Welcome

Call to Worship

One: When moments force us to make decisions between drawing neighbors in or driving them out
Many: Let us remember Christ’s radical hospitality.
One: When a fragile spirit is shattered, and it seems those around us will not pick up the pieces:
Many: Let us remember those who have helped us along the way pick up the pieces of our own, sometimes, shattered spirits.
One: When we forget the humanity of others, and see ourselves as better than or more whole than someone else.
Many: Let us remember that our siblings in and beyond the Church are beloved and good.
One: If the choice is ours, let love triumph over law. If the choice is ours,
Many: Let our voices boom over the silence.
One: In this time and place, let us worship. And let all the people say,
Many: Amen.

Opening Hymn

“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

Luke 4:1-13

(The Inclusive Bible: The First Egalitarian Translation)

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over he was famished. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’”
Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kindoms of the world. And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and i give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered him, “it is written,”

‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only God.’”

Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,

‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’

and

‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered him, “It sis said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Homily

Brinna Kolitz

Response

“Come, Come Whoever You Are”

words by Brinna Kolitz, inspired by Rumi

Come, come, imagine a world
where God’s justice reigns for all who are weary
Love will overcome all hate and fear
Though we may stumble at times
We then will rise
Come, come again, come!

Communion

The Rev. Dr. Traci West

Invitation

Come to the table, for wide is God’s welcome,
you are welcome here,
If you have colored skin or very pale skin without much color, you are welcome,
If you are young or middle aged, or old you are welcome,
If you are married, or partnered, or not, you are welcome,
If you are sick, infirm, or well, you are welcome,
If you walk, roll, limp, crawl, or are carried to the table,
you are welcome,
If you cannot hold the bread or swallow the wine or juice, you are welcome,
If you cannot hear me, or you cannot see me, you are welcome,
If you are lesbian or gay, bisexual or heterosexual, you are welcome,
If you are man, or woman, or non-binary in your gender, you are welcome,
If you are Transgender, Queer, or Cis-gender, you are welcome,
If you are rich or poor, powerful or weak, you are welcome,
You are a child of God, and you are welcome,
And so we come, all of us, together,
We come with our gifts, our pain, our hope, our fear,
We come clinging to the scriptural command to love our neighbor wholeheartedly,
remember God continually,
receive grace, seek justice, create peace, and do good.
Amen

Confession and Pardon

Through the course of our lives we forget.
We forget our call to love.
To love all. To show grace. To all.
We forget and break our vows to you. Again, and again.
As we forget, please forgive.
Help us, come, and come again.

Friends, no matter how many times we fail and turn away from God, in Christ we are forgiven. The Spirit beckons us to return, to come, come, and come again.

Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to you, Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to praise you, Lord.

It is right, a good, and joyful thing,
Always and everywhere to give thanks to you,
As we wander away at times, we thank you for calling us back.
Calling us back to be in communion with you
And with our siblings.

Therefore, we praise you,
joining our voices with all your people on earth
and all the company of heaven
who forever sing this hymn to the glory of your name:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord,
God of power and might
Heaven and earth are full…
Full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who comes
In the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ.
Your Spirit anointed him
To preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives
And recovering of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed,
And to announce that the time had come
When you would save your people.

He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners.
By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your Church,
Delivered us from slavery to sin and death,
And made with us a new covenant
By water and the Spirit.
When the Lord Jesus ascended,
He promised to be with us always,
In the power of your Word and Holy Spirit.

Breaking Bread

On the night in which Jesus died,
He took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread,
Gave it to his disciples, and said:
“Take, eat; this is my body, which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”

Blessing of the Cup

When the supper was over, he took the cup,
Gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:
“Drink from this, all of you;
No exceptions
No asterisks
No exclusions
This is my blood of the new covenant,
Poured out for you and for all
For the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it,
In remembrance of me.”

Let us be vehicles to share this grace.

And so,
In remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
We offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
As a holy and living sacrifice,
In union with Christ’s offering for us,
As we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,
And on these gifts of bread and fruit of the vine.
Make them be for us make them be for us the real presence of Christ,
that we may exemplify the grace of Christ in the world,
Redeemed by the Spirit.

And now, let us pray the prayer that Jesus taught us, in whatever language is most comforting to you and brings you life.

Our Creator, who art in heaven,
Hallowed by your name,
Your kindom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
Deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kindom, the power and glory forever.
Amen.

Giving the Bread and Cup

This is not a table that belongs to this congregation.
This is not the table belonging to the United Methodist Church.
This is the Lord’s table. Belonging to all those whom wish to partake.
This is not a table of exclusion. Just as Christ’s ministry was to all; the sick, the lonely, the poor, the disenfranchised, the Syrophoenician woman, the outcast, let us follow in those steps towards justice.

Music During Communion

“Be With Us Now”

Brendan Fox

Prayer

May this era of oppression and injustice come to an end.
With faith, we lift our heads,
To let love, forgiveness, reconciliation, and repentance disrupt our despair.
To live fully into our call to love and extend hospitality.
The Kindom is drawing near.
The Kindom is also within.
Let the new world be birthed among us.
Help us remember this grace always and everywhere as we go out into the world. Amen.

Closing Hymn

Benediction

One: As we depart from this place, let us remember that the work doesn’t end here.

Many: We are called to go out and love, go out and show love, show grace, show mercy. Let us go and do that.

One: I will stand by you.

Many: We will stand by each other.

One: And there is a source for all the love we need, a source for all the bravery we need.

Many: We all deserve God’s grace and love.

One: Will you be one to offer it?

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Worship Notes:

Benediction: adapted from “Shameless” by Nadia Bolz Weber

Prayer: adapted from Enfleshed Facebook Post from December 2, 2018 https://www.facebook.com/enfleshedword/

Call to Worship: adapted from https://www.ministrymatters.com/worship/entry/8992/worship-elements-june-3-2018 and https://www.ministrymatters.com/worship/entry/8992/worship-elements-june-3-2018