Proper 19/Ordinary 24/Pentecost 17/Trinity 16 - C

Texts:  Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28; Psalm 14; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-10

Call to Worship
The foolish say, 'there is no God.'
We come, trusting in Jesus, the face, the voice, the presence of the God who loves us.
The scoffers of our age ask, 'why do you seek after God?'
We come, in this time, because God's grace has spilled over in our lives.
The hopeless around us think, 'no one cares about me.'
We come, in this time, to this place, because Jesus has found us and brought us home.

Prayer of the Day
When we are short-sighted
and think we can't see you,
     you show us a mother
          cradling her sick child.
When we are anxious,
certain you don't care about us,
     you are confident enough
          to trust us with your grace.
When we are cynical,
sure that nothing matters,
     you are optimistic enough
          to become one of us.
God, you are our Hope.

You sweep the streets
of the world,
     to uncover the people
          we consider to be trash.
You shine your grace
into sin's shadows
     to find us when
          we have lost our way.
You would leave us
     to go find the sister
          we left behind.
Jesus, you are our Joy.

When we walk
the dusty desert of desolation,
     you refresh us
          with showers of grace.
When our lives
lie in ruined rubble,
     you come and build
     a foundation for us
          out of love and faith.
Spirit, you are our Life.

God in Community, Holy in One,
our Hope, our Joy, our Life,
hear us as we pray as Jesus teaches,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
Which of us has not hurt someone this week? Which of us has not spoken (or thought) ill of a sister or brother in Christ? Which of us has failed to do good when given the chance? Which of us? All of us and each of us! But Christ came to save people just like us, so I invite you to join me as we offer our prayers to God, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
     Although we believe we are experts at faithfulness, Holy God, we must confess we are unskilled workers at doing good for others. Too often, we turn a deaf ear to the cries of people we have judged to be fools. We easily scoff at those we believe have nothing to teach us or share with us.
     How foolish, Searching God, how foolish we are! Forgive us, and restore us to your goodness. Then, send us forth to search for all who sit in the shadowed corners of our world, yearning for someone to come and find them, even as Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, came to find us.
Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Our actions sometimes show we do not know God. Our words and lives show we do not understand God's hopes for us. But with utmost patience, God sets aside our foolishness, and fills us with mercy.
Mingled with faith and love, grace is poured into our sin-parched souls, giving us new life, restoring us as God's children. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of the lost be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, lift up your hearts to the One who searches for you.
We lift them to our God, whom we find dwelling in our deepest being.
God's precious treasure, offer your thanksgiving to God.
We glorify our God, who does not give up on us, but rescues us when we have wandered away.
When only the hot wind of chaos
blew, and there was no light,
you spoke, Immortal, Invisible God,
     your Word bringing forth fruit-filled lands,
     your Spirit moving the hills to and fro
          until they stood silent over the valleys.
In your wisdom, you shaped us
in your image, your grace freely offered.
     Foolishly, we chased after temptation's dreams,
          becoming skilled workers in constructing
          evil out of your good and wonderful gifts.
You showed the upmost patience towards us,
sending prophets with challenging words
to remind us of your promises to all,
but we were too foolish to listen.
So, you sent Jesus to us who,
like a friend who has lost touch
with those dearest to his heart,
reaches out to reconnect with them.

So, with the company of the saints in glory,
with the sinners and losers of this world,
we sing our praises to you:

Holy, holy, holy, God whose heart overflows with faith and love.
Joy echoes down the corridors of creation.
Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is the One who comes searching for the lost.
Hosanna in the highest.
 
The wise seek after you, God of Grace and glory,
for you sent Jesus, our Lord to us.
Like a woman searching the shadows
for a lost coin, he comes,
     to find your greatest treasure.
Like a brother who has lost
touch with his siblings, he comes,
     to reconcile us as your family.
Like a sister who would stay awake
while the younger children sleep, he comes,
     to be our true friend
          in every moment, in every place.
Like a shepherd who would face
danger in rescuing his sheep, he goes,
     to the cross, experiencing our death,
so he can carry us into
the resurrected life.

As we gather at his feast,
as we know we have been completely accepted,
we proclaim that mystery we call faith:

Christ died, relentless in trusting God;
Christ is risen, as God purposed;
Christ will come, to rejoice with us in glory.
As we come to your Table at this time,
pour out your Holy Spirit upon
this company of sinners
who long to be right-living people,
and on the gifts you have prepared.
As we eat of the Bread of Life,
strengthen our hearts and spirits,
     so we may search for the lost.
As we drink from the Cup of Grace,
may we be found to be faithful,
     as you appoint us to serve the oppressed.

And at that time when we will be with you,
gathered around the Table of the Lamb
with all who were lost, and like us, were found,
we will join our voices in singing your praises,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

© Thom M. Shuman

Proper 18/Ordinary 23/Pentecost 16/Trinity 15 - C

Texts:  Jeremiah 18:1-11; Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; Philemon 1-21; Luke 14:25-33

Call to Worship
We gather in the presence of God:
Who knows us when we wake up and when we go to sleep,
and in all the moments in between.
We gather in the house of God:
who has created a family for us, here as well as in Baghdad,
in Belfast, and in Nairobi.
We gather to be the people of God:
who appeals to us to follow in love, in faith, in service.

Prayer of the Day
Eternal God our Potter:
you come to us
     before we come to you.

You send your Heart,
Jesus Christ, to us
     before our hearts
     are turned to you.

You send your Spirit to us,
     when our spirits
          wander far from you.

You set a Table for us,
     when our souls are hungry,
          when our hearts are empty.

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

Call to Reconciliation
Our sins are not to be hidden from God.  Rather, we bring them into the Light and lay them on the Table, trusting in the One who shaped us for goodness and will transform our brokenness into wholeness.  Please join me as we pray, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
     Searching God, we are so attached to our possessions, we have trouble sharing them.  We are so connected to our pleasures that we cannot feel the pain of those around us.  We are so stuck on ourselves, we cannot sense our souls slipping away into the shadows.
     Most merciful God: loosen us from the grip of the world, so we may feel your healing touch.  Sever us from our sin, so your Spirit might bind us to you. Reshape us, redeem us, renew us, so we may take up our crosses and follow our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
The God who calls us is the God who created us; the God who formed us is the God who forgives us.  This is the Good News - we are God's new creation.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are reshaped, renewed, forgiven. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Potter of life be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the One who reshapes them into grace.
People of God, give thanks to the Lord our God.
We praise the One who has shaped us for love and service.
With joy we praise you,
Creating God.
You stooped down and took the clay
lying on earth's floor,
shaping us in your image.
But we wondered
what it would be like
to follow our own paths
     and detached ourselves from your side.
We counted the cost
of being your children,
     and found it to be too much for us.
We pondered your words
     and found them useless for our lives.
But you did not take your hands from us,
but continue to recreate us,
to reshape us, to redeem us.

