To the God who made Duck-Billed Platypuses, Help us

God
Save us from the kinds
of Unity
that require us
to be uniform

God of twilights
and sunrises

God of Duck-billed Platypuses
Tadpoles
Bearded Lizards
Caterpillers and Butterflies
God of the mysterious Bumblebee
Every Single Marsuple alive (what a delightful word)
Zebras, Giraffes, which shouldn’t even be able to breath up there

God of Covenants with weirdo in the Bible
Joseph and their rainbow coat
of Found families between Mara and Naomi
God of grumpy Noahs and Jobs
God of rascals like Isaac
and amazing women like Tabitha, Deborah and Hagar

You are the God of many names
The God of a million Pronouns
You go by he/she/they probably more if we were being honest

You are the God of Immigrants, The God of the Forgotten
The God of slaves, the Disabled God, The God of the Poor, the God of the Widow, The God of the Unnamed, The Eunuch’s God, the Trans* God

You are the In-Between God, willing to go here and there, democratizing times and space to spend time with your children, affirming us in all of our ways of being.


Why anyone would think that
you call for conformity
in our unity
Rainbow God
Is beyond my understanding

Except…
I know that change is hard
Understanding differences is hard
that structure can help when people feel overwhelmed,
scared, angry, or otherwise out of control

God of Sabbath
God of Nourishment
God of Sufficency
I pray that you help those who are in Need
Get what they need

So that they stop enforcing
Unity
And embrace it
instead

Or perhaps you can
Find something else
To do with their time

I pray in Names
Of the diverse
communal
Trinitarian God
Amen

Gathering & Gospelling: Worship V

Worship V

Chapter 6: Keep Your Best Self Out of My Gathering: Confession & Authenticity &

Baptism

Hebrews 4:14-16

14 Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested* as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Ephesians 4:1-6, 11-13

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

1The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.

Call to Worship (1 Cor. 12:12-13, 17)

Just as the body is one and has many members

All the members of the body, though many, are one with Christ

For there is One Spirit

We are all baptized in to one body

There is neither Male nor Female, Jew nor Greek, Slave nor Free

We have one faith, one Lord, one baptism

Come let us worship our God

Come let us worship our God

Confession: Reflective Questions

What is your baptismal Name (what name do you think God calls you, your full name, your nickname? Beloved Child? Something else?) ?
What are your gifts?

Where do you feel most at home with yourself? Where are you most fully you? (what place, people, circumstance makes that happen with little to no effort)

What is God calling you to do today? next week? next year?

Creative Activity: Remember your baptism worship based on your liturgy. Or Take a moment have everyone reflect upon their baptism. Then grab a branch. Invite them to rededicate themselves to the Lord as you use the branch to sprint the congregation with water. 

Homework: Make a list of those you know who aren’t connected with the church, (you don’t need to know them well) Don’t say anything to them, just make a list. Pray for them. Pray for a chance to be with them. Pray and keep your eyes open. (Unbinding the Gospel, p. 186)

.

Study Verse: There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism Ephesians 4:4

Prayer of Dedication/the Day: Prayer: O God, please give me a list of people. Help me to pray for them. Let me feel your love for the people on ours lists to know you. I’m open to the nudges of your Spirit, well help me to be open to nudges of your Spirit!! Amen. (Unbinding the Gospel p. 186)

Hymn Suggestions: I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me, Just As I Am Without One Plea, Lord I Want to Be a Christian, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Gathering & Gospelling Worship Series

If you want doc versions, sample bulletins, and the handouts as a separate materials page, email me at Katyandtheword at Gmail

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Unity, Prayer, Sharing

Lord Hear Our Prayer

We are one in the Spirit, We are one in the Lord, We are one in the Spirit, We are one in the Lord

and we pray that all unity will one day be restored