Proper 11B | Ordinary 16B | Pentecost 9 A Liturgy For Worship and Meditation—Use all or any portion as you choose.—
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The Church's One Foundation (altered for inclusive language) The church’s one foundation is God's own Chosen One, we are a new creation by water and the Word. From heav’n God came and taught us what perfect love can be; throughout life God has sought us, and came to set us free. The church in ev’ry nation is one through all the earth; our charter of redemption, one God, one faith, one birth; one name together blessing, one holy food we share, to one hope ever pressing, at one in work and prayer. Still, schisms, tribulation, and hatred fuel our war; we wait the consummation of peace forevermore. The saints their watch are keeping; their cry goes up, “How long?” And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song. Yet we on earth have union with God, the Three in One, and mystic, sweet communion with those whose rest is won. Oh, happy ones and holy! God, give us grace that we, like them, the meek and lowly, may live eternally. Centering In Preparation
Ever-Present-God, we feel distant from ourselves, yet alone, vastly alien from you. We seek a sense of you in this time. Move within us in ways that awaken our heart and mind and spirit that we would know the reassurance of your Spirit working in us. For we come wanting to worship you in the very presence of your being. Come, O God, to this time and place. Make haste, O God, to be the abode in which we find peace. Amen. Call To Worship We gather together in the name of Jesus Christ— members of God’s family, and brothers and sisters to one another. There are no outsiders here among us, no one has any special standing or bragging rights. For we have been brought together by the redeeming love of God. Let’s join together in worship! —Christine Longhurst, https://re-worship.blogspot.com Opening Prayer O God, Searcher of all our hearts, you have formed us as a people and claimed us for your own. As we come to acknowledge your sovereignty and grace, and to enter anew into covenant with you, reveal any reluctance or falsehood within us. Let your Spirit impress your truth on our inmost being, and receive us in mercy, for blessed are you and blessed is your Kin-Dom, forevermore. Amen. Call To Reconciliation Remember that you were at that time aliens and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in you who once were far off have been brought near. With the confidence of God’s children, let us confess our brokenness. Prayer Of Confession O God, we live in a diverse community. There are people of different colors and abilities. There people with different sexual orientations. There are people on the left and the right, young and old, rich and poor. Yet, our church doesn’t reflect this diversity. We would love others as you do, but we can’t. We’ve erected walls built upon our biases, fears, and insecurities that keep us apart. Forgive us that we cannot love as unconditionally as you. Help us to take down those walls so we may welcome the stranger and truly be one community together. Amen. Assurance Of Pardon In God we are sister and brothers. We have been restored by the grace of God into the commonwealth that is the Kin-Dom of justice and peace. God's loves does not divide. It only unites. We are one. Amen. Prayer For Illumination May the reading of your Word draw near to you those of us once far off. May the hearing of your Word break down the dividing walls between us, for you are our peace. Amen. II Samuel 7. 1-16 When David finally settled into the palace, and God gave him rest from enemies on every side, he said to the prophet Nathan, “Here I am living in this house of cedar while the Ark of God sits in a tent!” Nathan replied to David, “Go, do whatever you have in mind, for God Most High is with you.” That night the word of God came to Nathan, and said, “Go and tell my servant David that this is what God Most High wants: ‘Are you the one to build me a Temple? I have been without a Temple from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a Tent as my dwelling place. Wherever I traveled with the people of Israel, did I ever say to the governors whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a Temple made out of cedar?”’ “Now then, tell my servant, David, ‘This is what God Omnipotent says: I took you from the pastures and from following sheep to be the ruler of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, and destroyed all your enemies in your path. I will give you fame like the fame of the great ones on the earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel. I will plant them where they will have a home of their own—a place where they will never be disturbed. Never again will the sinners oppress them as they did in the past ever since the time I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. I will give you security from all your enemies. “‘Furthermore, I alone will establish your house. And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you. Your successor will come from your own body, and I will establish your dynasty. It is you who will build a Temple to honor my Name, and I will establish your throne for an eternal dominion. I will be mother and father to you, and you will be my child. When you err, I will use the rod as any parent might, and I will not spare the rod. But I will never withdraw my love as I withdrew it from your predecessor Saul, whom I removed from my presence. Your family and your dynasty will last forever.’” —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. Psalm 89. 