Tag: Year A

November 19, 2023

Lectionary Texts

Judges 4. 1-7 — Deborah, a judge of Israel, gives advice to Barak, a local military leader, about a conflict.

Psalm 123 —We look to God like a maid watches the hand of her mistress.
—or—
Psalm 76 — God overwhelms for forces of war and saves the oppressed.

1 Thessalonians 5.1-11 — Stay awake and be alert for the coming of Christ.

Matthew 25.14-30 — The parable of the talents.

Preaching Thoughts

Judges
       This is a glimpse into the period of the Judges before Israel was really a “nation” yet. But a pretty tiny glimpse. And it’s a paltry attempt to include a little (token?) spotlight on a woman in the history of Israel. It’s not very illuminating. I’d rather offer folks a fuller picture of woman’s leadership than this little snippet of Deborah’s military advice. Why not Tamar, or Rahab? Yes, those stories are “adult content,” but they show women as resourceful, wise, courageous and definitely part of God’s care for Israel.

1 Thessalonians
       As we ramp up toward the big climax of the liturgical year on Reign of Christ Sunday, we hear again about the Second Coming. Whether or not we anticipate an actual incident in our future we can label as the “Second Coming,” it’s clear that in this world torn by greed, violence, hate and oppression, we are clearly in need of divine intervention. As alarming as the images of “sudden destruction” are, that’s not the heart of Paul’s message. (After all, maybe the Second Coming is really gradual!) The message is twofold: the promise that the God of love and grace is not done with us yet, and the importance of “belonging to the day” instead of the night. When we focus on the image destruction our image of God’s judgment becomes destructive. But Paul is clear: “God has destined us for salvation.” The point is to live with God’s light, now, in this long night of evil and injustice. The point is not to separate ourselves into the saved and unsaved, but to “encourage one another and build up each other.”

Matthew
       It’s hard for us in our capitalist society to grasp the truth that nothing is ours, and hard to let go of the idol of personal possessions. The framers of the Declaration of Independence, perhaps influenced by John Locke, considered naming our inalienable rights as “life, liberty and property.” (Other contemporary declarations do.) Jesus knew better. This story suggests that everything that we think of as “ours”—our whole life— is actually God’s, given to us to steward. No matter how hard you think you worked for it, it’s not yours. (Besides, there’s always someone who’s worked harder than you, and they don’t have what you do.) Think of your whole life—your health, your skills and abilities, your possessions, your time, your income, your loves and cares and prayers, all of it—and imagine it’s a plate of fine food the chef has given you, as a waiter, to serve to some customers. It’s not yours, and not for you! It’s for you to share, to act as a steward. How would God spend your life? How might God want you to give away your time, your skills, your resources? A talent is a measure of weight (it works out to about 15 years’ wages), so even one talent, not even two or five, is what we might call “a ton of money.” So the one-talent worker doesn’t have much to complain about. “I was only given a measly million dollars to invest. Poor me.” How much do we have—what spiritual gifts—that we dismiss because others have more skill, fame, talent, charm or luck than we do? It’s all good. How do you focus on what you do have, not what you don’t, and share those gifts?

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Loving God, you create us in your image and claim us as your children.
All: We give you our lives in thanksgiving and praise!
You give us gifts, each different, and bless us with your grace.
We give you our lives in thanksgiving and praise!
Fill us with your Spirit, that we may serve you with love and joy.
We give you our lives in thanksgiving and praise! Alleluia!

2.
Leader: Joy of heaven, you shower us with gifts!
All: Fountain of life, you bless us.
Spirit of abundance, you flower in us.
God of grace, we thank you. We worship you.
We give our lives to you in gratitude and praise. Alleluia!

3.
Leader: What light God has given us,
that we might shine in the world’s darkness!
All: What love Christ has give us,
that we might love with his love!
What gifts the Spirit has given us,
that we might be for the world the good news of God’s grace.
Alleluia! Come, Love, and inspire us
to be your gifts for the world. Amen.

4.
Leader: Creator God, eternal Love, we praise you!
All: You bless us with good things.
You surround us with Creation, and bless us with human community.
You give us your presence in Jesus.
You forgive our faults and encourage us in our weakness.
You give us spiritual gifts, and your grace shines in us. Why then would we not trust you? Why would we not be generous, as you are generous?
Alleluia! Fill us with your spirit of giving.
Come, Spirit of Life, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

5.
Leader: Abundant God, you have given us every good thing, and so we thank you.
All: Enrich in us our spirit of generosity.
You provide for us, so that we may share abundantly in every good work.
Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of love, you love this world, and you choose to accomplish that love through us. You have given us gifts with which to bless this world, to heal the hurting, to feed, the needy to encourage the downtrodden. Stir up those gifts in us, and give us love and courage to share them, by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit and the presence of your loving Jesus. Amen.

2.
God of abundant blessings, you give us the gift of Creation; you give us the gift of life; you give us the gifts of all that we possess. Everything is a gift from you. We turn to you now to receive the gift of your Word, so that we might be transformed by your grace and filled with your spirit of abundance. We listen for your Word, and we open our hearts to your presence. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, unending source of blessing, unceasing well of grace, we thank you for the abundance of your good gifts. You have laid the treasures of your goodness in our hands. Stir up your grace in us so that we may bear your love and trust gladly into the world, by the power of your Spirit working in us. Amen.

Listening Prayer

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

Generous God,
you have invested your prayers in us
for the sake of your gospel.
Let your prayers multiply in us
for the sake of the healing of the world.

Prayer of Confession

Pastor: The grace of God is with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, we confess our sin to God with one another.
God have mercy.
We recall those times when we have invested what you have given to us
in love of others, and we give thanks for your grace.… Silent prayer …
We recall those times when we have kept your riches to ourselves,
and we give thanks for your grace. … Silent prayer …
God, we have seen your love in Jesus Christ.
We give thanks for your mercy.
People of God, by the grace we have seen in Christ we are assured
that our sin is forgiven entirely.
We are forgiven, and set free to live by the power of the Holy Spirit,
to the glory of God. Amen.

Poetry

             One talent

Sunrise and its gold,
a single kiss,

the sea that never tires
throwing its beauty at you,

trees scattering jewels,
stars saying their prayers

by candlelight
in their little houses—

such loveliness,
such precious coins.

You can’t say what they’re worth,
there is no measuring them

any more than the one you are,
little star among millions,

generous, infinite Talent
unburied,

mere single radiant
sun.

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 our lives, symbolized in our gifts. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. You have given us each gifts with which to live your gospel and share your grace. Send us, each with our own way of blessing, and together as the Body of Christ, for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name of Christ and the power of your Spirit. Amen.

2.
…. Having received abundantly, we offer ourselves abundantly. Send us into the world, transformed by your spirit of generosity, to invest ourselves in the mending of all Creation, in the name of Christ. Amen.

Suggested Songs

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

All of the Gifts I Have (Tune: Fairest Lord Jesus)

All of the gifts I have, all that is within me,
you give to me, O God, with care;
all of my prayers and skills, passions and energies
you grant to me to freely share.

Here are my hopes and dreams, attitudes and deepest loves,
all of the treasure to which I cling.
I will not hold them in, stilling my ardent song,
but serving you I’ll freely sing.

In all I keep or give, may I do my very best
in everything I say and do,
in harmony with you, only to love and bless,
with joy, to serve and honor you.


All That We Hold in Our Hands (Original song)

What do we hold in our hearts?
The hopes of a hungering people,
longing for you, and for bread,
and to truly be free.
What can we do, who are small?
The power is not ours at all:
God, you have hidden such grace
here in our hands.

What do we hold in our hands?
Nothing we have is unworthy.
An everyday gift you can use
in miraculous ways.
All that we hold in our hands
you’ll use if we give it to you.
Use what we hold in our hands
for what you will do.

What do we hold in our hands?
In it you’ve hidden the wondrous,
fishes and loaves you can use
to feed thousands with love.
All that we hold in our hands
we give in the name of your Son:
more than we ask or imagine,
may your will be done.

What do we hold in our hands?
Grace is abundant, not lacking.
Look now and see what we have
and find power and life.
All that we hold in our hands,
all that we have or can do,
all that we are by your grace
we give now to you.

All that we hold in our hands,
all that we have or can do,
all that we are by your grace
we give now to you.


Giving Heart (Tune: The Water is Wide- Gift of Love)

O God of grace, you set us free
and feed us all abundantly,
so help me trust the gifts you give,
with giving heart and hands to live.

Come, Spirit, come, and set me free
from all I cling to fearfully.
Come heal my heart, my fears relieve,
so I may give as I receive.

Your Bread of Life transforms us, Lord,
so we become your living Word.
Our lives no more are ours to hold,
but yours to share with all the world.


The Giving Song (Tune: DOVE OF PEACE — I Come with Joy)

God, send me out into the world to share all I possess.
My generosity shall be the faith that I confess,
the faith that I confess

For you have given me such gifts, grace infinite and deep,
that I can only share them all. There’s nothing I will keep,
there’s nothing I will keep..

And let my giving change me, Lord, to make me more like you:
to let your blessing flow through me, creating me anew,
creating me anew.

My life will not be known by what I have, but how I share,
courageously, with trust in you, with love and joy and care,
with love and joy and care.


God, We Give You All Our Gifts
(Tune: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, or Come Thou Long Expected Jesus)

God, we give you all our gifts, for they have come by grace from you.
Take them, bless them, use them for the work that you intend to do.
We are grateful for your blessings, grace you give a million ways.
May our gratitude resound through all our lives with joyous praise.

All that you entrust to us is meant for all the world to share;
we are stewards of your grace to scatter wide your loving care.
All our gifts are yours, not ours, and meant for us to humbly bear
to the world, in trust that in our grateful giving you are there.

Take our treasure, all our earnings, all our silver and our gold;
take in grace the things we cling to, those possessions that we hold.
In our giving may we find release from fear and trust in thee,
love for all, not just ourselves, for all the whole community.

Take our prayers, our loving presence; let compassion be our creed;
help us be there for each other and for those in greater need.
Take our many, varied, gifts, our works and service, God, employ;
let our lives bear witness to your grace, with thanks and boundless joy.


The Harvest of Your Grace (Original Song)
[2 Corinthians 9.6-15]

God scatters abroad, and gives to the poor, and fills the hungry with good things.
    Alleluia! O God, we rejoice in the harvest of your grace.
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.
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.
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.
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.

I Belong to You (Tune: Water is Wide / Gift of Love)

Beloved, I belong to you.
You give me birth; you make me new,
your image formed, by Spirit stirred.
You are the Song; I am your Word.

Whatever pains I may endure,
I still belong. Your love is sure.
Since I am yours, your will I do.
I trust and give myself to you.

I am your coin to richly spend,
so spend me, God, as you intend.
You bless my end; you hold my worth;
send me to love throughout the earth.

Beloved, I belong to you.
Do with me what your love will do.
Bear me, and I, through ease or strife
will find in you eternal life.

October 15, 2023

Lectionary Texts

Exodus 32.1-14 — The golden calf

Psalm 106 — Praise for God’s great deeds, and confession that we have sinned. As Moses convinced God to spare the people, we seek God’s mercy.

Philippians 4.2-9 — C’mon, Euodia and Syntyche, work it out…. Rejoice always…. Let your gentleness show… Don’t worry, but pray…. The peace of God will guard your hearts…. Fill your consciousness with whatever is good.

Matthew 22.1-14 — The parable of the wedding feast

Preaching Thoughts

Exodus
       Moses has been up on the mountain a long time. You can understand the people’s anxiety. We’re not good at trustful waiting. We’re not good at trusting an unseen, untouched, unknowable God. We want something concrete. The temptation for us is not necessarily golden statues, but the idol of Something To Hang Onto. Especially something shiny. We’re reminded of the commandment we heard last week against graven images. We need to learn to live with mystery, with not knowing, with waiting. And we also need to let go of the idol of control, the idolatry of taking things into our own hands when it really is God’s work, not ours.
       We can assume the gold they use to make the calf is the gold they took from the Egyptians (Ex. 12.3.5). So the fruits of their liberation become the source of their new bondage to a new idol. As they’ve complained so many times, now in their minds they’ve gone back to Egypt.
      Did everybody in the camp participate? Didn’t anybody resist? Who knows. The golden calf, our golden calf, is a communal sin, a corporate wrongdoing. We are part of a culture that sins, even if we don’t like it, even if we actively resist it. We share the guilt. Racism, white supremacy, sexism, violence and consumerism are our golden calves. We have to keep confessing those sins and repenting, on behalf of the whole culture.
      God has a hissy fit—but can be talked down. We have a picture of Yahweh as a very human, moody, reactive guy (especially in J’s telling). He gets mad and breaks things. God wants to torch the people. Moses intervenes, and will many more times, as Abraham tried to intervene on behalf of Sodom (Gen. 18.23-33). God seems pretty violent. He asks the people to kill each other (Ex. 32.27). He has even tried to murder Moses (Ex. 4.24)! If your people are attentive they’ll raise the question: Does someone have to intervene every now and then to save us from a vengeful God? This is a real question for folks in both testaments: God smites people in the book of Acts, too, and of course Revelation is, literally, a bloodbath. How do you respond? Here’s a thought. These are not stories about God. God remains mystery. They are about what it’s like to live with God. Sometimes when we’ve violated the laws of God—tried to write our own—it can feel like we’re being punished. When you try to defy the law of gravity no one will punish you, but you’ll suffer for it. This picture of an angry God is a personification of the experience of fighting against reality and losing. Internally you can feel it. Sometimes when I wrong someone my regret burns in me like God’s wrath consuming me. And, by the way, sometimes we need to be in the position of Moses, advocating against the violence of our own images of God!

