Steve – Page 85 – Unfolding Light

Creation- Centered Resources

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Eternal God, whose breath is the universe, whose Word is the world—
All: amazed, we praise you.
Creating God, who with delight and play, with wisdom and beauty
fashions every creature—
in love, we thank you.
Loving God, you weave us into the great web of life,
which is our shared home, our common body, our one belonging.
Grateful, we worship you.

2.
Leader: ”The heavens are telling your glory, God;
and the firmament proclaims your handiwork.
All: Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares your Word.”
The stars have lit their candles
The dawn puts on its robe and begins the procession.
The great organ of the wind and the choir of the sea sea lift up their music.
The trees and mountains stand in awe of you.
The whales and the meadowlarks sing their praise.
The rivers flow with their offerings.
And even the continents, ever so, slowly, dance with joy.
And we, your creatures, gather with all our sibling creatures
to glorify you, to hear your Word., and to worship. Alleluia!

3.
Leader: The land holds us.
All: Sky breathes in us.
Trees stand around us alike ancestors.
Birds sing to us like friends.
Rivers flow with tears of joy.
Living beings feed us and walk with us.
In the end the earth receives us.
All Creation is God’s love poured out;
we receive it with joy, care for it with gratitude,
and in unity with all Creation we worship God. Alleluia!.

4.
Leader: Creator of the universe, you have made us, and we are in awe!
All: You have saved us and we are grateful!
You inspire us and we are full of your love.
Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

5.
Leader: Creating God, the rising sun proclaims your goodness.
All: The flowing river speaks of your grace.
The fruit of the earth feeds us with your love.
We worship you with humble gratitude.
Bless us that we may live in harmony with all living beings,
as members of the Body of Christ, one in your Holy Spirit,
to your glory and delight. Amen.

6.
Leader: Eternal God, maker of all things, all Creation dances before you.
All: The stars and planets circle in joy and wonder.
The seas wave and clap their hands.
The trees sway to the music of your wind.
Every living thing is a song of praise to you.
And our hearts sing with thanksgiving.
Alleluia! We worship you with joy and reverence. Alleluia!

7.
Leader: Creator, O Mystery, Our Source, we praise you.
All: You have made one great Creation and we are part of it.
The harmony of all living things, woven together, is the hymn of your praise.
Our oneness is your will. Our belonging is our inheritance.
With stars and microbes, ocean currents and nerve fibers, we are one.
We dwell in the ecosystem of heaven.
We are your microbiome, O God.
We who have thought ourselves separate return.
We who have acted as if we are alone, rejoin you.
We worship you as the Body of Christ.
May our harmony with you, with one another and with all Creation
be our praise and our worship. Amen.

8.
Leader: All of Creation surrounds us, the great Circle of Life.
All: We are a part of the circle. We give thanks to you, O God our Creator!
God has blessed us with all living things, and with the gift of love.
Christ, our Teacher, lead us in the path of love, the Way of Life.
Every living thing bears glory to God.
Come, Holy Spirit, and fill us with your grace,
that we may bear fruit and give glory to God,
in our worship now, and in all of our lives. Alleluia!

Prayers

1.
Eternal God, in the beginning was the Word, and all things were created in the Word. All Creation is your Word made flesh. Speak your Word to us now, that our flesh may become your Word. We open our hearts to your presence and your grace. Amen.

2. Leader: Creator God, we celebrate your gift of Earth, your gift of all Creation.
All: We give thanks that you embodied your love in Jesus,
made your compassion real with the dust of the earth,
and so blessed our lives, our breath and our bodies.
Loving Creator, we renew our reverence for your gift.
We look to Earth not as a “resource,” for our use, but a temple of your presence,
a living being that we are part of and in relationship with.
God, we, praise you; we confess our self-centeredness.
We open our hearts to your Spirit, that we may love as you have loved us.

3.
God, you spun the stars out of the Word, you molded planets with your hands, you brought forth green living things with your breath and birthed every creature with love. The winds praise you, the mountains stand in awe, and the birds sing hymns of gratitude. We share the thanks of the waving grasses, the joy of the leaping dolphins, and the reverence of the seas. We belong to your Creation; may we honor your work, live peaceably with all living things, and work for the healing of the wounds of the earth. Amen.

4.
Creator God, we are grateful to be a part of your Creation. We give thanks for the gift of life around us, and we open our hearts to your gift within us as well. Speak your creating word to us, that re-weaves us in the web of life, that we may bear fruit, fruit that gives life, in the name of Christ. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

1.
Creator God, we confess we have not honored your Creation;
we have not loved it as you have loved us.
We have thought ourselves separate, not part of your Creation.
Forgive our ignorance and arrogance,
our greed and destructiveness.
Bring us again into the oneness of your Creation;
forgive us, heal our fears and transform our desires,
and shepherd us to be good stewards
of the gift of life.

2.
God of love, we are a broken people. 
The fabric of life is tattered in our hands; 
the web is torn. 
Even as we wound the earth we dream of its wholeness. 
Even as we deplete Creation we marvel at its abundance. 
Even as we separate ourselves from the natural world
 we long to rejoin it,  to reclaim our sacred belonging  in the Body of Christ. 
We have starved ourselves of your grace, O God. 
Though we have tuned away, forgive us. 
Heal us and renew us. 
Deepen our hunger for unity.
 Renew in us the gift of your Spirit 
that we may truly be branches of one vine,
 all Creation, bearing the fruit of your love. 
Amen .

Response
Leader: People of God, children of the earth, 
know that the God of Life forgives all our sin, 
and heals our brokenness. 
As the earth receives us at our death, 
God receives us and includes us.  
As spring renews the face of the earth, 
God renews the Holy Spirit in us, 
that we may have life, and have it abundantly,
 in the great ecology of grace. 
By the grace of God, in the name of Christ,
 the oneness and the blessing and the beauty of all Creation are yours,
now and forever. Amen.

Readings

1. [from Psalm 104, paraphrased]

Sung Response: Praise be to God, the Almighty, who rules in Creation.

