Gathering
For the Beauty of the Earth (Instrumental)
Call to Worship
One: You asked for our hands, that you might use them for your purpose,
Many: We gave them for a moment, then withdrew them, for the work was hard.
One: You asked for our mouths to speak out against injustice.
Many: We gave you a whisper that we might not be accused.
One: You asked for our eyes to see the pain of poverty.
Many: We closed them, for we did not want to see.
One: You asked for our lives, that you might work through us.
Many: We gave a small part, that we might not get too involved.
One: Lord, forgive our calculated efforts to serve you–
Many: –only when it is convenient for us to do so, only in those places where it is safe to do so, and only with those who make it easy to do so. God, forgive us, renew us, send us out, as usable instruments, that we might take seriously the meaning of your love and call. Amen.
Moment of Silent Prayer
One: Hear the good news: we are a people loved and forgiven and called in the midst of our brokenness and failures. The peace of the Divine be with you!
Many: And also with you!
One: Let us greet one another with signs of peace.
Hymn of Welcome
For the Beauty of the Earth (Verses 1-2)
For the Beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.
Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
Scripture
Amos 8:1-6
This is what the Lord God showed me—a basket of summer fruit. 2 He said, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the Lord said to me,
“The end has come upon my people Israel;
I will never again pass them by.
3 The songs of the temple shall become wailings in that day,”
says the Lord God;
“the dead bodies shall be many,
cast out in every place. Be silent!”
4 Hear this, you that trample on the needy,
and bring to ruin the poor of the land,
5 saying, “When will the new moon be over
so that we may sell grain;
and the sabbath,
so that we may offer wheat for sale?
We will make the ephah small and the shekel great,
and practice deceit with false balances,
6 buying the poor for silver
and the needy for a pair of sandals,
and selling the sweepings of the wheat.”
Homily
“A Basket of Summer Fruit”
Rev. Dr. Jen Quigley
Sung Response
For the Beauty of the Earth (Verses 3-4)
For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind’s delight,
For the mystic harmony
Linking sense to sound and sight;
Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love,
Every sibling, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
Table Liturgy
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing,
always and everywhere to give thanks to you,
almighty God, creator of heaven and earth.
By your appointment the seasons come and go.
You bring forth bread from the earth and create the fruit of the vine.
Earth has yielded its treasure,
and from your hand we have received blessing on blessing.
And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ.
Though he was rich, yet for our sake he became poor.
When hungry and tempted, he refused to make bread for himself
that he might be the bread of life for others.
When the multitudes were hungry, he fed them.
He broke bread with the outcast but drove the greedy from the temple.
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.
On the night in which he gave himself up for us, 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.”
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; this is my blood of the new covenant,
poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
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 wine.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,
that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.
By your Spirit, make us one with Christ,
one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world,
until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at the heavenly banquet.
Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in your holy Church,
all honor and glory is yours, almighty God, now and forever.
Amen.
And now with the confidence of the children of God, let us pray the prayer that Christ taught us:
Our God who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Music During Communion
For the Beauty of the Earth (Verses 5-6)
For thy church, that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering upon every shore
Its pure sacrifice of love;
Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
For thyself, best Gift Divine,
To the world so freely given,
For that great, great love of thine
Peace on earth and joy in heaven;
Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
Blessing
Rev. Dr. Jen Quigley
Drew Theo Chapel 