6th Sunday of Easter - C

Texts: Acts 16:9-15; Psalm 67; Revelation 21:10, 22 - 22:5; John 14:23-39

Call to Worship
L: God calls us to this place, a haven for healing and hope.
P: We come, with the pain of our burdens,
we come to hear God's Word of hope for us.
L: Together, we will sing songs of joy;
each of us will hear God whisper our name,
'Beloved of my heart.'
P: We join our voices in prayer and praise;
we sing of our longing for new lives.
L: Here, our shadowed corners are filled with Light;
here we discover that God dwells in us.
P: And not just us, for God would teach all to love;
God's Spirit would lead all peoples in peace.

Prayer of the Day
Lord God the Almighty,
you bless us with all
that you have created:
you teach us to swim
in the bright crystal water of life;
you cook breakfast for us
in that eternal city;
you open your heart to us
and will never close its door.
We worship you.

Jesus Christ, Lamb of God:
you stand at the door,
your hand on the knob,
your coat over your arm,
ready to go away.
Yet you do not leave us
trouble-hearted,
but fill our emptiness with your peace.
We praise you.

Holy Spirit, God-sent Gift:
you come to our defense
when we are falsely accused;
you rescue us
from the school yard bully
who always picks on us;
you sit by our beds
and comfort us
when the nightmares of life
keep us awake.
We open our hearts to you.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we sing for joy to you, even as we pray with all people
as Jesus taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
How easy we can learn of God's love - but how hard it is to live it! The
world distracts us with its easy choices, while we know how intentional we
must be to love one another. Join me as we confess our failures to love and
we open our hearts to God, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
Because you dwell in our hearts, Eternal God, you know how the anger,
the pain, the bitterness of our lives try to crowd you out. The noise of the
world deafens us to that Word which can heal us. We want our children to be
good, kind, and gentle to others, and then they hear us call others names,
and speak of them with demeaning words. Our desire for revenge towards those
who have hurt us shows that your peace, indeed, is not in us.
You promise a new heaven and a new earth, so create new spirits and new
lives within us, Healing God. Shattered by our sin, your heart can still
heal our brokenness. Your Spirit, living deep within our souls, can teach us
faithful ways. Your Word, Jesus Christ our Lord, whispers to us of your
mercy, your hope, your love.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L: The Word which can transform us is not some idle gossip, but good news
for us. It fills us with forgiveness, equips us for service, and sends us
forth to love others as God loves us.
P: In our midst, the Holy Spirit teaches us all we need to know, gives us
what we need in order to be faithful, and fills us with peace. Thanks be to
God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L: May God be gracious to you.
P: And also to you.
L: Children of God, offer your hearts to the One who saves you.
P: We open our hearts to the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of hope, life, grace.
L: As God's people, sing for joy to the One who is with you.
P: We join all creation in lifting our praises to our God.

God of all beginnings,
you spoke a Word, your Spirit acted,
calling forth the first heaven and the first earth.
Rivers teeming with life flowed to the seas,
holiness roamed the hills and valleys,
peace was planted deep in the heart of creation.
To your children created in your image,
you made the promise to be our God,
but we heard sin and death calling to us
and crossed the boundary into their power.
You did not turn your face away from us
but longing to be gracious to us,
you sent your messengers to invite us
back to your heart, where we might live.
When we continued in our foolish ways,
you sent Jesus to us, in your name,
to remind us of all the promises you have made.

So, with those who have been called home to you,
and with those who continue to journey your way,
we join the peoples in praising you:

P: Holy, holy, holy, God whose face shines upon us.
All the ends of the earth bless your name.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes to give us peace.
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, God who makes all things new,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Joy, our Savior.
Hearing our cries for help in the dark nights of the soul,
he came bringing the light of your love;
finding us living in sin's squalor,
he came to make a home for us;
Going to the cross for us,
he went into death's cold tomb,
so we might not be afraid,
but cradled in the warmth
of the power of the resurrection.

As we remember his promise to always be with us,
as we celebrate his saving power among all nations,
we speak of that mystery we call faith:

P: Christ died, so death would be no more;
Christ rose, so the first things might pass away;
Christ went away, and will come to us to take us back to you.

Here at this table of grace and wonder,
where the simple gifts you have prepared
are set aside for sacred use,
your Spirit is poured out upon them
and your children gathered in this place of prayer.
As we eat of the bread broken for us,
we feast on the promises that one day pain will be no more,
that our tears will mingle with the waters of life.
As we drink deeply from the cup of peace,
we are filled with the joy of your grace,
and hearing the cries of those around us,
we go forth to serve them with your hope and justice.

And when the first things have passed away,
when we wander down the streets of the new Jerusalem,
we will find you waiting for us,
our sisters and brothers gathered together
around the Table of glory and wonder,
where we will sing our praises to you forever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

© Thom M. Shuman

Fifth Sunday of Easter - C

Texts:  Acts 11:1-18; Psalm 148; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35

Call to Worship
Praise God, all people!
Praise the Lord, all creation!
whales doing backflips in the air,
squid and octopi dancing on the ocean floor;
giant redwoods stretching to the sky,
tomato vines cuddling around a stake.
Mountains blocking the sunrise,
moles tunneling through our front lawns;
5-year-olds sitting in a story-time circle,
grandparents singing 'their song.'
Redbuds decorating our backyard,
grass growing faster than our children;
seals getting a suntan on the rocks,
teenagers knotted together at church.
Praise the Lord, all creation!
Praise God, all people!

Prayer of the Day
Vision-Giving God,
when you put bandages
on skinned knees;
when you hold the hand
of a teenager
grieving unrequited love;
when you wipe away the tears
of parents at graduation day:
you show us
your new creation.

Brother to little children,
when you hang out
with the world's outcasts;
when you stay a little longer
with those we rush past;
when you will not take sides
in our petty little games:
you show us
the new earth.

Holy Spirit,
when you turn on the
'no vacancy' sign
as death comes our way;
when mourning becomes
a distant memory;
when pain is found
only in dusty history books:
you show us
the new heaven.

God in Community, Holy in One,
make us new,
as we pray as Jesus teaches, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
We show others who we are by the lives we lead, the words we speak, the actions we undertake. Let us confess how we have not been God's little children, when we fail to love as we have been loved.

