Hybrid Worship

11 June 2023

Sunday Morning Spiritual Formation

No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here. 

Adult Spiritual Formation in June is focusing on 3 big picture events in Acts of the Apostles... and how we're still living into the vision of those early faithful people. Today, our discussion is Acts 8, Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, a story about water (and other things). As always, our discussion deepens when we share our own experience.

GATHERING IN THE SPIRIT’S PRESENCE

Affirmation

When I breathe in, I breathe in Peace. When I breathe out, I breathe out Love. 

Welcome and Announcements

Opening Statement

Who are we and what are we called to do?

All: We are a spiritual community called to create a world where every person is radically affirmed and barriers between people become bridges of inclusion, justice, and spirituality.

Lighting of the Community Candle

One: The light waits – 

Who will keep the light burning in our day?

Who will take the light into the world?

Who will carry the light into another year?

All:  Who will carry the light if we do not? 

One: We gather to encourage and strengthen one another.

Singing Our Faith ~ "Who Will Speak" 

Who will speak if you don’t?

Who will speak if you don’t?

Who will speak so their voice will be heard?

Oh, who will speak if you don’t?

Who will speak for the poor and the broken

Who will speak for the people oppressed

Who will speak so that voice will be heard

Oh, who will speak if you don’t

Who will speak if you don’t?

Who will speak if you don’t?

Who will speak so their voice will be heard?

Oh, who will speak if you don’t?

Who will speak for the ones who are silenced

Speak the truth in the places of power

Who will speak so that voice will be heard

Oh, who will speak if you don’t

Sharing Peace

One: May a heart of peace rest with you.

All: And also with you.

You are invited to share the peace with your neighbors.

STILLING OURSELVES

Centering and Responsive Prayer  "Sanctuary"

Will you be my refuge. My haven in the storm

Will you keep the embers warm,

When my fire's all but gone?

Will you remember and bring me sprigs of rosemary

Be my sanctuary 'til I can carry on,

Carry on, Carry on. 

LISTENING TO GOD AND TO ONE ANOTHER

Celebrations

I have become more and more interested in making sure acts of goodness and kindness (however casual or deliberate or misapplied) produce language… Allowing goodness its own speech does not annihilate evil, but it does allow me to signify my own understanding of goodness: 

the acquisition of self-knowledge. 

~Toni Morrison

Celebration Song

Celebrate your heart and your spirit.

Celebrate your life while you live it.

Even when it’s hard to do, celebrate the best of you!

Celebrate your dreams and your visions.

Celebrate the love you’ve been given.

Cherish all that you’ve been through.

Celebrate the best of you!

Invitation to Give

One: The kingdom of love is coming because:

All: Somewhere someone is kind when others are unkind,

somewhere someone is calm in a storm,

somewhere someone shares with another in need,

somewhere someone serves another, in love.

One: Is that someone you? 

All: Is that someone me?

Offering and Offertory 

ATTEND TO MYSTERY

Word About Life -

Genesis 12: 1-8

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your 

kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot and all the possessions that they had gathered and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran, and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east, and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb.

Word About Life for Today

Shared by Rev. Kenneth Heintzelman

Sending Forth

One: Marvel at life! Strive to know its ways!

All: We seek wisdom and truth, the gateways to life’s mysteries. 

One: Wondrous indeed is life!

All: We move into the week, our eyes ready for wonder.

(Candle is Extinguished)

One: These are the times!

All: We are the people!

One: All of Creation is blessed!

All: May we love all and serve all!

One: May God be with you.

All: And also with you.

One: Amen.

All: Amen.

Sending Forth Song ~

"We Are a Gentle, Angry People"

We are a gentle, angry people

And we are singing,

Singing for our lives.

Repeat

We are a justice-seeking people…

We are a community of love…

June is Pride Month!

Right now, it's more important than ever to stand alongside LGBTQ+ siblings. We're stronger together.

Check out resources and ways to take action here. If you feel like you're missing something, no worries. IT'S GOOD TO STILL BE LEARNING! If you're seeking support and encouragement for your journey to learn about LGBTQ+ justice issues, please reach out to Karen.

Finally, if you're attending in person, grab a UCC Pride poster in the Narthex.

Wait, don't go yet!

It's a Coffee Chat Sunday! Thank you to the WISE Team for hosting this morning, celebrating our new Welcoming Inclusive Supportive Engaging Covenant.