Gathering Music

“This I Believe”
Words: Adam Tice, Music: Mark Miller

This I believe,
and so I pray:
that nothing, nothing, nothing
can take God’s love away.
No ruler’s law,
and no distress,
no, absolutely nothing
can make God love us less.

And this I know,
that come what may,
still, nothing, nothing, nothing
can take God’s love away.
No sword, no pow’r,
no rise or fall,
no, absolutely nothing
can change God’s love at all.
Wider than the sky
and deeper than the sea,
stronger than the mountains
is your love,
your love for me.

Through present pain,
or coming day,
no, nothing, nothing, nothing
can take God’s love away.
No war or plague,
no plot or fraud,
no, absolutely nothing
can stop the love of God.
Wider than the sky
and deeper than the sea,
stronger than the mountains
is your love,
your love for me.

Call to Worship

Adapted from Rev. Molly Bolton, enfleshed

Leader: Blessed are those exploited by the rich
People: Blessed are those demonized by talking-heads
Leader: Blessed are those overworked and underpaid
People: Blessed are those trying, everyday, to get by
Leader: Blessed are Appalachians
People: Blessed are immigrants
Leader: Blessed are Indigenous people
People: Blessed are Black people
Leader: Blessed are trans people
People: Blessed are educators
Leader: Blessed are healthcare providers
People: Blessed are incarcerated people
Leader: Blessed are victims of climate collapse caused by corporate greed
People: Blessed are community organizers
Leader: Blessed are those doing what they can with what they have

People: For these are the People of God.
Leader: For these are the People of God.
All: For these are the People of God.

Opening Song

“Imagine the People of God” – Words & Music, Mark Miller

Scripture Reading – Luke 6:17-26

Dee Jackson

17Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

20Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. 24“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25“Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. “Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. 26“Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

Leader: The Word of God for the people of God.

All: Thanks be to God.

Scripture Reading – 1 Corinthians 15:12-20

Kirsten Trambley

12Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. 15We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. 17 If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. 19If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.

Leader: The Word of God for the people of God.

All: Thanks be to God.

Anthem

“Salmo 150” – Ernani Aguiar

Seminary Choir

Sermon

“When and Where Is Now?”

Rev. Dr. Melanie Johnson-Debaufre

Musical Response

Sacrament of Holy Communion

Rev. Dr. Melanie Johnson-Debaufre
Servers: Ashley Nyachoto, Katherine Rollo

Liturgy adapted from The United Methodist Book of Worship, and Alex Joyner, Discipleship Ministries

God be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give God our thanks.
It is right to give our thanks and praise to God.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing,
always and everywhere to give thanks to you,
Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth.
You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life.
When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast.
You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God,
and spoke to us through your prophets, who looked for that day
when justice shall roll down like waters
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream,
when nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
Neither shall they learn war anymore.

And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of yesterday, today, and tomorrow
heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who is here among us, and yet coming to us.
Hosanna in the highest.

Jesus announced the new day and the acceptable year,
When the poor would rejoice,
When captives would be set free,
And the oppressed would claim liberty.

In stories, he spoke of waiting wedding attendants and prodigal children,
With tears and compassion he brought the dead to life,
and gave a living water to one waiting at a well.
With anger, he overturned tables and challenged the powerful.
On the cross, he revealed the power of weakness,
and in the emptiness of the tomb,
Jesus gave us a glimpse of your tomorrow that does not end in death.

On the night when he was betrayed, he sat at a table with his friends.
He took bread, blessed it, broke it, served it to them, and said,
“Take this. Eat it. It is my body, given for you. Do this to remember me.”

In the same way he took the cup, Blessed it, served it to them, and said,
“Drink from this every one of you. This is my covenant cup, poured out for you. Drink this to remember me.”

And so we remember.
And so we offer our praise and thanks and our very selves,
As a holy and living sacrifice in union with Christ’s offering for us.
As we proclaim the mystery of faith:

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

So we await your new day.
So we call on you to send your Holy Spirit on us once more,
on this parched and thirsty people,
And on these elements of bread and cup.
Let them be for us once more Christ’s body
and let us be for you once more Christ’s body.

Make us one with Christ, one with each other,
and one in ministry to all the world
until Christ comes again and we feast at the table.

God of the Dawn,
Christ of the new Day Coming,
Spirit who is Ever Present,
we wait for you this day, your day.

Amen.

Communion Music

“They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love”
“Ayudanos, O Dios”

Blessing

Rev. Dr. Melanie Johnson-Debaufre

Sending Song

“We’ll Understand It Better By and By” UMH525

We are tossed and driv’n
On the restless sea of time,
Somber skies and howling tempests
Oft succeed a bright sunshine,
In that land of perfect day,
When the mists have rolled away,
We will understand it better by and by.

Refrain
By and by when the morning comes,
When the saints of God are gathered home,
We’ll tell the story how we’ve overcome:
For we’ll understand it better by and by.

We are often destitute
Of the things that life demands,
Want of food and want of shelter,
Thirsty hills and barren lands,
We are trusting in the Lord,
And according to God’s word,
We will understand it better by and by.

Refrain

Trials dark on ev’ry hand,
And we cannot understand,
All the ways that God would lead us
To that blessed Promised Land;
But God guides us with God’s eye
And we’ll follow till we die.
For we’ll understand it better by and by.

Refrain

Temptations, hidden snares
Often take us unawares,
And our hearts are made to bleed
For a thoughtless word or deed,
And we wonder why the test
When we try to do our best.
But we’ll understand it better by and by.

Refrain