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Lent

prayer: speak, come, stay

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You speak, life-giving God:
and all creation resounds
with your precious words.
Grace runs through
our neighborhoods,
singing your praises;
hope tells of your
enduring dreams for us,
without uttering a word.

You come, Servant of all:
so we can discover
that all the books
in the world cannot
tell us what we learn
about God from you,
and that all our words
cannot begin to speak
of your compassion for us.

You stay with us, Breath of joy:
your peace gentling
our warring passions;
your wisdom helping us
to learn how to live in
community with all around us;
your quiet presence
residing deep with our hearts
the only sign of hope we need.

God in Community, Holy in One,
may our words find favor with you,
even as we pray as we are taught, saying,
Our Father . . .

 

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

CTW: all earth cries glory

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L:    When God speaks, all creation answers:
P:    the pale winter moon cries, ‘Glory!’
        the sun hums a song as it warms the earth.
L:    When God speaks, lives are changed:
P:    those held hostage by oppression are set free;
        the voiceless shout the story of salvation.
L:    When God speaks, everything is turned inside out:
P:    the wise learn the language of grace from little children;
        the strong take lessons from the powerless.

 

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

Sunday’s Coming: working toward March 11

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it’s almost officially mid-Lent. How’s that Lenten Discipline going?

How was worship yesterday? What worked, what didn’t work, and what do you hope to have happen this coming week? What atmosphere are you working to create? What theme or image are you contemplating?

Perhaps you’re following the covenant theme through the Old Testament reading–this week is the high point, with the Ten Commandments.

Perhaps you’re playing with the image of the heavens that sing and shout of God’s glory.

Perhaps you’re wondering about the inverse relationship between our foolishness and God’s power.

Or maybe you’re pondering the Temple Tantrum.

Whatever your direction, we hope you’ll share the seeds of ideas here! Even if all you have is a word or phrase, an image or vague idea, stop by in the comments and share! You never know when you might just spark someone else’s creativity (or have your own sparked!) and lead to all kinds of new creative worship ideas or new liturgy!

Lent Communion

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L:    May the Lord of the journey be with you.
P:    And also with you.
L:    Pilgrims of God, lift up your hearts.
P:    We offer them to the One who denied himself
to carry us into life forever.
L:    Sing songs of thanksgiving to the God who
is faithful in keeping promises.
P:    We offer glad anthems of joy to the One
who calls us by name.

Out of that barrenness called chaos
you called into life all that is good and true,
Beneficent God:
your face shining in the starlight,
your voice echoing in the crashing waves,
your heart, your hopes, your love
poured into those created in your image.
Showering them with peace and mercy,
you began to teach them all they needed
in order to live in hope, and in joy, with you.
But setting their minds on all the desires
which temptation revealed to them,
they began to rebuke you,
denying your dreams for them,
as we thought only of ourselves.
You continued to speak of your promises,
sending the prophets into all the barren places
where we lived and worked and dreamed,
but we were ashamed of the words they spoke,
and would not listen to the love which formed them.
So, you asked the One called Blameless
to leave your side and walk before you,
coming to share your faith in us.

Therefore, we join our voices with those
from every time and in every place,
and with the choirs of heaven,
who forever sing your praises:

P:    Holy, holy, holy, God who calls life into being.
All the ends of the earth and far corners of the universe
sing your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is the One who comes to take up his cross.
Hosanna in the highest.

You are holy, God of Abraham and Sarah,
and Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, is blessed forever.
When he could have stumbled over our distrust,
he called us to follow him into your promises;
when our rejection could have weakened his faith,
he grew strong in his commitment to deny himself;
when he could have remained silent,
he declared your salvation to all,
even to those not yet alive;
when he could have hidden his face in fear,
he turned towards Jerusalem,
going to his death and into the grave,
that you might give life to all
who had died to sin.

As we come to the Table he has prepared,
we declare that in his crucifixion and resurrection
we find that mystery we call faith:

P:    Christ died to bring forth life;
Christ has risen to declare ‘God has done it’;
Christ will come again in glory.

Here, at this Table,
where the gifts of the bread and the cup
are offered to your children gathered around,
pour out your Spirit of healing and hope.
Feed us with the food of heaven
which can make us whole once more,
so we can go to serve all
whom we have treated with contempt.
Nourish us with the cup of life
which can change us into your faithful people,
so we can go to bring healing
to those disabled by our prejudices.

And when we are brought home to you,
when we are gathered with our sisters and brothers
from all the ends of the earth,
we will sing your glory and grace forever,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

 

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

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.