Unison Prayer of Confession
    Who are we to get in your way, Holy God? We put people into neat, little boxes, but you rip them open, so folks can dance in your joy. We imprison others with our unmet expectations, and you set them free with a Word. We build walls around those we don't know, and you tear them down, so they can run wild in the kingdom.
    Who are we to get in your way, Saving Power, especially in the way of your forgiveness offered to all! Give us your vision that sees everyone as equal - forgiven, graced, loved - even as we seek to follow our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L: We know who God is by the love shown to us in Christ Jesus.
P: We will show others who we are - and Whose we are - by the loved poured
out by our lives. Thanks be to God, we are forgiven! Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May God be with you.
And also with you.
Little children, lift your hearts to God.
We lift them to the One who loves us forever.
Let us glorify the One who has raised Jesus to new life.
We sing praises to God, who makes all things new.
You commanded, Holy God,
and chaos yielded to your Word,
so all that is beautiful and good
might be created by your grace.
The sun and moon were shaped
so we would have days and nights
in which to praise you,
but we spent our time
denying your dreams for us,
living each moment for ourselves.
You fixed the boundaries for your Garden,
where we could have life and joy with you,
but we chose to play
on the garbage dumps of sin.
You told the prophets to 'Go!'
to bring your vision
of healing and restoration,
but we thought them to be fools,
standing on the edges of our lives.
When we had decided
to have nothing to do with you,
you chose to become one of us,
living, calling, creating once again
through Jesus the Christ.

Therefore, with those around the Throne,
and with those in every time and place,
we sing our praises to you:

Holy, holy, holy, God who makes all things new.
The height, the depth, the breadth, the width of creation praises you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes, the Alpha and Omega.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, Creator of the Universe,
and blessed is Jesus, your Son, our Lord.
When he could have left us
to deal with sin and death on our own,
he came to live with us;
when he could have chosen
the path to power and fame,
he walked the deadly road to Calvary;
when he could have called down
the angels to save him,
he cried out for forgiveness
for all your children.
When you could have left him
alone and forsaken in the grave,
you graced him with new life.

So as we sing our Easter Alleluias,
we echo that mystery we call faith:

Christ died, that death would be defeated.
Christ is risen, that God would be glorified.
Christ will come again, that we would be led to life.
Pour out your Spirit
upon this Bread and this Cup, O God,
that they might become
your grace and peace for us,
so we might become your servants
of hope and joy to our world.
As we come to your Table,
remind us of your promises
that when the sea is no more,
you will flood us with your grace;
that when the earth is a hollow husk,
you will walk with us
through the streets
of the New Jerusalem;
that when the sun, moon, and stars
have burned out in space,
the Light of your love
will shine for us forever.

And when we sit down
at the Feast of the Lamb,
receiving grace from those we loved,
and passing it on to those we feared
until all people are served,
we will sing with one heart and voice:
"Glory to the One who makes all things new - even us;
Glory to the One who comes in the name of the Lord - for us;
Glory to the One who makes no distinction - among us!'
Glory to God in Three Persons, now and forever. Amen.

© Thom M. Shuman

Fourth Sunday of Easter - C

Texts:  Acts 9:36-43; Psalm 23; Revelation 7:9-17; John 10:22-30

Call to Worship
We gather in the presence of God,
where grieving people and children with skinned knees
have their tears wiped away.
We gather with the people of God,
who worship the One who provides what we need, not just what we want.
We gather around the Font and Table of God,
where God feeds us with grace and wonder,
where God pours the living waters upon us.

Prayer of the Day
Lead us, God of goodness:
lead us into those places
where your mercy waits
     to nourish our weary souls,
where your grace feeds
     our famished hearts.

Lead us, Gentle Shepherd:
lead us to those sanctuaries of hope,
where we have the joy
     of filling the emptiness of others,
because the table you have set
     has room enough for everyone.

Lead us, Mercy's Mother:
place our feet on your right paths,
walking us down the streets
     where we can do justice
          for all who are wronged in the world;
lead us to those gentle pools
     where we can fill our selves,
     then go to empty them
          for those parched by loss.

Lead us, God in Community, Holy in One,
as we pray as Jesus has taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
We know the wrong turns we have taken, those poor choices which shape our lives, those mistakes which hurt God and those around us. Let us confess our sins to the One who leads us into life, as we pray together saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
   Taught by our culture to want every thing, Comfort of the righteous, we confess an emptiness which sends us scurrying for more and more. We look and see folks whose lives seem richer and fuller than ours, and so are filled with lust and envy. We are convinced that peaceful waters offer us nothing, and so thirst for whitewater adventures in our lives. We listen to the silly promises of the world, turning away from the shelter you offer to us.
   Forgive us, Source of wonder and joy. Your goodness follows us around, so we can share it with everyone we meet along the journey. Your mercy shadows our every step, so we can find the way which you would have us live. We find rest in your heart, healing at your hands, and life together in Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior, our gentle Shepherd.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Listen to God's voice: I walk with you in every moment; I fill you with grace and hope; I know you and love you.
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might belong to our God forever!  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of all time be with you!
And also with you.
In these moments, people of God, turn your hearts to the One
  who leads you to this Table of refreshment.
Our hearts are filled to overflowing by our Shepherd.
In every moment, offer praise to God, beloved of the Lord.
Surely goodness and mercy are on our lips as we come to this Feast.

Gentle God:
into that place where there was no time,
you crafted day and night,
     bathing green pastures in their light.
Into that dark valley called chaos,
     you flung the sparkling stars,
     you pooled still waters for nourishment,
     you prepared a feast for your children created in your divine image.
We chose to journey down the wrong paths,
sin and death tagging along behind us,
pointing out where temptation built a home for us.
You sent prophets to call to us,
hoping we would hear your voice in them,
but we preferred the presence of your enemies.
So, you sent the good shepherd, Jesus,
to us to call us back to you.