Bless the Holy One, O my soul.
          O Holy One, my God, you are great.
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
           wrapped in light as your robe.
You stretch out the heavens like a tent;
           You make the winds your messengers,
           fire and flame your ministers.
You set the earth on its foundations,
           and dress it with oceans and land .
You make the springs bubble forth in the valleys;
           they flow between the hills,
           giving drink to every wild animal.
By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation;
           they sing among the branches.          R

You cause the grass to grow for the cattle
           and plants for people to use,
to bring forth food from the earth,
           and wine to gladden the heart.
oil to make the face shine,
           and bread to strengthen the human heart.
The trees of God are watered abundantly;
           in them the birds build their nests.
O God, how wonderful is your working!
           In wisdom you create this whole miracle.
Every living being looks to you to give them their food in due season;
           when you open your hand they are filled with good things.
When you take away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
           when you send forth your spirit they are created,
           and you renew the face of the ground.
May your glory, O God, endure forever.
           I will sing to God as long as live.
           I will sing praise to God while I have being.      R

2. [From Psalm 148]
Praise God! Praise the Holy One from the heavens;
       praise God in the heights!
Praise God, sun and moon;
       praise God, all you shining stars!
Let them praise the name of the Creator,
       who commanded and they were created.
Praise the Eternal One from the earth,
       you sea creatures and all deeps!
Fire and hail, snow and frost,
       stormy wind fulfilling God’s command!
Mountains and all hills,
       fruit trees and all cedars!
Wild animals and all cattle,
       creeping things and flying birds!
Rulers of the earth and all peoples!
       People of every gender, age and race together!
Let them praise the name of the Loving One,
       for God’s name alone is exalted.
God’s glory is throughout earth and heaven.
       Praise God!

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1.
       We believe in God, Creator of all, who is creating even now, bringing all things into existence, whose Word is made flesh in all Creation, whose presence is embodied in all living beings.
       We follow Christ, who perfectly embodied God’s love. He taught and healed; he fed the hungry and embraced the outcast. He was at one with all Creation: even the seas upheld
him, and the wind and the waves listened to his voice. He was crucified, but even in death life blessed him: God raised him from the dead, the Ruler of Life.
       We live by the Holy Spirit, the breath of life in us and all creatures: the power to love, to forgive, to create, to give life. We trust in this grace that makes us one with all Creation. And by the power of that Spirit we devote ourselves in covenant faithfulness to humble reverence and grateful service to all Creation, in the name of Christ. Amen.

2.
           We praise you God, for your Creation of all that is, of galaxies and toadstools, of earth and all its wonder and goodness.
           We thank you, O Christ, for you have embodied God’s love among us. You healed people in mind and body; you touched those who were rejected and laid your hands on those who were broken. You fed the hungry with the gifts of the earth. You created a new community that embodied God’s vision of justice. You have shepherded us in green pastures of love, through the deepest valleys, to a place of feasting and hospitality. You laid down your life for us, and God raised you from the dead, redeeming all flesh, making holy all living things.
           We belong to you, Holy Spirit. You make us one Body with one another and with all Creation: one divine, living ecosystem of love. You empower us as stewards of life, to care for Creation, to lead all living things toward wholeness. Holy One, we belong to you; and we give our lives for the sake of life. Amen.

Suggested Songs

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

An Offering verse (Tune: This Is My Father’s World)

This is your world O God, a gift of love from you.
We pray that we may faithfully serve you in all we do.
Since all we have is yours, and bears deep love from you,
Bless us with care to gladly share your love as you would do.

All Things Bright and Beautiful
[ Words: Refrain and v. 1 Cecil Alexander; vv. 2-4 Steve Garnaas-Holmes]

(Refrain) All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful: the Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings,
God made their glowing colors, and made their tiny wings.

The animals that guide us and bear our heavy loads
remind us of the God who walks with us on all our roads. (Refrain…)

The creatures who befriend us and love us faithfully
make God’s pure love, that never tests, so clear and plain to see. (Refrain…)

With many kinds of glory, all fish and bugs and birds
call forth our thanks and wonder and praise beyond all words. (Refrain…)

Heavens Are Telling        (Tune: Morning Has Broken)
[Ps. 19.1]

Heavens are telling, galaxies singing,
your Word compelling, “Let there be light.”
All living beings shine with your glory;
all we are seeing is your delight.

God, your love flows in every direction,
filling and blessing every dark place.
Even the shadows shine with your presence,
even the darkness hums with your grace.

Everything moving moves by your Spirit:
flight of the birds and dance of the stars,
migrating whales and flow of the river;
breath of the wind is breath that is ours.

Bless every creature, bright with God’s glory;
bless every feature, fin, fur and wing.
Each is completing God’s wondrous story;
each is God’s greeting; praises they sing.

Join in the Circle     (Tune: Be Thou My Vision)

God, we are one with the water and land,
made from the dust of the earth by your hand:
one in your Spirit that in us all sings,
one with Creation, and all living things.

Giver of Life, God, our Source and our Womb,
in selfish greed we abuse and consume.
Heal us, forgive us, and bring us new birth;
bring us back home to our place in the earth.

Maker, Sustainer and Healer of all,
Servant of Love, may we honor your call:
“Join in the circle, and flourish and live:
take, bless and share, now, this life that I give.”

O Great Creating God     (Tune: This Is My Father’ World)

We sing in awe, O God: each wondrous, living thing,
earth, stars and sun you made as one, and all your praises sing.
O great creating God, creating still, in grace
these gifts you give, and let us live on earth, this holy place.

We breathe as one, O God, one Body with all earth,
one flesh, one blood, one common good, one love that gives us birth.
O great creating God, your cry goes out, unheard,
for when we bruise or we misuse your earth, we scorn your Word.

We cry in grief, O God. Creation’s wounds we mourn:
by war and greed, disease and need, the web of life is torn.
O great, creating God, forgive our prideful sins
for we have scarred your earth and marred the gift where life begins.

We live in hope, O God, and bear your holiness:
in Christ we turn our hearts and learn to heal and serve and bless.
O great creating God, in grace creating still,
may we renew this world with you, in peace with your good will.

The River of God (Original Song)

[A dialogue between cantor/song-leader and congregation]

Cantor:
Praise is due to you, O God, our Beloved.
To you alone we devote our lives.
O you who answer prayer!
To you all flesh shall come.

Congregation (Refrain):
The river of God is full of water.
Praise to you, O God!

