{"id":1515,"date":"2020-05-10T02:14:56","date_gmt":"2020-05-10T02:14:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/?p=1515"},"modified":"2020-05-10T02:15:01","modified_gmt":"2020-05-10T02:15:01","slug":"worship-for-the-fifth-sunday-of-easter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/2020\/05\/10\/worship-for-the-fifth-sunday-of-easter\/","title":{"rendered":"Worship for the Fifth Sunday of Easter"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>First United Methodist Church of Schenectady<br \/>\nWorship for the Fifth Sunday of Easter<\/h1>\n<h2>May 10, 2020<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Page-2-Image-1.png\"><br \/>\n\u201cDauphin Island Sunrise\u201d by Dana Carroll<br \/>\nPhoto Show: See and Believe<\/p>\n<h2>Getting Centered<\/h2>\n<p>It may help to center yourself into worship by lighting a candle, as a symbol of God&#8217;s presence with you during the time of worship.  You may also want to pay attention to lighting, the position of your body, and the availability of distractions.<\/p>\n<h3>Breath Prayer<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cGod our Refuge, we seek your steadfast love.\u201d<br \/>\n<em>Breath prayers involve breathing in the first phrase, and breathing out the second.<br \/>\nYou may wish to simply pray for a moment before starting, or you may wish to pray while listening to the prelude.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Prelude<\/h3>\n<p><strong>\u201cVocalise\u201d by Sergei Rachmaninoff<\/strong><br \/>\nPerformed by Renee Fleming &#8211; Soprano<br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Rene\u0301e Fleming; &quot;Vocalise&quot;; op. 34\/14; Sergei Rachmaninov\" width=\"1140\" height=\"641\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NOvyK127_Gs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Call to Worship<\/h3>\n<p><em>If you are with another person, you may wish to read this out-loud. Otherwise, you can read it as a reminder that this is communal worship done in a large geographical area.<\/em><br \/>\nOne: Come out of the storm for a little while, beloveds of God.<br \/>\n<strong>Many: We prepare ourselves to worship, to be in the midst of beauty, expressing gratitude, seeking truth, savoring God.<\/strong><br \/>\nOne: Come and be where you are safe.<br \/>\n<strong>Many: We open our hearts to the God of love.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Hymn #2212: <em>My Life Flows On<\/em><\/h3>\n<p><em>If you wish to sing along, the words are here: <a href=\"https:\/\/hymnary.org\/hymn\/FWS\/2212\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">My Life Flows On<\/a><\/em><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Virtual Choir - How Can I Keep from Singing | National Lutheran Choir\" width=\"1140\" height=\"641\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/X6sPwEmTLKo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Connecting in Prayer<\/h2>\n<h3>Shared Prayer<\/h3>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Our Rock and Our Refuge,<br \/>\nSteady us with your steadfast love, Holy One.<br \/>\nWhen we are rocked by the winds of change and confusion,<br \/>\nyou provide a stronghold for us.<br \/>\nWhen our emotions are strong and changeable, like hurricanes within,<br \/>\nyou let us cling to you, and provide a plumb-line to guide us.<br \/>\nMay we let go enough, to rest in you, and regain our strength.<br \/>\nAmen<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><em>We will share joys and concerns during the Second Hour Zoom conversation.<br \/>\nIf you have joys or concerns to add, please send them to the office.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Silent Prayer<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Page-3-Image-2.png\"><br \/>\n\u201cSee and Bee-lieve\u201d by Barbara Armstrong<br \/>\nPhoto Show Theme: See and Believe<\/p>\n<h3>Pastoral Prayer<\/h3>\n<p><em>You are welcome to read this out-loud or silently.<br \/>\nNormally the pastoral prayer is in response to the prayers of the body,<br \/>\nthis one is written hoping to respond to the prayers of the body<br \/>\nwithout hearing them first.<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Our Rock and Our Refuge,<br \/>\nAs we consider how you shelter us,<br \/>\nwe are also grateful for our physical shelter,<br \/>\nfor homes (including new ones)<br \/>\nfor our church building,<br \/>\nand for all those invested in caring for our homes and our church and our places of refuge.<br \/>\nOur gratitude helps us see more clearly the struggle of those without:<br \/>\nthose without adequate physical shelter, including migrants and those<br \/>\nwho are homeless,<br \/>\nand those whose physical shelters are not safe, including those living<br \/>\nwith abusers.<br \/>\nWe are so grateful for the mask-makers in our midst,<br \/>\nfor their care and their labor,<br \/>\nand for our increased safety.<br \/>\nOur gratitude helps us see more clearly the struggle of those without:<br \/>\nthe medical workers without adequate protective gear,<br \/>\nthe many in the world without clean running water to wash their<br \/>\nhands,<br \/>\nthose unable to wear or access masks.<br \/>\nWe are delighted in the chance we had to decorate our space with rainbows,<br \/>\nto share your message of love and joy,<br \/>\nto create art together \u2013 but safely.