Hummelstown UCC Podcast: Recent Episodes
Hummelstown UCC
Genesis 9:7-17; Jeremiah 17:5-8
PRAYER OF INVOCATION
One: Holy and Liberating God, You gather us in all our colors, all our names, all our
bodies, all our beauty. You gather the loud and the quiet, the certain and the
questioning, the joyful and the grieving, the healed and the healing. This Sunday, we
gather in your rainbow of commitment and covenant to seek our way forward to
heal the planet, to heal our hearts, to speak affirmation into places of pain. Today
we offer a rainbow of care: red for the fire of God's holy presence, orange for the
clay we share with our partner Earth, yellow, like gold, for the great of worth of all
that is, blue for the groaning and cries deep in creation, indigo for the dangers our
environment faces, and violet for the healing presence of our divine partner.
Many: The colors of the rainbow are distinct, but they all shine together to make one
light. Hybrid God, you are our crown. Rainbow Christ, you are the light of the world.
May the rainbow lead us to experience the whole spectrum of life! Amen.
Psalm 96:1-4; Genesis 1:1-13
OPENING MEDITATION Norman Habel“Born of this planet, I'm an Earth child. One with all beings, born of this planet, onewith the wild. Born of this planet, baptized with moisture, rising from oceans, flowingthrough rivers, Earth's sacred waters pulse through my veins. Born of this planet,flowing with breezes, children inhale Earth's infinite breath; Earth's holy breathingenters my body, creating a presence deeper than death. Born of this planet, onespeck of stardust, we feel the pulsing deep in our soul, mystery like music throbs in thelandscape, Earth like a mother, makes our lives whole.”
Matthew 21: 28-32; Philippians 2:1-13
OPENING MEDITATION Dr. Marcia McFeeToday we conclude our worship series, “Come to the Table,” There is great joy to befound at God’s table: joy in the vibrant relationships that nurture and sustain thiscommunity, joy in the sharing of our gifts and resources, joy in the journey as we worktowards a more just and equitable world.
Matthew 20:1-16; Philippians 1:21-30
OPENING MEDITATION Dr. Marcia McFeeAt the table of grace, there is always more than enough to go around. Everybodymakes mistakes, and we have all needed forgiveness at some point and gentleguidance to adjust and make amends. Grace doesn’t keep track of how manytimes we’ve messed up, and it doesn’t hinge on the condition that next time, we’lldo better. Grace exists outside of time and says we are enough, right now andalways, no matter what!
Matthew 18:21-35; Romans 14:1-12
OPENING MEDITATION Dr. Marcia McFeeThe Table of Peace can take almost any shape. Our table this week is a conferencetable, perhaps depicting where two or more parties meet to negotiate the terms ofa contract, a settlement, or a ceasefire. For Jesus, peacemaking was often found inthe act of sharing a meal with people who would have been considered “outsiders.”We like to imagine Jesus in perfect harmony with everyone who gathered with himat the table — but perhaps sometimes even he held his breath when he broughtpeople together with opposing viewpoints. Today we come to the Table of Peace,ready to practice patience and compassion, even when we disagree.
Matthew 18:15-20; Romans 13:8-14
OPENING MEDITATION Dr. Marcia McFeeThis week, we explore how love is baked into the bread we break each time wegather in Jesus’ name, around God’s table. But we don’t need to save this love onlyfor the times when we partake in the ritual of communion. We invoke love every daywhen we sit down at our kitchen tables for home-cooked meals or takeout, forgame nights, or even for difficult conversations with our loved ones. Love is present inthe sweetest, the spiciest, the bitterest, and the blandest moments of our everydaylives, because love is God, and God is love.
Romans 12:9-21; Romans 12:9-21
OPENING MEDITATION Dr. Marcia McFee“Jesus’ lesson at the last supper was clear: the meal of the kin-dom of God is for ALL.Saints, strangers, those who persecute and betray you, those who are joyful andthose who weep. The author of the epistle letter to the Romans reminds us andinvites us to do as Jesus did. This requires that we follow God’s way in offering a goodmeal at God’s table for all of God’s guests.”
Psalm 8: Divine Majesty and Human Dignity; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; Matthew 28:16-20
OPENING MEDITATION Living Psalm 8 by Sam HouserHoly MysteryCreator, Christ, and Spirit- how wondrous your presence is in all the earth.You echo through expanding galaxies, through oceans breathing against the shore,through every living thing still learning how to belong to one another.You speakThrough children and prophets, Through those the world calls small, Revealing awisdom stronger than empire.When I look at the heavens- The scattered stars, The steady moon, The infinite danceof creation - I cannot help but ask: What are we that you continue to draw near tous?Dust and breath. Fragile and finite. And still, you call us beloved.You made us to live in relationship - With the earth, With each other, With everycreature That shares this sacred home. The forests and rivers, The winged and thewild, The creatures beneath the sea— All of us carried together inside the rhythm ofyour love.Creator, Christ, and Spirit - Holy communion without end - How wondrous yourpresence is In all the earth.
Acts 2:1-8, 12-14, 22-24, 43-47;
OPENING MEDITATION From the Constitution of the UCC
Preamble
The United Church of Christ acknowledges as its sole head, Jesus Christ, Son of Godand Savior. It acknowledges as kindred in Christ all who share in this confession. Itlooks to the Word of God in the Scriptures, and to the presence and power of theHoly Spirit, to prosper its creative and redemptive work in the world. It claims as itsown the faith of the historic Church expressed in the ancient creeds and reclaimedin the basic insights of the Protestant Reformers. It affirms the responsibility of theChurch in each generation to make this faith its own in reality of worship, in honestyof thought and expression, and in purity of heart before God.
Article III. Covenantal Relationships
Within the United Church of Christ, the various expressions of the church relate toeach other in a covenantal manner. Each expression of the church hasresponsibilities and rights in relation to the others, to the end that the whole churchwill seek God’s will and be faithful to God’s mission. Decisions are made inconsultation and collaboration among the various parts of the structure. As membersof the Body of Christ, each expression of the church is called to honor and respectthe work and ministry of each other part. Each expression of the church listens, hears,and carefully considers the advice, counsel, and requests of others. In this covenant,the various expressions of the United Church of Christ seek to walk together in allGod’s ways.
Esther 4:13-17; Leviticus 19:9-13; Mark 12:28-31
OPENING MEDITATION Proverbs & Psalms“Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but those who are kind tothe needy honor God.” (Proverbs 14:31)“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord and will be repaid in full.”(Proverbs 19:17)“Those who are generous are blessed, for they share their bread with thepoor.” (Proverbs 22:9)“Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute.”(Proverbs 31:8)“It is not for kings to drink wine or for rulers to desire strong drink, lest theydrink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all theafflicted. Give strong drink to one who is perishing and wine to those inbitter distress; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember theirmisery no more. Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of allthe destitute. Speak out; judge righteously; defend the rights of the poorand needy.” (Proverbs 31:4-9)“The Lord watches over the strangers; upholds the orphan and the widow,but the way of the wicked, brings to ruin.” (Psalm 146:9)
Isaiah 56:6-8; Samuel 16:7; Galatians 3:26-29
OPENING MEDITATION Ephesians 4:14-16“We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about byevery wind of doctrine by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitfulscheming; but speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every wayinto him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joinedand knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as eachpart is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up inlove.”
