Liturgy w/communion for New Years Day - C

 Texts: Ecclesiastes 3:1-13; Psalm 8; Revelation 21:1-6a; Matthew 25:31-46

Call to Worship

We wake up in the morning 

and see the sunrise:

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

We are warmed by the sun;

the rain cleanses all creation:

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

We watch the moon light up the night,

we fall asleep to the lullabies of the stars:

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Prayer of the Day

You call us

     to be your children;

you gift us

     to serve all people;

you send us to proclaim

     your good news to all:

Glory to you,

Creator of all that is new!

When you are lonely,

     we have a chance to visit you;

when you are hungry,

     we can share our food with you;

when you are naked,

     we can give you 

          the clothes off our backs;

when you are sick,

     we can nurse you back to health:

Glory to you,

Savior of the world!

You whisper in our ears,

     so we may praise you;

you fill our souls,

     so we may serve you;

you lead us into the kingdom,

     so we may live with you:

Glory to you,

Spirit of Gentleness!

Glory to you, 

God in Community, Holy in One!

Hear us as we pray as Jesus teaches us,

Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation

Will this year be a time of new life, new ways for us - or will we continue to live the same old way? Let us confess to our God our failures, as well as our hopes, as we begin this year.

Unison Prayer of Confession
    We admit that we always find the time to fill our stomachs, God of every moment, but not our souls. We spend hours watching television, but not the wonders of your creation. We arrange outings with our friends, yet ignore your invitation to sit and talk. We make resolutions to change every aspect of our lives, except for that which pertains to you.
    Forgive us, God of Glory, and make us new. In the moments to come this year, remind us that if there is a time for everything, then we do have those moments for grace, for hope, for joy, for a relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon

It's over - last year is gone. Our words, our thoughts, our deeds are in the past. Today, we begin anew. Today, and every day, God offers us life and hope.

Here, now, forever - we are forgiven and healed. This year, let us live as such people. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

May the God of new beginnings be with you.

And also with you.

People of God, lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the One who makes all things, including us, new.

Children of God, sing praises to the One who gives you new life.

We praise the One who continues to surprise us

with hope and grace.

Before there was time,

Hope of Eternity,

you took a moment 

     to bring creation out of chaos.

You took time to create mountains,

     and carve deep canyons;

you made the time to fill the oceans

     and to plant food for all creatures;

you found the time to plow rivers

     to water a Garden,

     and to shape us in your image.

But we did not have time for you,

          preferring to spend our days chasing sin, 

          and our nights seeking death.

You always made time for us,

speaking of your hopes

     through the prophets,

sharing your dreams 

     through the angels.

Then, one day you decided 

to do a new thing,

becoming one of us

as Jesus became human

to bring hope and grace to us.

So we join with the saints in heaven,

and our sisters and brothers on earth,

who sing of your glory:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of every time and place.

All creation sings of your majesty and glory.

Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who gives us the water of life.

Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, Keeper of our days,

and blessed is Jesus Christ,

who is with us in every season of life.

He comes, not to judge us,

     but to forgive us;

he comes, not to cast us out,

     but to gather us into 

     the new Jerusalem;

he comes, not to watch us suffer,

     but to die on the cross,

           that we might live with you.

As we give thanks for his life,

and remember his death and resurrection,

we would talk of that mystery which is our faith:

Christ died, so sin would have no more power over us;

Christ rose, destroying death's grip on us;

when the new heaven and new earth come,

     Christ will make all things, including us, new.

In these sacred moments,

send your Spirit 

to sanctify the bread and the cup,

and to open the hearts

of those who approach the Table.

As the Bread of life touches our lips,

     may we be strengthened to serve

     those whom the world has forgotten.

As the Cup of salvation quenches our thirst for you,

     may we be enabled 

     to bring relief

     to those who wander 

     the desert wastes of our society.

And when all time ends,

and all people are gathered

around your Table in Heaven,

we will rejoice in your presence,

and sing your praises forever:

One God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

now and forever.

