Liturgy w/communion for July 20, 2014 (Pentecost 6/Trinity 5/Proper 11/Ordinary 16 - A)

Texts:  Isaiah 44:6-8; Psalm 86:11-17; Romans 8:12-25; Matthew 13:24-30,  36-43

Call to Worship
From the moment we open our eyes each morning,
until we close them at night, God is with us.
There is no one like you, our God!
In times when we are surrounded with struggles,
in all the surprising places we find hope, Jesus is with us.
There is no one like you, our Brother!
When we feel orphaned by the world,
when we are welcomed into faith's family,
the Holy Spirit is with us.
There is no one like you, Witnessing Spirit!

Prayer of the Day
You we praise, Steadfast Love,
for your presence never abandons us,
but is at our side in all of life.
There is no cobwebbed corner
that is not claimed by your grace.

You we praise, Teller of parables.
Your words challenge us in moments of doubt,
as well as in our times of great faith.
When we run around in circles
chasing our worries and fears
like a dog after it's tail,
you whisper hope to us.

You we praise, Spirit who calls to our hearts.
Your voice is that gentle whisper
in a world filled with angry shouts;
your joy is that refreshing shower
when despair parches our souls;
your wonder opens our eyes and ears
to the gifts which surround our lives.

You we praise, God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we pray as we are taught, saying,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
When we fail to live as God's people, we are like flowers which give way to weeds.  But God seeks us out, not to condemn us, but to comfort, to forgive, and to bring us home.  Let us stop playing hide-and-seek with our God, as we confess our sins together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     Insolently we turn against you, God of truth.  When we follow those desires that control us; when we live for ourselves, shutting off the gifts of those around us; when we think we do not need to share love, hope, peace with others, we show how we have joined that league of hooligans who ignore your way of life.
     Yet, you have chosen to adopt us as your children, God-who-stands-with-us, forgiving us and making us inheritors with Jesus of your grace and joy.  So lead us by the Spirit, that we might follow Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, into creation which groans for love and healing.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
In sorrow so deep we cannot find our way out,
      God cradles us in comfort;
in moments so shadowed we trip over our fears,
      God lights the way for us;
in joy which cascades into our souls,
      God fills us with healing.
Even when we cannot see it, God's hope is all around us, surrounding us with peace and healing.  Thanks be to God, we are forgiven !  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offertory
Your steadfast love is but one of the many gifts you pour into us.  Our offerings are but a part of the ways in which we can serve you and your people.  Bless them, and bless us, to ministries of healing and hope.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of hope be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, lift your hearts to your Creator.
We offer them to the One who fills us with wonder.
Children of God, join in glad songs of praise to God.
We join the psalmists and prophets, the disciples and the doubters in glorifying God.

Who is like you, whimsical God?
You could have kept creation for yourself,
but instead you
     poured light into the shadows of chaos,
     planted seeds for crops to strengthen all,
     shaped companions to journey with us.
You freely give these gifts to those
who are made in your loving image,
     but from old, we choose over and over
     to trust in sin and death,
     believing their tangible temptations
     to be of more value than your unseen hope.
Prophets come along to teach us your way,
so we might walk in your truth,
     but we consider them to be a
     troupe of troublemakers
     and chase them away.
Finally Jesus came, to gather up your children,
so we might shine like the Son in your kingdom.

With those who remain indebted to the flesh,
with those who owe their life to the Spirit,
we join our voices in praising you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God of steadfast love.
All creation groans, awaiting your redemption.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who gives us listening ears.
Hosanna in the highest!

Who is like you, Story Teller?
You left the crowds of angels
and came into our world.
With parables and simple truths,
you opened our ears so we could listen
     to words of joy and comfort.
Grounded in that hope no one can see,
you opened our eyes so we can glimpse
     touch, taste, and live in the kingdom.
You suffered on the cross to break
the hold sin and death have on us,
     so by the grace of your resurrection,
     we become your sisters and brothers,
     joint heirs of God's constant grace.

As we wait with eager longing for you,
as we celebrate this feast of heaven,
we declare that faith which is a mystery:

Christ died, refusing to fall back into fear;
God raised him, revealing glory to us;
Christ will come to gather us into the kingdom.

Who is like you, Spirit of Creation?
You plant the seeds that become
the grain which is turned into bread;
you warm the vines that nurture
the grapes which are for the cup;
you transform these simple gifts
into a meal set at the children's Table.
May the broken bread give us strength
     so we may go to serve
     the vulnerable with our whole hearts.
May the cup offered to us open our ears
     so we may listen to the oppressed
     with attention focused only on them.

Then, when all creation is gathered up at the end
and all your children from every age and place
gather around that Table prepared from your hope,
we will spend all eternity forever praising you,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
Go forth as God's people.
We will greet everyone as one of the family.
Go forth as followers of Jesus.
We will serve everyone we meet, especially those who have been thrown aside by the world.
Go forth with the gifts of the Spirit in you.
We will be that hope which everyone longs to see.

© 2014  Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy for July 13, 2014 (Pentecost 5/Trinity 4/Proper 10/Ordinary 15 - A)

Texts:  Isaiah 55:10-13; Psalm 65:1-13; Romans 8:1-11; Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Call to Worship
Fresh corn dripping with butter,
juicy peaches topping our cereal:
praise is due to you, God of the harvest!
Children chasing fireflies in evening's shadows,
families picnicking in the backyard:
Praise is due to you, God of summer days!
Mothers tightening training wheels on bikes,
fathers teaching kids to bait a hook:
praise is due to you, God of our lives!

Prayer of the Day
You open our hearts, O God,
as you put a sail on your hope
so it may reach the furthest
shores of our despair.
Your showers of grace
fall softly upon the loose soil
of our dried-up dreams.

Your words do not return
empty to you, Story-teller.
They take root deep within us,
blossoming into gentleness
which can comfort a broken heart,
into compassion which can transform
a cold shoulder into an embrace,
into kindness which can make
a curmudgeon break into laughter.

You move into our lives,
Spirit of life,
quietly taking those fears
which trip us in the night hours
and putting them out in the trash;
gently watering the seeds
planted in our inept souls
until they become bushels of grace.

We join all in coming to you
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we pray together, saying,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
We could offer seeds of hope, but don't.  We could help a friend with a difficult problem, but won't.  We could smooth the way for someone stumbling through life, but can't.  Let us confess our harvest of sin to our God, as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     We know the seeds we have sown, Harvesting God: anger which springs from our flinty hearts; bitterness which flows like a rushing river into another's heart; hurtful words which wrap their thorny briars around a friend's kindness; passion which poisons an innocent relationship.
     Forgive us, Loving God, and have mercy.  Your grace can turn our fallow hearts into rich fields of love.  Your hope can smooth the rocks in our way, so we can go to be reconciled to another.  Your love for us in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, can untangle the thorny mess we have made of our lives.  Bless us with these gifts, we pray.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
No ifs, no ands, no buts.  Now there is no condemnation - period!  God answers all our hurts, our wrongs, our sin with salvation.  Believe this good news, my friends.
We are stunned by your grace, and embraced in your love, Forgiving God, and lift our thanks to you.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offertory
What we offer may not seem significant in a world of so much, Caring God, but we pray they may become seeds of hope, of grace, of change, of life to all those around us.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the Sower of grace be with you!
And also with you!
Seeds of hope and joy are planted in you.
May our hearts yield a rich harvest for God.
Join your voices with the valleys and mountains in praise.
We rejoice in the One who welcomes us at this Table.

You cast your seeds upon chaos,
Sower of creation, and
     pastures overflowed with flocks,
     valleys brought forth flowers to welcome you,
     mountains sang out their praises to you
          as trees clapped out the beat.
We were shaped in your image
to enjoy all these generous gifts,
     but we chose to walk the rocky paths
     of sin and death, their thorny temptations
     choking us off from your hopes for us.
Prophets came to us with joy,
hoping to lead us back to you in peace,
     but we sent them away empty-handed,
     scattering their words on our sinful paths
     like bread crumbs left for birds of prey.
Yet you would not leave us condemned,
and sent Jesus to accomplish your hopes.

