Christmas Day liturgy

 Texts:  Isaiah 62:6-12; Psalm 97; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:1-20

Call to Worship

One: In snow-capped churches,
and on sand-strewn beaches,
All: God’s people gather in joy
to celebrate a birth.
One: With hopes littering our hearts
like wrapping paper under a tree,
All: We offer our thanks and praise
for the gift of grace swaddled in love.
One: With eyes wide open like little children,
with hearts full of wonder and laughter,
All: We join our lives with Mary and Joseph,
with the shepherds who ran to tell the good news.

Christmas Morning Prayer

Grace dawned this morning,
   streaking our bleary eyes
   with bright shafts
   of beauty and goodness.

Joy sang us awake

with carols of wonder
   written by the shepherds,
   the tunes composed by children
      who could not sleep.

Hope was fixing breakfast
for us while we slept,
   toasting the Bread and
   slathering it with jam,
      pouring us a cuppa
      steaming grace.

We rejoice and give thanks
God in Community, Holy in One,
our Grace, our Joy, our Hope,
even as we pray as your Child taught us,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
On this morning of love and joy, of laughter and families, we must remember and confess how we dampen the spirits of others, speak hurtful words to those we love, turn our backs on those in need.  Join me, as we pray together saying,

 Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

   Manger-dwelling God,
      we heard the songs of the angels,
         yet we easily tune-out the cries of the needy;
      we feel the breath of our children on our faces,
         yet remain untouched by your Spirit of peace;
      we are surrounded by gifts as precious as those
      brought by the Wise Ones,
         yet have trouble sharing with those
         who are from other countries, other faiths.

   Forgive us, Grace swaddled in mystery.
      We believe in Christmas,
         help us to believe in you even more;
      we hunger for happiness,
         feed us on your peace;
      we long for community and acceptance,
         surround us with our siblings
         we find in all those, of every age and every place,
         who follow and serve alongside our Lord and Savior,
         Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate this day.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
One: Born that day was grace – for the broken and bereft;
born that day was hope – for the vulnerable and forgotten;
born that day was love – for all of us!
All: Thanks be to God, we are forgiven!  We will go to tell others of all we have seen, heard, experienced, and know.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

May the gifts we share be from the heart, just as yours was that day, God of Bethlehem.  ay they serve those who look for welcome,

those who struggle with loss and grief,

those who need to be blessed by hope

This we pray in the name of your Child, Jesus.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

One: Now, may Bethlehem’s Child bless you!
All: And also bless you!
One: Now, may the children of God open their hearts.
All: We offer them to the One who loves us each and every morning.
One: Now, may we join in the songs of the angels.
All: We join our voices with those of every time and place.

One: In the silenced night of chaos,
creation rejoiced with the carols of wonders
you had composed, God of surprises:
   as joy sparkled in the sky,
   as rivers swarmed with fish,
   as turtles plodded through meadows.
The Word gently gathered up earth’s dust
and the Spirit breathed life into those
shaped in your image, so we might
be at peace and be with you in joy.
   But we were tempted by sin’s decorations
   and death’s commercials of life without you. 
Time and again, you sent folks to call us home.
Miriam and Micah, Ruth and Habakkuk
spoke of your hopes for of us,
   yet we found rebellion the better
   road to take in our journey through the years.
Finally, you chose to offer yourself
in that Child born into poverty,
that little One who would strengthen all.

With those who gathered on that first morning,
with all who have celebrated with songs and service,
we sing carols of praise to you:

All: Holy, holy, holy are you, God of all turned away by the world.
Creation joins the angels in praising you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who clears the Way for us to walk.
Hosanna in the highest!

One: In the silence of the night, God of holiness,
your Child crept in among us,
so small no one would notice,
so poor no one would care.
But those who are forgotten by the world,
   like shepherds and the disabled,
   come to worship, and to tell us the good news.
Those who have no money to their name,
   gift us with their hopes and love,
   even as he did so long ago.
Those children who are overlooked by culture,
   sing to us of the One given to us,
      so we might find our way home;
   of the One who gives himself to death,
   so resurrection love might destroy sin’s power,
      and we might be swaddled in grace.

