World Communion Liturgy for October 5, 2025

  Texts: Lamentations 1:1-6; Lamentations 3:19-26; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10

Call to Worship
In places like Gaza and the Ukraine,
where lives are lost and voices are not heard,
we call to mind that faith which is passed on to us,
that justice which speaks out for all people.
In border towns and communities walled in by poverty ,
where fears destroy families and scatter neighbors,
we call to mind that hope which is passed on to us,
that peace and reconciliation will rebuild communities.
In neighborhoods not known, in places never mentioned,
where bitter tears are shed and the lonely walk the streets,
we call to mind that love which we can pass on
to those forgotten by the world, including us.

Prayer of the Day
It is not in the hollowness
of our fears,
   but there in the depths
   of your heart, Singer of Songs,
that the notes are written
that can reshape our lives,
that the melody of hope is composed.
Seed Planter,
you only did
what you ought to have done:
traveling our lonely cities,
     listening to
         the weeping of parents;
      reaching out to
         share our burdens.

You enter our hearts
   to heal them,
Spirit of love;
      you enter our fears
         to open us to possibilities;
      you enter our communities
         to create families;
      you empty yourself,
         so we may share the good
         treasure of hope with all
God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our prayers as Jesus taught us,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Faith, hope, love have all been passed on to us, not so we can hoard these gifts for ourselves, but so we might share them with others.  Let us lift our prayers to the One who is always ready to place forgiveness in our hearts, as we tell how we have not done this in our lives.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     We think if we turn off the media, we will not need to listen to the voices of our neighbors, God of all the world.  We are blessed with family and friends, and so do not know the lonely.  We are at ease in a world which is troubled, and so do not notice the bitter tears of others.  Because we are people of affluence and privilege, we cannot understand those who are broken by the anger and brutality of the world.
   Yet, you know, God of the sufferers.  You hear the cries of those living in oppression, and call us to listen.  Your tears mingle with those whose children lie mangled or dead in war zones, and would have us be peacemakers.  Your faithfulness is great, when ours seems so futile, yet you would have us serve the world alongside your Child, Jesus, even as he served us with his life and gifts.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Call this to mind: God is ever faithful; hope is the gift passed on to us, love is the gift we can share with others; God’s mercies never come to an end.
Great is God’s faithfulness to all people, in all places. Thanks be to God, who has given us the promise of life in Christ Jesus our Lord! Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We are here, because of those who passed on their faith to us.  We are generous, because God has blessed us with gifts beyond imagination.  We would pass on these gifts, as well as hope and love, as we offer them to our God, in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May God be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the One who cradles our hearts in loving hands.

People of God, let us give thanks to the God who sets a Table for us.
We praise the Lord our God who welcomes us with open arms.

How lonely was chaos, Gardener of the Universe,
until you spoke a Word, and your Spirit created:
   leaves that burnish gold and red in autumn,
   snow that drifts lazily in winter skies,
   frozen brooks that burst in spring,
   ponds splashing with children in summer.
You planted the seeds of joy in our ancestors
hoping they would pass them onto us,
   but they walked sin’s lonely streets
   and drank the bitter tears death offered.
Though the prophets came
to remind us of your great faithfulness,
   we continued to feast on the
   wormwood and gall offered by the world.     
But you would not forget us,
and so sent Jesus to bring us home to you.

Therefore we join our voices,
as we sing of your mercies
made fresh in every moment

Sung: (tune: Bunessan 5.5.5.4D)
God of Creation, Lord of all beauty,
All creatures join in singing your love;
Holy Compassion, Joy of our mornings,
Fill us with grace which comes from above.

You alone are holy, heart Speaker,
and we are blessed through Jesus, life’s Promise.
When we would wander the lonely streets of the world,
   he would take us by the hand,
   to lead us into your joy.
When others would pass on
bitterness and hate to us,
   he fills us with the gifts
   of hope and love.
Splashing in sin's puddles,
    he washed our feet
    and dried them with his love,
         leading us into the kingdom.
Daughters of despair, sons of sadness,
orphans of woe -
     he gathers us all up
     in his arms of mercy
          wiping out death,
     and sits us down
          at the family Table.

As we remember his grace and love,
as we dare not forget his sacrifice for us,
we sing of that mystery we call faith:

Sung: Christ of the outcast, Comfort of mourners,
Neighbor to strangers, Love without end;
Bearer of burdens, Grace ever with us,
Blessing our children, Brother and Friend.