By mighty deeds you deliver us.
You are the hope of all people on earth. …Refrain

Morning and evening resound with joy.
We are silent in awe. —Refrain

You bless the earth and water it,
granting the blessing of bountiful growth. …Refrain

Meadows and wilderness overflow,
wearing their finest in joy. …Refrain

When the depth of our sin overwhelms us,
you forgive all our transgressions.
How blessed we are, O God,
that you hold us near your heart. …Refrain

Born

You must be born again.
—John 3.7

To be as involved in you as a fetus
As with you as a child on your hip

Swaddled in you
borne again and again

To be this small,
curled in your hand

My only world your eyes
my only land your arms

To have no style yet, no works
only breath

Utterly dependent
nursing at your miraculous breast

To learn to walk, to speak, to begin
and then tomorrow begin again

day after day
new, innocent, unknowing

Every day a precipice of discovery
of you, of me, of how to be

toddler-eyed at the wonder
of this world unfolding into me

the realm of the real again each day
as if for the first time amazed

Never to leave this umbilical faith
never to outgrow you

__________________
Listen to the audio version:

Born

Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (727.6KB)

Subscribe: Spotify | RSS

So loved

A child plays on the banks of a mountain stream.
He slips, falls into the icy current.
His mother’s heart falls also—crashes—yet leaps,
with a parent’s deep love-panic.
She rushes down the bank, out into the water.
Of course she will endure the rocks, the cold, the danger,
she will grab her child and bring him to safety.
She doesn’t care how disobedient he was to go there.
She doesn’t care that he told her he hated her.
Doesn’t care he ruined the couch yesterday,
woke her three times last night, and is going to need braces.
Without reserve she plunges in and holds him tight.
Of course. Because she loves him no matter what.
This is how God so loved the world,
not in sending a rep, not in working a deal,
but by rushing down, diving into the pain,
saving us from ourselves, and holding us
without judgment or condemnation
because she will never abandon her flesh and blood,
never.

__________________
Listen to the audio version:

So loved

Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (653.8KB)

Subscribe: Spotify | RSS

A Lenten discipline: Beginning

           You must be born again.
                           —John 3.7

In the season of Lent Jesus invites us
to practice the discipline of beginning.

God, give me grace to let go of who I have been,
what I have done and not done,
all pride of accomplishment and guilt over failure—
and start over.
Give me such trust in your absolute, profound forgiveness
that I am free to begin anew.
Help me to let go of having it all figured out,
to be a rookie. Beginner’s mind.
To be a learner, attentive each moment,
free of old habits and assumptions,
seeing as if for the first time.
To ask for help and be willing to be led,
as utterly reliant on you
as a newborn infant in my mother’s arms.

Breath prayer:
                            Begin … anew

__________________
Listen to the audio version:

Lenten discipline: Beginning

Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (687.2KB)

Subscribe: Spotify | RSS

Born again

You cannot get life, earn it,
keep it, or store it up like money.
It is breath, Spirit.

You receive it.
Then you release it,
and become open to receive again.

You cannot hold it.
You must receive it.
God gives it to you.

Let go of your life,
accomplishments and mistakes,
all you deserve — good and bad —

and instead receive it anew from God
in this moment,
a single breath.

Let your repentance
be simply to breathe,
to receive and let go.

All the things you have to do
and all the things you want to do
disappear into the breath.

It is a death and resurrection.
Let yourself disappear into the breath,
the spirit, and be born again.

Go slow enough to live in the breath,
to surrender the life you build and hoard,
and to live the life God gives you.

Falling and rising, your breath
is the gift of life from God,
made new in every moment.

Breathe gently.
Breathe deeply.
Breathe life.

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

How to be born (again)

1. Someone wants you. Conceived you. Is waiting.

2. There is a very thin boundary between you
         and what nourishes you, embeds you,
         becomes you.

3. There is no coming to life without pain,
         no awakening without surrender,
         no struggle without hope.

4. Through the valley of the shadow of death,
         Red Sea, gaping tomb, birth canal,
         life draws you, knowing.

5. Let the Beloved push you out of her
         into her lap. It is with love
         that she lets you go.

6. Breathe in. Breathe out.

7. Shed the sac of all the awful things.
         Let the cord of your shame and suffering be severed.
         Each breath, you are delivered
         into the new world.

8. Beneath the slime you are beautiful. You are new.
         Allow yourself, naked, flawed and bewildered,
         to be perfect, to be held, to be adored.

9. In this moment, the Holy One gives you life.
         The Holy One alone.
         Stay here.

10. Breathe in. Breathe out.

11. Each moment her sweet umbilical breath.
         Receive this life,
         and bear her love into this day.

12. Breathe in. Breathe out.

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

God so loves the world

God so loves the world
that she gives herself,
gives the love of her life,
the child of her heart,
gives of her own flesh,
so that everyone who trusts,
who receives grace,
who puts their heart
in the embodiment of love,
will be rooted in life,
and be given life,
life that is stronger than death,
life that can’t be taken from them.

Love doesn’t bind or distance us
or violate our belonging,
but saves us
from our splintering from the world,
from the layers
between us and what is within us.
Love doesn’t throw us away,
but salvages us for love.

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

OT 22 -14th Sunday After Pentecost

September 3, 2023

Lectionary Texts

Exodus 3 1-15 —God appears to Moses in a burning bush and tells Moses to go to Egypt to set the people free. God says “I AM.”

Psalm 105 — God’s wondrous works. God fulfills God’s Covenant, God’s promise to be there for us.

Romans 12. 9-21 — “Let your love be genuine, and overcome evil with good.”

Matthew 16.21-28 — Jesus foresees his death at the hands of the religious authorities. Peter objects, but Jesus scolds him. He says “take up your cross and follow me.” Save your life and lose it; lose you life and find it.

Preaching Thoughts

Exodus
       We think of the burning bush as a sudden, dramatic revelation. But Moses would have to have stood there a while to notice that the bush wasn’t being consumed. There’s something contemplative about it.
       God says “I know my people’s suffering” —“know” is the same word as in “Adam knew Eve”— you know, sex. That is, God is intimately close to our suffering. God feels our pain.
       God calls Moses to lead the people out of slavery. This is what God does. God liberates. God sets us free from oppression, from the power of our anxious ego-centered fears, from social strictures, from sin, from the power of death. (Notice how many of Jesus’ miracles have an overtone of Exodus or liberation about them.) God’s freedom doesn’t mean individualism, or permission to do whatever we want; it means having whatever we need to live deep, abundant, beautiful life.
      God is opposed to all injustice and oppression. But God’s doesn’t end it. That’s our job. God’s gift of freedom for us call us to work for freedom for others from social in justice and oppression. We don’t wait for God to intervene. We are God’s intervention.
       God calls Moses to go back to Egypt. Back to where he’s a wanted man. Sometimes we’re called not to be pioneers but to go back so as to bring others forward.
       Moses asks for God’s name, maybe as another stalling tactic. But maybe it’s an honest question, and a good one. Which god do you serve? The god of capitalism? The god of conformity to social systems of privilege and exclusion? The god of love? When we do or say things “in God’s name” we should be specific.
       God says, “I AM.” Or, maybe “I will be what I will be.” Or maybe “I be Being.” YHWH. The sound of breathing in and out. The sound of Ah! The sound of Awe. God’s “name” is not a name. It’s a nickname at best. Like the Trinity it’s not only a mystery, it is mystery. It’s not a concept or idea, nor a puzzle that can be solved or a key that can be used. It’s a mystery, beyond our comprehending, infinite in its own way. The ancient tradition of substituting “The LORD” (kind of like “He who shall not be named”) reminds us we’re just using a euphemism for a metaphor for a mystery. I’m not fond of the word “Lord,” with its sexism (“lords and ladies”) and coercion (“lord it over you”) but I like being reminded that there is actually no good language about God, only language to God. The only truthful name for God is “Thou.”

