Author: Steve

September 8, 2024

Lectionary Texts

Proverbs 22. 1-2, 8-9, 22-23 — God is maker of both rich and poor. Condemns injustice. Care for the poor.

Psalm 124 — God’s grace alone has saved us when we were in danger.

James 2. 1-17 — Do not favor the rich over the poor…. Don’t judge one another…. Mercy triumphs over judgment…. Faith without works is dead.

Mark 7.24-37 — Jesus and the Syrophonecian woman. He cures a deaf man.

Preaching Thoughts

The Syrophonecian woman
       Wouldn’t you have loved to have been there to see just how Jesus said that line? “It’s not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Maybe he said it teasingly, highlighting the rejection she would expect. Maybe he said it as a test, hoping she would push back. Maybe he said it almost as a question: he thought his mission was to Israel, but here this Gentile was asking for healing. Hm…
       But maybe he said it straight: it reflected the deep inherent bias he grew up with, that Gentiles were undeserving outsiders. “Dogs,” of course, was a racial slur. But her rejoinder is gutsy and persistent. She doesn’t back down. She jousts with him like a rabbi would: not just arguing, but using wordplay, and besting him at it. She takes his slur and turns it into a parable! All of these are qualities Jesus would appreciate. He basically says, “You win.” But most significantly, it’s not her cleverness that changes Jesus’ mind: it’s that she awakens him to the fact that she’s a person, not a stereotype. He recognizes his inherent bias and chooses otherwise. This is the work of anti-racism. This is the process we go through in overcoming bias around race, gender identity, poverty, mental illness and other forms of discrimination. We recognize our inherent bias, acknowledge how it hurts others and choose otherwise.
       The unnamed Syrophonecian woman is one of a whole cast of gutsy, “uppity women” who model true faith—faith not as religious certainty, but as tenaciously hanging on to life, healing, truth and justice. They love at great cost. They don’t give in. Patriarchal as scripture is, it can’t hide the long train of those women whose guts and faith enrich our lives, from Eve, Tamar, Rahab and Esther to the unnamed woman who anoints Jesus’ feet, the widow and her mite, the woman with the flow of blood, and Mary Magdalene. These are our confident sisters. Thank God for them.

The deaf man
       Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened!” Was Jesus asking for the man’s ears to be opened? Or heaven? Or the well of his healing powers? Or the hearts of the onlookers? Or our own hearts? Or the possibilities of the future? In so many ways these words are at the heart of Jesus’ message. He’s inviting us to open our ears (“Those who have ears to hear, listen…”) He’s inviting our open-mindedness. He’s asking us to open our hearts. He’s opening the grace of heaven to us. He’s opening up the future. Maybe Jesus would not define faith as certainty but openness.
      As always in stories about healing, watch out for implying that one’s disease, mental illness or disability is something that needs to be fixed. Some conditions are curable; some are not. Some arise from personal choices; most do not. Some people want their condition to change; others don’t. When you preach about a healing, be aware there are people in your congregation who are not healed—though they may want and even pray to be—and may have some feelings about that. And there may be some who are fine with their condition, and don’t need to hear about how they ought to be fixed. Take care not to imply that there’s something wrong with people as they are.
       And be careful about ableism. We can use “deaf” as a pejorative judgment, as in “she turned a deaf ear…” There’s nothing wrong with being deaf, and deaf people need to hear that. Yes, hear. There’s more than one kind of deafness, more than one kind of hearing. When we label people whose ears work as “deaf” what do we actually mean? Inattentive? Callous? Self-absorbed? Then say that. If you mean “turn away from” or “was unwilling to hear” then say that. Don’t lump defensive people in with people who have a hearing disability. A person can’t “turn a deaf ear” to something: that’s a choice. Deafness is not. And deaf people hear a lot, just not through sound waves. After all, what does it mean to “hear?” Attend… obey… receive…. Deaf people do hear in those ways.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader:  God of ancient truth, our ancestors lead us to this place.
     All:  We open our minds to your Word.
Gentle Christ, your loving community gathers us here to be changed by your grace.
     We open our hearts to your love.
Holy Spirit, our thirst for you has brought us to worship.
     We open our lives to your power,
     and we open our arms to one another,
     that we may open ourselves to the world, in the love of Christ. Amen.

2.
Leader:  Infinite God, Heart of Being, you draw us near.
     All: Open our lips to sing your praise.
Loving Christ, beloved Friend, you lay your healing hands upon us.
     Open our eyes and ears to see and hear your presence.
Holy Spirit, Word of new Creation. you burn within us.
     Open our hearts and minds to live in new ways.
     Your will be done. Alleluia!

3.
Leader: Your Word creates the heavens and the earth, O God;
therefore we listen with open ears.
     All:  Your love gives us life; therefore we open our lips to praise you.
You give us your Christ who heals us, teaches us and calls us.
     With gratitude we receive him with open arms.
You give us your Spirit, that guides us in the wisdom of your love.
     We open our hearts to your presence and your grace.
Open our ears to hear you, God, and our hands to serve you.
     Alleluia!  Arise in us, Spirit of Life, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

4.
Leader: God of love, open our eyes to your glory.         
          All: Open our hearts to your grace.
Open our arms to your beloved children.
          Open the door and enter our lives
          as we worship you in gratitude and wonder.   Alleluia!

5.
Leader: God of Life,
    All: you are as near to us as our breath.
Touch our eyes,
    that we may see you in one another.
Open our ears,
    that we may hear your voice in the cries of the oppressed.
Enter our hearts,
    that we may be filled with your love toward all people.
Come, O God of life and breath and wholeness.
    Be with us now. Show us the way to new life
    and grant us the courage to be people of your Way.

6.
Leader: Loving God, you have opened our hearts by your grace;
All: open our minds with your Word.
You have opened heaven to us in the presence of Christ.
You have opened our graves by his resurrection,
so that death can no longer hold us
Come now, and open our eyes to your presence;
open our hearts to your grace.
Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your power. Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Spirit of Love, when we can’t hear your Word, or see your Way, we feel deaf and blind.  When we can’t sing your praise we feel mute.  Heal us.  Open our hearts, and set us on a path of endless learning and growing in the Spirit of Christ.  Amen.

2.
Gentle God, we come to you seeking healing, wisdom and life.  Bless us with your love, your Word, your touch.  Only say the word and we shall be made whole.  Have mercy, O Lord, and bless us.  Amen.

3.
Eternal God, you who have created the heavens and the earth, create us anew in the power of your Spirit.  You opened up the space of the heavens, and set therein stars like eyes to shine on us.  Open our own eyes, that we may behold your glory and worship you.  In Jesus Christ you healed people’s bodies and hearts.  Open our hearts to your grace, that we may made new in the image of Christ. Your Spirit opened the lips of the mute and gave them good news to tell.  O Lord, open our lips, and our mouths shall declare your praise.  Amen.

4.
Eternal God, your Word creates us; your grace orders our lives; your love guides and sustains us. Yet we lose sight of your presence; we grow deaf to your voice; we forget your promise. Open the eyes of our hearts, that we may receive and share your grace, for the sake of the world, in the name and Spirit of Christ.

5.
Gentle God, we often hear voices telling us we are not worthy of your love, voices around us and within us. But your Spirit intercedes for us, and pleads for our wholeness. And in your grace, you open yourself to us. Give us faith to receive your grace, to allow ourselves to be healed, and to be made new in the power of your love. We pray in the ever-faithful name of Jesus. Amen.

6.
God, I throw open the window of my heart.
Let the light of your grace flood my house.
Let the breeze of your Spirit freshen my air.
Let your love kindle the fire at my heart,
that I may live by your warmth and light all my days,
in the name and the company of Christ. Amen.

