Sower of the good news.
Hosanna in the highest!

Your holiness fills the earth with hope,
and Jesus Christ is the everlasting sign
we will not be separated from you.
He walked the dusty paths,
     picking us up from where
     the world had cast us aside.
He  gathered up all the rocks
which fill our lives,
     so your word might take root
     deep within us.
He prunes all the twisted briars
of sin and death
     so that your resurrection
     might bloom for us all.

As we gather for this memorial feast,
as we seek to hear and understand his words,
we proclaim that mystery we know as faith:

Christ died, condemning sing to death;
God raised Christ, giving him new life;
Christ will come for us again, refusing to return to God empty-handed.

The Sower casts out the seeds
and the grain comes forth
to provide substance for the Bread.
The rain and snow refresh the vines,
the plump grapes ripened
to fill the Cup of life.
Your Spirit gathers us these gifts
and prepares the Table for your people
who, blessed with your presence, go forth
     to bring hope and life to others;
and who, set free from sin and death,
    go to release neighbors and strangers
    from hunger, fear, doubts, and loneliness.

Then, when time has ended,
we will gather with our sisters and brothers
around your table of grace and peace,
and satisfied with your goodness
we will join all creation in praising you,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
Go forth as God's people.
We will sow seeds of love and joy in the world.
Go forth as Christ's true friends.
We will sow seeds of justice and hope in oppression-strewn paths.
Go forth as the Spirit's love.
We will sow seeds of peace and reconciliation in every corner of creation.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for July 5, 2026 (Pentecost 6/Trinity 5/Proper 9/Ordinary 14 - A)

 Texts:  Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67; Psalm 45:10-17; Romans 7:15-25a; Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Call to Worship
Come to our God, all who hunger for life:
for it is God who nourishes us at the Table of Grace
Come to our God, all who are worn out by life:
for it is God who provides the rest we need.
Come to our God, all who are weighed down:
for it is our God who carries our burdens with us.

Prayer of the Day
Eternal God:
you sing a song
of silence
to our noisy hearts,
inviting us to still
our fidgeting souls,
and find our peace
in your cupped hands
which cradle us.

Jesus Christ,
Wanderer of the kingdom:
you are called
to reveal God to us
and do so in
    the tenderness of your touch,
    the gentleness of your words,
    the goodness of your heart,
    the peace of your shared yoke.

Spirit of Rest:
your childlike presence
opens our eyes
to the wonders of the world.
As we hand you
our anger, our hurt, our sin,
may our burdens
become our songs of joy.

May we find our rest, our hope, in you,
God in Community, Holy in One
even as we pray as Jesus taught us, saying,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Fretful, agitated, longing for more and more of this and that, we spend our lives in a never-ending, never-fulfilled search for that which satisfies.  But Christ knows that we will only find the end of our journey in God, and so invites us to that peaceful place known as God's heart.  May we let go of our burdens of anger, hurt and sin so we can find our rest.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   We are so skilled at being in control, at taking charge, Sabbath-Taking God, that we are not very good at resting.  We think we have to be constantly busy, so we have no time for you.  We are trained to be extremely productive, and so create our harried, stress-filled lives.
   Forgive us, Shalom Giving God.  Help us to let go of our distractions, so you can act in us; calm our creaturely activity, so you can re-create us; help us to follow Jesus, not only into discipleship, but into our rest with you.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
It sounds so simple, we think it is too simple.  But which is the burden you would choose: hate or love; anger or forgiveness; pain or peace?  God invites us to receive the gifts which make it possible to have lives of faithful obedience.
This is the good news:  God forgives us and takes our burdens from us.  We would let go of them and welcome hope, joy, grace into our lives.  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
You invite us to offer our pain, our burdens, our troubles to you, and we do so easily.  Yet when you challenge us to offer our abundance for others, we resist and grumble.  Help us to be as welcoming, as caring, as generous as you, Loving God, as we share our gifts with you and the world.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you.
and also with you.
People of God, lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the One who invites us to rest in the heart of the Trinity.
People of God, give thanks to the One who offers you rest.
We bring our thanksgiving to God, who sings to us of peace.