Giver of breath, shaper of words,
all the living find voice to praise you,
as we celebrate with the people
of every time and place,
singing to your glory:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God who shapes us with hands of grace and hope.
Your wonder works of creation praise your name.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes, appealing to us on the basis of love.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, Redeeming God,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Savior.
Traveling with us,
     he points out the paths
          we are to walk.
When he could command
us to do whatever he wants,
     he appeals to us
          to follow his example.
Whatever wrong we have done,
whatever good we have failed to do,
Christ charges them to his account,
     that we might be counted
          as your beloved children.

So, as we come to the Table of grace and hope,
we remember that mystery we call faith:

Christ died, having counted the cost.
Christ rose, laying the foundation of resurrection.
Christ will come, refreshing our hearts for all eternity.
Spirit of the Living God,
renew us with this bread and this cup
which have been set aside for sacred us,
even as you refresh our hearts.
Fill us with all the goodness of the kingdom,
that we may do good for Christ
as we serve others:
     in the ways in which we treat our families;
     in our willingness to draw
          the outcast to our side;
     in our efforts to be your healing hands
          to the sick and grieving.

Then, here at the Table and beyond;
here in this moment, and through eternity:
remind us that we are always with you,
God of all places and times,
Christ of those who suffer,
Spirit of justice and hope:
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

© Thom M. Shuman

Proper 17/Ordinary 22/Pentecost 15/Trinity 14 - C

Texts:  Jeremiah 2:4-13; Psalm 81:1, 10-16; Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16; Luke 14:1, 7-14

Call to Worship
We come to worship our God,
to listen to the One who calls us here.
We come trusting God to lead us in the coming days,
as surely as were our grandparents in the faith.
We come to worship our God,
to shout with joy to the God of all people.
We come to the Creator of all things,
to be bathed in the waters of life.
We come to the Feast of God's faithful,
to be fed by the One who never forsakes us.
We come to worship our God,
to sing aloud to the One who saves us.

Prayer of the Day
Yesterday, God of our days,
when our hunger for hope
had so weakened us
we could barely speak,
     you fed us with
     the Bread of life,
          spread with the sweet honey
          of your grace.

Today, Host to the poor,
when we look for you
in the powerful and the rich,
among the superstar and celebrity,
     we will find you
     seated with the children,
          your knees squeezed painfully
          under the table,
entertaining them
with your stories.

Tomorrow, Spirit of Service,
when we will be scrambling
for the seats of honor,
     you will be in the kitchen
          cooking dinner for the prisoners;
     making up the guest room
          for the immigrants;
     singing lullabies of love
          to the lost children
               of our world.

God in Community, Holy in One:
yesterday, today, tomorrow, always,
we will pray as Jesus has taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
Despite all the ways we speak of sin - failures, mistakes, intended acts, Scripture tells us that we are stubborn-hearted, wanting only our way. But if we pause to listen to God, if we open our mouths (and our hearts) to confess our sin, God will fill our emptiness with forgiveness and hope. Let us pray together, as we say,

Unison Prayer of Confession
     We are always uncomfortable, Watching God, when you notice how we want to sit in the seats of honor. We can be so proper, so good, so well-off, that it is easy to imagine we are superior to the poor. We are so busy completing our 'To Do' list each day, that we forget to do good when we have the chance.
     Forgive us, Welcoming God. Fill our emptiness with your grace and humility that we would spend our lives alongside Jesus, our Lord and Savior, throwing a party for the poor, the damaged, the prisoner, the lost, the oppressed.
Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
This is the good news: after what God has done for us, what can anyone or any thing do to us? We are new people, graced by our loving God.
Forgiven, embraced, welcomed by our God, we will offer open hearts and serving hands to everyone we meet. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the God who welcomes us at this Table.
Let us sing aloud to God.
We will offer glad songs of thanksgiving to the One who delivers us.
We would sing aloud
our songs of joy to you,
Master of the Universe.
Out of the emptiness of chaos,
you brought forth creation,
     plentiful with all we need,
     graced with gifts beyond imagination.
Offered the place of honor
in your good Garden,
     we filled our souls with worthless lies,
          moving out of glory's neighborhood
          into the junkyard of the world.
Prophets brought your word of judgment,
and your gracious invitation to come home,
but we would not listen
to the advice they offered to us.
Then you sent Jesus,
who humbled himself
that we might be exalted.

Therefore, we come to your Table singing,
our voices joining with those
in every time and in every place,
lifting our glad songs to you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God our strength!
All creation shouts for you to you.
Hosanna in the highest!

We welcome the One who shows hospitality to strangers.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, Mothering God,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Life.
Glorified as your True Child,
     he came to show hospitality
          to all the strangers of the world.
Deserving of the seat of honor,
     he humbled himself
          to serve the guests.
Refusing to let us be left
in the ruthless hands
of sin and death,
     he entered that prison
     we call the grace
          to set us free to live with you.

As we remember his life and death,
as we come to the Table of the resurrection,
we speak of that mystery we call faith:

Dying, you took the seat of dishonor;
Rising, you humbled yourself to be exalted;
Coming again, you will honor us in the presence on the One
     who invites all to sit at the Table of grace.
Send your Holy Spirit
upon the Bread and the Cup,
simple gifts from creation
which grace us with your life,
and upon those who gather
around your Table.
Fed with the finest wheat,
     may we go forth to fill the lives
     of all whose emptiness
          imprisons them.
Having tasted the cup of joy,
     may we bring the sweet honey of hope
          to those parched by despair.
Welcomed without question
at your Table of grace,
     may we open our hearts
     to throw a party for all
          who have been forsaken by the world.

And when we gather around the Wedding Feast in glory,
with all the poor, the broken, the prisoners, the oppressed -
we will open our mouths to receive your joy,
and sing aloud to you
our praise for all eternity:
God in Community, Holy in One.
Amen.

© Thom M. Shuman

Proper 16/Ordinary 21/Pentecost 14/Trinity 13 - C

Texts:  Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6; Hebrews 12:18-29; Luke 13:10-17

Call to Worship
Before we got up this morning
and decided to come to church,
God was waiting for us,
to welcome us with grace.
When we are unsure of what to do;
when we falter before the next step,
we come to listen to God's voice,
to learn from the One who teaches us
all we ever need to know.
When we are surrounded by cruelty and injustice;
when our fears cripple our souls,
God delivers us with steadfast love;
we are set free to be God's sons and daughters.
Prayer of the Day
Rock of Ages:
when we are afraid
and can only whisper our fear,
     yet once more,
          you bend over to listen to us.
When everyone acts as if
they can't remember our name,
     yet once more,
          you know us as your Beloved.
When we cannot seem to tell others
all that you have done for us,
     yet once more,
          you put the Word into our mouths.
And we tremble with praise.