With those whose ears are wide open,
with those who struggle to walk with you,
we lift our songs of thanksgiving to you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God our Presence.
All creations is stunned by your deeds.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the Sower of the good news.
Hosanna in the highest!

Your holiness fills the earth with hope,
and Jesus Christ is the everlasting sign
we will not be separated from you.
He walked the dusty paths,
     picking us up from where
     the world had cast us aside.
He  gathered up all the rocks
which fill our lives,
     so your word might take root
     deep within us.
He prunes all the twisted briars
of sin and death
     so that your resurrection
     might bloom for us all.

As we gather for this memorial feast,
as we seek to hear and understand his words,
we proclaim that mystery we know as faith:

Christ died, condemning sing to death;
God raised Christ, giving him new life;
Christ will come for us again, refusing to return to God empty-handed.

The Sower casts out the seeds
and the grain comes forth
to provide substance for the Bread.
The rain and snow refresh the vines,
the plump grapes ripened
to fill the Cup of life.
Your Spirit gathers us these gifts
and prepares the Table for your people
who, blessed with your presence, go forth
     to bring hope and life to others;
and who, set free from sin and death,
    go to release neighbors and strangers
    from hunger, fear, doubts, and loneliness.

Then, when time has ended,
we will gather with our sisters and brothers
around your table of grace and peace,
and satisfied with your goodness
we will join all creation in praising you,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
Go forth as God's people.
We will sow seeds of love and joy in the world.
Go forth as Christ's true friends.
We will sow seeds of justice and hope in oppression-strewn paths.
Go forth as the Spirit's love.
We will sow seeds of peace and reconciliation in every corner of creation.

© 2014  Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for July 6, 2014 (Pentecost 4/Trinity 3/Proper 9/Ordinary 14)

Texts:  Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67; Psalm 45:10-17; Romans 7:15-25a; Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Call to Worship
L:    Come to our God,
        all who hunger for life:
P:    for it is God who nourishes us
        at the Table of Grace
L:    Come to our God,
        all who are worn out by life:
P:    for it is God who provides
        the rest we need.
L:    Come to our God,
        all who are weighed down:
P:    for it is our God who carries
        our burdens with us.

Prayer of the Day
Eternal God:
you sing a song
of silence
to our noisy hearts,
inviting us to still
our fidgeting souls,
and find our peace
in your cupped hands
which cradle us.

Jesus Christ,
Wanderer of the kingdom:
you are called
to reveal God to us
and do so in
    the tenderness of your touch,
    the gentleness of your words,
    the goodness of your heart,
    the peace of your shared yoke.

Spirit of Rest:
your childlike presence
opens our eyes
to the wonders of the world.
As we hand you
our anger, our hurt, our sin,
may our burdens
become our songs of joy.

May we find our rest, our hope, in you,
God in Community, Holy in One
even as we pray as Jesus taught us, saying,
(The Lord's Prayer

Call to Reconciliation
Fretful, agitated, longing for more and more
of this and that, we spend our lives in a
never-ending, never-fulfilled search for that
which satisfies.  But Christ knows that we
will only find the end of our journey in God,
and so invites us to that peaceful place known
as God's heart.  Let us let go of our burdens
of anger, hurt and sin so we can find our rest.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   We are so skilled at being in control, at taking
charge, Sabbath-Taking God, that we are not very
good at resting.  We think we have to be constantly
busy, so we have no time for you.  We are trained
to be extremely productive, and so create our harried,
stress-filled lives.
   Forgive us, Shalom Giving God.  Help us to let go
of our distractions, so you can act in us; calm our
creaturely activity, so you can re-create us; help us
to follow Jesus, not only into discipleship, but into
our rest with you.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L:    It sounds so simple, we think it is too simple.
    But which is the burden you would choose:
    hate or love; anger or forgiveness; pain or peace?
    God invites us to receive the gifts which make it
    possible to have lives of faithful obedience.
P:    This is the good news:  God forgives us and
    takes our burdens from us.  We would let go
    of them and welcome hope, joy, grace into our
    lives.  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L;    The Lord be with you.
P:    and also with you.
L:    People of God, lift up your hearts.
P:    We lift them to the One who invites us
        to rest in the heart of the Trinity.
L:    People of God, give thanks to the One
        who offers you rest.
P:    We sing our thanksgiving to God,
        who sings to us of peace.

With hearts filled with joy,
we bring our praise to you,
God of Rest.
On the first morning of creation,
you whispered of peace,
and the cacophony of chaos
was stilled.
You walked softly
through the grasses of the earth
and all creation
sang of your goodness.
Created to find our peace with you,
our fretful desire to be in control
led us into a nomadic existence
of rebellion against you.
Prophets spoke and angels sang
to invite us home,
but our stubborn pride
only grew stronger.
When the burden of our sin
became too great for your heart,
you sent Jesus to carry it for us.

With those who have found their rest in you,
with those who long for their burdens to be lifted,
we join in singing your praise:

P:  Holy, holy, holy are you, God of the weary.
     All creation celebrates your name in all generations.
    Hosanna in the highest!

    Blessed is the One who yokes himself to us.
    Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, God of our footloose hearts,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son,
our Lord and Savior.
Watching our restless striving
for more and more,
he modeled the life
of self-denial and service;
seeing us weighed down
with the burdens of sin and death,
he picked up his cross,
carried it to Calvary,
where he died to give us life.

As we remember his life and his rest in you,
as we celebrate the good news of lightened burdens,
we speak of that mystery we call faith:

P:  Christ came, that we may have life;
     Christ died, so that the burden of death might
            be lifted from us;
     Christ was raised to new life, so grace might
            be revealed to every generation;
     Christ will return, to yoke us to God through
            all eternity.

Pour out your Spirit of rest and shalom
upon this bread and this cup,
that these gifts might nourish us.
As we find our rest in you,
may we become restless
in service to your children;
as we engage with you
in solitude,
may we build a community
of justice and righteousness;
as we listen to your silence,
may we speak out
for all whose voices
are ignored by the world.

Then, when we gather with all
who have found their rest with you
at the Table of the Lamb,
we will sing our praise for all eternity,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

© 2014 Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy for June 29, 2014 (Proper 8/Ordinary 13)

Texts:  Jeremiah 28:5-9; Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42

Call to Worship
L:  Sing, sing of God's unalterable love!
P:  We will rejoice as we walk in the light of our God.
L:  Tell everyone around you of God's faithfulness.
P:  We will share the stories of the One who experienced
    our life in all its fullness.
L:  Shout out loud of God's presence with us,
    on this day and in all the days to come.
P:  Justice and goodness are God's gifts to us;
    truth and love walk by our side.

Prayer of the Day
In a world shaped by conflict,
where we seem to be slipping
back into tribal divisions,
   you call us to welcome those
   with whom we have absolutely
   nothing in common.
In a culture full of inequalities
which only seem to be widening,
   you call us to treat each person
   as our sister and brother.
In a time of intensifying injustices
which are found in every community,
if not in every neighborhood,
   you call us to yoke ourselves
   to your radical hope.
In a lifestyle which idolizes the individual
to the exclusion of all others,
   you call us to notice
      the parent who works three jobs,
      the dementia-diminished senior,
      the refugee family on the corner.