Philippians
       Paul was not against woman speaking, or even leading, in the church. Euodia and Syntyche are examples of many women he names who were leaders.
       — Side note: The notion Paul wanted to silence them comes primarily from 1 Cor. 14.34—but this is Paul’s quote from the church in Corinth—lacking quotation marks! His response is in v. 36: “Did the word of God originate with you men? Or are you males the only ones it has reached?” We lack the masculine “you” here, but it’s there in Greek: Paul is scolding the males for trying to silence women. He assumes women will pray and prophesy in church (1 Cor. 11.5). Paul’s radical egalitarianism (see 1 Cor. 11.11) is dulled and even contradicted by later Deutero-Pauline writers, but don’t blame that on Paul. (See Borg and Crossan’s The First Paul.)
       As is often the case, Paul offers the seed of an entire sermon in each sentence: “Rejoice always…. Let your gentleness be known to everyone…. Do not worry but pray… The peace of God which surpasses all understanding… will guard your hearts…. Whatever is good, think about these things….” Throughout, Paul imagines not just a certain set of standards to follow but a transformed consciousness.
        Notice how joy, gentleness and prayer are intertwined. We rejoice in God’s grace. And because we trust that grace, instead of worrying we pray. We are not troubled. And because we trust God’s grace, we don’t gel selfish, defensive, competitive or manipulative. We can dare to be gentle because God has been gentle with us.
      This is not just “the power of positive thinking.” We align ourselves with grace. Some people are obsessed with resisting the devil, avoiding hell, atoning for their sin, and in general consumed by thoughts of evil. Unfortunately we tend to become what we think about. It’s no surprise those folks often end up mean, tense, judgmental and rigid. But Paul counsels us to take on the mind of Christ. Whatever is good, let that fill your consciousness.

Matthew
       The first thing we encounter in this story is the easiest to overlook: The realm of heaven, that is life as God intends it, is a party! And not just a cocktail party, but the celebration of faithfulness: a wedding feast. Every communion is one. Every day is one. Come to the party!
       The next thing we encounter is the disdain people with power of privilege have for that feast. How do we spurn God’s invitation because we want to think we’re better than that, that we don’t need it, that we’re OK on our own? How comfortable are we when dirty losers show up in church?
       And then it’s a story about God’s radical inclusion of everyone, “both the good and the bad.” How often do we count ourselves in one group or the other, as if it matters? To God it doesn’t matter. Seriously, whether you’re good or bed doesn’t matter to God. Come to the table. Of course God prefers that you be good, but it doesn’t affect the invitation. How do we shed our attachment to our judgments of “good and bad” and just sit with everybody?
      Matthew has radically altered Jesus’ original tale. And he’s added some bizarre bits. One is the murderous response of the invitees, and the king’s retaliatory attack. Seems like a lot to get done while the caterers are standing there. I’m not sure what Matthew is getting at there other than maybe an allegory about people who reject Jesus, with reference to the sacking of Jerusalem. Not fertile preaching ground.
       The second detail is also both bizarre and deeply Matthean: the king kicks a guy out for not being dressed up—after just hauling him in off the street! This fits Matthew’s theme that the church is full of worthy and unworthy people, but God will sort them out in the end. The tag line is surely Matthew’s and not Jesus’: “Many are called but few are chosen.” Well, I’m not convinced: the people Jesus not only called but chose were not so choice… Scripture is full of stories of how God accomplishes miracles through outcasts, rejects, losers, misfits, and folks who are generally deemed “unworthy.” I don’t buy the “worthy/unworthy” dichotomy (it’s so unlike Jesus)… but. What might it mean to be properly dressed? Maybe it’s not a matter of having the right qualifications, but being prepared for a wedding party: being ready to celebrate, to honor and give thanks, to recognize God’s gift. Maybe it’s not about being right, but being joyful.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Hear ye, hear ye! God, the sovereign of the universe says,
“I proclaim my love, bound to you in faithfulness.
I proclaim the wedding of my Beloved son to the world.
Come and celebrate with me.”
All: But we are not worthy. We’re not the pious ones.
We’re not good enough. Others are the saints and heroes.
You are invited. Not the great and mighty, but you, as you are.
We come, then, to celebrate God’s love, to celebrate faithfulness.
We come, not because we are either either worthy nor unworthy,
but because we are invited.
We come to give thanks, to rejoice, and to feast on God’s grace. Alleluia!

2.
Leader: Loving God, you have called us to your table, and we come to feast.
All: You have gathered us with siblings and strangers
and made us into a new community.
You have created us anew by your grace, and we thank you.
Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Amen.

3.
Leader: Beloved people of God, come to the wedding feast of life.
All: God has married the world in love!
Leave your labors and burdens, and come.
We come as we are, well and unwell, wounded and whole.
There is no worthiness or unworthiness, only that you are invited.
We come hungry for grace and ready to celebrate.
We come with joy to worship. Alleluia!

4.
Leader: Joy of God, you call to us.
All: Faithfulness of God, you include us.
Celebration of God, lift us up!
Feast of grace, nourish us!
We are here to celebrate.
We are here to be loved.
Feed us with your presence,
that we may be joyfully loving. Amen.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Gracious God, we thank you for the feast of Creation, the gift of the human household, and the miracle of your grace. We thank you fort all the ways you invite us to feast, to celebrate, and to share. You welcome us to find our place among your beloved, and feast at the table of your Word. Feed us with your Spirit, and make us yours once again. We pray in the name and the company of Christ. Amen.

2.
Loving God, you invite us all to your table. There is no rank or privilege, only our hunger and your grace. Help us find our place among each other, rich and poor, confident and hesitant, those who own the place and those who feel out of place. Here we are all equally your family and your guests. You welcome us. We open our hearts tp you. Feed us with your Word. Amen.

3.
God of blessings, in our worship we feast upon your Word; and each day is a banquet of your grace. You invite us to celebrate with you, and yet we turn away. So often it seems our heart is not in it. We repent of our dull hearts, God. Transform our spirits, and invite us once again, so that all our lives may be a celebration with you. We pray in the name of Christ. Amen.

Listening Prayer

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

For your love we give thanks
For your faithfulness we celebrate.
At the table of your Word we listen,
and feast.

Prayer of confession

Pastor: The grace of God be with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
God of love, we confess our sin and the sin of our world.
We confess our racism and violence as a people;
they are our golden calf.
And we confess that we do not know how to repent;
we do not know how to resist evil, injustice and oppression.
Forgive our sin, heal our souls, heal our nation,
and lead us by the grace of Christ in your Way.
      Silent prayer…. words of grace

Reading

[from Psalm 106, paraphrased]

O give thanks to the Beloved, who is good,
whose steadfast love endures forever.
Blessed are they who do justice,
whose lives are full of goodness.
O Power of Love, include me
as you set your people free.

Like our ancestors, we have done wrong;
we have strayed from your delight.
Our forbears, when they were in Egypt,
distrusted your steadfast love.
God prodded the Red Sea and it dried up;
God led them through the deep as a desert.
But they made a calf in the desert,
and worshipped an image they themselves had made.
They went along with everybody
and served the popular idols.
Save us, O God, from among those who clamor,
that we may honor you alone.

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 give you thanks, for you call us all to your table.
We are here with those who are at home and those who are uneasy,
those who think they belong and those who think they don’t.
We are all here by your invitation.
You have declared your faithfulness to the world,
your covenant of love, and we feast at the wedding.
And with all you have gathered, rich and poor, friend and stranger alike,
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.
He fed the hungry and invited the poor,
he included the outcast and honored the stranger.
He transgressed all our divisions, and for that he was killed.
But he also transgressed the bonds of death, and rose again.
And still he invites us to feast on 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,
rejoicing in your faithful love,
and sent out into the world to gather those who have been left out,
that all may feast on your grace.
     [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.) With faithful love you have married us in Christ. You have made us all one. You have fed us with the joy of your love. You have feasted with us at the table of your delight. Send us into the world to share the food of your grace with those who are hungry, and to gather others to your table, so that we may celebrate as one at your banquet of justice and peace. We pray in the name of Christ, who reigns with you and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

Suggested Songs

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

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.”

Whatever Is Pure (Original song)

Whatever is pure, whatever is good,
whatever is honorable, think on these things.
Whatever is just, whatever is beautiful,
whatever is worthy of praise, think on these things.
Keep on doing what you have learned is good to do,
keep practicing a noble way,
and the grace of God will guard your hearts and minds,
the God of grace will be with you.

November 26, 2023

Lectionary Texts

Ezekiel 34.11-24 — God will shepherd us, rescue the lost, and save them from the fat, oppressive sheep.

Psalm 100 — We are God’s people, and the sheep of God’s pasture.

Ephesians 1.15-23 — “May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened” that you may know the greatness of God’s power, which raised Christ from the dead to be head of the church and all things. (See my paraphrase of the book of Ephesians.)

Matthew 25.31-46 — The final judgment of sheep and goats. “What you have done to the least of these…”

Preaching Thoughts

Ezekiel
       The promise of God’s grace doesn’t come in a vacuum, but in the context of a world of hurt, evil and injustice. So the tending of God’s vulnerable ones includes saving them from the ravages of the selfish ones. Viewed socially, it’s a political outlook. How do we support the weak and vulnerable, and hold the rich and powerful to account? The “Reign of Christ” isn’t just a religious idea; it’s a vision for the real world, the way God intends for us to live together. How do we shape our laws, policies, economy and social structures to reflect God’s care for the weak, the marginalized, the dehumanized, the silenced and the exploited? To fail to do this is to give license to the “fat sheep” and their various systems of privilege and exclusion, and the resulting oppression and exploitation.

Ephesians (Click here for my paraphrase of the book of Ephesians.)
       If you’re ever feeling blue, read Ephesians. It’s just one blessing after another. (One hint that it’s not Paul writing but a follower, is that it never lapses into legal arguments. Just blessings.) As is often the case, pretty much every phrase in this passage is the seed of a good sermon. Among the gems:
   • “May the eyes of your heart be enlightened.” May you see through the lens of God’s love.
   • “The hope to which God has called you.” Trust that God’s will for you is good.
   • The power God exercises toward us is the power that raised Christ from the dead. The spirit of resurrection. Strong stuff.
   • Christ is above all human hierarchies and power structures. Love is more powerful than governments.
   • Christ is the head and the Church is the body, which embodies the fullness of God’s love.

Matthew
       The kingdom of God is not the afterlife. Jesus was intently interested in this life. The Kingdom of God is the world as God intends it, and the image of Jesus as “king” or sovereign means Love reigns over this world, and is the greatest power, even as greed and fear exert their will. When Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God it was s a real-world alternative to the Kingdom of Herod, the Lordship of Caesar, the Empire of Rome. “Jesus is Lord” is a political statement. Reign of Christ Sunday celebrates that Christ is as Ephesians says “far above all rule and authority.” Jesus is Sovereign over a real, actual, worldly Empire of Grace, a real-world alternative—subversive, treasonous, even—to consumerism, Christian nationalism, capitalism, white supremacy, and all our hierarchies and power structures.
       The parable of the great judgment lets us glimpse something of what that Empire is about: compassion is the law of the land. In the Realm of God everybody gets what they need to thrive as members of the Body. That means special attention to the folks who are most harmed by our systems of privilege and exclusion. So God takes the side of the poor and powerless and marginalized, and commands us to do the same. Honoring Jesus as our king means committing to obeying his command to care for the poor and hurting.
       The reign of Christ means that Jesus is sovereign not only over the powers of the universe, but also over us and our own inner worlds. To claim Jesus as ruler of our lives is to make him the center of our rule of life, our intentional discipline, our way of living. A piece of paper is aligned with the use of a ruler. If Jesus rules our lives, our lives are arranged and measured with Jesus as our template, the ruler that provides straight lines of justice and righteousness. For Jesus to reign over our lives means we are willing to suffer for the sake of love and justice, to be faithful to God and in harmony with God and God’s grace, no matter what. So it’s not just Christ’s demand over us but Christ’s rule within us us that leads us to care for the poor.
       For those who believe in a literal hell, this story in Matthew is one of two stories Jesus tells specifically imagining such a thing—the other is the rich man and Lazarus. In both cases, the way you end up hell is not based on your religion, your creed, your faith, or even your prayer life, but ignoring the poor. It’s a great passage to begin with when discussing with “literalists.” Our true Sovereign is not found among the trappings of power, but among the poor. God does not just care about the poor; God is among the poor. To obey the sovereign of the Empire of Grace, we share the ruler’s passion and compassion for the poor.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Eternal God, you are the light of the minds that know you.
All:You are the joy of the hearts that love you,
the strength of the wills that serve you
Grant us so to know you that we may truly love you,
And so to love you that we may gladly serve you,
now and always. Alleluia! Amen!

2.
Leader: Creator God, you reign over all the universe with love and justice.
All: Glory! We thank you with love.
Christ, you reign over all human history with mercy and grace.
Glory! We thank you with love.
Holy Spirit, you reign in our hearts with beauty and power.
Glory! We thank you with love. Alleluia!

3.
Leader: From the Spirit who was, the Rock who is,
and the Strong One yet to come, grace and peace to you!
All: To the Love that reigns over us, the love that walks beside us
and the love that guides us from within, be praise and thanksgiving!
We come before God with humble joy, that we may learn to obey
the Sovereign of Love, the Ruler of mercy.
Alleluia! Let us worship God.