So with that multitude no one can count,
with those of every nation and language,
we lift our voices to you in glad praise:

Holy, holy, holy, God who is seated on the throne.
All creation praises you forever and ever.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the Lamb who is our shepherd.
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, God of green pastures,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Shepherd, our Savior.
He would not keep us in suspense,
     but came proclaiming the good news
     that we are held forever in your hands.
He came to people who hungered for hope,
who thirsted for healing in their brokenness,
     feeding them on goodness and mercy,
     nourishing them with peace and reconciliation.
He did not fear the power of death,
but walked into its shadowed valley,
     emerging into the bright light of resurrection.

As we celebrate the good news of his resurrection,
as we remember his gentle life and affirming spirit,
we witness to that mystery we can faith:

Christ died, to restore us to life;
Christ is risen, to anoint us with hope;
Christ will come again, to lead us on the path to God.

You prepare a feast for us,
your Spirit taking the simple gifts of the bread and cup,
filling them with your goodness and mercy.
You gather us around the Table,
     strangers now become family,
     enemies now our sisters and brothers,
handing us the broken bread
which heals us of every hurt and division,
     so we can go to bring hope to the world.
Your cup of peace and reconciliation
overflows and makes us one in your grace,
     so we can offer our hands to all who
     have been cast aside, helping them up
          so they might know your love for them.

And when we gather with that multitude no one can count,
when we are with our sisters and brothers
from every nation, tribe, people, and language,
we will fall down on our faces, lifting our voices to you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
singing our praises to you forever and ever. Amen.

© Thom M. Shuman

Third Sunday of Easter - C

Texts:  Acts 9:1-20; Psalm 30; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19
 
Call to Worship
Sing, all people of God! Sing the good news:
We cry ourselves to sleep and God comes in with the dawn,
      to awaken us with Joy's embrace.
Sing, in every land, in every tongue! Sing the good news:
when our lives bottom out, God takes us by the hand to lead us into the light.
Sing, in heaven and on earth! Sing the good news:
broken, hopeless, lost - we cry out to God, who hears our hearts.
Sing, all people of God!
We will sing the good news of Easter!

Prayer of the Day
You take away
the drab gray dress
of our despair
     and clothe us
     with hope and joy.
You fill our empty souls
with the resurrection feast
     of peace and life.
You are worthy, Healing God,
and so we worship you.

You come to us,
not as a ravenous lion,
     but the Lamb
          who leads us into God's heart.
When we long to keep you
in our pockets
like a good luck charm,
     you challenge us to live
     a love which goes beyond
          mere friendship
You are worthy, Heaven's Light,
and so we follow you.

You make us speechless
with your mercy,
     yet choose us
     to tell God's story of new life
          to all the world.
When our secret wounds
would sap our energy,
     you pour your peace into us,
          so we may be agents of healing.
You are worthy, Love's Spirit,
and we will praise you.

God in Community, Holy in One,
you alone are worthy
of all that we have, and all that we are,
and so we lift our prayers to you,
saying as Jesus has taught us,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
We can carry our grudges around with us for years, just waiting for the right time for our hurt to erupt. But God gets angry for but a moment, while surrounding us with grace and mercy all the days of our lives. Join me as we pray to God, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
   We sing loud songs to you, Morning Joy, trusting they will drown out our mean-spirited murmurs about those around us. We hope you will turn a blind eye to our behaviors, while we imprison our families and friends with impossible expectations.  We pull a muscle stretching to pat our selves on the back, but our attitudes and actions towards the poor and outcast of the world reveal we are not worthy to be called your children.
   You never give up on us, Healing God. You are quick to forgive us, and quicker to offer us ways to share your name with everyone we meet. As you continue to be loving and affirming towards us, let us go to share the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Do not cry. The Lamb of God has come, to lead us into the kingdom, where we may praise our God, and serve our sisters and brothers.
Songs of blessing, glad shouts of joy; hearts for others, hands for service.  All these we offer, and more, to the One who forgives us and makes us whole.  Thanks be to God, we are forgiven. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God who turns our mourning into dancing be with you!
May God teach you new dance steps as well!
May the God who hears our hearts listen to yours!
In those depths, we speak of that for which we long – hope and grace.
May the God who loves us fill your with abundant blessings.
We sing glad songs of joy to the One who comes to us.

You are worthy, God of power and splendor,
for you gathered up all the treasures
of your imagination, flinging them into
the emptiness that would never be again,
     so that as bees buzzed from flower to flower,
     as butterflies played chase across meadows,
     as deer stood still as silence among the trees,
          all creation might sing with full voice.
When we should have fallen down
to worship you with praise-filled hearts,
     we became blinded by the bright lights
     of temptation and its companion, death,
          choosing to live on that street named sin.
You cried out to us, over and over,
offering healing and hope through the prophets,
     but we hid our faces from them,
          refusing to listen to your anguished voice.
So, you sent Jesus to us,
not to breathe threats against us,
but to bring the good news of your salvation.

With those who weep with the mourning
and all those who dance in your wonder,
we lift our songs of praise to you this morning:

Holy, holy, holy, God who restores us to life.
All creation falls down to worship you with praise.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who tells of your faithfulness.
Hosanna in the highest!

Glory and might are yours, God of Holiness,
blessing and honor are the songs we sing
to Jesus Christ, the Lamb who died for us.
When we were wandering down
the crooked paths of seduction,
     he showed us that street called Straight.
When we could not make our way
through the shadows of sin,
     he took our hand to bring us to you.
When the world heaped
threats and murder on him,
     he silently picked up his cross,
     going to his death, breathing his last,
          so that resurrection's Spirit might
          fill us with new life in you.

As we gather at this Table of remembrance,
as we celebrate the feast of resurrection,
we proclaim the mystery we know as faith:

Christ died, to turn death into life;
Christ is risen, to turn mourning into laughter;
Christ will come, to teach us resurrection's dance.

When we are ready to return
to our old lives, trying to do
the good news our way,
you break the bread, hand it to us,
so that as we eat of your life,
     we may hear your call
     to feed those who hunger for
          your justice, your peace, your hope.
When we are adrift, getting nowhere,
you bless the cup, offering it to us,
so that as we drink of your spirit,
     we might hear afresh your voice,
     asking if we love our sisters and brothers,
          and sending us forth to serve them.

