Liturgy for November 28, 2013 (Thanksgiving Day, USA)

Texts: Deuteronomy 8:7-18; Psalm 65; 2nd Corinthians 9:6-15; Luke 17:11-19

Call to Worship
L:  Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.
P:  We glorify our God with songs of thanksgiving and joy.
L:  God has done great things for us, filling us with grace.
P:  God fed our ancestors in the wilderness,
     God clothes us with hope.
L:  We will offer our hearts to God, always saying, 'Thank you!'
     to the One who loves us.
P:  We will sing our praises, shouting of God's presence in our lives.

Prayer of the Day
Hot showers in the morning
     and cool breezes in the evening;
work that provides for our families,
     and abundance that makes us generous;
silly jokes told by third graders,
     and the silent tears of a grandmother
          lost in her childhood forever.
What blessings are ours, Creation's Joy!

Teachers who patiently help us with our math,
     and mentors who keep us on the right paths;
friends who shovel snow off sidewalks before we waken,
     and employers whose hearts are greater than their profits;
piano teachers who smile at our repeated mistakes,
     coaches who teach us (one more time)
          how to curl the ball into the goal.
What blessings are ours, Servant of Joy!

Dogs who bounce us awake early in the day
     and cats who lullaby us to sleep at night;
grandfathers who teach us how to whittle
     and sisters who give up a date to baby sit;
little boys who always forget to wipe their mouths
     and folks who always remember to say 'thank you.'
What blessings are ours, Joyous Spirit!

God in Community, Holy in One,
thanksgiving is in every word we speak,
even as we pray as Jesus taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
We wonder what's for lunch, we worry about work tomorrow, we fret about the
test that is coming up. So much worry, so much time waster over things we
cannot control. The One who showers earth with rain, who places the stars in
the autumn sky, is the same One who wraps mercy tight around you, who feeds
us on healing and hope. Let us confess how our worries keep us from trusting
the God who hears us and restores us to new life. Please join me as we pray,

Unison Prayer of Confession
     Because we live in this modern, tech-driven, twittering age, we often
forget what you have done for us, God of every blessing. We pat ourselves on
the back for our ability to learn new computer skills, but have forgotten
that life is more than a machine. We have more than we could ever use yet,
like squirrels, store up more and more. Our faith is often pushed to the
back of the closet, to make room for all the fears we wear so easily.
     Forgive us, Restorer of life. As you clothe us with your grace and
mercy, may we share with those who have so little.  As our hearts overflow
with your love and wonder, may we offer them as gifts to everyone we meet.
As you feed us with your joy and hope, may we welcome to the Table all those
who lives are filled with tears and pain. As we gather with family and
friends during this season, may we continue to give thanks for the gift of
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L:  This is the good news: as God dresses creation in wonder, so you will be
clothed in grace; as God pours out abundance upon the earth, so you will be
blessed with peace and joy.
P:  We don't say it often enough, but thanks be to God for healing, for
life, for wonder, for mercy. We are blessed, for we are forgiven. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L:  The Lord of blessings be with you.
P:  The Lord be with you, also.
L:  Be glad and rejoice, God's people,
     lifting your hearts to the restorer of lives.
P:  We offer them to the God who clothes us in grace.
L:  People of God, come to the Table where you shall eat and be satisfied.
P:  With shouts of joy, we gather to praise the name of God!


Your mouth was filled with laughter,
God of our every moment,
     as you sang creation into being.
The heavens rang with shouts of joy,
     as fruit-bearing trees sprang up,
     as green pastures rippled with wonder.
Crafted in your image, you would
satisfy us with the bounty of grace,
     but we chose the destroyer, death,
     hanging out with the life-cutter, sin.
Prophets and psalmists were sent by you,
longing to restore us to your side,
     but we put their words to shame.
So that everyone might be saved,
Jesus came to be with us,
     herald of your grace,
     bringer of your truth.

With those who lifted thanks by crossed rivers,
with those who offered gratitude for simple gifts,
we join our voice in praising your name:

P:  Holy, holy, holy! God of wonder and delight.
     All creation is filled with your joy.
     Hosanna in the highest!

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

Holy are you, Restorer of broken lives,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, Mediator of salvation.
Seeing the nightmare of our lives,
     he became one of us, so we
          might see the dreams you have for us.
Knowing how our hearts overflowed
with fear, bitterness, and worries,
     he came with peace and comfort.
Teaching that the body is more than sin,
that life is more than death,
     he became our ransom on the cross,
           our salvation by rising from the grave.

As we give thanks for his life and death,
as we shout with joy for his resurrection,
we speak of that mystery we call faith:

P:  Christ died, the righteousness for all.
     Christ rose, the resurrection for all.
     Christ will return, the fulfillment for all.

Pour out your Spirit
doing great thing with the bred and the cup.
Empty, we will be filled
with the plenty of your grace,
the broken bread strengthening us
     so we might bring healing to a world
          shattered by violence and despair.
Longing for hope, we shall be satisfied
with the cup of blessing and hope,
     our lives overflowing
     with your love and compassion,
          pouring ourselves out for the
          poor and marginalized of our time.

And when all our worrying hours have ended,
when we are clothed in your mercy forever,
we will gather with our sisters and brothers,
our mouths filled with laughter,
our hearts echoing glad songs of joy to you,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

© Thom M. Shuman