Word of the Lord:
when others would weigh us down
with shame and guilt,
     yet once more,
          you set us free with your joy.
when we are bent over
by our doubts and questions,
     yet once more,
          you reach out to touch us
          with your hope and grace.
And we tremble with praise.

Refuge of Wisdom:
when we wander
from one crippling spirit to the next,
     yet once more,
          you lead us into hope.
When our fears
shake us to the core,
     yet once more,
          you touch us with your serenity.
When we cannot stand up
and see our way,
     yet once more,
          you take us by the hand
          to lead us home.
And we tremble with praise.

God in Community, Holy in One,
yet once more, we tremble with praise and joy
as we pray as Jesus has taught us,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
When we were children, we learned not to touch hot things so we would not be burned. If only avoiding sin was that easy! But sin seems so comfortable, so easy, and so harmless that we cannot stop ourselves from reaching out to touch it over and over again. Let us confess our sins to the One who chooses to forgive us and love us unconditionally, as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
     Yet once more, we come to you with our prayers, Holy God. Our crippling spirits keep us from following you. Our grudges weigh us down until we cannot walk straight in your way.  Our anger becomes a fire which scorches our friends and loved ones. Our fears blind us to the goodness in those we believe to be different.
     Forgive us, God our Rock, and set us free from our wrong-doings and failures. From the day of our birth, we have known your love, grace, and hope. So may we offer you our joyful thanks, as Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, reaches out to touch us with your healing forgiveness, yet once more.
Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
God chooses not to turn a deaf ear to us, but to listen to our prayers.
God chooses not to shame us, but to save us.
This is, indeed, good news for us! We are set free to drink deeply from
the waters of life. Thanks be to God! Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, lift up your hearts.
We lift them to our Rock and Refuge.
Daughters and sons of God, give thanks to the One who saves us.
We lift our thanks and joy to the God who is our hope.
With a simple Word,
Creator of the Universe,
you caused chaos to tremble with fear,
     as mountains stretched
          to touch the clouds,
     and rivers cascaded
          through barren deserts.
With a single Breath,
life was given to our ancestors,
     who stood up straight
          to walk through your Garden.
But the spirit of sin
     put out its hand and crippled us;
death enslaved us
     with its unjust and cruel grip.
You touched the lips of the prophets,
appointing them to call us home,
but we could not lift our heads to see,
we would not turn our hearts to listen.
Yet, you would not leave us hopeless,
but sent Jesus to set us free.

Therefore, we joining our voices
with the faithful of all time and all places,
singing our songs of joy to you:

Holy, holy, holy, God our hope, our trust.
All creation worships you with reverence and awe.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes as the mediator of the new covenant.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, God of the Ages,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Hope, our Trust.
Your Child from before time,
he became a son of Abraham,
     so we might all be a part of your family.
From the day he became human,
he taught us of your hopes for us,
     so we would not give in to despair.
Seeing us held in the unrelenting grasp of sin and death,
he put out his hand and rescued us.

As we remember his life, ministry,
death, and resurrection yet once more,
we will proclaim that mystery we call faith:

Christ died, to set us free from sin;
Christ arose, to set us free from death;
Christ will come again, rejoicing at all the wonderful things
          God has done.
Pour out your Holy Spirit
upon the gifts of the Bread and the Cup,
and upon your daughters and sons
who come to this Table.
We come with knees knocking,
with hearts pounding,
taking shallow breaths,
trusting and believing that
     here, we will find healing,
     here, we will be touched by your grace,
     here, we will hear your Word of hope.
Then, fed by your love
and nourished by your dreams,
     we shall go to bring your peace
          to a warring world.
     We shall speak out on behalf
          of those whom society has rendered voiceless.
     We will not be afraid to stand up straight
     and look injustice and cruelty in the eye
          and proclaim, "Enough!"

And then, when we are gathered
with our sisters and brothers
from the beginning of creation,
we will sit at the Table of the Lamb,
joining hands and lifting our eternal praise to you,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

© Thom M. Shuman

Proper 15/Ordinary 20/Pentecost 13/Trinity 12 - C

Texts: Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19; Hebrews 11:29 - 12:2; Luke 12:49-56

Call to Worship
The One who commands the clouds
calls us to be poured out for others.
We can, by faith, be the waters of peace
which quench the fires of hatred.
The One who creates mercy and hope,
longs for a world of fair play and grace.
We can, by faith, let righteousness and
justice be our constant companions.
The One who is with us in every moment
composes a love-song for our hearts.
We can, by faith, teach this song
to everyone we meet.

Prayer of the Day
Gracious God,
in the debris and litter of the world,
you clear a place
where we can be planted:
your justice
which can bring hope
to the oppressed;
your righteousness
which can receive
even our enemies
in peace.

Jesus Christ:
you break up
the stony ground
of our hearts,
so grace might be planted.
You take us by the hand
to lead us through
the waters of baptism,
so we can stand
on the far shores
on your kingdom.

Holy Spirit,
early every morning,
you are out ahead of us,
walking the paths of life,
clearing away all the temptations
which would cause us
to stumble and fall.

God in Community, Holy in One,
hear us as we pray as Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Savior, has taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
Being human, we never find it easy to ask for forgiveness.  But as God's children, called to live in relationship with one another, we know we must speak of how we have hurt others, so we might be forgiven and restored to new life.  Please join me as we pray to God, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
   What more can we say, Expectant God, that you don't know already?  You long for justice for all people, but it is washed away by the flood of violence in our world.  You hope that righteousness will walk with us, but you hear the clear cries of those we mistreat.  You ask us to speak up for those in need, but we shut our mouths and turn away.
   Forgive us, Righteous God.  Have mercy when we do not bear the fruit we could.  Even though we have not lived our faith to the fullest, may we receive the promises of hope and grace you have given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Shhh, listen!  Can you hear them?  The saints of heaven  -  those who have gone on before us  -  are cheering us on as we run towards the finish line of our faith.
Thanks be to God!  The victory has already been won for us in Jesus Christ.  We are forgiven.  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 whose heart is broken for us.
Offer your praises and joy to the God who is our Creator.
We sing our love-songs to the One who loves us and watches over us.

It is our greatest joy
to offer our thanks and praise to you,
God of all time.
At the dawn of creation,
you sang your love-song:
covering mountains with cooling shade,
directing the clouds to pour rain
upon the cedar seedlings,
filling your garden of grace
with all the goodness we would need.
But longing for a view
of temptation's delights,
we chopped down the hedges
surrounding Eden and protecting us,
and we were devoured
by sin and death
You sent the prophets
to tend and nurture us,
pruning us so we could bear
the fruit of justice and righteousness.
You took pity on us
as we weakened ourselves by our pride,
and placed your hand upon Jesus
sending him to be strong for us.

