Gathering Music
“Welcome to God’s Love” Thompson/Miller
Families of all shapes and kinds
Love the only ties that binds
This gathering of open minds
Welcome to God’s love
Every person has a place
In this holy, sacred space
earth’s entire human race
Welcome, welcome
Welcome, welcome
Come and feel God’s love
No proof required of your worth
A gift to you before your birth
From God who made the heavens and earth
Welcome to God’s Love!
We’ll love each other and take care
Of every need encountered there
Within God’s heart there’s room to spare
Welcome, welcome
Welcome, welcome
Welcome to God’s love
Come and live God’s love
Call to Worship
Daesun Jang
Adapted from Sharon R. Fennema
Leader: Listen, people of God, for the voice of God is calling:
All: In difficult times, God calls us to join the movement of courageous truth-tellers.
Leader: In comfortable times, God calls us to join the movement of silence-breakers.
All: In times of struggle, God calls us to join the movement toward freedom.
Leader: In times of peace, God calls us to join the movement toward justice.
All: In all times, God calls us to join with the movement of the Spirit.
Leader: Listen, people of God, for the voice of God is calling.
All: God, we are listening.
Opening Song
“Now Thank We All Our God” UMH #102
Words: Martin Rinkart
- Now thank we all our God,
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom this world rejoices;
who from our mothers’ arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today. - O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us;
and keep us still in grace,
and guide us when perplexed;
and free us from all ills,
in this world and the next. - All praise and thanks to God,
Creator now be given;
To Christ and Holy Dove
who dwell in highest heaven;
the one eternal God,
whom earth and heaven adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.
Responsive Prayer
Dee Jackson
Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved,
and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea;
Though its waters rage and foam,
and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.
The God of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be overthrown;
God shall help it at the break of day.
The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are shaken;
God has spoken, and the earth shall melt away.
The God of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Come now and look upon the works of God,
what awesome things God has done on earth.
It is God who makes war to cease in all the world;
God breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, and burns the shields with fire.
“Be still, then, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.”
The God of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Amen.
Scripture Reading Exodus 2:1-10 (NRSVue)
Pam Faatz
2 Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. 3 When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. 4 His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.
5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,” she said. 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. 10 When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
Leader: The Word of God for the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God.
Anthem
“Coming Home” – Mary McDonald
Seminary Choir
Sermon
“Creative Resistance”
Dr. Dong Sung Kim
Musical Response
Sacrament of Holy Communion
Dr. Dong Sung Kim
Servers: Priscille Hassa Malandji, Elliot Weidenaar
Liturgy adapted from M. Jade Kaiser, enfleshed
Leader: The Holy One be with you
All: And also with you
Leader: Open your hearts to the One who is Love
All: We open our hearts to you, O God
Leader: Let us give thanks to God who takes risks for love
All: For the courage of the Holy that lives in us, we give thanks
Leader: Throughout history, O God, we have struggled to claim the power you have given us. Destructive forces within and around us make us question your call upon our lives. We turn ourselves over, in ways ordinary and remarkable, to what is. To what has been. To the familiar.
But you have created us for so much more. In Jesus, we saw a life lived in all its potential. In all its Sacred power. Life that is abundant. Love that was creative, and fervent for justice.
We saw, too, the consequences of living as if the Kindom were close.
And so we wonder.
If we live with such courage, what will we lose?
In proclaiming truths that confront unjust power, do we stand a chance of survival?
How will it go for us, if we are willing to risk everything for love?
You have never promised us safety, but you have shown us what is possible.
The Spirit brings new life even to places of death.
Jesus, knowing the dangers ahead, still did not cave to the threats of power or give in to the temptations of the popular.
There was nothing he would trade for his love of the suffering and betrayed, not even his own life.
On the night of his arrest, he gathered around table with his companions. His friends. His beloveds in the struggle. Even the one who would turn him over to the cross.
He took bread, blessed it, broke it, gave it to all of them and said,
“This is my body which is given for you.
Take, eat, and remember me.”
After the supper, he did the same with the cup, saying,
“This is a symbol of the new covenant. Drink in remembrance of me.”
In remembering the life of Jesus, we remember what he taught us about ourselves – about the power God has given us. We remember that God enfleshed is Good News that feeds, that protects, that heals, and delivers. We remember the words he spoke: “whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing,and they will do even greater things than these.”
And so we pray, pour out your Spirit on this bread and this cup, O God. Through these gifts, fill our hearts with courage to believe the Kindom is within us, to live boldly in pursuit of love that liberates, and to follow the Wisdom that leads from the margins.
Blessed be this meal of hope.
All: Amen.
Communion Music
“Only Love”
Words, Adam Tice Music, Mark Miller
Violence only leads to violence
Hatred only leads to hate 2x
Only love, only love
Only love leads to love, only love 2x
“Give Me Jesus”
Negro Spiritual
In the morning when I rise….give me Jesus
I heard my Mother say….give me Jesus
Give me Jesus, give me Jesus!
You can have all this world
Give me Jesus.
Oh when I come to die…give me Jesus.
Blessing
Dr. Dong Sung Kim
Sending Song
“All My Days” – Words: Laurie Zelman, Music: Mark Miller
You know my words before they’re said.
You know my need and I am fed.
You give me life. You know my ways,
my strength, my path, for all my days,
my strength, my path, for all my days.
If I should fly beyond the dawn,
the darkness will not overcome.
If I lie down in deepest night,
still you are there, my Lord, my light,
still you are there, my Lord, my light.
Our every thought, each word we say,
the whole of time, the present day,
are held within your mighty hand,
too wonderful to comprehend,
too wonderful to comprehend!
O mend my heart and free my voice.
From sin released, I will rejoice.
O search me, Lord, my spirit cries,
and let my song of praise arise,
and let my song of praise arise!
Drew Theo Chapel 