20-37 I have discovered David, who is faithful to me. David, I anoint you with my holy oil. My hand will be ready to help you, and my arm to give you strength. No enemy will oppress you and no rebel will bring you low; I will shatter your foes before you, and strike down those who hate you. My fidelity and love will be with you, and through my Name your strength will increase. I will extend your rule to the Sea and your dominion as far as the Euphrates. You will say to me, ‘You are my Abba, my God, my rock and my deliverance.’ And I will appoint you my firstborn, higher than all the earth’s rulers. I will maintain my love for you forever and my covenant with you will never fail. I will establish your line forever and your throne as long as the heavens endure. If your descendants forsake my Law and do not live by my rules, If they renounce my teachings and do not observe my commands, I will punish their disobedience with the rod and their iniquity with lashes. But I will never deprive them of my steadfast love I’ll never betray my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or change what my lips have promised. I have sworn by my holiness once and for all, i will not break my word. Your line will continue forever; your throne will stand before me like the sun. It will be established forever, as faithful as the moon’s witness in the skies.” —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. Ephesians 2. 11-22 Bear in mind that at one time the men among you who were Gentiles physically—called “the Uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the Circumcised,” all because of a minor physical change—had no part in Christ and were excluded from the community of Israel. You were strangers to the Covenant and its promise; you were without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For Christ is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of hostility that kept us apart. In his own flesh, Christ abolished the Law, with its commands and ordinances, in order to make the two into one new person, thus establishing peace and reconciling us all to God in one body through the cross, which put to death the enmity between us. Christ came and “announced the Good News of peace to you who were far away, and to those who were near”; for through Christ, we all have access in one Spirit to our God. This means that you are strangers and aliens no longer. No, you are included in God’s holy people and are members of the household of God, which is built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Christ Jesus as the capstone. In Christ the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in our God; in Christ you are being built into this temple, to become a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. Mark 6. 30-34, 53-56 The apostles came back to Jesus and reported all that they had done and taught. Jesus said to them, “Come away by yourselves to someplace more remote, and rest awhile.” For there were many people coming and going, and the apostles hadn’t had time to eat. So they went away in a boat to a deserted area. The people saw them leaving and many recognized them, so they ran together on foot from all the cities and got there ahead of the apostles. When Jesus went ashore, there was a large crowd waiting for him, and he felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things. After crossing the lake, Jesus and the disciples came ashore at Gennesaret and tied up their boat there. No sooner had they stepped out of the boat than people recognized Jesus. The crowds started hurrying about the countryside and brought the sick on stretchers wherever Jesus went. Wherever he appeared—in villages, in towns or in the countryside—they laid down the sick in the open places, begging him to let them touch just the fringe of his cloak, and all who touched Jesus got well. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. Credo "Somewhere someone" The kingdom of love is coming because: All somewhere someone is kind when others are unkind, somewhere someone shares with another in need, somewhere someone refuses to hate, while others hate, somewhere someone is patient - and waits in love, somewhere someone returns good for evil, somewhere someone serves another, in love, somewhere someone is calm in a storm, somewhere someone is loving everybody. Is that someone you? —Binkley & McKee Prayer Of Intercession Friends in Christ, God invites us to hold the needs of our sisters and brothers as dear to us as our own needs. Loving our neighbors as ourselves, we offer our thanksgivings and our petitions on behalf of the church and the world. ╬ For the Church: that we may be witnesses to God’s message, expressions of God’s nurturing love, and instruments of God’s healing care to all who find life’s journey burdensome. ╬ For those overwhelmed by activity: that God will help them to slow down and be aware of the gifts and blessings that are in their life each day. ╬ For unity: that the divisions in the human family may be dissolved and the wounds of racism and prejudice be healed.