With hearts filled with joy,
we bring our praise to you,
God of Rest.
On the first morning of creation,
you whispered of peace,
and the cacophony of chaos
was stilled.
You walked softly
through the grasses of the earth
and all creation
sang of your goodness.
Created to find our peace with you,
our fretful desire to be in control
led us into a nomadic existence
of rebellion against you.
Prophets spoke and angels sang
to invite us home,
but our stubborn pride
only grew stronger.
When the burden of our sin
became too great for your heart,
you sent Jesus to carry it for us.

With those who have found their rest in you,
with those who long for their burdens to be lifted,
we join in singing your praise:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God of the weary.
All creation celebrates your name in all generations.
Hosanna in the highest!

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

Holy are you, God of our footloose hearts,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son,
our Lord and Savior.
Watching our restless striving
for more and more,
he modeled the life
of self-denial and service;
seeing us weighed down
with the burdens of sin and death,
he picked up his cross,
carried it to Calvary,
where he died to give us life.

As we remember his life and his rest in you,
as we celebrate the good news of lightened burdens,
we speak of that mystery we call faith:

Christ came, that we may have life;
Christ died, so that the burden of death might be lifted from us;
Christ was raised to new life, so grace might be revealed to every generation;
Christ will return, to yoke us to God through all eternity.

Pour out your Spirit of rest and shalom
upon this bread and this cup,
that these gifts might nourish us.
As we find our rest in you,
may we become restless
in service to your children;
as we engage with you
in solitude,
may we build a community
of justice and righteousness;
as we listen to your silence,
may we speak out
for all whose voices
are ignored by the world.

Then, when we gather with all
who have found their rest with you
at the Table of the Lamb,
we will sing our praise for all eternity,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
We leave with the presence of the Holy,
so we may show others the way to grace and hope.
We leave with Jesus, who draws living water for us,
so we can share it in the heat of summer,
and in the bitterness of winter.
We leave with the Spirit, who teaches us how to listen,
so we may hear the cries of the lonely
and the voices of all who are ignored.

(c)  Thom M. Shuman

Alternate texts liturgy w/communion for July 5, 2026 (Pentecost 6/Trinity 5/Proper 9/Ordinary 14 - A)

Texts: Zechariah 9:9-12; Psalm 145:8-14; Romans 7:15-25a; Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Call to Worship
When God could stomp feet and yell,
God tiptoes into our hearts to whisper mercy.
When God could play favorites,
locking others out of the house,
God holds wide the arms of love
to embrace everyone.
When God could break promises,
going back on every word given,
God picks up those we trip
on the way to success,
and cradles the lonely and frightened.

Prayer of the Day
We sing glad songs to you,
God of early mornings.
Because your heart
is as broken as ours,
you tear down dividing barriers,
you bring an end to polarizing speech,
you send forth all who hold open
their arms to welcome the forgotten.

We shout from the rooftops
of our hearts this day,
Jesus who is velcroed to us.
For you are the One
who comes to rescue us,
riding in a refugee boat
on the open seas,
holding hands with children
at border crossings.

We lift our voices in praise
to you in these moments,
Spirit who is our teacher.
You are the One who
points us in the direction
of little kids at play, those
who easily change the rules
of games to include everyone,
who ignore the complexities of adults
and live out kindness, love, and grace.

Hear our voices, our songs,
our hearts, our longings,
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we pray as your Beloved Community,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
We know our foolishness, our hurtful words, the rejection we offer to others. And we think God wants nothing to do with us. But in Jesus, God holds our hands and will never let go, as we journey together through life into grace and forgiveness. Let us pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   Why do we keep messing up, O God? We know what is right but keep choosing the wrong. We wrestle with our consciences but get pinned to the mat every time. We argue with our desires but they always win the debate. There’s just something inside of us that keeps us from being us, those little nudges which just get pushier, those whispers of seduction getting louder and louder.
   But just when we think we are lost, Jesus comes along and says, ‘let me show you what I have learned.’ And, by your grace, Forgiving God, we find our way home, no longer burdened by our foolishness, no longer distracted by the trolls of life, no longer alone as we walk with the One who came to rescue us from ourselves, Jesus our beloved sibling. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
God promises us life, grace, forgiveness, and hope. And God never goes back on any promises. This, my friends, is our good news.
Thanks be to God, who never gives up on us, but whose love is always wrapped around us. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
May the forgotten know they are not alone, may the hungry be fed with food and hope, may the lonely find a friend in us, as we offer our gifts to you, O God. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May our promise keeping God be with you.
And with you as well.
Though weary, broken, fearful,
let us offer our hearts to God.
For God will heal our hearts,
strengthen them, fill them with hope.
Come now and join all creation
in singing glad songs to God.
Our voices join with morning songbirds
and crickets chirping in the night.

