The Color Green

Be praised for all Your tenderness by these works of Your hands. Suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land. Look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that You have made blue for the sky and the color green that fills these fields with praise – Rich Mullins, The Color Green.

I want you to imagine how much you enjoy the color green. Just close your eyes and imagine green, green leaves, green hills, a green dress, salad greens. After looking at the brown summer hills of El Dorado county, the green is shockingly welcome. And the varieties, shades of green in the plans.

David wrote: “He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. He refreshes my soul.” (Ps. 23:2-3a)

How about blue? The blue of the sky. The blue of the sea. The blue petals of a flower popping up unexpectedly in a garden. The blue of a popsicle, a shirt.

It is worth pausing, taking leisurely inventory and realizing how much pleasure these simple gifts add to our enjoyment of life. We often neglect these 'ordinary' things that God gives us all .The list  of these gifts could go on. The first bite of a Snickers bar, the cool of water flowing on your skin, the smell of coffee or cinnamon, the sound of bird, a chapel bell or a child’s laughter.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” – James 1:17

These are gifts from God. Free of charge. No payment required. Sometimes we are so caught up in the cycle of barter-of payment given for services received-that we fail to receive and enjoy.

“The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it." ~ Richard Bach

Communion Liturgy: Discovering God

Communion Liturgy: Discovering God

Leader: The Lord is with you. 

All: And also with you. 

Leader: Lift up your hearts. 

All: We lift them up to the Lord. 

Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. 

All: It is right to give him thanks and praise. 

Leader 1: Father, Son and Spirit, who know the end from the beginning, thanks and praise are our free offering to you. Every day, like today, is a work of your ingenuity and skill, with an attention to detail that we are slow to grasp. Thousands of years have passed and though we have looked intently, we find we have barely glimpsed the intricacy and beauty of your design. It is good. It is very good. 

You say there is even more. We are eager to see what you have imagined, so we join our voices with the angels and all of creation and with all those you have redeemed from every time and place, who forever declare to the glory of your name:

All:

Holy, holy, holy, God of power and might,

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Faithful, Good and Worthy. Full of Grace and Truth.

Blessed be Your Name, Mighty God.

Leader 2: You are holy, O God of majesty and blessed is your son, Jesus Christ. At this table we recall the perfect gift of your son to this world. 

God, whose thoughts are high above ours, many sought to guess the nature of your magnificent gift, but no one was prepared for the genius of Emmanuel, God with us. In Jesus, we find the wisdom and goodness of God on full display. He is the word-made-flesh-in whom all the fulness of Deity lives. Even having found him, there is much more to be discovered as you reveal yourself to us. You are good. You are very good.

Leader 1: On the night he was betrayed, arrested and sentenced to death, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: "Take and eat; this is my body which is given for you."

Leader 2:When supper was over, he took the cup, and after giving thanks, gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take this and drink it; for this cup is the New Covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you and many, for the forgiveness of sins."  

As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup we do proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes again. May our lives be resurrection-lives, always proclaiming the mystery of our faith:

All: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. 

Communion Liturgy: Rejoice

Communion Liturgy: Rejoice In The Lord

Leader: The Lord is with you. 

All: And also with you. 

Leader: Lift up your hearts. 

All: We lift them up to the Lord. 

Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. 

All: It is right to give him thanks and praise. 

Leader 1: Lord Almighty, our king and our God. Today, our souls yearn, even faint for your presence. And even if our lips will not form the words, our hearts and our flesh will cry out for the living God.  The trees of the field clap their hands to applaud you. The mountain and hills burst forth in song to praise you.  The flowers of the field raise their blossoms in exaltation. The birds of the field soar and dive in pure joy in your presence. Some days, we who are your people are strangely silent. But today is not that day. We will rejoice! Hallelujah.  

Lord, your life pours into us and overflows to us. Like rain in the summer heat, you refresh us for the journey-a journey with your presence as its destination. Your nearness is our good. We are blessed to come close to you. We will rejoice! Hallelujah!

Therefore, we join our voices with the angels and all of creation and with all those you have redeemed from every time and place, who forever sing to the glory of your name:

All:

Holy, holy, holy, God of power and might,

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Faithful, Good and Worthy. Full of Grace and Truth.

Blessed be Your Name, Mighty God.

Leader 2: You are holy, O God of majesty and blessed is Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord.  At this table we celebrate that first Communion where Jesus said to his disciples, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”  Your eager desire for unhindered fellowship with your disciples, which Jesus demonstrated on the cross, is unchanged. We are handfuls among billions in your care, yet you are mindful of us. You did not spare your own Son, but gave him up for us all and, along with him, graciously give us all things!  How incredible to think that your love moves you so much! We rejoice. Hallelujah!

Leader 1: On the night Jesus was betrayed, arrested and sentenced to death, he took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: "Take and eat; this is my body which is given for you."

Leader 2: When supper was over, he took the cup, and after giving thanks, gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take this and drink it; for this cup is the New Covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you and many, for the forgiveness of sins."  

As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we do proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes again. May our lives be resurrection-lives, always proclaiming the mystery of our faith:

All: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. 

Leader 1: We rejoice. Hallelujah. Amen.