May we offer not just cups of cold water,
but all that we are and all we have
to those who are in our midst,
even as we pray to you,
God in Community, Holy in One, saying,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
The idol of our times is personal independence, but
in truth, we are bossed around by our faults, our
poor choices, the hurts we cause to others.  Yet,
by God's grace, we are set free from all these passions,
so let us join in offering our confessions to the One
who welcomes each of us with forgiveness and hope.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   It seems so simple, God of compassion, to
offer a cup of cold water to a thirsty person,
yet we know we worry more about how that might
inflate our bill at the end of the month.  We
are to open our hearts to others, but they may
need to be careful lest they slip on our icy
attitudes towards them.  People are looking for
places to lay their heads, yet our spare bedrooms
continue to be the place where only the dust
bunnies sleep.
   Forgive us, Radical Hope.  You did not have
to become one of us, but you did, so we might know
your love.  You did not have to welcome us into
your family, but you do, so we might experience
unexpected grace in our lives.  You did not have
to die for us, but in Jesus Christ you did, so we
might have life with you forever.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L:  Broken, we are made whole; thirsty, we are
filled with living water; longing for a renewed
relationship with God, we are welcomed with open
arms by the One who forgives us.
P:  Without a doubt, God's love never comes to
an end.  We will tell our kids and grandkids of
the grave and peace which is ours.  Thanks be to
God, we are forgiven!  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offertory
We are not blessed by God so we might hoard them
for ourselves, but use them to welcome those who
are looking for a community, to feed those who
hunger for friendship, to serve those whom the
world has cast aside.  Here are our gifts, Holy
God.  We pray you will use them as well as us in
the work of your kingdom.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L:  May the God of constant love be with you.
P:  And also with you.
L:  Come to the One who welcomes each and everyone
    of us to this Table of grace.
P:  We bring our broken hearts so they might be
    made whole.
L:  Join hands with your sisters and brothers and sing
    to the One who fills us with hope.
P:  Together we will praise God, who has made us one.

When chaos slammed the door on you,
God of faithfulness,
you whistled up creation and
she tagged along at your side
as your hospitality flowed forth:
   springs to refresh our wearied feet,
   sweet corn to fill our hunger,
   beds of pine needles on which to rest.
We were formed by you
so we might belong to you,
   but we let ourselves be held
   captive by lust, greed, and fear.
Prophets came, seeking to call us back
to you, fulfilling your words of welcome,
   yet we coninued to obey our passions.
Jesus came, offering us cups of living water,
words of hope and grace,
wrapping us in arms of joy.

With those who seek your peace,
with those who work for your justice,
we sing our praises to you:

P:  Holy, holy, holy are you, God of radical hope.
    All creation welcomes your words.
    Hosanna in the highest!

    Blessed is the One who walks in your light.
    Hosanna in the highest!

Compassionate God, you are the Voice
behind the Word who comes in Jesus Christ.
When sin would hand us
a pay envelope stuffed
with evil's crumpled bills,
   he fills our pockets
   with your gifts so
   we may be a blessing to others.
When temptation and worry
become our jailers on death row,
   he comes, with your pardon
   in his hands, setting us free
   so we may walk in
   the new light of your hope.

We remember his love and grace offered to all,
we hear his welcome extended to each of us,
as we speak of that mystery of our faith:

P:  Christ died, welcoming our death as his own;
    Christ was raised by the gift of God's hope;
    Christ will come to fulfill God's words.

Your compassionate welcome is extended
to anyone, any time, any place
as your Spirit is poured out
on the gifts of the Table of life
and on your people gathered for the feast.
Your life, which is broken in love,
becomes the wholeness which strengthens us
   to feed those for whom hunger
   is a constant companion,
   not a skipped meal.
Your grace, which is poured into us,
becomes the hospitality by which
   we welcome itinerant immigrants
      into our communities and hearts;
   we open our arms to every child
      held captive by poverty.

Then, when your glory becomes our home,
and we are gathered around your table -
con artists and poverty's prophets,
the most vulnerable and power brokers -
we will join in singing your praises
through all eternity,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen  

Sending
L:  Let us go forth to walk in God's light.
P:  We will show others the way to God's heart.
L:  Let us go to bring hope and healing to the world.
P:  With a gift as simple as a cup of water,
    and as complex as our lives, we will join Jesus
    in serving those around us.
L:  Let us go forth to gather up the little ones
    of our communities into our homes and hearts.
P:  With the gift of the Holy Spirit,
    we are no longer strangers but God's family.

(c) 2014 Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy for June 22, 2014 (Pentecost 3/Trinty 2/Proper 7/Ordinary 12 - A)

Texts: Jeremiah 20:7-13; Psalm 69:7-18; Romans 6:1b-11; Matthew 10: 24-39

Call to Worship
Troubled prophets and struggling families,
you listen to our voices, whoever we are.
There is no one like you, God of the listening heart.
Those who live in fear, and those who look for signs,
you fill us with hope and surprises.
There is no one like you, God of steadfast love.
Seekers of power, as well as those who serve the vulnerable,
you challenge us to use our gifts for others.
There is no one like you, God of all people. 

Prayer of the Day
God of those empty of hope
and those who are cast out:
into the chaos of every life
you enter with the silence of love;
when we choke on bitter memories,
you hand us the cup of healing;
when we wander down lonely streets,
you bring us home to your heart.

Jesus Christ,
conqueror of sin's power:
into our deepest pain
where life has bottomed out,
you dare to enter;
when we cry out with fear,
you cradle our hearts;
when we face death,
you stride out of the grave,
pointing the way to the kingdom.

Spirit of the forsaken
and bearer of compassion:
you are the mist shimmering
over the valleys,
stirring the waters of creation;
you are the dew bathing
the flowers every morning,
anointing us with resurrection's grace.

God in Community, Holy in One,
hear us as we pray as we have been taught,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
We struggle daily with that human tendency to always do wrong, say hurtful things, turn our back to others.  But God will never hold our sins against us or our foolish nature.  Let us confess to our God, who frees us forever from judgment, as we pray,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     In baptism, we are promised new life, God of  grace, yet we continue to focus on those old ways which are so comfortable and seductive.  We are so good at fooling others that we are convinced we can trick you as well.  We have been called to walk with you, and run down those paths paved with foolishness and fears.
     Forgive us, God of steadfast love.  You have claimed our lives in baptism, so we might be set free from sin and be raised to new life.  Just as you save us, so give us the strength to be willing to take up whatever task you give us, and the faith to be willing to lose our lives for others, so we might find life forever with you, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. 

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
This is the good news:  God hears our prayers, our cries, our hearts.  And, in Christ, we receive new life.  We are free, free to walk in the Light of the Lord.
So, this is what we will do.  We will open our hearts to God's grace; we will live as people who have died to sin and who live for Christ.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offertory
We offer our gifts to you, as well as our lives, Loving God, so they might find their way to those who need your grace, your hope, your joy, and your peace in their lives.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of steadfast love be with you.
And also with you.
Saints of God, lift your hearts to the One who saves you.
We offer them to God, who sees our hearts and minds.
Sing to the Lord; praise God's name.
We lift our voices to the One who hears our need-felt songs. 

Chaos tried to restrain you,
but failed, Glorious God,
as you cried out, "Create!"
     and gases spun into galaxies,
     rivers rushed to become seas,
     flowers danced in summber breezes.
You shaped us in your image, pointo to all
that had been crafted from your joyous imagination,
and gifting us with all your love.
     But we loved sin and death
     more than you, and followed them.
You sent prophets, those women and men,
whose hearts burned with your voice,
and called us back to you,
     but we kept fooling ourselves,
     playing our childish games with temptation.
You senet Jesus to us,
so we might once again walk with you.

With relctant prophets and fearful followers,
we draw near to you with songs of thanksgiving:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God of every hope. 
Creation sings praises to you in every moment. 
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who delivers the needy.
Hosanna in the highest!

There is no love like you, Steadfast God,
and Jesus Christ is our hope and grace.
Seeing us going down the wrong paths,
   he showed us the streets of the kingdom;
seeing us drowning in pools of seduction,
   he was baptized, so we might be pulled to safety;
seeing us held captive by our worst selves,
   he died and was burined,
   so sin's plans would be destroyed,
   and death would fall flat on its schemes,
and he brought the gift of the resurrection
from the grave.

As we live through these ordinary days,
as we seek to be faithful followers of Jesus,
we speak about that mystery called faith:

Christ put on death, to set us free;
You clothed Christ in resurrection,  so we might believe;
Christ will come, to clothe us in eternity. 