Amen.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

liturgy w/communion for December 29, 2024 (Christmas 1 - C)

 Texts: 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26; Psalm 148; Colossians 3:12-17; Luke 2:41-52

Call to Worship

Snow-capped mountains and sand castles on beaches,
comets flashing across the night, meteors crashing into moons.
Dolphins playing tag in the ocean and trout resting on river bottoms,
storks nesting on chimney tops, and doves cooing in the mornings.
Children making angels in the snow, teenagers knotting in hallways,
grandparents watching favorite movies, nervous singles on a first date.
All creation joins in one song:
Praise the Lord!

Prayer of the Day

Wrap us in the shawl of compassion,
God of holiness,
so that this season of goodness and giving
might last longer than
the after-Christmas sales.

Slip our hands into the gloves of humility,
Brother of the overlooked,
so we might join in your work of
rebuilding communities,
feeding the hungry,
embracing the outsiders.

Teach us your patient ways,
Wisdom from on high,
so we would learn to notice
what we have in common with others,
rather than what divides us;
so we might offer kindness
in the face of bitterness and hurt.

May all we do with our hands, our hearts,
our minds, our feet, our lives be done
in the name of the One who taught us to pray, saying,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation

Before we put away the ornaments and put the tree out by the curb, before we toss the cards and wrapping paper into the recycling bin, before we store the movies and music back in the closet, let us confess how quickly we forget the true meaning of this holy season, as we offer our prayers to our God, saying,

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
   How patient You are with us, Loving Creator, and how hard we find it to put up with the foolishness of others.  In humility, You became one of us, and we keep wanting everything to be about us.  You model a life of meekness in service to others, and we are convinced life is all about power and success.  All creation sings of Your kindness, while we hurl angry words at those we say we care about the most.
   Yet, rather than becoming frustrated with us, Joy of Christmas, You continue to forgive us.  Clothe us with Your love, we pray, so we might be more compassionate towards others.  Touch us with Your grace, so we might become more gentle people.  Fill us with that peace which longs to reside in our hearts, even as we seek to continue our journey with the Child of Bethlehem, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
In these moments, let God’s peace dwell in your hearts.  For God gives us hope, gives us peace, and gives us new life in the forgiveness of God’s grace.
We will be thankful, for in receiving God’s forgiveness, we are enabled to live as faithful followers of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering
You bless us with an abundance of gifts, God of this holy season, not as a reward for doing good, but as a means to reach out with healing to the broken, to clothe those who shiver in winter, and to bless others with the hope which has been ours.  As we offer our gifts to you, we do so in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

May the God of Christmas be with you.
And also with you.
Let us open our hearts to the One who would clothe them in garments of service.
We offer our hearts to be swaddled in compassion, kindness, and humility.
Join in singing glad songs of praise to our God.
With our lips and with our hearts, we offer thanksgiving as we exalt our God.

Originator of all that is good and beautiful,
You clothe meadows with wild flowers
and spin rings around planets,
You illuminate waves with a winter moon
as tiptoe shadows across lawns for kittens to chase.
You did not create these wonders for Yourself,
longing share them with those formed in Your image,
inviting us to follow You into these delights,
   but we stayed behind, learning as much
   as we could from the elders of death.
Those we call prophets, women and men of hope,
came to place Your words in our hearts,
   yet we turned a deaf ear to them,
   preferring the siren songs of sin.
So You sent your Child to us,
who was willing to be involved in
Your business of redemption.

With songs of praise that are always in our hearts,
with silence which walks with us each day,
we offer thanksgiving to you in these moments:

Holy, holy, holy are you, Author of all life.
Creation joins with those of every age and place in praising You.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who teaches us songs of wonder.
Hosanna in the highest!

You are holy, God of eternity, yet

in a little baby, You set aside holiness
   to wrap yourself in a caregiver’s humility;
in a young boy, You planted the seeds of hope
   so we might learn compassion for others;
in a young man, You placed the gift of patience
   so we would discover how to put up
   with those who drive us to distraction;
in brokenness on a cross, You put on love,
   not staying behind in the grave,
   but coming forth singing the refrain of resurrection.

As we move on from the celebration of a Birth
to learning what it means to follow Jesus into life and death,
we seek to proclaim that mystery called faith:

Dying, Christ sought to do everything in God’s name;
raised to new life, Christ gave thanks to God;
returning to us, Christ will clothe us in resurrection’s grace.