And when our life has come to an end,
when we gather at glory's seashore
feasting on the meal you have prepared,
we will not be silent, but praise you forever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

© Thom M. Shuman

Second Sunday of Easter - C

Texts:  Acts 5:27-32; Psalm 150; Revelation 1:4-8; John 20:19-31

Call to Worship
Praise God with clapping hands;
praise God with hands comforting a child.
Praise God with silent hearts;
praise God with hearts broken for the world.
Praise God with electric guitars;
praise God with soft piano chords.
Praise God with be-bop and hip-hop;
praise God with rhythms that don't stop.
Praise God with a hallelujah chorus;
praise God with a Gregorian chant.
Praise God with dancing steps;
praise God with feet walking for justice.

Prayer of the Day
Holy God, Lover of your children:
the tomb has been opened,
     and we dance into your future.
Your life has dawned on us,
     and we surround you with our praise.
You reach out your hand,
     and lead us into joy.

Jesus Christ, Faithful Witness:
you pick open the locked doors
of our hearts
     and come in to be with us forever.
You breathe peace into our souls,
     so we may bring healing
          to a troubled world.

Holy Spirit, Breath of Peace:
you show us our hearts,
     so we may give love to others.
You show us our hands,
     sending us to serve the needy.
You show us your hope,
     so we may live in your joy.

God in Community, Holy in One,
who is, who was, and who is to come,
hear us as we pray as you have taught us,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
When we keep our faults and failures locked safely away, we have no need to confess. But God comes into our hearts when we least expect, so we can be filled with forgiveness, with hope, with peace.  Please join me as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
God of empty tombs and emptier people:
when we hesitate to speak of your hope,
     forgive us, and give us a voice.
When we find it difficult to love one another,
     forgive us, and give us fresh compassion.
When we want to stand with the high and mighty,
     forgive us, and seat us next to the poor and oppressed.
When we stay locked behind our fears and doubts,
     forgive us, and send us out to share you grace.
When we cannot believe your Word of new life,
     forgive us, and fill us with your joy.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Christ comes into every shadowed corner of our lives with the light of Easter. Christ comes into the locked rooms of our faults and gifts us with grace and hope.
Christ comes to fill us with peace, so we may proclaim the good news of mercy and forgiveness for all. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of resounding joy be with you!
And also with you!
Easter people, may your hearts be filled with joy!
May God fill our emptiness with the carols of angels!
Children of the resurrection, lift your praises to God!
We join with all creation in shouting our praise to the One who loves us!

From the rubble of chaos,
you shaped a sanctuary for creation,
Surpassing God:
     trumpeter swans glided gracefully across lakes,
     tall trees waltzed across green fields,
     stars piped choruses of joy in the night.
Having formed us in your image,
your Spirit breathed peace into us,
inviting us to wander the gardens of wander.
     But we chose to hide ourselves behind
     the locked doors of sin and death.
Prophets came, to witness about your
willingness to forgive us and
to take our fears away from us.
When we would not respond
to your gracious invitations,
Jesus came, to free us from all sin.

With our ancestors in the faith,
with our children and grandchildren,
with everyone who sees you coming,
we sing our glad praise to you:

Holy, holy, holy, God of surpassing greatness.
Everything that breathes praises you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who you exalt.
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, God of our ancestors,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, the first and last.
Co-creator of all that is around us,
     he came to bear witness of your promises.
Our Lord as well as our God,
     he blesses all who believe in him
          whether or not they have seen him.
Serving you in life as well as death,
     he became the first-born of the dead,
          so we might be your children through eternity.

As we remember all he did and taught,
as we celebrate the wonder of his resurrection,
we sing of that mystery we call faith:

Christ was the One who died for us;
Christ is the One who is risen for us;
Christ is the One who will come for us.

Send your Spirit of holiness
to transform these simple gifts
into your grace surpassing all fear,
and to bear witness of your enduring love.
Through the bread which is broken,
we are made whole once again,
     so we might minister to those
          who live behind the locked doors of oppression.
By the cup which is shared,
we are able to believe,
     even when we cannot see,
          that your peace is coming to everyone.

And when our lives have ended,
when we are gathered in grace and peace
with our sisters and brothers from all time,
we will join our hearts in praising you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
who was. who is, and who is to come. Amen.

 © Thom M. Shuman

Palm/Passion Sunday - C

Texts:  Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 19:28-40                                   

Call to Worship
On this day of palms and celebration,
Jesus continues his journey with God.
We will go with him, for a while,
until he turns towards Calvary.
From the top of Olive Mountain,
Jesus prepares to travel
through the valley of heartache and loss.
We will follow Jesus, for a while,
cradling hope in our hearts.
In the streets of Jerusalem,
Jesus hears the cries of those who adore him.
We will shout Jesus' name, for a while,
until we cry out, "Crucify him!"

Prayer of the Day
Holy God,
Architect of our grace:
from your house we praise you.
     Your love is never taken from us;
     your goodness is the constant in our lives.
We worship you.

Jesus Christ,
Sorrow of our salvation:
you dared to listen to God
     instead of the cheers
     of the crowd
          and the jeers
          of your enemies.
We walk with you.

Holy Spirit,
Glory of God:
you give us light
     so we might see
     the One who comes;
you open our ears,
     so we might hear
     the whispers of hope;
you sustain the weary,
     so we might journey
     through this week.
We welcome you.

God in Community, Holy in One, hear us as we pray as Jesus taught,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
Petty squabbles don't belong in such a story of high drama and sacrifice, but they are there, just as in our lives, along with the other ways we fail to be the disciples of Christ. Please join me as we pray.

Unison Prayer of Confession
   Sustainer of the weary, we know how we sang for joy when Christ came into our lives, and how we have not followed him as he leads us on this journey. We have hidden our faces from the pain and suffering of our world. We have turned a deaf ear to the cries of the poor, the hungry, and the oppressed.  We trust in the slick promotion of the world, and not in your words that can transform our lives.
   Forgive us, Steadfast God, and shine your face upon us. Help us to have the same mind as Christ, so we would know your promises; help us to have the same heart as Christ, so we might serve your children; help us to have the same Spirit as Christ, so we might go wherever you lead us.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
God does not turn away when we fail to be faithful. God does not reject us when we do not trust fully. God continues to love us, to forgive us, to restore us.
It is God who helps us; it is God who saves us.  It is all we need or ever will need. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord is coming to be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, lay down your coats and lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the One who comes in God's name.
Let us praise God for the mighty works we have witnessed.
It is right that we praise our God.

