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call to confession: barren

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Looking deep within ourselves, we see that barrenness
that dwells in our souls. Reluctant to trust God, we find
our faith wavering when we have to make difficult
choices.  We look for quick fixes and easy solutions,
rather than for God’s answers in our lives.  Let us
be honest with ourselves, and with God, as we pray
together.

(prayer of confession)

 

Assurance of Forgiveness:

L:    Listen carefully, dear friends.  God does not
reject us, God redeems us.  God does not back
out of the relationship created so long ago,
God restores it to its original purpose.  God
does not hold back, but pours abundant
forgiveness into our lives.
P:    Forgiven, we can follow; filled with hope,
we can empty ourselves for others; restored
to new life, we can live in relationship with
God, with our neighbors and enemies, with
ourselves.  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

 

Submitted by Rev. Thom Shuman, author of Lectionary Liturgies.

confession: disbelief and distrust

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God of our ancestors in the faith, we are a people
who have known the hurt of broken promises, and have
spoken words we could not keep.  We are quick to
condemn those who make wrong choices, but want
only gentle criticism directed our way.  We let our
lives be guided so much by our past, rather than
opening our eyes, our hearts, our hopes to your
amazing future.
Forgive our distrust of the vows you have made
to us, God of Sarah.  Forgive our disbelief that you
can bring hope to those places where we see only
despair, God of Abraham.  Forgive our hesitancy
in denying all that keeps us from committing ourselves
completely to you, God of Peter and the psalmists.
Forgive us, so we may take up the life you offer
to us in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

 

Submitted by Rev. Thom Shuman, author of Lectionary Liturgies.

eucharist: the table where we find faith

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Invitation to the Table

This is the Table where we find faith.
Those who have the faith the size of a mustard seed are welcome here.
Those who know the faith of our forebears are welcome here.
Those who think they have no faith are welcome here.
Christ has enough faith for all of us to share.

This is a Table not that unlike the Table that Christ gathered his disciples around so many years ago.
It was a simple Table with food that strengthened and drink that quenched.
It was a simple Table of friends, new and old.
It was a Table where truth was alluded to and spoken,
where forgiveness was given even before it was necessary,
where grace was embodied.
It was a Table that would change all Tables moving forward.

As we gather around this Table,
the faith of all those who have gone before us join in company.
It is enough to hold those of us up who don’t think we have enough
and to humble those of us who think we have it figured out.

This is a Table Christ invites us to
as we commit to taking the first step even when we don’t see the staircase.
This is a Table that invites us when we can’t find the first step.
This is a Table that invites us when we are afraid of the first step.

Prayer of Great Thanksgiving

Christ is here.
God’s Spirit is with us.
Here we lift our hearts to God
And give thanks to God!

God created the world in faith,
that we might care for it.
God created the stars and the heavens,
the animals and the people,
the earth and the dirt.
God created all that comes and all that goes.
We might come and we might go,
but God created it all.
God called us to be of God,
to have faith in ourselves and in others,
and yet we can’t yet know how to do that all day every day
because we are not God.

This is the crazy thing about God.
Regardless of whether or not we have faith,
God sent a person, a child, to be with us,
born with his body screaming for justice,
for a different way,
for a different path.

And calls us back to faith again and again.

Therefore we can do nothing else but give you thanks
for your many, many gifts, O God.

Words of Institution

We give you thanks that Jesus,
having faith in those gathered,
gathered his friends around a similar table
on the night before he gave himself to the authorities for his death.
And so that they might remember and know how God’s Bread gives strength,
he took common bread and made it holy,
as he takes common people and makes us holy.
To remember, he asks us to repeat his act again and again,
as he did, by saying:
Take, eat.
This is my body, given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.

We cannot live by bread alone.
And so he took the cup as he did the bread.
And he poured it so we might remember the sight and the sound.
And he shared it among us saying:
This is faith made new,
faith you wouldn’t even know how to ask for,
faith that will surprise you,
faith that will sustain you.
Whenever you drink it,
do this in remembrance of me.

We break bread
and we drink wine
giving thanks,
for the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ,
for the promise of new life,
for the faith to hope anew!

The Gifts of God for the People of God.

Submitted by Rev. Mieke Vandersall, Minister Director of Presbyterian Welcome, New York, NY.

This liturgy for the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper may be adapted in several ways.

  1. Some parts may be sung or chanted.
  2. A shruti box or other drone pitch may accompany the words.

It was written for a new worshipping community entitled “Not So Churchy.” This community meets monthly in New York City and attracts artists and musicians who are church-curious but not church-sure. In particular it is an outreach to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and questioning community.


confession: church, steeple, people

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This prayer of confession (which I feel still needs some work) is inspired by the 2nd of the six Great Ends of the Church found in section G-1.0200 of the Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church (USA) – “the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God” – and the beloved children’s poem, “Here is the church…Here is the steeple…Open the doors and see all the people.” (Author unknown)

Nourishing God…
we are called to be your welcoming church,
and yet, most of the time, we keep our doors locked;
we are called to be a beacon of hope in our community,
and yet, we worry about the energy it takes to keep our lights shining;
we are called to be your life-changing people,
and yet, often, we prefer to maintain our own comfort.
Remind us, again, that the church is not a steeple
standing tall, without the faithfulness and comittment of the people.
Unlock the doors of our hearts and minds…
Fill us with renewed energy…
And give us the courage to take risks…
even now…as we offer our silent confessions…

Submitted by Scott Cervas, pastor at Meadowthorpe Presbyterian Church (Lexington, KY)