Therefore, we lift our thanksgiving to you,
joining our voices with the witnesses of every age,
echoing their glad songs of praise,
offering our hope to you:

Holy, holy, holy, Creator of the Vineyard.
By faith, all creation cries out for your salvation.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes to run with perseverance
          the race which is set before him.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, Shepherd of all people,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
your sign of hope and grace.
Surrounded by all the faithful,
he humbled himself,
coming to set the pace for us
in this race we call life.
Worthy of all glory and praise,
he disregarded human acclaim,
and died on the cross
that we might be given life.
Picking up sin and death,
and tossing them aside,
he cleared the way to you,
that we might enter your kingdom.

As we remember his death and resurrection,
as we look for signs of his life in our time,
we receive that mystery of faith
which is promised to us:

Christ died, the perfecter of salvation;
Christ is risen, the pioneer of resurrection;
Christ will come again, for the sake of our joy.
Pour out your Holy Spirit
upon the gifts of the bread and cup,
and upon those who, by faith,
come to your Table.
As we receive these signs
of a grace we cannot see,
may we be transformed
into signs of peace and hope
for our time.
As we taste the broken Bread,
may we draw strength
to serve a shattered world.
As we drink of the gift of grace,
may we become robust
in our giving to others.
As we open our hands to you,
may we go to hand out justice
to the lost, the little, the least.

Then, when we are no longer divided,
but all people are gathered
around the Feast of the Lamb,
we will never turn away from you,
but will sing our songs of love
to you through all eternity,
God in Community, Holy in One,
forever and ever.  Amen.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Proper 4/Ordinary 19/Pentecost 12/Trinity 11 - C

Texts:  Isaiah 1:1, 10-20; Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23; Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16; Luke 12:32-40

Call to Worship
We are people who have been called to follow where God leads us.
By faith we can obey, even when asked to walk into an unknown future.
We are people who have been challenged to tell God's story to others.
By faith we have the ability to share the good news.
We are God's children who are invited to feast at the Table of grace.
By faith we will embrace our sisters and brothers in Christ.

Prayer of the Day and our Lord's Prayer
Creator of the light:
when our sins
stain our lives,
you dissolve them
with your mercy;
when our souls become calloused
by the hardness of our hearts,
your grace makes them as soft
as a cashmere sweater,
so we can be dressed
to serve others.

Creative Word:
when you had enough
of our hollow words
and empty promises,
you came to listen
to the echoes of your hope
deep within our hearts.
When you became bored
with our endless meetings
and petty squabbles,
you took delight
in our willingness
to follow you.

Breath of Creation:
when we could be sitting
at home watching television,
you encourage us
to rest in stillness with the grieving.
When we could be out shopping,
you nudge us to share our abundance
with the poor and needy.
When we could be relaxing
in our achievements,
you sit us down next to a child,
struggling to read.

God in Community, Holy in One,
as we seek to grow in our faith,
hear us as we pray as Jesus has taught us,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
We would like to keep our sins hidden and our failures a secret.  But God would not have us keep silent, but speak our confessions out loud, so we may be blessed with God's mercy and grace.  I invite you to pray with me, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
  You have a vision of all people as your beloved children, Imaginative God, but we see folks whose language, dress, and skin make them different.  You have a vision of a universe filled with goodness and beauty, and we damage it with litter, with violence, with poor choices.  You have a vision of a Table where we can feast on your grace and hope, but we line up at the fast food counters of sin and greed.
  Forgive us, Envisioner of Mercy, as we confess that we are not "insiders" but immigrants searching for our true home.  You love us enough to want us to be with you forever, so may we take the hand of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who leads us into your kingdom.
Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
There is nothing to fear.  God's hope is more tenacious than our despair; God's  joy is more resilient than our grief; God's love is more compelling than our hate.
P:    By grace, we are gathered to God.
       By faith, we rest in God's promises of
       forgiveness and restoration.  Thanks be
       to God!  Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May God be with you.
And also with you.
Open your hearts to God, followers of Jesus.
We open them, so the Light of Love shines through us.
People of God, give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is our greatest joy and honor to offer thanksgiving to God.
You called the heavens and the earth
out of the deep emptiness of chaos:
soft breezes caressing our cheeks,
songbirds caroling your glory,
children tap dancing through mud puddles -
all that we see, hear, and feel
have sprung from your imagination,
Creating God.
All that you thought, dreamed, and wondered
was shaped for us
that we might live with you
in peace and hope.
But we wondered what we would do
with your glory and power;
we dreamed of being divine
and thought we were your equal.
So we reached out for wealth and power,
those false idols who enticed us
even as they ensnared us with their lies.
You sent the prophets
to remind us of your vision for us,
and to assure us of your hope for us.
But we took no delight in their words.
Then, your Word took on flesh
and came to us as Jesus the Christ,
to summon us out of the empty lives
we had created for ourselves.

Therefore, we gather with your faithful ones,
in this time and in this place,
joining our voices with the heavenly choirs
who sing of your justice and grace:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God the Creator!
The mountains sing your praises,
the valleys echo your glory.

We welcome the One who comes in your name,
who comes to call us to life.
Holy are you, God of infinite imagination,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son,
our Hope, our Lord and Savior.
He should have been clothed
in royal robes of purple and gold,
but put on the uniform
of a condemned prisoner,
so we could be clothed in your grace.
He should have been given
every honor the world has,
but was cursed
so we might receive your blessings.
He should have had a long and healthy life,
but was put to death at an early age,
so we might live forever with you.

Remembering that is not our words which save us,
but your imaginative Word of beauty and love;
remembering that it is not our achievements,
but our hope in Jesus Christ which assures us of your love,
we celebrate that mystery we call faith:

Lord Jesus, you call us:
    open our eyes that we may see you,
    open our souls that we may long for your presence,
    open our hearts so we may follow you.
God of Gentleness:
pour out your Spirit of grace and peace
upon these, your simple gifts,
which become the Bread of Heaven
and the Cup of Salvation for us.
As we taste the goodness of Christ,
and let his brokenness heal us,
may our eyes be opened
to the oppression and injustices
the world would keep us from seeing.
As the rich wine of hope and joy
refreshes our hearts and souls,
may we be ready
to share all we have been given,
to speak up for the voiceless,
to gather the lost into our family.

