Liturgy w/communion for September 13, 2026 (Pentecost 16/Trinity 15/Proper 19/Ordinary 24 - A)

 Texts: Exodus 14:19-31; Psalm 114; Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:21-35

Call to Worship
In sacred times of word, wonder, and awe,
in ordinary days of work and play:
in every moment, God is with us.
Whether we are stuck in doubt's mud,
or standing on faith's shoreline:
in every place, God is with us.
In those who teach us
and those who trouble us;
in those who surprise us,
and those who forgive us:
in every person, God is with us.

Prayer of the Day
When we look over our shoulders
at fear shadowing us today,
you go before us into tomorrow,
making a path through
the sea of yesterday's doubts.
When our legs tremble
from the effort of standing up
for what you hope for all creation,
you are at our side,
offering your heart's strength.
Cloud of Grace,
we offer our love to you.

When we turn our hearts
into deserts of stony bitterness,
you transform them
into oases of joy.
When we come up
with all sorts of rules
for those who come to us
seeking to find you,
you tear up the list,
stretching wide your arms
in welcoming grace.
Servant of all,
we offer our lives to you.

When we would clasp
old worries to our hearts,
you open our eyes to that hope
which paves the path ahead of us.
When we spend each day
consumed with doubts and fears,
you remind us that this day
is the time to honor God,
by serving God's children.
Mist of Mercy,
we offer our hearts to you.

God in Community, Holy in One,
as you are all to us,
so we would offer all we are to you,
even as we pray as Jesus taught us,

(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
As we stand before God, we think of all the ways we bicker with others, all those times we have not shown mercy and grace to those around us. Let us bow our hearts and confess our sin to God, as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
It is never easy for us to confess
but deep down inside, we know that
graced,
we have trouble
being grace-full to others;
forgiven,
we are eager to judge
and punish all who hurt us;
freed,
we find ways to put restrictions
on people we fear.

Forgive us, Servant God. You show mercy more often than we deserve; you pardon us more times than we can count. And why? Because we are the Lord's - siblings of Jesus Christ, who died and lived again, so we might live beyond death with you.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
God's hand of mercy is stretched out to us, making a way through all that
threatens us, to touch us with grace and hope.
We stand before our God, singing praise to the One who turns our despair into joy, our fears into faith. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

We are all different, yet the gifts you give us are all the same - grace, hope, love, kindness, and so much more.  May we not hoard them, but be as generous with sharing them as you are in offering them to us in the first place.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of hope be with you!
And also with you!
God, our God, leads us through the flood of fears
into the future of wonder and hope.
We open our hearts to the One who journeys
with us, in the past, in the present, into tomorrow.
God goes before us, preparing the Table piled high
with grace and peace.
We sing songs of glad thanksgiving to the One
who fills us with goodness and mercy.

You stretched out your hand,
Cloud of Glory,
parting a way through chaos,
so your goodness might come forth.
You looked, and laughed out loud,
as seas ran forth in joy,
mountains played leapfrog,
and hills hopscotched with valleys.
Creation became a sanctuary
for those created in your image.
But we decided to live for ourselves,
every day becoming one in which
we could turn your dreams to ashes,
your overflowing love into
dust bowls of despair.
Out of pity, you sent the prophets,
those pillars of faithfulness,
but we wrangled with their gentle words.
So, you sent Jesus,
to lead us through evil's deeps,
to that freedom found only
in your kingdom of life.

Therefore, on this day,
when we stand in your grace
around your Table of life,
we join our voices with all
who offer praise to the One who saves:

Living, we serve others in God's name;
serving, we die unto ourselves;
dying, we are given life eternal with God.

Blessed is the One who comes forgiving us
more times than we can count.
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, Cloud of Joy,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son, our Servant.
When we were weak in faith,
he came to strengthen us
with your everlasting hope;
when we were slaves to sin,
he came to lead us into
the promised land of mercy;
when our hearts became like flint,
he softened them with compassion;
when we could only focus on ourselves,
he came to die for us.

As we gather at your Table,
we remember his love for us,
his patience with our failings,
his hope in our willingness to follow,
his trust in that mystery we call faith:

Baptized in Christ, we would live for him;
forgiven through Christ, we would emulate him;
putting on Christ, we wait for his return.
Alleluia! Amen!