You lifted your voices,
God of incredible harmony,
singing into the silence of chaos
and bringing forth wonder and beauty.
Herons standing on one leg,
bullfrogs echoing across ponds,
bat flying through evening shadows,
all were the gifts you shared
with those who were crafted in your image.
We could have lived in your garden,
but we just kept making the wrong choices,
listening more to the whispers of temptation
then to your songs of compassion.
More times than you can count,
you sent women and men
to sing your songs,
tell of your hopes,
shout your invitation to return,
but we constantly choose the wrong paths,
rather than following your heart.
And so, you sent your Child,
the One who would experience our lives,
know our struggles,
and stay with us in every moment.

With all who seem to have their act together,
with those who keep making the same foolish choices,
we sing our praises to God:

You are holy, God who does not play favorites.
We join all creation in forever singing your praises.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One whose life
is ever interwoven with ours.
Hosanna in the highest!

While you alone are holy,
God of all space and time,
you are never afraid to get your hands dirty,
as seen in your creation.
Your beloved Child chose
to become one of us, in every way.
In him, the vulnerable
find an ally to defend them
from the bullies of wealth.
In him, frightened little children
hear lullabies of grace
so they can sleep at night.
In him, transgendered kids
are told over and over again
how much they are loved.
In him, seduction’s grip is broken,
death’s power is shattered,
and his siblings are gifted
with the promise of resurrection life.

As we remember his life, love, and grace,
as we are bound together in life and death,
we proclaim that mystery we call faith:

Gathering up his fears,
   Jesus forged them into faith.
Gathering up his brokenness,
   Jesus walked into new life.
Gathering us into his heart,
   Jesus will journey home with us.

Pour out your Spirit, Loving God,
upon the gifts of the Table
and upon your children gathered here.
As we eat of the broken bread,
may we be made whole, so we can
open up schools of peace,
welcome the forgotten,
seek justice for all people.
As we drink from the cup of grace,
may our thirst for reconciliation
never be quenched,
may our longing for hope be satisfied,
may our love be shared with everyone we meet.

And when all time comes to an end,
gather us with our siblings
from every moment and every space,
feeding us at the Table
which has room for everyone,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
We have sung songs of praises to our God.
We will now go to speak of justice
to all who hold power.
We have learned how Jesus would have us serve.
We will go to turn our thoughts into action,
and our prayers into caring for others.
We have been filled with the Spirit’s hope.
We will go into our neighborhoods
To share peace with everyone.

© Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for June 28, 2026 (Pentecost 5/Trinity 4/Proper 8/Ordinary 13 - A)

 Texts: Genesis 22:1-14; Psalm 13; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42

Call to Worship
With joy and celebration, God welcomes us to this place.
How good it is to gather in God's house!
With joy and celebration, we welcome one another.
We greet each other by name; we are equal in God's Kingdom.
We open our hearts, to welcome God's love;
we open our arms, to welcome God's people.
Here, every single one of God's children is welcome.

Prayer of the Day
You have invited us to this place,
Accepting God,
for this is where you want us.
Here, we learn to trust you,
    and to faithfully follow where you lead us.
Here, we learn to listen to you,
    and hear the words of life,
    of hope, of healing.
Here, we learn to bring everything to you -
    even our pain, especially our brokenness -
    that we might be made whole.

Pilgrim Jesus:
you are with us in this place,
    and in every place
    where we live, work, play, pray.
And, if we dare to trust
this good news,
we discover that grace
which sets us free:
    to treat one another
          as siblings;
    to use that grace
          to break down every barrier;
    to live that grace
          in every moment of our lives.

We would receive you
into our hearts, Abiding Spirit,
knowing that you have brought us together,
for by the gift of your presence,
    we are no longer strangers
    but friends and neighbors
          in your Kingdom.