Holy Spirit,
as we offer the gifts
of the bread and the cup
for your blessing,
so we present ourselves:
     our accomplishments, our failings,
     our hopes, our realities.
Make us weak,
     so we might rely
          on your strength.
As we have heard the Word,
     may we listen
          to the cries of the poor.
As we are family
with those sitting beside us today,
     may we love our sisters and brothers
          in every corner of creation.
As you hold out
the bread and the cup to us,
     may we reach out to enemies
          to clasp hands as friends.

God in Community, Holy in One,
all honor and glory are yours,
as we sing our praises through all eternity:

Sung: Spirit of kindness, Breath of forgiveness,
Faithful Companion, just as Christ said;
God's little children gathered together,
Drink of salvation, feast on your Bread.

Sending
God would send you forth into the loneliness of the world.
we would call this to mind,
as we go to embrace all the rejected and forgotten.
Jesus would send you forth into the bitterness around us,
we would call this to mind,
as we seek to have all voices heard, all grief comforted.
The Spirit would send you forth into the brokenness of others,
we would call this to mind,
as we carry peace and love to neighbors and strangers.

©  Thom M. Shuman

Proper 22/Ordinary 27/Pentecost 20/Trinity 19 - C

Texts:  Lamentations 1:1-6; Psalm 137; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10

Call to Worship
We gather, as God's people, bringing our fears and pain,
knowing that when our spirits have grown cold,
God rekindles the gift of faith in us.
We gather, as God's people, hanging our broken hearts
on the branches of the tree of life,
knowing that while friends may turn against us,
God transforms enemies into sisters and brothers.
We gather, as God's people, hungering for healing and hope,
knowing that even when life is no picnic,
God prepares a feast for us.

Prayer of the Day
Singer of Songs:
when we have lost
the melody of your hope,
     you reshape the notes of our hearts;
when we can find
no resting place,
     you are the lap
         that cradles us;
when we are held captive
by our complaints,
     you free us for praise.

Seed Planter,
you only did
what you ought to have done:
traveling the empty roads
of our world;
     listening to
          our midnight cries;
      overtaking us
          to shoulder our burdens.

Spirit of Love,
as you enter our hearts
to ease our loneliness:
     may we not forget
          who our protector is;
     may we remember the faith
          which has been gifted to us;
     may we be stewards
          of the good treasure that is ours.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our prayers as Jesus taught us,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
Our faith has been placed in our hands by our parents and grandparents. But we know we have not always done what we ought to have done. Let us lift our prayers to the One who is always ready to place forgiveness in our hearts.

Unison Prayer of Confession
     We stand before you in this moment, Listening God, and state what you already know. Our cheeks are carved with the tears of the pain we have caused. Our hearts are so empty we cannot comfort others. Our desires have taken us to places where we cannot sing your praises.
     Heart-seeking God, forgive us. Plant a tiny seed of hope that it might grow into a bouquet for others. Increase our faith until it spills over in thanksgiving to you.  Fill us with the love that overwhelms all our complaints and rekindles our desire to follow faithfully Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
While are failures and frailty are fresh, God's grace has been ours before time began. This is great news - we are forgiven.
God plants the seed of faith deep within us, growing a harvest of grace and hope. Thanks be to god, who has given us the promise of life in Christ Jesus our Lord! Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May God be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the One who cradles our hearts in loving hands.
People of God, let us give thanks to the God who sets a Table for us.
We praise the Lord our God who welcomes us with open arms.
It is our greatest joy
to sing our songs of praise to you,
Gardener of Creation.
You planted the seeds of faith
in our ancestors
who sought to pass it on to us.
But your gifts of love and self-discipline
found no resting place in our souls.
Your tears washed
the streets of the kingdom
     when we abandoned them
     to walk the world's lonely paths.
We do not remember who protects us,
     and we rely on those false gods
     who would lead us into despair's captivity.
But you will not forget us,
or leave us orphaned.
Hearing us crying in the night,
you sent our Hope, Jesus Christ.

Therefore, we lift our voices,
singing our praise with those
in every time, and in every place,
who have been brought out of death's exile
and who forever sing your joy:

Sung: (tune: Bunessan 5.5.5.4D)
God of Creation, Lord of all beauty,
All creatures join in singing your love;
Holy Compassion, Joy of our mornings,
Fill us with grace which comes from above.

Holy are you, Speaker of our hearts,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, Promise of Life.
When we had hung our souls
on the branches of loss,
     he handed them back to us,
          teaching us the ageless
          harmonies of grace.
When the world left us
by the side of the road
like rusty automobiles,
     he came to restore us to newness.
Splashing in sin's puddles,
     he washed our feet
     and dried them with his love,
          leading us into the kingdom.
Daughters of despair, sons of sadness,
orphans of woe -
     he gathers us all up
     in his arms of mercy
          wiping out death,
     and sits us down
          at the family Table.