From “Balloons Belong in Church”, Ann Weems
OPENING MEDITATION Imagine TogetherTry to write or draw for the whole prelude, without stopping. Work to getall of your thoughts on the page, without worrying about what you arewriting, or how. Follow wherever your mind leads.1. Think of something that exists in and/or moves through the sky. A featureof nature or something manufactured, or something not even visible tohumans.2. Write from the point of view of the thing moving through the sky.Imagine a specific part of the earth. What does it see? What does ittouch? How does it affect what exists on the ground?3. Then write the perspective of someone or something, or multiplesomeone’s or somethings, on the ground. What is your experience of whatis in the sky?
Leviticus 25:1-7; John 1:1-5
OPENING MEDITATION Psalm 148: Praise for God’s Universal GloryPraise God! Praise from the heavens; in the heights! Praise God, all angels;all the host! Praise God, sun and moon; all you shining stars! Praise God,you highest heavens and you waters above the heavens! Let them praisethe name of God for God commanded and they were created. Godestablished them forever and ever; fixed their bounds, which cannot bepassed. Praise God from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, fireand hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling the command! Mountainsand all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Wild animals and all cattle, creepingthings and flying birds! Rulers of the earth and all peoples! Young peoplealike, old and young together! Let them praise the name of God, forgod’s name alone is exalted; glory is above earth and heaven. God hasraised up a horn for the people, praise for all faithful people. Praise theLord!
Matthew 6:9-15; Luke 6:27-30, 36-38, Colossians 3:12-14
OPENING MEDITATION Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if my sibling sins against me, howoften should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Notseven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.”
Acts 4:31-35; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
OPENING MEDITATION Mark 12:30
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
Matthew 28:1-10
OPENING MEDITATION Sarah Speed
Every morning the sun rises, majestic and steady. She is greeted in all her strength
with the joyous cacophony of birdsong. I like to believe this holy chorus is the birds
telling each other— I’m here. We made it through the night. You’re not alone. What
good, good news. I think the resurrection is a bit like that. God is here. We made it
through the night. We are not alone. What good, good news.
Mark 11:1-11
“If you possess enough courage to speak out what you are, you will find you are not
alone.” - Richard Wright
John 8:2-11
Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cuminand have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. Itis these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others.How do you see justice, mercy, and faithfulness prioritized in your laws and religious**policies? In what ways are these values neglected?
John 9
What actions, practices, or prayers help you turn away from status-seeking andgrabbing for power? What actions embody the humility of a child?
Mark 6:32-44
Ephesians 3:20-21“Now to those who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantlyfar more than all we can ask or imagine, be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus toall generations, forever and ever. Amen.”Where do you see examples of God’s still, small voice moving amongst your**community, perhaps multiplying “the smallest offerings” into abundance?
Luke 7:36-50
Matthew 25:35-40 “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me somethingto drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave meclothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’Then the righteous will answer, ‘when was it that we saw you hungry and gave youfood or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you astranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it thatwe saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the Lord will answer them, ‘Truly Itell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, youdid it to me.’Are you being invited in or kept out? Are you doing the inviting or the excluding?Where does the Savior see you? Where does your neighbor see you?
John 2:1-11
Matthew 13:31-32“Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustardseed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, butwhen it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds ofthe air come and make nests in its branches.”When have you witnessed something flourishing unexpectedly?What stories of surprising good come to mind?
Luke 14:15-24
the good news is… all are invited.This lent, we are grounding ourselves in the good news of Jesus’ teachings. Over thenext 7 weeks, our objective is not to simply examine some of the core tenets of Jesus’ministry, but to truly embody them in our daily lives. This text for ash Wednesday wasselected primarily to focus on invitation and Jesus’ emphasis on radical inclusion; inthis parable we see powerful metaphors for the ways god seeks out “many,”especially those at the margins, and doesn’t stop until the table is full.
Exodus 24:12-18; Matthew 17:1-9
Desmond Tutu “God places us in the world as fellow workers- agents of transfiguration. We workwith God so that injustice is transfigured into justice. So there will be morecompassion and caring. That there will be more laughter and joy. That there will bemore togetherness in God’s world.”
Exodus 1:15-21
15 from “Thirty Poems of Courage”By Tina Datsko de SánchezMusic is my courage, for my soul is only a wooden flutesounded by the breath of God.Dancing is my courage, for these legs and arms are a windmilltwirled by the playful gusts of God.
Luke 19:1-10
Poems of Courage, Tina Datsko de SánchezIt is no surprise we feel more courageous in the company of friends.The truth of our being can only be seen when we are united togetherPlugged into the Friend, we become a net of light illuminating the world
Genesis 33:1-11
Winston Churchill “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sitdown and listen.”
DANIEL 6:1-23; Acts 16:16-34
#1 Poems of Courage, Tina Datsko SánchezIt is not your strength,it will never be your strength,that gives you courage.It will only be your abilityto lean on the Friend,to trust the arm that will never let you go.
Psalm 34: 1-18; Matthew 3: 13-17: The Baptism of Jesus
Hearts Afire: The Courage to Say Yes
What does it mean for us to live courageously as God’s people in the midst of the
daily grind of life? How do we claim our courage with an abiding hope as we
worship through such a time as this? The latin root “cor” reminds us that the word
courage means “to speak from one’s heart.” Courage is a matter of the heart, of the
soul, of that which makes us come alive and live into our most authentic self.
Matthew 2:1–15
Leader: Beloved of God, Epiphany is the season of revealing— the holy momentwhen what is hidden becomes known. We light these candles to proclaim the truthwe know— to make visible the God’s Presence already among us. Four travelerscome forward: three stargazers and a shepherd. Each carries a taper to light fromthe Christ Candle— each bears a gift that God desires of us: Justice, Joy,Compassion, and Peace.Justice Stargazer: I bring gold, the finest of what I have, the gift God asks of us: to dojustice. (Lights and places a candle on the table)Many: Look! God’s dwelling is now among us. The end of God’s justice is joy.Joy Stargazer: I bring frankincense, the fragrance of prayer and praise, the gift Godasks of us: to delight in what is good. (Lights and places a candle on the table)Many: Look! God’s dwelling is now among us. The end of God’s justice is joy.Compassion Stargazer: I bring myrrh, balm for the broken and mercy for the world,the gift God asks of us: to love compassion. (Lights and places a candle on thetable)Many: Look! God’s dwelling is now among us. The end of God’s justice is joy.Peace Shepherd: I bring light for the journey and bread for the road, the gift Godasks of us: to walk humbly and live in peace. (Lights and places a candle on thetable)Many: Look! God’s dwelling is now among us. The end of God’s justice is joy.Leader: The gifts are given, the desires of God made visible— Justice, Joy,Compassion, and Peace now shine among us. People of God—lift your eyes up, liftyour hearts up. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord!
Matthew 3:1-12; Malachi 3:1-6
In the second week of Advent, we turn our hearts toward peace—not a fragile quiet, but the deep, steady peace God plants within us and calls us to share with the world. In this episode, we explore what it means to be people of peace in turbulent times: peace that heals, peace that resists injustice, peace that welcomes every neighbor just as they are.
Grounded in the United Church of Christ’s commitment to extravagant welcome, we reflect on scripture, lift up voices from our community, and create space to breathe, listen, and rest in God’s presence. Wherever you are on life’s journey, may this week draw you closer to the peace that passes all understanding—and empowers us to become instruments of peace for one another.