4. [from Ephesians 1.15-23]
Leader: God, glorious Mother and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we praise you.
All: You raised Christ from the dead
and seated him at your right hand, at the heart of all things.
Christ is far above all rule and authority, power and dominion,
above any title that can be given,
not only in the world we see, but in the unseen as well.
You have made him sovereign over everything,
and made him the head of the church, which is his body.
God, we pray for a spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that we may know you better.
Alleluia! May the eyes of our hearts be opened.
Come, Spirit of Life, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

5.
Leader: Creator God, we praise you!
All: Risen Christ, we greet you!
Christ, Divine presence, Living Word,
God has put you at God’s right hand,
and you rule in power above all things.
Rule over our hearts, and work your infinite power within us.
Raise us to life, and direct us by your Spirit.
Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Jesus Christ, you have taught us that what we do to each other, we do to you. Make us quick to help and slow to hurt, knowing that in our neighbor it is you who receive our love or our neglect. Shape us by your love, and fit us for your Realm of grace. Amen.

2.
O God of Love, you have put all things under the rule of Christ, the Lord of Love. Bring us under your sway, that we may be faithful citizens of your Empire of Grace, and obedient to the spirit of love you birth within us. Speak your Word to us, and make us yours, in the name of Christ, our friend and our Sovereign. Amen.

3.
Eternal God, you have set Christ to rule over all the earth. He reigns with mercy and grace. Under his glorious and gentle rule, help us as we read your scriptures and proclaim your good news, to listen with humble hearts and to devote our lives to your service. We pray in the name of Christ, our sovereign. Amen.

4.
Gentle and mighty God, we thank you, that you reign over the world with grace and compassion. You revealed your Realm in Jesus, who embodied your mercy and justice. He healed the sick, raised up the downtrodden, destroyed the powers of oppression, and proclaimed your Jubilee. In his death and resurrection you have brought us out of the realm of darkness and into the realm of your eternal light and life. Holy God, pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on all your church, that we may serve you faithfully in all that we do, in the name and the love of Christ. Amen.

5.
Gracious God, in this season of harvest and thanksgiving, we offer to you our gratitude and praise. For all that you have given us, we thank you. And we give you our hearts. Speak to us now, that we may hear your Word, and become your living Word by the Spirit of Christ living in us. Amen.

Listening Prayer

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

1.
Holy Love,
you create, you rule, you give life.
Take charge of our hearts.
Bless us that we may be obedient
citizens of your Realm of Grace.

2.
God of love, Ruler of the Universe,
Gentle Christ, Sovereign of our hearts,
your love is supreme,
and we bow to your life-giving power.
May your love, and love alone,
rule our lives.

Prayer of Confession

1.
Pastor: The grace of God be with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you.
Though you have been our sovereign, we have not obeyed you.
We have not let you rule our hearts.
We have not let you direct our thoughts or command our actions.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
You who have power over us, forgive us.
Remake us according to your grace.
Guide us in every step we take.
May your presence be the power in our lives;
may your love control our hearts and minds.
Help us to follow your Way, in the name of Christ,
and by the power of your Spirit in us. Amen.
[Silent prayer… the word of grace ]

2.
… God of love, we bow to the power of your love.
Gentle Christ, we submit to your mercy.
May your compassion cast out our fear.
May your forgiveness overrule our guilt.
May your generosity banish our selfishness.
May your grace supplant our sin.
O Love, rule on our hearts.
Make us obedient to your love.

Readings

Ephesians 1.15-23 — a paraphrase

I pray that the God of our Sovereign Jesus Christ,
the Father and Mother of glory,
who in Jesus has embodied among us
the love that creates and orders our lives
and makes them good and beautiful,
may awaken in you deep awareness
of God’s presence and love.
With the eyes of your heart enlightened
may you have the hope God has for you;
may you live in wonder and trust
of the gifts we all receive as God’s Beloved;
may you come more deeply to trust
the immeasurable power of God’s love.
It is love that raised Christ from the dead.
Christ’s love is the power that orders the universe,
that rules over all human dominion
and all realms before and after humans,
in the visible world and the unseen.
All things are subject to the sovereignty of Love.
And we, the church, are the Body of that love,
love that fills everything, and contains everything.
Everything.
Alleluia.

[See all of Ephesians paraphrased, here.]

Poetry

                The least of these
      
         Whatever you did to the least of these
                  you did to me.
                           —Matthew 25.40


This is not a simile.
         The poor are not an allegory.
                  God is the poor.

God is not observing them, but in them,
         the lonely and the rejected.
                  God takes the lowest place.

God is the powerless one,
         the misunderstood one,
                  the crucified one.

Under the bridge,
         in the nursing home,
                  in solitary,

this is the throne of the Sovereign,
         the Ruler of the universe:
                  the cross.

Until you see the glory of the divine
         in the street gang, the wheelchair,
                  the power of the heavens in the lifer,

you do not believe.
         Don’t go elsewhere to worship in ease.
                  Bow down, and serve, and know.



         The great judgment

“Lord, when did we see you
shot dead in the street and not cry out?
When did we see you walking in the desert
and not leave water for you?
When did we see you deported
or carted off to prison and not protest?
When did we see you homeless, and not reach out?
When did we see you struggling in the ICU,
or the nursing home, or on the locked ward,
and did not come to you?”

And he will answer…


         

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1.
       We believe in God, Creator of all, who is beyond all and in all, whose love and power is unsearchable and yet mysteriously present.
       We place our trust in Jesus, and not in any earthly authority; for Jesus fully embodies the loving presence of God: he taught and healed, and performed prophetic acts of mercy and justice. In his life, death and resurrection he released God’s infinite power for life and healing: grace that is eternal, free from all human authority, power or expectation.
       We live our lives by the grace of the Holy Spirit, God’s loving presence within and among us, which makes us the church, the Body of Christ. We live by the grace of forgiveness, the mystery of resurrection and the gift of eternal life. We rejoice that we are under no human authority, but under the grace of God; we are beholden to no earthly powers, but to the power of love. Therefore we devote ourselves to lives of worship through fearlessly giving the gifts God has given us, and loving and serving others in the spirit of Christ, for the sake of the blessing of the world, to the glory of God. Amen.

2. [Ephesians 1.15-23]
       We believe in God, the glorious Mother and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
       We rejoice that God has put immeasurably great power to work in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at God’s right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every title that can be named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. God has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of Christ who fills everything in every way.
       We pray that God may grant us a spirit of wisdom and revelation, and that we may come to know God more deeply. We pray that the eyes of our hearts may be opened, that we may know the hope to which God has called us, and that we may know the riches of God’s glorious inheritance among the saints, and the immeasurable greatness of God’s power for us who believe. As we give thanks for one another and remember each other in our prayers, may God deepen our faith, and our love for all the saints. Amen.

3. [Corinthians 15.1, 3-4, Ephesians 1.20-23]
       Leader: Sisters and brothers, remember the good news
that has been proclaimed to you, in which you stand.
       All: We gladly proclaim what we have received:
that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures,
that he was buried, and that God raised him from the dead;
and God seated him at God’s right hand in the heavenly places,
above all rule and authority and power and dominion,
and has put all things under his feet.
In Christ all things hold together.
God has made him the head over all things for the church,
which is his body, by which he fills everything with his presence.
We, the Body of Christ, are given the ministry of grace,
that by the power of the Holy Spirit
we may bear witness to the Reign of Christ over all things,
now and forever. Amen.

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.) In gratitude we give you our lives, symbolized in our gifts. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. By your Spirit in us form us as citizens of your Realm, obedient to your law of grace, eager to work for justice in this world, in the name of Christ. Amen.

Suggested Songs

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

Bread and Justice (Tune: Amazing Grace)
[This can be found in Table Songs, a collection of communion songs.]

Dear Jesus, when we break our bread
with those who are in need,
we then by grace commune with God,
and it is you we feed.

When we sit down and eat with those
who hunger and who thirst,
we know that we are also poor,
and you have fed us first.

So call us to your table, Lord,
your grateful children, call:
where we receive your grace, unearned,
and turn to share with all.

Christ, Ruler of All Things (Tune: ST. ELIZABETH – Fairest Lord Jesus)

Christ, Ruler of all things, what is seen and unseen,
your love reigns; your grace is sure.
Beneath our fear and strife, death fails to conquer life:
your tender mercy still endures.

Christ, Ruler of our hearts, come and reign within us.
Make us comrades, siblings, friends.
Your love be our life, our only power,
that gives us life that never ends.

Christ, Ruler of the earth, bring your gentle justice:
your Realm come, your will be done.
Heal all oppression; fill us with mercy,
as faithful as the rising sun.

Christ, Ruler of all things, of what is and is to come,
Risen One, our song we raise.
Rule in our living; guide us with tender love.
Your grace in us will be your praise.

Love Is Enthroned     (Tune: Finlandia)

O, risen Christ, who once appeared among us,
you have ascended! Loud we sing your praise.
Though we may see no shadow of your nearness,
you have not gone; your loving presence stays.
You are no longer in one time or place,
but in all things, to radiate your grace.

Christ has ascended, reigning now above.
Love is enthroned at the Creator’s side.
All powers on earth are subject to Christ’s love,
who is our history’s unseen, gentle guide.
Though evil try to make this world its home,
Love is its Lord, and love shall overcome.

Go in the peace of Christ who is our Lord,
and gently heal, amid the fear and strife.
For we who eat and drink the living Word
are now Christ’s Body, and Christ’s earthly life.
We may not see the journey or the end,
but Christ still reigns, our ruler and our friend.

O Jesus, Wounded Sovereign     (Tune: O Sacred Head Now Wounded)

Dear Jesus, you who suffer and walk among the poor
whose hearts and lives are broken, whose faith is still unsure:
despised, accused and battered, you do not say a word.
So powerless, yet loving!— you are my Sovereign Lord.

You bear no arms but loving, no threats nor flags unfurled.
You wear no kingly robes, but the sorrows of the world.
Yet your forgiveness conquers each worldly rule and reign,
and rises, whole, undaunted, from evil, death and pain.

While emperors abuse you, and people shrug or stare,
and dark injustice troubles the ones for whom you care,
your mighty grace arises, and hidden from our sight,
enfolds all living beings in your triumphant light.

O Jesus, wounded Sovereign, I pray, give me the nerve
without this world’s armor to love and bless and serve.
My master and companion, rule all eternity
with grace and deep compassion, and, Love, begin with me.


O Sovereign Love
(Tune: O God, Our Help In Ages Past, or Amazing Grace)

Beloved, you who guard and guide and give for every need,
reign in my heart, O Sovereign Christ; direct each thought and deed.

O Sovereign Love, my root, my sun, my purpose and my peace,
I spurn the world’s vain, anxious rule, and trust your Law of Grace.

The Empire of your justice, God, with mercy’s clear command
shall be my home; my loyalty is to no lesser land.

In humble and obedient thanks I pledge my life to you,
to join your work of justice, God, to make the world anew.

Reign in my heart, O Christ, my Rule. In faith I am compelled
to serve you, who by love alone have conquered all the world.

June 7, 2026

Lectionary Texts

Genesis 12.1-9. God calls Abram to go to “a land I will show you.” “I will make of you a great nation.. so you will be a blessing.” (soon to become Abraham) from his native land to the land of Canaan. God promises that Abram will have land and many descendants, and especially that they will be a blessing to all on earth.

Psalm 33.1-12. A song of praise to God, who is the maker of all Creation and the ruler of all nations.

Romans 4.13-25. God’s acceptance of us comes by God’s grace, not our own doing. Faith does not mean being good enough, it means trusting God. Abraham was accepted by God as righteous, not because he obeyed some law, but because he trusted God.

Matthew 9.9-13, 18-26. Jesus calls Matthew. He then heals the woman with a flow of blood and raises the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue

Preaching Thoughts

Genesis
        This is a story about trusting God. A story about how a relationship with God isn’t about “believing in” God but listening to God, and going with God. A story about allowing God to lead us into the unseen, unknown. A story about leaving behind the familiar, adapting to change. A story about how following God changes who we are (even if we don’t get a new name). We become “great”— not significant or powerful but honorable, magnificent even. And about how all this—even our “greatness”— leads to one thing: being a great blessing.

Gospel
Matthew.
       As with Abram and Sarai, Matthew the tax collector is called not just to believe in Jesus but to follow him. Go with him. Join him in his ministry. Which, we can imagine, greatly changes who Matthew is.
Eating with sinners.
       Jesus has one single lesson: Trust God and be kind. Trust God to be kind, and trusting that grace, pass it on to everyone else. Everyone. Jesus is especially aware of the hierarchies and power structures by which we determine who we “ought” to love and who we “ought” not to love. He erases those boundaries and dismantles those power structures and hierarchies. (“Do not judge,” he says.) So of course he shows special kindness to the people who are not afforded kindness by their society. And of course the stewards of the hierarchies and power structures, as always, resist that; they like being on top. This is precisely what gets Jesus crucified. Love destroys power structures, and power structures seek to destroy love. This is the real cosmic battle: not some abstract war between “good” and “evil,” but the conflict between universal love and structures of exclusion.
“I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”
       Jesus quotes Hosea 6.6 twice (also in 12.7). I think it’s central to his theology: God doesn’t care if we get religious forms correct, or believe the right things; what God cares about is that we love.
Two healings.
      • This is first of all a story about healing. Imagine what is made whole in the woman’s life besides her body, since she is also considered “unclean:” her relationships, her faith, her self-image (“daughter!”— such a term of endearment!)… I think of the healing of her self-worth: imagine what it’s like for someone who has reason to focus elsewhere to give you undivided time, really pay attention to you, listen to your story. I also think about her “flow of blood,” the restoration of her reproductive (creative, life-giving) powers.
       • It’s also a story about the power of faith—understood not as “belief” but as reaching out. Jesus knows nothing about the woman’s religious beliefs; only that she has reached out to him, not certain of the outcome but trusting the process. How much of our spiritual life is reaching out to God (in one form or another), without knowing the outcome, but trusting the process? The woman seems to have “faith” that Jesus can heal her, while the girl’s family doesn’t. (They laugh at Jesus!) But healing comes equally to both. God’s grace is not dependent on our level of belief. Sometimes faith means reaching out even when we doubt.
       • This is also a story about Jesus’ patience, his willingness to be interrupted on an emergency call by a “diversion,” as if it’s actually not a diversion; his willingness to stop and attend to the woman without hurrying off to a “more important” mission. It’s not enough for him for an impersonal healing to happen; he wants a relationship, even if it takes precious time. He’s also patient with a family who laughs at him for his faith; he offers healing despite their cynicism (and maybe ours).
• It’s a story about hidden grace: hidden in a crowd… a need… a passing opportunity… hidden in a girl we think is dead, in a time when we think there is no hope.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Beckoning God, you call us.
All: Wandering Jesus, you invite us to come.
Moving Spirit, you go with us.
Holy One, we follow you, even into the unknown,
so that we may be a blessing.