7.
Healing God, you sent Christ to heal all people. Send your Living Word now to make us whole, to make us new, to make us yours. We listen with open hearts as your Scripture is read and your good news proclaimed, so that we may hear what you are saying to us today. Amen.

Listening Prayer  

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

1.
God of love, you want to open our eyes.
You speak deep within us.
Give us grace to listen, to hear, and to be changed
by your loving presence, your living Word. Amen.

2.
Jesus, Life-Giver, Whole-Maker,
healer of my soul,
you lay your hands on my heart
and pray “Be opened.”
My heart is open;
your heart is open;
all of heaven is open.
Let your grace pour in.

Prayer of Confession

1.
God of wholeness,
we confess our ears are closed to your Word;
our eyes are closed to your wonder.
Our hearts are closed up, afraid of the pain.
Open us.
Heal us, forgive us, and give us a tongue of love,
by the mercy we know in Christ.


2.
God of truth,
help us to acknowledge our inherent biases,
our judgments against those we think of as “other.”
Forgive us, and heal us.
Help us to see our biases,
to name them and repent of them,
and act in new ways.
Help us to see others, even those very different from us,
as persons, as your beloved.
Remove all in us that inhibits our perfect love,
which is our perfect loveliness.
We pray in the name of Christ,
who was radically open to your grace.
Amen.

3.
Gentle God,
the wounds we have suffered have closed over,
but they have not healed.
Like clutching fists, our spirits have closed around our fears.
We have closed our minds to your truth;
we have closed our hearts to your grace;
and we have closed off our lives from others.
Forgive us, God.
Heal us, and open us to your presence and your grace;
open our hearts to one another.

Eucharistic Prayer

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

 God is with you.
    And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
    We lift them up to the Holy One.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One our God.
    It is good to give God thanks and praise.

Blessed are you, O God, for you create all things in love.
   You make us in your image and call us your Beloved,
   and continually re-create us by your grace.
   You know our struggles and bear our suffering.
   You judge the forces of oppression and set us free.You guide us into a new world of mercy and justice;
   you heal the splinterings of race and clan, creed and status.
You draw us into the Empire of Grace
   in the company of Jesus your Christ.

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
   He taught and healed, and loved all people,
   calling us to repentance and offering new life.
   He defied barriers and created a new community
   of love, justice and inclusiveness.
He opened heaven to us, that we might commune with God.
For his resistance to injustice he was crucified,
but you raised him from the dead.

    [… The Blessing and Covenant…] *

With gratitude we remember your mighty acts in Jesus Christ.
    Therefore we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
    as a living sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us,
    as we proclaim the mystery of our faith.

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

As the dogs that eat the crumbs that fall from the table,
we come not because we are worthy but because you invite us.
No one is turned away.
     We thank you for these gifts
     that unite us with all who hunger for your grace.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of the Beloved, Jesus Christ.
     Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
     that we may be for the world the Body of Christ.
     Open us to your grace and to the new life you offer us;
     make us vessels of your love.
     Open us to one another; make us one in your Spirit.
Open us to the suffering of the world,
and to your healing flowing through us.
    By your grace in this meal
    prepare us to work for  healing and justice
    for the sake of your delight.All glory and honor is yours,
faithful and loving God, now and forever.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.
___________

* The Blessing and Covenant

[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us,
he took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his disciples,
saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
shed for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”

Prayer after Communion

Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.  You have opened our hearts to your grace.  Now open our hands to do the work you give us, to work for justice and healing for the sake of the wholeness of all Creation, in the name and Spirit of Christ.  Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page.)

I Am Open (Original song)

Dear gentle Jesus, I open to you
the deepest chambers of my soul.
My heart is open, wounded and broken.
Heal and forgive and make me whole.
Open, I am open, open to your grace.

Beloved Jesus, my eyes are open;
your healing touch restores my sight.
Like open windows, they shine, and in flows
your glory filling me with light.
Open, I am open, open to your grace.

My wounded Jesus. Your arms are open,
our hurt and dying to embrace.
When I would close them, hold my arms open,
to be so loving by your grace.
Open, I am open, open to your grace.

Now risen Jesus, my life is open,
a flower unfolding in the sun:
by your light growing, and boldly showing
the love of God, as you have done.
Open, I am open, open to your grace.



Open Me Original song)
A dialogue between soloist and congregation.
Refrain may be used as a repeating chant.

Solo:
Ears are stopped. Not listening.
Eyes of my heart don’t see a thing.
I need you.
Touch me and heal me and open my life with your love.

All, Refrain: Open me. Open me. Open me. Open me.

Mind is closed. Much to learn.
Love, how I need to change and turn.
So teach me.
Open my mind to the new and the whole and to you.
Refrain…

Hands are closed. Hearts are hard.
The Circle of Life is torn and scarred.
So heal us.
Open our hearts to each other so blessing may flow.
Refrain….

Love is here. Grace abounds.
Heaven itself is all around.
Enlarge me.
Open the doors of my soul and let light shine within.
Refrain…

With Open Hands   (Tune: The Water Is Wide)

O Lord, we come with open hands for grace we do not understand.
We simply take, and we are blessed that you receive us as your guest.

We open all our treasure stores in gratitude that freely pour
from open hearts that you have healed, so in our love yours is revealed.
         
You open wide great heaven’s doors; your love includes, heals and restores.
We share your feast, and we are called with open arms to all the world.

September 1, 2024

Lectionary Texts

Song of Solomon 2.8-13 —The voice of my beloved! “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”

Psalm 45 — A wedding ode to a prince marrying a foreign princess, extolling both his personal loveliness and his nobility as a ruler.
Alternate: Psalm 72 — God guide the king, that he may defend the cause of the poor, and that he may prevail over the enemies of justice.

James 1. 17-27 — • Everything is a gift from God. • We are children of God’s truth, and clear expressions of God’s creativity. • Be quick to listen and slow to speak, and slow to anger. • We do not just hear the Word of God; we do it. • Religion is to care for the needy and stay “unstained from the world.”

Mark 7. 1-8, 14-15, 21-23 — “You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.” … “It’s nothing outside you, but what comes from within, that defiles you.”

Preaching Thoughts

Song of Solomon
       Oh, we’ve tried so hard to make this a theological allegory, but face it: it’s ancient Near Eastern erotic poetry. Check out 7.7-8: “ You are stately as a palm tree, and your breasts are like its clusters. I say I will climb the palm tree and lay hold of its branches.” Allegorize that all you want. It’s still erotic poetry. Let it be that! For one thing, let it celebrate the joy and mystery of erotic love, of romance between two people. That experience is not devoid of God. Find the divine there!
       And, just to get theological: no matter how you allegorize or assign parts, this makes it clear that God’s love for us is erotic love: God’s desires us, because we’re beautiful to God. God wants us. Whatever we think of as erotic love, as physical as it gets, is how God loves us. God wants physical intimacy with us just as deeply as two human lovers do. What might that mean? Maybe finding God in our bodies… in our relationships… in all forms of love… in forms of body-prayer… in embodying God’s love in whatever ways we are given to do so…And maybe we discover the erotic love of God: loving God simply because God is desirable, beautiful, attractive, and dear to us. The Song of Solomon lets our full passion flower: God is our Heavenly Lover.