On this morning when we celebrate his birth,
in the days to come when we follow him to Jerusalem,
we sing carols of that mystery we call faith:

All: Christ was born, so we might have life;
Christ died, so we might have forgiveness;
Christ was raised, so we might have resurrection;
Christ will be born again, to gather us together with him.

One: In the silence of these holy moments,
pour out your Spirit upon
those gathered on this morning
and on the gifts of the Feast of Joy.
As we are welcomed here,
   may we remember and include
   all rejected by the world.
As we are fed by the bread,
   may we be strengthened
   to go and bring tangible hope
   to all who are famished by despair.
As we drink from grace’s cup,
   nourish us, so we may go
   to overflow with love and peace
   for everyone we meet in every season.

And when all history and time ends in silence,
and we are gathered with our siblings
around the feast of the lamb,
we will join the angels in singing carols to your forever,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.              

Sending
One: Let us go,
All: to join the angels in singing
of God’s glory and grace.
One: Let us go to share the good news,
All: that Jesus, the brother
of the vulnerable and forgotten
is in our midst still.
One: Let us go to offer
peace and goodwill to everyone,
All: joining the Spirit in telling
of all we have seen and heard.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Christmas Eve liturgy

 Texts: Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-20

Call to Worship

With eyes wide open

and our ears on edge,

we look for shepherds

and listen for the songs of angels.

In the light of winter’s moon,

with the Southern Cross lighting the way,

we gather outside the door of a mystery,

wondering if we dare go enter.

With folks and friends we love,

with strangers we have just met,

we gather, becoming the holy family

for this time and in this place.

Christmas Eve Prayer

Now in the silence,

whisper of joy which comes

into every life.

Now in the comfort of carols,

sing of hope which

takes away the despair

which envelops us.

Now in familiar words heard anew,

speak to us of grace

which is born into barren lives,

of peace which is birthed

in war’s shadowed fears.

Now leaning next to those

who have always been a part of us,

and those from whom we have been apart,

remind us of your heart

which always accepts us,

always welcomes us.

Now in the love which is ours forever,

draw us closer to your heart,

so we can be surprised by wonder,

swaddled in serenity,

embraced by tenderness.

Now touch us once again with Christmas,

God in Community, Holy in One,

as we join in praying as we are taught,

(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation

This is the night we are reminded that God loves to be with us. Yet all too often – by our choices, our words, our silence – we choose not to be with Go. Join me as we pray on this holy night to the One who was born to gift us with mercy and hope.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

This was going to be the year, God of silent nights, when we were going to give away more than we spent, but we didn’t. This was going to be the season when we spent more time with others, but we filled our calendars with meetings. This was going to be the Christmas when we wrote personal letters to friends and family, but spent too much energy filling out our to-do lists. This was going to be a truly holy season, but it just got too harried and hurried.

Forgive us, Love Gifter, and draw us closer to the Baby born not into wealth and power, but into poverty and weakness; to the One who loves unconditionally and welcomes all; to the Child who gathers other children to him, to bless them and serve them; to the One who drew near to us, so we might be drawn to your heart – Jesus Christ, our Brother, our Lord. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon

Into the valleys of our death, Jesus comes with life;

into the shadows of our world, Jesus brings light;

into the brokenness of our lives, Jesus brings forgiveness and peace.

Thanks be to God for the gift of the Baby of Bethlehem, who brings joy and peace to us in these moments of forgiveness and in all the days to come. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

Now, on this night of giftedness, remind us of those who struggle to put food on the table, to buy a single gift for their child, to wrap a warm blanket around a grandparent, so we might realize how blessed we are and share from our abundance. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

May the God of silent nights be with you!