2.
Leader: Creator God, we praise you.
All: Risen Christ, we greet you.
Holy Spirit, we welcome you.
You call us to follow you, and we see miracles.
A flow of blood healed, the dead raised.
What is unwell in us is mended;
what is dead is brought to life.
Bless us that we may follow closely.
Shape us by your Word, Beloved.
Make us yours.

3.
Leader: God of life and wholeness,
we come to you broken, and our world is broken.
All: We reach out for the hem of your garment.
We come to you longing for healing.
We open ourselves to your mercy.
You come among us full of grace.
We feel your spirit move in us, and we are healed.
And so we bow before you, and in gratitude, humility and wonder
we tell the story of your grace.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of the journey, God of the unknown, you spoke to Abram and Sarai and called them to a new place. Speak to us now. Call us, and we will follow. Amen.

2.
God of healing, the flow of life in us is disturbed. Heal us. There are parts of our hearts that are dead. Revive us. You have given us gifts that we don’t use. Call us, and we will follow. We pray in the name and the presence of Christ. Amen.

3.
God of love, even as the world presses in on you with all its wants and demands, you walk among us in peace. You radiate your mercy and grace. We open ourselves to your love. We listen for your Word to enter us and change us. We reach for the hem of your garment. Enter our longing, and heal us. Amen.

4.
O God, you who called Abram to leave his country and go with you, who in Christ called disciples to follow him, you call to us now. Help us to hear your voice, to leave behind old lives, and to walk with you in new life in your grace. Help us to hear what you are saying to us today, and to respond, by the grace of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

5.
Gracious God, you called Abram to go to a new land. Jesus called Matthew to follow him. Speak to us now and invite us into the journey of your grace. Open the ears of our hearts to hear you calling, so that we may follow in love, in the loving company and healing spirit of Jesus. Amen.

Listening Prayer

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

Eternal God, Loving Healer,
we reach out to touch
the hem of your garment.
Trusting your grace,
we reach out to touch.
Trusting, we reach.

Poetry

              The flow of blood

The sacred blood that flowed twelve perfect years
was never stanched—the healing was not such.
Drawn by the Heart most wounded, salved in tears
still flowing and too sacred to be touched,
she surged through calloused throngs; and stained his cloak
and heart with dark, unclotted faith, her true
blood sacrifice, her tithe of pain, that spoke
of life within her flowing, flowing through.
Heart pierced, he blessed his new blood-sister’s flow;
they both the holy mystery revealed
of wounds blood-sanctified, in which we know
that life is uncontained, and we are healed.
The cross thus washed in double flow of blood,
the curse thus hemorrhaged, life renewed its tide,
a welling up, a sea released, a flood
of life her tear-stained face could never hide.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

We trust in God, Creator of all things,
who is pure compassion,
who loves us unconditionally,
who is present with us in good times and in bad,
who is our salvation.

We trust in Christ Jesus, who is the embodiment of God’s love,
and the embodiment of humanity,
the lover and healer of our souls,
who saves us by washing away our transgressions,
who teaches us life’s deepest things:
how to pray, how to love,
how to be gentle with each other.

We trust in the Holy Spirit, God’s power flowing in us,
hat comforts the faithful,
empowers us to love as Christ has loved us,
and joins us together as the Body of Christ
in loving service to the world.
We trust in the power of forgiveness,
the reality of resurrection,
and the infinite, eternal life God gives us through love,
to which love we pledge ourselves as followers of Christ.

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, we thank you, for life flows from you,
and power comes from you.
You walk among us with grace and healing.
You bring life out of death and hope out of despair.
You call us to new paths, and make us new people.
Therefore we reach out to you,
to touch the hem of your garment, to receive your grace.
And power flows from you, and we are made whole.
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,
who healed and taught, who fed the hungry and honored the outcast.
He has brought healing into our lives.
What was dead in us he has brought to life.
Christ, crucified and risen, comes to us in this meal
to reaffirm your covenant to be with us in love forever.

     (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,
the flow of life in us restored,
radiant with the power of love.
As you called Abram and Sarai to follow you,
as Jesus called Matthew to follow,
may this meal call us forth in your love.
May we bear your grace, for the healing 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

[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.) In gratitude we give you our gifts as symbols of our lives. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. By your life-giving Word and your loving presence, lead us into the world to new places, trusting you in the unknown, for the sake of the blessing of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.

June 14, 2026

Lectionary Texts

Genesis 18. 1-15. Three visitors to Abraham and Sarah tell them that they will have a son—news so preposterous that Sarah laughs.

Psalm 116. A song of thanks to God: “When I was brought low God saved me.”

Romans 5. 1-8. Since we are justified, we have peace with God. Suffering leads to hope because God’s love has been poured into us. While we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly.

Matthew 9.35 – 10.8 Jesus goes about healing. The harvest is plentiful; the laborers are few. The sending of the twelve.

Preaching Thoughts

Genesis
      Like a TV series that ends each episode with a cliff-hanger leading you on to the next episode, Genesis gives us a cliff-hanger in each generation: will God fulfill the covenant to give Abraham descendants? Here’s the first. Abraham and Sarah are old, and—dun dun dun—still no children. The visitors announce otherwise. What angels announce hope in your world? Who are the visitors we might host and “entertain angels unawares?” What signs do you see that God continues to uphold a covenant of mercy despite how messed up the world is? Sarah laughing reminds me of the family of the dead girl who laugh at Jesus before he raises her. What good news might we tend to laugh at that maybe we should take seriously?

Romans
     Watch out for the old Puritan notion that suffering is good. Suffering is not inherently good—but like everything it is a locus of grace. Paul invites us to look beyond our immediate pain to the greater story we’re part of, and trust it even when we’re in the middle of a hard chapter. Remember, hope isn’t wishing, not belief that “everything will be OK, “ but trust in the Goodness of God, “the love that’s been poured into our hearts,” regardless of how things turn out for us. It’s the big picture of God’s love that is our hope, and that doesn’t disappoint us. Jesus makes that love for us accessible to us, in that he dies for us even though we might think of ourselves as “unworthy.” When we let this grace sink in it allows us to restore our trust in God. This trust sustains us even through suffering.
      “While we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” God’s hope is not that we will become Christian, but that we will know we are loved. That’s what it means to be “justified.” To save us from the tyranny of our anxious, selfish ego, Jesus dies for us, destroying the notion of being”worthy” or “unworthy, and from being afraid of “the wrath of God.” We’re not saved from God, but from our own fear of unworthiness.

Matthew
       The lectionary continues the theme of our calling into ministry. Jesus’ healing tour looks very different from a “crusade” trying to get people to become Christian. We are sent (the word “apostle” means “sent”) to be the good news of the Reign of God, to cure the sick (heal what is broken), raise the dead (embody resurrection, empower the powerless and bring hope where there is despair), cleanse lepers (embrace outcasts) and cast out demons (confront injustice). It’s for the sake of the healing of the world, not the stuffing of the church. The “harvest” we’re sent out to labor in is not dragging people into the church, but participating in God’s harvest of the gifts God has planted in each person, gifts made fruitful by the Spirit, with our encouragement. Who are the “lost sheep” we’re sent to?
     By the way, don’t think we’re any less lost than those sheep. Jesus inclines us toward humility and dependence. “You received without pay, give without pay.” In verses 9-15, omitted from the lectionary reading, Jesus gives us an image of humble dependency. Take no gold, stay with the people, give them your blessing, accept it when they don’t return the blessing. He also goes on to warn us of the resistance we’ll meet. Working for the mending of the world, working for justice, is no privileged position, but a vulnerable one. But be of good courage; the Spirit will sustain you.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: God, you are in this world with love and grace.
All: You heal us when we are broken and cleanse us of our shame.
You cast out the demons of injustice and embrace the outcast.
You raise the dead, giving power to the powerless and hope to the despairing.
You have called disciples, and sent them into the world in love.
You call us now to come close, and we come. Alleluia!

2.
Leader: Eternal God, Spirit of Love, we worship you.
All: Creating God, Renewing God, we worship you.
Transforming God, Bewildering God, we worship you.
Disorienting, Re-orienting God, we worship you.
Come, upset our ways and reshape us according to your Spirit. Amen.

3.
Leader: God of love, we seek healing: wholeness for our bodies.
All: Come to us, enfold us in your grace, and send us forth, renewed.
We seek hope: fruitfulness for our lives.
Come to us, enfold us in your grace, and send us forth, renewed.
We seek courage: power to carry your grace into the world.
Come to us, enfold us in your grace, and send us forth, renewed. Amen.

4.
Leader: Holy One, you claim us as your own and call us to serve you.
All: Beloved, receive us with love.
Living Christ, you send us out to share your grace.
Beloved, transform us with love.
Holy Spirit, you empower us with gifts for healing.
Beloved, send us with love.
The world awaits. May it be for us according to your word. Amen.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1. (Genesis)
God of grace and mystery, you hold us faithfully your Covenant. Your love upholds us, your grace moves ahead of us, your mercy comes to us in surprising ways. Open our hearts to welcome the message of your promise, and to trust your blessing. We pray in the name and the Spirit of Jesus. Amen.

2.
(Romans)
Loving God, our deep distrust separates us from you, but you reach out to us in our fear with love and grace. You forgive us; you heal us; you bless us. We open our hearts to your Spirit, that the good news of your love might sink in and change us. Creator God, make us new. Loving Christ, come and speak to us. Holy Spirit, give us new life. Amen.

3. (Matthew)
God of love, you who called disciples and sent them: gather us now, equip us for your service, and send us in your name for the sake of the healing of the world, in the loving presence and the healing spirit of Christ. Amen.

4. (Matthew)
Eternal God, Jesus gathered his disciples, blessed them with his teachings, and sent them out to join in his work of the blessing of the world. Gather us now and transform us by your Word, so that we will be ready to go out into the world to serve you, in the grace of the Hoy Spirit and in the name of Christ. Amen

Listening Prayer

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

As the strange visitors
who bring promise to Sarai and Abram,
you come to us.
We welcome you.
Sit with us,
bring us news from God.

Readings

Psalm 86 – a paraphrase [1-7, 8-13, 14-17]

Sung Response:
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.

Listen to me, God, and speak to me,
         not according to my worthiness but according to your love.
I trust you to give me life.
         It is you my heart longs for all day long.
Give me joy, as I enter into your joy.
         I give you my soul.
For you are good and forgiving,
         abounding in steadfast love.
Hear the secrets of my heart, God,
         the unspoken longings of my soul.
When I am troubled, I turn to you,
         and you are there.                   …Response

O God, you are great, and do wondrous things.
You alone are God.
Teach me your way, O God,
that I may walk in your truth.
Give me an undivided heart,
to be mindful of your presence.
I give thanks to you, God, with my whole heart.
I will live as your glory all my life.
For great is your steady love toward me:
you have saved my soul from its dreary death.     …Response

O God, arrogance rises up in me;
 self-centeredness threatens to take over my life.
But you are merciful and gracious,
         slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
Turn to me and be gracious to me;
give me strength to faithfully serve you.
Show me a sign of your favor,
         to put my doubts to rest—
         for always you have helped me and comforted me.     …Response

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1.
         [based on Romans 5.1-8]
Leader: As children of God we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
All: Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God
through the Beloved, Jesus Christ,
who shows us God’s great love for us,
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
God’s love has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
We give thanks, and we give God our lives,
that we may live in peace with God and with all people,
in the name of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2.
         We love and trust God, Eternal Creator, the Source of all Being and the giver of the laws of life, whose word of love is unchanging, though our understanding is imperfect and incomplete.
         We follow Jesus, God’s Christ, who embodied God’s love, who taught and healed, who enacted God’s law of love in new and radical ways. He gave himself completely in love; he was crucified; yet God raised him from death, transforming the law, and even life and death. He sets us free and leads us in lives of radical self-giving.
         We live by the Holy Spirit, the living breath of God in us, who empowers us to live lives of grace and compassion, trusting in the power of forgiveness, the blessing of community, the reality of resurrection and the coming of God’s Reign of mercy and justice. In all, we give God thanks, and we give God our lives. 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.

We thank you, God, for your faithful love.
You create us in your image, promise to be with us in love,
and deliver us from all that enslaves us.
When we least expect it you send us signs of your mercy,
angels who remind us of your promise.
You come among us with healing and redemption.
Therefore in gratitude, 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,
who healed and taught, who cast out injustice,
who embodied the Realm of your grace among us.
Opposed by the powers of injustice, he was crucified
but you raised him from the dead, still to be with us in mercy.

