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 Mustard Seed . . . Mustard Tree
OPENING WORDS The God, who brought us to this place, accepts the hymns and words we share here, and in God's love that joins us in this worship we remember who and whose we are. CALL TO WORSHIP How shall we sing God’s song in a land of suffering? We shall sing of courage and the strength of the Holy, Almighty, Immortal One. How shall we sing the God’s song when we feel so lonely? We shall sing of unity and faithfulness, of reconciliation and hope, of a community that is unity in diversity. Come, let us sing the God’s song this day. Let us praise God in all our ways forever. SONG—All Creatures of Our God and King Author: St. Francis of Assisi Tune: Lasst Uns Erfreuen Arr: The Mormon Tabernacle Choir Lift up your voice and with us sing, Alleluia! Alleluia! Thou burning sun with golden beam, Thou silver moon with softer gleam! O praise ye! O praise ye! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Thou rushing wind that art so strong, Ye clouds that sail in heav’n along, Alleluia! Alleluia! Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice, Ye lights of evening, find a voice! O praise ye! O praise ye! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Thou flowing water, pure and clear, Make music for thy Lord to hear, O praise Him! Alleluia! Thou fire so masterful and bright, That givest us both warmth and light. O praise ye! O praise ye! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! And all ye one's of tender heart, Forgiving others, take your part, O praise ye! Alleluia! Ye who long pain and sorrow bear, Praise God and on God cast your care! O praise ye! O praise ye! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Let all things their Creator bless, And worship God in humbleness, O praise ye! Alleluia! Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son, And praise the Spirit, Three in One! O praise ye! O praise ye! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! PRAYER FOR THE FESTIVAL OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI Almighty God, our great Creator, yours are the praise, the glory, the honor and all blessings! To you alone do all things belong. Be praised for giving us the animals, birds and fish which fill your world. May we think of you and thank you when we play with and care for our pets. Be praised for making us so happy to have our pets and to have them to play with. We ask you, O God, that we may be good to our pets always, so that they may be happy also. Help us always to take care of them so that they will be healthy. O God, your world is wonderful. May we all come into your even greater world of the Kin-Dom of heaven where we shall see even more wonderful things and where we shall live and love forever. This we ask to your eternal praise, and to our blessing. Amen. SONG (Click Here For Music) Translator: John W. Arthur (1970) Tune: Setting 4 Lutheran Book of Worship Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain, whose blood set us free to be people of God. Power and riches and wisdom and strength, and honor and blessing and glory are his. This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia! Sing with all the people of God and join in the hymn of all creation. Blessing and honor and glory and might be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen. This is the feast of victory for our God. For the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign. Alleluia. Alleluia! PRAYER FOR WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY O God, bread of life, cup of deliverance, throughout the world today, Christians are sharing in the Eucharist. We come together as a people whose caretaker who prepares a table for us in the presence of the threats that are known in every community. Help us to receive the elements of bread and wine for the nourishment of our souls and for the strengthening of our witness to your love for us. For we share one loaf in which we are all one, and drink from one cup which is the balm for our common brokenness. This we ask in the One who commanded us to keep the feast and has redeemed us all from all that would separate us from God. Amen. PRAYER OF CONFESSION AND BROKENNESS Faithful One, we confess that our faith wavers and falls apart. We confess that at times the world seems to work against us, and at times the world runs us over. We confess our wounds. We confess that at times we unintentionally harm others because of the spiritual and emotional injuries inflicted upon us. Forgive us, and help us to find healing with each other. Grant us Your peace and mercy in our lives. Help us to find hope and to trust in Your faithfulness, that when we fall apart, we will be put back together into something new; for You are our God, and make all things new, including us. Amen. (A BRIEF TIME FOR SILENT MEDITATION) WORDS OF ASSURANCE (from Lamentations 3:22-23) The steadfast love of God never ceases; God’s mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Great is the faithfulness of God, whose mercies never end. May you know God’s mercy and steadfast love in your life. May you know forgiveness, healing and hope. May you share that love, grace, and mercy with one another, and the peace of God will be with you, now and always. Amen. SONG (CLICK HERE FOR MUSIC) Author: Thomas Ken (1674) Adapter: Gilbert H. Vieira (1978) Tune: Lasst Uns Erfreuen Praise God all creatures here below. Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise God the Source of all our gifts. Praise Jesus Christ whose power uplifts. Ptraise the Spirit, Holy Spirit. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleliuia! PRAYER In you, O God, do we trust; in your love we delight, for there is no other to whom we can turn, who knows our needs before we ask, reads our hearts and answers our requests. In you, O God, do we trust; in your peace we depend, for there is no other to whom we can turn, who calms our souls, brings release, and, when we are weary, in whose arms we rest. In you, O God, do we worship; in your majesty we exalt, for there is no other to whom we can turn, who in mystery and awe, stirs our imagination, and, when we are so inspired, you restore our sense of dignity and the sacredness of all life. In you, O God, we are and shall be forevermore. READING FROM THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES—Lamentations 1.1-6; 3.19-26 1 How lonely sits the city that once was full of people! How like a widow she has become, she that was great among the nations! She that was a princess among the provinces has become subject to forced labor. 2 She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers, she has no one to comfort her; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies. 3 Judah has gone into exile with suffering and hard servitude; she lives now among the nations; she finds no resting place; her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress. 4 The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to the festivals; all her gates are desolate; her priests groan; her young girls grieve, and her lot is bitter. 5 Your foes have become your oppressors, and it is your enemies who are at ease— for YHWH has made you suffer because of your many sins! All of your children are gone into exile, prisoners of war in the hands of your enemies. 6 From daughter Zion has departed all her majesty. Her princes have become like stags that find no pasture; they fled without strength before the pursuer. ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ 19 The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall! 20 My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me. 21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 The steadfast love of God never ceases, God's mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “God is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore my hope will be in God.” 25 The Most High is good to those who hope in God, to all who seek God’s presence. 