Call to Worship

 

Jesus the Messiah, as we worship you today, we long to encounter you.

 

For those of us feeling tired
For those of us feeling arrogant
For those of us in mourning
For those of us rejoicing
For those of us with no voice
For those of us at peace
For those of us with no hope
For those of us jobless
For those of us with resources abundant
For those of us in fragile relationships
For those of us alone
For those of us surrounded by loved ones

 

Be our savior. Meet us at the table today. Break bread with us.
Give us your peace. We need you. Now and Forever. Amen.

 

Song – Be Still My Soul by VERITAS

 

Scripture Reading – James 1:19 (CEB)

 

 

Prayer for Peace by John Bucki, S.J.

 

Lord, Jesus Christ
who reached across the ethnic boundaries
between Samaritan, Roman and Jew
who offered fresh sight to the blind and freedom to captives,
help us to break down the barriers in our community,
enable us to see the reality of racism and bigotry,
and free us to challenge and uproot it
from ourselves, our society and our world.

 

Scripture Reading – Luke 6:43-45 (CEB)

 

 

Song – Holy Holy Holy by Audrey Assad

 

Scripture Reading – James 3:1-12 (CEB)

 

My brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers, because we know that we teachers will be judged more strictly. 2 We all make mistakes often, but those who don’t make mistakes with their words have reached full maturity. Like a bridled horse, they can control themselves entirely. 3 When we bridle horses and put bits in their mouths to lead them wherever we want, we can control their whole bodies.
4 Consider ships: They are so large that strong winds are needed to drive them. But pilots direct their ships wherever they want with a little rudder. 5 In the same way, even though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts wildly.
Think about this: A small flame can set a whole forest on fire. 6 The tongue is a small flame of fire, a world of evil at work in us. It contaminates our entire lives. Because of it, the circle of life is set on fire. The tongue itself is set on fire by the flames of hell.
7 People can tame and already have tamed every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish. 8 No one can tame the tongue, though. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we both bless the Lord and Father and curse human beings made in God’s likeness. 10 Blessing and cursing come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, it just shouldn’t be this way!
11 Both fresh water and salt water don’t come from the same spring, do they? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree produce olives? Can a grapevine produce figs? Of course not, and fresh water doesn’t flow from a saltwater spring either.

 

Video Sermon

 

Prayer of Confession by Moira Laidlaw

 

Lord Jesus Christ, there are times when we all feel like victims—
pawns in the power plays which are so much a part of life these days.
As usual, however, you look into our hearts
and question what part we play in these power games.
We know that in your eyes it is not social status,
or wealth or reputation that count,
and we confess how easily our lives can become enmeshed
in such worldly values.
You risked personal comfort and security
when you reached out to those on the edge of your society,
lepers and sinners—people whom others considered unclean.
Forgive us when we fail to meet your challenge
to identify with those whom society would call worthless.

 

You showed us that the journey of discipleship
is a journey into servanthood and powerlessness.
Forgive us for being tempted to pursue power
and to favor competition over compassion.

 

You, Lord, saw the good in everyone
and showed us exactly what it means to be the servant of all,
while too often we see others as rivals
in the race for success, influence and popularity.

 

“Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”
Imprint these words on our hearts
and put your living Spirit within us, we pray,
so that we serve others and you
with wisdom, understanding, love and compassion. Amen.

 

Assurance of Forgiveness from Romans 8

 

“38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

In Christ we are forgiven. Amen.

 

Communion

 

 

In this moment, we transition to participation in a sacred meal. We have the privilege of breaking bread with Jesus. We will drink again from the cup he offers. The bread and cup are a commitment to us that Jesus loves us, cares for us, and never abandons us. Not only that, but when we participate in this holy meal, we do it as one Church, one body, united in the mystery set before us. God meets us at the table.

 

Whether we are communing in our homes, parks, over the phone with a friend, or on Zoom, God’s banquet is available to all of us. It unites us despite our circumstances.

 

As you gather remarkably simple elements, begin to prepare yourself to receive Christ. When ready, say these beautiful words as you eat the elements. “This is the body of Christ.” Take any bread or cracker you have and receive God’s bread of life. “This cup represents Christ’s promise of forgiveness.” Take any juice in your home and receive God’s blessing. Jesus tells us to do this in remembrance of me. May we remember that our identity is found in Jesus. Spend some moments remembering who you are in relation to God. Give praise!

 

Benediction

 

LORD, help us understand the gravity of our words.
May our utterances bear witness to heavenly hope rather than hellish harm.
May we be the kind of people that welcome God’s sentry to guard our lips, thus keeping close watch over the fruit we bear. Amen.