May the God of herald angels be with you!

Open your hearts to the One born in the little town of Bethlehem.

May Emmanuel come to abide in our hearts.

Join all believers in singing of our joy this night.

May our voices blend with those of the angels and shepherds.

You crept into chaos so long ago,

Star-shaper,

so creation might be born:

sheep gathering on hillsides,

stars glittering in the night skies,

sea horses frolicking in warm waters.

Silently, you gathered up the dust,

shaping us in your image

as the Spirit breathed life into us.

All the gifts of your heart were for us,

but we slammed the door of our hearts,

saying there was no room for you in our lives.

Prophets came time and again,

scattering your clues throughout the Story,

but we were too busy enjoying

the sleights of hand done by sin and death.

When you saw we could not

understand the Mystery on our own,

you sent Jesus, to reveal everything to us.

As we gather with children dressed in bathrobes,

as we join with the voices around us,

we sing praises to you this Christmas night:

We will not be afraid,

for great joy is ours this night;

we will look for the signs of your presence,

grace swaddled in hope,

love wrapped around broken hearts.

Glory to you, God in the highest heavens!
May peace fill the lives of all your children!
Leaving your side, God of holiness,
your Child came to walk with us
through the cold streets of our lives.
Born in poverty’s shadows,
he is the light which illumines
your heart for us.
Unwrapped from glory’s embrace,
he gathers us from all the corners
of our confused choices to make us one with you.
Placed in a rude feeding trough
layered with our fears and doubts,
he breathes in your hopes
and lives your will, until
he is placed in death’s cold embrace,
waiting in the silence,
where he breathes in resurrection’s breath,
and brings forth life for all who follow.

On this night, when we sing of the baby in the manger,
as the shadow of the cross is cast by the stars,
we proclaim that mystery called incarnation:

Christ is our light,
and we will join the angels in singing the good news;
Christ is our life,
and we will join the disciples in telling the Story;
Christ is our promise,
and we wait for the joy of his return.

Here in the silence and the singing,
with children, carols, and candlelight,
we gather around the Table of joy,
as you pour out your Spirit upon
the most precious gifts of bread and cup.
As we feast upon the bread,
we remember a young pregnant girl,
and would serve those who are expecting,
those who cannot have a child,
those who have lost children.
As we drink from the cup,
we think of a worried father,
and would be with those who assemble toys this night,
as well as those who will work this night
to pay for food and medicine for their families.
As we are surrounded by family and friends,
we would care for
those whose closest companion is loneliness,
those separated from loved ones,
those who hear no music, joy, or hope in their lives.

And when all time and history becomes silence,
we will be gathered with our siblings
from Bethlehem and Gaza, from Cairo and Kyiv,
from Capetown and Istanbul, from Sydney and Shanghai,
from every corner and moment of every universe,
to join the angel choirs in forever singing your praises
as we dance to the Table of wonder and grace,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
Let us go to be the gift another needs,
sharing God’s blessings of love and grace,
running to tell the Story we heard from the shepherds.
Let us go to be the comfort which can swaddle others,
sharing Jesus’ compassion with the poor and needy,
welcoming the holiness offered by the most vulnerable we meet.
Let us go to kindle the lives around us,
sharing the Spirit’s peace with all the broken,
learning the language of hope from the children in our midst.

© Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for December 22, 2024 (Advent 4 - C)

 Texts:  Micah 5:2-5a; Psalm 80:1-7; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-55

Call to Worship

We come to glorify God,

to rejoice in the One who saves us.

God comes, so we might believe,

so we might be blessed.

Our hearts leap for joy!

For God is coming to us in a child.

God comes for those who hunger for hope,

for those who thirst for grace.

Holy is the One who comes in God's name,

who fulfills every promise of God.

God comes to walk with those who follow in faith,

to bring peace to a shattered world.

Prayer of the Day

Holy God,

scattering the proud,

you look with favor

on those the world ignores.