As we remember his grace and love,
as we dare not forget his sacrifice for us,
we sing of that mystery we call faith:

Sung: Christ of the outcast, Comfort of mourners,
Neighbor to strangers, Love without end;
Bearer of burdens, Grace ever with us,
Blessing our children, Brother and Friend.

Holy Spirit,
as we offer the gifts
of the bread and the cup
for your blessing,
so we present ourselves:
     our accomplishments, our failings,
     our hopes, our realities.
Make us weak,
     so we might rely
          on your strength.
As we have heard the Word,
     may we listen
          to the cries of the poor.
As we are family
with those sitting beside us today,
     may we love our sisters and brothers
          in every corner of creation.
As you hold out
the bread and the cup to us,
     may we reach out to enemies
          to clasp hands as friends.

God in Community, Holy in One,
all honor and glory are yours,
as we sing our praises through all eternity:

Sung: Spirit of kindness, Breath of forgiveness,
Faithful Companion, just as Christ said;
God's little children gathered together,
Drink of salvation, feast on your Bread.

© Thom M. Shuman

World Communion Sunday liturgy for October 6, 2019

Texts: Lamentations 1:1-6; Lamentations 3:19-26; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10

Call to Worship
In cities like Dallas and London,
where lives are lost and voices are not heard,
we call to mind that faith which is passed on to us,
that justice will speak out for all people.
In border towns and communities walled in by poverty ,
where fears destroy families and scatter neighbors,
we call to mind that hope which is passed on to us,
that peace and reconciliation will rebuild communities.
In neighborhoods not known, in places never mentioned,
where bitter tears are shed and the lonely walk the streets,
we call to mind that love which we can pass on
to those forgotten by the world, including us.

Prayer of the Day
It is not in the hollowness
of our fears,
   but there in the depths
   of your heart, Singer of Songs,
that the notes are written
that can reshape our lives,
that the melody of hope is composed.
Seed Planter,
you only did
what you ought to have done:
traveling our lonely cities,
     listening to
         the weeping of parents;
      reaching out to
         share our burdens.

You enter our hearts
   to heal them,
Spirit of love;
      you enter our fears
         to open us to possibilities;
      you enter our communities
         to create families;
      you empty yourself,
         so we may share the good
         treasure of hope with all
God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our prayers as Jesus taught us,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Faith, hope, love have all been passed on to us, not so we can hoard these gifts for ourselves, but so we might share them with others.  Let us lift our prayers to the One who is always ready to place forgiveness in our hearts, as we tell how we have not done this in our lives.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     We think if we turn off the media, we will not need to listen to the voices of our neighbors, God of all the world.  We are blessed with family and friends, and so do not know the lonely.  We are at ease in a world which is troubled, and so do not notice the bitter tears of others.  Because we are people of affluence and privilege, we cannot understand those who are broken by the anger and brutality of the world.
   Yet, you know, God of the sufferers.  You hear the cries of those living in oppression, and call us to listen.  Your tears mingle with those whose children lie mangled or dead in war zones, and would have us be peacemakers.  Your faithfulness is great, when ours seems so futile, yet you would have us serve the world alongside your Child, Jesus, even as he served us with his life and gifts.  Amen.
Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Call this to mind: God is ever faithful; hope is the gift passed on to us, love is the gift we can share with others; God’s mercies never come to an end.
Great is God’s faithfulness to all people, in all places. Thanks be to God, who has given us the promise of life in Christ Jesus our Lord! Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We are here, because of those who passed on their faith to us.  We are generous, because God has blessed us with gifts beyond imagination.  We would pass on these gifts, as well as hope and love, as we offer them to our God, in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May God be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the One who cradles our hearts in loving hands.People of God, let us give thanks to the God who sets a Table for us.
We praise the Lord our God who welcomes us with open arms.
How lonely was chaos, Gardener of the Universe,
until you spoke a Word, and your Spirit created:
   leaves that burnish gold and red in autumn,
   snow that drifts lazily in winter skies,
   frozen brooks that burst in spring,
   ponds splashing with children in summer.
You planted the seeds of joy in our ancestors
hoping they would pass them onto us,
   but they walked sin’s lonely streets
   and drank the bitter tears death offered.
Though the prophets came
to remind us of your great faithfulness,
   we continued to feast on the
   wormwood and gall offered by the world.     
But you would not forget us,
and so sent Jesus to bring us home to you.

