Alternate texts liturgy w/communion for July 30, 2023 (Pentecost 9/Trinity 8/Proper 12/Ordinary 17 - A)

 Texts:  1 Kings 3:5-12; Psalm 119:129-136; Romans 8:26-39; Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Call to Worship
Come and worship, 

proclaim God's ways of faithfulness and steadfast love.
We will tell of God's love, 

which unfolds in our lives.
Come and worship,

for we are God's people, rejoicing in his graciousness.
God is always with us, 

there is nothing which can keep us apart.
Come to the One who tells stories; 

worship our God who keeps promises.
We rejoice with God 

who is with us always.

Prayer of the Day
In this kingdom
where the hopeless
are thrown into
Lake Forgotten forever,
   you cast your net,
   drawing them
   into your embrace,
   cradling them in your heart.

In this kingdom
where folks turn anorexic
gorging on greed,
while the poor scratch
in famine's fallow fields,
   you wander in,
   offering top dollar
   for the pearls of grace
   they uncover.

In this kingdom
where hope and faith,
patience and peace
have been sold as showpieces
for fancy museums,
   you come,
   purchasing them back,
   polishing off the dust,
   handing them back to us
   so we can see the reflection
of that kingdom
you forged for us,
God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we pray, saying
(The Lord's Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
It is not our past which keeps us from God, for that is behind us.  It is not our present, for God is with us on this day.  And our future is held tight in God's hands.  It is true - there is absolutely nothing which can separate us from God.  Whatever sins we have committed, God's forgiveness and love take them away forever.  Join me as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
     What can we say about our foolish lives, God of Love?  Too often, we choose to worship power when we could serve others in humility.  We toss and turn at night, all those things over which we have no control keeping us wide awake, when we could turn them over to you.  No matter how many times we hear the news that death has lost its power over us, we dread that day and try everything we can to postpone it.
     For believing that our sins are more powerful than your mercy, forgive us, Grace of the world.  You cast out your net of grace so that all might be gathered into your kingdom.  Your Spirit carries the whispers of our hearts to you, and we are embraced with your hope, blessed with your love through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Who has the right to judge us?  Only Christ.  Yet Christ died for us, Christ was raised for us, Christ reigns in power over us - Christ even prays for us!
This is the love which binds us to God forever.  There is nothing in this world, or beyond, which will keep us from being God's children.  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
We offer our gifts to you, Steadfast Love, not because you need them, but so others might be as blessed as we are by your presence, your power, and your peace.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God whose life is stronger than death be with you.
And also with you.
Come to the One who searches your hearts.
We open them to God, who justifies us.
Let us give thanks to God who shows us steadfast love.
We sing to the Lord, whose grace is kept in our hearts.

What then are we to say, God of creative thought?
You carved mountains out of valleys,
     poured rivers to the seas,
     created galaxies so numerous they cannot be counted,
     and shaped us from the dust of the stars.
You walked before us in righteousness,
inviting us to follow in your footsteps,
     but we bought fields filled with fools' gold,
     and threw out our nets until they
          overflowed with temptations.
Prophets came, to impart wisdom to us,
but tears ran down their cheeks as
we continued to be conformed to sin.
Turning to us, you were gracious enough
to send Jesus to us, to help us in our weakness.

With those who listen and understand,
with those who seek a discerning mind,
we sing our thanksgivings to you:

Holy, holy, holy are you, God who justifies us.
All creation rejoices in your steadfast love.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who reveals your kingdom.
Hosanna in the highest!

What then are we to say,
Searcher for God's most precious possessions?
Like a farmer,
     you plant seeds into insignificant people,
     watching them grow into servants.
Like a baker,
     you mix the least with the mighty,
                    the poor with the rich,
                    the weak with the strong,
     to shape your inclusive kingdom.
Like a lover,
     you withhold nothing from those
     you carry in your heart,
          even dying so that we might
          have life forever with God.

As we rejoice that Jesus gave us everything,
as we remember nothing stands between us and God,
we speak of that mysterious faith which is ours:

Christ died, giving up his own life for us;
Christ was raised, God's treasure brought forth
          from the potter's field;
Christ will intercede for us, with joy and hope.

What then are we to say,
Spirit of the Sighs?
In the bread shaped for the healing,
you unfold the Word to us,
     feeding us on God's hopes
     until we seethe over
     the injustices of our time.
In the cup prepared for the pouring,
     you fill us with light,
     so we can journey into
     the shadows of our world,
     searching for those thrown
     aside by our society.

And when time ends,
when there is nothing more to say,
we will sing our praises to you forever,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
Go forth to proclaim God's constant love.
We will live out that love for everyone we meet.
Go forth to unfold God's Word to the world.
We will gather up the tears of those around us,
as we offer the healing grace of Jesus.
Go forth to tell stories of hope and peace.
We will spread the Spirit of life all around us.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Liturgy w/communion for July 23, 2023 (Pentecost 8/Trinity 7/Proper 11/Ordinary 16 - A)

Texts: Genesis 28:10-19a; Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24; Romans 8:12-25; Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Call to Worship
Early in the morning, we gather
at the edge of heaven,
finding the gates flung wide open
by the One who welcomes all.
Early in the morning, we come
to this holy place of worship,
to be touched by the One
who offers us grace and love.
Early in the morning, we worship God, 

who adopts us into the family,
to be filled by the One who would
pour us out in service to the world.