For you,

we wait for the One

who will feed us;

for you,

we wait for the One

who stands with us

in our loneliness and pain.

For you, we wait.

Jesus Christ,

born in a backwater town:

in you,

God fills the hunger

of our hearts;

in you,

God lifts us

from our hopelessness;

in you,

all the promises come true.

For you, we wait.

Holy Spirit,

Hallower of God's people:

from you comes faith,

    so we might believe;

from you comes belief,

    so we might be blessed;

from you come all blessings,

    so we might give them away.

For you, we wait.

God in Community, Holy in One,

for you, we wait, even as we pray:

(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation

Every notion we have about power, success, wealth and achievement, God takes and tosses out the window.  More importantly, God comes to us, to upset our idea that we must save ourselves.  In Jesus, God comes to us, removing our sin, our failures, our expectations, so we might have life.  Please join me as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

   We confess we are not the people you hope us to be, Advent God.  The very ones you favor?  All too often, we ignore them, or worse fill them with ridicule.  The ones you knock off their pedestals?  We continue to admire them, seeking to emulate their ways.  The drumbeat for more and more?  We give into the rhythm so easily, we risk being sent away empty.

     Forgive us, Mighty God who comes in the weakness of a baby.  Look with grace upon us, so we might see your love shining down.  We could live secure in your hope, we could be the ones of peace for our world, we could learn to do your will, if we but welcome Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, into our hearts and into our lives.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon

God passes the heirloom of mercy down

from generation to generation, always loving,

always forgiving, always calling us to new life.

As we open our hearts to God, we are filled

with the joy that was sung at the Birth, 

with the Hope that walked among us, 

with the Grace which is always with us.  

Thanks be to God, we are forgiven!  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

In these moments, God who comes, remind us of those who are yearning to be lifted to their feet, those who hunger for hope, those who look for peace, and may our gifts be used to serve them.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

May salvation’s Rock be with you!

May that foundation be with you!

As God approaches, let us lift our hearts in hope.

God comes to strengthen them with grace.

May our songs tell of God’s love which never ends.

We will sing of God’s faithfulness which lasts forever.

With patience, with gentleness,

you entered the emptiness of chaos,

God of wonder and awe,

spreading the rich soil of creation

from which sprang flowers and fields,

vegetables and trees, our ancestors in life.

You looked with favor upon them,

doing wondrous things for them.

But they wandered far from you,

losing themselves in the maze of thoughts

crafted by temptation and death.

You would not give up on them,

time after time sending prophets

with words of welcome and hope,

but they could not do your will.

So you sent Christ into the world,

filled with the Holy Spirit,

exclaiming with a living cry

of our salvation for all time.

With all those who trusted in what was unseen,

and those who believed the best would come,

we join our voices in singing your Advent praise:

Holy, holy, holy, God of holiness and peace.

All creation waits for your purpose to be revealed.

Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes to do your will.

Hosanna in the highest!

You are holy, God of unending glory,

and blessed is Jesus Christ, Hope of the world.

He came with haste, leaving your side

to set out on his journey for us.

The joy of your heart,

he come to proclaim your love;

the Word of your hope,

he came to call us home;

the fruit of your grace,

he was born to offer himself

for our salvation and freedom

from the power of sin,

making us your holy people

by his death and resurrection.

As we prepare to celebrate his birth,

as we remember the gift of his resurrection,

we would tell of that mystery we call faith:

P:    Christ was born, that we might see

            hope in the flesh;

        Christ lived, that we might hear

            grace spoken aloud;

         Christ died, that we might feel

            the breaking of God's heart;

        Christ is risen, that we might know

            that the promises are true;

        Christ will come again, that we

            might be blessed as God's children.

Pour out your Spirit

upon the gifts of this Table

and upon your children

who gather for your feast.

In this place, we are filled

with the strength of hope,

so we may serve those

who hunger for goodness and grace.

