May 10 Bulletin

Claremont United Church of Christ Sunday, May 10, 2020 10:00 am We are an Open and Affirming congregation, welcoming into our full life and ministry persons of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, races, socioeconomic status, faith experiences, countries of origin, and abilities. Jesus welcomes everyone and so do we!

A CELEBRATION OF WORSHIP CLAREMONT UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST PRELUDE “O WALY WALY” The Gift of Love Janet Linker INTROIT Dreams are More Than Visions HOLY MANNA WELCOME CALL TO WORSHIP One: We gather this morning with our hope and our doubt, All: with our fear and our faith, with our dreams and our disappointments. One: We gather knowing that our God is big enough to welcome us all just as we are. All: Let us lift our hearts and voices to our Creator. OPENING HYMN God, Speak to Me, That I May Speak CANONBURY (verses 1-2, 4) God, speak to me, that I may speak in living echoes of your tone; as you have sought, so let me seek your erring children lost and lone. O lead me, God, that I may lead some wanderers along life’s way; O feed me so that I may feed your hungry ones without delay. O use me, God, use even me just as you will, and when, and where, until your blessed face I see, your rest, your joy, your glory share. PRAYER OF CONFESSION For ignoring your vision of a just, safe world, have mercy, O God. For failing to take risks and walk forward in faith, have mercy, O God. For choosing familiarity instead of braving new paths, have mercy, O God. Amen. ASSURANCE One: Friends, God is at work in us and with us! We are God's children, called to be different, called to act different, called to live as new people. All: Thanks be to God. Amen. CLAREMONT UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST COVENANT In response to God's creating, redeeming, and sustaining love, we unite for the worship of God and the service of all. We seek to know the will of God and to walk in God's ways, made known in Jesus Christ: to love one another,

to proclaim the Gospel to all the world, to work and pray for peace and justice, and to live in harmony with all creation. We trust the presence of the Holy Spirit in trial and rejoicing and the promise of eternal life both now and for evermore. Amen. PASSING OF THE PEACE One: May the peace of Christ be with you. All: And also with you. CHILDREN’S MESSAGE OFFERING/MUSIC Amazing Grace Matthew Keating, cello DEDICATION SCRIPTURE Acts 2:14-21 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17 ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. 18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 20 The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. 21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ SERMON Seeing 2020: Envisioning a Faithful Future Rev. Dr. Jen Strickland HYMN Be Now My Vision SLANE Be now my vision, O God of my heart; nothing surpasses the love you impart— You my best thought, by day or by night,

waking or sleeping, your presence my light. Be now my wisdom, and be my true word; ever within me, my soul is assured; Mother and Father, you are both to me, now and forever your child I will be. Riches I need not, nor life’s empty praise, you, my inheritance, now and always; You and you only are first In my heart, great God, my treasure, may we never part. Sovereign of heaven, my victory won, may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, still be my vision, O Ruler of all. PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD’S PRAYER One: …We pray these things using the words you teach us, saying together, All: Our Father/Mother/Creator who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom/kin-dom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom/kin-dom, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. GUEST ARTIST Song of the Birds Casals Matthew Keating, cello BENEDICTION CLOSING RESPONSE For the Fruit of All Creation (vs. 1) AR HYD Y NOS For the fruit of all creation, thanks be to God. For God’s gifts to every nation, thanks be to God. For the plowing, sowing, reaping, silent growth while we are sleeping, Future needs in earth’s safekeeping, thanks be to God. POSTLUDE Toccata G. Mushel