And when all time has stopped moving
and all the faithful have been gathered,
when we sit down at the feast prepared for all,
we will join hands to sing
the eternal anthem of your vision
of hope and peace for all creation,
proclaiming forever and ever your glory:
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

© Thom M. Shuman

Proper 13/Ordinary 18/Pentecost 11/Trinity 10 - C

Texts:  Hosea 11:1-11; Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Colossians 3:1-11; Luke 12:13-21

Call to Worship
God of the past who whispered in the prophets' ears;
who rescued us from sin's slavery:
we are here to thank you.
God of the future, who is tearing down the old world,
and building your kingdom in our midst:
we are here because we trust you.
God of the present who, in the giftedness of our diversity,
creates us to be one people:
we are here to praise you.
God of life that surprises us when we find it within us:
we celebrate your grace.

Prayer of the Day
Steadfast Love:
like a child
running down the sidewalk
to play with her best friend
on a summer's day,
you eagerly come towards us.

Child of God:
with the anxious heart of a mother
waiting at midnight,
you long for us
to come home,
your arms aching to hold us.

Fullness of Grace:
when all others
have turned away from us,
you throw open
the gates of the kingdom,
inviting us in to share
at the Table of hope
prepared just for us.
God in Community, Holy in One,
hear us as we pray as Jesus taught us,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
When we could be revived by God's grace, we find ourselves fearing God's judgment, doubting God's joy in us, fearing God has turned away from us. Let us come to the One who heals us and calls each of us by name. Please join me as we pray,

Unison Prayer of Confession
     You hold nothing back from us, Amazing God, yet we are determined to cling to what we have accumulated. We spend so much time dining out, we cannot feel the deep ache our hunger for you causes. You invite us to set aside our old ways, and walk with you, but unknown paths fill us with fear.
     Have mercy on us, Bread of Heaven.  We come to the Table of grace and hope, not for our personal satisfaction, but for the joy of recognizing the One who calls us to new life, and for the grace to share this joy with everyone we meet. This we pray in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Do not be afraid. More than anything else, God would rather turn fetid swamps into pools of crystal clear water; bonds of sin into cords of compassion; sinners into servants.
God loves us. God forgives us.  God lifts us to new life. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May God be with you.
May God also be with you.
People of God, open up your hearts.
We open them to God and one another.
People of God, give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks to the One who offers us lives filled with grace.
When we were children
running footloose through grace,
you loved us, Tender God:
     dappling the night skies
          with the bright stars of morning,
teaching us to walk
          the paths of that first dawn,
     telling us of your dreams
          for all you created.
When, in our hurry to greet you,
we fell, skinning our knees,
     you lifted us up in your arms,
     holding us to your cheeks
          wet with joy.
When we missed your calling
us to wash up for dinner,
     you came and found us,
     taking us by the hand
          to feed us from Eden's abundance.
But when we grew up,
we knew more than you,
     turning to the idols of wealth and power,
          who promised to serve us
          even as they shackled us;
     giving ourselves over
          to anxiety's sweet caress.
Yet you are God,
not a foolish human.
You remain in our midst,
not to punish or destroy,
but to reach out
and bring us home to your heart.

Therefore, we joyfully lift our voices,
with those who have gone before us,
and those who stand beside us,
singing our praise for your great love;

Holy, holy, holy, God of steadfast love.
All creation thanks you for your wonderful works.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes to lead us by a straight way.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, God of infinite tenderness,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
your Son, our Lord and Savior.
Breaking the enslaving bonds of sin,
     he binds our wounds
          with cords of compassion;
walking with us
when we had lost our way,
     he shows us the paths
          to the kingdom;
stripping himself of glory and honor,
     he clothes us in the new life of faith;
leaving aside his equality with you,
     he became one of us,
          so we might be one with you.

Remembering that you did not give up on us
or hand us over to sin and death
but showered us with your mercy in Christ Jesus,
we take the bread of life and the cup of grace
and joyfully celebrate that mystery we call faith:

Christ died, his life hidden in God.
Christ is risen, seated by God's side.
Christ will come again, that we might be revealed with him in glory.
Compassionate God,
pour out your gracious Spirit on us,
and on these, your simple gifts.
Fill us with the broken bread
     that we might be made whole;
touch our parched lips
with the cup of salvation,
     so we might proclaim your gospel.
Then send us forth:
     our hearts recoiling
          at the oppression suffered
          by our sisters and brothers;
     our hands willing to build shelter
          for those cast out by the world;
     our arms surrounding
          the lost and the least,
          in the embrace of common humanity.

And when we are clothed with our new self,
when we are united with our sisters and brothers
gathered around the Table of glory,
we will sing our praises to you forever,
God in Community, Holy in One,
as you satisfy the thirsty with your grace,
and fill the hungry with your love. Amen.

© Thom M. Shuman

Proper 12/Ordinary 17/Pentecost 10/Trinity 9 - C

Texts:  Hosea 1:2-10; Psalm 85; Colossians 2:6-15, (16-19); Luke 11:1-13

Call to Worship
It is in this place of holiness that we can come with our fears,
our doubts, all the questions of our hearts.
We come to this place, to hear the words of peace,
of hope, of joy God speaks to us.
It is in this place of discovery
that we can come searching.
We come to this place, to find
the One who has been looking for us.
It is in this place of openness
that we can come knocking.
We come to this place, to be embraced
by the One whose heart is never locked.

Prayer of the Day
Loving God of heaven and earth:
the morning breezes
     whisper your holy name,
the trees clap their hands
     in time to creation's songs of joy.
You build your community in our midst,
     despite our best efforts to tear it down.
Your simple gifts of love and peace
     are of more value than all
          the world promises us.

Jesus Christ, Teacher of our hearts:
you walk with us
through the streets of fear and failure,
     holding our hands
     so we have no need
          to reach out for the Evil One.
You give us words to speak
     when the worries of our lives
          turn us speechless.

Spirit of Grace and Hope:
your river of mercy
tumbles through us
     washing our hearts of all
     we cannot release,
          so we may reach out and embrace
               all who have hurt us.
Your peace defends the weak,
     your glory shines in the oppressed,
     your justice embraces all people.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our hearts to you,
as we pray as Jesus has taught, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
We are invited to pray - all who have hurt someone else, and all who have been hurt by another. We are called to pray: for hope, for healing, for mercy. We pray to the One who seeks to make us whole; whose will is to restore us to new life. Join me as we pray, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
     We do not find it easy to speak of how we do not live as your people, but you invite us to share our weaknesses and failures with you, Inviting God. Tempted to think your salvation is for a select few, we put up barriers for others.  Clinging to all you give to us, we are reluctant to share with those in need. Surrounded by evil and violence, we find it easier to close ranks with those just like us, rather than seeking peace and reconciliation for our world.
     Forgive us, Salvation's God. Open our eyes to our sisters and brothers all around us. Open our ears to the word of hope you speak to us.  Open our spirits to the presence of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who flings wide the open doors of your kingdom, that all might find life with you.
Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Here is the good news, my friends: Christ came searching for us, calling us by name, leading us into God's kingdom.
In Christ, we become new people: broken, we are made whole; lost, we are found; forsaken, we are restored to new life. Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of grace be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the One who shares good gifts with us.
Children of the living God, give thanks to the One who loves us.
We sing our praises to the One who embraces us with righteousness and showers us with kisses of peace.
Our greatest joy is to sing
our songs of thanksgiving
to you, Lord of all eternity.
When you first spoke,
creation was conceived and brought forth:
     birds to swoop through the clear blue skies
     and butterflies to flit about
          in the gardens of Eden.
We were offered the chance
to run free in your good universe,
     but we immersed ourselves
     in the petty philosophies of pride,
          and were enticed
          by the empty lies of the world.
You sent the prophets
to knock on our hardened hearts,
asking us to turn to you,
     but we continued to dance
     in the arms of sin and death.
That is when you sent Jesus,
to put on flesh's body,
so we might throw off
the chains of our captivity.

