Gathering Music

“All My Days” – Worship & Song #3011

Call to Worship

Tonya Bryan

One:
The beginning of wisdom is to give reverence to God
Many:
God grant us wisdom to worship and live with reverence
One:
The wise delight to meditate on God’s will and way
Many:
They are like a tree, planted by streams of water, that yields fruit in season; its leaf does not wither
One:
We come to worship God with reverence,
Many:
may we set down deep roots.

Hymn of Welcome

“I Come with Joy” – UMH #617

Scripture

Tonya Bryan

Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23

1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
   and favor is better than silver or gold.
2 The rich and the poor have this in common:
   the Lord is the maker of them all.

8 Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,
   and the rod of anger will fail.
9 Those who are generous are blessed,
   for they share their bread with the poor.

22 Do not rob the poor because they are poor,
   or crush the afflicted at the gate;
23 for the Lord pleads their cause
   and despoils of life those who despoil them.

Isaiah 35:4-7a

4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
“Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you.”
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6 then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
7 the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water

Homily

Dean Tanya Linn Bennett

Anthem

Seminary Choir

“Harvest of Love”

Table Liturgy

Dean Tanya Linn Bennett

Invitation

Words of Confession

Assurance & Pardon

One:  God is with us.
ALL:  Thanks be to God.
One:  We break open our hearts.
ALL:  God enters in and we give thanks.

One:
It is good and a  joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Almighty God, maker of heaven and earth. You formed us in your image and made us to care for your world. By Your command, bread falls to earth, water springs forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand becomes a pool, the grass like reeds and rushes. From Your generosity, we have received blessing on blessing. So we sing our praise, joining this unending hymn …

“Sanctus” 

Holy holy holy Lord
God of power and might
Heaven and earth are full
Of your glory
Hosanna in the Highest!
Blest is the One who comes
In the name of the Lord
Hosanna in the Highest!

In Your time, you sent the One, Jesus, who for our sake became poor. He refused bread for himself, only to feed the hungry. He broke bread with the outcast, and drove the greedy from the temple. Through him You gave birth to this body of the faithful, delivering us, redeeming us, promising us new life again…

“Memorial”

Christ Has died
Christ has risen
Christ will come again.
Hosanna in the Highest!

On the night that Jesus was taken away, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and said, “Is not this the fast that we choose, to share our bodies, with the poor and the hungry.” And they ate. Then, he took the cup, blessed it, passed it and said, this is my blood, the very essence of life running through me, take and drink.  “Is this not the fast that we choose, to share our lifeblood with the world?” And they drank.We remember.  We remember that this is the fast that we choose.  To share our bodies and our lifeblood with those who sit at the gate, those who beg under the table, the ones Jesus came to be.

Amen.

“Sung Lord’s Prayer”

Prayer After Communion:

This is the fast that we choose.  To loose the bonds of injustice, to let the oppressed go free, not to hide ourselves for our own kin but to give them our bodies and lifeblood as nourishment for new life.  This holy meal prepares us to be food for the world. So that our light might spring forth like the dawn. Thanks to the God of all goodness. Thanks to Jesus Christ who rises up to set us free.

Music During Communion

“Wait for the Lord” – Worship & Song

“Santo, Santo, Santo” – Faith We Sing

“Draw the Circle Wide”

Blessing

Dean Tanya Linn Bennett

Sending Forth

“I Still Have Joy”

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Worship Notes

Call to Worship adapted by Kelsey Wallace from: Flames of the Spirit. Ed. Ruth C. Duck. New York: Pilgrim Press, 1995. 48.

Table Liturgy Adapted by Dean Tanya Linn Bennett from: The UMC Book of Worship “The Great Thanksgiving for the Gift of Food,” Isaiah 58, Isaiah 35.