#1 Opening Worship: Diversity and Unity within Diversity
Genesis 11:1-9 and Acts 2:1-13
Call to Worship:
Come Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit.
Come, teacher of the humble, judge of the arrogant.
Come, hope of the poor, refreshment of the weary, rescuer of the shipwrecked.
Come, most splendid adornment of all living beings, the sole salvation of all
who are mortal.
Come Holy Spirit, have mercy on us!
Come Holy Spirit, imbue our lowliness with your power,
Meet our weakness with the fullness of your grace.
Come Holy Spirit, renew the whole of creation!
(inspired by Orthodox prayer for Pentecost)
Call to Confession
He said: ‘How dare you wrap God up in good behavior, and tell the poor that they
should be like you?
How can you live at ease with riches and success, while those I love go hungry and are
oppressed?
It is really for such a time as this that I was given breath.’
So many who have heard forget to tell the story. Let us confess our forgettings and our
missed opportunities to the One whose words were sometimes dangerous, never safe or
tidy. (Celtic Daily Prayer)
Prayer of Confession
O Holy Spirit, tongue of fire, descend upon us as you descended upon the disciples
gathered together.
Sanctify us, free us from the bondage of sin and give us your power to speak
with one voice.
Rushing wind, sweep over our lands and make your sound gather again the devout
people from every nation under heaven.
Help us manifest together the victory of life over death given through the
Resurrection, making us signs of the living hope and witnesses of your
peace.
Giver of Life, abide in us, transform our former selves into a new life in faithfulness to
God’s will. Along with all others with whom we live, with all nations and people, we
would enter a new time, a time of transformation, when hatred is replaced by love,
violence by dialogue, condemnation by forgiveness, self-centeredness by sharing.
Power of Unity, help us to move from division, from the boundaries we use
to divide ourselves one from another. Move us to unity in the diversity of
our gifts, traditions and cultures. Make us messengers of the good news,
apostles of peace.
(inspired by a prayer of the Middle East Council of Churches)
Assurance of Forgiveness
One: God does not disappoint us. Our sins are forgiven, our lives are made whole, we
are sent forth to serve.
Many: In Jesus Christ, abundant grace, tremendous love breaks through the roof of our
hearts, such that we don't have enough vessels to contain it. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Prayer of Illumination
Come Holy Spirit! Transform this humble gathering into the Living Church, the
Listening Church, the Speaking Church, the Acting Church, the Reconciling Church, the
Church of Jesus Christ. We are your people: people of dreams and visions, people of
hope and witness, people of love and service. Burn away all that is false within us, ignite
in us a passion for the Living Word in action among us. Open our hearts to your Word
for us this day and evermore, amen.
Benediction
#2 Worship with offering: Radical Diversity
Matthew 19:13-15 and John 4:1-15
Call to Worship:
In cities like Charlotte and Tulsa,where lives are lost and voices are not heard,
we call to mind that faith which is passed on to us, that justice will speak out
for all people.
In cities like Aleppo and New York, where explosions destroy families and scatter
neighbors,
we call to mind that hope which is passed on to us, that peace and
reconciliation will rebuild communities.
On Standing Rock, where an oil pipeline threatens to destroy their sacred lands and
disrupt their access to clean water,
We call to mind deep lament which is shared among us, that wisdom and
discernment will prevail
In neighborhoods not known, in places never mentioned, where bitter tears are shed
and the lonely walk the streets,
we call to mind that love which we can pass on to those forgotten by the
world, including us.
(portions from Thom Shuman, lectionary liturgies)
Call to Confession
It is too ugly to live like we do not care.
It hurts too much when we are divided by systems set up to keep us apart.
It is too boring to remain complacent in the privilege that I have.
In the pain and the strife, let us go to the One who hears our cries, forgives our wrongs
and calls us forward to community, to reconciliation and to love. Let us keep silence as
we consider our own faults and failings before joining together in corporate confession.
(portions from Chani Nichols)
Prayer of Confession
In a broken world, O God, reconcile us.
In our broken hearts, O God, heal us.
In our broken communities, O God, unite us.
Beckon our souls towards that which creates justice.
Enliven our spirits to a world where equality is prized.
Quicken our hearts to mold communities of fairness and inclusion.
Paint our imaginations with visions of beauty to create in our corner of the world.
May we remember that each gift we possess has been given to be used for collective
liberation.
May we remember that our true calling is to recognize the divine humanity in all we
encounter.
May we use our energy to lift up the struggles that stay under wraps.
May our sight be clear enough to honor the thoughts and opinions of others, even those
with whom we disagree.
In order to live out the principle of balance, may we risk entering into the discord that
seeking solutions can create.
Forgive us the opportunities we have missed and lead us onward towards the beloved
community of justice and joy.
Assurance of Forgiveness
Siblings in this, God’s family, we name what needs to change, so that we can build a
community where all are welcomed. We do not do this on our own, but by the grace of
God. Know that God leads the way as we open up space and make room for all of God’s
children. As members of this family, working towards the beloved community, God
blesses our efforts, hears our prayers and calls us onward, cleansed from all wrong,
forgiven and free. (inspired by portions of Montreat youth conference week 5 liturgy)
Prayer for Illumination
Lord, we pray: Bless us with unhardened hearts. Equip us with unending grace.