Romans
       This is a very different picture of what it means to be a Christian than someone who thinks Jesus is the son of God. It’s someone who shows love, hope, patience, prayerfulness, generosity, empathy, harmony, humility, non-violence, forgiveness, love of enemy and the will to overcome evil with good.

Matthew
       I don’t think Jesus foresaw the future, nor was it Jesus’ “plan” to get crucified. He just knew how Power works. Those who fight for justice know the likelihood of persecution and even death. It was easy and appropriate for Matthew to put this “prediction“ on Jesus’ lips after the fact.
       Peter’s objection to Jesus is the first defensive salvo in the fight against the “war on Christianity.” Even Jesus engaged in a war against Christianity: he knew he would be persecuted, and expected his followers to be persecuted. To complain about that is un-Christian, or, as Jesus says, to set the mind of human and not divine things. The point is not our own privilege or security, but loving others, even at our own expense.
      “Deny yourselves.” It doesn’t mean to neglect yourself, belittle or diminish yourself, needlessly endanger yourself, or abandon who you are. It means to let go of the insatiable desire for power, security and privilege, demands of the ego that always wants to shield and protect yourself, separate from others. It means to abandon the illusion that you are even separate from others at all. You are part of all of us. It means to renounce your self-centeredness and allow yourself to be centered in God. Trusting that you are part of the living Body of Christ, you can risk and even suffer for the sake of love and justice.
       “Take up your cross.” The cross is not an annoyance, like an uncle who talks too much. (“Sigh… that’s my cross to bear….”) The cross is an instrument of state-sponsored terrorism. The cross is the price of love in a system that rewards selfishness. The cross means willingness to suffer for the sake of love. Jesus calls his disciples to radical self-denial and sacrifice, to the point of willingness to give one’s life. Giving your life doesn’t just mean dying; it’s any experience of self-giving or surrender to the call of love. Bearing your cross doesn’t mean believing in Jesus. It’s not something inside your head. It’s not for you. It’s to love others. The call to take up your cross is like God’s call to Moses in the burning bush: “I want you to help my people be free. It will cost you, but it’s worth it. I’ll be with you. Go.” When we take up our cross it isn’t really ours: it’s really Jesus’, and he’ll be there carrying the weight all the way.
      “Cling to your life and lose it; let go of your life and find it.” A Christian koan. When we’re wrapped up in protecting ourselves and our security, power and privilege we shield ourselves from love, from deep relationships and deeply experiencing life—we cut ourselves off from real life. Only when the shields come down, when we’re vulnerably, lovingly present, do we really engage in life. The life that we control is small enough to fit in our hands. Small indeed. But the life we receive from God is infinite. Eternal. This is resurrection: when we surrender our life to love, God gives us new ones.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: God, you have heard the cries of your people.
All: You know the pain of those who suffer injustice.
You have called us to help set them free.
You have invited us to take up our cross and love despite the cost.
Give us compassion to hear the cries of the oppressed.
Give us courage to follow Jesus.
Speak to us, that our hearts, too,
may burn and not be consumed.

2. (Psalm 105.1-4)
Leader: O give thanks to the Holy One! Celebrate God’s wonderful deeds.
All: Sing praises to God; tell of all God’s wonderful works.
Seek the strength of God’s presence.
May our seeking for God give our hearts joy.
God, who called Moses, calls us all.
We listen, we hear, and we answer.
We worship with humility, joy and gratitude. Alleluia!

2.
Leader: Loving God, Fountain of Life, Eternal Source, our very being flows from you.
All: We sing your praise, with all Creation.
Your heart is among us in Christ. Your hand is upon us in the call of Jesus.
We rise to your call, humble and longing.
Your Holy Spirit stirs in us.
We breathe deeply of holy courage, divine grace, infinite life.
Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

3.
Leader: God of freedom, you have brought us up out of Egypt.
All: You have set us free from what enslaves us.
Come to us again, and liberate us anew.
Set us free by your love, and call us to bring freedom to others.
We remove the sandals from our feet, and attend. Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Loving God, Voice of Life, you call to us. You appear to us in many ways—in burning bushes and subtle hints. By your Spirit in us, open our eyes to notice. Open our ears to hear. Open our hearts to follow and obey. Amen.

2.
Eternal God, Moses saw a bush burning in the desert, and he turned aside to look. Jesus is a burning bush. And so we draw near. Your presence radiates in this world; your grace shines in our lives; and so we turn aside to look, to enter upon holy ground, to be in your presence. Speak your living Word to us, O God; our hearts are open. Amen.

Listening Prayer

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

The bush that burns is just a little thing:
your glory, in this present moment.
I turn aside.
I take off my working shoes.
I listen.
You Are.
I listen.

Prayer of Confession

God, we confess that we cling to our lives.
We protect and provide for ourselves
We do not love perfectly, afraid of the cost.
Forgive our selfishness, heal our fear,
and deepen our trust in your grace,
that we may let go of our lives,
take up the cross of love,
and receive true life from you.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1. [ Mt. 16.24-25]
Leader: “Those who want to save their life will lose it.”
All: I confess my attachment to power, privilege, security and esteem.
I confess I seek my own well-being separate from others.
I confess I would rather be safe than loving.
“But those who lose their life for love’s sake will find it.”
Give me faith to risk for the sake of love.
Give me courage to choose justice over my security.
I give you my life, God, that you may give life back to me,
new, and free and infinite.
“Take up your cross and follow me.”
God, give me grace to follow Jesus,
by the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

2.
          We believe in God, the One Who Is, the One who is there for us, creator of all things, and yet mindful of us, who knows our suffering, condemns the forces of oppression, and sets us free.
          We follow Christ, in whom God is there for us: he healed and taught, he opposed injustice, and he accepted the cross in nonviolent love and forgiveness for the sake of our healing. He died, and rose again; and he lives among us, and calls us to follow.
          We live by the Holy Spirit, God’s love, trust and courage alive in us, which empowers us to care for the suffering of the world. We live as one Church, the Body of Christ, trusting in the power of forgiveness, the reality of resurrection, and the presence of eternal life. We desire to follow Jesus in lives of gentle and courageous love, and so we pray that by the grace of God we might learn from Christ, and take up our cross and follow.