Therefore we join our voices,
as we sing of your mercies
made fresh in every moment

Sung: (tune: Bunessan 5.5.5.4D)
God of Creation, Lord of all beauty,
All creatures join in singing your love;
Holy Compassion, Joy of our mornings,
Fill us with grace which comes from above.

You alone are holy, heart Speaker,
and we are blessed through Jesus, life’s Promise.
When we would wander the lonely streets of the world,
   he would take us by the hand,
   to lead us into your joy.
When others would pass on
bitterness and hate to us,
   he fills us with the gifts
   of hope and love.
Splashing in sin's puddles,
    he washed our feet
    and dried them with his love,
         leading us into the kingdom.
Daughters of despair, sons of sadness,
orphans of woe -
     he gathers us all up
     in his arms of mercy
          wiping out death,
     and sits us down
          at the family Table.

As we remember his grace and love,
as we dare not forget his sacrifice for us,
we sing of that mystery we call faith:

Sung: Christ of the outcast, Comfort of mourners,
Neighbor to strangers, Love without end;
Bearer of burdens, Grace ever with us,
Blessing our children, Brother and Friend.
Holy Spirit,
as we offer the gifts
of the bread and the cup
for your blessing,
so we present ourselves:
     our accomplishments, our failings,
     our hopes, our realities.
Make us weak,
     so we might rely
          on your strength.
As we have heard the Word,
     may we listen
          to the cries of the poor.
As we are family
with those sitting beside us today,
     may we love our sisters and brothers
          in every corner of creation.
As you hold out
the bread and the cup to us,
     may we reach out to enemies
          to clasp hands as friends.

God in Community, Holy in One,
all honor and glory are yours,
as we sing our praises through all eternity:

Sung: Spirit of kindness, Breath of forgiveness,
Faithful Companion, just as Christ said;
God's little children gathered together,
Drink of salvation, feast on your Bread.

Sending
God would send you forth into the loneliness of the world.
we would call this to mind,
as we go to embrace all the rejected and forgotten.
Jesus would send you forth into the bitterness around us,
we would call this to mind,
as we seek to have all voices heard, all grief comforted.
The Spirit would send you forth into the brokenness of others,
we would call this to mind,
as we carry peace and love to neighbors and strangers.

©  Thom M. Shuman

World Communion Sunday liturgy for October 2, 2022

 Texts: Lamentations 1:1-6; Lamentations 3:19-26; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10

Call to Worship
In places like Gaza and the Ukraine,
where lives are lost and voices are not heard,
we call to mind that faith which is passed on to us,
that justice which speaks out for all people.
In border towns and communities walled in by poverty ,
where fears destroy families and scatter neighbors,
we call to mind that hope which is passed on to us,
that peace and reconciliation will rebuild communities.
In neighborhoods not known, in places never mentioned,
where bitter tears are shed and the lonely walk the streets,
we call to mind that love which we can pass on
to those forgotten by the world, including us.

Prayer of the Day
It is not in the hollowness
of our fears,
   but there in the depths
   of your heart, Singer of Songs,
that the notes are written
that can reshape our lives,
that the melody of hope is composed.
Seed Planter,
you only did
what you ought to have done:
traveling our lonely cities,
     listening to
         the weeping of parents;
      reaching out to
         share our burdens.

You enter our hearts
   to heal them,
Spirit of love;
      you enter our fears
         to open us to possibilities;
      you enter our communities
         to create families;
      you empty yourself,
         so we may share the good
         treasure of hope with all
God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our prayers as Jesus taught us,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Faith, hope, love have all been passed on to us, not so we can hoard these gifts for ourselves, but so we might share them with others.  Let us lift our prayers to the One who is always ready to place forgiveness in our hearts, as we tell how we have not done this in our lives.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     We think if we turn off the media, we will not need to listen to the voices of our neighbors, God of all the world.  We are blessed with family and friends, and so do not know the lonely.  We are at ease in a world which is troubled, and so do not notice the bitter tears of others.  Because we are people of affluence and privilege, we cannot understand those who are broken by the anger and brutality of the world.
   Yet, you know, God of the sufferers.  You hear the cries of those living in oppression, and call us to listen.  Your tears mingle with those whose children lie mangled or dead in war zones, and would have us be peacemakers.  Your faithfulness is great, when ours seems so futile, yet you would have us serve the world alongside your Child, Jesus, even as he served us with his life and gifts.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Call this to mind: God is ever faithful; hope is the gift passed on to us, love is the gift we can share with others; God’s mercies never come to an end.
Great is God’s faithfulness to all people, in all places. Thanks be to God, who has given us the promise of life in Christ Jesus our Lord! Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We are here, because of those who passed on their faith to us.  We are generous, because God has blessed us with gifts beyond imagination.  We would pass on these gifts, as well as hope and love, as we offer them to our God, in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May God be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the One who cradles our hearts in loving hands.

