Gathering Music

“Hope Will Not Fail” – Words: David Bjorlin, Music: Mark A. Miller

Call to Worship

Brigid Dwyer

(adapted from M. Jade Kaiser, enfleshed)

Leader: Behold, the glistening sign of hope.
A distant but shining star is
cupped by the darkness
that gently holds
the future.

All: Do we dare to feel its warming glow
in these days so cold with fear?

Leader: Do we dare to wonder where it leads us,
or choose the path we know?

All: The Holy has painted possibility
across the night sky.
It flickers with potential,
trembles with vulnerability,
shimmers with beauty, still.

Leader: Come, seekers.

All: The journey is before us.
A new day is born.

Opening Song

“We Will Rejoice in Love” – Words: David Bjorlin, Music: Mark A. Miller

We will rejoice in love.
Lift up our voice in love,
Make every choice in love,
We will uphold your world in love.
We will delight in love,
Share and delight in love,
Till all unite in love,
We will enfold your world in love.

We will repent in love.
Raise our lament in love,
Dare to dissent in love,
We will uphold your world in love.
We will persist in love,
Choose to resist in love,
And coexist in love,
We will enfold your world in love.

Opening Prayer

Jun Gyu Park

(adapted from Glenn Mitchell, MINemerge)

O Star-flinging God,
whose light dances across eternity,
dazzle us into your presence.
Open our hearts to the mystery of your love.

Awaken us to your presence,
knit to the ordinary.
Reveal to us what is possible, but not yet present.
Heal us, that we might be healers.

Reconcile us to you and to ourselves,
that our living might be reconciling.

Stop us often, we pray
with news that is good
with hope that holds
with truth that transforms with a Word
that touches this trail we’re on.

May the word of your grace guide our steps
like the sun by day
and the north star by night,
as we travel into the gift of a new semester.

Amen.

Scripture Reading – Isaiah 9:1-4

Henry Anyomi

1 But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time God brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time God will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined.
3 You have multiplied the nation,
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing plunder.
4 For the yoke of their burden,
and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.

The Word of God for the People of God.
Thanks be to God.

Choir

Sermon

Dean Edwin Aponte

Musical Response

Sacrament of Holy Communion

Dean Edwin Aponte

(adapted from Rev. Kaji Douša, UCC Worship Ways)

Leader: May God be with you

All: And also with you.

Leader: Lift your hearts.
All: We lift them up to God.

Leader: Let us give thanks to the God we love.
All: We freely give God thanks and praise.

Leader: It is right and meet, beautiful and holy
that we should, give our thanks and praise to you,
Holy and merciful God,
Through Jesus Christ, our Savior.

And so, in grateful praise
With the church that is, was, and shall be forever,
We glorify you, joining this unending song:

(singing)
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, Eternal One.
You sit above, through, within the circle of the earth
Setting light into being
Casting the stars in the sky
Founding the evolving earth
And all that dwells within it.

Great is your wisdom and power.
You look upon the lowly
As your most cherished creatures.
You visit upon the downtrodden
With presence, grace, and the promise of eternal justice.

You sent to us your own child, Jesus,
Who reached into unexpected places,
Calling us beyond the limits
Equipping us for nurturing love
Welcoming us into your holy embrace.

And so we recall that on the night of betrayal and desertion,
Jesus took bread, broke and gave it to the disciples, saying:
“This is my body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.”
And, in like manner, after supper,
Jesus took the cup and after giving thanks give it to them saying,
“This is the cup of the new covenant
poured out for you and for all people
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink of it,
for the remembrance of me.”

With the feast before us,
We proclaim the mystery of faith:

(Singing)
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna in the highest!

Leader: Dear God, you transform.
You transform all that is before you
So that at the touch of your grace
We are never the same.
We pray for your Spirit.
Transform, illumine, bless.
Make these ordinary gifts of bread and cup
Into the extraordinary presence of Christ with us.

In so doing,
Hold us as your own
Renew us as your people
For the sake of the world you love.

For all honor and glory are yours, O God,
Through Jesus Christ,
Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit in your glorious creation
Both now and forever.

(Singing)
Amen. Amen. Amen.
Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna in the highest!

Blessing

Dean Edwin Aponte

Sending Song

“We Are Marching”

Siyahamba, ekukanyen’ kwenkos’,
Siyahamba, ekukanyen’ kwenkos’,
Siyahamba, ekukanyen’ kwenkos’,
Siyahamba, ekukanyen’ kwenkos’,
Siyahamba, siyahamba, oh,
Siyahamba ekukanyen’ kwenkos’.
Siyahamba, siyahamba, oh,
Siyahamba ekukanyen’ kwenkos’.

We are marching in the light of God.
We are marching in the light of God.
We are marching in the light of God.
We are marching in the light of God.
We are marching, we are marching, ooh,
We are marching in the light of God.
We are marching, we are marching, ooh,
We are marching in the light of God.

Caminando en la luz de Dios,
caminando en la luz de Dios.
Caminando en la luz de Dios,
caminando en la luz de Dios.
Caminando vamos, caminando, vamos,
caminando en la luz de, l luz de Dios.
Caminando vamos, caminando, vamos,
caminando en la luz de Dios.