2. [Romans 12.1-2, 9-21]
          God of love, by your mercy we present our whole lives to you as a living sacrifice, seeking not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewal of our mindfulness, so that we may discern what is your delight, what is good and life-giving and whole.
           Therefore let our love be genuine. May we turn from what is evil, and hold fast to what is good; may we love one another with mutual affection and honor others. May we not lag in zeal, but be ardent in spirit, serving you. By your grace may we rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, and persevere in prayer. Help us by your Spirit to contribute to the needs of the saints and extend hospitality to strangers.
          We bless those who persecute us; we bless and do not curse them. We rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. We desire to live in harmony with one another; we seek not to be above others but to associate with the lowly, not claiming to be wiser than we are. We will not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. By your grace, we will live peaceably with all. We take no part in vengeance: if our enemies are hungry, we will feed them; if they are thirsty, we will give them something to drink. We will not be overcome by evil, but by your grace we shall overcome evil with good.
          This is our spiritual worship, and our faith. For this life in Christ we give you thanks, and we ask your blessing. 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 be 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, we thank you.
You create us; you love us and claim us; you walk with us.
You set us free from all that oppresses us.
As you called to Moses to work for freedom and justice,
you call us as well, that all people may be free.
This table is your burning bush: you appear in glory;
you call us; you change and direct our lives.
Therefore with all who are oppressed,
with all who love you, and with all Creation,
we sing your praise.

            [Sanctus, spoken:]
        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——
               [Sung. Tune: Finlandia):]
God, Holy, Holy, Holy One, we praise you.
The universe is glorious with your light.
O loving God, we sing Hosanna to you,
and thank you God; and sing and live our praise.
Blest is the one who comes and bears your mercy.
Hosanna, God! We thank you all our days.

Blessed are all who come in your love,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He loved and taught and healed,
and asked us to follow him in setting free the oppressed.
He entered into the suffering of the world and was crucified,
but you raised him from death to life.
He calls us still to take up our cross and follow.
[The Blessing and Covenant…]

Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
As often as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection until he comes again.
Remembering these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
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:]
        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 sung:]
       Your Christ has died. Your loving Christ is risen.
       And Christ will come again in faithful love.

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 Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
rejoicing in hope, patient in suffering, serving and blessing,
weeping with those who weep, rejoicing with those who rejoice,
living in harmony, overcoming evil with good,
for the sake of your will for the freedom of all people.

                    [Spoken:]
Amen.
          —or —
                  [Sung:]
         All praise to you, forever and forever!
         All praise to you. Amen. Amen. 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.) You have appeared to us in this burning bush and called us to help you bring about justice and freedom. By your Spirit that we feast on in this meal, strengthen and guide us for the work ahead, in the grace of Christ. Amen.

Suggested Songs

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

Communion song (Tune: Finlandia)
[There are Eucharistic responses to this tune in Easter Eucharistic Responses.]

You call us, Christ, to take our cross and follow,
but first you bring us here to feast with you,
Our gifts we bring, to celebrate your loving;
our lives we give, to die and rise anew.
Feed us your grace, your Spirit of compassion,
make us your Body now, your will to do.

Calling Me (Original song)

Dear God, Creator eternally, you call everything to be.
How are you calling me, even now?
Who do you call me to be?
Where is your image in me, calling me?

Jesus, lord of the fishermen, calling your children,
you call to me once again, even now.
What will you lead me to do?
How can I witness to you, calling me, calling me?

Spirit, power of love in me, how do you set me free,
what gifts are you giving me, even now?
I am a vessel for you.
Humbly I listen to you, calling me, calling me.

I Take Up My Cross (Original song)

All: Letting go, I am held. I take up my cross and follow.
Cantor:
1. Jesus, you call to me, and draw me into your life.
2. I will endure loss to love alone.
3. By your grace in me I touch the suffering of the world.
4. Bearing the cross with you, I die and rise with you.

OT 23 – 15th Sunday After Pentecost

September 10, 2023

Lectionary Texts

Exodus 12.1-14 — Directions for the celebration of Israel’s liberation in the Passover meal.

Psalm 148 — A song of praise to God, sung by all of Creation as a single community.

Romans 13.8-14 — Love alone is the law of the Christian community. This requires radical forgiveness: “Owe no one anything, except to love one another.”

Matthew 18.15-20 — If someone sins against you, talk to them. Work it out in community. “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

Preaching Thoughts

The month of September is recognized as the Season of Creation. Click here for Creation Centered worship resources.

       The lectionary texts are all about community. Exodus portrays us a community that remembers God’s grace in our lives. The Psalm sees us as a community that celebrates. Paul says we’re a community of love. Jesus says it’s in community that we work out our conflicts.
       Jesus’ outline for conflict resolution is mostly about listening. If you’re in conflict with someone who won’t listen, the witnesses you engage should not be to bolster your side or intimidate the other, but to help the other one hear, and maybe even more to help you listen for what you might be missing.
      “Let them be as a Gentile or a tax collector.” It sounds like an excuse to reject them—but how did Jesus treat them? By welcoming them, reaching out to them.
      “What you bind on earth will be bound in heaven.” Jesus isn’t giving us cosmic powers, but he is saying our judgments and attachments, our forgiveness and healing, have cosmic consequences. The resentments or forgiveness you enact you will carry around in your heart forever. So be forgiving.
      “Where two are three are, there I am.” Jesus doesn’t need a big church; a little one will do. Even more to the point: Jesus is in relationships.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: God of love, we come not by our initiative but by your invitation.
All: Together we worship, together we grow.
Loving Christ, in your grace you gather us into your Body.
Together we worship, together we grow.
Holy Spirit, you make us one with you, one with Christ,
and one in ministry to the world.
Together we worship, together we grow.
Together we praise you in harmony. Alleluia!

2. [Exodus]
Leader: God of Justice, you have set us free.
All: Alleluia! We thank you, and we worship you.
God of Justice, not all your people are free.
Lord, have mercy. We pray for them, and we turn to you.
God of Justice, you call us to set your people free.
Come, Holy Spirit; inflame us with gratitude and courage,
that we may resist evil, injustice and oppression,
and work to set all people free, in the name of Christ. Amen.