James
       Preaching on James, you have to pick a verse or two; there are several topics in a small basket.
A parallel between James, the song of Solomon and the Gospel is the connection between inner and outer. Real faith is both inward and outward: both the passion of love and its embodiment, both hearing and doing the word, both inner and outer “cleansing,”? both prayer and justice. It means both being quick to listen and also caring for the orphan and widow, that is, the needy.
      To “remain unstained by the world” doesn’t mean to avoid getting our hands dirty. It means to avoid letting the values of the world determine who we are and how we live. It means even when we’re immersed in a culture of consumerism, capitalism, violence, selfishness and all that, it doesn’t stick to us: we’re moved by compassion, trust, the presence of Christ, and the energy of the Holy Spirit.

Mark
       In Jesus’s culture cleanliness really was “next-to-Godliness.” Jesus’ critique isn’t to diminish ritual cleanliness, but to attach it to its deeper meaning: outer cleanliness should reflect inner commitment, and inner commitment should bear fruit in outward actions. All our “bad stuff,” our theft, murder, adultery, slander and so on, come from within. How does what you do reflect what’s in you? Whatever is in your heart—joy or anger, resentment or mercy, fear or love, meanness or loveliness—that’s what will spill out onto others. No matter how you try to disguise it, your heart will make itself known. So work on what’s in our heart, and work on harmonizing your outward words and actions with what you really believe in.
       It’s what comes out of our mouth that defiles us. How much of our public discourse and private conversations are laced with trash talk, meanness and judgmentalism! As much as it makes us feel superior to judge others, Jesus says it defiles us. Watch out.
       Whatever is in you is what spills out to others. Imagine the incense of your heart burning all the time. Whatever it is will suffuse the air around you. If what’s in your heart is the burning tires of anger and resentment, your neighbors will smell it. If it’s the jasmine of forgiveness and mercy, they’ll know. Attend to what is within, for it will come out.
       It’s not what comes from outside us that defiles us. Boy, do we need to hear that. There’s a part of us that has a hard time trusting that. When bad stuff happens we think, “What have I done to deserve this?” We’re not much more enlightened than believers in Bronze age superstitions when we think God punishes bad behavior with bad experiences, when we think what happens to us reflects who we are. Sure, sometimes we bring consequences on ourselves. But there’s a difference between natural consequences and divine punishment. Victims of abuse or relationship violence need to hear this over and over. What somebody else does to you does not defile you. Think of Jesus on the cross: treated as less than human, scorned, rejected, condemned—but none of that diminished his loveliness, his goodness, his dignity. One reflection of Jame’s statement that true religion is to care for the needy and “remain unstained by the world” is to keep our gentleness and generosity intact even when those around us accuse us, judge us and even despise us, to remain humble and compassionate even when others encourage us to be resentful, vengeful or defensive. We don’t let others decide how we’re going to live.

Call to Worship

1.            [Song of Solomon 2.10-13]
Leader: Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
All: O Beloved, we hear your voice, and awaken.
For now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.
God of love, our souls, enclosed, emerge
to you like small green things in spring, seeking your light.
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come.
O Beautiful One, our spirits sing love songs to you.
The voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
You whom we desire above all, our hearts join all Creation in praise.
The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
O Lovely One, we open to the sunlight of your grace,
that we may bear the fruit of love.
Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Yes! We love you. We come—to be with you,
to worship, to revel in your love.
Heavenly Lover, we are yours.

2.
Leader: A Mystery Beyond us calls to us.
All: A Beauty from deep within beckons.
Our busy minds can’t perceive it.
Our human traditions can’t contain it.
But it calls to us and we must answer.
It rises in us like a song, and we must sing.
So, Holy One, we gather to worship you.
We gather to listen and wonder
and blossom with your grace. Amen.

3.
Leader:  Muddy water swirls, clouded and opaque.
     All:  Still water settles out, and becomes clear.
God has called us to this time and place to be still in God’s grace.
     We come to rest in God’s presence, that what is within may become clear.
God desires truth in the inward being.
     Holy Spirit, clarify our souls, cleanse our hearts,
     and renew within us the desire to do your will,
     in the name and grace of Christ.

Prayer

1.
God of grace, you give us your law not to restrict us but to set us free.  Help us by your grace to hear and understand, to listen and discern; to know and choose wisely.  By your Holy Spirit, your Word in Christ, alive in us, guide us in the way of your Wisdom.  Amen.

2.
God of truth and power, we observe many traditions, we meet many expectations, we follow many habits. But now in this moment, free of past or future, there is no one to judge us or to compare; there is only you, hidden in your Word. Help us to listen for your presence, to hear what is True, to be changed by your Word. Our hearts are open vessels. Pour yourself in, and we will receive you. Amen.

3.
Eternal God, we are hungry for your truth. Feed us with your Word. Clear our minds; open our hearts; ready our hands: to receive your Word and to digest it, to hear your Word and to do it, to love your Christ and to follow in the deep joy and compassion of the life you give. Speak, for our hearts are listening. Amen.

4.
God of love, we acknowledge the selfishness and fear that come from within us, the things that hinder our perfect love. Heal our wounds and fears; wash us clean of our faults, so that what comes from us offers love to all, in the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

1.
Pastor:  Friends in Christ, we desire to be in harmony with God,
who desires truth in the inward being.
     All: We confess what is within us is a mix of love and fear.
God, open to us our inward lives, that we may see clearly, and be made new.
     Help us see clearly what within us is born of love,
     and what is born of our wants and fears.
     By your grace transform our inner desires,
     that what flows from our hearts may be love and healing,
     and the grace of Christ.
[Silent prayer  …   Words of grace]
    
2.
The grace of God be with you.
     And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
God, You who are truth,
You who dwell within me:
You see me as I am; and you receive me as I am.
Help me to shed all attachment to outward appearances,
to see myself truthfully,
and to let myself be filled from the inside out
with your grace, your forgiveness,
your blessing, your love.
[Silent prayer   ..   The Word of Grace]

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

We look within,
to what is deeper than we can see,
deepest in our hearts,
where only you can perceive,
and where you bless.
There in the darkness,
heal us; wash us;
love us; hold us.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1.         [James 1.17-27]
   With gratitude we affirm that every good thing is a gift of God, the Mother of stars, the Father of lights, whose love is not shadowed or changing.
   We give thanks that Christ, the Word of God, the word of truth, has given us birth so that the wonder of Creation might blossom in us.
    By the Holy Spirit we seek to be doers of the word, not hearers only, to live by the perfect law, the law of liberty. We seek to rid ourselves of selfish desires, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save our souls.  By the Spirit’s grace we seek to persevere, to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. We devote ourselves to care for those who are vulnerable, to do justice and act mercifully, and to serve God in all we do, in the name of Christ.  Amen.

2.
        We trust in God, whose Word creates all that is, whose Wisdom is life itself.
        We follow Jesus, God’s Word made flesh, who taught and healed, who loved and liberated, and who continually renews in us the ways of God’s love. In love he gave himself and was crucified; in love he was raised from the dead. Christ will come again and again to give us wisdom and guide us in the ways of God.
       We live by the power of the Holy Spirit, God’s loving Wisdom alive in us. By God’s Spirit, as the Body of Christ, we live in the way of Jesus, choosing love and forgiveness, healing and justice. To this we give our lives, praying that always God will unite us, redeem us, guide us and empower us in the name and Spirit of Christ. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

God, Beloved, we thank you. We love you. We desire you.
We gather at your table, drawn by your love and your beauty.
In your grace and mercy you are like a gazelle,
leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills.
You create us as the image of your love.
You claim us as your Beloved.
You set us free from all that oppresses us.
You Spirit calls to us, “Arise, my love, and come away.”
We leave all our worries and judgments, and come to you.
We come in thanksgiving. We come because we love you.
Our Heavenly Lover, you are beautiful, and we desire you.
So we come to feast on your presence,
singing your praise with all Creation.