You turn to us, Holy God,
your arms full of the bread and cup,
your Spirit transforming these gifts
   into a holy feast.
The Table is made ready for your children
who will eat of your salvation
and go forth to remind
   the broken, the lost, the young, the old
   that they are of more value to you
   then the finest songbird.
We will drink of your grace
so we may turn to
   the hungry, the homeless, the fearful
   and embrace them in your love.

And when we gather with the faithful
of every time and of every place,
our sisters and brothers baptized in grace,
we will sing your praises forever,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
As you leave this place, remember that you may be the only grace
someone will meet this week.
We go, to share God's graciousness with all.
Remember you may be the only love someone will encounter this week.
We go, to be the love of Jesus for all.
Remember you may be the only peace  someone will find this week.
We go, to share the Spirit of hope and reconciliation with all.
(c) 2014  Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for June 1, 2014 (Easter 7 - A)

Texts:  Acts 1:6-14; Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35; 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11; John
17:1-11

Call to Worship
L:  At the presence of God, we rejoice:
P:  glorifying the One who is Parent of all orphans.
L:  In the presence of Jesus Christ, we listen:
P:  to the Voice who calls us to humbly serve others.
L:  Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, we speak:
P:  making God's love known to the world-forsaken in our midst.

Prayer of the Day
Giver of power and strength,
you take a rag-tag bunch
of denying disciples and
feckless followers,
creating a new community
of servants who seek
to do your will.

Keeper of all time,
you are enthroned on the
rubble of death's shattered power,
calling us to your side
and giving us a new vocation,
by which we serve the
broken of the communities
in which we live.

Constant Presence of hope,
you strengthen us so
we never give in while
confronted by evil;
you continually pray for us
that we never quit when
faith proves to be more
of a challenge than we imagined.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our hearts to you,
as we pray as we are taught,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
We know what we should do, yet don't.
We know the words people need to hear,
but utter the ones that hurt them.  Yet,
we also know that if we confess our failings
to God, we will receive forgiveness and hope.
Please join me as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     God of glory: we are so busy watching the
skies for signs of your presence that we forget
to look around to see those we can serve in
your name.  We are so intent on finding just
the right way to tell someone off, that we
forget the words of reconciliation you have
taught to us.  We are so convinced we can
figure out your schedule that we forget to
open ourselves to the presence of your Spirit
within us.
     Mighty source of our lives, forgive us for
all that we have done to others.  Fill us with
the wisdom to resist evil in our lives and
strengthen us in that faith which is given to us
through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L:  Beloved, do not be surprised.  Our God is
gracious to all, restoring us to new life.
P:  This is the good news which is for us, and
for everyone we will meet in the days to come.
Thanks be to God.  We are forgiven.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L:  May Easter's God be with you.
P:  And also with you.
L:  People of God, exult before the Lord.
P:  We lift our hearts to the One who showers
          us with that grace which never ends.
L:  Sing to the One who blesses you, Beloved.
P:  Glad songs of thanksgiving are offered forever.

You would break the grip of chaos,
Worker of Wonders,
and so you uttered a Word
     and cattle gaze up at the rain
          falling from the sky,
     while rabbits play leapfrog
          in green meadows.
You shaped us into the exact image
of yourself, so we might be your people,
living with you forever.
     But we wandered down to the
     basement where sin and death
     lurked in the shadows to steal us away.
You stood firm in your belief
that we would return, and sent prophets
who called us to humble ourselves.
     Yet we were convinced that
     it was not time to come back to you.
Then, you sent Jesus,
the Pascha of our salvation,
to come to us, to reveal your heart.

So with those who always keep an eye on you,
and with those who look around wondering
if anyone will notice their presence,
we rejoice in your gracious presence:

P:  Holy, holy, holy are you, God of all grace.
     All creation sings loud songs to you.
     Hosanna in the highest!

     Blessed is the One who will come again.
     Hosanna in the highest!

You are the One only holy God,
and Jesus Christ is the Brightness of your glory.
Looking around at all the places
where we had wandered,
     he came to bring us home to you.
Hearing our cries of loneliness,
     he came to be one of us,
     so we might all belong to him.
Seeing sin rejoicing in our suffering,
     he went to the cross
     on our behalf, dying
     and then being raised to new life.,
baffling death with your gracious love.

As we remember Christ's life and ministry,
as we rejoice in the hope which is ours in him,
we celebrate that mystery called faith:

P:  Christ died, that we would know that sin is death;
     he was raised, so we would know that new life is;
     he will come again, in the same way he went into heaven.

In fulfillments of Christ's promise,
pour out your Spirit on us
and the gifts which grace your Table.
We eat the Bread of life
so we might be strengthened
     to spend ourselves so others
     might be made rich in your grace.
We drink deeply from the Cup,
knowing you thirst for self-surrender,
so we might offer ourselves
as a fountain of faith
to be poured out for the world,
     especially the we-forsaken
     who are all around us.

And at the Great Wedding Feast of the Lamb,
we will gather around your abundant table,
our sisters who suffered for you on one side
and our brothers who humbled themselves
to lift others to their feet,
we will join hands, hearts, and voices
in forever singing your glad praises,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
L:  The hour has come to go into the world,
P:  where our worship of God will continue
     in every moment of our lives.
L:  The hour has come to serve those around us,
P:  to shoulder the burdens of our sisters,
     to ease the pain of our brothers.
L:  The hour has come to glorify God,
P:  with our prayers as well as our praise,
     with songs as well as acts of service.

© 2014  Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for May 25, 2014 (Easter 6 - A)

Texts: Acts 17:22-31; Psalm 66:8-20; 1 Peter 3:13-22; John 14:15-21

Call to Worship
L:  Come to worship, people of God,
     with praises on your lips.
P:  We glorify the One who
     holds our hands when we slip.
L:  Come into the presence of the One
     who calls us into this sacred space.
P:  Where the doors to grace
     are thrown open so all may enter.
L:  Come and hear the stories
     of the One who loves you.
P:  We will tell of the joy and of the love,
     of the peace and of the hope which is ours.

Prayer of the Day
When it doesn't seem
to do any good, Creator God,
we dare to be your people,
     to love those the world
          would have us reject;
     to be just in the face
          of every reason to mistreat;
     to be unafraid
          of whatever awaits us.

When all the odds seem
stacked against, Jesus our Savior,
we dare to live as
your sisters and brothers,
     serving others
          with our hands and hearts;
     sharing in the burdens
          of our world;
     refusing to leave justice
          orphaned with no hope.

When the wind seems to be
knocked out of us
by the blows of life, Eternal Companion,
we dare to breathe
     joy upon those
         caught in the net of hopelessness;
     peace into all
         the broken places around us;
     wonder for all those
          who have lost sight of you.

In you, we dare to live and breathe and be,
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we pray as we are taught,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
What is our hope?  Simply put, it is that God
does not give up on us.  With such good news,
we can dare to bring our prayers to the One who
will not cast aside our words or our hearts.
Please join me as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     We admit, Knowing God, that from plastic cards
to websites, from handheld devices to stock options,
we are surrounded by a variety of gods who demand
our worship.  We can all too easily believe that work
is our life, that wealth is the reason for our being,
and that success is the very air we breathe.
     Forgive us, God of mercy.  You are not found in a
computer chip, but in the child who holds our hand.
You are not a simple tweet, but the Word that can
transform our very lives.  You are not a disembodied,
constantly recalculating voice, but the One who calls
us to life, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L;  Despite everything we do, God loves us.  This
grace is why we can dare to hope.
P:  We will witness to this hope in every word we
speak to every person we meet.  Thanks be to
God, we are forgiven.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L:  May the God who knows us be with you.
P:  And also with you.
L:  Lift your hearts to the One who will not leave you stranded.
P:  We offer ourselves to God who is always with us.
L:  Bless God, all you who love the Lord.
P:  We sing praises to the One who loves us.