Mark 13:24-37; Isaiah 2:1-5
Vigilant Hope
As we enter the first week of Advent, we lean into vigilant hope—the kind of hope that keeps watch, pays attention, and believes that God is doing a new thing even when the world feels weary. In this episode, we explore how hope is not passive waiting but active, courageous expectancy.Rooted in the inclusive love of the United Church of Christ, we reflect on scripture, share stories from our community, and invite you to open your heart to the light already dawning. Wherever you are on life’s journey, this Advent season begins with a promise: hope is alive, hope is resilient, and hope is for all of us.
Psalm 100; Philippians 4:4-9; Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Building Community... What too will you use?
Ruth 1: 14-22; Acts 10: 34-47
“Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best islove correcting everything that stands against love.” -Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Job 2:11-13; 2 Timothy 4:9-18
“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most inthe world.” Philip Pullman
Psalm 149: Praise for God’s Goodness to Israel; Ephesians 1:11-23; Luke 6:20-31
Today we are celebrating All Saints Day. We recognize that we have saints in ourown lives who have formed our faith in some way and who have passed on from thislife. So on All Saints Day, we celebrate, honor, and remember these forebearers ofthe faith. Today in worship we will read aloud the names of the saints in ourcommunity who have passed in the last year. You will also have the opportunity tolight a candle in memory of the saints in your life, whether they passed just recentlyor long ago. We pray that their memory will continue to be a beacon of faith, hope,and love for us all
1 Samuel 1:1-18; Mark 5:21-43
“Tears shed for another person are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of a pureheart.” -José N. Harris
Genesis 2:4-15; John 1:35-51
Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.
-Brené Brown
1 Chronicles 29:10, 13, 14b-17; Ephesians 2:19-22; Matthew 7:24-27
One: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion ofthe Holy Spirit be with you all.
Many: And also with you.
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15; Amos 6: 1-2, 4-7; 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19; Luke 16:19-31: The Rich Man and Lazarus
Psalm 146, The Message VersionHallelujah! O my soul, praise God! All my life long I’ll praise God, singing songs to myGod as long as I live. Don’t put your life in the hands of experts who know nothing oflife, of salvation life. Mere humans don’t have what it takes; when they die, theirprojects die with them. Instead, get help from the God of Jacob, put your hope inGod and know real blessing!God made sky and soil, sea and all the fish in it. God always does what They say—defends the wronged, feeds the hungry. God frees prisoners— gives sight to theblind, lifts up the fallen. God loves good people, protects strangers, takes the side oforphans and widows, but makes short work of the wicked. God’s in charge—always.Zion’s God is God for good! Hallelujah!
Psalm 113: God the Helper of the Needy; Amos 8:4-7; Luke 16:1-13
"Look up and not down; look out and not in; look forward and not back, and lend ahand." -Edward Everett Hale
Psalm 51:1-12; Luke 14:25-33
“The community member stared at the bill the Afghan family had just shown her,aghast. She had no idea how they would pay this, no idea how she might be ableto help them. She’d been involved with the immigrant community around her foryears, welcoming families, connecting them with resources, being invited into theirhomes for tea – so much tea. But this season felt different, the families’ situationsmore fraught, the go-to solutions more threadbare.As they haltingly chatted, using their basic English and Pashto as well as a translationapp, the thought niggled in the back of her mind: was she doing enough?Every thread of hope woven into something bigger and brighter than any coulddare to dream. This patchwork quilt of love is what we weave together when weextend welcome and love those who are different than us.” - Sarah E.Z.
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; Luke 14:25-33; Philemon 1-21
“Some people came to (Kolkata), and before leaving, they begged me: ‘Tell ussomething that will help us to live our lives better.’ And I said, ‘Smile at one another;smile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile at your children, smile at each other-it doesn’t matter who it is-and that will help you to grow up in greater love for eachother.’ And then one of them asked me: ‘Are you married?’ and I said: ‘Yes, and Ifind it difficult sometimes to smile at Jesus.’ And it is true, Jesus can be verydemanding also, and it is at those times when he is so demanding that to give him abig smile is very beautiful.” - Saint Mother Teresa
Genesis 1: 1-5, 31, 3: 16-19; 1 Corinthians 15: 1-10;
(1 Corinthians 15: 10)From The Message by Eugene PetersonBut because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I’m not aboutto let this grace go to waste. Haven’t I worked hard trying to do more than any ofthe others? Even then, my work didn’t amount to all that much. It was God givingme the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it. So whether you heard it fromme or from those others, it’s all the same: We spoke God’s truth and you entrustedyour lives.
Psalm 103:1-8; Isaiah 58:9b-14; Isaiah 58:9b-14
We read in Matthew’s gospel that in his last days before the cross, Jesus cleansedexploitative commerce out of the Temple, caused a fig tree to wither, and told hisfollowers that even small faith can move mountains. “The cleansing of the Templeand the withering of the fig tree tell the same story. God is not impressed byappearances, by show, or by religious busyness. What God seeks is fruit — livestransformed, the poor lifted, the sick healed, the outsider welcomed. These are themountains that need moving.” - Jeremy D. Scott
Psalm 82; Hebrews 12:1-2; Luke 12:49-56
“God can as little do without us, as we without God. If at first this seems a wildstatement, we may well consider in how many ways God’s will depends on ourcooperation. God cannot do some things unless we think… And God cannot dosome things unless we work… Now if God has left some things contingent on ourthinking and working, why may God not have left some things contingent on uspraying?... Prayer is one of the three forms of our cooperation with God.” - HarryEmerson Fosdick
Psalm 33:12-22; Genesis 15:1-6; Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
“A real spiritual life … makes us so alert and aware of the world around us, that allthat is and happens becomes part of our contemplation and meditation and invitesus to a free and fearless response.” Henri J.M. Nouwen
Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, 2:18-23; Psalm 107 1-9, 43; Luke 12:13-21
Amazing God, we honor and celebrate your presence among us. We rejoice in yourgoodness and delight in your wonderful works. We lament the suffering of the worldand take courage that you are with us. We ask that you make your presence knownto us. Speak, O God, for we attune our attention for your guidance. Receive ourpraise as we glorify your name! Amen.
Psalm 138; Genesis 18:20-32; Luke 10:38-42
"God weeps over our obsession with manyness and muchness... For too long wehave been in a far country: a country of noise and hurry and crowds, a country ofclimb and push and shove, a country of frustration and fear and intimidation."And God welcomes us home: home to serenity and peace and joy, home tofriendship and openness, home to intimacy and acceptance and affirmation. Wedo not need to be shy." - Richard J. Foster
Psalm 52 (from the Common English Bible); Psalm 15 (from the New Revised Standard Bible); Luke 10:38-42
“For too long we have thought of the Christian life as essentially either involvementin political, economic, social concerns that wear us out… or activity which keepsthe church intact and doctrinally pure. Our primary orientation cannot be aninstitution or some great cause or even other people, but first and forever to God.Unless our identity is hid in God we will never know who we are or what we are todo. Our first act must be prayer.” - from The Spiritual Life by John H. Westerhoff III andJohn D. Eusden
Psalm 25:1-10; Luke 10:25-37
“The essential part of the Christian message is the idea of salvation for the wholecommunity of people, of which the individual is a member… Thus, the individualnever stands alone, but within the community, just as the individual communities arepart of the one community, the Church. The Church begins, not with an individual,but with God.” - Hans Kung
Psalm 66:1-9; 2Kings 5:1-14; Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
God our Good Shepherd, we come to worship you, to tell the story of yourmarvelous deeds, to lament the horrors and suffering in the world, to find strength tobe your witnesses, and to remind ourselves of the truth of what is possible. May ourprayers rise to your heart, and your heart infiltrate our prayers. May we sing songsthat move you with delight and compassion. May we recognize and ponder thewisdom you impart to us. And, may peace rest upon us as we gather in your name.Amen.
Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20; Psalm 16; Luke 9:51-62
“The Church is not here exclusively, nor primarily, to transform society. That is notwhy we are here. When the Church sets out to transform society, very little isaccomplished. The uniqueness of the Church is denied as we enter the battle onthe same terms as secular and godless forces. We assume that justice can be wonby force, by technique, by doing. It cannot.” (Howard Snyder) We are here to be‘little Christs,’ loving and serving, demonstrating sacrificial love, community, andbeing. By being the doing will happen naturally, and the love of God and neighborwill find its way.
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Psalm 8: Divine Majesty and Human Dignity; John 16:12-15
We embody jubilee when we live toward restoration and flourishing for all, when weembrace not only the teachings of Jesus but the way of Jesus. This moment calls usto go Into the Deep. We may cast our nets fishing for nourishment, livelihood,vocation, or community. Within the kindom, justice and righteousness reign when wehear and heed the cries of the least and respond as the Body of Christ, loving ourneighbor by sharing our abundance and holding one another accountable. -Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsay
Psalm 104:24-34; John 14:8-17; Acts 2:1-21
“You are called to be truly human, but it is nothing short of the life of God within youthat enables you to be so, to be remade in God's image.” - N.T. Wright
Acts 16:20-34; John 17:20-26
“Being open to the wounds of life means also being open to the bounty andbeauty. Don’t mask or deny your vulnerability: it is your greatest asset.” - Stephen Russell
Acts 16:9-15; John 5:1-9
“What would it look like for us to intentionally put healing practices at the center ofour work, like the tree of life at the center of the new city Revelation invites us toimagine, whose leaves are for the healing of the nations.”
-Dr. Sharon R. Fennema
Acts 11:1-18; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35
The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is notugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And theopposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.” ― Elie Wiesel
Acts 9:36-43; John 10:22-30
May Day Morning (First Anniversary of Mother's Death) As I sit on my porchI feel my Mother's presence.The sunrise feels like my mother's arms around me.The scent of lilacs reminds me of her perfume.In the bird's singing I hear her voice.Watching the rabbit search for food,I remember the meals she made for me.I see the doe guarding her fawn and I feel certainThat Mom still watches over me.
-Thomas Kinser
Acts 9:1-20; Psalm 30: Thanksgiving for Recovery from Grave Illness; John 21:1-19
“On the Pulse of Morning” excerptHere, on the pulse of this fine dayYou may have the courageTo look up and out and upon me, theRock, the River, the Tree, your country.No less to Midas than the mendicant.No less to you now than the mastodon then.Here, on the pulse of this new dayYou may have the grace to look up and outAnd into your sister’s eyes, and intoYour brother’s face, your countryAnd say simplyVery simplyWith hope—Good morning.
-Maya Angelou
Psalm 150: Praise for God’s Surpassing Greatness; John 20:19-31
"You, O God, are our light – Grant us courage to walk into places once cloaked infear. Grant us fortitude to reveal our pain, to bind our wounds. You, O God, are oureverlasting strength, we will not turn away, we will persevere. We lift our voices indefiant praise. Give thanks to the God who never turns away – whose love breaksevery chain and endures forever."
-Rev. Dr. Gwendolyn Kehaunani Hill
Luke 22:39-46; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Tell me again.Tell me again to cultivate new life—a life where I believe in myself,a life where, dare I say, I love myself.Tell me again to cultivate new life—a life of dancing in the kitchenand slow cups of coffee;a life where Sabbath is viewed as a giftas opposed to a luxury;a life where I trust my own voiceand speak words dripping in hope,heavy in love.Tell me again.Tell me again because I will forget.Tell me again because change has never come easy.Tell me again, because on Monday I’ll wave palmsAnd by Friday I’ll be at the foot of a cross.So if you can, tell me againOf the love that changed the world,And my invitation to do the same.
-SEEKING PRESENCE Cultivate Holy Week
John 12:1-8; Isaiah 43:16-21
People throw around the phrase, “Let it go” like a child throws out laughter—Easy and light.I wish that’s how I knew it.I wish it felt that simple.Instead I have to talk myself into a better frame of mind.I have to drag one foot in front of the other until I’m closer to love.I have to sing my mother’s words in my head until I can’t hear anything else.And I pray for letting go that feels like taking off shoes—a sort of coming home.I pray for letting go that won’t always involve a battle between heart and mind.I pray for letting go that moves like muscle memory, but it never does.Letting go has never been as easy as holding tight.Why is that?So now and again I stand in the rain and let the clouds teach me a thing or twoabout release.And when that doesn’t work,I think about the way my mother’s body broke so that she could let me go—Yet another body broken for me.And when that doesn’t work,I find myself on my knees—a sort of coming home,And I pray,Teach me a thing or two about grace.Teach me a thing or two about letting go.And I inhale.And I exhale.Air drawn in.Air let go.And I recognize God in my lungs, and I can’t help but laugh,Easy and light
-LETTING GO
2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:11b-32
I have come to believeThat it’s harder to cry under an open sky.So when life falls apart, throw open the windows.Invite the sun into your shadows.Lie in the grass and let the sun mistake you for flowers.Maybe this is step one in cultivating—For flowers do not grow by mistake.They need the sun, just like we need love,And time,And the grace to try again.So put your body where the light is.You’ll find God there.She is warmth.You will know it.And you will feel strong.So put your body where the light is.Maybe this is step one.
-SEEKING PRESENCE CULTIVATE
Isaiah 55:1-9; Luke 13:1-9
If the trees can do it, then so can I,At least that’s what I tell myself.For if year after year the trees can let goOf their brightest leaves and that warm autumn glow,Then maybe in time, like trees with their leaves,I can releaseThat which keeps me from you.Maybe in time, I can let goOf my need for certaintyAnd my need to look good,My need for busyness,And my need to numb pain;The trivial ways I measure my self-worth,Or the hurtful ways I measure yours.For if year after year the trees let go,Then maybe, in time, I can too.Maybe,In time,My heart will know spring.
-SEEKING PRESENCE LETTING GO
Psalm 27: Triumphant Song of Confidence; Luke 13:31-35: The Lament over Jerusalem
I wish I could cultivate my daysLike my mother’s favorite recipe,Blending together the sweetest things—Hope and love, you and me,Justice and peace,Music and dreams—Like spices pulled from the shelf on thewall.I’d add one cup of family,And one cup of grace.A dash of starry nights,A pinch of snow.One tablespoon of hope, and like oats,they would grow.A tablespoon of music and the hymnsthat I know.A cup for friends that feel more likefamily,A teaspoon of vanilla, for life’s sheerbeauty.Three teaspoons of summer, and onetablespoon of dreams.Plus half a cup for the church that raisedme,And half a cup for the moon thatserenades me.The instructions would read:Melt your love and whisk with justice untilit expands beyond the pan.Gently stir in all that you hope for. Cover,and let rise.Drizzle with a sweet glaze of mercy.Please be sure to leave heartache andgrief tucked on the shelfBeside comparison, doubt, fear, anddepression.Busyness will make this dish sour,As will grudges and gossip, which is not tomentionTrauma and loss, or my fragile bones.So use only the best ingredientsWhen you cultivate your life.For like your mother’s favorite recipe,These days are sacred.