Empower us with unconditional love. With these divine gifts in hand, may we take your
Word now, and with the guidance of your Spirit, apply it to our lives.
Prayer of Dedication
We are your Church, O God. We desire to stand where you stand: against injustice, with
the wronged. We will follow you Jesus, as your Church and will witness against all the
powerful and privileged who selfishly seek their own interests and thus control and
harm others. As your disciples, we reject disunity. In this spirit, we offer these gifts, we
share our resources so that our African American brothers will feel safe on our streets,
regardless of whether they are in a black or white community. May our actions be a
reflection of who you created us to be. May this be so, Amen.
#3 Worship: Peace & Comfort in the midst of trial & oppression
Exodus 1 and Psalm 46
Call to Worship:
By the grace of God’s Names:
Prince of Peace. Wonderful Counselor. Liberator of the Oppressed.
Reconciler of the Lost. Comforter to the Downtrodden. Advocate for
Justice. Holy One.
May humanity find itself lifted higher and higher.
Grant us strength that the world world would look to me with the eyes of a
friend, as we look to one another with the eyes of a friend.
In thy dispensation O Lord,
Let there be good in all humanity.
In all things, move us to proclaim your Love, in every space, with every
breath, to each and everyone we meet.
(Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism non-bold portions)
Call to Confession
Friends and neighbors, brothers, sisters and siblings, God knows our needs before we
ask, and in our asking prepares us to receive the gift of grace.
Let us open our lives to God’s healing presence, forsaking all that separates us from God
and from one another.
Let us be mindful not only of personal evil but also of our communal sins of family,
class, race and nation.
Let us confess to God whatever has wounded us or brought injury to others, that we may
receive mercy and become for each other ministers of God’s grace. (BCW Service for
Wholeness)
Prayer of Confession
The sins of the world, such dreadful sins. Not just the personal sins but the solidarity of
sin greater than the total of individual sins, nuclear evil in endless fission O Lamb of
God.
The sin of racial pride that sees not the faith that all humanity is divinely made
Nor the riches of pigment in portrait faces,
The same psychology and religious search that each is the sibling for whom Christ died.
The burgeoning greed that never heeds the needs of others, involved in a merciless
system, looking only at profit and dividend, the last of possessions that cannot
accompany us at our last migration:
Take away these sins, O Lamb of God.
The massive sin of war, millions of lives impersonally destroyed,
Billions of pounds wasted on weapons, bombs, truth enslaved, the hungry
still unfed, grief stalking unnumbered homes.
Weep over us, O Lamb of God.
The sin of the world, alienation from thee
Not just weakness but evil intention
Organized and unrestrained with its own momentum leading to death:
O Lamb of God, take away this sin.
Begin with me, Lamb of God.
Forgive my sins, cleanse my heart, disarm my will and let me fight armed
with thy truth, righteousness and love with thy cross of love incised upon
my heart, O Lamb of God.
(George Appleton)
Assurance of Forgiveness
We may grow weary. We may grow tired and indifferent. But the Holy Spirit breathes
into the very depths of our being, restoring us to lives that reflect the profound goodness
of God. Forgiven and free, let us live out this truth.
(Rev. Scott Cervas)
#4 Worship with Communion: Vision for the Beloved Community
Habakkuk 2 and 1 Corinthians 12
Call to Worship
Before we get out of bed in the morning, before each day began
God was waiting for us, to welcome us with grace.
When we are unsure of what to do; when we falter before the next step,
we come to listen to God's voice, to learn from the One who teaches us all
we ever need to know.
When we are surrounded by cruelty and injustice; when our fears cripple our souls,
God delivers us with steadfast love; we are set free, claimed as God’s own
children, brothers, sisters and siblings of the covenant of grace.
(inspired by Thom Shuman’s lectionary liturgies)
Call to Confession
There are plenty of times when our vision is blurry. We are often blind to the divine
image in others. Plenty of times when we add honor to more honor. Too often we
rejoice in the suffering of others rather than getting down in the ditch and suffering
alongside one another. Let us take a moment in silence to consider our own faults and
failings before joining together to confess our wrongs to God and to one another.
Prayer of Confession
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world.
Have mercy on us. Grant us peace.
For the unbearable toil of our sinful world, we plead for remission.
For the terror of absence from justice, we plead for your comfort.
For the scandalous presence of death in your creation, we plead for the resurrection.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world.
Have mercy on us. Grant us peace.
Come, Holy Spirit, and heal all that is broken in our lives, in our streets and in our
world.
Come, Holy Spirit, set our hearts aflame for justice and reconciliation, for unity.
Come, God in Community, Holy in One, forgive what has been wronged and lead us
onward.
(portions inspired by Shane Claiborne)
Assurance of Forgiveness
Our Confession of Belhar confesses that any disunity, any separation from one another
is sin and must be overcome at all costs. So together we rejoice in the forgiveness of
Jesus Christ and relish this unity.
O God, keep us united. Let us speak in harmony. Let our minds apprehend
alike.
