Celebrate Life

Let us all

Come together

And celebrate life,

Celebrate love.

Celebrate the life

Given to us all

By God who loves

All people.

Sing and dance

And praise God!

Celebration of Life

Celebrate the beauty

All around us

That God has created

For our use.

There is too much

Beauty all around us.

We turn away

And do not see

Any of it.

The world is alive

But we take

And destroy

Without any thought.

We were made

Stewards of this world,

But we do not

Take good care of it.

We cut down trees

And do not replace them.

We take the resources

Without any thought

For any tomorrows.

Then when a part

Of our world

Is destroyed,

We are upset

And wonder why.

Dear God, help us

And show us all

Where we have

Gone wrong.

As we celebrate

The gift of life,

God is there for us,

Ready to help us

And to show us

A better way to live

Upon this world.

Celebrate, celebrate,

Celebrate the gift of life.

The world is alive

And needs our care and love.

God is near us,

Ready to help us

Learn how to treat

The world better.

Celebrate all the life

Given for our use;

The mountains and the plains,

The prairies so broad,

All of it put there

For all people to use.

Go with God,

And celebrate the life

Given to us all.

Know that God

Always loves us all.

May be used as a service of worship.

Come, Praise

Come, all

God’s children, come.

Sing aloud

Your praises

To God.

Come, praise

Our God

And celebrate

The love

Shown all.

Sing Praises

Come, all

God’s children, come.

Sing aloud

Your praises

To God.

Come, praise

Our God

And celebrate

The love

Shown all.

Come Celebrate

Come, celebrate,

Celebrate the love

Given to us

By our God.

Come, celebrate,

And praise God.

Lift up your voices

And sing praises.

Come, celebrate,

Celebrate the years

That a loving God

Has been there for us.

Come, celebrate,

Celebrate with praise

And thanksgiving,

God's love is ours!

Celebrate the Gifts

Celebrate,

Celebrate the time;

Let the happiness flow

The whole world o’er.

Celebrate,

Celebrate the life

Given to us all

By our great God.

Celebrate,

Celebrate the love

That is a gift

From our loving God.

Gathering

Gathering at the table

With all of God’s people

And as we pray together,

We become one people

Under God’s loving hand.

Share the bread,

Drink the wine,

Together.

And together

Celebrate

God’s great love

For all people.

Celebrate in Joy

Celebrate!

Celebrate in joy

With singing,

For God

Has done

A new thing

And overcome death

With life eternal.

Celebrate Communion

The cup filled with wine,

The loaf of bread beside,

A celebration

Of the life given

By God.

The hand held out in love,

The help given cheerfully

In celebration

Of the love given all

By God.

The care taken for others

That all may hear the word

And celebrate

God’s gift of life and love.

Celebrate

photo by: Betty Q Smith

Celebrate,

Celebrate the life given

To all of us

By a loving God

Who loves us all

Right now as we are.

Celebrate,

Celebrate the love

That is ours always,

No matter who we are

For our God

Created us this way.

Celebrate,

Celebrate our God

Who always has love,

Love enough to embrace

The whole world.

Beloved

Remember: there is Somebody who calls us ALL beloved!

Come now, all people

And meet the One

Who calls

All of us beloved.

2

Come my brothers

And my sisters,

Walk side by side

With me.

Come and talk

With me,

For you also

Are a child of God

Just like me.

So let us sit

Side by side

And eat together

And let the world know

God's love is

Within us all.

3

Come, all people,

Leave all your

Hurts and pain

Behind you

And walk

With the One

Who calls you

Beloved.

4

Come and know

That it does not matter

How different

You may be,

There is Somebody

Who calls you

Beloved.

5

Come, hear

The good news

That God

Is always near you

And calls you

Beloved.

God Is Talking:

          Say to all the people for me; you are my beloved children, I created you the way that you are, let no one tell you any different.  I have always known you, and I do not, will not turn any away.  So come to Me, and dwell with Me, for no matter what anybody says, I love you.  Come now, beloved!

Somebody

Somebody called me "Beloved."  As I woke from sleep, I heard the word clearly, as if there was someone there in the room with me.  I turned and looked around, but there was nobody there, not in the room nor anywhere near where I was.  Yet I had heard it plain, somebody called me "Beloved."

I lay for a moment in my bed confused, for I had heard the word beloved.  Where had it come from if no one was near me?  Yet I had heard it, somebody called me "Beloved."  I could not for the time understand what had happened, for I was still half asleep, and not really aware.  As I finally woke completely, I decided that I had been dreaming, but could not remember the rest of the dream.  Just that word, beloved.  It echoed in my ears, and stayed in my brain, and would not go away that somebody had called me "Beloved."

As I considered what had happened, I realized that there was One who could have been there, even in my dreams.  One who is always there for me, even when I do not realize it.  And through the rest of my days, I shall not forget that there is a Somebody who calls me "Beloved."

God Speaks to All:

Come and walk with me,

Let no one deny you,

For you are my Beloved

And there are no persons

Who can take my love

Away from you.