We come to Your meal once again,
praying that You pour out Your Spirit
not only upon those who have gathered this day,
but on the bread and the cup, the symbols of life for us.
As we set aside our fears and doubts
to eat of the bread which is broken,
we ask to be clothed in Your compassion,
   so others might find hope in us;
to be swaddled in Your humility,
   so we might serve in Your name.
We would drink from the cup
that Your grace might fill us
   so we might use our hands to lift up the fallen,
                  our feet to walk with the lonely,
                  our heads to solve the problems of poverty,
                  our hearts to love those hated by others.

And when all time comes to an end,
no one will stay behind, but all Your children
will be gathered around Your Table of grace and live,
where we will sing canticles of hope and wonder to You,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Sending
Let us go to praise our God!
We will sing of God’s hope as we offer compassion to the hurting.
Let us go to praise the Brother of the poor!
We will offer psalms of passion as we seek to lift others to new life.
Let us go to praise the Spirit of humility.
We will join in canticles of conciliation and peace for our broken world.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Christmas Day liturgy

 Texts:  Isaiah 62:6-12; Psalm 97; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:1-20

Call to Worship

One: In snow-capped churches,
and on sand-strewn beaches,
All: God’s people gather in joy
to celebrate a birth.
One: With hopes littering our hearts
like wrapping paper under a tree,
All: We offer our thanks and praise
for the gift of grace swaddled in love.
One: With eyes wide open like little children,
with hearts full of wonder and laughter,
All: We join our lives with Mary and Joseph,
with the shepherds who ran to tell the good news.

Christmas Morning Prayer

Grace dawned this morning,
   streaking our bleary eyes
   with bright shafts
   of beauty and goodness.

Joy sang us awake

with carols of wonder
   written by the shepherds,
   the tunes composed by children
      who could not sleep.

Hope was fixing breakfast
for us while we slept,
   toasting the Bread and
   slathering it with jam,
      pouring us a cuppa
      steaming grace.

We rejoice and give thanks
God in Community, Holy in One,
our Grace, our Joy, our Hope,
even as we pray as your Child taught us,
(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation
On this morning of love and joy, of laughter and families, we must remember and confess how we dampen the spirits of others, speak hurtful words to those we love, turn our backs on those in need.  Join me, as we pray together saying,

 Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

   Manger-dwelling God,
      we heard the songs of the angels,
         yet we easily tune-out the cries of the needy;
      we feel the breath of our children on our faces,
         yet remain untouched by your Spirit of peace;
      we are surrounded by gifts as precious as those
      brought by the Wise Ones,
         yet have trouble sharing with those
         who are from other countries, other faiths.

   Forgive us, Grace swaddled in mystery.
      We believe in Christmas,
         help us to believe in you even more;
      we hunger for happiness,
         feed us on your peace;
      we long for community and acceptance,
         surround us with our siblings
         we find in all those, of every age and every place,
         who follow and serve alongside our Lord and Savior,
         Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate this day.  Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
One: Born that day was grace – for the broken and bereft;
born that day was hope – for the vulnerable and forgotten;
born that day was love – for all of us!
All: Thanks be to God, we are forgiven!  We will go to tell others of all we have seen, heard, experienced, and know.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

May the gifts we share be from the heart, just as yours was that day, God of Bethlehem.  ay they serve those who look for welcome,

those who struggle with loss and grief,

those who need to be blessed by hope

This we pray in the name of your Child, Jesus.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

One: Now, may Bethlehem’s Child bless you!
All: And also bless you!
One: Now, may the children of God open their hearts.
All: We offer them to the One who loves us each and every morning.
One: Now, may we join in the songs of the angels.
All: We join our voices with those of every time and place.