Therefore, we join with those in every time and place,
who have searched, and found you,
who have asked, and been answered,
who have knocked and been welcomed
in your all-forgiving grace and love,
singing our praises forever:

Holy, holy, holy, God of steadfast love.
Righteousness and peace are lifelong lovers in your kingdom.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes
     to open the door to your forgiveness.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, God of restored lives,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son.
In him,
you turned away from your anger,
     so we might turn to you
     to receive forgiveness.
In him,
you set down your indignation,
     to hand us the Bread of Life.
In him,
death and sin were defeated
     so we could be revived to life.

So, as we gather at this Table,
remembering how he not only lived and died,
but was raised to life by your love,
we proclaim that mystery called faith:

Christ died, that salvation might be given to us;
Christ arose, ending the search for life forever;
Christ will come again, knocking on the doors of our hearts.
Pour your Spirit of peace and hope
upon these good gifts
of the bread and the cup
and upon those who have gathered here
at your gracious invitation.
May the Bread which is broken
make us whole,
     so we may go forth
     to speak peace to a world
          which has been fed violence and death.
May the Cup which is shared
open our hearts to the pain
of those around us,
     so we may bring healing and hope.
When we leave this Feast,
may we follow your righteousness
into the streets of the world,
     taking all we meet by the hand
     to show them the path
          to your heart.

And when our wills have been subsumed into yours,
and when your kingdom has come in its glory and grace,
we will gather with our sisters and brothers
from every time and place,
embracing and kissing all children of the living God,
sitting down at the great Feast of the Lamb,
singing your glory through all time and space,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

© Thom M. Shuman

Proper 11/Ordinary 16/Pentecost9/Trinity 8 - C

Texts: Amos 8:1-12; Psalm 52; Colossians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42

Call to Worship
God has called us to this place.
What do you see?
We see people who model for us
God's joyous embrace of all people.
God has brought us to this place.
What do you hear?
We hear God's hope that we are able to see each person
as our sister or brother.
God has challenged us to open our lives and hearts to others.
What will you do?
We will do only one thing:
welcome everyone in God's name!

Prayer of the Day
You open our eyes to a world
which would sell the poor
     for the price of an SUV,
or trade the needy
     for a pair of Guccis,
or haul the weak
     into Judge Judy's court.
So come, God of Justice,
to make us
     as vocal as Amos.

You watch us
as we fill our days
     with endless work;
as we keep a list
of all our worries,
     never marking any off;
as we get easily distracted
     by others' inactions.
So come, Creation's Oldest Child,
to make us
     as still as Mary.

You take notice
of how quickly
we can overlook
those who hunger
     for their empty hearts
     to be filled;
those who long
     for a family
     to welcome them;
those who thirst
     for that relationship
     which will revive
     their souls.
So come, Reconciling Love,
to make us
     as welcoming as Martha.

God in Community, Holy in One,
come to make us your people,
even as we pray as Jesus has taught us,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
They are there in the Bible: men and women who are as weak, as foolish, as prone to sin as we are.  Every page, every story reveals to us our brokenness. Yet every page, every story tells us of the One who longs to make us whole. Let us confess our sins, and clear the way for God's reconciling love to work within us, Please join me, as we pray,

Unison Prayer of Confession
     In the mirror we call scripture, Revealing God, we see ourselves for who we are and are not.  We whine about those who are not doing what we think they should, and ignore our failings.  We speak words which nibble away at the life in our family and friends.  We step over the poor on our way to get more and more, ignoring their needs.
     Forgive us, Reconciling Love. Sit us down at Jesus' feet, so we may learn the balanced life you intend for us. Then, and only then, we can set aside our grudges, to offer our gifts to our neighbors; we can stop licking at our hurts, to bring healing to others; we can reach out and welcome our sisters and brothers, even as we have been welcomed into your heart through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Christ Jesus comes to reconcile us to God, so we can be reconciled to
one another.  Recreated in God's image, we are made whole.
When we are in Christ, everything becomes new. Our past is just that -
our past!
Do you really believe this - that your past is done, and your are a new
person? If so, go out and reflect it in your life.
Thanks be to God! We will go forth and live as reconciled people. Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God who embraces us be with you.
And also with you.
Children of God, lift your hearts to the One
who makes you welcome in every moment.
We lift them to the Lord our God
who is our host at this meal.
People of God, offer your praise and thanksgiving
to the One who comes bringing new life to us.
The sad dirges of our lives become praise songs
for the One who makes us whole.
We will thank you forever,
God of Reconciliation.
Through your imaginative Word,
all things were created:
     summer fruit to tingle our taste buds,
          and winter's ice sculptures to delight us;
     spring's breezes to disturb our complacency,
          and autumn's rainbow leaves
          to dance across our lawns.
Offered life in your garden of joy,
     we took refuge in the world's shadows;
invited to build a home in your love,
     we grasped the blocks of betrayal
          on which to build our false lives;
chosen to make known your grace for all,
     we proclaimed the lies of the Evil One.
Yet, you would not let us wander
from sin to sin,
but sent the prophets to speak
in the presence of the unfaithful,
of your forgiveness and hope.
And when our sharp tongues
slashed their words to ribbons,
you sent the fullness of your life,
Jesus the Messiah, to bring us back to you.

And so, we join our voices
with all who have gone before us
and all who will come after us,
singing your praises forever:

Holy, Holy, Holy, God of every season.
All creation trusts in your steadfast love.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes to proclaim your name.
Hosanna in the highest!
Holiness is who you are, Reconciling God,
and salvation is the blessing we receive
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
He came to bear the stain of our lives,
     so we could be made squeaky clean;
he walked the streets of the world,
     so we no longer needed to shuffle our feet
          in the dust of our failed dreams;
in his life, death, and resurrection
he revealed the mystery
of your glorious hope for us,
     before we had finished
          reading the story.