It does not matter

How you define yourself,

I created you

As you are right now

And I love you because

You are always my child.

Come Beloved, come now

And walk with me.

In God's Will

In God’s will

We move.

In God’s will

We live.

In God’s will

We go out

To lead others

To God

That they might know

God’s love for them.

Love All

Love all people,

Make no differences

Between them.

For our God

Loves them all the same

And sees none

That are better

Than any other.

Help Me

I am  hungry,

Feed me.

I am naked,

Clothe me.

I am homeless

House me.

I am unloved,

Care about me.

I am God’s child,

Help me

To a better life.

Who Is My Neighbor?

My neighbor,

Who is he?

Or who is she

That I should help?

Is there anyone

Around me

Who needs my help

That I have ignored?

Show me, Lord,

What to do,

Who needs my help,

Who needs me.

Questions 1

Who are the outcast?

And who are we all

Called to minister to?

Where is God

Leading us?

And can we find true

Unity in God’s love?

God Calls

God calls,

But we do not hear.

We turn away

And then wonder

Where God is.

God calls again

And a feeling is there

That will not go away.

And then we find

God is always near.

God Is Calling

Come all people,

God is calling you

By your name,

Calling you to come

And live nearby.

And you are told

That always

You are “Beloved”.

God is calling

All of the people

To come home

And dwell there

Forever.

Come, Beloved of God

And see just how much

You are loved.

All people,

All nations

Are welcome here.

God has called

All to stay close

And know

That they are

Accepted.

No person

Will ever be

Turned away

For God created

All of the people

And loves

All of creation.

God Leads Me

Psalm 23:1

God is always with me

To protect and lead me

In the paths

Where I should go,

And God's love

Always is mine.

Matt 22:37-40

And if I would follow

God as leader and shepherd,

Love for God

And for all others

That I meet along the way

Is my greatest law.

Romans 8:28

The One who leads me,

Calls me onward

To tell all others

Of the love

That is always there for me.

For that love is there

For all people

And no one is ever

Left out.

Heb 4:15, 16

If I follow

Where God leads me,

I will find myself

At the throne;

And God’s grace

And mercy will be mine.

And there is no one

Who can take that

Away from me, ever!

Heb 12:1, 2

Jesus is there for me,

Always ready to help.

Love always is mine

And God will never

Turn me away.

Such joy is mine,

That God dwells with me

And always leads me!

God Called

photo by:  Ronald Caldwell

Isaiah 6:8

God called for help

And I listened

And heard.

Though I felt

That I was not worthy,

I answered

And said

That I would go.

Isaiah 61:1-3

God leads me,

Anointing me

To tell the good news

Of God's love

To all people.

I have been sent

To tell the captives

And all oppressed

That love is theirs

To have.

Matt 9:35-38

There are so many

That need some help

And guidance.

Too many have no one

To show them

The way to go.

And I will pray

For more workers

To help in the job

That is there to do.

Acts 26:17-18

God has sent me

To find those

Who are outside

The church,

To try to show them

The way of light

Out of the darkness

Where they may

Presently dwell

Called

Isaiah 61:1
God has come
To dwell with me
And has called me
To preach abroad
The good news
Of love
To all people
That I meet,
For all people
Are God's.

Romans 1:16
I glory
In the good news
That I preach to all,
For here is
Salvation
For all people,
Near and far.

Romans 8:28
God is with me
Now and always,
Nor will I ever
Be left alone.
I will boast of this
To the whole world,
And always tell
Of God's great love for all.

2 Tim 1:7
God is here with me,
And gives me
The power of love,
That I might
Spread abroad
The good news
Of that love
That is there
For all people.

Don't

Don't ignore me,
I am here
And I am human,
Just like you!

Don't ignore me,
I am alive
And I have needs
Just like you.

Don't pretend
That I do not exist
Or that God
Did not make me.

Don't ignore me
Just love me
As I am
This day.

Cannot Hide

Hey you,

Don’t you know

That you can’t hide

From God?

There is nothing

That you can keep secret

And no where

Deep enough inside

To hide those things

That God cannot find

What you really are.

You cannot

Hide from God,

My friend.

Making the Dream Real

We need to work if we are to make our dream come true, make it real.

Some thoughts on how to do that:

Acknowledge all people as human who have their own needs, loves, and ways to live.

 Help other people find safe places to live.

See that the difference between people is a normal part of life.

Learn to accept the different.

Teach others that those who are different are also children of a loving God.

There are more ways to make our dream come true.  What do YOU suggest we do?

Let us Dream

Come, let us dream.  Let us dream of a time when all differences will be accepted without question.  Let us dream of a time to come when it will not make any difference what color your skin is or who you happen to love or how you worship.  Let us dream then act to do what we can in our part of the world to make our dreams come true.  Come now, let all of us dream!!

Gather

Gather together

At the table,

You are invited.

Gather here

At this table,

This is God’s table.

Come, gather here

And find always

God loves you all.