It is our highest joy to praise you,
God of enduring love.
All that is good and beautiful,
all that is just and true,
     is your doing.
Morning by morning,
     you whispered your dreams
     and hopes into our hearts.
But we chose to listen
to different voices,
     turning our backs on you
     in rebellion and sin.
You sent the prophets
to waken our ears
to your songs of grace,
     but we rejected them
     as adversaries to our desires.
Yet you would not turn your face from us,
and sent the One who is named Salvation.

Therefore, we join our voices in thanksgiving,
with those in this place, and in every place,
with those in every moment, and in this moment,
singing with all creation to your glory:

Holy, holy, holy, God of palms and passion.
All creation proclaims your coming towards us.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes in your name.
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, God of goodness,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
who comes in your name.
When he could have remained with you,
     he poured himself into
     the emptiness of our souls;
casting aside his unity with you,
     he gathered up our brokenness
     to make us whole;
proclaimed by the choirs of heaven,
     he humbled himself as a servant,
     so we might be raised to glory;
faithful to the point of death,
even shameful death,
you exalted him to new life
     so we might stand with him
     in eternity with you.

Remembering the One who came for us,
remembering the words he taught,
remembering his passion and his resurrection,
we proclaim the One who is the Bread of Life:

Christ came in triumph, only to be rejected by us;
Christ died in sorrow, only to be raised by you;
Christ will come again, only to bring us to you.

Holy Spirit,
as we come to this Table,
bless the gifts of the bread and the cup
that they might be the sustenance of grace.
Strengthen us with the Bread of life,
     so we would not turn our backs
          on those who hunger;
nourish us with the Cup of hope,
     so we might sustain the weary;
so fill us with the good news,
     that we dare not remain silent,
          but must shout out God's desire
          of justice and peace for all people.

And when days of triumph and tragedy are done,
when we are gathered in your righteousness,
we will join with all your people, of every time and place,
who forever sing your praises for all eternity,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Fifth Sunday in Lent - C

Texts: Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126: Philippians 3:4b-14; John 12:1-8

Call to Worship
L: Whatever God did in the past, the future is that much better!
(even in Jerusalem)
P: We will not stop looking for the newness God has for us!
L: Whatever we have achieved to this point,
we have not completed our journey.
(even into the unknown).
P: We will quicken our pace to follow Jesus wherever he leads.
L: Whatever obstacles we put in the path,
God will make a way to our hearts.
(even in the desert of death)
P: We will move onward, through our doubts and fears.

Prayer of the Day
Holy God, Water Tamer:
you humble our pride,
so we might open
our hearts
to your healing;
you restrain our fears,
so we might reach
for your joy.

Jesus Christ, Living Water:
you gather up our tears
and wash away
the dust of our despair;
you sit at our feet
and anoint us
with your costly love;
you wipe away our sin
and make us new.

Holy Spirit, Impudent Joy:
you grace us
with gifts so abundant
they become a river
bursting its banks
in our lives.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our prayers and our joy to you,
even as we pray as Jesus taught us:
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
Even now, God makes a way for us to be made whole. God wants to bring us out
of despair and to fill our hearts with laughter. Please join me as we pray
to the One who forgets our past to offer us a new future,

Unison Prayer of Confession
    God, whose name is Grace: you are always in the business of surprising us
with new lives, new dreams, new hopes. But we are so busy opening up the
boxes where we have stored the past, making sure that each item remains safe
and unbroken, that we do not recognize what you are doing. We are so blinded
by the dull reflection of our old habits, that we cannot see the fresh
chances which are given so freely to us. Our senses are so deadened by our
desires that we cannot smell the bouquet of joy that is in the air.
    Forgive us, God of Joy. By your mercy, mend our broken lives. You move
through us, rearranging the price tags on everything we value, so we might
be able to let go of all that holds us back from faithful living. Then we
can press on in following Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, into that
kingdom of hope and wonder.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L: God comes to us to give living water to thirsty people;
God comes to us to anoint us with the grace that wipes away our sin;
God comes to fill us with joy.
P: Our tears are turned into rivers of grace; our weeping becomes glad
cries of praise. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L: May the God who restores us be with you!
P: And also with you!
L: Our God desires to fill us with grace and wonder.
P: We lift our hearts to the One who longs for us
L: From brokenness, God would make us well.
P: We sing glad songs to the One who touches us with hope.

You made a way through chaos,
God of newness,
riding the rapids through mountain gorges,
giving water to the deserts
so life might spring forth.
You formed us for yourself,
so we might live with you
in the wonders of creation.
But our tongues tingled at
that first taste of sin and
as death filled our dreams
with promises that would not be kept,
we made our way
into the middle of nowhere.
You would not cling to
our former ways, but
sent the prophets to tell us
of all the new things you
wanted to do for us,
but we did not care for such words.
Then you sent Jesus to us
to restore us back to life.

So, forgetting what lies in the past,
we join our sisters and brothers
in reaching out towards you
with glad songs on our lips:

P: Holy, holy, holy, God who fills us with joy.
All creation joins in honoring you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blesses is the One who is always with us.
Hosanna in the highest!

Forgetting what lay behind in glory,
Jesus pressed on in coming to us
to make us his own sisters and brothers.
Find us wandering the back of beyond,
he took us by the hand
to make a way home to you;
sowing the tears of your heart
in the barrenness of our souls,
he brought forth a harvest of hope;
he went to the cross,
suffering the loss of all he held dear,
that we might gain life with you.

As we remember the new spirit he brought,
as we celebrate our heavenly call in him,
we proclaim the mystery we call faith:

P: Christ died, that we might gain life;
Christ is risen, that life might spring forth in us;
Christ will come again, carrying our hopes to us.