26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of God. SONG OF PSALMODY—Psalm 137 1 By the rivers of Babylon— there we sat down, and there we wept when we remembered Zion. 2 On the willows there we hung up our harps. 3 For there our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” 4 How could we sing our God’s song in a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither! 6 Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy. 7 Remember, O God, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem’s fall, how they said, “Tear it down! Tear it down! Down to its foundations!” 8 O daughter Babylon, you devastator! Happy shall they be who pay you back what you have done to us! 9 Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock! READING FOR THE EPISTLES—2 Timothy 1:1-14 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, 2 To Timothy, my true child[a] in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the triune three-in-one Trinity. 3 I urge you, as I did when I was on my way to Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach different teachings 4 and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine training[b] that is known by faith. 5 But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. 6 Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions. 8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it legitimately; 9 this means understanding that the law is laid down not for the righteous but for the lawless and disobedient, for the godless and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their father or mother, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who engage in illicit sex, slave traders, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching 11 that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I was entrusted. 12 I am grateful to the Beloved and Anointed One, Jesus, who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful and appointed me to his service, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our God overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. READING FROM THE GOSPELS—Luke 17:5-10 5 The apostles said to Jesus, “Increase our faith!” 6 Jesus replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7 “Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? 8 Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me; put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? 9 Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’ ”
PRAYER O God who gathers into one all who yearn to feast with you, and makes that celebration beam with a brightness that can overcome any gloom: reveal to us anew to the radiance of your love. We commit ourselves to You, O God of our salvation. By calling us you have placed upon your faithful people the serving the world with the tender compassion and peaceful justice of your Kin-dom. Amen. PRAYER OF INTERCESSION God of Mercy, Grace, and Peace, may we allow our tiny seeds of faith to renew our spirits, rekindle the gift of You living within us, and place our trust and hope in You. of ☩ God of Salvation We commit ourselves to You God of Mercy, Grace, and Peace, remove evildoers and perverted judgment from the chambers of all who govern on this Planet, in this Nation, and in this Community, that all victims of violence, poverty, and bigotry be met by righteousness and justice. We pray especially for the the rights of women, the acceptance and affirmation of people in the LGBTIA community, and the plight of the poor. ☩ God of Salvation We commit ourselves to You God of Mercy, Grace, and Peace, grant ease to all who live with distress in body, mind, or spirit, and give rest to the hearts of those who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need especially those who are suffering in illness or injury, those in places of warfare and violence, and those children who go to school each day wondering if there will be a shooting or other violence. ☩ God of Salvation We commit ourselves to You God of Mercy, Grace, and Peace, may the joy of our loved ones, now freed from earthly bondage, shine brightly in the immortal life and light of the glory of Christ. We pray especially for those who mourn and are in grief, that they may know comfort, strength and peace. ☩ God of Salvation We commit ourselves to You God of Mercy, Grace, and Peace, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials for those who have gone on before us and gave an example in which to follow, yuour gifts of the Sacraments that make us one, and the gift of faith that may grow to do wonderful things for your praise. ☩ God of Salvation We commit ourselves to You God of Mercy, Grace, and Peace, we lift up all who are appointed as Your heralds, that with the help of the Holy Spirit, they may hold to the standard of sound Gospel teaching, guarding the good treasure of your love and proclaiming the Gospel of working for justice and peace here and now. ☩ God of Salvation We commit ourselves to You O God, remind our impatient hearts to take our delight in You and to rely on Your power in our holy calling. Inspire us to nurture the fragments of faith our souls are holding, that we may bloom into the fullness of Your purpose and grace in Your appointed time. For Blessed are You and Blessed is Your Kin-Dom, now and forevermore. Amen. SONG FOR WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY (CLICK HERE FOR MUSIC) Songwriter: © 1978, John B. Foley SJ and OCP Publications TUNE: One Bread, One Body by John B. Foley SJ One cup of blessing which we bless. And we, though many, throughout the Earth We are one body in this one Lord. Gentile or Jew Servant or free Woman or man No more. One bread, one body, one Lord of all One cup of blessing which we bless. And we, though many, throughout the Earth We are one body in this one Lord. Many the gifts, many the works One in the Lord Of all. One bread, one body, one Lord of all. One cup of blessing which we bless. And we, though many, throughout the Earth We are one body in this one Lord. We are one body in this one Lord. IF YOU ARE CELEBRAING EUCHARIST (CLICK HERE) You will need a bread like food and wine or a fruit juice. THE PRAYER OF JESUS Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say, ‘Abba God, hallowed be your Name! May your reign come. Give us today Tomorrow’s bread. Forgive us our sins, for we too forgive everyone who sins against us; and don’t let us be subjected to the Test.’” Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. SONG Author: Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (2002) TUNE: KREMSER ("We Gather Together") We lift up our hearts, we remember, we pray. We hear Jesus' welcome — inviting, forgiving; We know your Spirit's peace as we feast here today. We dine at your table as sisters and brothers, Diverse in our cultures, yet nourished as one. The bread and the cup that we share here with others Are gifts uniting all who are claimed by your Son. We grieve for your world here; we cry, "How much longer?" We pray for the cycles of violence to cease. Yet here, in Christ broken, we're fed and made stronger To labor in his name for a world filled with peace. We rise from this table with new dedication To feed the world's children, to free the oppressed, To clear out the minefields, to care for creation; We pray, O God of peace, that our work will be blest. BENEDICTION May God bless you and keep you! May God’S face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! May God look kindly upon you, and give you peace! Alleluia! Amen. |
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WORSHIP IN INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE AND PROGRESSIVE THOUGHT
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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.