Common be our prayer, common be our assembly, common be our
resolution, common be our deliberations.
Alike be our feelings,
Unified be our hearts,
Common be our intentions,
Perfect be our unity. (Hindu Scriptures, Rig-Veda)
Glory be to the Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, perfect be our unity in the gracious
forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you
And also with you
Lift up your hearts!
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
For you O God have created us in your imaginative likeness,
So we could be filled with your Spirit
As your own people,
Questioned about who we are and where we are really from.
Here, you welcome us to the table as we are, in our diverse human expressions,
Valued in our own communities, despised in others,
Calling us beloved no matter what.
Let us give thanks:
For the revolutionary message passed down throughout history
Through followers and prophets,
Through imperfect sovereigns, foreigners, and sex workers,
Rich and poor, scorned and revered, with papers and without papers,
The vision written plain and large so that even the blind can see it
Brings good news for the poor
Release for the captives
And liberty for the oppressed.
You called generations of judges and prophets Who in turn called your world to account
Who led your people into new relationship with you And with one another
You sent to us a Jewish carpenter, Whom we call your Son,
To be for us the way we need to follow And the truth we need to know
In his passion for justice for all people
He stared down the powers and principalities
That dehumanize and marginalize people Causing him to lose his life to a violent empire
At the hands of a suffering people,
In ways we cannot understand
And in a mystery that feeds our faith
You transformed the man from Nazareth
Into a living manifestation of your tremendous power
God of love,
Your Spirit dwells in us, through us, and around us Through your Spirit,
Your love reaches beyond the borders and boundaries We have created to separate and
oppress
Now let this same Spirit of love descend upon this table
That in the sharing of these gifts
We may experience the wholeness of your creation Living fully in response to your love
May we be filled with a hunger for justice in the world
And with commitment to dismantle that which prevents wholeness Give us an
unshakable hope
In the beloved community that is emerging among us.
In the name of all that is good, may this be so.
As members of this sacred body, who suffer when one suffers, who rejoice when another
rejoices, we come to this table of grace boldly praying the prayer that Jesus taught us:
Our Creator in Heaven, your name is holy.
We pray for the coming of your beloved kingdom. May your loved be enacted in the whole
world. May your will be done in our communities near and far. Satisfy our hungry bodies and
souls. In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us. Liberate us from oppression and in
justice, lead us away from evil. May the power of Your Love bring about a commonwealth of
peace, hope, and joy, now and forevermore. Amen.
(inclusive version of Lord’s Prayer: Nick Carson)
Words of Institution
In the renewing of our bodies and our spirits, we gather for this meal. The elements we
partake are ordinary made holy through the presence of Your Holy Spirit.
So we are gathered here together: diverse members of a unified body. Just as Jesus sat
with his friends around a table to eat, we gather here to be fed. At this meal Jesus took
bread, broke it and said: “This is my body, given for you. My broken body: enslaved,
imprisoned, excluded, unwanted, beloved, gifted, treasured, holy. Eat it all of you. Do
this in remembrance of me.
After supper, as was the custom, Jesus passed a cup to these friends and said:
Take and drink. This is the cup of the new covenant, sealed in my blood.
My blood: shed on unforgiving pavement, over pipelines, in service of fear- blood that
stains our hands.
My blood: shed for the forgiveness and the salvation of the whole world, the whole
world.
Do this in remembrance of me.
Remember Jesus. Put the members of Christ’s body back together again and revive it
for new life. Re-member Christ’s Body. Honor the broken members and lift them up.
Suffer with suffering members and rejoice with rejoicing members. For every time you
eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the saving life, death, and resurrection of
our Lord Jesus Christ, until he comes again.
Come, the table is ready. (portions of Great Prayer of Thanksgiving taken from liturgy
used during Montreat’s Disgrace conference, October 2016)
Prayer After Communion
Loving God,
As you have fed us with the body of Christ, send us out to be the body of Christ in the
world.
Help us to love as Christ loved us.
Knowing our own weaknesses, help us stand with all who stumble.
Sharing in his suffering, help us remember all who suffer.
Held in his love, help us embrace all whom the world denies.
Rejoicing in his forgiveness, help us forgive all who seek our forgiveness and all who
have wronged us.
Give us strength to serve you faithfully, for the sake of Jesus Christ, the Great
Reconciler, the Great Includer, the Host who welcomes us into the beloved community.
Amen.
Litany of Sending
Lord, you have called us to this place and joined us together in love.
To learn to be better disciples, better brothers and sisters and siblings in Christ. To grow together
in our faith, in our love for one another, and in our ________.
Help us to be a community that fosters diversity and is radically inclusive. To be a church that fights for
justice and peace for all people.
Guide us as we strive to be a body that is not satisfied with injustice or oppression. To be a people
that welcomes the orphan, the widow, and the strangers among us.
Grant us the strength to carry your blessing from this place to the next. To walk down this mountain,
following in the footsteps of our maker.
Shine your light upon us that we can see the glory of the kingdom of God, and work towards its
coming.
Go in the peace of Christ to love and serve the Lord
Thanks be to God