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
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Sunday, May 11, 2014
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
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
Sunday, May 04, 2014
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
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
Sunday, April 27, 2014
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
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
Sunday, April 20, 2014
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
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
Sunday, April 06, 2014
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
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
Thursday, January 02, 2014
Liturgy for Second Sunday after Christmas - A
Texts: Jeremiah 31: 7-14; Psalm 147:12-20; Ephesians 1:3-14; John 1:1-18
Call to Worship
On this day, we remember the gift of God's Word,
who gathers us together from the farthest parts of the world
to worship in joy and hope.
On this day, we remember the simple graces of the bread and the cup,
those plain gifts shaped by God's love into nourishing hope.
On this day, we remember the gifts of water and oil,
cleansing us in the baptismal pools, anointing us as God's children.
Prayer of the Day
You could let us continue to shuffle
through the world's deserts,
God of Christmas,
but you choose to walk with us
beside the rivers of life.
You could forget who we are,
but you adopt us into your family,
your children of hope and joy.
You could decide we are not worth all the love
or all the agony of caring,
but your redeem us and make us whole.
Blessed are you!
It was only the other day
the angels were singing of your birth,
Tiny One ofBethlehem
and now, here you are,
running swiftly toward us:
to melt our frozen faith,
to comfort us in our loneliness,
to lead us into life in your kingdom.
Blessed are you!
At the edge of a new year,
we wonder what life will be life,
and what do you do,
Gathering Spirit?
You water our parched souls with laughter;
you teach dance steps to those
too weary to tap their toes;
you fill our emptiness
with overflowing gladness!
Blessed are you!
Blessed are we,
God in Community, Holy in One,
as we lift the prayer Jesus has taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
Have we really been toBethlehem
Unison Prayer of Confession
God of Christmas:
we still are playing with our new toys,
the creche figures have not been put away;
we have the stacks of Christmas cards,
but we memorize the words sin has taught us;
we set limits on who we will love,
we make promises we cannot keep,
we fail to see the pain and hurt we cause.
God of the angels and shepherds, forgive us.
Your Word has come to reshape our lives;
your Light has come to show us the way home;
your Son has come to make us your family.
Have mercy and make us new people. This we pray
in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
Like the Baby of Bethlehem, we are born anew. God's forgiveness cradles us; God's love is poured out on us.
What a marvelous gift - forgiveness! Filled with hope and new life, we can sing God's praises forever. Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of newness be with you.
And also with you.
People of Christmas, offer your hearts to God.
We lift them to the One who comes,
new hope and life cradled in loving hands.
People of the Holy One of Bethlehem, sing glad praises to our God.
We come, for we have received the good news,
we have believed the Word, we are given joyful songs to sing.
When chaos thought there was no end,
you began, Fullness of all time.
Your Word ran sprints through creation,
scattering the seeds which sprang forth
into fruit, flowers, mountains and molehills.
Your Spirit sang songs of wonder and hope,
that Breath which gave your children life.
We were as close to your heart
as the blood which flows through ours,
but the soft, insistent whispers of sin
grew louder and louder in our ears,
and we ran off, letting the shadows
of seduction overwhelm us.
Time and again, every time you could,
you sent your messengers to us,
crying out in love and hope, 'return!'
but we did not recognize them
nor listen to their words.
So turning to the angels,
you said, 'Watch!' as you
sent Jesus to bring us home to you.
So, with those in every place,
and with those from every time,
we join our voices, singing to you:
Holy, holy, holy, God of every blessing.
All creation lavishes praise on you.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who comes to live among us.
Hosanna in the highest!
You could have kept us scattered
to the limits of loneliness, God of Wonder,
but you sent Jesus, your Glory,
to become the Gatherer of those
who had wandered far from you.
Peering into the shadows of our lives,
he is the Light which overcomes
all our fears, our doubts, our worries.
Speaking into the hollows of our hearts,
he is the Word who teaches us
new songs of gratitude and awe.
Gathering the cross into his arms,
he is the Deliverer who breaks
sin's death grip on us,
walking with us by the brooks of water,
into the kingdom of life eternal.
As we begin this year with hope,
we remember his promise to be with us always,
even as we tell of that mystery we call faith:
At the beginning of time, Christ was the Word of creation;
at the right time, Christ was the Word of redemption;
at the end of time, Christ will be the Word who brings us home.
And in this time, in this place,
with these people, we come to your Table,
Gatherer of your children.
The simple gifts we take for granted,
the bread which has been a staple of life,
the cup which refreshes us when we thirst,
you transform into imaginative grace,
the Meal which is blessed by the presence
of your Spirit of power and peace.
You bring us from every point on the compass -
young and old, the mother with her son,
the grandfather balancing the girl on his knee,
those who run circles around us,
and those who point the way with their canes -
welcoming that great parade of your children
who come with outstretched hearts
to receive every blessing imaginable.