As we would welcome your loving embrace,
we would proclaim that faith we for which we long:

Christ died, suffering for our sake;
Christ arose, our servant of resurrection;
Christ will come, the hope of glory.

Send your Holy Spirit
upon the gifts of the bread and the cup,
and upon those
who will receive these gifts.
May the bread which is broken
     make us one with each other;
may the cup which is shared
     be the healing we need.
Then, when we be nourished by your grace,
send us forth to be your servants:
setting aside our worries
     to welcome the weak and forsaken;
letting go of our grudges,
     so we may receive
     the grace the stranger brings to us;
releasing our fears and doubts
     so we may embrace
          your steadfast love.

Then when all time comes to an end,
and we are brought together at your Table
through him who reconciled us to you,
and who holds us together in his grace,
we will sing our praises through all eternity:
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

© Thom M. Shuman

Proper 10/Ordinary 15/Penteocst 8/Trinity 7 - C

Texts: Amos 7:7-17; Psalm 82; Colossians 1:1-14; Luke 10:25-37

Call to Worship
Blessed is God, who created us and loves us beyond measure.
Blessed is God, who calls us to stop measuring out our love.
Blessed is God, who speaks and tells us stories about ourselves.
Blessed is God, who reveals to us who we are and who we could be.
Blessed is God, whose compassion is poured out on every single person.
Blessed is God, who gives us compassion
to share  with every single person,
even people we do not know or care about.

Prayer of the Day
Eternal God,
Rescuer of the weak:
given every reason to judge us,
     you seek justice for us.
You stand with the poor
in the ditches
     where we have discarded them.
You plant your Word of truth
in the One who gives us
     unexpected answers.

Jesus Christ,
Word of Truth:
you will not pass us by,
     but stoop to lift us up
     and carry us out of our pain.
You love the faithful enough
     to tell us stories
          which will shatter our complacency
     and send us forth
          to carry mercy to others.

Holy Spirit,
Giver of mercy:
you carry hope in your mouth
     and breathe it into our souls.
You take us by the hand,
     leading us out of the ditches
     we have dug for ourselves,
          into the brightly lit streets of the kingdom.
You pray for us in every moment,
     especially when we are unable
          to pray for ourselves.

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

Call to Reconciliation
Are you in love with God? Do you show it in your words, your thoughts, your actions? Are you in love with your neighbor? Do they know this by your presence, your grace, your friendship?  Or are you so obsessed with your self, that you have no time, no room, nor pity for others, or for God?  Let us confess the limits we place on our love, so we might be filled with God's limitless mercy.

Unison Prayer of Confession
They may not be beaten down or lying by the road,
but there are people we pass by, Watching God.
Some are family and friends
     we take so much for granted
          we cannot see how we have stripped
           them of our love and compassion.
Others are neighbors:
     who have been left half-dead by crushing work;
     who have fallen into the hands of despair;
     who have been abandoned by all those
          who walked on by them.
Many are strangers, people we don't know,
but quickly judge:
     they are weak,
         or poor,
     or the enemy
         or because they remind us of whom
          we once were, or could become.
Rescue us from the power of our sins,
Righteous One of all generations.
     Pour out your justice on us,
     rather than your judgment,
          that we would be moved with pity,
               and spurred to action;
          that we would hear of the hope that is ours,
                and share it with our sisters and brothers;
          that we would shower mercy on all we meet,
even as we have received forgiveness for our sins
through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Children of the Most High: you are forgiven and brought into the kingdom. Be filled with spiritual wisdom, lead lives worthy of your inheritance, bear fruit in all you say and do and think.
God has rescued us and redeemed us from our sins, setting aside judgment to shower us with mercy. We will go and do likewise.  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God of justice be with you.
And also with you.
People of God, open your hearts to the One who restores you.
We bring our hearts to God, who has rescued us.
Faithful sisters and brothers, sing songs of praise to God.
Our voices unite in a chorus of thanksgiving.
We would not cease singing
our songs of thanksgiving to you,
Innovative Creator.
You imagine a sky
as wide as eternity,
     and fluff it with billowy clouds.
You shape mountains
     and top them with snow.
You notice our uncertainty of the dark,
     and shower us with fireflies
          to twinkle our fears away.
All this, you thought and did, for us.
You would teach us your ways
of kindness, peace and compassion,
     but we filled our minds
          with the empty words of a wayward world.
You sent the prophets
to retell your story of hope,
     but we urged them to go
          and preach to someone else.
But when the world turned its back on us,
when others pass by our pain,
you sent Jesus to come and find us
and to carry us into your heart.

Therefore, we lift our songs of joy to you,
joining our voices with those in heaven and on earth,
who forever praise your name:

Holy, holy, holy are you, Rescuer of the weak and needy.
All the hope in creation gives glory to you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who shows us mercy.   
Hosanna in the highest!
Holy are you, God of Wonder,
and blessed is Jesus Christ your Son.
Your heart, your soul,
your mind, your strength,
he was willing to love you enough
to become one of us;
loving us as much as he loved himself,
     he endured the battering of the world,
          and stripped of his glory and grace,
he was left by the side of the world
     by the gang of sin, evil, and death.
Moved by his love and sacrifice,
     you came and found him,
          alone and forsaken in the tomb.
Anointing him with the waters of baptism
and the oil of hope's gladness,
     you brought him into the new life
          of your resurrection love.

As we remember his life of great love,
we praise you,
that as we break the bread of life,
and drink from the cup of grace,
we know the risen Christ is among us:

Christ was broken, that we might be made whole;
Christ was raised, that the gospel might bear fruit;
Christ will come, that we might inherit eternal life.

We come to this Table
looking for answers to our questions
and for healing for our brokenness.
So, pour out your Spirit upon your children,
and upon the gifts of the bread and the cup,
that nourished and fed by you,
     we might we strengthened
          to serve our sisters and brothers around us.
As we get up from our seats at your Table,
     may we stand up for the rights of the lowly.
As you pour out your grace upon us,
     may we wrap it around the orphans and weak;
as you whisper your dreams for us,
     may we speak out on behalf of the poor;
as you offer us the bread and the cup from your hands,
     may we reach down and lift up those
          who have fallen through the cracks of our society.

Then, when all time has come to an end,
and there is only life forever with you,
we will join hands with all your children,
singing our joy and thanks to you,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

© Thom M. Shuman

Proper 9/Ordinary 14/Pentecost 7/Trinity 6

Texts:  2 Kings 5:1-14; Psalm 30; Galatians 6:(1-6), 7-16; Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Call to Worship
L:  Sing praises to our Lord:
P:  who heals us and makes us whole.
L:  Sing praises to our Lord, faithful children of God:
P:  whose joy rises in our lives each and every day.
L:  Sing praises to our Lord, faithful children of God;
     give thanks to God's holy name:
P:  God's Kingdom is near to us; God's peace resides in our hearts.

