Prelude

“From Now On”

Call to Worship

One: Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God
Many: Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God … for God is love.
One: Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.
Many: If we love one another, God lives in us, and God’s love is perfected in us.

Song

“For Everyone Born”

For everyone born
A place at the table
For everyone born
Clean water and bread
A shelter, a space
A safe place for growing
For everyone born
A star overhead

And God will delight
When we are creators
Of justice and joy,
Compassion and peace!
Yes, God will delight
When we are creators
Of justice
Justice and joy!

Where ever you are
On the gender spectrum
Revising the roles
Deciding the share
With wisdom and grace
sharing the power
For all gender roles
A system that’s fair

And God will delight
When we are creators
Of justice and joy,
Compassion and peace!
Yes, God will delight
When we are creators
Of justice
Justice and joy!

For everyone born
A place at the table
To live without fear
And simply to be
To work, to speak out
To witness and worship
For everyone born
The right to be free

And God will delight
When we are creators
Of justice and joy,
Compassion and peace!
Yes, God will delight
When we are creators
Of justice
Justice and joy!

Scripture

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NRSV

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

Reflections

Oh, God of Dust and Rainbows,
Help us to see
That without the dust the rainbow
Would not be.
That without night
The sunrise
Would have no glow:
Oh, God of Dust and Rainbows,
Help us to know.
–Langston Hughes

Sung Reflection

“Welcome to God’s Love”

Prayers of the People

Table Liturgy

Dr. Kate Ott

Sharing the Bread and Cup

One:          Bread of Peace, broken for all people in all places.       

Many:       Shalom! Thanks be to God. (All sing “Shalom”)

Sung Response

Shalom, break the bread. Shalom, drink the cup. Shalom, Shalom
God’s with us today to show us the way.  Shalom, Shalom
Shalom, my friends. Shalom, my friends. Shalom, Shalom
We answer God’s call of service to all.  Shalom, Shalom

One:          Cup of Hope, poured out for all nations.                   

Many:       Shalom! Thanks be to God. (All sing “Shalom”)

Sharing Our Meal Together

Many: Many will come from east and west, north and south to take their places at the feast of God’s mended creation.  AMEN.

One: At this time in our gathering, we ask that you come to the table serving one another or taking what you need on your own.

Blessing

Thumb to forehead, that’s how this begins–
A thin dust reminder that life, in time, ends.

So how do I want to spend my days?
How do I live a life that weighs
Heavy with love and heavy with truth,
Heavy with memories of laughter and you?

And is that what matters, the end of the day?
Or is it justice and peace and the sound of your name?

Thumb to forehead. Remind me again.
That this precious life begins and ends.
And like the trees in autumn, may I learn to let go,
Making room in my heart for a new kind of growth.

A change in season, a change in me.
Thumb to forehead. Let it be.

By Sarah Are in Sanctified Art Cultivating and Letting Go Lenten Devotional, 2019