Restored by the Cup of life,

we can dare to go out

to empty ourselves for those

who wander the streets of life,

unnoticed by the rest of the world.

And when our journey has ended,

when your Advent has come to gather us home,

we will join with Elizabeth and Mary,

with Joseph and John the Baptist,

with our sisters and brothers from all time,

forever singing our joy to you,

God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending

O come, Child of the covenant,

to lead us to the heirs of the promises made long ago.

We will go with you to those who have been forgotten,

to lift all those knocked down by life to their feet.

O Come, salvation’s servant,

to show us the way to the joy of this season.

We will go with you to welcome the outsider,

and to throw our arms around those whose hearts are broken.

O Come, Lover of the lowly,

to fill our hands with the shawls of grace and peace.

We will go to wrap them around those who grieve,

to place them on the shoulders of those damaged by violence.  

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for December 15, 2024 (Advent 3 - C)

  Texts: Zephaniah 3:14-20; Isaiah 12:2-6; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18

Call to Worship
Come, let us rejoice this day in the God 
who is near in everyone around us.
We will sing glad songs of the One
who is rebuilding neighborhoods in our midst.
Come, let us rejoice always in Jesus 
who baptizes us with hope and compassion.
We will join in choruses of praise of the One
who brings justice to the forgotten in our midst.
Come, let us rejoice again and again in the Spirit
who offers us new life in every moment.
We will sing full throttle of the One
who fills us with gifts to share with everyone in our midst.

Prayer of the Day
Holy God,
when we believe it is enough
that we have sung in choirs,
remind us that it is
the lullabies to little children,
the acceptance sung to teenagers,
the welcoming songs to strangers,
the oldies hummed with older folks
that matter the most.

Jesus, our uncomfortable Brother,
when we believe it is enough
to have been in church every week
remind us that it is
the kindness we share on Monday,
the justice we work for on Tuesday
the tutoring we offer on Wednesday,
the meals we serve on Thursday,
the blood we donate on Friday,
the rides we give on Saturday,
the grace we live every day
that matter the most.

Spirit of wisdom,
when we believe it is enough
to have taught Sunday School
for so many years, remind us that it is
the words of forgiveness we offer,
the books we open for children,
the skills we share without recompense,
the arms we open to others
that matter the most.

When we believe our lives faithfulness are enough,
remind us that there is always more we can do,
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we pray as we are taught,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Why should we fear? Whatever we have said or done; whoever we have neglected or whatever we refused to do, surely God has washed away with the waters of life, flowing into that crystal sea of forgiveness.  Let us bring our lives to the One who comes to give us hope and life, in this and in every season, as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   We admit, God of Advent, that it is easier to trust a politician's glib words than yours which were spoken so long ago.  We know how afraid we are of tomorrow, because of what we do today, ignoring what you brought about so long ago.  We, who have been given so much from your heart, find it hard to share even a smidgen from  our abundance.
   Forgive us, God our hope, and have mercy on us.  Lift us to our feet; draw us close into your loving embrace; drench us the buckets of grace drawn from the deep wells of life, so we will have the courage to declare you as our God, as we follow Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with the Holy Spirit.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
As plain as the heart in our chests, the good new is this: God is our hope.  God is our life.  God is our future.
We will sing aloud, our voices at full throttle.  We are forgiven, we are saved!  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We will not be afraid, Loving God, to offer our hopes, our hearts, our treasures to you, but do so willingly, trusting that you will use them to bring life, joy, grace, and peace to all around us.  We pray in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God who saves us be with you.
May the God of redemption be with you.
Let us offer our hearts to our God of grace.
We open them that God may fill them with life and hope.
Come and sing glad praises to the God who is with us.
With great joy and hope, we join in glad choruses of praise.