Creator God,
send your Spirit in peace
upon us and these simple gifts
of the bread and of the cup.
As we share the bread,
we share the presence of Christ,
strengthened to go out
with forgiveness in our hearts.
As we pass the cup,
we share Christ's Spirit
with our neighbors,
and are called to welcome all
as our sisters and brothers,
especially those held captive
by the bitterness of the world.

As you gathered your children
to lead them to that promised land,
so you will bring all your children
from the very ends of time itself,
to seat us around your heart,
where we will feast on your grace,
lifting our hearts to praise you forever:
God our Maker,
Christ our Brother,
Spirit our Compassion,
one God, now and forever. Amen.

Sending

We could stay here, ready to argue

with God about the unfairness of grace.

But we will go out to share ours 

with those who have waited for it

for so long while we ignored them.

We could want to start a debate

with Jesus over logic of his story.

But we will go to listen to the empty

hearts and souls of those longing

to be heard by the privileged.

We could hold our breath until 

the Spirit realizes what real life is like.

But we will go to bring peace

to the brokenness of the world

and to welcome te forgotten as family.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Alternate texts liturgy w/communion for September 13, 2026 (Pentecost 16/Trinity 15/Proper 19/Ordinary 24 - A)

 Texts: Genesis 50:15-21; Psalm 103:1-13; Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:21-35

Call to Worship
Disciples and doubters,
faithful and feckless,
we are God's, 
who welcomes us all.
Followers and those who lag behind,
open-hearted and close-minded,
we are the Lord's,
who is always patient with us.
Reconcilers and rabble-rousers,
foolish and fearless,
we are the Spirit's,
who encourages us in every moment.

Prayer of the Day
You are our forgiveness,
Gracious God,
not because you should,
but because it is what you desire:
   to offer us that compassion
   which welcomes all 
   who have been tossed aside.

You are our justice,
Brother of the forgotten,
welcoming all those
   weakened by oppression,
   hungering for hope,
   who have been judged but never heard.

You are our healing,
Spirit of comfort,
bringing peace where
   we would do violence;
offering hope to all
   we choose to despise;
remembering everyone
   we have forgotten.

God in Community, Holy in One,
our Forgiveness, our Justice, our Healing,
hear us as we lift our prayer
as we have been taught,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
We do not have to beg God to forgive us, but simply confess our foolish words, our mistaken acts, our grudging hearts.  Please join me as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   We could have mercy, Compassion's heart, but we judge others by those standards we cannot even meet.  We could welcome all around us as siblings in God's grace, but hold them at contempt's length away from us.  We could have patience with family and friends, but tap our feet and drum our fingers until they do what we want.
   In your forgiveness, Tender God, you wipe the board clean of all our poor accounting.  You don't deal off the bottom of the deck to us, but turn up the ace of grace for us.  You gather up all our foolishness and hurl it beyond the edge of the universe, so the healing you intend for us through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, will take place.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Here is the good news.  God does not hold a grudge against us.  God lets go of anger to welcome us as siblings of Jesus.
We will not be afraid, but will open our hearts and lives to God's compassionate grace.  Thanks be to God, we are forgiven!  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
May these simple gifts offer a welcome to the friendless, a meal for the hungry, shelter for those in disasters, and hope for all who are despised in our times.  In the name of Jesus, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of compassion be with you.
And also with you.
Children of grace, lift your hearts to God.
We bring them to the One who has mercy on us.
Join in glad songs of thanksgiving, God's people.
We lift our voices in praise and hope.

We bless you, O God,
for you would not welcome chaos,
but brought forth all creation:
   summer breezes over beaches,
   leaves changing colors in autumn,
   brittle stars for crisp winter nights,
   butterflies over spring's flowers.
You crowned all this goodness
with those created in your image,
so we could be with you forever,
   but we had no patience for your hopes,
   choosing the gifts offered by temptation.
You sent the prophets to us,
hoping their words would help us
to realize the harm our lives caused,
   but we continued to despise
   your steadfast love and mercy.
So you came to us in Jesus,
that we might not live for ourselves,
but live for your and others.