You gathered up that orphan, chaos,
into your heart, God of wonder,
and with a simple Word created a family:
     with horses munching meadow grasses;
     of birds gliding gently on summer winds;
     of snails, snakes, and tree-climbing squirrels.
Gathering up handfuls of dirt, you shaped us,
and with a simple breath, gave us life
so we might be with you in wonder,
     but we crawled out of our strollers
     and toddled off after temptation.
You did not panic, but sent prophets
to come to us and show us the way,
     but the smoke of our offerings to sin
     kept us from seeing them.
Refusing to leave us as orphans,
you sent your Child to us
to reveal your true Self.

With those who praise you every day,
with those who have lost all hope,
we would bring our songs to you:

P:  Holy, holy, holy are you, God our joy.
     All creation pays their vows to you.
     Hosanna in the highest!

     Blessed is the One who is our salvation.
     Hosanna in the highest!

You cannot be contained by any human
imagining or endeavor, for your are the Holy God,
and your Son, Jesus Christ, is our hope in life.
When we could have been left
as orphans in sin's foster home,
     he came to reveal himself
     as our brother, our sister,
     our mother, our father.
When despair threatened
to take away all our strength,
     he came to plant hope
     deep within us.
When we thought death
was our final destination,
     he came to show us
     the Resurrection Way home.

As we remember the grace with which he loved us,
as we welcome the Comforter he sent to us,
we proclaim that mystery which is faith:

P:  Christ died, doing what was right for us;
     Christ was raised by the One who was in him;
     Christ will come, just as the hope within us
             witnesses to us.

As your Spirit of truth comes in these moments
to transform the bread and the cup
and those gathered around the Table,
you show us how much you love us.
As we are strengthened by the broken Bread,
you would send us
     to plant hope in all the places
          where pessimism has taken root;
     to help love stand on the corners
          where hate's gangs hang out.
As you nourish us with the Cup,
you would have us
     take peace into the
          warzones on human hearts;
     bring healing to
          all the broken ones around us.

And when we gather around that Table of love,
with our sisters and brothers, our enemies and friends
seated side by side, as we pass grace to one another,
we will join in forever singing your praises,
as we celebrate your being in us as we are in you,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Blessing
L:  Go from this place, speaking of what God has done.
P:  We will remind everyone that, despite everything,
     God loves us.
L:  Go from this place, singing of what God is doing.
P:  We will rejoice that God has not left us orphaned,
     but makes us one with everyone around us.
L:  Go from this place, imagining what God will do.
P:  We will witness to that hope which seems to distant,
     yet is as close to us as our hearts.

© 2014 Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for May 18, 2014 (Easter 5 - A)

Texts:  Acts 7:55-60; Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16; 1 Peter 2:2-10; John 14:1-14

Call to Worship
L:    We are God's household,
       crafted by the Architect of creation:
P:    our hearts a shelter for the outcast;
       our hands open to the stranger.
L:    We are God's people,
       created in the divine image:
P:    to tell others of God's love,
       to offer mercy as freely as we have
       received it.
L:    We are God's children,
       called to give of ourselves:
P:    chosen to serve the lost and lonely,
       gifted to minister to a hurting world.

Prayer of the Day
Our Way:
you call us
   to celebrate your peace
      in a world which worships war;
   to celebrate your freedom
      in the face of oppression;
   to celebrate the seed of faith
      planted in the doubts of our hearts.

Our Life:
you would have us
   celebrate the safe ground of hope
      emerging from the flood of our tears;
   celebrate those who love us
      in the midst of hurt and hatred;
   celebrate our salvation
      as we struggle with sin.

Our Truth:
you teach us
   to celebrate our new life
      in the gift of the Risen Lord;
   to celebrate the grace of your heart
      which melts our fears;
   to celebrate that all our moments
      are cradled in your hands.

Our Way, our Truth, our Life,
we lift our prayers to you as we pray, saying,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Considered to rough for their smooth plans, the
builders cast out the Stone they needed.  But
God builds salvation on the One who is the
foundation of all hope.  Let us confess our sins
to God and one another, trusting we will not
be put to shame,

Responsive Prayer for Forgiveness
     Hear the brokenness of our lives, Precious God.
We cover our ears so we cannot hear the cries of
those in need, or you urging us to respond.  We
rush together to defend every issue that matters
to us, but quickly disperse when you would call us
to be your holy people.  We shout as loud as we can
to cheer on our sports teams, but can manage only
whispers when it comes to sharing the good news.
     Forgive us, our Eternal Guide, and do not hold
our sins against us.  We lay the garments of our
foolishness at your feet, so you might clothe us
in grace and hope.  We would feed on the spiritual
food which flows from your heart so we might be
strong enough to follow Jesus as he leads us in the
Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L:  You are no longer alone - you are God's Beloved.
        You are not of this world, but residents of God's
        Kingdom.  You, who once had no hope, have
        been filled with forgiveness.
P:    Each one of us, all of us, have received God's
        mercy in Christ.  Forgiven, redeemed, made
        whole - we are a people made one in faith.
        Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We offer our gifts so that others may not feel alone, eat alone, live alone, be alone, but that they may be surrounded by your grace and love through us and the lives we offer to the.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L:  May the God of every way be with you.
P:  And also with you.
L:  Lift your hearts to the One who is the Truth
        for God's own people.
P:  We offer them to the One who warms them with love.
L:  Sing praises to God, who is our Life.
P:  Glad songs are offered to the One
     who provides shelter for us.

You made a way through chaos,
Constructing God,
the Word echoing on mountaintops
and whispering in valleys;
the Spirit teaching songs to the stars,
and breathing life into those created
in your image as your precious children.
You longed to cradle us in your lap,
breastfeeding us with grace and hope,
     but we slipped out of your grasp,
     covering our ears as you called us
     to come back home to you.
Prophets came to remind us that
you would not put us to shame,
psalmists sang to us of your longing
to cut the net of sin and death and set us free,
      but , together, we rushed
     into the open arms of temptation.
Then you sent Jesus, so that
in knowing and believing in him,
we would know and believe in you.

With those who have nothing
and with those who give everything away,
we lift our voices to you:

P:  Holy, holy, holy are you, God who pulls us to safety.
     All creation kneels down to worship you.
     Hosanna in the highest!

     Blessed is the One who shows us the Truth.
     Hosanna in the highest!

You shape a safe place for us, Imaginative God,
and send your Child, Jesus, to show us the Way.
Born a tiny baby as we are,
     he shows us how to grow into your people.
The cornerstone of your kingdom,
     he uses us to build a spiritual home for all.
Committing his spirit to you,
     he entered the emptiness of death,
     so we might stand on the solid ground
                of the resurrected life.

Even as we celebrate the Life which was his,
as we claim the Truth that all are one with you,
we take refuge in that mystery called faith:

P:  Christ died, trusting in God's promises;
     God raised him from the dead, promising the same for us;
     Christ will come, fulfilling all the promises of God.

Once, we were nobodies, alone and hopeless,
but by your mercy, Living God,
we are now a family,
gathered in your love around this Table,
where the Spirit sanctifies the bread and cup.
You lean over to serve us the bread,
enveloping us in your grace
so we might go to be your people.
You offer to us the cup of hope,
which can heal our troubled hearts
and strengthen us to serve our world.

And when the Way leads us home to you,
when your Life gathers us with our sisters and brothers
around the Table which is prepared by your Truth,
we will sing glad songs of praise to you forever,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.


Sending:
L:  May the blessings of the One who is the Way
     be with you in the days to come.
P:  May God guide our feet wherever we go.
L:  May the blessings of Jesus who is our Life
     be with you in the days to come.
P:  May he lead us by the hand to those who are
      our sisters and brothers in need.
L:  May the blessings of the Spirit of Truth
     be with you in the days to come.
P:  May we journey with the Spirit to that
     way which is everlasting.