Out of the dried up well called chaos,
Divining God, you brought forth
creation gushing with living waters,
   that ran through valleys towards oceans,
   that sprinkled flowers on forest floors,
   that gave nourishment to birds, to animals
and to those shaped in your image,
who were offered all the gracious gifts
which flowed from your heart.
We could have lived with you 
in that garden of wonder and delight,
   but we listened to the temptations
   offered to us by death and sin,
   choosing to share our lives with them.
The prophets came, time and again,
their words sung full throttle
in the courtyards of cities and
from the rooftops of villages,
   but we were like those trees
   which look so healthy on the outside,
   but are hollowed out by decay.
In your love, and with your hope,
you chose to become one of us,
Jesus being born into our lives.

With those who rejoice always and again,
with those who long to be brought home,
we lift our voices to you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God who saves us.
We rejoice with all creation in praising you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes to baptize us 
   with new life and with the Spirit.
Hosanna in the highest!

Though you are holy being knowing,
God of this season, you chose hope
to be embodied in Jesus, your Child.
Rejecting power,
   his weakness raises the fallen to their feet;
refusing to be afraid,
   he whispers to us to trust as deeply
   and faithfully as he did;
unable to exclude the forgotten,
   he welcomes his sisters and brothers
   shoved to the side and forgotten by us;
doing all he could for others,
he finally let his executioners 
untie the thongs of his sandals,
so that by his death and resurrection,
we might be shod in resurrection love,
walking home to be with you at last.

Surely his resurrection gives us new hope and life,
surely we bear the fruit of his grace and life,
even as we proclaim that mystery we call faith:

Surely, on that day, Jesus gave his life for those he loved;
surely, on that morning, Jesus was raised to new life;
surely, in that time to come, Jesus will gather us to new life.

O holy God of the ages, may your Spirit
descend upon those of us gathered 
and on the gifts which fill the sacred table.
Here, may the broken bread feed us
and reshape our fragmented lives
so we may see those around us,
   giving our extra clothes
      to those who have too few;
   emptying our pantries
      to feed those who are hungry.
Here, may we draw compassion 
from the deep wells of the cup of grace,
so we may go forth to serve others:
   as crossing guards at schools,
   as caregivers for the vulnerable,
   as your peace which brings healing.

And when all time and history has ended
and we are brought home at the last,
we will sing full throttle with our sisters and brothers,
with great joy, hope, wonder, and praise
of your enduring goodness and grace,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
Setting aside our fears and worries, let us go.
We will go as God's people on this day,
to remind everyone that God is as close
to them as the beats of their hearts.
Setting aside our prejudices and assumptions, let us go.
We will go as Jesus' followers this day,
to gather up the forgotten and bring them home,
to embrace the lonely as sisters and brothers.
Setting aside our expectations and demands, let us go.
We will go as those graced by the Spirit,
to share with others the waters from grace's deep wells,
to offer that peace which never comes to an end.

(c) Thom M. Shuman
   

Liturgy w/communion for December 8, 2024 (Advent 2 - C)

  Texts: Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79; Philippians 1:3-11; Luke 3:1-6