3.
Leader: Eternal God, you call us into being!
All: Risen Christ, you draw us up into life!
Holy Spirit, you radiate your grace in us.
We worship you. We praise you. We love you.
You make your church as one Being, a community of blessing, the Body of Christ.
Alleluia! Come, spirit of grace, and make us one;
in love and delight, make us yours. Alleluia!

4.
Leader: Christ, you have promised
that where two or three are gathered, you are among us.
All: We gather in your name, and in your presence.
Sit with us, pray with us, sing with us.
Listen to us, speak to us, worship with us.

5.
Leader: God of love, we are a community
that remembers your grace among us.
All: With gratitude ew thank you, that you have brought us through.
We are part of the whole community of Creation.
With all living things we praise you, that you make us one.
We are a community that learns together.
With humility we listen for your Word.
May we learn from one another,
and grow deepen in our love,
in the name and spirit of Christ, Amen.

6.
Leader: Loving God, you welcome us into the home of your heart.
All: We gladly enter your house, together with all your Beloved.
We find shelter in your love, and we feast upon your Word.
May we always know our true food and rest to be in you.
Bless us, that as we gather with one another, with all who follow Christ,
and with all who suffer, we may be inspired and strengthened
to offer your hospitality to others in your name.
Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of all Creation, you gather us here in your Spirit as the Body of Christ. You call us to grow in love and faith. Open our ears to hear your Word. Open our eyes to see the path you call us to. Open our hearts to be changed and to grow, to blossom and to bear fruit, in the name of Christ. Speak, Holy One, for we are listening. Amen.

2.
God of gentle grace, we are caught up in nets of guilt and shame, traps of duty and obligation, and bondage to our fears and desires. Come to us, speak your liberating word to us, and set us free, with the Spirit and presence of Christ. Amen.

3.
God of grace, you have given us the gift of community. Bless us with humility, that we may receive the gifts of community. Bless us with open hearts, that we may receive your gifts through one another, and through your Word. By the grace of Christ’s presence with us, may we hear, and may we live, your Good News. Amen.

4.
Gracious God, source of all truth and wisdom, you have taught your community how to live. Speak your Word to us now, that we might grow in love and in faith, not just as individuals but as a community. Gather us and reshape us by your Word. We pray in the name of Christ, your Word made flesh. Amen.

Listening Prayer

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

O Christ,
where two or three are,
you are here.
In the being here,
in the love,
is your being here,
is your love.
We are present together
for each other.

Readings

[Matthew 18.15-20, a paraphrase]

If someone in your community hurts you,
go to them and name the hurt.
If they hear you, you’ve restored the relationship.
If they can’t hear, take one or two others along
so more listeners can draw out the truth.
If they still won’t hear,
discern among the whole community.
And if they refuse to listen,
care for them as one who is just beginning.

What you bind will really be bound;
what you set loose will really be loosened.

If two of you are in one spirit in seeking something,
God will tend to it.
wherever two or three are gathered in my love,
there am I, in their love.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1. An affirmation of community
[Jn. 15.5; Eph. 4.4-16, 2.19-22; 1 Cor. 12.21,27; Mt. 18.20; Heb. 10.24-25]

      Leader: Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches.”
      All: Apart from the vine, we can do nothing.
      There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Savior, one faith, one baptism, one God and Life-Giver of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
      Speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into the one who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.
      We are no longer strangers and aliens, but citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God. In Christ the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom we are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.
      We are the body of Christ and individually members of it. There are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
      “Wherever two or three are gathered in my mercy, “ Jesus said, “there I am among them.”
      So let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, but encouraging one another.

2.
God of love, we pray for our life as a community.
We pray for the gift of forgiveness.
We pray for the gift of discernment,
of deep listening for you among each other.
We pray that we may live in your peace,
bonded together in your grace,
for the sake of your love.
Jesus promises to be among us;
grant that we may trust him and seek him,
that we may listen for him and follow.
These things we ask in the name of Jesus
and the power of your Spirit. 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.]

1. [Community]
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, we give you thanks, for you create this world
as one living being, a community of life and beauty.
You set us free from what imprisons us.
You make us a community, siblings in your care,
neighbors in your realm of mercy.
You give us freedom, and invite us to this table as one,
a community of love, all redeemed by your grace.
Therefore with one voice with all Creation we 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.
He loved and taught, he healed the broken and lifted up the lowly.
He confronted our divisions and gathered the outcast;
he created a community of freedom and love.
Even when we fell into conflict, even when we failed him,
he gathered us as a family, and invited us to eat together.
He gave us this meal as a sign of your faithfulness and our unity,
as a sign that whenever we gather he is here among us.

[ …The Blessing and Covenant…]

Therefore in remembrance of these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ.
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving 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]

God of love, pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of our Beloved Jesus Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
listening with grace, forgiving with love,
and working for healing and reconciliation.
We are one with each other, one with you,
and one in ministry to all the world.
May we truly love one another as you have loved us,
and love our neighbor as ourselves,
by the grace of the Beloved, Jesus Christ.
             [Spoken or sung:]
                  Amen.

_______________

2. [Exodus, justice]

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 of love, Creator of all that is, and all that shall be,
we give you thanks, for in the beginning you brought light out of darkness.
You created us in your image and made covenant with us
to be our God, and called us as your people.
When we were slaves in Egypt you set us free;
death and oppression passed over us.
You established this feast for us to remember our freedom,
and to pray for those who still long to be set free.
When we were dead in our sin you came to us with love in Christ and set us free.
You established this feast for us to enter into our freedom,
and to break bread with all who long for freedom.
Therefore with all Creation we 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.
He loved and taught, he healed the broken and lifted up the lowly.
He confronted our divisions and gathered the outcast;
he created a community of freedom and love.

[ …The Blessing and Covenant…]

Therefore in remembrance of these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ.
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving 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]

God of love, pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ.
At this table may we know our unity
with all who are free and all who are under oppression.
Grateful for our freedom in Christ,
may we resist evil, injustice and oppression.
In gratitude, we remember your grace for all people. Amen.
In solidarity, we pray for healing for the world. Amen.
In humility, we offer ourselves to your call. Amen.
In freedom, we work for reconciliation and peace,
looking for your Realm of mercy and justice,
according to your promise.
                        [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.) By your grace we have passed through many troubles; in your suffering you have accompanied us and saved us. Lead us now into lives of glad obedience for the sake of all those who are not yet free, in the name of Christ. Amen.

2.
… You have given us the gift of one another, your beloved community, in which to serve, to grow, and to learn the grace of forgiveness. Bless us that we may bear your good news to one another and to all the world, in the name of Christ and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Suggested Songs

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

Freedom Feast (Tune: Let Us Break Bread Together)

God, we thank you, for you have set us free. (2x)
When we come to this feast, from the greatest to the least,
Oh, God, you set your people free.