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
the body of your loveliness.
He is our Beloved, who does not merely speak of you;
he draws us into delight in you.
In him we fall in love with you.
In Christ we taste of your goodness;
we die for love of you and rise in the ecstasy of faith.

     (The Blessing and Covenant) *
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
wildly in love with you, and with your world.
In these gifts of bread and cup, and the gift of this gathered community,
we draw near to you.
Arise, Love, and fill us with your beauty,
that we may go into the world radiant with your Spirit,
in the name of Christ.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
Gracious God, we thank you for
the mystery that you give yourself to us /
this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.
By your Spirit may the grace that is in our hearts shine out through our words and actions and all our choices. Send us into the world to share your love for the sake of the redemption of the world, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

Suggested Song

(Click on title to see on the music page.)

Be Thou My Wisdom   (Tune: Be Thou My Vision)

Be thou my Wisdom and grant me your sight. 
Help me to see by your love’s perfect light.
Love, be my compass, my balance, my Way:
guide from within what I choose day by day.

Grant me the wisdom to seek and to learn,
to pray for your leading and wait and discern.
Help me to listen with all of my heart,
listen for all of the Truth you impart.

Grant me your Wisdom: a heart that’s made pure,
courage to follow a love that is sure.
Led by your Spirit, listening still,
help me to know and to follow your will.

August 25, 2024

Lectionary Texts

1 Kings 8.(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43 — The Ark is brought into the newly built temple. Solomon’s prayer.

Psalm 84 — “How lovely is your dwelling place … even the sparrow finds a home.”

Ephesians 6. 10-20 — We are not struggling against other people, but against the power of evil. “Put on the armor of God.”

John 6. 56-69 — Again, Jesus as the bread of life: “Eat my flesh, drink my blood.” Some followers quit. “Do you, too, want to leave?” “To whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Preaching Thoughts

1 Kings
       Thick darkness. When the Ark is brought into the temple God comes in, cloaked in a dark cloud. The lectionary cuts v. 12, where Solomon says “The Holy One has said that they would dwell in thick darkness.” I usually include it. Here’s a contrasting image to all the light we get in scripture. Turns out God is both light and dark. It’s a corrective for our dualistic judgment that light is good and dark is bad. (As in “this present darkness” in Ephesians) Sometimes there’s such a thing as too much light (think of sunglasses, sunscreen, overexposed photos, highway glare, a winter whiteout…) And our deep racism lets us think of dark skin as inferior to light skin. So here’s a welcome balance: God dwells in darkness. Even “the glory of God” is dark! Darkness doesn’t always signify gloom or doom; sometimes it means richness (coffee, chocolate) or mystery (The Cloud of Unknowing, being “in the dark”). Explore all the ways we might discover God in darkness.
       “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built!” Yes, God will be present, but not just, or even primarily, in one place. God will be everywhere. God is greater than all of Creation. God is infinite and there is nothing beyond or outside God; and the universe is finite… so all of Creation exists inside God. The temple is not the unique locus of God, but the locus of our prayers.
       “When a foreigner prayers toward this house…” Solomon’s prayer is all-inclusive: for all who enter or “pray toward” the temple, even foreigners. God is accessible to everybody. The conviction is repeated in the prophets: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isa. 56.7).

Psalm
    “Your dwelling place” is not just the temple; it’s wherever God is, which is everywhere. It’s God’s presence with us. The song invites us to live in God’s presence, in God’s “house.” All of us, even wild creatures as insignificant as sparrows, are at home in God.

Ephesians
       “Our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh…” This is the heart of nonviolent resistance. We are not against people who do injustice; we are against the injustice. The people themselves we bless and pray for. After all they too are caught up in the evil of the system, the “cosmic powers of this present darkness, the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” The heavenly places are both in our hearts and in the political, economic, cultural and even religious systems we create and sustain. Though there are individuals who employ power in evil ways, the “enemy” is beyond any one person. This doesn’t let tyrants off the hook— justice demands that tyrants be removed- but it reminds us that getting rid of the tyrant doesn’t solve the problem. The evil lies deeper and broader than in any one person. It’s hard to keep in our minds and hearts in a fraught political climate, but essential for justice.electing the good one instead of the bad one is only a small step in the struggle against evil.
       The armor of God. It’s sad how often in our sinful anxiety we take this lovely image and turn it backwards and weaponize our faith. To put on the armor of God is to renounce the usual ways we protect ourselves—through violence, coercion, defensiveness and assertion—and instead entrust ourselves in vulnerable nonviolence to love, faith and the grace of God. Instead of shielding yourself with defensiveness, take up the shield of trust. Instead of domination, take the sword of the Spirit. It’s specifically non-violent.

John
       “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” Yeah, by now we’re with the disciples: enough of this gory talk about eating your flesh, Jesus! And for that matter enough of these teachings that are just plain too hard—either too hard to understand or, worse, the ones we do understand and they’re too hard to follow. Se can understand the people who quit. But don’t we all? Now and then, or a little bit all the time? We don’t really, fully follow Jesus 24/7. We’re continually asking for the strength and trust to hang in there. Not just to remain “good Christians,” but to keep on with the work of healing and justice, to stay non-violent in a hostile atmosphere, to get free of the grip of an addiction, to keep forgiving our enemies, to know the right thing to do in an abusive relationship, to continue to care for Creation in the face of climate change and corporate destructiveness—to keep going when it would be such a relief to just quit. We are all at times asking, hungry, even desperate, for the faith to continue.
       And what gives us the faith to continue? Divine Presence. The life-giving grace of God. Jesus hanging in there with us even when we falter. The Bread of Life, offered to us when we’re hungry. Eat and be satisfied. Our preaching needs to point people toward the hope they’re searching for, the trust and courage they need to keep on.
      “Do you also wish to go away?” Jesus is the Bread of Life. He’s also the Truly Human Human Being being human. As people drop away, Jesus turns to his beloved and asks—not just as as a theological challenge or a test of discipleship, but as a guy who doesn’t like to feel lonely or like a failure: “Do you also wish to go away?” So human, so personal, so poignant. It reminds us we have a choice to make, and that Jesus cares about that choice. It also suggests that Jesus wants you. He needs you. He wants you by his side. He’s counting on you when things get tough—for him. As in Gethsemane, it’s not a demand for our faith, it’s a personal request: Jesus asks us to be with him. Maybe that;’s most of what faith is not necessarily strong conviction but simply hanging in there with Jesus so we’re there when he needs us.
       “To whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Peter’s response to Jesus is equally poignant. There’s almost a sense of homelessness, of being refugees. Where else can we go? When life in the church gets nasty, when the institution seems to embody the “rulers and authorities and the cosmic powers of evil,” we may be tempted to jump ship. But where else to we receive life like we do from Jesus? This may be not just about leaving or staying with the church, but about what we let go of and what we hang onto, about the ongoing process of refining our faith, letting go of old, non-life-giving stuff and seeing things in a new way. Sometimes we do need to “go away,” at least from certain beliefs, habits or practices. And we need to stay true to where we hear the words of eternal life, where we are deeply connected with the Divine in a life-giving way.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader:  God of love, we are hungry for your grace.
         All:  You feed us the bread of life, and we thank you.
We are thirsty for your presence.
         You give us drink from the well of eternal life, and we rejoice.
We hunger and thirst for true love.
           We feast on your grace, and we worship you.  Alleluia!