Call to Worship In this season of waiting, our God comes. Come suddenly, Holy God, into our slow expectations and fill us with your urgent hopes for justice. In this holy season of delight and wonder, our Savior comes. Come suddenly, Companion of the poor, and challenge us to share in the gospel of welcome for all. In these days of remembering what our lives are to be, our Spirit comes. Come suddenly, Preparer of the way, to take us by the hand to walk with our sisters and brothers down the path to service. Prayer of the Day See, You come, Clarifier of our hearts, playing salvation’s love song on a baritone sax; preparing the way for grace to transform our souls; holding us in Your heart when we lose our way. See, You come, Tender Mercy, filling in poverty’s potholes with grace’s riches; tearing down cruelty-capped oppression; straightening out the winding paths we make the needy walk; soothing the lonely nights of rough sleepers. See, You come, Eyes of grace, so in seeing the suffering around us, we might share mercy; in observing the struggles of others, we might give offerings of justice; in noticing the silence of leaders, we would cry out for hope. See, You come, God in Community, Holy in One, so we might be Your people of grace and justice, even as we pray as we are taught, saying, (The Lord’s Prayer) Call to Reconciliation We may appear pure and blameless to others, but we know the mistakes we have made with our words, our thoughts, and our actions. But God promises not only to save us from our enemies, sin and death, but from ourselves as well. Join me as we offer our confessing words to the One who will make us new once more. Unison Prayer for Forgiveness You witness the sorts of lives we lead, Approaching God. Asked to share the gospel of hope, we place it on our to-do list instead. Given the chance to cry out for justice for others, we fall strangely silent. Invited to pray with joy in every moment, we prefer to grumble about every insignificant thing in our lives. Have mercy on us, God of grace, and prepare our hearts for Your forgiveness to have its way in them. Fill us with Your hope so we might lighten the shadows of others. Help us to join the choirs of children in singing of Your joy. Transform us with that tender mercy who is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Silence is kept Assurance of Pardon L: God is our witness. We have spoken of our lives and been forgiven of every mistake we have made, every hurt we have caused. We are held in God’s heart, not only on this day, but all the days of our lives. Thanks be to God, we are forgiven! Amen. Prayer of Dedication/Offering See, you come in this holy season with the simple gift of life itself. See, you invite us to share from the abundance of our lives, so others might be filled with life, with hope, with love, and with grace. Bless these gifts we offer to You, so they may be used to share the gospel of wholeness and welcome for all. Amen. Great Prayer of Thanksgiving May the God of every mercy be with you. May you be filled with the tenderness of our God. Lift up your hearts to the One who looks with grace upon us. Confident of God’s love, we open our hearts to the One who comes to us. Sing glad songs of praise in this moment. We join our sisters and brothers in joyful thanksgiving. Chaos could not endure the day of creation’s coming, Ingenuous God, and so gave way to Your gifts of snowflakes gently melting on our eyelashes, of golden clouds awakening our mornings, of children singing carols in bathtubs. These joys, and so many more were given to those shaped in Your image, but we heard the voices of temptation crying out and foolishly followed. You called women and men (and even children) to remind us of Your promised mercy, but we refused to see sin and death as our foes. So You sent Your heart’s Delight to us, Jesus, preparing the way for your redemption to come to us. With those who long for hope, with those who cry out for justice, we lift our joy to You: Holy, holy, holy are You, Melter of our frozen hearts. All creation waits for Your Advent once again. Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is the Dawn from on high. Hosanna in the highest! You alone are holy, God of our hopes, and Jesus is Your glory made flesh. He came with tender mercy in his hands, to shatter our hardened hearts. He came to transform fuller’s soap into the waters of baptism. He came to shine a bright light in death’s eyes, stunning it into submission to resurrection’s love. As we draw ever closer to Bethlehem, as we prepare to journey with Jesus from birth to new life, we declare that mystery we know as faith: Christ died, preparing the way for salvation; Christ was raised through the baptism of the resurrection; Christ will come, Dawn from on high of every time and place. As Your people gather at Your Table, pour out Your Spirit on us and on these gifts of joy and wonder. Though broken, the Bread makes us strong enough to not only cry out for justice, but to sacrifice for it; to not only notice the poor, but to discover what they have to teach us. Poured out, the hope of the Cup can flow through us, to feed the hungry, to be reconciled to those we fear, to welcome all cast aside by the world. You will look on us with grace at the end of all time, gathering us with our sisters and brothers around the Table of life eternal, where we will forever sing our praises to you, God in Community, Holy in One. Amen. Sending God is sending you to be messengers of this holy season. We will go to share God’s grace in the shadowed places of our world. Jesus is sending you to be messengers of his gospel. We will go to share the good news of justice in every way we treat each person. The Spirit is sending you to be messengers of peace. We will go to share the gifts of hope and reconciliation which have been placed in our hearts.
(c) Thom M. Shuman