A Service of Worship for
​May 9, 2021

Douglas Steere, a Quaker teacher, says that the ancient question,
“Who am I?” inevitably leads to a deeper one,
“Whose am I?”—because there is no identity outside of relationship.
You can’t be a person by yourself.
To ask “Whose am I?” is to extend the question
far beyond the little self-absorbed self,
and wonder: Who needs you? Who loves you?
To whom are you accountable?
To whom do you answer?
Whose life is altered by your choices?
With whose life, whose lives, is your own all bound up,
inextricably, in obvious or invisible ways.

Victoria Safford
Worship notes are included at the bottom of this page and in the Worship Order located at the link below.
With this link you can make a donation to Covenant through PayPal or a credit card. 
Adult Education:
This Sunday, Join Laura Mayo for a discussion of womanist and feminist theology. Learn more about the focus of these theologies, about how they are alike and different, and ways you might consider incorporating these theologies into your theological framework.​ Zoom link is available on the Online Gatherings page on our website: https://www.covenanthouston.org/covenant-gatherings.html
Full worship service video:
COFFEE TIME Gathering on Zoom
Today, 11AM
We will begin as a large group before we transition into “rooms" for coffee time. 
​Log in details on the Online Gatherings page. 
Prelude
"Aria," by Paul Manz. Andrew Bowen, organ. 

​Call to Worship

Opening Prayer
Listen to me, God,
as a Mother,
and hold me warm,
and forgive me.
Soften my experiences
into wisdom,
my pride
into acceptance,
my longing
into trust,
and soften me
into love
and to others
and to you.

​Scripture Lesson:  Acts 8:26-40 and 1 John 4:7-21
​
​Hymn
"Baptized in Water," Tune: Bunessan. Arr. Dale Grotenhuis, Words: Michael A. Saward. The Covenant Singers. Andrew Bowen, organ. 

​Time for Children

Confession
Unison Confession
When we scale, at last, the walls
which our hardened hearts have built,
then we come face-to-face, finally,
with the blessedness of one another.

Then we see that these struggling
fellow pilgrims with whom we share this space
are no longer robbers, pirates, and thieves,
but deepest friends, most intimate souls.

To see this Creation with the eyes of God
means seeing with the eyes of peace;
it means finding ways to bind up the broken,
even when the world says it can’t be done.

To scale these walls of alienation and despair
means living our lives in truth, with justice;
neither denying the holy gifts of our hearts and souls,
nor hoarding them like miser’s gold.

It is the simplest call of all, in essence:
To open ourselves to God,
we first open ourselves to one another.
Each day we live, in hope, the deepest possibilities
of our dreams and of our visions in this life,
we dwell as well in heaven.

Then it is that we will turn and greet one another,
knowing at long last the simple blessing
of standing fully in the presence of another true messiah,
face-to-face with one like us:
a beaming, holy child of God.
​Music
"Hasidic Suite: IV. Dance," by Joachim Stutschewsky; Susan Wegner, cello. Karen Kline, piano.
Proclamation

​Prayer
“As you know I love you.
But sometimes I can not STAND any of you.
But today was probably the BEST day of my life with you,
Even though we didn’t finish the movie.”

This is from a letter written to me, dated March 18, 2011, a little over 10 years ago, from 9 year old Emma.
It captures, I believe, the essence of parenthood,
not just motherhood.
We are loved and sometimes hated,
and we can have great, even if unfinished, moments.

It is also an analogy, God, for our relationship with you.
You know we love you,
You know we get frustrated,
And take that frustration out on others, who are also you.
You have our best days,
You have our worst days,
And our work in your name is unfinished.

Let’s write our letter of gratitude with this prayer:
Thank you God for hanging in there with us, through the times we just can’t stand it, through the fun and celebratory times, through the times we know we won’t even finish, but starting the work was worth it anyway.
Amen.
- Jodi Bash
​​
​Invitation
​
​Prayer of Dedication
In joining this church, having passed through ritual waters or not,
we dedicate ourselves to being a vital part of this community.
We understand that we are God’s children,
That we are loved.
May thoughts of baptism on this day remind us of who and whose we are.
​
Doxology

Affirmation of Faith
Often we are found in our grief and comforted
calmed by some kindness
brought alive again by beauty
that catches us undefended.

Even when the sun is most thin and far
even at the hour the storm is at its height
we can go through
renewal nests within sorrow
love abides, ever beyond anger, beyond death.

We are held in an embrace invisible but infinite
moving with all creation
between wholeness and fragmentation
moving always toward the one.

Small joys and great sorrows pass
and we, with steps uncertain, move on
to whatever is next

but continually seen, heard, held
by Life infinite and remote, intimate and abiding.

Love, do not let us go. Amen.

Benediction

Postlude
"Tocatta in E Minor," by Johann Pachelbel. Andrew Bowen, organ.
Worship Notes

The worship leader is Thelma Jean Goodrich.

The prelude and postlude are played by Andrew Bowen, organ.

The Call to Worship is from Touch Holiness, edited by Ruth C. Duck and Maren C. Tirabassi.

The Opening Prayer is from Guerrillas of Grace by Ted Loder.

The Unison Confession is from “Meeting the Messiah” by Jeffrey Symynkywicz.

"Dance," Susan Wegner, cello; Karen Kline, piano.

The Prayer of Dedication is by Laura Mayo.
​
The Affirmation of Faith is “Love Abides” by Barbara Pescan.

Sunday schedule for today: 
9:00 - Adult Education with Zoom
10:00 - Worship via videos on the Worship Page
11:00 - Transition from worship to coffee time with Zoom

Copyright (c) 2021, Covenant Church