2.
Leader: Creator God, many voices in this world would claim our attention.
 All:  But to whom can we turn?  You have the words of eternal life.
You form us in your image.
 We are in awe.  We worship you.
You beckon us like a loving parent.
 We are in love, and we come to you.
You enfold us in your grace and fill us with your transforming Spirit.
 Alleluia!  Receive us, Heavenly Lover!
 Heal us, Risen Brother!
 Make us new, Spirit of Life!  Alleluia!

3.
Leader:  God’s love is made known to us in Christ.
 All: We come to hear the good news.
We are hungry for God’s grace.
 We come not merely to listen to Jesus,
 but to consume him: to “inwardly digest,”
 to make his love part of who we are.
In that holy hunger, we praise, we pray, we worship.
 Alleluia!  Come, Christ, and feed our souls.  Alleluia!

4.
Leader: Creator God, you speak to us the words of eternal life.
All: Loving Christ, you are the Bread of Life.
And yet, God, your Word disturbs us.
O Christ, your wisdom challenges us.
And yet here we are.
And yet we choose to follow you.
Speak to us then, and change our hearts.
Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

5.
Leader: Creator God, we praise you!
          All: You alone are holy, and we worship you.
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Holy One!
Even the sparrow finds a home in you.
          We come to you, and pour ourselves out to you;
          for you have the words of eternal life.
New every morning is your love, God of life,
and you are working for good throughout the day.
            Alleluia!  Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

6.
Leader: Creator God, how lovely is your dwelling among us!
How desirable is your presence with us.
How deeply we are attracted to be with you in intimacy and safety.
Alleluia!  Holy Spirit, you invite us to take your grace into ourselves,
and so we come to you.
Fill us, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

7.
Leader: In this quiet hour may our spirits be renewed.
All: May there be joy in our coming together this day.
Let there be truth in the words we speak and the thoughts we hear.
May there be help and healing for our disharmony and despair.
May there be silence for the voice within us and beyond us.
May there be joy in our coming together,
for you are at our center.

8.
Leader: How lovely is your dwelling place, O Holy One.
All: Our souls long for your presence.
Even the sparrow finds a home in your shelter.
Joy is ours, to dwell in your grace.
God of love, you bring us into your presence.
We come in song and silence,
into the dark mystery and the warm light,
into the sanctuary of your grace.
Loving Mystery, bless us.
Faithful Lover, hold us, as we worship you in praise, in thanksgiving, in awe.
Alleluia!

9.
Leader: God of Mystery, you call us. We come.
All: God of Darkness, you surround us. We attend to you.
God of Grace, you hear our prayers. We cry out to you.
God of Silence, you enfold us. We wait for you.
God of Eternity, we are always with you and within you.
Open our hearts to be aware of your loving presence.
God of love, you hear the silent prayers of all peoples.
In gratitude, we listen for your grace. Amen.

10.
Leader: Sweetness of Heaven, all around!
All: Honor and beauty before us!
We are silent in wonder and humility.
We praise you in gratitude and joy.
We who hunger for life come with trembling lips and open hands.
Bread of Life, you feed us. Fountain of healing, you renew us.
!Bread of Life, we feast upon your grace
Alleluia! We worship you. We consume you. We become you. Alleluia!

11.
Leader: Generous God, you have provided shelter for us in your love,
and a sanctuary in your arms.
All: As we enter your house we give thanks for your grace,
and pray that we may always be at home in your love.
A day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
Alleluia! Happy are those who trust in you. Alleluia!

Prayer

1.
God of life, we hunger for your love, and you give us Christ, the bread of Life.  So we come to feast on your Word, to listen and “inwardly digest,” and to be changed, that we too may be bread for the world.  Feed us with your grace.  Amen

2.
Gracious God, we have been promised that no one will be turned away who comes to Christ.  We come to you now, to know your presence, to hear your Word, to be transformed by your grace.  Speak to us, touch us, and take our lives as your own.  We pray in the name of Christ and the power of your Holy Spirit.  Amen.

3.
God of Silence, God of the Word, your Christ, Jesus, has the words of eternal life. They are challenging words, sometimes frightening.  We sometimes want to go away.  Help us now to stay near, to listen with courage and with open hearts, so that your Word may live in our souls and transform us by your grace.     Amen.

4.
Leader: God of Mystery, you call us. We come.
All: God of Darkness, you surround us. We attend to you.
God of Grace, you hear our prayers. We cry out to you.
God of Silence, you enfold us. We wait for you.
God of Eternity, we are always with you and within you.
Open our hearts to be aware of your loving presence.
God of love, you hear the silent prayers of all peoples.
In gratitude, we listen for your grace. Amen.

5.
Eternal God, we are hungry for your truth. Feed us with your Word. Clear our minds; open our hearts; ready our hands: to receive your Word and to digest it, to hear your Word and to do it, to love your Christ and to follow him in the deep joy and compassion of the life you give. Speak, for our hearts are listening. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(Suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

O mysterious darkness,
open yourself to us.
O sacred silence, speak.
O Word of God, disturb us.
O broken heart of heaven,
invite us in.
Feed us the words of eternal life.

Prayer of Confession

1.
God of mercy, we confess to you
that we have struggled against other people—
     but we have ignored the struggle against our own evil.
We confess that we have taken on the armor of this world:
     we confess our domination and defensiveness,
     our willingness for others to be hurt to protect our comfort.
We confess that we have closed ourselves off from you:
     we confess the armor of our ego,
     our apathy and our distrust.
     Closed off, we have failed to love you with all we are,
     and to love our neighbor as you have loved us.
We open our hearts to you,
that we may undefended from your grace.
     Forgive us, heal us, and grant us the spirit of your mercy.
    Clothe us with the armor of your love.
[Silent prayer…]

Beloved of God, receive the good news gladly:
that in Christ we know that all our sin is forgiven entirely
and we are set free to live by the Spirit of God, in faith and love.  Amen.

2.
Pastor: The grace of God is with you.
     All: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
     Gentle God, for all that we have done that diminishes life,
     that separates us from you and from others,
     we are sorrowful.
     We give to you our broken hearts.
     Receive us, bless us, and heal us.
     Forgive our sin, and restore in us
     the image of Christ.
[Silent prayer    …    the Word of grace….]   

3.
Pastor: The grace of God be with you.
      All: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
     Gentle, healing God:
     for all that is not well in us we seek your healing;
     for all that is in disharmony with your grace
     we seek your transformation;
     from all that is a burden in us we seek relief;
     for all that is broken between us and you, and others,
     we seek your forgiveness, your healing grace,
     and a new way of living.
    Accepting what is. God, we open ourselves in your grace
    to what may be.
[Silent prayer    …    the Word of grace….]   
   

A Prayer for the Sanctuary

God, you who are our dwelling place, we ask your blessing on this Sanctuary.
May it glorify you; may it point us toward you; may it serve you.
May it beckon all who seek you, and welcome all who draw near.
May our worship in this place bring us deeper into your heart.
As we gather in this place may we know your presence with us,
and the presence of all your Beloved on earth and in heaven.
In this place may we love one another, and be strengthened to serve the poor.
Gracious God, hear the prayers of all who pray here.
Bless all those who have worked in this place, and who ever draw near.
May your house be a place of safety, healing and blessing,
a refuge of grace in this world.
God, you who are our dwelling place, we ask your blessing on this Sanctuary.
Amen.

Reading

Psalm 84 – a paraphrase

O God, you who are All and Infinite,
how lovely it is to sit in the living room of your presence.

This yearning I feel, this hunger,
is to be close to you.
Will I listen to my heart cry out,
and my body tremble
to feel you, alive, beside me?

Even the sparrow finds a home,
a swallow finds a place of belonging
to nestle her tender young
near your altar,
O God, Provider of all things.

