Gathering Music

“We Are Marching” South African hymn
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.

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

Welcome and Opening Prayer

Janice Marie Beauchamp

WoMA Welcome
She Rises: Voices of Faith, Fire, and Freedom

Opening Song

“We Have Come This Far By Faith”

Dee Jackson

Opening Prayer

Written and Led by Carrie-Lee Farnham

Great and Merciful God,
We come before You today with hearts raised high, proclaiming that You are the God who pours out Your Spirit upon all flesh. You are the author of our faith, the fire that sets our purpose ablaze, and the freedom that calls us to boldness. Fill this space and touch every heart here with Your Spirit.

Renew our faith, ignite Your passion in us, and instill in us the courage to live purposefully and hopefully. Guide our voices that we may support, encourage, and inspire one another as we strive for justice and peace in the world.

Bless this moment and inspire us to rise with strength, courage, and a deep commitment to Your truth and love.

Amen.

Scripture Readings Joel 2:22-32 (NRSVUE) and 2 Timothy 1:1-7 (The Message)

Joel 2:21-32 (NRSVUE)

Rutendo Makarau

21 Do not fear, O soil; be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things!

22 Do not fear, you animals of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield.

23 O children of Zion, be glad, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the later rain, as before.

24 The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

25 I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army that I sent against you.

26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.

27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel and that I, the LORD, am your God and there is no other. And my people shall never again be put to shame.

28 Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

29 Even on the male and female slaves, in those days I will pour out my spirit.

30 I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.

31 The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.

32 Then everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved, for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls.

2 Timothy 1:1-7 (The Message)

Daesun Jang

I, Paul, am on special assignment for Christ, carrying out God’s plan laid out in the Message of Life by Jesus.

2 I write this to you, Timothy, the son I love so much. All the best from our God and Christ be yours!

3 Every time I say your name in prayer—which is practically all the time—I thank God for you, the God I worship with my whole life in the tradition of my ancestors.

4 I miss you a lot, especially when I remember that last tearful good-bye, and I look forward to a joy-packed reunion.

5 That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith—and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you!

6 And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed—keep that ablaze!

7 God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.

Leader: The Word of God for the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God.

Anthem

“God Has Work for Us to Do”

Seminary Choir

Sermon

Who’s Afraid of Fire?

Rev Dr. Melanie Johnson-DeBaufre

Musical Response

“Child of God” – Words/Music: Mark Miller
No matter what people say
Say, or think about me
I am a child, I am a child of God!

No matter what people say
Say, or think about you
You are a child,
You are a child of God!

No matter what the world says
Says, or think about me
I am a child, I am a child of God!
And there is no thing
Or no one who can separate
They can’t separate
You from the truth that
You’re someone you are family
You are meant to be
A child, a child of God

No matter what the government says
Decisions, pronouncements on you
You are a child,
You are a child of God!

And there is no thing
Or no one who can separate
They can’t separate
You from the truth that
You’re someone you are family
You are meant to be
A child, a child of God

Sacrament of Holy Communion

Rev. Dr. Melanie Johnson-DeBaufre with Janice, Rutendo, Daesun, Carrie-Lee

Blessing

Rev Dr Melanie Johnson-DeBaufre

Announcements

Janice Marie Beauchamp

Sending Song

“Draw the Circle Wide”
Words: Gordon Light, Music: Mark Miller

Draw the circle, draw the circle wide.
Draw the circle, draw the circle wide.
No one stands alone,
we’ll stand side by side.
Draw the circle, draw the circle wide

Draw the circle wide, draw it wider still.
Let this be our song: no one stands alone. Standing side by side,
Draw the circle, draw the circle wide

In your sadness and in your grief
From all the pain
It seems there’s no relief
We will hold you
Until the storm subsides
We’ll draw the circle,
draw the circle wide!

Draw the circle wide, draw it wider still.
Let this be our song: no one stands alone. Standing side by side,
Draw the circle, draw the circle wide.

Draw the circle, draw the circle wide.