People of God, let us give thanks to the God who sets a Table for us.
We praise the Lord our God who welcomes us with open arms.

How lonely was chaos, Gardener of the Universe,
until you spoke a Word, and your Spirit created:
   leaves that burnish gold and red in autumn,
   snow that drifts lazily in winter skies,
   frozen brooks that burst in spring,
   ponds splashing with children in summer.
You planted the seeds of joy in our ancestors
hoping they would pass them onto us,
   but they walked sin’s lonely streets
   and drank the bitter tears death offered.
Though the prophets came
to remind us of your great faithfulness,
   we continued to feast on the
   wormwood and gall offered by the world.     
But you would not forget us,
and so sent Jesus to bring us home to you.

Therefore we join our voices,
as we sing of your mercies
made fresh in every moment

Sung: (tune: Bunessan 5.5.5.4D)
God of Creation, Lord of all beauty,
All creatures join in singing your love;
Holy Compassion, Joy of our mornings,
Fill us with grace which comes from above.

You alone are holy, heart Speaker,
and we are blessed through Jesus, life’s Promise.
When we would wander the lonely streets of the world,
   he would take us by the hand,
   to lead us into your joy.
When others would pass on
bitterness and hate to us,
   he fills us with the gifts
   of hope and love.
Splashing in sin's puddles,
    he washed our feet
    and dried them with his love,
         leading us into the kingdom.
Daughters of despair, sons of sadness,
orphans of woe -
     he gathers us all up
     in his arms of mercy
          wiping out death,
     and sits us down
          at the family Table.

As we remember his grace and love,
as we dare not forget his sacrifice for us,
we sing of that mystery we call faith:

Sung: Christ of the outcast, Comfort of mourners,
Neighbor to strangers, Love without end;
Bearer of burdens, Grace ever with us,
Blessing our children, Brother and Friend.

Holy Spirit,
as we offer the gifts
of the bread and the cup
for your blessing,
so we present ourselves:
     our accomplishments, our failings,
     our hopes, our realities.
Make us weak,
     so we might rely
          on your strength.
As we have heard the Word,
     may we listen
          to the cries of the poor.
As we are family
with those sitting beside us today,
     may we love our sisters and brothers
          in every corner of creation.
As you hold out
the bread and the cup to us,
     may we reach out to enemies
          to clasp hands as friends.

God in Community, Holy in One,
all honor and glory are yours,
as we sing our praises through all eternity:

Sung: Spirit of kindness, Breath of forgiveness,
Faithful Companion, just as Christ said;
God's little children gathered together,
Drink of salvation, feast on your Bread.

Sending
God would send you forth into the loneliness of the world.
we would call this to mind,
as we go to embrace all the rejected and forgotten.
Jesus would send you forth into the bitterness around us,
we would call this to mind,
as we seek to have all voices heard, all grief comforted.
The Spirit would send you forth into the brokenness of others,
we would call this to mind,
as we carry peace and love to neighbors and strangers.

©  Thom M. Shuman

World Communion Sunday (October 2, 2016)

Texts: Lamentations 1:1-6; Lamentations 3:19-26; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10

Call to Worship
In cities like Charlotte and Tulsa,
where lives are lost and voices are not heard,
we call to mind that faith which is passed on to us,
that justice will speak out for all people.
In cities like Aleppo and New York,
where explosions destroy families and scatter neighbors,
we call to mind that hope which is passed on to us,
that peace and reconciliation will rebuild communities.
In neighborhoods not known, in places never mentioned,
where bitter tears are shed and the lonely walk the streets,
we call to mind that love which we can pass on
to those forgotten by the world, including us.

Prayer of the Day
It is not in the hollowness
of our fears,
   but there in the depths
   of your heart, Singer of Songs,
that the notes are written
that can reshape our lives,
that the melody of hope is composed.

Seed Planter,
you only did
what you ought to have done:
traveling our lonely cities,
     listening to
         the weeping of parents;
      reaching out to
         share our burdens.

