2018 Jubilee: Confessing Our Hope

GATHERING

ENTRANCE

REFLECTION

Sometimes hope is a radical act, sometimes a quietly merciful response, sometimes a second wind, or just an increased awareness of goodness and beauty.

“Show Up With Hope: Anne Lamott’s Plan for Facing Adversity,”
National Geographic Magazine, October 2018

CANDLE LIGHTING

CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader:            Happy are those whose help
is the God who calls us,
whose hope is in the Holy One.

People:            Happy are those whose help
comes from God, who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever.

Leader:  The Holy One provides justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry,
and sets the prisoners free.

People:  The Holy One opens the eyes
of those who refuse to see,
lifts up all who are bowed down,
and watches over strangers.

Leader:  When the world around us seems filled with hate,
God calls us to love.

All:   When the world around us seems hopeless,
we confess our hope.

OPENING PRAYER

HYMN

WORD FOR THE CHILDREN

SONG AS THE CHILDREN LEAVE FOR CLASS

Jesus loves us as we grow,
meets us on the paths we go,
keeps us safe and keeps us free,
helps us learn who we should be.

Yes Jesus loves us,
Yes Jesus helps us,
Yes Jesus shows us,
the best way we can go.

SILENCE

PRAYERS

CONFESSION

Leader:  Holy One, we hear your call
to place our hope in you.

People:  We would rather place our hope
in money, power, and our own efforts.

Leader:  Jesus, you call us to radical hope
by asking us to live our lives
with abundant love and compassion.

People:   We would rather bestow
love and compassion
only on those we deem worthy.

Leader:   Everlasting Wisdom, you ask us to tend
to that small inner voice
who guides us into awareness
of the goodness and beauty all around us.

People:  We are too busy.
We drown out that voice
with our fears and anxieties.

Leader:   We have forgotten that our hope is in you.

All:   Forgive us, Holy One, for we would be
a people who confess our hope in you.

INDIVIDUAL PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

ASSURANCE

Leader:  The Holy One forgives our willful forgetfulness
and calls us again
to place our radical hope in God.

All:   Amen.

THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE

INTERCESSION AND PETITION

COMMITMENT
All:    O Holy One, we come today
to claim our relationship with you.

We pray for the commitment to grow together,
sharing the gifts you give us with others
here and in the wider world.

Forgive us for the hurt we have inflicted,
and help us forgive those who have hurt us.

Give us strength and discipline
to nurture our relationship with you;
to care for every part of your creation;
to foster justice and be in solidarity with those in need;
to work to end all war, and violence, and discord;
and to respond joyfully when you call,
freely giving our selves as you have shown the way.

We open our hearts to you and your creation
in the name of Jesus, who is the Christ.  Amen.

HYMN

THE WORD

SCRIPTURE

SERMON

SILENT REFLECTION

OFFERING

COMMUNION

PREPARATION
Leader 1:   This is the table of the Heavenly Feast,
the joyful celebration of the people of God.

Leader 2:   We gather now as one body, joined around the table.
Here we celebrate God’s presence among us
united in Christ’s spirit, broken and whole all at once;

All:             Nourished and hungry, loved and loving,
sinner and forgiven; we make one circle of knowing,
believing, rejoicing, being,
as God lights and rests among us.

GREAT THANKSGIVING

Leader 1:    Holy and Infinite One, we give you thanks,
for you are our God
and you call us to be your people.

People:   We give you thanks for your child Jesus,
who was, and is, and forever will be
hope for the hopeless.

Leader 2:  We give you thanks for your Holy Spirit,
who breathes encouragement and hope
into our hearts and minds.

All:     We give you thanks for your Church,
one body, confessing one hope, together, in you.

BLESSING THE ELEMENTS
Leader 1:   Christ invites everyone to eat the bread of life,
to drink the cup of the new covenant.

Leader 2:   Jesus said, I am the bread of life.
You who come to me shall never hunger,
You who believe in me shall never thirst.

Leader 1:   On the night he gave himself up, Jesus took bread,
and after giving thanks to God, broke it and said,
This is my body,
broken for the healing of the world.
Whenever you eat it, do so remembering me.

Leader 2:   After supper, Jesus took the cup and said,
This is the cup of the new covenant,
poured out for you and for all.
Whenever you drink it, do so remembering me.

All:     O Holy One, send down your Spirit
that these gifts of bread and cup
may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Unite us with Christ forever
and bring us with the whole creation
to your eternal realm.

SHARE THE ELEMENTS

If you do not wish to receive the elements today you are welcome to join the circle and allow them to pass, or remain in your seat. We serve grape juice in our cups. The crackers are gluten-free.

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND DEDICATION
All:            God of abundance and mercy,
we give joyful thanks
for your eternal love and healing presence
in our celebration of bread and cup.
Bless this body of Christ
that we may attend faithfully
to our call to be your servants,
with each other and throughout the world. Amen.

SHARED REFLECTIONS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HYMN

BENEDICTION

Leader:  As we leave this sacred place
may we find the second wind we need,
and increase our awareness
of goodness and mercy,
in responding to the needs of those around us.

Walking together with Christ,
let us greet those we meet with signs of peace.

All: Amen.