Realizing your intentions for us
are compassion and grace,
we lift glad songs of praise:

Living, we seek to follow you;
following, we share our lives with others;
sharing, we receive unexpected gifts.

Blessed is the One who is patient with us.
Hosanna in the highest!

We bless you, O God, for your
compassion flows from your holiness
and is shared with us
through Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
Living,
   he showed us how to serve others;
speaking,
   he poured your words of hope
   into those despised by others;
serving,
   he gave us the model
   for all who would be faithful;
dying,
   he revealed your compassion
   for all of you children
   as he was brought out of
   the desperate grasp of death.

As we gather at your Table of mercy
to feast on your steadfast love,
we proclaim that mystery we call faith:

Christ died, trusting in your love;
Christ was raised, your resurrection grace
   entrusted with him;
Christ will come, so where we live or die,
   we are yours forever.

We bless you, O God, for you
pour out your Spirit on
the gifts of the bread and the cup
and on your children in this place.
Here, may the broken bread
heal us so we may
   forgive those who hurt us,
   even as we are forgiven by you.
Here, may the cup of compassion
humble us so we may
   serve everyone we meet
   with grace and hope.

And when all time has ended
and you gather us at the Lamb's Table
with our siblings from every place and moment,
we will sing of your love and mercy forever,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
Whether we believe or whether we struggle,
we are God's.
Let us go out to welcome
the doubters and disciples around us.
Whether we live or whether we die,
we are the Lord's.
Let us go to embrace all
who have been abandoned by the world.
Whether we are brave or quake at the knees,
we are the Spirit's.
Let us go to encourage
our sisters and brothers who struggle.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for September 6, 2026 (Pentecost 15/Trinity 14/Proper 18/Ordinary 23 - A)

 Texts: Exodus 12:1-14; Psalm 149; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20

Call to Worship
When two or three gather, Christ lives in every moment,
where two or three gather, Christ is present with them.
Where two or three gather to worship God,
glad songs of praise are lifted, hearts are filled with hope.
When two or three gather to serve God's creation,
Christ is feeding the hungry, Christ is building shelters of peace.

Prayer of the Day
When we hold out our hands
to be cuffed by loneliness,
    you clasp our wrists
    to pull us into your heart.
When our lives are shattered
by the injustices done to those
passed over by the world,
    your love puts us back together,
    so we can serve them with your hope.
Emancipating God,
we praise you!

When we would build walls
between us and our neighbors,
    you come to be the welcoming gate.
When we would curse someone
who has hurt us in our souls,
    you sing us songs of blessing.
When we would focus only
on our needs and our desires,
    you hand us the dinnerware
    and ask us to set the Table.
Ever-near Salvation,
we would follow you!

When we would feed on
our bitter brokenness,
    you would offer us
    the Bread of reconciliation.
When we would grasp
the Cup of peace,
and drink it to the last drop,
    you whisper, 'offer some
    to those you don't like.'
Liberating Spirit,
we would be filled with you!

God in Community, Holy in One,
free us of all fears and doubts,
as we pray as Jesus has taught us,

(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
All we are called to do is to love - everyone.  Yet, as simple as it sounds, by our actions and our words, we show how difficult a task it is.  Let us confess our failings as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

    You do not ask much of us, Guardian of hope -  to love, to serve, to welcome.  Yet too often, it is words of bitterness we speak to friends and family.  It is our stiff-with-judgment backs we offer to those looking for help. It is our hardened hearts people find, when they reach out, hoping to touch grace.
    Love lived as Compassion, forgive us. We are broken, so make us whole through the life of Christ. We are empty of peace, so fill us with the reconciling Spirit of Christ. We are alone, so take us by the hand and lead us into your kingdom of joy and grace, brought to us through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Gathered as God's people, we hear the good news: God has forgiven us, God has made us whole, God sends us to serve.
We will not wear jealousy or resentment, but put on the garments of peace and hope.  We are forgiven by our God. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

We would take our wrinkled bills, our plastic cards, our tarnished coins and give them to you, Loving God, so those who are oppressed might be set free, that those who are hungry would be fed, that those who are lonely might find a family.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May God be with you!
And also with you!
People of God, open your hearts.
We open them to the One who feeds us with freedom and hope.
Children of God, sing songs of thanksgiving 

to the One who journeys with you!
Graced with abundant life, we join our hearts
and voices in praise to our loving God!

