The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 15
August 14, 2022
“Song for the Vineyard”

Call to Worship
One:  In a world uprooted at every turn, come beloved of God for replanting.
Many:  Our hope and weariness are mixed together, yet we come, trusting ancient promises.
One:  The Holy One who led the people out of Egypt, yearns to lead us, too.
Many:  God will not rest until all are rerooted, restored, and renewed for rejoicing.
One:  Let us be joined to God’s song of justice, bearing beauty into the life of the world.
Many:  May our lives be formed for faithfulness by the One who is always faithful.

Invocation
Loving and Gracious God, form a new song of soul within us.  Take every fragment of our lives and fashion a new creation.  Plant us deep in the soil of Your love, that your living water might rise in us, forming a fruit of possibility unimaginable on our own.  Grant us grace to trust your promised presence already meeting us here, now, and always.  By this, gift us with a new strength of heart for whatever Your love demands.  Amen.

Prayer for Transformation and New Life
Gardener God, You plant us in a gifted place, but often we return sour grapes.  In the midst of Your abundance, we complain of not having enough or being enough.  Your call “to give justice to the weak and the orphan; to maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute” is easily overlooked or ignored.  We are uprooted by our own inaction, selfishness, and fear.  Re-root our hearts, our minds, and our lives in the soil of Your forgiving love.  Bear up in us a boldness to sing a song strange to the world but known by You.  Let it be the song of shalom, the chorus of Christ-love, a hallelujah rising as the world is mended by our consent to You. Yes, plant this anew in us today.

Words of Grace
Hear this good word.  God can never cease to be love.  God has no joy in plants uprooted or journeys detoured by distraction.  The ancient promise of God proclaimed again and again throughout history still rings true.  Nothing can separate us from the love of God, made known to us in Christ Jesus.  God forgives you and is already planting you anew.  This is the good news and you can trust it with your life.  Thanks be to God!

Invitation to Generosity
We live in a more than enough world, created by a God who lavishes abundance.  Today, we are privileged to join God’s motion of generosity.  When we add our gifts, God multiplies them for good, and joy mysteriously rises.  This is God’s will and way.  May we be joined to it.

Prayer of Thanksgiving
We thank you, Loving God, that sourness gives way to sweetness when we answer Your call to be generous.  Multiply these gifts and Your spirit in us, that the world may know your life-giving will and way.

Benediction
May you remember, God has planted Your life and given you a song to sing into the world.  May it be a song of healing and hope, of justice and joy.  And may you discover yourself blessed again and again as you find yourself joined on the journey with Jesus.  Blessings on you, beloved of God.

Song for the Vineyard: Service Prayers for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 15 were written by Rev. Dr. Dave Long-Higgins, Conference Minister of the Heartland Conference, United Church of Christ.