Texts:
Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18; Psalm 34:15-22; Ephesians 6:10-20; John 6:56-69
Call to Worship
To
abide in you;
to
find strength in you;
to
worship you in these moments,
we gather, O God.
To
challenge the evil around us;
to
bring healing to the hurt;
to
offer hope to the vulnerable,
we follow, Jesus our
Brother.
To
learn how to live;
to
put away our old gods;
to
stick with God in every moment,
we listen, Holy Spirit.
Prayer of the Day
Knowing
the words to familiar hymns
and
offering a word of welcome to a stranger;
listening
to the silly stories of 5-year-olds
and
affirming an awkward adolescent;
dancing
to soul-filled tunes
and
walking a sick neighbor’s dog:
we
continue to love you, O God.
Filling
a grocery cart for the food pantry
and
dropping off supplies for a free health clinic;
living
out God’s hopes for others,
rather
than giving into the mongers of fear;
cradling
the broken heart of the widower
and
mending the toddler’s flat tire:
we
choose to stick by your side, Servant to all.
Noticing
the faithful teachers arms full of supplies
and
paying for them out of our own pockets;
taking
a lonely neighbor out for lunch
and
reconnecting with an old college mate;
refusing
to turn our backs on the forgotten
and
holding leaders accountable for injustices,
we
offer the bread of life, Holy Spirit.
In
all ways, with all people, in all moments,
we
give thanks to you,
God
in Community, Holy in One,
even
as we lift the prayer we are taught, saying,
(The Lord’s Prayer)
Call to Reconciliation
When
we could pay attention to our words and actions, we become distracted by our
worries, our desires. Yet God would seek
to clothe us in garments of hope and grace, so we might continue to walk in the
ways of love and peace. Let us bring our
lives to the One who offers us mercy, as we pray together,
Unison Prayer for
Forgiveness
Yes, Watcher of the faithful, we could put
on the comfortable shirt of faith, but prefer fear with its frayed cuffs and
stains on the front. We could slip on
the loafers of peace, but squeeze into the size-too-small stiff dress shoes of
anger. We could wrap truth around our
lives, yet continue to punch holes in the belt of falsehood so it always fits.
Hear us, Faithful heart, and rescue us
from our worst selves. When we are
lonely, you offer us your heart as a refuge.
When we are broken, you knit us back together. When we are afraid, you promise to draw us
into your embrace. When we are
faithless, you continue to call us to follow Jesus the Christ, the only Word we
need in the midst of so many hollow promises.
Amen.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
As
God listens to our voices and hearts, our brokenness is gathered up and we are
made whole, as mercy and hope fill our lives.
We are forgiven. We are transformed into new people. We are clothed with grace and peace, so we may
go and serve as God’s people. Thanks be
to God! Amen.
Prayer of
Dedication/Offering
May
these simple gifts transform into shoes for those who have none, into clothes
for kids heading off to school, into faith, hope, peace, and grace for all of
your children, Holy God. Amen.
The Great Prayer of
Thanksgiving
May the God of the feast be with you;
may God also be with you.
We come to the place where God has called us.
We lift up our hearts to the One who mends them.
Here, we are fed with living hope and grace.
And so, we lift our songs of thanksgiving to God.
You
listened to the silence of chaos,
Wonder-filled
God, and called forth creation.
Yes,
there were feathered birds,
but also faith planted in the hollows of our
hearts;
there
were porpoises swimming in clear waters,
as well as peace to shelter us in trouble;
trees
grew tall with shade
and truth whispered to us in the evenings.
All
these good and precious gifts
were
offered to those in your image,
but we were seduced by the wiles
of the Evil One, feasting on moldy lies.
Prophets
came to call us back to you
with
words, prayers, and challenges,
but we wished that you would go away
and leave us alone to our doubts.
That
is when you chose to send
your
love, your hope, your grace to us
in
the One made human like us.
With
those who are bold in their faith,
and
those who can barely lift their hearts,
we
sing our praises to you:
Holy, holy, holy are
you, God who clothes us.
All creation gathers to
praise you.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the Bread of
life offered to us.
Hosanna in the highest!
Though
you are holy, Eternal God,
you
would not forsake us to our foolishness
but
became bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh.
In
Jesus, we hear the tough teachings
of
justice for those we would ignore,
not the easy platitudes of those
who claim they do not matter.
In
Jesus, we are offered the life
which
is grounded in your hope and grace,
not the daily promises of success
which are pulled out from under us.
In
Jesus, we taste the sweetness
of
resurrection life and love,
not the moldy and stale death
the Evil One tells us is our finish.
As
we come to the Table of living bread,
as
we prepare to take the cup of grace,
make
us bold with that faith which is hard to understand:
Though the Word was
shattered on the cross,
you did not forsake
him, Loving God,
but completed the
mystery of the gospel
with your resurrection
love, offered to all.
We
come to this holy feast, Loving God,
because
this is where you want us to be,
gathered
with those who like us,
seek
to be faithful and not forsake you.
Here,
the Spirit is the yeast in
the
bread which, though broken, offers life
to
those who eat of it, so we might
share peace with every step we take,
speak the gospel with every action of our
lives,
stand firm against the injustices around us.
Here,
the Spirit is poured into
the
cup which, when emptied, fills us so we can
wrap our arms around the lonely and
grieving,
gather up broken hearts and mend them,
reunite children separated from their families.
And
when we are no longer ambassadors
in
chains of hope, grace, and peace,
but
are gathered with our sisters and brothers,
we
will join in praising you at all times,
God
in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
Sending
To
whom should we go, Holy God,
now
that worship is done?
We will go to nurture others with grace.
Where
should we go, Holy One of God,
now
that the songs have been sung?
We will go to serve
those around us,
for you are the Word of
hope all need.
Why
should we go from this space,
gracious
Spirit, where we find life?
We will go to gather
who are lonely,
all who hunger for
community.
©
2018 Thom M. Shuman