The moment you spoke
and liberated chaos, Holy God,
time marked the beginning
of created beauty and glory.
You watered earth with tears of joy,
planting those seeds of hope and peace
    so we might be fed by your heart.
But asked simply to be your children,
we could not obey that request,
    but wandered off to feast
    at the table groaning with lies and curses.
Your gracious word was sung
in new ways by the prophets,
    but we tuned them out,
    so we could listen to the seductive songs of sin.
You sent us your hope in Jesus Christ,
who came to set us free
and bring us home from
our exile in rebellion.

So, with those who longed for your coming,
packed and ready to journey into freedom,
we sing our praises in the company
of our sisters and brothers from every time:

Holy! Holy! Holy! Living God of grace!
All creation echoes your praise:
    creatures roaming the fields,
    dolphins splashing in the seas,
    eagles soaring in the bright sky.
Glory to you forever and ever,
God of the captives!

You are righteousness, God our Deliverer,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Child, our Brother.
Because we break your heart
with our words and deeds,
    he came to shatter the chains
    of our arrogance and selfishness.
Because we have become gluttons,
feasting on bitterness and fear,
    he came to be the sweet Bread
    of healing and hope.
Because we become drunk
on sin's soured wine,
    he came to be salvation
    poured into our parched souls.
Because death smiles at us,
waiting with open arms,
    he came to gather us up
    in the embrace of grace and life,
carrying us out of the empty tomb
into your life of joy forever.

As you have prepared this Table for us,
gather us as your children, so we might remember
all the promises fulfilled to us in Christ our Lord:

When we eat of the Bread, Christ's life strengthens us;
when we drink from the Cup, Christ's Spirit nourishes us;
when we go to serve others, we proclaim Christ's death
    until he returns in glory.

As you bless the gifts
of the Bread and the Cup,
anoint us with your Spirit
which brings us together.
As your grace touches our lips
with hope and healing,
    may we reach out our hands
    to set free those captive to injustice.
As your peace is poured
into the empty corners of our hearts,
    may we go forth to love
    others as much as we love ourselves,
          and to serve them
          as we show our love for you.

And when time has marked the end of history,
and we gather with all our sisters and brothers,
    all division done away with,
    all brokenness healed,
    all barriers pulled down,
          and all your children set free from despair,
we will join our hands and hearts
around your Table of eternity,
singing praise through forever:

Glory to you, Liberating God!
Alleluia to you, Christ our Servant!
Thanks to you, Spirit of Peace!
Now and forever. Amen.

Sending

Send us out now, O God, in twos and threes

to be the grace and compassion the world needs.

Send us out now, O Jesus, alone and together,

to work for justice for all the forgotten.

Send us out now, O Spirit, as your people

to bring peace to the brokenness around us.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Alternate texts liturgy for September 6, 2026 (Pentecost 15/Trinity 14/Proper 18/Ordinary 23 - A)

 Texts:  Ezekiel 33:7-11; Psalm 119:33-40; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20

Call to Worship

We gather here, where God would teach us:

so we may learn to be more compassionate,

so we may be taught how to be more loving.

We gather here, where Jesus would teach us

the wisdom to choose forgiveness over holding a grudge,

the language of hope so we may speak to all.

We gather here, where the Spirit imparts wisdom,

so we might know how to share grace,

so we would learn to welcome all to this Table.

Prayer of the Day

Liberating God:

you set us free from our loneliness

by the touch of another's hand;

you deliver us from our selfishness,

so we may be of service to others;

you break the chains of our pride,

so we might walk with you in humility.

Christ of love,

when we would cling to our anger,

you send forgiveness to take us by the hand;

when we would snack on our bitterness,

you share the Bread of heaven;

when we would drink from sin's fountain,

you pour out the Cup of salvation.