╬ For a spirit of compassion: that God will touch our hearts with care and concern for all whom we find burdensome, needy, or demanding. ╬ For all who exercise leadership: that they may place their gifts unselfishly in the service of others and draw forth the skills of others for the fulfillment of God's work, especially for the poor and the oppressed. ╬ For all who serve in ministry: that God will bless their efforts, help them keep their lives in balance, and work through them to show a shepherd’s care. ╬ For support and renewal: that God will show a shepherd's care to refugees, those displaced by violence, and living under oppressive governments and help them find the resources that they need for life. ╬ For all living in densely populated settings: that they may find a space apart where they can find silence and experience God’s presence within them and around them. ╬ For all who have suffered abuse: that God's loving compassion will fill them with hope and courage and heal their bodies, minds, and spirits. ╬ For all who are suffering: that God will strengthen those recovering from natural disasters, give hope to those who have lost their homes, and give peace to those who are mourning. ╬ For parish communities who are seeking an exit from our United Methodist Church, that they may trust in God’s unending love and be open to new ways of experiencing the Body of Christ, and the just peace of inclusion. ╬ For the Jewish and Muslim and Christian communities of faith: that God will heal the wounds that exist, open new opportunities for cooperation, and help us be faithful witnesses to God's presence and action in the world. ╬ For patience and insight: that God will help parents and young people who are in conflict, help them understand each other, and lead them to new respect and cooperation. ╬ For the wealthy and those of abundant means and resources: may they see the need and the opportunity to share that all may have enough and poverty be eliminated. —Joe Milner Prayer Of Thanksgiving Good and gracious God, We give thanks for blessings of home and family, of education and nurture, of art and science. For all who make peace, for all who build bridges, for all who have learned to forgive the past, we give thanks. For all good people, and for all lovely things, we bless Your marvelous creation. For our identity in your creating, redeeming, and reconciling, and for those who have explained this and loved it into our lives, we are truly grateful. For our place in your church, for opportunities to serve and to be served, we say thank You. For the wonderful story of our salvation, for the prophets and apostles who named it, for the scriptures which carried it into our own history, we bless Your marvelous purpose. We give you thanks you live as the cornerstone of the universe, that we are built with all others into a holy temple, unseen yet strong and lasting. You are our peace, the peace within our own lives, the peace between us all, and the peace that is your Kin-Dom, forevermore. We bless Your marvelous name. Amen. Prayer Of Jesus (adapted) Life-Giver, Pain-Bearer, Love-Maker. Source of all that is and that shall be. Father and Mother of us all, Loving God, in whom is heaven: The hallowing of your name echo through the universe! The way of your justice be followed by all peoples of the world! Your heavenly will be done by all created beings! Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth. With the bread we need for today, feed us. In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us. In times of temptation and test, strengthen us. From trials too great to endure, spare us. From the grip of all that is evil, free us. For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever. Amen. —"A Version of the Lord's Prayer" by Jim Cotter. A New Zealand Prayer Book. Prayer of Dedication Holy God, you love us so deeply that you pursue us relentlessly. You sent your Beloved and Only Begotten One into the world that we who were far off would be brought near to you. We give ourselves to following in the way of Jesus, knowing we can never out give you, never balance the equation. You don’t desire balance, no quid-pro-quo, only that we find the peace you desire for us, whose foundation is in your word and whose cornerstone is alone the Messiah, your Anointed One. In that holy name, we pray. Amen. Sending Forth We leave this place no longer strangers, but members of God’s own family, brothers and sisters through the love of God. Together, we are being built into a holy dwelling place where God lives by the Spirit. So go out with joy and confidence to love and serve the world, for we do not go alone. Amen. —https://re-worship.blogspot.com |
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CROSS O God, three as one, one as three, Holy Trinity— May we, in all our diversity and difference be one... One in being your family, brothers and sisters... One in seeking the commonwealth of all... One in our commitment to justice and peace. For blessed are you and blessed is your Kin-Dom, now and forevermore. Amen. INVITATORY In your presence, O God, we come to worship. In your presence, O God, we seek to praise you with thanksgiving. In your presence, O God, we seek the healing and reconciliation only you can provide. In your presence, O God, we seek to be your people following in the way of Jesus. Receive our worship and grant us your faith, hope, peace, and joy.
CRUCIFORM O God, we live in a diverse community. There are people of different colors and abilities. There people with different sexual orientations. There are people on the left and the right, young and old, rich and poor. Yet, our church doesn’t reflect this diversity. We would love others as you do, but we can’t. We’ve erected walls built upon our biases, fears, and insecurities that keep us apart. Forgive us that we cannot love as unconditionally as you. Help us to take down those walls so we may welcome the stranger and truly be one community together. Amen.
WEEK 1 II Samuel 7. 1-16
♦ When David finally settled into the palace, and God gave him rest from enemies on every side, he said to the prophet Nathan, “Here I am living in this house of cedar while the Ark of God sits in a tent!” ♦ Nathan replied to David, “Go, do whatever you have in mind, for God Most High is with you.” That night the word of God came to Nathan, and said, “Go and tell my servant David that this is what God Most High wants: ‘Are you the one to build me a Temple? ♦ I have been without a Temple from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a Tent as my dwelling place. Wherever I traveled with the people of Israel, did I ever say to the governors whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a Temple made out of cedar?”’ ♦ “Now then, tell my servant, David, ‘This is what God Omnipotent says: I took you from the pastures and from following sheep to be the ruler of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, and destroyed all your enemies in your path. I will give you fame like the fame of the great ones on the earth. ♦ I will provide a place for my people Israel. I will plant them where they will have a home of their own—a place where they will never be disturbed. Never again will the sinners oppress them as they did in the past ever since the time I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. I will give you security from all your enemies. “‘Furthermore, I alone will establish your house. ♦ And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you. Your successor will come from your own body, and I will establish your dynasty. It is you who will build a Temple to honor my Name, and I will establish your throne for an eternal dominion. ♦ I will be mother and father to you, and you will be my child. When you err, I will use the rod as any parent might, and I will not spare the rod. But I will never withdraw my love as I withdrew it from your predecessor Saul, whom I removed from my presence. Your family and your dynasty will last forever.’” —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward.