     (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,
sent into the world to heal the broken,
to confront the demons of injustice,
and to show through our lives
the coming of your Realm of grace and love,
for the sake of the mending 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.) Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. May this meal call us to mindfulness of your presence, attentiveness to your Word, and readiness to serve you. Send us into the world to bless, to heal, and to proclaim your good news, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

2.
God of love, you gifted Sarah and Abraham with a child to bring into the world. You have given us spiritual gifts to share. As Jesus gave his disciples authority to heal, to proclaim your grace and to confront the demons of injustice, you call us to bear our gifts for the sake of the healing of the world. Send us in the power of your Spirit and the company of Christ., who is with s always Amen.

3.
The gift of God’s promise be within you,
growing and vibrant as a child.
The grace of God’s gifts be within you,
the power to heal and to bless.
The authority of the Word be within you,
the courage to love and to do justice.
The Spirit of God be within you,
the strength to make you serve,
and the joy to make you laugh. Amen

Suggested Songs

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

Three Strangers       (Tune: DOVE OF PEACE – I Come with Joy)

Three strangers came to Abraham and Sarah in their age,
and told them God had plans for them, a promise to engage,
a promise to engage.

So Sarah laughed and Abraham, he knit his furrowed brow:
“How could this come to us?” he said, “How could this happen now?
How could this happen now?”

So God appears and promises new life for us as well,
and gives us joy so that we laugh. Such happy news to tell!
Such happy news to tell!

God promises new life in us, and love and joy to bear,
and gives us gifts and blessings dear, the grace of God to share,
the grace of God to share.

June 21, 2026

Lectionary Texts

Genesis 21.8-21. Abraham and Sarah, unable to conceive an heir, have used Sarah’s servant Hagar as a concubine to produce a child, a son named Ishmael. But once Sarah has a son of her own she comes to resent Hagar and Ishmael, and has Abraham send them away. But God cares for them.

Psalm 86. We rejoice in God’s steadfast love and pray for an “undivided heart:” for singular mindfulness of God’s presence, undistracted by other things. We seek to walk in God’s ways.
       —or:
Psalm 17. The psalm cries out, as Hagar might have, for God’s compassion.

Romans 6.1-11. We were buried with Christ by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of God, so we also might walk in newness of life. We are dead to sin and alive to God.

Matthew 10.24-39. The disciple is like the teacher. They malign me, and so they will you. Have no fear of them. What you hear in the dark, proclaim in the light. Fear not those who kill the body, but the soul. Not a sparrow falls outside God’s attention. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than sparrows. I have come to bring not peace but a sword. Find you life and lose it; lose your life and find it.

Preaching Thoughts

Genesis        
      Here’s the ugly side of our culture and even of our faith: we exclude, or even
use and discard people for our own benefit, and attribute it to God, or at least to “the way it ought to be.” We perpetuate a triple evil: we use people selfishly and exclude them and cause them suffering; we blame it all on them as if it is all their choice, their wrongdoing; and we attribute it all to God’s will! From a self-serving stance we might claim this story is about God continuing to preserve Abraham’s genetic line—but that’s exactly the sin we should confess: pretending that God wills other people’s suffering for our sake. It’s the shadow side of the notion of “election,” that God has chosen Israel for a specific purpose in human history. “Election” is not “preference.” Israel is not chosen because they’re better or more important than other nations but because God has a specific task for them, which is for the world to be blessed by them (Genesis 12.3). Our error—our temptation—is to believe our mission or survival is more important to the world and to God than other people’s. It taps into the basic human sin of “pride”— thinking it’s all about us. It gives rise to unjust systems of privilege and exclusion. It’s the thinking that justifies slavery and war and rape and unfettered capitalism and all kids of evil.
        Delores Williams points out in her book Sisters in the Wilderness: The Challenge of Womanist God-Talk that Hagar’s experience matches that of black enslaved women in America. She writes, “Hagar’s predicament involved slavery, poverty, ethnicity, sexual and economic exploitation, surrogacy, rape, domestic violence, homelessness, motherhood, single-parenting and radical encounters with God” (p.4). Of course such experiences are familiar to contemporary Black women in America.More broadly, Hagar is everyone who is used and abused, who is discarded, judged, excluded or looked down upon, who is blamed for her troubles: victims of domestic abuse, the working poor, immigrants and refugees…. It takes some moral numbness to avoid seeing the image of Hagar and Ishmael wasting away in refugee camps, o rin the desert trying to cross the US border. Where are the Hagars in your world?
      From Sarah’s perspective the story ends with Hagar and Ishmael disappearing into the desert. But that’s not how the story ends, does it? God accompanies them, hears them, tends to them, and promises the same thing that God promises Abraham: to make a great nation of them. As Delores Williams points out, God does not enact liberation for Hagar, but God does offer survival and quality of life. How might God be calling us to join in God’s promise and help care for the Hagars and Ishmaels of our world, to accompany the desert wanderers, to be the ones who hear and have compassion, who encourage and equip people to become great?
      This story isn’t exactly about domestic violence but it brings it up. It’s a story about a household that is not safe. It’s about one person’s will dominating another’s well-being.
       Click here for Domestic Violence worship resources.

Romans
      “Should we continue to sin?” Believe it or not, I’ve actually been asked, “Since everybody is saved, why be good?” Seriously? Why be bad? The thing is, God’s love changes us. When we know how deeply we are loved we don’t want to sin. God’s grace is so life-giving we want to live in harmony with it. We want to be loving.
        When I really absorb God’s love it changes me. Like when you take a cup of hot water and add tea, it’s no longer water; it’s tea. When God’s love is poured into me, it’s as if my old self-centered self becomes a new love-centered self. The old one dies (buried with Christ by baptism into death), and a new, different one is resurrected instead.
       Baptism is an invitation to that change. Baptism doesn’t magically change us, but it reminds us of God’s promise to give us new life when we give God our old ones. Baptism symbolizes the life-cycle of faith: our little self-enclosed self drowns in God’s love, and God gives us a new self made out of pure love. Resurrection isn’t just the after-life, it’s the now-life, the new-life: when we surrender our lives to God in love, God gives them back to us as a gift. This death-and-resurrection cycle isn’t a one-time thing: we go through it every day, every moment, continually giving our life to God and receiving life anew. Like breathing. (This doesn’t call for re-baptism, but renewal of our baptismal vows. God has already claimed us. We’re the ones who need to renew our faithfulness, breath by breath.)

Matthew
       Jesus warns us that if we imitate him the people who criticize him will also criticize us: “How much more will they malign those of his household!” (But remember, it’s not about us.) The sword Jesus brings certainly isn’t physical violence: he’s talking about controversy and opposition. I think of Hebrews 4.12: “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart..” It’s the sword of discerning truth from falsehood, love from fear. It’s not a weapon of aggression, or even polarization, but the sword of refusing to “go along to get along,” standing for what we stand for even when others oppose us. In fact the sword might even be our radical insistence that we are one despite other people’s desire to polarize!
       If we boldly take the side of truth and love and mercy, others, even those close to us, will oppose us. Never mind them, Jesus says. Stay true. God, who cares for even the birds, will watch over us. Don’t worry about people who threaten you. Worry about what can bring death to your soul. If we are willing to let go of our place in society—if we take up our cross—if we lose that form of “life”—we will be given even deeper life. Having died and risen, as Paul suggests, we are free from fear for our physical or social well being, and have the courage to do justice, love radically, and serve boldly. We’re really alive.

Call to Worship

1. [Matthew]
Leader: In this world of struggle and conflict we turn to God.
All: God of love, we need you.
Friends, not a sparrow suffers without God knowing,
and you, beloved, are worth more than many sparrows.
God of love, we trust you.
Those who cling to their life will lose it,
and those who lose their life for Christ’s sake will find it.
God of love, we give ourselves to you.
Receive us, transform us, and fit us for your service,
in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

2. [Genesis]
Leader: Glory be to you, God of all people,
you who have made us as siblings in one family.
All: Thanks be to you, Christ of compassion:
when we were lonely and cast out, you claimed us as your own.
Praise be to you, Spirit, for when we were in danger you saved us.
Come again, and make us your own.
Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

3. [Matthew]
Leader: Creator God, we praise you!
All: Risen Christ, we greet you!
Holy Spirit, we are one body by your grace.
Alleluia! Christ, you call us to follow,
through difficult times and choices.
Grant us faith and courage. Alleluia!

4. [Psalm 86]
Leader: Listen, O God, for we are poor and needy.
All: Save us, for we rely on you.
We open our souls to you. Give us joy.
For you are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who turn to you.
Be gracious to us and give us your strength.
For you are merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Alleluia.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Gracious God, giver of life , lover of all beings, we live within your embrace, and our hearts are filled with wonder at your presence. We set aside this gentle time to listen to you, and to rest in your care. Speak to us, and shape our hearts by the power of your Word. Amen.

2.
Loving God, you have baptized us into Christ’s death and resurrection, so that we may live new lives. Death no longer has dominion over us. Remind us again. As we tell the story of your love, let us die to sin so that we may freely and fully live for your sake, not for our own ease. As we worship, speak your good news to us, so that we may follow Jesus with faith and courage, in the power of your Spirit. Amen.

3.
God of love, may your grace give us faithfulness.
Christ, may your love give us courage.
Holy Spirit, may your presence give us trust.
Loving God, in a world that is afraid of love,
help us to be loving. Amen.

Listening Prayer

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

Like Hagar under a tree in the wilderness,
in solitude and need,
I sit with the infant of my hopes.
Hear the voice of my heart
and speak to me.
Lead me to the well of your love.

Prayer of Confession

Most merciful God, we confess our sin
we have not been the people you created us to be.
We have suppressed wonder and gratitude;
we have withheld love;
we have lived by fear.
Receive us, forgive us, and heal us,
that we may truly be your children,
and truly be sisters and brothers of all people,
in the name and the Spirit of Christ.
Amen.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1.
       We trust in God, the maker of all things, source of all life and Mother of all children. Our life is in God, and in God we are one with all beings.
        We follow Jesus, the Christ, the Revealer of God, who taught us to love, who gave us courage to trust God’s grace, and who bid us to take up our cross and follow him. In his life and ministry and his death and resurrection, he has shown us that in losing our lives we find them. He who was crucified is the Ruler of the Universe.
        We rely upon the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, the communion of saints, the unity of the church, the forgiveness of sin, the resurrection of the body, and the reality of eternal life.
        Therefore we devote ourselves to disciplined practice of the Way of Jesus in our daily lives, so that we may grow in faithfulness, and serve God in humble, confident love for the sake of the healing of the world. Amen.

2.
         We love and trust God, Creator of all things, heavenly father and mother, of infinite love, wisdom and power, ruler of all that is and all that is to come.
        We follow Christ, God’s chosen one, who loved and served humbly, who chose to die rather than kill for the sake of the healing of all Creation, and who was raised by God to new life. We believe that he calls us to humbly follow him and obediently serve him for the sake of proclaiming God’s grace. We trust that he accompanies us and will help, guide, heal and defend us through all difficulty and suffering.
        We believe the Holy Spirit guides us, empowers us and sustains us as servants of God’s grace. We live as the body of Christ, in the power of forgiveness and the reality of resurrection, and the light of eternal life. Amen.

Suggested Songs

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

             Songs addressing domestic violence:

For Households
(Tune: Blest Be the Tie that Binds…
downloadable file also includes a version set to
DETRIOT, Forgive Our Sins As We Forgive.)

For homes where love is shared we give you thanks, O Lord,
where all your children hear your grace and know they are adored.

We pray for homes where fear and hurt and loneliness stay.
For those abused, unsure, not free, your blessing, God, we pray.

As when from Egypt slaves escaped and crossed the Sea,
God, make a way and go with those who are becoming free.

God, give us hearts to speak, to break the silent shield
that covers the hurt, protecting the sin: so violence may be healed.

God help your church to be a home, a healing place,
where all are free and whole and blest and honored in your grace.

When Fear Lives Close      (Tune: GIFT OF LOVE / The Water Is Wide)


We pray for those who live in fear,
where secret hurt and shame live near,
that they may know your loving grace,
and find their way to freedom’s space.

And God of love, we pray for those
whose inner darkness overflows,
that those who wound, control or use
may be healed, too, their demons lose.

We pray, O God, that we may be
your gentle ones who set them free,
with deep respect, with love and prayer,
create a world of gentle care.

June 28, 2026

Lectionary Texts

Genesis 22.1-14. Abraham sets out to sacrifice his son Isaac, but offers a ram instead.

Psalm 13 is a cry for help: “how long must I suffer pain in my soul?”— that soon turns to a song of trust: “I will sing to the Lord, who has dealt bountifully with me.”

Romans 6.12-23. Present yourselves as instruments of righteousness. We are no longer slaves of sin, but slaves of righteousness. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ.

Matthew 10.40-42. Whoever receives your receives the One who sent me. One who gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones will have their reward.

Preaching Thoughts

Fourth of July
      It’s increasingly important to craft worship around the 4^th of July that evokes gratitude for our nation, which is appropriate, without veering off into American nationalism, which is anti-Christian. God is the God of all nations, not just one. The Kingdom of God is not, nor is it even like, any earthly nation, government, state, system or power structure. The “God and country” slope is slippery. God is not American, and does not favor one nation over another (even Israel). Nor is America a “Christian” nation. Neither our country nor our policies are shaped by or reflect any of Jesus’ teachings. Would that they did! What would our economic, health care and legal system be like if it were founded on healing, forgiveness, generosity, non-violence, welcome of the stranger and care for the poor? This may not be the Sunday to launch into that… but the best we can do sometimes is to avoid promoting the old nationalist religion. (Bear in mind last week’s Gospel, about trusting God amid controversy and opposition.)
      If you really want to face the idolatry of nationalism head on, consider Abraham’s intention to sacrifice Isaac. It may be not just a story about an individual but the story of a cultural change of heart. (See more detail below.) Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac is a pretty good image of our willingness to sacrifice our young people for the god of war. Maybe God is suggesting an alternative, no?