You enter our hearts
   to heal them,
Spirit of love;
      you enter our fears
         to open us to possibilities;
      you enter our communities
         to create families;
      you empty yourself,
         so we may share the good
         treasure of hope with all

God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our prayers as Jesus taught us,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
Faith, hope, love have all been passed on to us, not so we can hoard these gifts for ourselves, but so we might share them with others.  Let us lift our prayers to the One who is always ready to place forgiveness in our hearts, as we tell how we have not done this in our lives.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     We think if we turn off the media, we will not need to listen to the voices of our neighbors, God of all the world.  We are blessed with family and friends, and so do not know the lonely.  We are at ease in a world which is troubled, and so do not notice the bitter tears of others.  Because we are people of affluence and privilege, we cannot understand those who are broken by the anger and brutality of the world.
   Yet, you know, God of the sufferers.  You hear the cries of those living in oppression, and call us to listen.  Your tears mingle with those whose children lie mangled or dead in war zones, and would have us be peacemakers.  Your faithfulness is great, when ours seems so futile, yet you would have us serve the world alongside your Child, Jesus, even as he served us with his life and gifts.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Call this to mind: God is ever faithful; hope is the gift passed on to us, love is the gift we can share with others; God’s mercies never come to an end.
Great is God’s faithfulness to all people, in all places. Thanks be to God, who has given us the promise of life in Christ Jesus our Lord! Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We are here, because of those who passed on their faith to us.  We are generous, because God has blessed us with gifts beyond imagination.  We would pass on these gifts, as well as hope and love, as we offer them to our God, in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May God be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the One who cradles our hearts in loving hands.
People of God, let us give thanks to the God who sets a Table for us.
We praise the Lord our God who welcomes us with open arms.

How lonely was chaos, Gardener of the Universe,
until you spoke a Word, and your Spirit created:
   leaves that burnish gold and red in autumn,
   snow that drifts lazily in winter skies,
   frozen brooks that burst in spring,
   ponds splashing with children in summer.
You planted the seeds of joy in our ancestors
hoping they would pass them onto us,
   but they walked sin’s lonely streets
   and drank the bitter tears death offered.
Though the prophets came
to remind us of your great faithfulness,
   we continued to feast on the
   wormwood and gall offered by the world.    
But you would not forget us,
and so sent Jesus to bring us home to you.

Therefore we join our voices,
as we sing of your mercies
made fresh in every moment

Sung: (tune: Bunessan 5.5.5.4D)
God of Creation, Lord of all beauty,
All creatures join in singing your love;
Holy Compassion, Joy of our mornings,
Fill us with grace which comes from above.

You alone are holy, heart Speaker,
and we are blessed through Jesus, life’s Promise.
When we would wander the lonely streets of the world,
   he would take us by the hand,
   to lead us into your joy.
When others would pass on
bitterness and hate to us,
   he fills us with the gifts
   of hope and love.
Splashing in sin's puddles,
    he washed our feet
    and dried them with his love,
         leading us into the kingdom.
Daughters of despair, sons of sadness,
orphans of woe -
     he gathers us all up
     in his arms of mercy
          wiping out death,
     and sits us down
          at the family Table.

As we remember his grace and love,
as we dare not forget his sacrifice for us,
we sing of that mystery we call faith:

Sung: Christ of the outcast, Comfort of mourners,
Neighbor to strangers, Love without end;
Bearer of burdens, Grace ever with us,
Blessing our children, Brother and Friend.

Holy Spirit,
as we offer the gifts
of the bread and the cup
for your blessing,
so we present ourselves:
     our accomplishments, our failings,
     our hopes, our realities.
Make us weak,
     so we might rely
          on your strength.
As we have heard the Word,
     may we listen
          to the cries of the poor.
As we are family
with those sitting beside us today,
     may we love our sisters and brothers
          in every corner of creation.
As you hold out
the bread and the cup to us,
     may we reach out to enemies
          to clasp hands as friends.

God in Community, Holy in One,
all honor and glory are yours,
as we sing our praises through all eternity:

Sung: Spirit of kindness, Breath of forgiveness,
Faithful Companion, just as Christ said;
God's little children gathered together,
Drink of salvation, feast on your Bread.

Sending
God would send you forth into the loneliness of the world.
we would call this to mind,
as we go to embrace all the rejected and forgotten.
Jesus would send you forth into the bitterness around us,
we would call this to mind,
as we seek to have all voices heard, all grief comforted.
The Spirit would send you forth into the brokenness of others,
we would call this to mind,
as we carry peace and love to neighbors and strangers.
 
© 2016 Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for September 18, 2022 (Pentecost 15/Trinity 14/Proper 20/Ordinary 25 - C)

 Texts: Jeremiah 8:18 – 9:1; Psalm 79:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13

Call to Worship
We gather together to celebrate the joy in our lives.
God's love fills our hearts to overflowing with laughter.
We gather, in God's presence, to find comfort and hope for our pain.
God's grace wipes away our tears
and knits us together as one people. 
We gather together, in God's presence, to worship God in faith and truth.
Alleluia! Amen!