Prayer of the Day
With songs of thanksgiving on our lips,
we come before you, Helping God.
While your anger may last only a moment,
     your grace rests upon us until the 12th of never.
When we find ourselves knee-deep
in the muck and mire of life,
     you provide a way out for us,
     if we but trust enough to serve you.

Glad choruses of praise greet you,
Jesus, Companion of pilgrims in this life.
You take us by the hand to waltz up past
     the outstretched arms of sin and death.
You send us out into the world,
teaching us not to boast about
ourselves or all that we have done,
     but to point out to others
     the path to the kingdom,
          if they but trust enough to follow you.

We offer a harvest of praise to you,
Spirit of joy and wonder.
You pour out your gentleness upon us,
     so we might be energized to do what is right.
You patiently sit down to teach us,
     using bold print so we might learn
     lives of service, gratitude and humility,
          if we but trust enough to listen to you.

God in Community, Holy in One,
may we trust always in you,
even as we pray as we have been taught, saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
Unlike ours, God's anger does not last. But God's favor, God's grace, God's
forgiveness are for us, not just in this moment, but forever. How can we not
want to confess to such a One who is ready to heal us? Please join me as we
pray, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
     Holy One, why is it that we can grow so weary of doing what is right,
yet always energetically do that which we know is harmful to us and others?
We sow seeds of hurt and anger, and wonder why we harvest so much
bitterness. We spend too much time comparing ourselves to those around us,
and too few moments in following Christ's example.
     Rather than letting our sins gloat over us, Healing God, we would open
ourselves to your mercy and grace. As you reach out to heal us with your
forgiveness, may we embrace your love, your mercy, your grace for our lives.
As you pour out your Spirit of gentleness, may we bring the peace of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to all the world.

Silence may be kept

Assurance of Pardon
L:  Sing praises to our God, faithful children. God has heard our prayers
and made us whole.
P:  We will not be silent, but will sing our joy to the One who has forgiven
us and made us a new creation. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L:  May the Lord our God be with you.
P:  And also with you.
L:  Children of God, lift our hearts.
P:  We lift them to the One who heals us at the Table of brokenness.
L:  Children of God, give thanks to the Lord our God.
P:  We will sing our praises to the One who restores us to life.

We do not bring silence to you,
Holy One of all people,
but shouts of praise and laughter
for your gracious love.
Your healing river flowed through creation,
bringing life and joy to all who drank from it.
     But we preferred to splash
     in the sewers of the world,
          rejecting all that you intended for us.
Yet, you never grew weary
of bearing the burdens of your children.
When you could have shaken
the dust of our sin from your feet,
you chose to lead us out of the Pit
of our rebellion and sin.

Joining with those who sing your praises,
lifting our voices with faithful ones of every time and place,
we sing of our thanks to you forever:

P:  Holy, holy, holy are you, God the Creator!
     the mountains sing your praises, the valleys echo your glory.
     Hosanna in the highest!

     We welcome the One who comes in your name, who calls us to life.
     Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, God of compassion,
     for when death threatened your children
     and sin vowed to turn the universe back to chaos,
you sent your Son, our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ, to heal the brokenness fo the world.
He did not grow weary
of doing the right things,
     but confronted the wrongs of the world;
he endured the violence of sin,
     that we might receive the gentleness
          of life with you forever;
he carried our sins to the cross,
     that we might bear the burdens
          of our sisters and brothers;
he went ahead of us into death,
     that we might walk in the Kingdom.

As we dance to the Table to be filled with hope,
we remember all that Jesus has done for us,
and all that we have been called to do in his name.
Great is the mystery of faith:

P:  Christ died, bearing our burdens.
     Christ arose, mocking death's power.
     Christ will return, for the good of all.

Flow through us, Healing Spirit,
as we drink deeply of Christ's cup.
You never grow weary of feeding us
with the Bread of Life,
     for transform our brokenness by this meal.
And as we turn from the Table,
send us forth:
     to bring healing to the sick,
          freedom to the oppressed,
     to speak peace
          to the human household,
     to carry the Kingdom with us
          wherever you would lead us.
For we will not keep silent,
but praise you forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One.
Amen.

Alternate Great Prayer of Thanksgiving (for Sunday when USA Independence Day might be celebrated).

L:  May the God of freedom be with you.
P:  And also with you.
L:  Children of God, lift up your hearts.
P:  We lift them to the One who sets us free for lives of service and hope.
L:  God's children: let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
P:  We will sing our songs of freedom to the One who calls us to new life.

Starry nights that stretch across the sky,
waves of every grain shimmering in the sun:
these are the gift you gave to us,
God of wonder and joy.
Mountains tower above plains
overflowing with abundant fruit;
land stretching from sea to sea
where we could live with you.
Freely, you offered the abundance
of all that is good and beautiful to us,
but we mocked your hopes,
choosing to be deceived by sin.
you appointed prophets, sending them
to every town and place we lived,
sharing your peace with us through them.
But we would not welcome them
into our homes, or into our hearts.
Then you sent Jesus to us,
to share with us that freedom
which calls us to follow in obedience.

As we sing of those who have gone before us,
as we remember how they lived as
sisters and brothers as you called them to live,
we proclaim our thanks to you:

Sanctus

The One who could heal our brokenness,
the One who could teach us self-control,
the One who could leads us out
of all the places our feet have strayed,
Jesus came to live among us,
leaving the starry band of glory behind.
Loving your mercy for us
more than his own life,
he willingly chose to go to the cross,
that we might receive your gracious gift
of life forever with you.
 
As we remember the freedom he offered to all,
as we celebrate the gift of life which comes to us
here at this Table of love, we speak of that mystery called faith:

Memorial Acclamation

As you pour out your Spirit
upon this Table abundant with the gifts
of the Bread and of the Cup,
shed your grace upon your children
gathered in this place.
Gorged on the moldy meals
offered to us by sin and death,
we forget those who hunger for freedom.
But eating the Bread of life,
we can go, carrying a harvest of hope to them.
Intoxicated on the world's sour grapes,
we forget the injustices imposed
upon our sisters and brothers.
But drinking from the Cup of grace,
we can go where you intend to go,
inviting everyone we meet to join us
in your new creation of peace, mercy, and wonder.

And when all that holds us back is gone,
when the freedom of your eternity is given to us,
we will gather with that brotherhood and sisterhood
of believers of every time and place,
who have been crowned with your goodness and love,
forever singing your praises,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

© Thom M. Shuman