Blessed are they who live in your house;
their very living is praise to you.
Blessed are they who have no power
except your breathing in them.
Their lives are continual movement toward you.
As they pass through tearful valleys
they make them places of springs,
lush with pools from autumn rains.
They become more and more themselves
until they are wholly present, with you.

I am simply here, God.
Listen to the silence of my heart.
See me as I rest here
in the blessing of your grace.

In this moment, mindful of your presence,
I have nowhere else to be.
I would rather be with you in simplicity
than elsewhere, seeking power.

You are the Source of all light. You bestow favor and honor.
You are generous with good things
to those who open to you.
Lord, Spirit of all life,
happy are those who trust in you.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1.
            We trust in God, creator of all that is, provider of every good thing to eat.
            We follow Jesus, the Bread of Life, who embodied God’s love, made grace available to all, and gave himself in love for us.  He was crucified and died, and was raised from the dead.  We feast on his grace, and his love becomes the substance of our lives. In Christ we are all made one, as grains united in one loaf.
            We live by the Holy Spirit, the Yeast of God in us, who unites us, nourishes us and gives us strength to love our neighbors.  Graced by the power of forgiveness, the promise of resurrection and the mystery of eternal life; protected only by the armor of God’s grace; we serve in the name of Christ for the sake of others, that in the power of the Holy Spirit we may be bread for the world. Amen.

2.
            We give our hearts to God, Creator of all that is, and all that is to come, who is revealed in Word and deed, in light and in darkness, and who is yet mystery; yet whom we know as love and the source of life.
            We follow Jesus, though his teachings upset our ways and his miracles upend our world, for his words are the words of life and his love is the light of life.  He was crucified and was raised, and lives among us still, speaking to us, present with us, drawing us to him with alluring power.
            We live by the Holy Spirit, God’s power within and among us, which enables us to follow Jesus, to live lives of love, forgiveness, justice and healing, trusting in the power of grace and the mystery of eternal life.  In the unity of the Spirit we live as one Body, the Body of Christ, devoted to self-giving service to the world in the name of Christ. 

3.
            Creator God, how lovely is the dwelling you have made for us!  You who create all things, we gladly awaken in your presence.  You are our maker, our host, and our home.
            Risen Christ, how lovely is your dwelling with us!  You invite us to feast at your table: to be nourished by your wisdom, to be healed by your grace, and to share in this banquet of life with all the other poor sinners of this world.  You who taught and healed, you who died and were raised, you who are the Bread of Life, feed us with your presence, fill us with your spirit, and lead us by your Word. We desire with all our heart and mind and strength to die and live with you in the mystery of eternal life.
            Holy Spirit, love of God, how lovely is your dwelling within us!  Sophia, Wisdom of God, how gracious is your invitation to feast at your table. You make of us one body, the Body of Christ.  We give our hearts to you, that by your grace we may devote ourselves to lives of compassion, justice and joy, for the sake of the transformation of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.

4.
       We live in God, Creator of all that is and all that shall be: all of Creation is within God, who is infinite: there is nothing beyond God.
        We follow Jesus, who embodied God’s love, who taught and healed and proclaimed a new vision for the world. God was in his life and ministry, and even in his death. Therefore he was raised from the dead, and lives among us still, awakening us to the indwelling presence of God.
        We give thanks for the Holy Spirit, God living within and among us. We trust in the grace of God, the power of forgiveness, the reality of resurrection, the gift of eternal life, and our unity in the Body of Christ. We devote ourselves to lives of compassion for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name of Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Eucharistic Prayer

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

O Sacred Mystery, O gleaming darkness,
you who we can only love but not comprehend,
we praise you.
O Loving Presence, Heart of Heaven,
you who comfort and disturb, who invite us in,
we thank you.
You create us; you hold us; you free us.
You call us your own; you feed us the words of infinite life.
We gather at your table to feast on the presence of Christ,
the Bread of life.
In harmony with all Creation, we thank you and sing your praise.

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ, the Bread of Life.
We give thanks that he taught the curious, fed the hungry,
healed the broken and loved the unlovely.
He disturbed the comfortable with words of death and resurrection.
And he offered himself in a life of death and resurrection.
Though his teachings unsettle us, we do not leave him,
but we stay to feast on the words of eternal life.

     (The Blessing and Covenant) *
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ.
Having been fed the words of eternal life,
may we become bread for the hungry.
May we remain with Jesus, at his side, in his healing work,
doing justice, enacting kindness, embodying resurrection,
in his name and by the power of your Spirit.,
for the sake of the wholeness of the world.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for
the mystery that you give yourself to us /
this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.
May we continually feed on your presence and become bread for the world. Send us in Jesus’ name to serve and to love, to bless and to heal, in the power of your Spirit, to the ends of the earth. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for
the mystery that you give yourself to us /
this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.
You have fed us the Bread of life, the words of eternal life. Send us now, unafraid to follow Jesus, into the dark and unknown places, into disturbing places, knowing you dwell in the darkness, knowing you offer, always, the mystery of eternal life. Amen.

3.
… Bless us by these gifts that we might always shelter your love in our hearts, and bear it into the world with gratitude, trust and compassion. We pray as we are devoted to live: in the name and the Spirit of the risen Christ, who is always with us. Amen.

4.
… Bless us with grace and use us according to your will, so that we may serve you more faithfully. May our lives praise you with their beauty. May our actions serve you, for the sake of the healing of the world. We pray, as we give you ourselves, in the name of Christ and in the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page.)

A Safe, Healing Place (Tune: Be Thou My Vision)

God of all living, we truly are blessed:
you are our home and our soul’s gentle nest.
Even the swallows shall find in your arms
safety and beauty and rest from all harm.

As you have welcomed us into this space,
help us find others who long for your grace,
those who seek shelter and all those who roam.
Make of our living a warm, welcome home

You have forgiven and blessed us today,
healed us and raised us to go on our way:
send us in courage with trust in your grace,
to make of this world a safe, healing place.

Food for the Body (Original song)
A dialogue between leader and congregation.

All: (Chorus)Food for the body, food for the soul,
making us new again, making us whole.
Grateful we are that you faithfully give
the Spirit of love, the power to live.

Cantor:
1. Remembering Jesus, we thank you for all that he’s done.
He gives us his Spirit, and feeds us, and makes us all one
in love, in faith, in you. (Chorus):

2. The body of Jesus, broken and risen to live,
you give us to eat, by your grace to become and to give
to all, for all to live. (Chorus):

3. The Spirit of Jesus arises in us like a dove,
to give us the courage to live every moment in love
in you for you, forever. (Chorus)


The Heart of Heaven         (Original song)

There’s a heart in heaven that knows you,
and speaks your name in love from heaven’s throne,
that has laughed and labored here beside you,
and says, “I know your journey as my own.”

There are eyes in heaven that adore you,
and weep with joy at the beauty of your soul,
for they see the courage of your living,
and share your deepest yearnings to be whole.

There’s a tear in heaven that remembers,
there’s a deep, weary sigh that understands;
there are gentle, wounded hands that know the struggle
to do the work of God with human hands.

There’s a voice from heaven within you,
a spring of life-giving water flowing free.
Let it flow, let grace and peace shine in you
with heaven’s loveliness for all to see.

Oh, the heart of heaven is within you,
the universe embraces you in love,
for the humble One who walks beside you
is the One who rules the sun and stars above.



How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place   [Psalm 84]   (Original song)
A dialogue between leader and congregation.

Congregation:
How lovely is your dwelling place.
We find a home in you, O God.
Even the sparrow finds a place
in the perfect sanctuary of your grace.