One: In the silenced night of chaos,
creation rejoiced with the carols of wonders
you had composed, God of surprises:
   as joy sparkled in the sky,
   as rivers swarmed with fish,
   as turtles plodded through meadows.
The Word gently gathered up earth’s dust
and the Spirit breathed life into those
shaped in your image, so we might
be at peace and be with you in joy.
   But we were tempted by sin’s decorations
   and death’s commercials of life without you. 
Time and again, you sent folks to call us home.
Miriam and Micah, Ruth and Habakkuk
spoke of your hopes for of us,
   yet we found rebellion the better
   road to take in our journey through the years.
Finally, you chose to offer yourself
in that Child born into poverty,
that little One who would strengthen all.

With those who gathered on that first morning,
with all who have celebrated with songs and service,
we sing carols of praise to you:

All: Holy, holy, holy are you, God of all turned away by the world.
Creation joins the angels in praising you.
Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who clears the Way for us to walk.
Hosanna in the highest!

One: In the silence of the night, God of holiness,
your Child crept in among us,
so small no one would notice,
so poor no one would care.
But those who are forgotten by the world,
   like shepherds and the disabled,
   come to worship, and to tell us the good news.
Those who have no money to their name,
   gift us with their hopes and love,
   even as he did so long ago.
Those children who are overlooked by culture,
   sing to us of the One given to us,
      so we might find our way home;
   of the One who gives himself to death,
   so resurrection love might destroy sin’s power,
      and we might be swaddled in grace.

On this morning when we celebrate his birth,
in the days to come when we follow him to Jerusalem,
we sing carols of that mystery we call faith:

All: Christ was born, so we might have life;
Christ died, so we might have forgiveness;
Christ was raised, so we might have resurrection;
Christ will be born again, to gather us together with him.

One: In the silence of these holy moments,
pour out your Spirit upon
those gathered on this morning
and on the gifts of the Feast of Joy.
As we are welcomed here,
   may we remember and include
   all rejected by the world.
As we are fed by the bread,
   may we be strengthened
   to go and bring tangible hope
   to all who are famished by despair.
As we drink from grace’s cup,
   nourish us, so we may go
   to overflow with love and peace
   for everyone we meet in every season.

And when all history and time ends in silence,
and we are gathered with our siblings
around the feast of the lamb,
we will join the angels in singing carols to your forever,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.              

Sending
One: Let us go,
All: to join the angels in singing
of God’s glory and grace.
One: Let us go to share the good news,
All: that Jesus, the brother
of the vulnerable and forgotten
is in our midst still.
One: Let us go to offer
peace and goodwill to everyone,
All: joining the Spirit in telling
of all we have seen and heard.

(c) Thom M. Shuman

Christmas Eve liturgy

 Texts: Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-20

Call to Worship

With eyes wide open

and our ears on edge,

we look for shepherds

and listen for the songs of angels.

In the light of winter’s moon,

with the Southern Cross lighting the way,

we gather outside the door of a mystery,

wondering if we dare go enter.

With folks and friends we love,

with strangers we have just met,

we gather, becoming the holy family

for this time and in this place.

Christmas Eve Prayer

Now in the silence,

whisper of joy which comes

into every life.

Now in the comfort of carols,

sing of hope which

takes away the despair

which envelops us.

Now in familiar words heard anew,

speak to us of grace

which is born into barren lives,

of peace which is birthed

in war’s shadowed fears.

Now leaning next to those

who have always been a part of us,

and those from whom we have been apart,

remind us of your heart

which always accepts us,

always welcomes us.

Now in the love which is ours forever,

draw us closer to your heart,

so we can be surprised by wonder,

swaddled in serenity,

embraced by tenderness.

Now touch us once again with Christmas,

God in Community, Holy in One,

as we join in praying as we are taught,

(The Lord’s Prayer)

Call to Reconciliation

This is the night we are reminded that God loves to be with us. Yet all too often – by our choices, our words, our silence – we choose not to be with Go. Join me as we pray on this holy night to the One who was born to gift us with mercy and hope.

Unison Prayer for Forgiveness

This was going to be the year, God of silent nights, when we were going to give away more than we spent, but we didn’t. This was going to be the season when we spent more time with others, but we filled our calendars with meetings. This was going to be the Christmas when we wrote personal letters to friends and family, but spent too much energy filling out our to-do lists. This was going to be a truly holy season, but it just got too harried and hurried.