Genesis
      God had given Abraham and Sarah a son in their old age; Isaac meant not only love and joy for them, but an heir and the continuation of their family line. So Isaac also meant the means of the fulfillment of God’s promise to give them great descendants. Now God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac! What will Abraham do? What will God do?…
       It’s hard not to see this story through our modern lens of horror at the thought of murdering one’s child. But in the context of the story in Genesis, it’s not about Isaac; it’s about Abraham, and whether he’s willing to give up what is most precious to him to serve God. What do you hold back? What are you more attached to than God?
      Tread carefully here, for a couple of reasons. One, what Abraham is asked to sacrifice isn’t just his: it’s the life of someone else. It’s Issac who’s really making the sacrifice. Abraham thinks of sacrificing someone or something else, but not himself. But when God asks us to sacrifice something it’s something of ours, not someone else’s. Further, I don’t think God asks us to sacrifice anything just for the sake of proving our faithfulness to God. In fact often what we care most about is a sign of what God wants. But there are things we need to let go of, even sometimes things we think we can’t live without. This is the experience of letting go of something we’re addicted to. It can feel as wrenching as child sacrifice. But it is for life, not death. What do we actually need to let go of to be more faithful tp God?
      A traditional interpretation here is that God is testing Abraham, and plans to stop the sacrifice of Isaac at the last moment. (Another is that God intends it to go forward, but Abraham’s faith converts God at the last minute.) But another is this: maybe Abraham has it wrong from the beginning. God never did want him to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham just thought that’s what he heard. Maybe, more often than we think, we’re wrong in our certainty about what God asks of us, and God has to interrupt us before we do something harmful. What are the Isaacs we set out to sacrifice—and how do we listen for God to re-direct our sacrificing?
      I think it’s likely this is not the story not of an individual event but a narrative of a culture, personified in Abraham, coming to reject the child sacrifice it used to accept, and change its ways of worship. What night this story say about our lives—personal, religious and political: what God is asking us to change?

Psalm
      The psalm gives voice to our feeling of being abandoned by God, yet trusts in God’s grace. As in all lament psalms, our complaint gives way to gratitude before we have even received the blessings we yearn for. Hope is not wishing for positive outcomes. It’s trusting in God’s grace no matter what the outcome.

Romans
      Paul speaks of choosing to live as “slaves of righteousness” instead of “slaves of sin.” That might grate against our modern (“woke”) sensibilities: we shouldn’t be slaves to anything, should we? Well, in fact we are slaves. In our natural, unenlightened state we are pushed and pulled about by all sorts of unconscious fears, desires, attachments, habits, beliefs and emotional reactions. We’re not actually freely choosing our behavior: we’re slaves of our unconscious garbage. And we fool ourselves if we think we can just be free to choose whatever we piously choose. Then we’re slaves to the illusion of our independence, strength, wisdom, and self-governance. It’s our own ego. And we’ll still be controlled by our own inner agendas, and unable to free ourselves. It feels like a huge sacrifice (think of Abraham) to give up our illusion of self-control. But that’s the way out. The 12 steps of AA describe the it: “1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol [or sin]— that our lives had become unmanageable. 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.”

When we give ourselves over to God we let God’s grace be the determining factor in our choices. We acknowledge we can’t live righteously on our own: we submit our selves to a higher power. A recovering alcoholic chooses to be a slave of sobriety. A Christian chooses to be a slave of grace. That’s actual freedom.

Matthew
      It’s not about you. When people reject you for being loving they’re not actually rejecting you, they’re rejecting love. When people receive you they’re receiving God. It’s still not about you. So “whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones” isn’t just being kind to a neighbor, they’re being kind to God. “Whatever you do to the least of these…”

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Christ says, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me.”
All: God you welcome us into your loving presence and offer us grace.
A cup of cold water.
God, in our need you give gifts to us.
In many hidden ways you bless us.
A cup of cld water given to these, my little ones.
In our thirst for your grace, refresh us once again.
A cup of cold water, given in the name of a disciple.
We drink of your grace; we rest in your presence;
we worship you in humble gratitude.
Make of us your faithful disciples, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

2.
Leader: God of All Creation, we worship you.
All: God of this day, we thank you.
God, who dwells in all people, we greet you.
God of the present moment, we open our hearts to you.
We worship in your Spirit, in the name and the company of Christ. Alleluia!

3.
Leader: This is the day which God is creating
All: Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Holy One, as this moment unfolds, your hand is in it.
We open our hearts to your presence. We open our souls to your Word.
We listen and wait.
Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

4.
Leader: God of all the earth, we worship you.
All: God of all peoples, we thank you.
You create all people in your image, and you bless every land.
God of all peoples, we thank you.
You provide for us, and give us all to each other, for our mutual blessing.
God of all peoples, we thank you. Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of love, you walk with us each moment. Speak to us now, in scripture, in thoughts, in imagination, in silence. Open our eyes and ears to your wisdom . Amen. 2.Eternal God, you who call us to hear and obey, we still our hearts to listen for your voice, coming to us now, coming to us new, to give us life and set us free. Speak to us, for we are ready. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, Abraham heard your call to sacrifice his son. But then he heard again, and did not. Help us to hear again, to listen continually for your voice. Now help us, as your scripture is read and your good news proclaimed, to hear your Word and change our lives. Help us always, by the grace of your Spirit, to listen. Amen.

4.
God, you called Abraham to sacrifice what was dearest to him to be faithful to you. By your grace help us to let go of everything that holds us back from you. Help us let go, trusting your grace, and cling only to you, in the promise and the presence of Christ. Amen.

5.
God of mercy, you led Abraham and he listened to you. Because he listened, he was bold to do things that took great courage and sacrifice. Because he heard, he acted in harmony with your will, and he was a blessing. By the grace of your Spirit, help us to listen to you now, so that as the scriptures are read and your good news proclaimed, we may gladly hear what you are saying to us today, and follow faithfully. Amen.

Listening Prayer

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

Tender God,
we stand on the mountain of our solitude,
with the Isaac of our loves and attachments in our hands.
We release them to you. We let go,
so that we may truly worship you
by listening for your new word.
Speak, for even with knives in our hands
we are listening.

Prayer of Confession

1.
Gentle, loving God,
we confess that without knowing,
we have tried to live apart from you,
by our own judgment rather than by your grace.
We are sorry, and we repent of our sin.
By the grace of your Spirit within us,
return us to you, forgive us,
and restore in us the mind of Christ.

2.
Gentle, Life-giving God, we confess our sin:
for although we have had the right in our minds,
we have not done your will; we have not heeded your voice.
Speak to us again. Call us to the truth.
Forgive us, open our hearts to your Word,
and set us in your ways, that we may truly do your will,
for the sake of Christ, who died and has risen
so that we may be free. Amen.

Readings

Psalm 13 —A paraphrase

God, have you forgotten me forever?
         Do I even matter to you?
         Why are you so hard to find?
How long will I argue with myself about you,
         this dark pit in my heart all day long?
How long will this dark adversary
         loom over me?
Give me an answer, God—any answer.
         Let there be light in my eyes,
         not this sleep, this death.
I can hear my adversary now: ” I win.”
         I can see them gloat over my lifeless soul.
But I trust your kindness like the earth itself.
         You rescue me, and I rejoice.
I will sing to you, Beloved,
         because you always so lovingly pick me up.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1.
        We live in you, God, maker of all things. You continually create the universe moment by moment, and you give us life and breath.
         We follow Christ, your love embodied in humanity. He gathered a community and taught them, telling parables of grace; he performed prophetic acts of justice and healing; in love he gave his life; and in grace you raised him to new life. He lives among us still by the mystery of his Spirit in us, so that we ourselves may be parables of his love.
        We live by the power of the Holy Spirit, your life in us, in which we are one, the Church, the Body of Christ. By your Spirit we trust in the power of forgiveness, the reality of resurrection and the mystery of eternal life. Mindful of your presence and your grace, we devote ourselves to lives of gratitude and trust, love and justice, in the name of Christ, for the sake of the healing of the world. Amen.

2.
       We trust in God, creator of all things, ruler of al that is and all that is to come. God is transforming the world into the place of God’s justice and mercy.
       We follow Jesus, who taught and healed, who died and rose, revealing God’s abundant grace. He sent disciples out into the world to proclaim the good news of your grace, to heal, and to participate in the Reign of God in all that we do. He reigns in love over all Creation, and holds all accountable to their faithfulness to God’s rule of grace.
       We rely upon the unfailing grace of God, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Therefore we devote ourselves to lives of daily prayer, study, service and reflection, following Jesus as our Master, for the sake of the transformation of the world by the grace of God.

3.
       We believe in God, Creator of all things, heavenly father and mother, of infinite love, wisdom and power, ruler of all that is and all that is to come.
       We follow Christ, God’s chosen one, who loved and served humbly, who chose to die rather than kill for the sake of the healing of all Creation, and who was raised by God to new life. We believe that he calls us to humbly follow him and obediently serve him for the sake of proclaiming God’s grace. We trust that he accompanies us and will help, guide, heal and defend us through all difficulty and suffering.
       We believe the Holy Spirit guides us, empowers us and sustains us as servants of God’s grace. We live as the body of Christ, in the power of forgiveness and the reality of resurrection, and the light of eternal life. 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.]

[…mindful of the 4^th of July…]

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.

We praise you and thank you, God of all Creation.
You create the earth, one living being, without nations or boundaries.
You create your people, one living family.
This feast comes from the earth, the whole earth giving praise.
This gathering is your people, without division or privilege.
You invite us all, from every people and nation, to gather at your one table.
So with all Creation, with one voice, we praise you and thank you.

[Sanctus]Blessed are all who come in your name, and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He loved and taught, he healed and fed the people,
without distinction: Jew and gentile, slave and free.
He established a new nation: the Kingdom of Grace, the Nation of God,
made not by laws or armies but by love.
The empire of his love threatened the powers of this world;
therefore he was crucified. But you raised him from the dead.
He lives among us, inviting us to this table, establishing again your Realm of Love.
[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]

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,
citizens of a single kingdom, the Realm of your love:
one nation, under your grace, with liberty and justice for all.
[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.) Our ways of worship and service are always imperfect. But you speak to us in our hearts. May we listen, listen always for your word, to lead us, correct us, guide us, and set us free, for loving service, for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, you have saved us from the flood of our own sin. You have brought us through the troubling waters to a broad and generous land. In gratitude we give you our lives, symbolized in these gifts. Receive them with love, bless them with grace, and use them according to your will. Send us into the world to extend to others the same holy hospitality of heart that you offer to us. Send us to reach out to those who suffer, who wander, who are without a home for their spirits. Bless us in the Spirit of Christ, and send us in the name of Christ, to do your will. Amen.

Suggested Songs

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


God of Mystery    (Abraham’s Song)   (Tune: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence)

God of mystery, always calling,
in my heart your love has stirred,
calling me to follow humbly,
and obey the voice I’ve heard,
giving you my all, my treasure,
trusting in your gracious Word.

God of mystery, still creating,
move my spirit as I pray.
Give me faith to change my living,
paths I’ve followed all my days.
Stay my hand from ill, providing
grace to walk in blessed new ways.

God of mystery, now redeeming,
still is Isaac bound in me?—
dear, yet sacrificed to duty?
Speak your Word and set me free.
Give this child your life, your blessing,
freedom for eternity.

July 5, 2026

Lectionary Texts

Genesis 24.34-38, 42-49, 58-67. Abraham’s servant goes back to their home country seeking a wife for Isaac. He finds Rebecca, and with her family’s blessing, the servant takes her back to Isaac, and they are married.

Psalm 45. A royal wedding psalm, blessing the couple.

Romans 7. 14-25. The human experience of sin: I do not do the thing I want, but the very thing I hate. It’s as if sin lives in me and makes choices for me.

Matthew 11.16-19, 25-30. People criticize Jesus for eating and drinking, yet criticize John the Baptist for fasting. Sheesh. He says, “Come to me, you who are weary, take my yoke…

Preaching Thoughts

Romans
       The tricky thing about sin is that it’s always an accident. We’re not trying to sin. In the battle between good and evil we think we’re on the right side, but it doesn’t seem to help. We can never actually be good enough. We mean to be playing for the right team but we keep accidentally scoring for the opposition. Sin seems to be more than our own choice. It’s as if sin lives in us and makes choices for us.
       Maybe a good modern synonym for “sin” is the psychological term of “ego.” My ego is the part of me that’s focused on me, establishing and protecting my identity, my safety and survival. It’s naturally, inherently, selfish. It has been challenged, so it’s wounded and afraid. And it thinks I’m a separate individual, like a rock floating in space, not a member of the Body of Christ. My ego nudges me to make choices I don’t even realize I’m making. It’s especially obvious when I’m hungry or afraid, but it’s always at work, bending my desires self-ward. Trying harder does not free me from this battle; only God’s grace does. Rather than helping me be good enough, God removes me from the battle. There’s no such thing as “good enough!” We’re just loved.
       Consider the experience of addiction. Paul pretty clearly anticipates the Twelve Steps: “1. We admitted we were powerless over [sin]— that our lives had become unmanageable. 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.”

Matthew
       “We piped and you didn’t dance; we wailed and you didn’t mourn.” Some people won’t answer God’s call no matter how it comes. What are the ways we resist God’s grace, avoid God’s call, refuse God’s gifts?
       “Come to me…” This passage is what I think it means to “believe in Jesus.” It’s not about your doctrinal opinion. It’s about being in a trusting, intimate, sharing relationship with Jesus. When we share in his compassion for the world, we are yoked with him—like married partners. But this is not a burden; it is rest for our souls. The paradox is that to come to Jesus is to receive both rest and also work: a yoke. I like to take full advantage of the quirk in English that “my burden is light” can mean both “the load is not heavy” and also “what I bear is pure light.” Light, it turns out, is not heavy. What an easy burden, to bear the light of God!