God, where there is injustice, set them free. (2x)
When we come to this feast, from the greatest to the least,
Oh, God, you set your people free.

God, now use us to set your people free. (2x)
When we come to this feast, from the greatest to the least,
Oh, God, you set your people free.

OT 24 – 16th Sunday after Pentecost

September 17, 2023

Lectionary Texts

Exodus 14.19-31— Israel crosses the Red Sea and escapes from Egypt.

Exodus 15.1b-11, 20-21— On the far shore, Moses and the prophet Miriam lead the people in singing: “Sing to the Holy One, for God has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider God has thrown into the sea.”

Romans 14.1-12— Don’t judge people’s religious practice as if they are accountable to us. They are not. It is we who are accountable to God. We are not even our own masters, let alone theirs. “Whether we live or we die, we are the Lord’s.” (I like to add verse 13, a summary against judging.)

Matthew 18.21-35— Forgive not once, not seven, but seven times 70 times. The parable of the two debtors, one owing 100 denarii and the other 10,000 talents.

Preaching Thoughts

September is recognized as the Season of Creation.
Click here for Creation Centered worship resources.

Exodus
      Some translators call it the Reed Sea, or even Weed Sea, as if it were really just a shallow swamp, since obviously no one could cross an actual ocean. But elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible the Yam Suph is seen as not just a body of water but the Water of Chaos present at Creation. Israel didn’t just cross some water: they left a whole world behind and entered a new Creation. The Red Sea was a birth canal. It deepens the waters of baptism, doesn’t it?
      This won’t bear much on preaching, but it’s interesting stuff: The story as we have it is a stitching together of two stories, one from J and one from E & P. The two stories were cut-and pasted together into one, and you can literally cut them apart with scissors and restore two complete, though differing, stories of the crossing of the Red Sea. (Here it is.) One difference between the two stories is that in J God parts the water with a strong wind and it lies flat. In E/P it’s Moses raising his staff (looking like a priest, no?) and the water piles up. One might attribute God’s working to natural phenomena such as a strong east wind, or to more direct intervention, such as a priest’s action, but either way, God gets it done. Like all biblical stories this one begs the question of God’s intervention. Does God actually “cause” specific things to happen, or is God (Love) a basic force of the universe like gravity that influences everything but doesn’t intervene or control anything? Maybe, like the wind and Moses’ staff, we work together.

Matthew
       A talent was a measure of weight, about 60 lbs. So the first debtor owes something like 300 tons of silver. At today’s rate that would be about $230 million. (Yeah, Jesus likes to exaggerate.) The second owes something like a thousand bucks. How much more we are forgiven than we are owed! Really, in the end, forgiving and being forgiven are one and the same. Once we know how forgiven we are, how can we not forgive?
      Speaking of math, different versions have Jesus saying we must forgive 70 times, or 77 times, or 70 times 7 (that’s 490). Given Jesus’ penchant for exaggeration I’ll go with 70×7. Besides, the reality is that forgiveness isn’t just a one time thing. Sometimes our sense of loss, betrayal, or violation lingers or re-surfaces and we have to keep on forgiving; we have to sustain forgiveness. It’s ongoing. So maybe even 230 million is a good number.
       To forgive is not to forget, or to excuse or even to tolerate. To forgive someone doesn’t mean they didn’t hurt you, and it doesn’t mean you trust them. It means you accept the hurt as part of “what is.” It means letting go of feeling something needs to happen for you to be OK—usually that they need to repent, or apologize, or learn from their error, or pay you back, or suffer some consequences, or even just suffer. Forgiveness means you carry no unfinished business. They might indeed need to learn, or repent, or suffer consequences, but you don’t need for them to. You are whole as you are. When you refuse to forgive you carry the hurt with you; you’re still hurting—they’re still hurting you. When you forgive you accept yourself as hurt but still whole. So really forgiving someone for hurting you means forgiving yourself for being hurt, and trusting that you are both wounded and also beautiful at the same time. This is how God forgives. There’s no “deserving,” no prerequisite of repentance, no score. No payback, not even Jesus dying on the cross. Just love. It’s a free gift. “God forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us” (Colossians 2.13-14).

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: God of grace, we are a broken people, but you love us.
All: We will bear your mercy. Alleluia!
Christ our redeemer, you forgive us and make us new.
We will bear your mercy. Alleluia!
Holy Spirit, you fill us with love even for those who hurt us.
We will bear your mercy. Alleluia!
God of mercy, we worship you. We serve you. Alleluia!

2.
Leader: Creator God, you alone give us life!
All: We praise you. We thank you. We worship you.
Crucified and risen Christ, you show us the way of life.
We hear you. We love you. We follow you.
Holy Spirit, you fill us with life, and call us to honor life.
We receive you. We breathe you. We bear you into the world.
Teach us your ways. Change our hearts. Re-create us again.
Alleluia! Come, Spirit of life, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

3.
Leader: Generous God, we praise you!
All: Risen Christ, we greet you.
You have led us across the Read Sea.
You have set us free from all that enslaves us.
You have forgiven us all alike. Set us free again, Beloved.
Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

4.
Leader: Holy One, God of powerful love,
you have brought us thorough the Red Sea of all that diminishes us
into the wide freedom of your grace.
All: You have brought us into the land of your deep forgiveness.
You have given us outrageous hope.
You surround us with huge love and confident peace.
We thank you. We worship you. We listen for your Word. Alleluia.

5.
Leader: God, you have created us in your image: free and beautiful.
All: But we are oppressed by systems and judgments,
powers and expectations.
And so in love you have set us free from all that oppresses us.
You have led us out through the Red Sea of fear
into the dominion of your grace.
Help us remember that we are not subject to the old pharaoh,
but we are free with you.
Help us to become free as we worship you with gratitude and joy. Amen.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of mercy, we are held in slavery to our resentments and judgments. We are burdened by our wounds and fears. Speak to us, call us to you, and lead us through the sea of our hurts to freedom in you. God of love, we are hungry for your Word. We open our hearts to hear. In your mercy, speak to us. Amen.

2.
God of grace, God of mercy and justice, you have come to set us free from all that diminishes life, that enslaves our hearts, that imprisons our spirits, that constricts our love. Come to us and speak your liberating Word to us. Set us free and bring us on your Way through the Red Sea. Amen.