-SEEKING PRESENCE CULTIVATE
Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Luke 4:1-13
Dear loved one—I hope you let go.I hope you let go of holding yourself to impossible standards.Lower the bar. Give yourself grace.God delights in who you are.And while you’re at it, I hope you let go of ignoring your beauty.The mirror is tired of your harsh words, for you are made of star stuff and music.You are the only you there is, and you. are. simply. stunning.And I hope you’ll consider letting go of certainty.For the sun will always rise and set, and you will always be loved.What more do we really need to know than that?So let go of your fear.Let go of perfection.Let go of busyness as a sign of your self worth,And the notion that creativity is a luxury.Be wild and free.Plant roots like a redwood,And a spine like a sunflower;For the days are short, and you are beautiful.I love nothing more than to see you happy.So don’t be afraid to let go.The only thing you cannot lose is God’s evergreen love.
-LETTING GO: A letter to someone I love
Exodus 34:29-35; Luke 9:28-36
“God places us in the world as fellow workers-agents of transfiguration. We workwith God so that injustice is transfigured into justice, so there will be morecompassion and caring, that there will be more laughter and joy, that there will bemore togetherness in God’s world.”
-Desmond Tutu
Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40: Exhortation to Patience and Trust;Genesis 45:3-11; Luke 6:27-38
“If you're for the right thing, you do it without thinking.” -Maya Angelou
Psalm 1: The Two Ways; Jeremiah 17:5-10; Luke 6:17-26
“When it comes down to it, that’s what life is all about: showing up for the peopleyou love, again and again, until you can’t show up anymore.”
Rebecca Walker
Isaiah 6:1-13; Psalm 138; Luke 5:1-11
“What are heavy? sea-sand and sorrow. What are brief? today and tomorrow.What are frail? spring blossoms and youth. What are deep? the ocean and truth.”
Christina Rossetti
Jeremiah 1:4-10; 1 Corinthians 13; Luke 4:21-30
“In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love. In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile. In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm. … In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.”
-Albert Camus
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Luke 4:14-21
Divine Body of Belonging, grant us the tenderness of feeling safe in your arms, thestability of being tethered by both gravity and grace. Help us not to resist thismoment nor our mortality. You’ve given us this life on earth with terrains of variedlands and feelings, guide us to navigate this being human, this being a body madein your image and likeness.
-Council for Health & Human Services Ministry
1 Corinthians 12:1-11; Psalm 36:5-10; John 2:1-11
"Honesty and openness is always the foundation of insightful dialogue."
Bell Hooks
Isaiah 43:1-7; Psalm 29: The Voice of God in a Great Storm, A Psalm of David; Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
“The baptism of Jesus demonstrates abiding solidarity with humanity, particularlyexpressed in Luke’s account. Jesus is with everyone else who is being baptized thatday. His presence as the intersection of human and divine does not becomerevealed until after the rite has concluded and all the people have been baptized.His humble approach to his ministry as well as his generosity in sharing hisexperiences and divine access are defined from the onset. Heaven opened for allof them just as John baptized all of them, including Jesus, the Messiah who will soonbe revealed.”
Rev. Dr. Cheryl A. Lindsay, UCC Minister for Worship & Theology
Isaiah 43:16-21; Matthew 2:1-12
BREATH PRAYER
INHALE: Each twist and turn
EXHALE: Invites me to follow you.
Joel 2:21-27; Psalm 126: A Harvest of Joy; 1 Timothy 2:1-5; Matthew 6:25-33
"Hold on to what is good, even if it's a handful of earth. Hold on to what you believe,even if it's a tree that stands by itself. Hold on to what you must do, even if it's a longway from here. Hold on to your life, even if it's easier to let go. Hold on to my hand,even if someday I'll be gone away from you."
Crowfroot
Mark 12:38-44; Psalm 146; Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17
“The wealth of a soul is measured by how much it can feel… its poverty by howlittle.”
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Mark 12:28-34; Psalm 146: Praise for God’s Help; Ruth 1:1-18
"The child in each of us knows paradise. Paradise is home. Home as it was or homeas it should have been. Paradise is one’s own place, one’s own people, one’s ownworld, knowing and known, perhaps even loving and loved. Yet every child Is castfrom paradise— Into growth and destruction, Into solitude and new community, Intovast, ongoing change."
Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Talents“
Mark 10:17-31; Psalm 22:1-15; Job 1: 1, 2:1-10, 23:1-9, 16-17
“We are a product of the immense torque that propels this universe. We are not
individuals but a great accumulation of all that lived before.” Tanya Tagaq
MARK 10:13-16; ACTS 2:42-47; ISAIAH 55
“When you invite someone to sit at your table and you want to cook for them,
you’re inviting a person into your life." Maya Angelou
Mark 9:38-50; Esther 7:1-6; 9-10, 9:20-22; Psalm 124: Thanksgiving for Israel’s Deliverance
“Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition.”
-James Baldwin
Mark 9:33-37; James 3:13-4:3; Psalm 1; Proverbs 31:10-31: Ode to a Woman of Strength
“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you
have to do it all the time.”
Angela Davis
Mark 8:27-30, 34-38; Psalm 19: God’s Glory in Creation and the Law;Proverbs 1:20-33: The Call of Wisdom
“The street is a river of life and I wade into it with a deep respect.”
Bob Dylan
Psalm 125: The Security of God’s People; James 2:1-10, 14-17; Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
"To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of
the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and so you
float."
-Alan Watts
Mark 7:1-2, 5-8, 22-23; James 1:19-27; Song of Songs 2:8-13: Springtime Rhapsody
Do not feel lonely, the entire universe is inside you. Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion. Set your life on fire.
-Rumi
John 6:60-69; Psalm 84:The Joy of Worship in the Temple; 1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43
A Christian is the dwelling place of the living God. He created me, he chose me, He came to dwell in me, because he wanted me. Now that you have known how much God is in love with you it is but natural that you spend the rest of your life radiating that love.
-Mother Teresa
John 6:51; Proverbs 9:1-6; 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14
Praise for God’s Wonderful Works Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. Full of honor and majesty is God’s work, and God’s righteousness endures forever. God has gained renown by wonderful deeds; the Lord is gracious and merciful. Provides food; God is ever mindful of covenant. God has shown the people the power of God’s works, in giving them the heritage of the nations. The works of God’s hands are faithful and just; all their precepts are trustworthy. They are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. God sent redemption to the people; has commanded their covenant forever. Holy and awesome is God’s name. The love of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. God’s praise endures forever. -Psalm 111
Psalm 130: Waiting for Divine Redemption: A Song of Ascents; 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33; Ephesians 4:25-5:2
We light this flame to remind us: love is the center. As we grow and connect, mature and deepen: love remains the center. When the light of truth burns all else away: love remains.
-Eric Hepburn
Psalm 145:10-18; 2 Samuel 11-12
“Tomorrow is always another day to make things right.”
-Lauryn Hill
Mark 6:30-34; Ephesians 2:1-22; 2 Samuel 7:1-14
“Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God.
Peace is the nurse of love. Peace is the mother of unity. Peace is the rest of the
blessed souls. Peace is the dwelling place of eternity.”
-Pope Leto I
Psalm 24: Entrance into the Temple. Of David; 2 Samuel 6:1-5; 12-19
“The ordinary world really is capable of hosting the infinite being.”
-Rev. Richard Lischer
Leviticus 19:18; 1 Corinthians 13:1-7
"A life without love is like a year without summer."
-Swedish Proverb
Selections of1 Samuel 20& 31, 2 Samuel 1; Wisdom of Solomon 1:13-15, 2:23-24; Psalm 30: Thanksgiving for Recovery from Grave Illness: A Song at the dedication of the temple. Of David.