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Holy One, Heart of Heaven, you create us; you call to us.
All: In love we come. In love we come.
Loving Christ, Hands of Heaven, you hold a place for us.
In love we come. In love we come.
Holy Spirit, Breath of Heaven, you move in us to labor with you.
In love we come. In love we come. In love we are here.

2..
Leader: Loving God, we come to you because you invite us.
All: Gentle God, we come to you weary.
We are carrying heavy burdens— of work and family,
of world news and a struggling planet.
Jesus, give us rest.
You are gentle and humble in heart.
In you we find rest for our souls.
Set your yoke of love upon us, Jesus.
Yoke us to your heart, for your yoke is easy,
and your burden is light. Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Holy Mystery, there are empty spaces in our hearts that only you can fill; there is a longing that is only for you. And you long for us. Speak to us and let us hear your voice, the voice of love that speaks our name. Let us hear your call, and come. Amen.

2.
God of love, as you provided Rebecca as a wife for Isaac, so you provide love for us. You include us in the household of your grace. You invite us to come; and you offer rest for our souls. And so we come. Give us your holy rest, that we may go forth yoked with Christ in love. Amen.

3.
God of grace, Jesus calls us to take on his yoke. Bless us that we may find rest for our souls as we worship. Yoke us together in companionship with Christ and each other. Lay upon us the yoke of ministry to all for the sake of your Good News, in the name of Christ. Amen.

4.
God of grace, God of mystery, there is so much of our lives, so much in the world, that we do not know, that is beyond our understanding. We come to you in humility and trust, surrendering our desire to judge and to control. Bless us that now in our worship, and in all our lives, we may devote ourselves to your will and your wisdom alone. We pray in the name and the spirit of Jesus. Amen.

5.
2. [Mt. 11.28-30]
Leader: Jesus says, “Come to me, all you that are weary…”
All: We are tired. We bring our weariness.
“You who are carrying heavy burdens…”
Here, we lay our burdens down, lay them down.
“I will give you rest.”
We rest in you. We are not striving, but simply being here.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me;.”
We would learn your ways, learn to trust and love and live.
“For I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
For your gentleness we give thanks.
For our rest we give you ourselves.
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Set your yoke of love upon us, O Christ,
and give us the burden of your light.

Listening Prayer

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

God, we come to you, weary.
We lay down our heavy burdens.
You who are gentle and humble in heart,
give us rest for our souls.
Yoke our hearts to Jesus,
that we may learn the ways of love,
that we may live with courage and peace. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

Most merciful God, we confess
that we have separated ourselves from you,
that we have not been mindful of your presence
or lived in your Spirit;
and in our isolation we have lived hurtfully.
We are sorry, and we repent.
Forgive our sin, heal our hearts,
and restore us in your grace. Amen.

Readings

Romans 7.14-25, a paraphrase

God, you love me purely, but I don’t trust that.
I’ve been brainwashed by self-centered fear.
It’s an instinct, a reflex, an addiction. I can’t stop it.
I act in ways I don’t understand.
I believe the right things, but I don’t live them.
I don’t do the good I mean to; I do the evil I hate.
I’m not even choosing; my fear is.
I’m on the right side in good versus evil,
but I keep scoring for the other team!
In my mind I think I’m faithful to your love,
but in reality I’m being controlled by my sin.
I’ve been kidnapped. My heart has been hijacked.
I can’t get out of this. Trying harder doesn’t work.
I’m trapped. I’m doomed.
What a wretched person I am! Who will rescue me? 

Thanks be to God: it’s the Beloved, Jesus Christ.

Poetry

           Ox

If I were an ox
and You my driver,
would I mind?

If love were my yoke,
would I balk?
If I walked a path
whose way I could not see,
whose end I could not know,
would I complain?

If I pulled a cart laden
with riches beyond my knowing,
bound for strangers,
would I refuse?

Oh, Driver, Brother, You
who set me free,
crack your whip of light.
Let’s walk this joyful road.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1.
We love and trust you, God, eternal creator,
present in all times and places.

We come to you, Christ, for you are here beside us.
We are weary and carrying heavy burdens.
Give us your rest.
Place your yoke upon us, that we may learn from you;
for you are humble and gentle,
and you give us rest for our souls.
We follow you, Christ, for your yoke is easy,
and your burden is light.

We rely upon you, holy Spirit of God.
By your presence within us
keep us, guide us and sustain us
in lives of love for the sake of the world. Amen.

2.
Leader: Jesus, we hear you call, and we answer:
All: Christ, we are weary and carrying heavy loads.
we come to you,
We lay down our burdens, and empty our hands.
We take your yoke upon us: your love,
your oneness with all beings, your call to justice.
We learn from you: the grace of God,
the Way of Love, life in your Spirit.
We take your yoke upon us.
You are gentle, and humble in heart, and we find rest and life in you.
We thank you, and we join with you.
Your yoke is easy. Your burden is light.
We accept your yoke. We bear your light into the world.
You will be with us.
Jesus, Living Love, we yoke our hearts to yours. [ Silence….]

3.
God, we admit we are powerless over sin.
Our lives have become unmanageable.
But we believe that you can restore us to wellness.
And so by the grace of your Spirit in us
we turn our will and our lives over to your care.
Set your yoke upon us, give us rest for our souls,
and let us learn from you.
        [Silence…]

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.

We thank you God, for your grace.
You create us, claim us, and continually set us free.
In our struggles and our weariness you accompany us in Jesus,
saying, “Come to me, you who are weary,
and I will give you rest for your souls.”
We come, and lay down our burdens, and we are renewed.
In humble gratitude we sing 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 Lamb of God.
He taught and healed, he included the outcast,
he fed the hungry and forgave the guilty.
He was gentle and humble in heart, and we learned from him.
We come to him weary, and he lays his yoke of love upon us,
and we find rest for our souls and strength for the labors of 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,
yoked with Jesus, bearing the burden of light
for the sake of the healing 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.) In gratitude we give you our lives. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. Yoke us together with Christ in love and service for the sake of the healing of the world, in the power of your Holy Spirit.
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 given us a sign of your faithfulness and yoked us together as the Body of Christ. Send us into the world to serve others on behalf of Christ, and to give rest to those who are weary with heavy burdens, 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)

Drawing Me         (Original song)

Holy One, Mystery, how will you keep drawing me
nearer to the heart within the heart?
Nearer still falling in, closer to the heart within,
draw me God. I fall into your love.

Holy One, you are calling, you are drawing,
I am falling into you in love.

Deep in me there’s a voice, there’s a hunger, there’s a choice,
seeking something vital that is you.
By your grace drawing me, may I fall eternally,
nearer to my center deep in you.

Holy One, you are calling, you are drawing,
I am falling into you in love.

July 12, 2026

Lectionary Texts

Genesis 25.19-35. The rivalry of Jacob and Esau; Esau sells his birthright.

Psalm 25. A prayer for God’s support, guidance, forgiveness and love.

Romans 8.1-11. Life in the flesh, and life in the Spirit.

Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23. The parable of the sower.

Preaching Thoughts

Genesis
       People who want to get “back to the Biblical ideal of family” need to read the Bible. Most families in the Bible are dysfunctional, and Jacob’s is blatantly so. In this story, and following tales we’ll see conflict, distrust, deception and betrayal. And grace. It seems the biblical idea is that family is where we work out our crap. Or, as Robert Frost says in “The Death of the Hired Man,” “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, / They have to take you in.” I mean look at all the biblical families: Cain and Abel, Joseph and his brothers, David and Bathsheba and Absalom. Sheesh. Family is where you work out your crap.
       Esau doesn’t seem to value his birthright. Well, same with us. In what ways do we deny who we are, repudiate our belovedness, abandon our place of belonging in God’s family? What stresses and anxieties lead us to betray our divine birthright?
       It’s easy to judge Esau for a foolish, impulsive move, but maybe he wasn’t just hungry one afternoon. Maybe he was actually, as he says, starving. We can imagine the brother’s conflicts were long and deep, to the point that Esau is actually driven into deep poverty. In that state, he’s right: what good is a future legal matter when he’s about to die? All of the Patriarchs at times do risky things in order to survive. And consider that the stories in Genesis aren’t only about certain individuals; they also represent whole peoples. Jacob represents a whole community that has pushed another community into poverty. What might a people do to sustain their survival? And how might a dominant community defraud a weaker one, or pretend to aid them, for their own benefit? Be slow to judge Esau. I think of how readily we judge the poor for how they spend their money, and how unaware we are of the pressures on poor people for day to day survival.
        But notice who we tend to criticize in this story, and who we let off the hook. The worst travesty is the obvious — that Jacob doesn’t care for his brother, but is willing to cheat him out of his inheritance. And we are heirs of that injustice. We Americans live on stolen land, in a nation built by slaves, with an economy supported by the labor of the poor, fueled by oil that spills on somebody else’s land. It would seem our moral compass isn’t worth a bowl of stew. Boy, do we ever need to pray for God’s guidance. Hence Psalm 25.

Romans
       “There is no condemnation; we are set free from the law of sin and death.” Our attempts to be good people, to live “by the law,” can’t actually heal our relationship with God or others, but God’s grace does. God comes and lives among us as one of us and so overcomes our separation from God—which is our sin. Instead of judging us for our sin God “condemns sin,” that is, does away with our separation from God. God fulfills the law for us!“
       According to the flesh… according to the Spirit.” We’ve interpreted this notion dualistically, as if there’s physical and there’s spiritual, and physical is bad and spiritual is good. That’s not what Paul means. There’s nothing bad or sinful about your body or its needs and desires. But here’s the thing.We have this very strong illusion that we’re separate, unrelated individuals, and our “self” is contained in, limited to and defined by our bodies. Pointing to my body I think this 163-lb sack of flesh and bones is “me,” and everything else is “you, “ or at least not me. But that’s not true. We are actually all fingers of the same hand, members of the Body of Christ, all one in the Spirit of God, all of us cells of one living organism. None of us is “alive” separate from the whole body, any more than one of your cells or tissues could be “alive” separate from your body. We are one in the Spirit, even though we seem to have separate bodies.
        What Paul calls life “in the flesh” is self-centered life, life controlled by our egos, controlled by our our self-serving anxieties and desires. Life “in the Spirit” is life as one with the whole Body of Christ, one in the Spirit, led and sustained by God. Paul is not contrasting flesh and spirit. He’s contrasting individualistic life and connected life. (Notice that when Paul talks about our individualistic ego-defined self he usually calls it “flesh.” When he talks about our oneness in a single life he usually calls it “body.”)
       And the cool thing is that since we are one with Christ, Christ’s resurrection is also ours. We are raised up out of our own death, out of the sinful control of our egos, by being part of the Body of Christ. Paul says “the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” Righteousness doesn’t mean religious correctness, it means relatedness. We’re in relationship with God because (in Christ) God relates to us. Because we participate in Christ’s life we participate in Christ’s resurrection. So all our attempts to fulfill the law are for naught. By being in us, God fulfills the law in us.

Matthew
       Beware of any “explanation” of a parable—even Jesus’. No good comedian explains their jokes. No good storyteller explains their stories. The explanation was likely added, maybe by Matthew, and is unlikely to have come from Jesus. His parables are not allegories, in which each part “equals” some particular thing. They’re way more open to various interpretations. Maybe the seed is the Word planted in us. Maybe it’s us planted in the world. Maybe it’s about our love planted in the lives of others…. This is a story about receptivity and resistance. It’s about patience (failure, failure, failure, success…) It’s about acceptance (Of course so much of the seed is wasted. That’s how you plant a field.) … It’s about the triumph of grace over everything..

Call to Worship

1. (Matthew)
Leader: God of truth, sow the seed of your Word in our hearts.
All: We receive your grace with glad and generous hearts.
Loving Christ, sow the seeds of healing and growth in our bodies and souls.
We receive your grace with glad and generous hearts.
Holy Spirit, sow the seeds of your love in our lives.
We receive your grace with glad and generous hearts. Alleluia!

2. (Genesis)
Leader: Creator God, we praise you!
All: Risen Christ, we greet you!
You gather us into a family of grace, a household of love.
You make Covenant to be our God, and call us to be your people.
Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1. (Matthew)
God of truth, you sow the seed of your Word among us. Soften the soil of our hearts to receive your grace, that it may flourish in us. Amen.

2. (Matthew)
O good and generous God, you have sown the seed of your Word in our hearts. Nourish that Word by our worship today, so that it may grow and flourish in us, and so that in all our lives we may bear the fruit of your love. Amen.

3. (Genesis)
God of love, we are siblings to Jacob and Esau, caught up in their rivalry, ready to compete. But we are all your children, all of us beloved family. Remind us who and whose we are. Speak to us anew of our inheritance from you, of grace and belovedness. In the spirit of Christ, we are listening. Amen.

Listening Prayer

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

O Sower of Love,
we are ready soil.
Plant your word in us;
nourish it in the sun of your grace
and the rain of your love.
May it bear fruit
by the power of your Spirit. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

1.
Most merciful God, we confess
that we have separated ourselves from you,
that we have not been mindful of your presence
or lived in your Spirit;
and in our isolation we have lived hurtfully.
We are sorry, and we repent.
Forgive our sin, heal our hearts,
and restore us in your grace. Amen.

2.
Loving God,we confess
we have lived wrapped up inside ourselves,
not joined with you, led by your Spirit.
Rejoin us to you.
Forgive our sin, heal our fear,
and renew in us your spirit of love. Amen.