Spirit of new life:

you gather us together in God's school

to teach us how

     to live together,

     to love together,

     to serve together,

so that those around us might know

that you are in their midst.

God in Community, Holy in One,

fill us with your wisdom as we pray, saying,

(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation

In worship and at work, in life and in loss, now and in every moment, Christ is among us: loving us, teaching us, and hoping to lead us.  But we focus on those needs, on those desires that keep us from recognizing him.  Let us confess all that we have done against God and others, as we pray,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

     All you ask of us is to love one another, God of our lives, and you are more than willing to teach us how.  Yet we find this simple request so hard to carry out, this easy lesson so difficult to learn.  Someone cuts us off in traffic, and we curse them.  Another buys something we want but cannot afford, and we overflow with jealousy.  A friend gets the acclaim we wanted, and we whisper about them behind their backs.

     Forgive us, Merciful God, and unclasp our hands from our grudges.  With Christ in our midst, we can become the people you dream about: loving, merciful, gentle, and compassionate children of God.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Grace

2, 3, 30, 300  - we have gathered as God's people:

   broken, we are made whole;

   alone, we are welcomed into a family;

   forgiven, we are sent to serve.

Fed, forgiven, restored, loved.  This Table is our constant reminder of God's presence in our lives, of God's grace which makes us new in every moment.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

May our gifts go forth into our world, so that where people hunger, they may be fed; where there is war, peace might be welcomed; where families are broken, they may be made whole.  Then others will be as blessed as we have been by your love, grace, and compassion.  In Jesus' name, we offer our gifts and this prayer of gratitude.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

May God our Teacher be with you.

And also with you.

Now is the moment to offer your hearts to God.

Now, we turn our hearts to your grace.

Join in songs of thanks and praise to our God.

We join with all who are here and throughout the world in praise.

We praise you, Holy God:

Shaper of the Bread of life,

Pourer of the Cup of salvation.

Face-to-face with chaos,

you spoke that Word that taught

     elephants to blow water out their trunks,

     monkeys to swing from trees,

     leaves to swirl gently to the ground,

     gases to form into planets.

All that was light and wonder and hope

was offered to those crafted in your image,

     but we wandered through the shadows of sin,

     following the teachings of death.

You sought to bring us back to you

by sending prophets with your gracious words,

     but we could not hear you

     above sin's siren songs.

Taking on human form yourself,

you came to live among us,

so we might see your face-to-face

and know your forgiveness firsthand.

With our siblings in the faith around us,

with those before us and those behind us,

we sing the songs of the gathered faithful:

Holy, holy, holy are you, Teacher of your children.

All creation sings the praises learned from you:

     creatures roaming the earth,

     dolphins splashing in the sea,

     eagles soaring through the sky.

Glory to you forever and ever,

Hosanna in the highest!

God, our righteousness,

you take pleasure in your people and so

     in love, you became human;

     in hope, you came to us;

     in joy, you gave yourself to us

through your Child, Jesus our Sibling.

Clothed in light,

     he came to lead us out of the shadows.

Filled with your wisdom,

     he came to teach us your ways.

One with you forever,

     he came to gather us into your family.

Humble enough to take on our death,

     he carries us into your kingdom.

As we come to this Table

which you have prepared for us,

we remember the faith which was his:

Christ died, facing death one-on-one.

Christ was raised, bringing new life for all.

Christ will come, when the time is right.

Move over these gifts of the Table,

Breath of God,

and on those gathered for this meal.

As the bread of hope heals our brokenness,

may we go forth to be reconciled

to those we have harmed.

As the cup of grace quenches our thirst for hope,

may we reach out to those

whom the world has forgotten.

As your peace fills our empty souls,

may we bring that peace to our world.

And when that day comes when

all brokenness is made whole,

all barriers are torn down,

all people live at peace with one another,

we will gather at your holy feast,

singing our praises forever,

God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending

Go now to the people who are overwhelmed by despair.

We will take the hope which has been given to us and share it with all.

Go now to those who are at odds with neighbors.

We will offer the peace and reconciliation which God has poured into our lives.

Go now to those who are the most vulnerable in our world.

We will bring the healing, the grace, the love of our God.

(c) Thom M. Shuman