"If you're not personally free to be yourself in that most important of all human
activities — the expression of love — then life itself loses its meaning."
-Harvey Milk
Mark 4:35-41; 2 Corinthians 6:2-11; Selections of 1 Samuel 17:1-18:16
"We are not what other people say we are. We are who we know ourselves to be, and we are what we love. That’s okay." - Laverne Cox
Mark 4:26-34; Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15; 1 SAMUEL 15:34-16:13
“Your gifts, leadership, purpose—none of it is about you. Instead, a life of significance is about serving others. It’s about guiding those who need your talents—those gifts, that leadership, and purpose.”
-Kevin Hall
“Rebirth” Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson; John 17:21-23
“Diversity is about all of us, and about us having to figure out how to walk through this world together.”
-Jacqueline Woodson
Mark 2:23-3:6; Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18 The Inescapable God; 1 Samuel 3:1-10; 2 Corinthians 4:5-10
“Observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that your male all may rest as well as you. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
-Deuteronomy 5:12-15
“Wonder then is a force of liberation, it makes sense of what our souls inherently
know we were meant for. Every mundane glimpse is salve on a wound, instructions
for how to set the bone right again. If you really want to get free, find God on the
subway, find God in the soap bubble. Me, I meet God in the taste of my grandmas
chicken, I hear God in the raspy leather of Nina Simone’s voice, I see the face of
God in the boney teenager bagging my groceries and why shouldn't I? My faith is
held together by wonder, by ever defined commitment to presence and paying
attention.”
-Cole Arthur Riley
Psalm 29: The Voice of God in a Great Storm; John 3:1-12; Isaiah 6:1-8
“inheritance”
“ours is no solitary journey we are invited to travel accompanied by generations
calling us into our deeper selves whispering to us of our wisdom and strength”
-Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; John 15:26-27
“While you’ll feel compelled to charge forward it’s often a gentle step back that will
reveal to you where you and what you truly seek.”
-Rasheed Ogunlaru
Psalm 1; Acts 1:15-17,20-26;
John 10:11-18; Psalm 23 (CEV); Acts 4:5-12
Lucille Clifton, from “won’t you celebrate with me” “what did i see to be except myself? i made it up here on this bridge between starshine and clay, my one hand holding tight my other hand;”
Luke 24:36-48; Psalm 4: Confident Plea for Deliverance from Enemies; Acts 3:12-19
“Sometimes, a story does not make sense as it unfolds. Complex narratives with
layers of meaning may need to be revisited time and time again to unpack the
clues, metaphors, and relationships the story explores.”
-Rev. Dr. Cheryl A. Lindsay
Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 133: The Blessedness of Unity; John 20:19-31
“Patience is power. Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is "timing" it waits
on the right time to act, for the right principles and in the right way.”
-Fulton J. Sheen
Luke 24:1-12; Luke 9:10-17
The bread has been baked and broken, and now, it is ready to share. Pairing the Easter story with Luke’s story of feeding five thousand, we focus today on how the love of God expands to include everyone in need. Share the Bread of Life and confidently declare Christ is Risen!
-Love Will Rise!
Psalm 118:19-29; John 6:25-35
This week we celebrate Palm Sunday, the one day a year when we really
acknowledge how desperate and confused we are. We are filled with hope and
fear all at the same time, and we turn to God and to one another, never really sure
which emotions we will project. Even with all our preparations and attempts, we will
fall short. We will be left feeling hungry. We still need God. We have journeyed
through our Lenten worship series, Let Love Rise, following each week through the
steps of baking bread, with each step representing our own spiritual preparation.
This week, as we come to the final step of baking and finishing with fire, we see
clearly that the focus is on Jesus and his preparation to be, to give, and to share the
Bread of Life. He entered the city, each step bearing all the hopes and fears of
humanity; each step making him more ready. And so we pick up palms, shout
“Hosanna!” and Let Love Rise.
-Palm Sunday
Psalm 119:9-16; Luke 13:6-9, 20-21
After so much work, it’s finally time to wait. It is time for the bread dough to rest, but
if you watch closely, it is not resting idly. It is slowly rising. We have moved through
this season of Lenten preparation to arrive at this moment of sabbath resting and
hopeful rising. We are almost ready to follow Jesus to his last days of bread broken,
shared and given for all.
-Waiting for Rising
Micah 6:6-8; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
The cross and the church are foolishness in the world. Are they foolishness to
you? Are you willing to do your part to see the foolishness of God redeem the
world? Are you using your gift to the glory of God or was God just being foolish in
centering plans in you?
Psalm 19: God’s Glory in Creation and the Law; Matthew 13:24-33
One of the most difficult steps of making bread is milling the wheat grains into flour.
It takes both time and labor. The Bible doesn’t have very many references for milling
flour, so we will focus this week on the Parable of the Weeds in Matthew 13, in which
Jesus spoke about the farmer allowing weeds to grow alongside the wheat,
separating them just before milling. What is the labor that God pours into us to
prepare us this Lenten season?
-Milling the Flour
Psalm 22:23-31; Exodus 16:2-5 , 13-30
It is hard to find a balance in life between what God does and what we do. When
things are going well, how do we find a balance between gratitude for God’s
blessings and celebration of our own hard work? When things are not going well,
how do we balance our own frustration with trust in God’s provision? We continue
our worhsip series this Sunday with a focus on harvesting, gathering the gifts of God.
Harvesting is an essential part of our life together and necessary for any bread-
making, but farming is a difficult enterprise requiring a balance of God’s creation
and human effort. There are many opportunities for us to be partners with God as
God provides for the world. Let us worship!
-Harvesting Blessing
Psalm 25: Prayer for Guidance and for Deliverance; Luke 8:1-5
When Jesus preached his sermons and parables, he often used illustrations relating
to everyday life at the time- farming, family, cooking and sharing meals. In order to
understand his meaning, it is helpful for us to learn more about bread in Jesus’ time.
What was the process and labor needed to produce a loaf of bread? This Sunday,
we begin at bread’s beginning, with a sower and the seed. Let us join together as
we begin our Lenten journey and Let Love Rise.
-Starting with a Seed
2 Kings 2:1-12; Psalm 50:1-6:The Acceptable Sacrifice: A Psalm of Asaph; Mark 9:2-9
“God places us in the world as his fellow workers-agents of transfiguration. We work
with God so that injustice is transfigured into justice, so there will be more
compassion and caring, that there will be more laughter and joy, that there will be
more togetherness in God's world.”
-Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu
PSALM 147:1-11, 20; MARK 1:29-39; ISAIAH 40:21-31
Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy,
happiness, negativity, pain… To feel the freedom that comes from being able
to continue to make mistakes and choices – today I choose to feel life, not to
deny my humanity but embrace it.
-Keyvin Aucoin
MARK 1:21-28; PSALM 11; DEUTERONOMY 18:15-20
“Scripture tells us that love “binds everything together.” It is how we are held. It is
how we exist at all. Let us reawaken ourselves to love’s presence in this community
through service. May our worship not be a rote motion, but rather an experience of
relationship with you and those gathered here. Open in us what love is requiring of
us today, O God, and may we respond in faith. Amen.