Prayer of the Day
God-who-keeps-promises:
every word you have spoken
of hope found in the depths of life,
of healing surprising our pain,
of grace jumping rope with children,
will all come true -
    even when our stubbornness
    deafens us to your whispers.

Jesus-who-sows-seeds:
every hope you have for us
of kindness never ending,
of persistent patience,
of sacrificial service,
can be found -
    even when others cannot
    see them in us.

Spirit-who-leads-us-into-life:
every dream you have
of peace becoming our best friend,
of joy bubbling from our hearts,
of strangers welcomed as kin,
will happen -
    even when we insist on
    living out our fantasies.

Behind us, under us, beside us, over us,
you are ever and always with us,
God in Community, Holy in One,
and so we lift our prayer to you saying,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
Hiding in the cobwebbed corners of our lives, we hope God cannot find us and see how we truly act and speak. But God's light of righteousness
shines on us, so that we might find comfort, hope, forgiveness. Let us confess our sins together, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
I've tried to hide from your searching gaze, Love's Delight:
I've climbed mountains,
    and burrowed deep into earth's caverns;
I've fled to the farthest edges of my soul,
    and longed to sail in my fears to the dark side of the moon.
And wherever I go -
you are waiting for me!
    Even in the dimmest corners of my heart,
    your light is able to find me.

Lost,
    I am found;
afraid to speak of my sinfulness -
    you hear my stumbling words
    before I shape them in my mind;
unable to help myself -
    you redeem me through the gracious love
    of Jesus Christ, my Lord, my Savior. Amen.

Silence is kept

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

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

Wherever they are - the broken, the homeless, those without hope, those in need of justice - you are with them, O God. Not just with them, but healing them, caring for them, feeding them, and sustaining them with all the gifts offered to you by so many, including ours. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May the God who knows you best be with you!
And also with you!
Worship the One who is with us at this Table,
as well as in our hunger for hope.
How blessed we are to open our hearts to God.
Sing songs of wonder to the One who whispers in your soul.
We praise the One who surrounds us in every moment.

Into the shadows of chaos,
you shine your light of righteousness,
Creation Blesser.
You looked, and saw the sun
    shimmering over green meadows;
you watched, as the moon
    gleamed in the night sky.
When your Spirit came to lead us
through the gardens of your grace,
    we ran and hid ourselves
    under the shelter of death,
          believing you would never find us.
You sent the prophets
to sow seeds of hope
in our shallow and barren souls,
    but we collected them
    and threw them out with the trash.
So, groaning with the pain
of your shattered heart,
you sent Jesus to gather us up
and to bring us home to you.

So, with those who have gone into the deserts,
and found you waiting for them;
with those who have journeyed to the center
of faithful living, led by your Spirit;
we lift our voices, to sing your praises:

Holy, holy, holy, God who knows us completely.
All creation hopes for what is not seen.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes, laying his hand on us.
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, God of all joy,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior.
When our lives had touched
the bottom of despair,
    he came to lift us up
    to the heights of your hope;
when we wandered to sin's edge
and dived in headfirst,
    he reached in to pull us
    to the safety of your love;
when we journey
to the center of death,
    we find him waiting
    to take us by the hand
    and lead us into life.

As we remember all his stories of how we are to live,
as we recall how he lived according to your Spirit,
we speak of that faith we can only call a mystery:

When Christ made his bed in Shē'ōl, God was there;
when Christ rose, God's hand took him into new life;
when Christ returns, God will lead us in the everlasting way.

You search for us,
finding us wherever we have run;
    you take us by the hand
    to lead us to this Table of reconciliation,
          where the bread and the cup
          have been prepared and blessed
          by the gift of your Spirit.
Fed by the Bread filled with grace,
may we dare go live
at the farthest edges of despair,
    to stand with those who have lost
    all hope and life.
When our arid souls have been
watered by the Cup of love,
may we dare to carry
the light of your joy and freedom
    to those living in the shadows
    of injustice and oppression.

And when those who have fled
to the edges of life to escape you,
and those who made their beds
in futility and foolishness
are gathered together in your heart,
to feast at the Table of the Lamb,
we will sing our praises to you
forever and ever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending

Now, later in the morning, we will scatter,

as we go into the lonely places

where your children gather for hope, our God.

Now, later in the morning, we leave this place of worship,

to find the empty places of forgetfulness

and fill them with your justice, our Brother.

Now, later in the morning, we will leave these behind,

to search for our siblings in life and faith

and expand our awareness of your family, our Spirit.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Alternate texts liturgy w/communion for July 23, 2023 (Pentecost 8/Trinity 7/Proper 11/Ordinary 16 - A)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Silence is kept

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(c) Thom M. Shuman