Prayer of the Day
Healing God,
when dismay
is our daily companion,
     you come to touch us
          with your healing hope.
When grief falls on us
like a wall of bricks,
     you rebuild our joy
          with your comfort and love.

Jesus Christ,
Faithful Spirit,
when bullies pick on us,
     you stand by our side.
When neighbors taunt us
for choosing to be faithful,
     you commend us
          for our wisdom.

Teaching Spirit,
when we are heart-sick
over the brokenness of our lives,
     your compassion races
          to bring your gentle balm.
When our joy is gone
and we are stained
by the world's cruelty,
     you bathe us in the tears
          flowing from God's broken heart.

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

Call to Reconciliation
Before we speak, God knows our needs, yet our words open our hearts to God's grace. Let us prepare ourselves for God's healing as, in words and silence, we tell of all that separates us from God and one another. Please join me as we pray,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     First of all, Everlasting God, we must confess how we have not lived as your people. We serve many masters - work, wealth, power, addictions - yet find no hope in them. We hear the cries of the poor, and shut the doors of our hearts to them. We ridicule those who expose their hopes and dreams to us.
     Forgive us, Compassion's Heart, and heal us of our brokenness. Make us well, so that by our healing, we might be the hope and love others need in their lives, even as Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, brought these gifts to us, calling us to be faithful with the grace, peace, and joy entrusted to us. 

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Now that we have let go of the pain, the bitterness, the anger of our lives, let us be kind, tender-hearted, and gentle towards each other, forgiving as God has forgiven us.
We are God's beloved children, and will model God's grace and love in our hearts. Thanks be to God! We are forgiven! Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We could taunt our neighbors, or treat them to a warm welcome; we would mock those who are different or affirm them as family; we could withhold our inheritance from others, so help us to joyously and lovingly pour out our gifts and lives for others.  This we pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the one God be with you!
And also with you!
Lift your hearts to the One who heals them.
We offer our hearts to be filled with the balm of Gilead.
Sing praises to our God who would fill us with springs of joy.
Glad songs of thanksgiving are proclaimed to the One
who delivers us to new life.

We praise you for our inheritance,
God of wonder and delight:
     springs of water trickling into mighty rivers,
     birds of the air cart wheeling in the morning mist,
     tall trees dancing with the wind.
As your children, we were blessed
with abundant gifts beyond measure,
     but we squandered this bounty, choosing
     to buy property in sin and death's community.
Heartsick, you sent the prophets to us,
who indicted us for ruining ourselves,
but we were not strong enough
to pull up our roots and return to you.
So you sent Jesus, faithful in all,
to restore us to full health.

As we join our voices with all
who seek to serve you, far and wide,
we lift our songs of praise to you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, Author of grace and goodness.
All creation affirms the depths of your love.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is your Child of Compassion who sprints to us.
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, God of our salvation,
and everlasting is the salvation brought
to us by Jesus Christ, our Mediator.
When we were too weak to dig
our way out of the mess we were in,
     he came to show us the way out.
When we were too proud to ask for help,
     he humbled himself, to become our brother.
When we could not account for our lives,
     he balanced the books for us.
When we were faithless in so much,
     he determined to go to the cross for us,
so that we might know of your longing
for everyone to be saved.

As we remember his faithful life in every thing he did,
as we celebrate his spirit of sacrifice,
we speak of that truth we call faith:

Christ died, paying the price we could not;
Christ was raised, becoming our means of new life;
Christ will come, leading us to that quiet, peaceable life with you.

In these moments, in this holy place,
upon these gifts with offer hope and life,
upon these people who seek to be faithful,
pour out your Spirit of compassion and peace.
As we eat of the bread, tasting its grace,
may we move swiftly in service,
     carrying compassion to the lost,
     the hurting, the hungry, the homeless.
As we drink from the cup of love,
may the tears of our eyes
     at the brokenness of the world,
     become the healing balm for your children.

And when all time is gone, when eternity is upon us,
we will join our sisters and brothers from far and wide,
in singing forever your glory and wonder,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
God has filled us with joy and wonder.
We will go to let it overflow in the lives of others.
Jesus has filled us with comfort and hope.
We will go to wipe away the tears of those around us.
The Spirit sends us forward in faith to share the truth of God's presence in our lives.
Alleluia!  We will live everyday as God's own.  Amen.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for September 21, 2025 (Pentecost 15/Trinity 14/Proper 20/Ordinary 25 - C)

  Texts: Jeremiah 8:18 – 9:1; Psalm 79:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13

Call to Worship
We gather together to celebrate the joy in our lives.
God's love fills our hearts to overflowing with laughter.
We gather, in God's presence, to find comfort and hope for our pain.
God's grace wipes away our tears
and knits us together as one people. 
We gather together, in God's presence, to worship God in faith and truth.
Alleluia! Amen!