Pour out your Spirit, Holy God,
on these simple gifts of the Table
and on all who gather in your presence.
As we eat of the bread,
you refresh us with life
so we might go to serve,
our hands and hearts
overflowing with hope to others.
As we lift the cup to our lips,
we are overwhelmed with
the aroma of servanthood,
and as we taste your dreams
mingling with your tears,
our tongues tingle with grace,
and we go out with shouts of joy
gathering up all your people
to bring them home to you.

And when all time has ceased,
when our tears have turned
and our laments to loud cries of joy,
we will sing our songs of wonder to you,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

© Thom M. Shuman

Fourth Sunday in Lent - C

Texts:  Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 32: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Call to Worship
Do you feel it? God's kingdom is beneath our feet.
We live in the new creation shaped by God out of our brokenness.
Do you know it? God's reconciling love in Christ has shattered our ways of viewing people.
No longer do we label our sisters and brothers, we welcome them with open arms.
Do you believe it? God has made everything, including us, new,
and sends us forth to share this good news with everyone!

Prayer of the Day
Holy God, Word Shaper:
you are not our accountant,
     but our lover;
you are not angry at us,
     but you forgive us;
you are not our enemy,
     but the One who runs towards us
     with wide open arms,
throwing steaks on the grill
to celebrate our newness!

Jesus Christ, Shaper of our story:
you travel to that distant country called our sin
     to bring us home once again;
you share your inheritance with us
     so we might be blessed;
you know the famine of our spirits
     and fill it with your hope.

Holy Spirit, Life Shaper:
surrounded by your grace,
     we offer glad cries of salvation;
encircled by your constant love,
     we shout for joy;
enclosed in your comforting arms,
     nothing can overwhelm us.

God in Community, Holy in One,
from now on we will remember our life in you,
even as we pray as Jesus taught us,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
We know our faults -- the way we have treated others, our alienation from God, our unwillingness to be faithful people. We will not hide our sin or remain silent, but confess them to the One who surrounds us with steadfast love. Please join me as we pray, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
   On this very day, Waiting God, we admit all the lengths to which we go so we might avoid you. You offer us that kingdom of joy and wonder, yet we would hide in places where temptation waits. You invite us to feast on your grace and peace, but we stubbornly refuse, because you also welcome those we call 'outsiders.' We are quick to see all the mistakes that those around us make, but hope you will ignore our foolish choices.
   Celebrating God, before we come to our senses, we find you running towards us, sweeping us up in your arms, tears of grace mingling with our cries of confession, a mighty river washing away our sinful ways to restore us to new life.  In Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, we find no limitations on your grace, no reservations about your love, but a feast that overflows with wonder, a place we can finally call home.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
God rolls away everything that stands in our way - our past, our sin, our pain, our hesitation, and reshapes us into new people living in the new creation. What wonderful grace. We are forgiven!
Broken, we are made whole;
lost, we are brought home;
empty, we are filled with songs of gladness.
We rejoice and give thanks to God who has graced us with mercy. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May Abba our God be with you!
And also with you!
Lift your hearts to the One who welcomes you home.
We open them to our God, who runs to embrace us with grace.
Sing glad songs to the One who provides this feast.
We join in singing to God, who throws a party for us in this place.

On those days you called creation
from the hiding places of your imagination,
     mighty rivers rushed down to the seas,
     a rainbow of produce sprang up in fields,
     day and night rippled with your beauty.
All this was from you, God of Wonder,
gifts for those created in your image.
But we demanded our share,
     traveling to that far country called death,
     squandering everything in sin's hidden shadows.
Longing for us to come home,
you sent the prophets to surround us
with glad songs of deliverance,
     but we regarded their words as empty husks,
     continuing to waste away all our days.
So you sent Jesus, your Son,
to lead us back from the dead
so we might celebrate your life.

With all the prodigals as well as the pious,
with all the saints as well as the sinners,
with all the faithful, we sing to you:

Holy, holy, holy, God who reconciles us to yourself.
All creation is glad and rejoices.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who finds the lost and guides them home.
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, God of prodigals,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, in whom there is no deceit.
Coming to that far country we call life,
     he shared the gifts of grace and peace;
telling us stories of families reunited,
     he points us to you sitting by the kingdom's window;
seeing us green-eyed with jealousy,
     he hands us the glasses of reconciliation
          so we might see others in a new way;
going to the cross and dying,
     he comes to life in joy,
          surrounded by your glad cries of resurrection.

As we remember how he welcomed those we overlook,
as we celebrate at the feast which is offered in his name,
we would reflect on that mystery we call faith:

Christ died, to be our salvation;
Christ rose, to be our reconciliation;
Christ will return, to lead us home.

On this day, Parenting God,
pour out your Spirit
on the gifts of the bread and the cup,
the celebration of our new life with you.
In this feast you provide,
     we find the healing we hunger for
     in the bread which is broken for us.
At this table of peace and joy,
in the deep richness of grace's cup,
we receive new sight,
so we can see our sisters and brothers in a new way,
not strangers,
     but siblings,
not outsiders,
     but members of the family.
And on the very day when all time will end,
we will gather with your family around your table,
our voices singing through all eternity glad songs to you,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

© Thom M. Shuman

Third Sunday in lent - C

Texts:  Isaiah 55:1-9; Psalm 63:1-8; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-9

Call to Worship
When our pockets are empty, God allows us to purchase what we need,
     charging it to grace's account.
God thinks differently than we do.
When our souls are parched, God hands us a glass of living water.
God's ways are different from ours.
When we grow weary of searching, God takes our hand and leads us home.
God's love is different from ours.

Prayer of the Day
God of Grace:
we would max out every credit card
and empty our bank accounts
if we thought we could buy
that peace, that hope,
that mercy, that joy
which always seem to elude us.
     Yet you wrap them up and hand them to us,
     with no price tag attached.

We hold our empty lives
out to the world,
begging to be filled to the brim
with all that will only disappoint us.
     Yet you would grace us with living waters,
     which never run dry.
We lie awake at night
from the insomnia of our stress,
whispering of our fears.
     Yet you would lullaby us
     with your love which never ends.

We would lift our hearts to you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
trusting that you will listen to us,
even as we pray as Jesus has taught us,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
Gifted beyond measure, we grumble that we don't have enough. Seeking to get our own way, we do not see the ways God wants to forgive us and restore us to new life. In this season of reflection and repentance, let us turn to the One who waits for us with hope.