Forgive us, Love Gifter, and draw us closer to the Baby born not into wealth and power, but into poverty and weakness; to the One who loves unconditionally and welcomes all; to the Child who gathers other children to him, to bless them and serve them; to the One who drew near to us, so we might be drawn to your heart – Jesus Christ, our Brother, our Lord. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon

Into the valleys of our death, Jesus comes with life;

into the shadows of our world, Jesus brings light;

into the brokenness of our lives, Jesus brings forgiveness and peace.

Thanks be to God for the gift of the Baby of Bethlehem, who brings joy and peace to us in these moments of forgiveness and in all the days to come. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering

Now, on this night of giftedness, remind us of those who struggle to put food on the table, to buy a single gift for their child, to wrap a warm blanket around a grandparent, so we might realize how blessed we are and share from our abundance. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

May the God of silent nights be with you!

May the God of herald angels be with you!

Open your hearts to the One born in the little town of Bethlehem.

May Emmanuel come to abide in our hearts.

Join all believers in singing of our joy this night.

May our voices blend with those of the angels and shepherds.

You crept into chaos so long ago,

Star-shaper,

so creation might be born:

sheep gathering on hillsides,

stars glittering in the night skies,

sea horses frolicking in warm waters.

Silently, you gathered up the dust,

shaping us in your image

as the Spirit breathed life into us.

All the gifts of your heart were for us,

but we slammed the door of our hearts,

saying there was no room for you in our lives.

Prophets came time and again,

scattering your clues throughout the Story,

but we were too busy enjoying

the sleights of hand done by sin and death.

When you saw we could not

understand the Mystery on our own,

you sent Jesus, to reveal everything to us.

As we gather with children dressed in bathrobes,

as we join with the voices around us,

we sing praises to you this Christmas night:

We will not be afraid,

for great joy is ours this night;

we will look for the signs of your presence,

grace swaddled in hope,

love wrapped around broken hearts.

Glory to you, God in the highest heavens!
May peace fill the lives of all your children!
Leaving your side, God of holiness,
your Child came to walk with us
through the cold streets of our lives.
Born in poverty’s shadows,
he is the light which illumines
your heart for us.
Unwrapped from glory’s embrace,
he gathers us from all the corners
of our confused choices to make us one with you.
Placed in a rude feeding trough
layered with our fears and doubts,
he breathes in your hopes
and lives your will, until
he is placed in death’s cold embrace,
waiting in the silence,
where he breathes in resurrection’s breath,
and brings forth life for all who follow.

On this night, when we sing of the baby in the manger,
as the shadow of the cross is cast by the stars,
we proclaim that mystery called incarnation:

Christ is our light,
and we will join the angels in singing the good news;
Christ is our life,
and we will join the disciples in telling the Story;
Christ is our promise,
and we wait for the joy of his return.

Here in the silence and the singing,
with children, carols, and candlelight,
we gather around the Table of joy,
as you pour out your Spirit upon
the most precious gifts of bread and cup.
As we feast upon the bread,
we remember a young pregnant girl,
and would serve those who are expecting,
those who cannot have a child,
those who have lost children.
As we drink from the cup,
we think of a worried father,
and would be with those who assemble toys this night,
as well as those who will work this night
to pay for food and medicine for their families.
As we are surrounded by family and friends,
we would care for
those whose closest companion is loneliness,
those separated from loved ones,
those who hear no music, joy, or hope in their lives.

And when all time and history becomes silence,
we will be gathered with our siblings
from Bethlehem and Gaza, from Cairo and Kyiv,
from Capetown and Istanbul, from Sydney and Shanghai,
from every corner and moment of every universe,
to join the angel choirs in forever singing your praises
as we dance to the Table of wonder and grace,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.

Sending
Let us go to be the gift another needs,
sharing God’s blessings of love and grace,
running to tell the Story we heard from the shepherds.
Let us go to be the comfort which can swaddle others,
sharing Jesus’ compassion with the poor and needy,
welcoming the holiness offered by the most vulnerable we meet.
Let us go to kindle the lives around us,
sharing the Spirit’s peace with all the broken,
learning the language of hope from the children in our midst.

© Thom M. Shuman