Cantor:
1. My soul cries out to be with you.
My heart and flesh sing out to you. Our love is in you.

2. Blessed are they who live in you,
who put their trust in you alone. Our hope is in you.

3. You bless your pilgrims on their way.
You turn our hearts to living springs. Our strength is in you.

4. A day within your house, O God,
is better than a year without. Our joy is in you.

5. I’ll be a servant in your house,
rather than riches on my own. Our heart is in you.

6. There’s nothing good that you withhold
from those who live each day in you. Our home is in you.

Sanctuary (Original song)

Arms of healing, hands of peace, be my sanctuary.
Heal me, bless me with your grace, in your sanctuary.

All are welcome, all are safe, in your sanctuary.
All are given blessed life in your sanctuary.

May we offer, by your grace, holy sanctuary,
be your loving hands and face, be your sanctuary.

August 18, 2024

Lectionary Texts

1 Kings 3. 3-14 — Solomon asks for wisdom.

Psalm 111 — Praise! God provides food…shows power… The fear of the Holy One is the beginning of wisdom.

Ephesians 5. 15-20 — Make the most of the time… discern God’s will…. be filled with the Spirit… make melody to God in yo0r hearts….

John 6. 51-58 — “I am the living bread. Eat my flesh; drink my blood.. and live forever.”

Preaching Thoughts

1 Kings
       Solomon asks to be able to govern well and discern right from wrong. God, pleased that Solomon has not asked for riches or long life or power, promises to give Solomon riches and honor anyway. Don’t let the “happily ever after” ending of this tale distract you from the real point, which is to seek wisdom and not expect reward at all. Wisdom is its own reward.

John
      “Eat my flesh.” Did Jesus really say this? Probably not. This is really John talking. But take it seriously. John invites us not simply to have opinions about Jesus, but to “eat his flesh,” to let him get into our insides and become a vital part of who we are. In this way we know real life, life that is connected to God, which Jesus calls eternal life. Explore what it might mean to “eat his flesh.” Certainly there are eucharistic layers of meaning. What else? ..To absorb his presence… to imagine his suffering as part of you, and his healing power as part of you, too… to “take in“ his forgiveness and his life-giving energy… to let him live in your actions and words…. I don’t think it’s off point to think of a mother saying to her beloved toddler, “Oh, I love you so much I could eat you.” Whatever that means, it’s what Jesus has in mind.
       Exactly what Jesus (or at least John) means by his “flesh” is open to interpretation. He probably doesn’t mean his physical body. So then what? Maybe the embodiment of his love. Maybe his real presence. Paul talks about the Body of Christ. And for Paul the Body of Christ isn’t Jesus’ physical body, it’s the community. We are all members of the Body of Christ. John, writing his gospel, may or may not be thinking of Paul’s language, but maybe he’s making the same point. Maybe by “my flesh” Jesus means his love, enlivened by his Spirit, embodied in the community. Jesus’ love for us is not abstract. It’s embodied among us. In our lives, in our community, we can actually taste and touch Jesus—not in his physical flesh and blood but in the flesh and blood his love has moved into, in the experiences in our lives in which Christ is really, physically present.
      “Those who eat my flesh live forever.” I don’t think Jesus means living an infinitely long time. I think he means living as part of something that never dies. When we’re deeply connected with God we participate in the eternal life of God. It’s not the perpetuation of our ego, our own individual self, but our oneness with the Infinite Mystery of Love that is God. It’s love, not your individuality, that is eternal.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Gracious God, we are hungry for life.
All:  You are the Bread of Life.
We are thirsty for love.
You are the fountain of grace.
We come to feast upon your abundance.
We come to drink of your wisdom.
Alleluia!  We thank you.  We praise you.  We worship you. Alleluia!

2.
Leader: God, Creator of life, bless us.
All: Christ, bread of life, feed us.
Holy Spirit, breath of life, give us new birth.
Christ, bread of life, the aroma of your love draws us in.
The sweetness of your mercy fills us.
The hearty goodness of your presence is our hope.
We worship you, hungry for your grace.
We worship you, to feast on your love.

3.
Leader: God of our Life, we come to you!
All: Christ, the Bread of God, we hunger for you.
We come to feast on your presence.
We come to feast on your grace.
You offer yourself, and we take you in.
Feed our spirits; nourish our souls.
With the sweetness of your love on our tongues,
we praise you. We thank you. We worship you.

4.
Leader: Sweetness of Heaven, all around!
All: Honor and beauty before us!
We are silent in wonder and humility.
We praise you in gratitude and joy.
We who hunger for life come with trembling lips and open hands.
Bread of Life, you feed us. Fountain of healing, you renew us.
Bread of Life, we feast upon your grace
Alleluia! We worship you. We consume you. We become you. Alleluia!

Prayer

1.
God of abundance and grace, we are hungry for life and love, but we divert our desires to other things.  Redirect our hunger, O God, and transform our desires. Stir up our deep hunger for you, our thirst for truth, our deep desire for wisdom and compassion.  Our mouths water for your Word.  Speak to us, God of Love, and give us the bread of life.   Amen.

2.
O God, like the aroma of baking bread, the love of Christ draws us to you.  Like the nourishment of a hearty loaf, the love of Christ strengthens us.  Like the sharing of delicious bread, your Word brings us together.  God, your grace feeds the deepest hunger of our souls. We come to the table of your wisdom, the feast of your love.  Feed us your grace, O God.  Amen.  

3.
God of love, we do not ask you for riches or honor; we seek your wisdom, the wisdom of compassion and grace.  Feed us with the wisdom of Christ, the Bread of life,  that we may feast on your grace and serve you in faith, for the sake of all who are hungry for life.  Amen.

4.
God of life, we are hungry for life.
Feed us the bread of life.
Spirit of breath, we live by each breath.
Help us to breathe deeply of you.
Love of God, we release our desires for comfort and ease;
we pray for your wisdom alone.
Christ, presence of God among us, we give our hearts to you.
Help us to listen, to feast upon your presence, and to enter into eternal life.   
Amen.

5.
Wisdom of God, we come to you. You have spread your table for us; grant us now to sit at the feast of your grace and nourish our souls. O Christ, bread of life, we open our hearts to you. Enter us, become us, and transform us. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

Christ, Bread of Life,
we reach out for you;
we take the bread of your Word
and break it open, hungry for you.
We taste of your grace.
Nourish us; become us.
Bread of life, feed us with your love.

Reading

Psalm 111 – a paraphrase

God! You! Glory!

I thank you in my deepest guts,
         echoed by the whole tribe of God!

Your magic amazes me,
         confounds anyone who tries to understand.
Your miracles, brilliant and vast,
         come from such tender, loving hands!
The universe shimmers with grace,
         glows with your gentle mercy.

We are in awe: you feed us;
         you are steadfastly thoughtful toward us.
We see your grace in all that you do,
         mighty Creator, tender nursemaid.

Your love and justice sing through the world.
         When we hear it we know how to dance.
The song is eternal.
         To live is to sing it, sing it out loud,
         with eyes closed.

The bound ones you set free;
         the abandoned ones you marry.
This is your holiness,
         what sets you apart.

(Wisdom is rooted in awestruck wonder,
         overwhelmed by God.
Practice wonder,
         and you will know what you need to know.)

Lovely One, the universe is your praise.
         Infinite Beauty!
         Infinite Glory!