© 2014  Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for May 11, 2014 (Easter 4 - A)

Texts:  Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 23; ! Peter 2:19-25; John 10:1-10

Call to Worship
In the laughter of children,
we hear the voice of the Gate of the Way,
and find our way home.
In the lap of a parent,
God's compassion cradles us
in the still waters of love.
The Shepherd of our lives
leads us through that door
into life with him forever.
We are baptized with living waters
which refresh us, restoring us
to follow Jesus all our days.
The Holy Spirit, Keeper of truth,
is the Light which guides us
through every shadowed moment.
The Breath of life stills our worries
and fears, as we are lead to that
peaceful place of God's heart.

Prayer of the Day
Buoyed by your living waters,
we are at peace in seas
of stress and success;
detoured onto those walkways
leading to your joy,
we find our way out of mazes
of meetings and deadlines;
nourished at your picnic
in that garden of grace,
our shredded souls
are anointed by your healing;
you slow us down just enough,
as we try to escape
the very lives we think we want,
so goodness and mercy
can catch up with us
and carry us into your heart.

God in Community, Holy in One,
may you always be with us on our journey,
as we pray as Jesus teaches us, saying,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Day by day, God would lead us to the places of hope and healing, while moment by moment, we continue to follow sin down all the wrong paths.  Let us confess our lives, as we draw near to the One who would restore us to wholeness.  Join me as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     The wrong paths to foolish lives and repeated mistakes?  We know all to well where they are, Gate of our lives.  Stirring up the waters with trouble comes all too easy to us, we confess.  And locking the doors of our hearts so we don't have to love others is second nature to us.
     Forgive us, our Goodness and Mercy.  May our hearts overflow with hope for others, as you anoint us with healing oil.  May we share from our abundance with all who hunger for life.  May we follow Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, to the places of service and life with you forever.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Our Comforter leads us to that place where God's Table is spread with forgiveness and overflowing with grace.  Here, we are called to life and love.
We will live as God's people: forgiven to serve, blessed to share, loved so we might care.  Thanks be to God.  Amen.


Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of gates be with you!
And also with you!
God calls us to open our hearts to others,
for they are filled to overflowing with grace.
Every day, let us rejoice in the Restorer of our lives.
We sing glad songs to the One who leads us.
You watched over creation,
God of patience,
as it emerged out of nothingness:
     meadows where sheep could rest,
     still pools of water teeming with tadpoles,
     paths worn smooth by mountain goats.
You shaped us in your divine likeness,
anointing us with Spirit's breath of life,
so we could wander the garden by your side.
     But that thief, sin, and that bandit, death,
     climbed into Eden by another way,
     and we followed these strangers' voices.
Day by day, you sent prophets to us,
who challenged us to lead God-centered lives,
     but we devoted ourselves to that life
     which is empty and bitter.
So then you sent Jesus,
shaped in human likeness, to us,
so we would know you are with us.

With those who walk your paths,
with those who long to find their way,
we offer glad and generous hearts to you:


Holy, holy, holy are you, Guardian of our souls.
All creation praises you day after day after day.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who trusted in you alone.
Hosanna in the highest!

You alone are holy, Gate of the Way,
and Jesus Christ,  your Child, is Shepherd of life.
He kept to the path of righteousness,
     so we might learn how
     to walk in his footsteps.
Knowing our voices, he followed us
     to the gate of death,
     where the keeper let him in,
     locking the gate behind him.
But you came another way
and, knowing your voice,
     Jesus followed you
     out of the tomb,
     receiving life, abundantly,
for all your children.

As we gather in prayer and worship,
as we seek to devote ourselves to following Jesus,
we sing of that mystery known as faith:

Christ bore our sins in his body on the cross;
Christ was raised by you out of death;
Christ will come, so we might live for righteousness.

You lead us to this Table
where we want for nothing,
for your Spirit transforms
everyday foods into a sacred feast.
Your bread and cup comfort us,
nourishing us so we might be together
in everything with our sisters and brothers.
The broken bread strengthens us
     to provide clean, still waters to all;
     to build shelter for those who sleep rough;
     to feed those who are hungry.
Your grace overflows into us so we may offer
     companionship to those who
          wander shadowed valleys;
     an open gate to those
          longing for a community;
     voices of compassion
          and hope to the oppressed.

When we follow goodness and mercy
to the end of time, we will find you
coming out of the kitchen,
setting dish upon dish of peace and hope
on that great table prepared for all your children,
and we will join our hearts and hands
as we sing praise and wonder to you,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
Day by day, God will lead us:
to those pools of peace where we can
gather with our friends and strangers.
Day by day, Jesus will call us:
to give ourselves in service,
to anoint others with hope.
Day by day, the Spirit shows us:
the people we might be,
the community we might become.


© 2014 Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy for May 4, 2014 (Easter 3 - A)

Texts:  Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35

Call to Worship
Lift your voices to God.
We call on the One who promises to hear us.
In life, in death, in every moment, God deals graciously with us.
We rejoice in the One who saves us.
We will break the Bread of life in thanksgiving to God.
We will lift up the Cup of salvation, drinking deeply from it.

Prayer of the Day
When every day seems the same,
with no one listening to our dreams,
our hopes, our fears and worries,
you pause, God our Baker,
turning your head
so you can read our lips.

When every road seems the same,
filled with despair's potholes,
littered with pain's detritus,
you come alongside us, God our Lover,
pointing out that side road
that will take us to Abba's Fine Eats.

When every step trips us up,
when every loss weighs us down,
when every grief breaks our heart,
you come, God our Keeper,
with your book of grace
filled with easy words
and lots of pictures
to teach us hope.

When every one ignores us,
when every thing disappoints us,
you walk with us, you talk with us,
you refuse to abandon us,
God in Community, Holy in One,
so hear us as we pray as we are taught,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
When we confess our lives, we are calling on God who promises, not only to hear us, but to heal us with forgiveness and hope.  Join me, as we pray together saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     We cut you to the heart, Loving God, with the silly choices we make.  We had hoped our lives would reflect your presence, but those around us can see how empty we are.  We had hoped our words might bring healing, but they end up hurting those we love the most.  We had hoped to find Jesus, but cannot see him in all those you send to us.
     Oh, how foolish we are to think we can go on without your mercy, Lord God.  Through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, you judge us impartially from the depths of your heart, so we may be born anew by your grace, to continue the journey into your future.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
This we know for certain - we are forgiven by our gracious God.  This good news never ceases to astound us!
This promise is passed on to us, so we may share it with everyone we meet.  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of Emmaus roads be with you.
And also with you.
Fellow pilgrims, give your hearts to God.
We offer our cold hearts to the One who will set them on fire.
Alleluia!  Sing songs of glad praise.
Alleluia!  We will sing of the risen Lord.

Before the foundation of creation
was poured out of your heart,
God of astounding imagination,
your Word whispered and
     elephants trumpeted in the veldt,
     whales sang in the ocean deeps,
     gases whirled and swirled into galaxies.
The Spirit moved upon those shaped
in your image, breathing life into us
so we might live within your grace,
     but we put out our hands,
     letting death handcuff us
     and lead us away from you.
Prophets came, interpreting your love
and hope for us with words and deeds,
     but we did not recognize them,
     going on our way without them.
So you sent Jesus to us,
to astound us with the news
that you would never give up on us.

With those who are far away,
with those who are right next to us,
we offer our thanksgivings to you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God our listener.
All creation is made new by your Word.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the Bread of heaven who opens our eyes.
Hosanna in the highest!

Because you are holy, you are gracious,
God of our every moment,
and being Grace itself, your Child
was willing to become one of us.
He took on our humanity,
     so your love might be seen
     face-to-face.
He blessed us, when the rest
     of the world cursed us
     and tossed us aside.
He broke the power of sin
     by dying on the cross,
and he gave death its notice,
     as he walked out of the tomb
     from which you raised
     him to new life.

Baptized at the font as your beloved children,
sustained by the feast of the Lamb of life,
we speak of that faith which seems so familiar,
     yet is still a mystery:

Christ died, suffering those things for us;
Christ was raised by God, walking side by side;
Christ will come, and our eyes will be opened so we can recognize him.