Unison Prayer of Confession
   We continue to be tempted, Faithful God.  We are blessed with gifts to use for others, but we want to keep them for ourselves. We easily notice the mistakes of those around us, but do not want to look in the mirror at our lives. We turn our desires into idols, so we do not have to recognize how they can damage us.
   Forgive us, Steadfast God. Fill the poverty of our spirits with the richness of your grace; feed our selfish hunger with the bread of compassion for the world; pour the living waters of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, into our hearts until they overflow with love.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
God is faithful. God's love is an eternal bargain which will not be broken, God's grace is the gift which will not be taken back.
Such abundant mercy, such extravagant grace!  Thanks be to God, we are forgiven. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of everlasting covenants be with you!
And also with you!
Lift up your thirsty hearts to God.
We long for the waters of grace to fill us.
Sing praises to the One who feeds us with wonder.
Our mouths praise God with joy on our lips.

Your ways were not the ways of chaos,
God of Wonder and Delight,
and so with thoughts beyond understanding
you spoke,
     and waters rushed through weary lands;
you listened,
     and songbirds composed anthems for you.
You crafted humanity in your image,
     your steadfast love a promise to us for all time,
but we did not listen carefully to all you spoke,
and so spent your blessings on those temptations
which never could keep us satisfied.
So we would not be unaware
of your continued love for us,
     prophets came, calling us to stop
     and to listen to your longing heart.
When we would not forsake our foolish ways,
Jesus came, your eternal covenant of salvation.

So, we join our voices with all those
who seek you in every time and place,
calling upon you with hope and joy.

Holy, holy, holy, God our God.
Heaven and earth behold your glory.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who provides the way out of sin and death.
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, O God, our God,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your song of joy.
When we had lost our way
in the weary land of sin,
     he came to lead us to the waters of hope.
When we could not hear your voice
amid the jumbled thoughts of temptation,
     he came to witness of the good news
          first sung in the broken places of your heart.
When our ways, fertilized by fear and doubt,
were unable to produce any life for us,
     he dug up the roots of death,
          that resurrection might be planted
          deep within us, blooming forever.

As we draw closer to that week we call Holy,
as we remember the One we call Savior,
we speak of that mystery we call faith:

Christ died, witnessing to the world;
Christ rose, destroying the destroyer;
Christ will come, blessing us forever.

From the generosity of your heart you provide
the gifts of the bread and the cup,
charging us nothing, as your Spirit
pours out love and grace on all
who gather at the feast of remembrance.
Here, we are fed with that which
is not bread, but the very life we need,
     so we con go forth to serve your people.
Here, our thirsty souls are refreshed
by the taste of peace and hope,
     so we might speak out for all
     who are ignored by the world.

And when we know no thoughts but yours,
when we are gathered with our sisters and brothers
in that place which you have prepared,
we will sing for joy in the shelter of your heart,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

(c) 2013

Second Sunday in Lent - C

Texts:  Genesis 15:1-12, 17-19; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17 – 4:1; Luke 13:31-35

Call to Worship
How are we to know we are loved by God, as deeply as Sarah and Abraham were?
At the center of the covenant is God's promise, as well as God's honor.
How are we to know that when we cry out to God, that we will be heard?
At the center of our relationship with God is love and trust.
How are we to trust that what people like Paul and Jesus tell us is true?
At the center of Scripture we find God, full of grace and wonder.

Prayer of the Day
One thing we ask of you,
Sheltering God:
that when we are afraid
     you would bring us into your heart;
that when we lose our way,
     you would give us gentle guides;
that when we cry out to you,
     you would grace us with your presence.

One thing we ask of you,
Mothering Christ:
that you gather up our doubts
     and transform them into confidence;
that you surround our fears
     and transform them into faithfulness;
that you pick up our broken lives
     and transform us into your body.

One thing we ask of you,
Spirit of Light:
that you hold so fast to us,
     we can stand firm in the Lord;
that you stick by us
     so we can wait for the Lord
     through the long hours of life;
that you fill us with your gifts,
     so we can see the goodness
     of the One who comes.

One thing we ask of you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
that you hear us as we pray, as we are taught,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
In the moments when no one else will look at us, God's face is turned towards us full of love and hope.  God does not recoil in horror from our words or actions but, with forgiveness and grace, gathers us up as beloved children, touching us with healing power, so we might turn to face all we have hurt.  Let us trust such a God as we offer our prayers of confession, saying together,

Unison Prayer of Confession
   Refuge of our hearts, we must admit that all too often you are not the center of our lives.  We find shelter in all the false securities the world offers, rather than grounding ourselves in your promises. Our emotions drive our fears, and so we end up making foolish choices,
rather than being guided by your word and heart. We turn to the politicians, the celebrities, the commentators to give us guidelines for living, rather than following the One who comes in your name.
   We ask one thing of you, our God, that you not hide your face from us, but turn to us with forgiveness and hope. Be gracious to us, so we might share such grace with those around us. Fill our emptiness with your love, so we might become more loving. Open
our hearts, as well as our eyes, to see the One who comes to gather us up and lead us into your kingdom, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
The good news is that at the very moment we discover that the temptations of the world provide no true home for us, we find God sheltering us with love, with grace, with joy.
Gathered up in God's grace, we become forgiven and whole. We can lift glad songs of joy to the One who makes us new. Thanks be to God! Amen.

The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May God be with you.
And also with you.
Beloved of God, lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the One who knows us and loves us.
Beloved of God, give thanks to our God.
It is right to give both thanks and praise.

It is indeed right to give you praise,
Star Maker.
From the depths of the terror of chaos,
you created all that is beautiful and good.
Our grandparents in the faith
could have contemplated the heavens,
     but gazed instead into
     the shadowed corners of the world,
     choosing rebellion, sin and death.
You sent prophets to call us back
into your glory and grace,
     but we ignored their witness,
     scoffing at their words.
Yet you would not let us remain broken,
but sent the Bread which could make us whole.