Prayer of Confession

1.
Leader: Creator God, we confess that we have turned from you.
All: You offer us life; but we have sought life elsewhere.
In our hunger we have been fearful and greedy,
selfish and and hurtful; and we have turned away from you.
God of love, have mercy.
Our hunger has only fed us death.
God of grace, forgive us.
Teach us that our hunger and thirst is for you alone.
Teach us to turn to you and receive life in each moment.
God of life, have mercy.
Christ, you are the Bread of Life.  Come and feed our hearts and souls.
Alleluia!  Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

2.
Gracious God,
you are the flower I have walked upon,
for I was in a hurry;
you are the ripe berries I have eaten without gratitude or wonder,
for I was hungry;
you are the stranger I did not help,
for I was afraid.
For all the sins that I know and that I do not know,
forgive me, God.
Heal me, make me new,
and help me, by your Spirit, to walk in your ways. Amen.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

        We trust in God, the Creator of all things, our Heavenly Parent.
        We follow Jesus, who loved and healed, who offered himself for the sake of others. He was crucified, but God raised him from the dead.  Risen, he is the food of our souls.   We feast on him as the Bread of Life.
        We live by the Holy Spirit, the energy of Christ in our bodies and souls. Each moment, each breath, we commune with God in Christ.  We desire always to draw closer to Christ, and to be more loving in the Spirit of God, trusting in the power of forgiveness and the mystery of resurrection, so that we ourselves are the Body of Christ, his flesh and blood.  God help us to more freely, deeply and boldly be your people.  Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.”
We thank you, God, for you have fed us in many and miraculous ways.
You give us every good plant for food.
You fed our ancestors in the wilderness,
when you delivered them from slavery.
You have sustained us on every journey,
whether or not we knew it was you.
And so we come to feast on your love,
giving thanks with all your Beloved.

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who said, “Those who eat my flesh
and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.”
We come to be part of his life.
We partake of his mercy;
we take into ourselves his healing grace.
He said, “Whoever eats of this bread will live forever.”
Therefore we are one with his love, and even his suffering.
For as he was crucified yet raised,
we too are raised with him by your grace.

     (The Blessing and Covenant) *
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
Jesus said, “Just as God sent me, and I live because of God,
so whoever eats me will live because of me.”
As we consume this bread, enter into us;
strengthen your life in us, that we may live in you,
and live for you, for the sake of the world,
in the name and the Spirit of Christ.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending  /  after Communion

1.
God of love, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.  You feed us with your Word and strengthen us with your grace.  Deepen our hunger for you, and grant us faith to feast richly on the grace of Christ. Offer us now as bread for the world, in the name and the spirit of Christ. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. In the bread, in the Word, in our prayer, and in one another, we have feasted on your presence here. And we know your presence in every act of love in our lives. Keep our hunger for your love keen, our taste for grace always on the tip of our tongues. God of abundant love, every moment we thank you with our mouths full. Send us out into the world feasted, strengthened, and generous in love, as the Body of Christ. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page.)

          Based on 1 Kings:

Be Thou My Wisdom (Tune: Be Thou My Vision )

Be thou my Wisdom and grant me your sight.
Help me to see by your love’s perfect light.
Love, be my compass, my balance, my Way:
guide from within what I choose day by day.

Grant me the wisdom to seek and to learn, to
pray for your leading and wait and discern.
Help me to listen with all of my heart,
listen for all of the Truth you impart.

Grant me your Wisdom: a heart that’s made pure,
courage to follow a love that is sure.
Led by your Spirit, listening still,
help me to know and to follow your will.

Wisdom (original song)

Wisdom, you are my sister;
let us talk together hand in hand.
Teach me the ways of your heart;
help me to understand.

               Based on John 6:

By your grace       (Tune: What Wondrous Love Is This)

What wondrous love is this O my soul, O my soul,
what wondrous love is this, O my soul!
That you so freely give the bread by which we live,
that you revive our soul, by your Word, by your Word,
and by your life in us make us whole.

Our lives we give to you, by your grace, by your grace,
our lives we give to you, by your grace.
Lord, use the gifts we give to help your children live,
that all may come and feast by your grace, by your grace,
the greatest and the least, by your grace.

God, help us die and rise, by your grace, by your grace,
by Christ alive in us, die and rise;
for when we finally do surrender all to you,
you give us life anew, by your grace, by your grace
you give eternal life, by your grace.

Food for the Body (Original song)
A dialogue between leader and congregation.

All: (Chorus)Food for the body, food for the soul,
making us new again, making us whole.
Grateful we are that you faithfully give
the Spirit of love, the power to live.

Cantor:1. Remembering Jesus, we thank you for all that he’s done.
He gives us his Spirit, and feeds us, and makes us all one
in love, in faith, in you. (Chorus):

2. The body of Jesus, broken and risen to live,
you give us to eat, by your grace to become and to give
to all, for all to live. (Chorus):

3. The Spirit of Jesus arises in us like a dove,
to give us the courage to live every moment in love
in you for you, forever. (Chorus)

The Harvest of Your Grace (Original song.
Includes Eucharistic responses to this tune.)
A dialogue between cantor and congregation.

Leader:
1. God scatters abroad, and gives to the poor, and fills the hungry with good things
     All: Alleluia! O God, we rejoice in the harvest of your grace.
2. How blessed the poor, and all those that mourn. “You do to me as to them.”
      Alleluia! We offer our gifts for the harvest of your grace.
3. Now come to the Feast. Our cups overflow. With grateful hearts we remember.
      Alleluia! We come now to work in the harvest of your grace.
4. God’s grace will abound, in seed and in bread. In joy then sow as you reap.
      Alleluia! God, gather from us the harvest of your grace.
5. You will receive, so that you can give, and yield a harvest of good hearts.
      Alleluia! God send us to share in the harvest of your grace.


Risen Bread        (Tune: Be Thou My Vision)

You laid your life down like sowing a seed;
once dead and buried, from death you are freed,
rising like wheat in the warmth of the sun!
Christ you are risen! New life has begun!

Christ, you are risen, but not far above:
you live among us in each act of love,
in every deed of compassion you rise,
living in flesh we can see with our eyes.

Christ, we are blest as we gather to dine,
strengthened for love by the bread and the wine.
This is your Body, now entering ours,
strong with your loving, miraculous powers.

Gathered like wheat from the fields in the sun,
once we were scattered but raised we are one.
We are the body of your love and grace,
your blest community, your real human face.

Jesus, you feed us, then bid us to leave,
sharing with others the love we receive.
We are your Body, sent by your command,
making love real as the bread in our hands.

Note:
Third verse may be omitted if there is no communion.
Final verse may be included with previous verses
or as a blessing at the end of the service.


We Feast On Your Love        (Original song)

Chorus: We drink from your presence.
We feast on your love.
This is the banquet we’ve been dreaming of. (Repeat.)

You gather us: no one’s unworthy,
and no one is “greatest” or “least.”
You multiply what we offer,
so multitudes may feast. — Chorus

We hunger and thirst for your spirit,
we open ourselves to your grace.
In flows the mercy you offer
in every time and place. — Chorus

We taste the sweet wine made from water,
our bread is your body you give.
“Drink of the water I give you,
so you may truly live.”

You Feed Us, Gentle Savior   (Tune: O Sacred Head Now Wounded)

You feed us, gentle savior, the bread that makes us whole,
the wine of your compassion poured out into our soul.
the food of your own presence, your spirit, strong, within,
the grace that heals us deeply and overcomes our sin.

You bind us, gentle savior, and weave us into one,
one flesh and blood, made holy, the Body of your Son.
We gather here in hunger, one hunger, all the same;
and with one grace you bless us together in his name.

You call us, gentle savior, and send us in your name.
You teach and heal and show us how we can do the same.
So strengthened by your Spirit and nourished by your grace,
we go to be your presence in love, in every place.