God in Community, Holy in One,
hear us as we pray as Jesus taught us, saying,

(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Created to live with one another and our God, we know the truth about our shattered lives and relationships. Yet, out of this brokenness, God shapes new people, giving every one of us a new start. Let us confess those things which separate us from one another, that we might be 

made one in Christ.

Unison Prayer for Confession
    In your house, there is room for all; at your Table, we find a place set for us. But we admit, Inviting God, that we find it difficult to be as accepting as you and we find it easy to shoulder others away from your feast. You fling wide the doors to your kingdom, Welcoming God, but we are quick to try to shut them to those who are different from us. Your heart is open so that all might experience your grace, and we reluctantly remember our ungracious words and deeds.

    Forgive us, God of every person: heal our broken lives; mend our fragmented souls. Open our hearts to your vision of the Kingdom where all are welcome, all are affirmed, all are beloved - even as we receive these gifts from Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Can it be any clearer? God has created us to be a family - sisters, brothers, neighbors, friends. No longer strangers, we are all welcome in the kingdom of love, grace, and hope.
In Christ, we are one. There are no barriers, no differences, no divisions. We are a new people, forgiven and made whole. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

May the gifts that we offer break the bonds of injustice, put out the fires of prejudice, and embrace the lonely and forgotten, we pray. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord who provides be with you!
And also with you!
Lift your hearts to the One who frees us from sin.
We rejoice in God, who delivers us from death's power.
Offer songs of joy and wonder to the One 

who welcomes you to this Table.
We will sing to God, whose bounty fills our lives, 

our hearts, our souls.

With great joy and thanksgiving,
we lift our songs of praise to you,
God of all life.
You did not withhold
your treasures from us,
    but poured them out
    in overflowing abundance for us:
          sparkling streams, rolling clear and clean;
          carpets of grass,
              through which the wind tiptoes;
          crystal blue skies freckled
              with bright, billowing clouds.
All was created and called good by you,
and offered as gifts for us.
But when we could have danced
through Eden, free and joyous,
    we chose to let sin bind us,
    placing us on death's altars.
When we refused to answer you
when you called in the night,
when we turned deaf ears
to the prophets you sent to us,
    you did not withhold your only son,
    the Child you loved most of all,
          but sent Jesus to come to us,
providing a way home to your heart.

So, we lift our voices, filled with joy,
joining them with the glad songs
of every place and generation,
all creation praising your name:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God who does not forget us.
All creation trusts in your steadfast love.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who gives a cup of living water to the thirsty.
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, God of constant love,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior,
and the love of your heart.
When we thought you had forgotten us,
    he came to remind us
    of your eternal promises;
when we would lay in
the cradling arms of pain,
    he came to make us whole;
when we prepared to sleep
in death's comforting bed,
    he came to shine the light
    of your love upon us,
and to welcome us home
into your kingdom of eternal life.

As we remember his hospitality to all,
as we would not forget his dying for us,
as we would celebrate his resurrection,
we would tell of that mystery we call faith:

Christ died, welcoming death on our behalf;
Christ rose, welcoming the gift of resurrection on our behalf;
Christ will return, on our behalf, so we might not lose our reward.

You send your Spirit
to rest upon the gifts
of the bread and the cup,
and to welcome all your children
to the feast of the Lamb of Life.
As we eat of that Bread
which makes us whole,
    we would make room
    for all of your children,
          welcoming all who have been
          rejected by the world.
As we drink deeply from
that Cup which gives us life,
    we would leave this place
    to go and be with all
          who are bound by fear and failure,
          by hunger and hopelessness,
          by hate and persecution,
not withholding our
most precious possession,
but sharing our lives with them.

And when all time has ended,
when we are gathered as your family
at the table which you have prepared for us,
we will feast on the grace you provide,
praising you forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending

May we go out into our world with God.

Where we may work to set free

all bound by worry and loneliness.

May we go out into our communities with Jesus.

Where we will gather up those sacrificed

on the altars of success, hate, and greed.

May we go out into our neighborhoods with the Spirit.

Where we will offer ourselves as lambs

of peace, of gentleness, of justice.

(c) Thom M. Shuman