We act as if we are going on,
but you urge us to stay,
inviting us to this Table
where your Spirit blesses
the bread and the cup,
and your children gathered together.
We take the bread you have blessed
and in its breaking, our eyes are opened
     to see the despair around us,
     to glimpse the grief of our friends,
     to witness to the suffering in our midst.
We take the cup you give us,
and as we drink from it, our hearts burn
     for the oppressed in our world,
     for those we walk past,
     for the hungry and homeless.

And at the same hour when all time ends,
we will return to your heart,
finding our sisters and brothers gathered
together around the Table of glory,
and join forever in singing your praises,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
The stone has been rolled away!
We will go to share this good news!
Jesus walks with us on our journey.
We will go with him wherever the road takes us.
Jesus has opened our eyes.
We will go to serve everyone we see.
© 2014 Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy for April 27, 2014 (Easter 2 - A)

Texts:  Acts 2:14a, 22-32; Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31

Call to Worship
L:  Alleluia!  Christ is risen!
P:  The whole creation rejoices;
     the birds sing from every tree.
L:  Alleluia!  Christ is in our midst!
P:  Babies babble with sounds of joy;
     words cannot express our overflowing hearts.
L:  Alleluia!  Christ is our light forever!
P:  Breathing peace on us in these moments;
     surrounding us with grace and hope.

Prayer of the Day
All that is good and beautiful
are the generous gifts
from your heart of love.
All the grace we will ever need
is held out to us
in your hands of hope.
We have nothing apart
from you, God of Easter.

By your living example,
we can set aside our fears
to live as God's faithful children.
By your compassion,
we can stand in the midst of the broken,
and share healing with them.
We can do nothing apart
from you, Brother of our souls.

You are the Breath which gives
us the gifts and lives
to pour out for others.
You are the composer
of songs of joy which echo
throughout the universe.
We are nothing apart
from you, Spirit of wonder.

God in Community, Holy in One,
may we never be apart from you,
even as we pray as we are taught,
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Afraid that God will find out how faithless
we are, we try to lock up our hearts so God
cannot see our foolish lives and failures.
Let us confess our sins to the One who offers
us peace and healing, as we pray together,
saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     Hear the echoes of our locked hearts, Path
of Life.  We cross the borders into temptation
and never seem to find our way back.  We multiply
the sorrows of others by our hurtful words and
the harmful deeds we do.  We see the ones you
would give us to serve, but believe we do not have
the abilities to care for them.
     Have mercy on us, God whose Breath gives us
life.  Walk through the closed doors of our worries
and doubts to stand in our midst, offering us that
grace which can heal us, that hope which can enliven
us, and that faith which enables us to follow Jesus
Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L:  It is God's great mercy through the resurrection
of Jesus which gives us that hope which lives within us.
P:  Thanks be to God for this precious gift by which
we are able to believe and rejoice in our inheritance.
Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L:  May the God of mornings be with you.
P:  May the God of evenings be with you.
L:  Do not fear, but open your hearts to God.
P:  We offer them to the One who is our living hope.
L:  Rejoice!  The Lord of life is always with us.
P:  We sing glad thanksgivings to our God.

In the evenings of creation,
Loving God, you looked and saw
all that was good and beautiful:
     loblolly pines reaching to the sky,
     lochs and glens brimming with life;
     chains of islands in the warm seas.
The Holy Spirit breathed upon us,
whispering, 'receive creation,' as your gifts
were entrusted to our care,
     but sin enticed us into its
     closed room of fears, turning
     the key of death in the lock.
Prophets came, standing among us,
speaking of your invitation to come home,
     but we refused to listen
     to what they had to say.
Determined never to abandon us,
you sent Jesus, to make known to us
the ways of life which your offer.

With those who saw and witnessed,
with those who have not seen, yet believe,
we sing with glad hearts to you:

P:  Holy, holy, holy are you, God of are evenings.
     All creation rejoices in the good news of Easter.
     Hosanna in the highest!

     Blessed is the One who stands among us.
     Hosanna in the highest!

In the evenings, your holiness never rests,
and Jesus Christ, the risen One, is ever with us.
Into the closed rooms of our lives, he comes,
     breathing Spirit's peace;
using grace and hope, he picks
     the locked doors of our hearts
     that he might be with us;
showing us his hands and side, he reminds
     us that death can no more cling
     to us, than it did to him,
for you will never abandon us.

As we believe, though we have not seem;
as we rejoice in that living hope which is ours;
we speak of faith, that mystery more precious than gold:

P:  Christ died, believing what he could not see;
     Christ was raised, becoming our living hope;
     Christ will come, bringing our inheritance kept for us.

In the evenings of our lives,
you send the Spirit to fill us with peace,
as the bread and the cup
are filled with the life and grace of Jesus.
Cradling the broken bread
in his nail-scarred hands,
Jesus shows us
     his grieving brothers,
     his hungry sisters,
           so we may go to serve them.
Handing us the cup of living hope,
we are invited to drink deeply
and then go into the world
     to offer peace to those wearied by war,
     to give freedom to all who are oppressed,
     to share grace with those who need it most.

And when the last evening comes, you will
gather us in that upper room called your heart,
where we will feast with all your children,
forever singing our praises to you,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
L:  Go forth in the love of God.
P:  We will take this love into
     unlovely parts of our lives.
L:  Go forth in the grace of Jesus Christ.
P:  We will look for him in the faces
     of every person we meet.
L:  Go forth in the peace of the Spirit.
P:  We will share this hope
     with our broken world.

© 2014 Thom M. Shuman

Two liturgies for April 13, 2014 (Passion/Palm Sunday - A)

LITURGY OF THE PASSION

Texts:  Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66

Litany of the Passion
L:  What shall we do with you, Jesus?
P:  Glad songs sung at your birth
     will turn to jeers, taunts, and worse,
     hurled at you from every side.
L:  What shall we do with you, Jesus?
P:  We will promise to stay,
     but run away;
     we will sleep through
     the anguish of your heart.
L:  What shall we do with you, Jesus?
P:  The One who gave living waters
     to an outsider at a well,
     the One baptized in the Jordan
     will thirst upon a tree.
L:  What shall we do with you, Jesus?
P:  Before this week runs its course,
     the disciples, including even us,
     will fail you in force.

          Silence is kept

L:  Lamb of God, you cry out in agony:
P:  and the silent stars howl in grief.
L:  Lamb of God, you breathe your last:
P:  and the Spirit moves over the void in our  hearts.
L:  Lamb of God, you are place in a cold tomb:
P:  and creation trembles in the deep.

Call to Reconciliation
What shall we do with our sins?  Shall we continue
to try to hide them, or confess them - honestly and
without reservation - to the One who comes to
vindicate us?  Join me as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     We confess, Passionate God, how often we scheme
against you.  In every moment, we look for chances
to betray you, breaking your heart.  We turn our backs
those who reach out to us for help.  We hide our faces
from those who are wasting away from hopelessness.
     Be gracious to us, Compassionate God, and stay
with us in these moments.  Morning by morning,
awaken us with your voice of mercy, and call us to
humble ourselves in service to others, even as did
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L;  It is God who holds our lives, healing us when we
are broken, forgiving us when we do wrong.
P:  Our tongues have confessed, now let our hearts
and lives reflect the One who humbled himself for
us.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L:  May the God of Holy Week be with you.
P:  And also with you.
L:  Join your hearts with the One whose heart
         breaks in pieces this week.
P:  We offer them for healing and hope.
L:  With songs too painful to sing,
     with sighs too deep to utter.
P:  We lift our mournful souls to God.