”
- Health and Human Services Sunday
PSALM 62:5-12; MARK 1:14-20; JONAH 3:1-5,10
“In an ideal world we would all learn in childhood to love ourselves. We would grow, being secure in our worth and value, spreading love wherever we went, letting our light shine. If we did not learn self-love in our youth, there is still hope. The light of love is always in us, no matter how cold the flame. It is always present, waiting for the spark to ignite, waiting for the heart to awaken and call us back to the first memory of being the life force inside a dark place waiting to be born - waiting to see the light. ”
-Bell Hooks
JOHN 1:43-51; PSALM 139:1-6, 13-18;1 SAMUEL 3:1-20
“I don't have many certainties about God. I do have many hopes. Chief among them is that it’s true what they say: that God is love, is made of love and looks at the faces of you and me and my gramma and, without hesitation or demand, delights. ”
- Cole Arthur Riley
Genesis 1:1-5; Matthew 2:1-12 Modern Herald - Audre Lorde
“There are no new ideas. There are only new ways of making them felt.”
OPENING MEDITATION
“The beginning is always today”
-Mary Shelley
Matthew 1:18-25; Modern Herald: James Baldwin
Lots of angels appear in the biblical story of Christ’s birth with a consistent message,
“Do not be afraid!” When the angel visits Joseph this week, he is wrestling with the
contrast of good news with the difficulties of the world. What can we hear from the
angel’s message to Joseph this year? Join us on this final Sunday of Advent as we
prepare for the love of God entering the world again.
-Hark to Angels, Heralds of the Love of our Faith
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Luke 1:39-55
Listen to heralds of joy this week! In the story of Mary and Elizabeth, Mary was in
need of good news before she could herald for God. Before she could sing her
song, she needed to hear God’s good news and love for her first. Her herald was
her cousin, Elizabeth. Who have been heralds for you reminding you that no matter
what you are loved by God? Join as we Hark to the herald, Elizabeth, to find joy in
the spirit this week.
-Hark to Elizabeth, Herald of the Joy of our Faith
Isaiah 40:1-11; Mark 1:1-8
John the Baptist was the herald for Jesus’ ministry. He prepared the way for Jesus by
calling for peace and justice, sometimes very bluntly. This Sunday, we will focus
ourselves on his message. How does his view of the good news inspire us? How does
it challenge us? Let’s Hark to the herald, John the Baptist, so we can discern God’s
calling to peace.
-Hark to John, Herald of the Peace of our Faith
Isaiah 2:1-5; Mark 13:24-37
“Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at
the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.”
-Modern Herald, Augustine of Hippo
Matthew 25:31-46; Psalm 100: All Lands Summoned to Praise God; Ezekiel 34:11-24
Hear ye, hear ye! Everywhere and all people. Lift your voices. Shout it to the mountaintops! It’s ok to have fun praising God! Don’t be shy. Bask in the joy that comes only from God. There are times for seriousness but also times for revelry! So, laugh. Loosen up. Play. Be happy. God loves to see you smile.
-Maren Christine Tirabassi
Mathew 25:14-30; Psalm 123: Supplication for Mercy; Judges 4:1-9
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.
-Melody Beattie
Matthew 25:1-13; Psalm 70: Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies; Amos 5:18-24; Wisdom of Solomon 6:12-20
“Turn your wounds into wisdom.”
-Oprah Winfrey
Matthew 23:1-12; Psalm 107:1-7; 33-37; Joshua 3:7-17
Gracious God, oil the hinges of our hearts’ doors that they may swing gently and easily to welcome your coming.
-Prayer from New Guinea
Matthew 22:34-46; Psalm 90:1-6; 13-17; Deuteronomy 34:1-12
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”
-Lao Tzu
Matthew 22:15-22; Psalm 99; Exodus 33:12-23
“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”
-Oscar Wilde
Philippians 4:1-9; Exodus 32:1-14; Psalm 106:1-6; 19-23
Hope keeps our hearts beating. It helps us see the light in the darkness. It gets us up
in the morning.
-Eric Mason
Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9-12-20; Psalm 19; Matthew 21:33-46
“Be faithful till the end. In the end, you will be fruitful.”
-Gift Gugu Mona
Matthew 21:23-32; Psalm 78:1-4 12-16; Exodus 17:1-7
“Raise a ruckus and make a change. You may not always be popular, but you’ll be
part of something larger and bigger and greater than yourself.”
-Samuel L. Jackson
Matthew 20:1-16; Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45; Exodus 16:2-15
“Grace and gratitude belong together like heaven and earth. Grace evokes gratitude like the voice an echo. Gratitude follows grace like thunder lightning.”
-Karl Barth
Matthew 19:13-29; Exodus 14:19-31, 15:1-11, 20-2
With all my heart I praise the Lord, and with all that I am I praise the holy name! Withall my heart I praise the Lord! I will never forget God’s kindness. The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, and protects us from death. God’s kindness and love are a crown on our heads. Each day that we live, God provides for our needs and gives us the strength of a young eagle. For all who are mistreated, the Lord brings justice.
-Psalm 103:1-6
Matthew 18:15-20; Psalm 149; Exodus 12:1-14
“When I say it's you I like, I'm talking about that part of you that knows that life is farmore than anything you can ever see or hear or touch. That deep part of you that allows you to stand for those things without which humankind cannot survive. Love that conquers hate, peace that rises triumphant over war, and justice that proves more powerful than greed.”
-Fred Rogers
Matthew 16:21-28; Romans 12:9-21; Exodus 3:1-15
“Most of us have nicknames—annoying, endearing, embarrassing. But what about your true name? It is not necessarily your given name. But it is the one to which you are most eager to respond when called. Ever wonder why? Your true name has the secret power to call you.”
-Vera Nazarian
Matthew 16:13-20; Romans 12:1-8; Exodus 1:8-2:10
“It’s like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. Allthe time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story.”
-Patrick Rothfuss
Matthew 15:10-28; Psalm 33; Genesis 45:1-15
"Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”
-Lilo And Stitch
Matthew 14:13-21; Psalm 17:1-7, 15 Genesis 32:22-31
Open wide the window of our spirits, God, and fill us with light; open wide the door of our hearts that we may receive and entertain you with all our powers of adoration and love.
-Jamie Norwich McLennan
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43; Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24; Genesis 28:10-19
“It’s wonderful to climb the liquid mountains of the sky. Behind me and before me is
God and I have no fears.”
-Hellen Keller
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23; Genesis 25:19-34
“We are part of this family and we will not be divided by any person.”
-Keith Boykin
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30; Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
ONE: to dare more boldly, to venture into wider seas where storms show Thy mastery,
where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. In the name of Him who pushed
back the horizons of our hopes and invited the brave to follow.
MANY: Amen.
-Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
adapted from a prayer by Sir Francis Drake
Matthew 10:40-42; Psalm 13 Prayer for Deliverance; Genesis 22:1-14
Come and create a place setting. Imagine or remember a time you hosted a
family gathering, a house guest, or a special dinner party. What were the elements
of preparation? What was your task? How do you like to help? Draw or write about
your favorite foods on the paper. How do your efforts help to make your guest feel
comfortable and loved?
Welcomed by name Create a name tag. What is your given name and what do
you prefer to be called? Have you ever been called the wrong name, or had your
name mispronounced?
How does that feel? How does it feel to have someone greet you by name? Can
you return the gesture of kindness here at church?
Practice hospitality Look, write down or discuss all the ways welcome is shown at
this church. What about our church building and worship, what signs, words, or
practices express welcome? How are visitors treated? Why are these efforts
important? What else could you do to welcome newcomers and long time friends
alike?
Matthew 10: 24–39; Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17; Genesis 21:8-21
Hear these words of grace and assurance taken from the words of trans artist, Déjà
Baptiste: You are not alone. You are not the first or the only. There is a lineage you
are inheriting. It is your courage, your faith, your spirit that sets you apart. We are not
doomed – we are not cursed. We are the blessed ones, the blessing. We are
blessed to know our spirits are not only bound in our flesh; that bodies, like names,
are expressions manifesting the soul we bear outside of time and beyond infinity.