3.
God of truth, you led your children out of Egypt into a new life, and a new world. Jesus shows us a new way to live. We open ourselves to your Word, and pray that you lead us into newness of life, by the grace of your Spirit, always present within and among us. Amen.

4.
Gracious God, you have set us free from all that enslaves us and brought us through the Red Sea to freedom. Your Christ forgave those who harmed him, and taught us to forgive. You forgive us and call us continually to live new lives. O God, call us out of Egypt once again, into a land of freedom and forgiveness. Speak your Word to us lead us into the Promised Land of your grace. Amen.

5.
God of grace, it is your will and your glory to forgive. In the cross of Christ you have set us free from the power of sin and death. In awe and gratitude we worship you, and pray that by your Holy Spirit you might always set us free to worship and to serve, to love and forgive, in the name of Christ. Amen.

6.
Eternal One, you led the children of Israel through the Red Sea to freedom. You accompany all who are becoming free. We pray for all who are becoming free, from personal demons, guilt or shame, abusive relationships, coercive situations or slavery of any kind. Give them strength, hope and courage. And give us the faith to go with them, for by your grace we too are becoming free. We pray in the name of Jesus, who forgives, who liberates, who redeems, who sets us free like no other. Amen.

Listening Prayer

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

Out of the Egypt of our anxieties,
through the Red Sea of our doubt,
you bring us to this place of peace
where we are free with you.
We come to you. We sit with you.
We are here.

Prayer of Confession

Pastor: The grace of God is with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
God have mercy.
God of love, we bring to mind those ways we have not followed your will,
those ways we have been enslaved by our fears and desires,
and we ask your forgiveness.
God, have mercy.
… Silent prayer …
God of love, we bring to mind those whom we ourselves need to forgive.
We confess our bitterness and ask your forgiveness,
and we ask you to help us forgive those whom we have not yet forgiven.
God have mercy.
[Silent prayer … The word of grace]

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.]

1.
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.

Holy God, we thank you, for in love you Create us, you claim us,
and you commit to being present for us in all things.
You condemn the forces of injustice and all that diminishes life,
and you set us free.
You accompany all who are escaping slavery of any kind,
and you go with us in our journeys of recovery and liberation.
You bring us through the Red Sea of all our doubts and anxieties,
to a place of freedom.
You forgive us perfectly and completely; your grace is infinite.
We are free with you, and we thank you.
Therefore together with all those who love you
we sing your praise with one voice.

            [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 fed the hungry and healed the broken.
He showed us forgiveness, so that we might be forgiving.
He set us free to be ourselves with you and with others.
By the forces of oppression he was crucified,
and by the power of your grace he was led
through the great Red Sea of the grave, to new life.
To those who had betrayed and denied him he came in forgiveness.
And to us he comes, repeating your promise to be with us always in love.

     (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,
full of your forgiveness,
walking with all who are becoming free,
in the name and the company of Jesus,
for the sake of the healing of the world.

     [Spoken or sung]
           Amen.

____________________
2.
God be 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 of Creation, God of Covenant,
you who brought light out of darkness, life out of chaos,
we praise you.
Through the struggle of birth you give life.
Through the labor of liberation you make us whole.
From slavery to others or to ourselves, you grant us Exodus.
You defeat every Pharaoh and break every chain of oppression.
You make a way through the wilderness,
through seas of chaos and fear,
through deserts of exile and separation.
Even when, as hard-hearted Pharaohs
we trap ourselves in ways of violence,
or deny in ourselves the power of your Spirit,
Gracious God, you redeem us.
You free us and empower us and make us whole.
You have brought us out to share in your Covenant.
Therefore with all your Creation we praise you with on voice.

            [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 in the midst of our oppression revealed to us our redemption:
good news to the poor, release to the captives,
and recovery of sight to the blind.
In Christ the broken are healed, the estranged embraced.
The bent over are raised, the paralyzed are empowered,
the oblivious are awakened, the trapped are freed.
Offering the blood of the paschal lamb,
suffering the death of the firstborn, Christ proclaims to us our Passover.

     (The Blessing and Covenant)

Crossing the sea of suffering and being raised from death,
Christ proclaims to us our Exodus:

             [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.
In the sharing of this meal, God,
grant us ransom for our captors and strength for the journey.
We repent of all the chains we place on ourselves and others.
Together with all your beloved, bring us out of bondage.
Free us from our violence and our dependence on injustice.
Grant that we may share your liberating power with all people,
to your eternal glory.

     [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.) In gratitude we give you /these gifts as symbols of/ our lives. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. Go with us toward the pain of the world with healing. Go with us toward our own darkness with trust and humility. Go with us toward the unknown with hope, for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.

2.
… Send us into the world, fed by your grace, to be gentle in the midst of violence, to love in the face of fear, to live deeply, even in the shadow of death. By your Spirit within us, make us vessels of your grace in the healing of the world, in the name and the presence of Christ. Amen.

Suggested Songs

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

Keep On Walking

In the beginning, water and the Spirit:
“Let the light shine through.”
Always a beginning, Spirit and the water, :
God makes all things new.
     Refrain: Keep on walking, step into the water,
     God will bring us over with an outstretched hand.
     Remember our history: through the pain and mystery
     leads the way to the Promised Land.

We have been walking, waking through the water,
walking through the great Red Sea.
Pharaoh once bound us; chaos now surrounds us:
that’s how God sets us free. —Refrain

We have been walking, walking on the water,
walking on the storm-tossed sea.
“I will give you power to live,”
to do great things. Follow me. —Refrain

We have been walking, walking by the water,
baptized in God’s name.
Died in the water, born in the water,
we will never be the same. —Refrain.

Set Me Free (Red Sea)     (Original song)

Forgive me, God of mercy, set me free. (Repeat)
Refrain: From slavery to the past, through the deep Red Sea,
lead me God of love. Set me free.

From anger and resentment…
From blaming and from judgment…
To be completely loving…

Your Holy Feast     (Tune: Londonderry Air —“Oh Danny Boy”)

Oh healing Christ, you bring us to your table here,
to share with you, and all the ones you love.
We come as one, alike forgiven, healed and dear.
Oh come and bless us, Spirit, tender Dove.
Oh, make us yours, your servants and your lovers.
Oh, make us one, united here in you.
Oh, make us new: the Red Sea lead us over,
and set us free to walk in harmony with you.

We come to eat the bread of peace you offer us.
We come to drink your resurrecting wine.
We come to feast upon your presence here with us,
and so become your Body as we dine.
So make us whole again, and be our living breath.
Make us your hands, and you will be our nerve.
Oh, risen Christ, we join you, rising up from death,
and by your side we’ll go, made new, to love and serve.