<br \/>\nOur delight reminds us of the work we do to name in the world that your love knows no bounds, and we raise our prayers for those who have heard other messages.<br \/>\nWe have celebrated birthdays for people of many ages, in this time of upheaval, and we are grateful for their lives and for the creative ways celebrations have occurred. The moving celebrations remind us to consider those who are disconnected and lonely, to them we send our prayers and love.<br \/>\nIn this time of change, there have been unexpected connections that have<br \/>\nenriched life, and we offer our thanks for them. May we continue to be open to such connections, as a way of savoring you.<br \/>\nAs a community that loves to learn, we have always had a special space in our hearts for teachers, but now we name our gratitude even more strongly: for those who are adapting learning environments and trying to reach the hardest to reach students, we give you thanks. For the retired teachers who can grasp the difficulties and support their active colleagues (as well as for their years of work), we give you thanks. For the parents who have become teachers, we give you thanks. For all the learners who are experiencing new forms of teaching, we give you thanks. Strengthen them all, dear God, they need your support.<br \/>\nFor those who have been sick or injured and are healing, we praise your name.<br \/>\nFor those who have been isolated in hospitals and are now with their loved ones, we give you thanks!<br \/>\nFor those offering life-giving care of all forms, we are grateful.<br \/>\nAnd, as we raise our voices in praise and gratitude, we acknowledge the deep needs in the world<br \/>\nfor those who are ill or injured, that they may find healing<br \/>\nfor those who are exhausted by their labors, that they may get rest<br \/>\nfor those without work who are righteously afraid for their well being,<br \/>\nthat society may step up with practical solutions<br \/>\nfor those who are hungry, that they may be fed, and soon<br \/>\nfor those who are grieving, that they may discover they are not alone<br \/>\nin their pain,<br \/>\nfor those experiencing loss, confusion, and disorientation, that they<br \/>\nmay find your steadiness.<br \/>\nWe bring you so much, Holy One. Our hearts and minds are full of worries and gratitude. May you who knows the deepest parts of our beings, hear our<br \/>\nprayers, and may we be open to hearing your responses.<br \/>\nAmen<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>The Lord&#8217;s Prayer<\/h3>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Our Father who art in heaven,<br \/>\nHallowed be thy name.<br \/>\nThy kingdom come.<br \/>\nThy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.<br \/>\nGive us this day our daily bread.<br \/>\nAnd forgive us our trespasses,<br \/>\nas we forgive those who trespass against us.<br \/>\nAnd lead us not into temptation,<br \/>\nbut deliver us from evil:<br \/>\nFor thine is the kingdom, and the power,<br \/>\nand the glory, for ever. Amen.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>Word and Reflection<\/h2>\n<h3>Choir Anthem<\/h3>\n<p><em>All Things Bright and Beautiful<\/em> &#8211; John Rutter<br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"All Things Bright and Beautiful, by John Rutter (2019) - The Tabernacle Choir\" width=\"1140\" height=\"641\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qY9G00WWUVI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Scripture &#8211; Psalm 31:1-5; 15-16<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16\" width=\"1140\" height=\"641\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/baAxt-YSuaU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Page-6-Image-3.png\"><br \/>\n\u201cSea and Believe\u201d by Barbara Armstrong<br \/>\nPhoto Show Theme: See and Believe<\/p>\n<h3>Mission Moment: Franciscan Blessing &#8211; Jan Huston<\/h3>\n<p>This week\u2019s mission moment is a Franciscan blessing. I first heard it when we were preparing to leave Nicaragua after 2 weeks there with a VIM team. The pastor who was our liaison there shared this blessing with us. Jean Gustafson posted it recently on facebook. I was glad to be reminded of it and want to share it with you.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>A Franciscan Blessing<br \/>\nMay God bless you with discomfort<br \/>\nAt easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships<br \/>\nSo that you may live deep within your heart.<br \/>\nMay God bless you with anger<br \/>\nAt injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,<br \/>\nSo that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.<br \/>\nMay God bless you with tears<br \/>\nTo shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,<br \/>\nSo that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and<br \/>\nTo turn their pain into joy.<br \/>\nAnd may God bless you with enough foolishness<br \/>\nTo believe that you can make a difference in the world,<br \/>\nSo that you can do what others claim cannot be done,<br \/>\nTo bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Children&#8217;s Time<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Children&#039;s Time for May 10, 2020:  Bleeding Hearts\" width=\"1140\" height=\"641\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dMMdiV0Czdg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Passing the Peace<\/h3>\n<p><em>If you are worshiping with others, please pass the Peace of Christ.