Therefore we gladly join our voices
with the songs of your people
in both heaven and on earth:

Holy, holy, holy, God our Light, our Salvation.
All creation beholds your glory and beauty.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, God of Grace,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
Choosing to leave the shelter of heaven,
     he comes to gather us into your kingdom.
sharing our life in every way,
     he knows our struggles and our doubts;
taking the weight of sin upon his shoulders,
     he carries us into the joy of your grace;
broken and dying for our sake,
     he delivers us from sin and death,
          creating the new covenant of your heart.

As we remember his life, his death, his rising,
we would proclaim that mystery we call faith:

Dying, Christ believed God's word;
rising, Christ finished his work;
returning, Christ will gather us together in glory.
God of mystery:
pour out your Holy Spirit upon us
and on the bread we break
and the cup we share.
Make us one with the Risen Christ
and send us forth to be
     sisters and brothers to the world.
Calm the worries and fears of our hearts,
     so we might be bearers of your peace;
fill our emptiness with the Bread of life,
     so we might feed the hungry around us;
cool our thirst with the cup of grace,
     so we might reach out to all
     who travel through the desert of life;
walk with us through the streets of the kingdom,
     until we reach our journey's end,
seated around the Table you have prepared
for the redeemed of every time and place.

Then we will merge our shouts of joy
with those who have modeled for us
trust and obedience in you,
singing our praise to you, God of the Covenant,
through Jesus Christ, our joy and crown,
and in the oneness of the Holy Sprit,
now and forever. Amen.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

1st Sunday in Lent - C

Texts: Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16; Romans 10:8b-13; Luke 4:1-13

Call to Worship
Led by the Holy Spirit, we come to this place.
God has given us this haven where we may bring
our hopes, our fears, our doubts, our wonder.
Led by the Holy Spirit, we will gather at the Table.
Jesus has come to be with us in our lives,
to feed us with grace and peace.
Led by the Holy Spirit, we will go to serve God's people.
There is no distinction between 'us' and 'them,'
between Presbyterians* and other believers;
we are sisters and brothers in God's family.

Prayer of the Day
Holy God,
Refuge of desert wanderers:
as the seeds of grace
you have planted within us
bear an abundant harvest,
     we would offer the first fruits
     in thanksgiving to you
          and in service to others.

Jesus Christ, Companion of Lenten pilgrims:
you understood
that God alone feeds us,
     and so became the broken Bread;
you knew that the power
to transform our lives
comes from God alone,
     and so became our Servant;
you did not ignore
the warning not to test God,
     and so became our Hope.

Holy Spirit, Leader of Christ's apprentices:
you fill the hungry
     with the Bread of hope;
you fill the arrogant
     with the Servant's humility;
you fill the hopeless
     with that trust which endures.

God in Community, Holy in One,
in our hearts, and on our lips,
we pray as Jesus taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
Too many times, what is found on our lips are words of hurt and anger. Too often, what is found in our hearts is bitterness and fear. And so we end up testing God with our foolish lives, rather than trusting God to lead us in the way we long to go. Let us bring our words of confession, as well as our brokenness, to the One who hears us and makes us whole. Please join me as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
   God of our ancestors, we confess that we can become so obsessed with all that is new, we ignore the past which is filled with wisdom. We prefer to wander down streets to all the places we know so well, yet are reluctant to be led by your Spirit into unfamiliar neighborhoods.  We sometimes are in such a hurry to get our heart's desires, we stumble past the grace you are longing to give us.
   Hear our hearts and see our brokenness, God of our days, and forgive us. May we grow in our trust of you, rather than continuing to test you. Gather us up and bring us into the presence of Jesus Christ, our Servant, our Savior, that we might follow him to Jerusalem, and beyond - into that place of hope and peace you are giving to us.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
This is our good news: hearing our prayers and our silence, God forgives us! God is giving to us a marvelous inheritance - hope and grace, peace and joy.
On our lips are cries of gratitude, in our hearts is the trust in the One who loves us. Thanks be to God, we are forgiven! Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God who shelters us be with you!
And also with you!
People of God’s inheritance, lift up your hearts.
Our hearts filled with hope are offered to our God.
Those whom God has brought to this place, offer your gratitude to God.
With glad songs, we celebrate the bounty of this Table God provides for us.

Full of the Holy Spirit,
you spoke, God our strength,
and with signs of light and water,
with the wonders of earth blossoming,
     you gave the first fruits of creation
     to our ancestors long ago.
But refusing to dwell in the shadows
of your love and grace,
     we stumbled after sin, trampling underfoot
     your dreams and hopes for us.
You sent psalmists and prophets,
your word on their lips and in their hearts
to call us back to you,
     but we chose to live by sin alone.
You sent your Child to us,
so we might celebrate the bounty
of your love and salvation.

As we gather in this place given to us,
as we draw near to your Table prepared for us,
we join our voices with all our ancestors
in faith from every time and place:

Holy, holy, holy, God of signs and wonders.
All creation flows with your love and joy.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes to share your inheritance.
Hosanna in the Highest!

Holy are you, God our Refuge and Hope,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, Sign and Wonder of your love.
Led by the Holy Spirit,
he came to the wilderness of our lives
     so we might be brought to
     your kingdom of peace and joy.
Hearing our cries of loneliness,
he came to bring us
     our inheritance of life with you.
Seeing how harshly sin and death
treated us, he opened his scarred hands
     to show us our salvation.

As we follow him to Jerusalem,
as we come to the Table he has prepared,
we proclaim that mystery of faith:

Christ died, salvation for all.
Christ is risen, generous to all.
Christ will come again, Lord of all.

Pour out your Holy Spirit
upon those who have gathered in this place
and upon the bread and the cup
which you are giving to us.
In the broken bread, may we find
that word of faith

     we can proclaim with our lips.
In the cup of grace poured for us,
may we find that life of faith
     we can proclaim with our actions.
And filled with the Holy Spirit,
may we be led into the world,
     to be a refuge for the searching,
     to be hope for the despairing,
     to be with those in trouble,
      to be a friend to the lonely.

And when these days are over
and we are gathered in that
inheritance you are giving to us,
we will join with our sisters and brothers
in proclaiming with our lips and our hearts
that you are indeed, forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

* Feel free to substitute your denomination for 'Presbyterian'

(c) Thom M. Shuman