There is a lineage here. We heard and nurtured our ancestors’ dreams and came
forward to create and dream, imagine and plant, live in the physical what is
celebrated and cherished and renewed in the spiritual. Receive these words and
receive the assurance of God’s full embrace of love and acceptance. Amen.
Matthew 9:35-10:8; Genesis 18:1-15
“The kingdom of God is a metaphor of transformation into more creative, more
conscious, more caring, loving and fulfilling life with the fellow beings.”
-Amit Ray
Matthew 9:18-26; Psalm 33:1-12; Genesis 12:1-9
“The world will give you that once in awhile, a brief timeout; the boxing bell rings
and you go to your corner, where somebody dabs mercy on your beat-up life.”
-Sue Monk Kidd
Genesis 1:1-2:4
“The richness, beauty and depths of love can only be fully experienced in a climate
of complete openness, honesty and vulnerability.
-Anthony Venn Brown
Numbers 11:24-30; Psalm 104:24-34; Acts 2:1-21
“Christ has no body but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours, yours are the
eyes with which He looks compassion on this world, yours are the feet with which He
walks to do good, yours are the hands, with which He blesses all the world. Yours
are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are His body. Christ has no
body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours, yours are the eyes with
which he looks compassion on this world. Christ has no body now on earth but
yours.”
-St. Teresa of Ávila
Luke 24:44-53; Acts 1:6-14; John 17:1-11
Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; sing praises to the Lord,
Selah
O rider in the heavens, the ancient heavens; listen, God sends out the voice,
God’s mighty voice. Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel and whose
power is in the skies. Awesome is God from your sanctuary, the God of Israel; who
gives power and strength to the people. Blessed be God!
John 14:15-21; Acts 17:22-31; Psalm 66:8-20
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply
gives you courage.”
-Lao Tzu
John 14:1-14; Acts 7:55-60; Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
“Sometimes just getting up in the morning and standing at the gate can bring the
gate down.”
-Joan Bauer
John 10:1-10; Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 23 (The Message)
We follow the way of Jesus. Who opens our hearts to know that our true selves are
one with God, who is Love. Jesus saves us from fear, from selfishness, from
meaninglessness. He leads us to serve with compassion and act for justice. He
moves us to curiosity and creativity. He brings us together in the community of the
church, Where we grow in Divine Love, build with others a more heavenly world,
and worship God with humble joy. We listen for Holy Spirit whispers: we wait for her to
stir our souls In silent contemplation. We treasure the living, progressing Christian
tradition. We creatively employ the sacred myths of the bible to express our spiritual
experience beyond the bounds of creeds or beliefs. We interpret anew our ancient
practices of prayer and worship. We embrace what is good in our religion, and in
others, and release what stands in the way of the law of Love. We follow the way of
Jesus, and we invite you to walk with us, just as you are.
Luke 24:13-35; Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19
Golden breaks the dawn, comes the eastern sun over lake and lawn, new day
has begun. Birds above me fly, flowers bloom below; through the earth and sky
God’s great mercies flow.
Give me daily bread, while I do my part; bright skies overhead, gladness in my
heart. Simple wants provide, evil let me shun; Jesus at my side, till the day is done.
John 20:19-31; Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 133: The Blessedness of Unity: A Song of Ascents.
“When Great Trees Fall”
When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.
When great trees fall
in forests,
small things recoil into silence,
their senses
eroded beyond fear.
-Maya Angelou
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; John 20:1-18
“Then came the healing time, hearts started to shine, soul felt so fine, oh what a
freeing time it was.” -Aberjhani
Matthew 21:1-3; Matthew 21:4-7; Matthew 21:8-11
"...“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”..."
John 11:1-3, 17-35, 38-44; Psalm 130; Ezekiel 37:1-14
"...I will lay sinews on you and will cause flesh to come upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord...."
John 9:1-11; Psalm 23 (Inclusive Psalter Project; 1 Samuel 16:1-13
"...you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over. ..."
Genesis 12:1-4; Psalm 121; John 3:1-17
""Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has
come from God, ..."
Psalm 32; Matthew 4:1-11; Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
"...“It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” "
Matthew 5:21-26; Psalm 119:1-8; Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Sirach15:15-20
"...I'll praise you with an upright heart, ..."
Matthew 5:13-20; Psalm 112; Isaiah 58:1-12
"...You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid..."
Matthew 5:1-12; Psalm 15; Micah 6:1-8
"...Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God..."
Matthew 4:12-23; Psalm 27 1, 4-9; Isaiah 9:1-4
"...Immediately they left their nets and followed him...."
Guest Pasttor Rev. Christina Fidanza! Welcome!
Isaiah 60:1-6; Matthew 2:1-12
"...They shall bring gold and frankincense ... "
Matthew 1:18-25; Isaiah 35:1-10
"...When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him;..."
Luke 1:26-38; Isaiah 11:1-10
"...Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”..."
Rev. David Schreffler, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near."
Jeremiah 23:1-6; Luke 1:68-79; Psalm 46; Colossians 1:11-20
"...though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea,..."
Isaiah 65:17-25; Isaiah 12; Luke 21:5-19
"...With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation...."
Haggai 2:1-9; Psalm 145L1-5, 17-21; Luke20:27-38
"...The Lord is near to all who call, to all who call on God in truth..."
Psalm 32:1-7; 2 Thessalonians 1: 1-4, 11-12; Luke 19:1-10
"...so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Jeremiah 31:27-34; Psalm 119:97-104; Luke 18:1-8
"Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is always with me....
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7; Psalm 66:1-12; Luke 17:11-19
"...we went through fire and through water;..."
Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4; Psalm 37:1-9; Luke 17:5-10
"...Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently;...."
Jeremiah 32:1-3 ,6-15; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 16:19-31
"...Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord...."
Psalm 51:1-10; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-10
"But for that very reason I received mercy, ......."
Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71: 1-6; Luke 13:10-17
"When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God...."
Jeremiah 23:23-29; Psalm 82; Luke 12:49-56
"Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations belong to you!..."
Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23; Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16; Luke 12:32-40
"Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, God has prepared a city for them...."
Psalm 85; Colossians 2:6-19; Luke 11:1-13
"For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority..."
Amos 8:1-12; Psalm 52; Luke 10:38–42
"But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God...."
Amos 7:7-9; Deuteronomy 30:9-14; Psalm 25:1-10; Luke 10:25-37
” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul..."
Rev. Dr. Marisa Laviola
1 Corinthians 12:12-26
"Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many...."
Rev. Curt Weber, Union Chaplain
1 Peter 2:9-10, 16-17 (KJV)
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar
people..."
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15
All that the Creator has is mine. For this reason I said that God will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Romans 8:14-17; Psalm 104:24-34; Acts 2:1-21
“Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own
languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.”
âSay to them, say to the down-keepers, the sun-slappers, the self-soilers, the
harmony-hushers, âEven if you are not ready for day it cannot always be night.â You
will be right. For that is the hard home-run. Live not for battles won. Live not for the end-of-the-song. Live in the along.â -Gwendolyn Brooks
Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Psalm 91:1-16; Luke 4:1-13
âThey will rebuild ancient ruins on your account; The foundations of generations past
You will restore. You will be called Mender of Broken Walls, Restorer of Livable
Streets.â -Isaiah 58:12(CEB)