CRUCIFORM O God, Searcher of all our hearts, you have formed us as a people and claimed us for your own. As we come to acknowledge your sovereignty and grace, and to enter anew into covenant with you, reveal any reluctance or falsehood within us. Let your Spirit impress your truth on our inmost being, and receive us in mercy, for blessed are you and blessed is your Kin-Dom, forevermore. Amen. WEEK 2 Psalm 89. 20-37 ♦ I have discovered David, who is faithful to me. David, I anoint you with my holy oil. My hand will be ready to help you, and my arm to give you strength. No enemy will oppress you and no rebel will bring you low; I will shatter your foes before you, and strike down those who hate you. ♦ My fidelity and love will be with you, and through my Name your strength will increase. I will extend your rule to the Sea and your dominion as far as the Euphrates. ♦You will say to me, ‘You are my Abba, my God, my rock and my deliverance.’ And I will appoint you my firstborn, higher than all the earth’s rulers. ♦ I will maintain my love for you forever and my covenant with you will never fail. I will establish your line forever and your throne as long as the heavens endure. ♦ If your descendants forsake my Law and do not live by my rules, If they renounce my teachings and do not observe my commands, I will punish their disobedience with the rod and their iniquity with lashes. ♦ But I will never deprive them of my steadfast love I’ll never betray my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or change what my lips have promised. ♦ I have sworn by my holiness once and for all, i will not break my word. Your line will continue forever; your throne will stand before me like the sun. It will be established forever, as faithful as the moon’s witness in the skies.” —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. CRUCIFORM ╬ Friends in Christ, God invites us to hold the needs of our sisters and brothers as dear to us as our own needs. Loving our neighbors as ourselves, we offer our thanksgivings and our petitions on behalf of the church and the world. ╬ For the Church: that we may be witnesses to God’s message, expressions of God’s nurturing love, and instruments of God’s healing care to all who find life’s journey burdensome. ╬ For those overwhelmed by activity: that God will help them to slow down and be aware of the gifts and blessings that are in their life each day. ╬ For unity: that the divisions in the human family may be dissolved and the wounds of racism and prejudice be healed. ╬ For a spirit of compassion: that God will touch our hearts with care and concern for all whom we find burdensome, needy, or demanding. ╬ For all who exercise leadership: that they may place their gifts unselfishly in the service of others and draw forth the skills of others for the fulfillment of God's work, especially for the poor and the oppressed. ╬ For all who serve in ministry: that God will bless their efforts, help them keep their lives in balance, and work through them to show a shepherd’s care. ╬ For support and renewal: that God will show a shepherd's care to refugees, those displaced by violence, and living under oppressive governments and help them find the resources that they need for life. ╬ For all living in densely populated settings: that they may find a space apart where they can find silence and experience God’s presence within them and around them. ╬ For all who have suffered abuse: that God's loving compassion will fill them with hope and courage and heal their bodies, minds, and spirits. ╬ For all who are suffering: that God will strengthen those recovering from natural disasters, give hope to those who have lost their homes, and give peace to those who are mourning. ╬ For parish communities who are seeking an exit from our United Methodist Church, that they may trust in God’s unending love and be open to new ways of experiencing the Body of Christ, and the just peace of inclusion. ╬ For the Jewish and Muslim and Christian communities of faith: that God will heal the wounds that exist, open new opportunities for cooperation, and help us be faithful witnesses to God's presence and action in the world. ╬ For patience and insight: that God will help parents and young people who are in conflict, help them understand each other, and lead them to new respect and cooperation. ╬ For the wealthy and those of abundant means and resources: may they see the need and the opportunity to share that all may have enough and poverty be eliminated. —Joe Milner Ephesians 2. 11-22 ♦ Bear in mind that at one time the men among you who were Gentiles physically—called “the Uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the Circumcised,” all because of a minor operation—had no part in Christ and were excluded from the community of Israel. You were strangers to the Covenant and its promise; you were without hope and without God in the world. ♦ But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ♦ For Christ is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of hostility that kept us apart. ♦ In his own flesh, Christ abolished the Law, with its commands and ordinances, in order to make the two into one new person, thus establishing peace and reconciling us all to God in one body through the cross, which put to death the enmity between us. ♦ Christ came and “announced the Good News of peace to you who were far away, and to those who were near”; for through Christ, we all have access in one Spirit to our God. ♦ This means that you are strangers and aliens no longer. No, you are included in God’s holy people and are members of the household of God, which is built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Christ Jesus as the capstone. ♦ In Christ the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in our God; in Christ you are being built into this temple, to become a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward.