Readings

1.
Romans 8.1-11 —a paraphrase
         God has no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the controlling power of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the controlling power of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, in the hands of our weak flesh, could not do: the Only Begotten took on sinful flesh, eliminating our sin, our separation from God. By being in us God fulfilled the just requirement of the law in us. So we walk not as if we are contained and defined by our individual flesh but knowing we are defined by the one Spirit. For those who see themselves as isolated individuals set their minds on self-centered anxieties, but those who know they are part of God’s Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
          To set the mind on the isolated self is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the individual self is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s will—indeed it cannot; and those who are absorbed in self cannot please God. But you are not an isolated individual; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you.
          Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, though your isolated body is dead, being disconnected from God, the Spirit is life because of the gift of God’s presence. If the Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, then the One who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through God’s Spirit that dwells in you.

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 the seeds of grace you have planted in our hearts bear fruit in love and faith and service, for the sake of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we give you our gifts as symbols of our lives. Receive them with love, bless them with grace, and use them according to your will. Send us into the world to share your love with all people, to extend the kinship of your grace even in conflict, to meet even our enemies as siblings, and above all to hold all in the light of your grace, in the name of Christ. Amen.

3.
Loving and generous God, you have sown your grace in our hearts. We thank you for your blessings, and in gratitude we offer to you our gifts, and our very lives. Bless us that we may be your fruitful wheat planted by your hand, bread for the world in the name and spirit of Christ. Amen.

Suggested Songs

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

Love-Sowing God (Tune: Gift of Love / The Water Is Wide)

Love-sowing God, sow love in me,
your seeds of grace abundantly.
My soul be soil where love may root
and grow and bear your precious fruit.

Where habit’s feet and wheels have tracked,
my anxious work the soil has packed,
soften my soul with bliss or pain,
so love may enter in again.

My angry thorns, my selfish weeds,
God, clear away, and sow your seeds.
Despite the hungry, wanting bird,
Love, plant in me your living Word.

Love-sowing God, your labors done,
help me to trust the rain and sun,
receive your grace and faithfully
bear forth your love that grows in me.


O Faithful God       (Tune: Finlandia)

O faithful God, whose steadfast love is sure,
O Loving Father, Mother kind and strong:
your Covenant forever will endure;
you bind us to your heart our whole life long.
No matter how rebellious is your child,
in you we are brought home and reconciled.

We have been loved and held when we would run.
We are to all a sister or a brother;
though we would flee, you join us all as one.
Our deepest wounds come from our deepest love,
and so our highest hope for life above

So teach us God, to bravely love each other,
for all belong within your house of grace,
to give our enemy, who is our brother,
our steadfast mercy, and a wide embrace;
for in our love, though we be right or wrong,
we know the grace to which we all belong.

July 19, 2026

Lectionary Texts

Genesis 28. 10-19. Jacob dreams of a ladder to heaven. When he awakes he says, “Surely God was in this place and I—I did not know.”

Psalm 139. You have searched me and known me. You know my thoughts. You are present everywhere.

Romans 8.12-25. It is the Spirit that enables us to connect with God. All creation waits for redemption, longing for our connection as God’s children.

Matthew 13.24-30, 36-43. The parable of weeds among wheat, and an explanation.

Preaching Thoughts

Genesis
      As is typical in the Bible, Jacob’s revelation comes in a dream. I don’t think this is about nighttime dreams alone. Our communication with God is not in a rational state of thought, but a different realm of consciousness, in fact largely what we might think of as the unconscious. As The Could of Unknowing says, God can be loved but not thought. Or Martin Buber: “God can only properly be addressed, but not expressed.” It’s when we stop trying to understand God that we connect with God.
        Interestingly, the angels are “ascending and descending.” One might think that since angels are from heaven they’d be be descending to earth and ascending… but, nope. Hm. Maybe angels’ home base is here, not there. In any case, this world and the unseen one are tightly braided together. There’s more passing back and forth than we think.
        In the dream God promises four things to Jacob. We usually notice the first two, the usual stuff: land and descendants. But God also repeats the promise of blessing made to Abraham: “All the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring.” God’s election isn’t about us being special, nor just about our having a special protected place, or being able to prevail. It’s not about us, really. It’s about our calling to share God’s blessing with the whole world. Sort of like being baptized. And fourthly God also promises what God always promises; “I am with you and will keep you wherever you go.” It’s a good promise for Jacob to hear because he always gets himself in a lot of trouble.
        One of the sentences in the Bible that always hangs in the darkness and shines like a neon light for me is “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I—I did not know it!” We always apprehend God right after the moment—like astronomers seeing the light of stars from the past. I think that’s what it means when Moses wants to see God and God says “I’ll cover you and pass by and as I recede I’ll uncover you so you can see.” Not that we never get to see God’s face (everything is God’s face), not exactly that we only get to see God’s backside, but that we see after the fact. We seldom realize in the moment that what we’re seeing is God. Which suggests that our experience of God’s absence is a sign of God’s presence. Our longing is God, and that sense that there’s an emptiness is, metaphorically, God’s hand covering us. Our feeling that God isn’t there might be disappointing, but it’s a reminder that God’s isn’t a feeling, and that what we want is not the feeling of God, but God. Jacob’s awareness of God is not in his sleep, but in his awakening, his trust that God is there when we don’t know it. He’s aware that God is not to be found in warm fuzzy feelings but in trust.
        In Hebrew Jacob repeats the “I”: literally “and-I not I-knew.” As if there are two I’s: there’s the rational, intellectual self—essentially the ego— that can’t sense God’s presence, and the spiritual self, the soul, that knows that, that is aware of his own ignorance, that lets go of his ego. It’s the soul, not the mind, that connects with God. God can be loved but not thought. “God can properly only be addressed, not expressed.”

Romans
           Any sentence in this dense passage is worthy of a sermon.
     • “If you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” The “deeds of the body” are ways we act as if we are contained and defined by our bodies: our pwn private physical survival. This doesn’t mean we should think poorly of our bodies or be cruel to them. It means we are truly alive only when we honor our deep interconnection to all other people and beings in the Spirit.
     • “All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” We aren’t people on trial before a demanding judge; we’re children of a loving parent.
     • “You did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.” Ours is not a fear-based religion. Fear is precisely what we’re set free from.
     • “We are joint heirs with Christ—if we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” We don’t earn anything. We inherit it. Faith is a mixed bag, neither all glory and privilege nor all suffering, but accompanying Christ in the fullness of life.
     • “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed.” This isn’t pie in the sky. The glory is not in the future, but right now; it’s just that we can’t see it yet. We’re one little bit of the great picture of God’s story. Only afterward will we be able to see the whole thing and how we fit in.
     • “Creation has been groaning in labor pains.” God’s work is to bring abundant life and wholeness—including everything, even all Creation. Creation shares our longing for wholeness. (Notice how Paul uses many metaphors for faith, including being born, giving birth, and being adopted.)
     • “We wait for adoption.” I think we’re already adopted. There’s nothing unfinished in God’s claim of us as God’s beloved. But maybe Paul is thinking of a future time “when all things are revealed,” when later on we come to see everything more clearly. Maybe it’s like we’ve already been adopted, but the paperwork hasn’t arrived yet? So we hope. As in:
     • “We hope for what we do not see; we wait for it with patience.” Hope is not wishing about the future but trust in what is already present even though we can’t see it. I hope the sun will rise tomorrow because I know it’s already rising.

Matthew
        Again, be wary of an “explanation” of a parable. A parable isn’t just a rebus with a certain picture standing in for a particular idea. It’s a mystery, open to many ways and angles of interpretation. Maybe it’s about how life is a mixture of welcome and unwelcome experiences, and wisdom means accepting the whole package. As Job says , “Shall we receive good from God and not receive evil?” (Job 2.9). Maybe it’s about how we shouldn’t judge people but let God sort it out later. Maybe it’s about how we shouldn’t judge our own lives and how mixed they are. Or maybe it’s about how God will not destroy us even when there’s evil in our lives. Maybe it’s about how the evil in our lives isn’t solely our own fault—an enemy has done this! After all, we’re subject to the wounds and attitudes we were given as children. Maybe it’s about not judging things in our lives that we don’t like: maybe they’re more mixed, with some valuable aspects, than we realize at the time. It’s definitely about not judging other people. The “weeds” and “wheat” are not necessarily other individuals, but both are the fruitful and unfruitful aspects of my own life. And, who knows? Sometimes what we think of as bad may actually be fruitful in God’s eyes. Notice that what’s thrown in the furnace of fire (v. 41) are the causes of sin.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Creator God, you are in this place.
All: God of light and dark, God of word and Silence, you are in this place.
Saving God, guiding God, you are in this place.
God within us, you are in this place.
We greet you! We thank you.
We worship you. Open our hearts to your presence, now and always.

2.
Leader: Loving God, Infinite parent, you birth us and claim us.
All: We are in awe, and we praise you.
Gentle Christ, you love us and walk beside us.
We are made new, and we thank you.
Holy Spirit, you breathe your life into us and re-create us each moment.
We are your children, and we live in your love.
We worship with praise and thanksgiving.

3.
Leader: Gracious God, you are present in this place, in this time.
All: You are present in our lives, in every moment.
Open our eyes to be present to you,
to be mindful in this and every moment
Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

4. [Psalm 139. 7-12]
Leader: O God, where could we go from your Spirit?
All: Where could we escape your presence?
If we rise above the earth, there you are!
If we make my bed in the grave, there you are!
If we take the wings of the morning and fly to the farthest sea,
even there your hand will lead us, and in your gentle arms you will hold us.
We could say, “Let the night cover us, and everything about us be total darkness,”
but even the darkness is not dark to you: the night is bright like the day,
and with you even the darkness is light.
In your light, Lord, we turn to you.
In your presence, we worship.

5.
Leader: God of All, your Creation groans in childbirth, the labor pains of life.
All: Life groans in us, yearning for wholeness.
We come to listen to the moans of the world.
We come to give voice to the yearning of your Spirit.
Even now you pray in us, God.
We will hold the silence and the space.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of grace, surely you are in this place. Open the eyes and ears of our hearts. As we breathe in and out, you are around and within us. Open the depths of our souls. May we be present to you, who are so infinitely present for us. Amen.

2.
God of glory, Lord of Mystery, Jacob dreamed of the angelic ladder bridging heaven and earth. We stand upon that ladder now, your Presence ascending and descending as we hear your Word and respond. Bless us, who stand always at the gate of heaven, that we may be mindful, and grateful. Speak to us, God, your living Word. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, in our lives we hear so much chatter, so many voices. Help us to winnow out the good wheat from the weeds, the truth from the noise. Grant us your Spirit, so that as the scriptures are read and your good news proclaimed, we may hear with gladness what you are saying to us today. Amen.

4.
Holy God, Infinite Love, Intimate Lover, Faithful One, we come from you. We rest in you. We listen for you. Open our hearts to your presence. Open our ears to your Word. Open our arms to your children. Open our future to your grace. Amen.

Listening Prayer

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

Loving God, we are not dreaming.
You are in this place.
Your grace passes between this world
and your heart.
We open ourselves to the mystery of your presence.

Prayer of Confession

1.
God of love, you have been present for us
and we did not know it;
we did not act as if you were there,
as if you loved us, as if we cared.
By the grace we know in Christ,
awaken us, forgive us, heal our fear,
and renew your Spirit in us. Amen.

2.
Pastor: God of love, in our lives there is wheat,
beautiful and blessed, and a gift from you.
We recall those moments when your grace was fruitful
in our lives and we give thanks as we hold them before you.
    [Silence…]
In our lives there are also weeds, ugly and unfruitful,
that choke out the goodness.
Trusting your grace, we recall those moments,
and we hold them before you.
     [Silence…]
God of grace, gather in your harvest,
separate out what is good in us and what is not,
that our lives may bear fruit
for you and for the world.
All: In the grace we know in Christ,
receive us, forgive us, heal us,
and renew your Spirit in us
as your beloved children. Amen.

Readings

Psalm 139 — a paraphrase

O Holy One, you see me from the inside out.
         You know me better than I do.
You take every step with me;
       you have already walked all my journeys.
Even before I speak
         you know my thoughts.
You are around me and within me;
         I feel your hand on my back.
I can’t imagine the greatness of your love;
         I can only trust it.
                                            God, for your love, I pray…
Where could I go from your presence?
         In outer space, at the core of the earth—there you are.
If I ran away to the farthest place,
         you would be with me all the way.
I could try to hide in perfect darkness
         but to you the darkness is light.
                                            God, for your light, I pray…
You formed me before I was born;
         you made me by hand in secret.
I praise you, for you are wonderful!
         For I am wonderfully, awesomely made.
How amazing is your wisdom, O God,
         how infinite your presence.
When I try to comprehend, you are beyond my understanding.
         But when I simply become aware—here you are.
Search through me, O God, and know my heart.
         Root out what is unloving, and lead me in your life-giving way.
                                            God, for your way, I pray…

Response / Creed / Affirmation

        We love you, God, infinite creator of all that is, and we rejoice that we are your children. We come from you; we are born of your love. You create us as living images of you and your grace.
        We follow you, Jesus, Christ of God, Word made flesh, love made real. You healed and taught. You welcomed and blessed all God’s children. You included all people as siblings. You included the outcast, the wounded, the children. For your love and courage you were crucified; but in love God raised you from the dead. You live among us, calling, guiding, blessing.
         Holy Spirit, we live by your grace. Born of God, adopted by God, blessed by God, we live by your life and power in us. You lead us to live lives of love and courage, to bless all our siblings, to live together as children of God in harmony and joy,
        We give thanks to you, O God, and promise to live as children of your love. Amen.

Suggested Songs

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

Child of God (Original song)

I’m a child, a child of God,
God’s beloved in whom God is pleased.
I will live in the peace of God.

You’re a child…