A Service of Worship for
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We light the Christ candle this morning in honor of Martha Murphree. Martha died this week. She was a founding member of our congregation and vital to our church life. She will be greatly missed.
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Prelude
"Small Settings" of the Kyrie from Clavier Ubung III by J. S. Bach, Patrick Parker, organ. Call to Worship Opening Sentences Ultimately what matters most is love and community, including a commitment to social justice. We must lead the way through our commitment to the essential goodness of humanity, tolerance, and freedom. Jesus came that we might have life, and have it abundantly. Scripture Lesson: Matthew 28:16-20 Time for Children Parents and caregivers, this video is from Nightly News: Kids Edition with Lester Holt. The beginning of the video to 5:45 is a discussion of how to talk about and explore feelings around the killing of George Floyd and the responding protests. The next part to 10:39 is an interview with a mother and her son talking about expressing their emotions through a song "I Just Wanna Live." We hope you will watch this with your kids. - Jodi
Call to Confession Unison Confession
It would be much easier, Jesus, to ignore the hard truths around us: the widening gap between rich and poor, the consistency with which the powerful get their way, the bending of rules and the self-enrichment of the connected and influential, the lack of adequate care, protection and resources for the most vulnerable among us; we would rather not see these signs. It would be much easier if we could just pretend everything was alright, if we could prophesy goodness and light, and ignore the gloom and evil; if we didn’t have to offend the status quo, or challenge the comfortable; if we could convince ourselves that the cross, was just a one time thing – your calling, not ours. But, we can’t do this, Jesus, because we know too much; your Gospel has captured us and opened our eyes, and we have become slaves to love, the love that must speak for the voiceless, the love that must challenge injustice, the love that draws lines of division between truth and denial, between compassion and expediency. Give us the courage to acknowledge what we see, to name the signs of the times, to disrupt the ‘way things are’ in the name of what should be, to divide in order to heal and restore, and to live our lives for the sake of love. Music “We Shall Overcome” arr. Tom Trenney, The Covenant Singers. |
Proclamation
Hymn “The Church of Christ in Every Age,” the Covenant Singers. (You are invited to sing along, the words are within the video.) Prayer Dear Jesus, I want to beg you to tell us what to do, but how can I be one more white person begging a black person to tell me how to solve the problem of racism? So, I am not going to ask you, Jesus. And besides even if I asked you, you would just ask me a question instead of giving me an answer. You’d ask something like, “What do you think you should do?” What if we refused to believe that we don’t know what to do? What if we realized that we all know how to love, care, offer solidarity, speak for justice? What if we resisted the belief that we are powerless against the entrenched and systemic racism in our country? Jesus, remind us of what we know. Remind us to listen to people of color. To listen to people we know, to read books and articles that will help us understand racism and white supremacy and the unearned privilege that those of us who are white are given. And, Jesus, we must also speak. We must talk with the children in our lives. We must work against any ideals about being colorblind. We are not colorblind. We see color. Jesus, help us to not only see differences, but to see and celebrate. We can teach ourselves and everyone else we know to see difference as a source of celebration and joy not a cause for fear. Jesus, help us to be willing to be uncomfortable for justice. Help us to speak up and speak out. When we hear someone say something racist, help us to speak up and out for justice. Help us to be advocates. Advocates for people of color, for justice, for police reform. Remind us that not only our voices speak but also our money. Remind us that we can support black owned businesses and donate to black-led movements for justice. Remind us that not only our voices speak but also our votes. And as we vote, help us to prioritize justice over the financial gain of already wealthy white people. Jesus, we seek to follow you. We know you protested injustice, that you marched into Jerusalem that Psalm Sunday long ago, that you turned over tables and shouted when you saw oppression. Remind us that we are not powerless; we are not helpless; we know what to do. We know how to love. We know how to work for justice. When we get it wrong, help us to be quick to change, quick to seek forgiveness, quick to try again. Be with us now and always, just as you promise you will. Amen. by Laura Mayo
Invitation Prayer of Dedication BREATHE IN- justice and equity for humanity in all its forms BREATHE OUT- the vile waste of racism and oppression BREATHE IN- strength and unity to stand up to unchecked abuse of police power BREATHE OUT- the rotten stench of white supremacy and all of its manifestations in our society Affirmation of Faith The opposite of fear is not courage but compassion. We fear what we do not know, and the mother of fear is ignorance, but we cannot fear that which we love, for as Jesus tells us, perfect love casts our fear. Compassion leaves no room for fear; we are too busy doing what we can, what we must, and what God wishes us to do, to take time to fear the consequences. Benediction And so, we pray for peace. We pray with our hands and our feet. We pray with our work for justice. We pray with our listening as people of color tell us their experiences. We pray with our discomfort as we confront racism beginning with ourselves. We pray with our voices. Amen. Postlude “Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort” BuxWV 185 “Receive Us, Lord, by Your Word” by Buxtehude, Patrick Parker, organ. |
Worship Notes
The worship leader is Joanna Robertson.
The prelude is played by Patrick Parker, organ.
The Call to Worship is “Caged Bird” from Shaker, Why Don't You Sing? by Maya Angelou.
The Opening Sentences are adapted from Jesus Was a Liberal: Reclaiming Christianity for All by Scotty McClennan.
The Unison Confession is from Fresh Winds of the Spirit by Lavon Bayler.
“We Shall Overcome” is sung by the Covenant singers.
“The Church of Christ in Every Age” text is by Fred Pratt Green and sung by the Covenant singers.
The Prayer of Dedication is by Thaddeus Gamory.
The Affirmation of Faith is by Peter Gomes.
The postlude is played by Patrick Parker, organ.
The worship leader is Joanna Robertson.
The prelude is played by Patrick Parker, organ.
The Call to Worship is “Caged Bird” from Shaker, Why Don't You Sing? by Maya Angelou.
The Opening Sentences are adapted from Jesus Was a Liberal: Reclaiming Christianity for All by Scotty McClennan.
The Unison Confession is from Fresh Winds of the Spirit by Lavon Bayler.
“We Shall Overcome” is sung by the Covenant singers.
“The Church of Christ in Every Age” text is by Fred Pratt Green and sung by the Covenant singers.
The Prayer of Dedication is by Thaddeus Gamory.
The Affirmation of Faith is by Peter Gomes.
The postlude is played by Patrick Parker, organ.
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