CRUCIFORM Good and gracious God, We give thanks for blessings of home and family, of education and nurture, of art and science. For all who make peace, for all who build bridges, for all who have learned to forgive the past, we give thanks. For all good people, and for all lovely things, we bless Your marvelous creation. For our identity in your creating, redeeming, and reconciling, and for those who have explained this and loved it into our lives, we are truly grateful. For our place in your church, for opportunities to serve and to be served, we say thank You. For the wonderful story of our salvation, for the prophets and apostles who named it, for the scriptures which carried it into our own history, we bless Your marvelous purpose. We give you thanks you live as the cornerstone of the universe, that we are built with all others into a holy temple, unseen yet strong and lasting. You are our peace, the peace within our own lives, the peace between us all, and the peace that is your Kin-Dom, forevermore. We bless Your marvelous name. Amen. WEEK 4 Mark 6. 30-34, 53-56 ♦ The apostles came back to Jesus and reported all that they had done and taught. ♦ Jesus said to them, “Come away by yourselves to someplace more remote, and rest awhile.” For there were many people coming and going, and the apostles hadn’t had time to eat. ♦ So they went away in a boat to a deserted area. The people saw them leaving and many recognized them, so they ran together on foot from all the cities and got there ahead of the apostles. ♦ When Jesus went ashore, there was a large crowd waiting for him, and he felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things. ♦ After crossing the lake, Jesus and the disciples came ashore at Gennesaret and tied up their boat there. No sooner had they stepped out of the boat than people recognized Jesus. ♦ The crowds started hurrying about the countryside and brought the sick on stretchers wherever Jesus went. ♦ Wherever he appeared—in villages, in towns or in the countryside—they laid down the sick in the open places, begging him to let them touch just the fringe of his cloak, and all who touched Jesus got well. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. CRUCIFORM Prayer Of Jesus (adapted) Life-Giver, Pain-Bearer, Love-Maker. Source of all that is and that shall be. Father and Mother of us all, Loving God, in whom is heaven: The hallowing of your name echo through the universe! The way of your justice be followed by all peoples of the world! Your heavenly will be done by all created beings! Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth. With the bread we need for today, feed us. In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us. In times of temptation and test, strengthen us. From trials too great to endure, spare us. From the grip of all that is evil, free us. For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever. Amen. —"A Version of the Lord's Prayer" by Jim Cotter. A New Zealand Prayer Book. INVITATORY Holy God, you love us so deeply that you pursue us relentlessly. You sent your Beloved and Only Begotten One into the world that we who were far off would be brought near to you. We give ourselves to following in the way of Jesus, knowing we can never out give you, never balance the equation. You don’t desire balance, no quid-pro-quo, only that we find the peace you desire for us, whose foundation is in your word and whose cornerstone is alone the Messiah, your Anointed One. In that holy name, we pray. Amen. CROSS We leave this place no longer strangers, but members of God’s own family, brothers and sisters through the love of God. Together, we are being built into a holy dwelling place where God lives by the Spirit. So go out with joy and confidence to love and serve the world, for we do not go alone. Amen. —https://re-worship.blogspot.com |
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WORSHIP IN INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE AND PROGRESSIVE THOUGHT
Proper 11B/Ordinary 16B/Pentecost 9
WHY A BLOG?
As a clergyperson with a disability now retired, this is my humble attempt to provide a ministry that some will find helpful. I have always focused on be inclusive and have struggled with the church's tradition of referring to God and humankind with masculine names and pronouns. Since the 1970's, thanks to my dear sister-in-law, I have been aware of the discrimination of women and have worked in the parish and community for equal rights with an equity of access to the resources that add blessing to life. I hope this site is of meaning to those who read it and worship with me and others within it. Peace.