Prayer of the Day
Healing God,
when dismay
is our daily companion,
     you come to touch us
          with your healing hope.
When grief falls on us
like a wall of bricks,
     you rebuild our joy
          with your comfort and love.

Jesus Christ,
Faithful Spirit,
when bullies pick on us,
     you stand by our side.
When neighbors taunt us
for choosing to be faithful,
     you commend us
          for our wisdom.

Teaching Spirit,
when we are heart-sick
over the brokenness of our lives,
     your compassion races
          to bring your gentle balm.
When our joy is gone
and we are stained
by the world's cruelty,
     you bathe us in the tears
          flowing from God's broken heart.

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

Call to Reconciliation
Before we speak, God knows our needs, yet our words open our hearts to God's grace. Let us prepare ourselves for God's healing as, in words and silence, we tell of all that separates us from God and one another. Please join me as we pray,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     First of all, Everlasting God, we must confess how we have not lived as your people. We serve many masters - work, wealth, power, addictions - yet find no hope in them. We hear the cries of the poor, and shut the doors of our hearts to them. We ridicule those who expose their hopes and dreams to us.
     Forgive us, Compassion's Heart, and heal us of our brokenness. Make us well, so that by our healing, we might be the hope and love others need in their lives, even as Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, brought these gifts to us, calling us to be faithful with the grace, peace, and joy entrusted to us.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Now that we have let go of the pain, the bitterness, the anger of our lives, let us be kind, tender-hearted, and gentle towards each other, forgiving as God has forgiven us.
We are God's beloved children, and will model God's grace and love in our hearts. Thanks be to God! We are forgiven! Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We could taunt our neighbors, or treat them to a warm welcome; we would mock those who are different or affirm them as family; we could withhold our inheritance from others, so help us to joyously and lovingly pour out our gifts and lives for others.  This we pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the one God be with you!
And also with you!
Lift your hearts to the One who heals them.
We offer our hearts to be filled with the balm of Gilead.
Sing praises to our God who would fill us with springs of joy.
Glad songs of thanksgiving are proclaimed to the One
who delivers us to new life.

We praise you for our inheritance,
God of wonder and delight:
     springs of water trickling into mighty rivers,
     birds of the air cart wheeling in the morning mist,
     tall trees dancing with the wind.
As your children, we were blessed
with abundant gifts beyond measure,
     but we squandered this bounty, choosing
     to buy property in sin and death's community.
Heartsick, you sent the prophets to us,
who indicted us for ruining ourselves,
but we were not strong enough
to pull up our roots and return to you.
So you sent Jesus, faithful in all,
to restore us to full health.

As we join our voices with all
who seek to serve you, far and wide,
we lift our songs of praise to you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, Author of grace and goodness.
All creation affirms the depths of your love.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is your Child of Compassion who sprints to us.
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, God of our salvation,
and everlasting is the salvation brought
to us by Jesus Christ, our Mediator.
When we were too weak to dig
our way out of the mess we were in,
     he came to show us the way out.
When we were too proud to ask for help,
     he humbled himself, to become our brother.
When we could not account for our lives,
     he balanced the books for us.
When we were faithless in so much,
     he determined to go to the cross for us,
so that we might know of your longing
for everyone to be saved.

As we remember his faithful life in every thing he did,
as we celebrate his spirit of sacrifice,
we speak of that truth we call faith:

Christ died, paying the price we could not;
Christ was raised, becoming our means of new life;
Christ will come, leading us to that quiet, peaceable life with you.

In these moments, in this holy place,
upon these gifts with offer hope and life,
upon these people who seek to be faithful,
pour out your Spirit of compassion and peace.
As we eat of the bread, tasting its grace,
may we move swiftly in service,
     carrying compassion to the lost,
     the hurting, the hungry, the homeless.
As we drink from the cup of love,
may the tears of our eyes
     at the brokenness of the world,
     become the healing balm for your children.

And when all time is gone, when eternity is upon us,
we will join our sisters and brothers from far and wide,
in singing forever your glory and wonder,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
God has filled us with joy and wonder.
We will go to let it overflow in the lives of others.
Jesus has filled us with comfort and hope.
We will go to wipe away the tears of those around us.
The Spirit sends us forward in faith to share the truth of God's presence in our lives.
Alleluia!  We will live everyday as God's own.  Amen.

(c) Thom M. Shuman