When the hour was at hand,
you called forth creation, Holy God,
your Word teaching
     the birds what to sing,
     the butterflies where to flit,
     the grass how to grow,
     the trees how to stand straight and tall.
You did all this for us, your
children created in your image,
asking us to stay with you forever.
but we asked of sin and death
what they would give us to betray you,
     and went running off, our pockets
     filled with their 30 pieces of seduction.
Deeply grieved, you continued to call
through the prophets of every generation,
but they always found us sleeping,
     wearied by our foolish choices.
You sent Jesus to us, to awaken us
to his voice of gentleness and grace.

With those who have spent their lives in sorrow,
with those who bow their knees to you,
we offer our prayers to you:

P:  Holy, holy, holy are you, God who is gracious to us.
     All creation trusts in your promises.
     Hosanna in the highest!

     Blessed is the One who will not desert us.
     Hosanna in the highest!

You hearts was broken, Vindicator of our lives,
by the pain and suffering of your Son, Jesus.
Of one mind with you, he came
     so we might rethink our foolish choices.
Leaving glory behind in the closet,
     he became human like us,
     so we might see you face-to-face.
Without the promise of any reward,
though he felt abandoned by you,
     he willingly went to the cross,
     his life poured out for those who
     mocked him, spat on him, betrayed him.
Yet, when sin thought Jesus
was safely sealed into the tomb,
swaddled in death's tight bands,
     you did not let him be put to shame,
     but called him forth into the morning,
     with Resurrection's kiss.

As we journey with him through this holiest of weeks,
as we betray him and abandon him,
we are sustained by that mystery called faith:

P:  Christ died, the world having washed its hands of him;
     Christ rose, your hands breaking death's strong grip on him;
     Christ will come, to take us by the hand and lead us to you.

Here in this place, we gather
for that meal which signifies
brokenness as well as healing,
heartbreak as well as hope.
What should we do with the Bread?
We will let its life strengthen us
to go forth to serve those
     whom the world has betrayed
     with broken promises and hollow words.
What shall we do with the Cup?
We will drink deeply of it
so we can empty ourselves
     for those who lives are
     spent from grief and fear.

And when we drink of the
fruit of the vine with our
sisters and brothers in glory,
we will bow our knees in worship,
extolling you forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
L:  As you leave this place, go as God's children:
P:  we will go to serve our sisters and brothers.
L:  Go as followers of Christ:
P:  we will find the broken around us
     and bring them healing.
L:  Go as those strong in the Spirit:
P:  we will be willing to humble ourselves
     for those wearied by life.

© 2014 Thom M. Shuman

LITURGY OF THE PALMS

Texts:  Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew
21:1-11

Call to Worship (Matthew 21:1-11, NRSV)
One:  When they had come near Jerusalem
           and had reached Bethphage,
           at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,
          saying to them,
Two:  "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately
          you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie
          them and bring them to me.  If anyone says anything
          to you, just say this, 'The Lord needs them.' And he
          will send them immediately."
One:  This took place to fulfill what had been spoken
           through the prophet, saying,
Choir: "Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming
            to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and
            on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
Two:    The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them;
            they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their
            cloaks on them, and he sat on them.
            A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road,
            and others cut branches from the trees and spread
            them on the road.
            The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed
            were shouting,
ALL:     "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who
            comes in the name of the Lord!
            Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
One:    When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in
            turmoil, asking, "Who is this?"
            The crowds were saying,
ALL:     "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."

Prayer of the Day
God of hopes and joys:
when our hearts ache from brokenness,
you nourish us with your love;
when the world's pain fatigues us,
you carry us in your arms;
when the loneliness of our souls
drains our very being,
you come and live with us.
You are our God.

Jesus Christ,
God's True Son:
you did not profit
from your oneness with God,
but emptied yourself
to become servant to all humanity.
You humbled yourself
to lift us out of sin's grave.
You are our Lord.

Holy Spirit,
Teacher from God:
humble us to be obedient,
even to the point of denying
all that keeps us from following Jesus;
teach us the words we need
to confess him as our Lord and Savior.
Your are our Helper.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our prayer to you as Jesus
has taught us, saying,
   Our Father,

Call to Reconciliation
   One day, we are crying to God, "save us,"
the next we are turning our backs on God
and walking away.  Despite our fickle
nature, God is steadfast in loving us and
constant in forgiving us.  Let us confess
to our God, as we pray,

Unison Prayer of Confession
   With joy in our hearts, we welcome your
servant, O God, only to reject him when he
picks up a cross instead of a crown.  Like cloaks
laid on the ground before Jesus, we pick up our
faith, dust it off and put it back in the closet
until we need it.  We can be as stubborn and
rebellious as the city which cheers your name.
   Save us, Redeeming God, save us!  May we
lay our doubts, our fears, our worries, our
weariness at your feet, trusting and believing
that you will forgive what is sinful, make whole
our brokenness, and welcome us as sisters and
brothers of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Assurance of Pardon
L:    Hosanna to David's Son!  Blessed is the One
    who comes in God's name, not to judge us,
    but to save us.
P:    We humble ourselves in gratitude to God,
    and in service to others, even as Christ did.
    Hosanna in the highest.  Amen!

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L:  The Lord of parades be with you.
P:  And also with you.
L:  People of God, open your hearts to the One who comes with hope.
P:  We would receive the joy and grace
          the prophet from Nazareth brings us.
L:  Give thanks to God, for God's love endures forever!
P:  God is our God, the One who comes to make us whole.

Joy is indeed the highest praise
we can offer to you,
Steadfast Love.
On that first morning,
you woke creation
     from its slumbering sleep,
     to give light to chaos' shadows.
Morning by morning,
you shaped your dreams
     into everything that is true,
     turning hopes into your justice.
You asked simply that we rejoice
in your gifts and glory,
     but we chose to sing the choruses
     of sin and rebellion,
          following death as it paraded
          through the world.
Prophets struggled to awaken
our dulled ears
with whispers of peace,
     but we laughed at their ideas
     that we should return to you.
When you could have set your face like flint,
when you could have hardened your resolve,
you sent your Child, your Joy,

Therefore, we join our voices in thanksgiving,
with those who shouted "Hosanna"
and with those who ran away from you,
with those in every moment, and in this moment,
singing with all creation to your glory:

P:  Holy, holy, holy are you, Opener of our ears.
     All creation proclaims, "God's steadfast love endures forever."
     Hosanna in the highest!

     Blessed is the One who opens the gates of righteousness.
     Hosanna in the highest!

You are holy, God our Creator,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
who comes in your grace.
When he could have filled your heart,
     he poured himself out for us;
when he could have remained by your side,
     he came to be a servant, raising us to glory;
when he could have watched from heaven,
     he came down to show us your heart;

when he could have taken the easy way,
     he chose to be faithful to you,
     even to the point of shameful death.
As he gathered up our brokenness
to make us whole,
you raised him to new life,
     and he stands with us in eternity,
     glorifying you forever.

As we remember the joy and excitement of the parade,
as we remember the gentle words he taught,
as we remember the spirit with which he died,
we proclaim the One who is the Bread of Life:

P:  Christ died, emptying his life for us;
     Christ rose, defeating our old adversaries sin and death;
     Christ will come, to fulfill what has been promised.

Here, at this Table,
we would receive the gifts
of the bread and the cup,
and your Spirit which anoints us with peace.
Nourish us with the Bread of hope,
     that we might go into
     the brokenness of our world;
fill us with the cup of grace,
     so the weary would discover us
     standing by their side;
fill us with the overflowing joy
of the good news,
     so we might sing forever
     of your heart's desire
     for justice and peace for all people.

Then, on that final morning,
when we gather for the Feast of the Lamb,
when we are seated with those
who shouted their hosannas,
as well as those who yelled for death,
we will join our voices in eternity's anthem,
giving our thanks to you forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
L:  The One wounded by the nails in our hearts,
     sends us forth,
P:  to bring healing with God's love.
L:  The One who continues on the journey
     invites us to follow,
P:  cradling the broken hearts of the world
     as we go.
L:  The One whose Spirit is in the Kingdom Bearer
     fills us with hope,
P:  if we but trust in the promises of this day.

© Thom M. Shuman