<br \/>\nWhether you are alone or with others, please take a moment to find God&#8217;s peace within, and then to share it with the world. You may want to reach out to speak peace to another during this week.<\/em><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Page-7-Image-4.png\"><br \/>\n\u201cA Bird&#8217;s Nest in my Spring Wreath!!\u201d by Jan Huston<br \/>\nPhoto Show Theme: See and Believe<\/p>\n<h3>Hymn #318: Christ is Alive<\/h3>\n<p><em>If you wish to sing along, the sheet music is here: <a href=\"https:\/\/hymnary.org\/hymn\/UMH\/318\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Christ is Alive<\/a><\/em><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Christ is Alive\" width=\"1140\" height=\"855\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GRQoeitN5nA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Scripture Reading: John 14:1-14<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"John 14:1-14\" width=\"1140\" height=\"641\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/u7uU5pP_030?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Sermon: &#8220;Rock and Refuge&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Rock and Refuge\" width=\"1140\" height=\"641\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3pEqXUZgy3w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Responding<\/h2>\n<h3>Offering<\/h3>\n<p>If you wish, you are welcome to use this time to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eservicepayments.com\/cgi-bin\/Vanco_ver3.vps?appver3=3_CMn6vY3gbXWj2GvkW32xVh5LubqSJdgKX6KHFre1VuMdS3Q8kj_eIJXGJN8RG-0gmHZvX_Lw1ha8ZXgn-54Krv7ImQMfM68o70RRXIZtDlvXRu7Icp8meYpri-7vHbdSHJK5fST8PKv5rD7H0pV4u2FYADh6CtWzBcTpjLo9qDxBXK0S3J8MPHZwZCFVXkDJkCUTrur4Wm694FEfvylg==&amp;ver=3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">make a donation to the church online<\/a>, or to put a check in the mail.<br \/>\nThe time of offering is not only about our financial gifts to the church, it is about offering our lives to God and the building of the kindom. This is a time for reflection: What is being asked of us? What is being given to us? What are we able to offer? What do we need?<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Page-\n8-Image-5.png\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Page-8-Image-6.png\"><br \/>\n\u201cWe must believe in both good (humanitarian aid \u2014 water in the desert)<br \/>\nand bad (the wall with wire on top).\u201d by Jan Huston.<br \/>\nPhoto Show Theme: See and Believe<\/p>\n<h3>Offertory Anthem<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cHow Firm a Foundation\u201d &#8211; Mack Wilberg<br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How Firm a Foundation - Mormon Tabernacle Choir\" width=\"1140\" height=\"641\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/r0Xvr8maR34?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Prayer of Presentation<\/h3>\n<blockquote><p>Our Rock and Our Refuge,<br \/>\nFor all the gifts you have given that steady us, we give thanks, and offer our responses of gratitude and commitment.<br \/>\nFor all the ways you call us into relationships and service to your world,<br \/>\nwe give you thanks, and respond with the gifts we have to offer to share your love in the world.<br \/>\nAmen<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Hymn #2218: You Are Mine<\/h3>\n<p><em>If you wish to sing along, the sheet music is here: <a href=\"https:\/\/hymnary.org\/hymn\/FWS\/2218\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">You Are Mine<\/a><\/em><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"You Are Mine - David Haas\" width=\"1140\" height=\"855\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Sgm9lkTNQmc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Benediction<\/h3>\n<p>May you always remember to steady yourself on God, your rock and your refuge.<br \/>\nAmen<\/p>\n<h3>Postlude<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cTuba Tune\u201d &#8211; Norman Crocker, Organist Christopher Herrick<br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Christopher Herrick plays Tuba Tune by Norman Cocker\" width=\"1140\" height=\"641\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/thuLpRBNP0g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Page-9-Image-7.png\"><br \/>\n\u201cThe Fog Will Lift\u201d by Amanda Taylor<br \/>\nPhoto Show Theme: See and Believe<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>First United Methodist Church of Schenectady Worship for the Fifth Sunday of Easter May 10, 2020 \u201cDauphin Island Sunrise\u201d by &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/2020\/05\/10\/worship-for-the-fifth-sunday-of-easter\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Worship for the Fifth Sunday of Easter<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1510,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1255],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-online-worship"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1515","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1515"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1515\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1517,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1515\/revisions\/1517"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}