And when our beginning has come to your fullness,
when we come, our faces glowing with wonder,
our voices ringing with the songs of freedom,
we will gather around your Table in heaven,
comfort and gladness our eternal inheritance from you,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
(c) Thom M. Shuman
Call to Worship
On this day, we remember the gift of God's Word,
who gathers us together from the farthest parts of the world
to worship in joy and hope.
On this day, we remember the simple graces of the bread and the cup,
those plain gifts shaped by God's love into nourishing hope.
On this day, we remember the gifts of water and oil,
cleansing us in the baptismal pools, anointing us as God's children.
Prayer of the Day
You could let us continue to shuffle
through the world's deserts,
God of Christmas,
but you choose to walk with us
beside the rivers of life.
You could forget who we are,
but you adopt us into your family,
your children of hope and joy.
You could decide we are not worth all the love
or all the agony of caring,
but your redeem us and make us whole.
Blessed are you!
It was only the other day
the angels were singing of your birth,
Tiny One of
and now, here you are,
running swiftly toward us:
to melt our frozen faith,
to comfort us in our loneliness,
to lead us into life in your kingdom.
Blessed are you!
At the edge of a new year,
we wonder what life will be life,
and what do you do,
Gathering Spirit?
You water our parched souls with laughter;
you teach dance steps to those
too weary to tap their toes;
you fill our emptiness
with overflowing gladness!
Blessed are you!
Blessed are we,
God in Community, Holy in One,
as we lift the prayer Jesus has taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
Have we really been to
God of Christmas:
we still are playing with our new toys,
the creche figures have not been put away;
we have the stacks of Christmas cards,
but we memorize the words sin has taught us;
we set limits on who we will love,
we make promises we cannot keep,
we fail to see the pain and hurt we cause.
God of the angels and shepherds, forgive us.
Your Word has come to reshape our lives;
your Light has come to show us the way home;
your Son has come to make us your family.
Have mercy and make us new people. This we pray
in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
Like the Baby of Bethlehem, we are born anew. God's forgiveness cradles us; God's love is poured out on us.
What a marvelous gift - forgiveness! Filled with hope and new life, we can sing God's praises forever. Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of newness be with you.
And also with you.
People of Christmas, offer your hearts to God.
We lift them to the One who comes,
new hope and life cradled in loving hands.
People of the Holy One of Bethlehem, sing glad praises to our God.
We come, for we have received the good news,
we have believed the Word, we are given joyful songs to sing.
When chaos thought there was no end,
you began, Fullness of all time.
Your Word ran sprints through creation,
scattering the seeds which sprang forth
into fruit, flowers, mountains and molehills.
Your Spirit sang songs of wonder and hope,
that Breath which gave your children life.
We were as close to your heart
as the blood which flows through ours,
but the soft, insistent whispers of sin
grew louder and louder in our ears,
and we ran off, letting the shadows
of seduction overwhelm us.
Time and again, every time you could,
you sent your messengers to us,
crying out in love and hope, 'return!'
but we did not recognize them
nor listen to their words.
So turning to the angels,
you said, 'Watch!' as you
sent Jesus to bring us home to you.
So, with those in every place,
and with those from every time,
we join our voices, singing to you:
Holy, holy, holy, God of every blessing.
All creation lavishes praise on you.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who comes to live among us.
Hosanna in the highest!
You could have kept us scattered
to the limits of loneliness, God of Wonder,
but you sent Jesus, your Glory,
to become the Gatherer of those
who had wandered far from you.
Peering into the shadows of our lives,
he is the Light which overcomes
all our fears, our doubts, our worries.
Speaking into the hollows of our hearts,
he is the Word who teaches us
new songs of gratitude and awe.
Gathering the cross into his arms,
he is the Deliverer who breaks
sin's death grip on us,
walking with us by the brooks of water,
into the kingdom of life eternal.
As we begin this year with hope,
we remember his promise to be with us always,
even as we tell of that mystery we call faith:
At the beginning of time, Christ was the Word of creation;
at the right time, Christ was the Word of redemption;
at the end of time, Christ will be the Word who brings us home.
And in this time, in this place,
with these people, we come to your Table,
Gatherer of your children.
The simple gifts we take for granted,
the bread which has been a staple of life,
the cup which refreshes us when we thirst,
you transform into imaginative grace,
the Meal which is blessed by the presence
of your Spirit of power and peace.
You bring us from every point on the compass -
young and old, the mother with her son,
the grandfather balancing the girl on his knee,
those who run circles around us,
and those who point the way with their canes -
welcoming that great parade of your children
who come with outstretched hearts
to receive every blessing imaginable.
And when our beginning has come to your fullness,
when we come, our faces glowing with wonder,
our voices ringing with the songs of freedom,
we will gather around your Table in heaven,
comfort and gladness our eternal inheritance from you,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
(c) Thom M. Shuman
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