April 24 Bulletin

Claremont United Church of Christ Sunday, April 24, 2022 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 Variations on This Joyful Eastertide Wilbur Held INTROIT Salmo 150 Ernani Aguiar Concordia Donne Di Canto CALL TO WORSHIP One: Christ is Risen! All: Christ is Risen Indeed! One: We are an Easter people All: Now and forevermore. One: Let us rise in body and spirit. All: We lift our praises to our God. OPENING HYMN #238 Now the Green Blade Rises NOËL NOUVELET WELCOME PRAYER OF CONFESSION Risen God, Though you have conquered death, sometimes we live as though death has the final say. We boast of our gifts but do not use them for your people. We show off our stature but do not make room for others at the table. Forgive us, we pray. Help us to live into New Life, sharing all that we have in the name of the Risen Christ. Amen. WORDS OF ASSURANCE One: …We are redeemed by Jesus Christ who loves us, transformed by the Spirit who never leaves us, and forgiven by the Author of Life. All: Glory 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. LITURGICAL SONG Where Children Belong James Ritchie This, this is where children belong, welcomed as part of the worshipping throng. Water, God’s Word, bread and cup, prayer and song: This is where children belong. SERMON ON THE STEPS Rev. Laurel Capesius OFFERING/ANTHEM Inscription of Hope Z. Randall Stroope Concordia Men’s Chorus DOXOLOGY LASST UNS ERFREUEN Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Christ the word in flesh born low, Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise Holy Spirit evermore, One God, Triune, whom we adore, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! DEDICATION SCRIPTURE Acts 3:1-16 (CEB) 3 Peter and John were going up to the temple at three o’clock in the afternoon, the established prayer time. 2 Meanwhile, a man crippled since birth was being carried in. Every day, people would place him at the temple gate known as the Beautiful Gate so he could ask for money from those entering the temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he began to ask them for a gift. 4 Peter and John stared at him. Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gazed at them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Peter said, “I don’t have any money, but I will give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, rise up and

walk!” 7 Then he grasped the man’s right hand and raised him up. At once his feet and ankles became strong. 8 Jumping up, he began to walk around. He entered the temple with them, walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 All the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 They recognized him as the same one who used to sit at the temple’s Beautiful Gate asking for money. They were filled with amazement and surprise at what had happened to him. 11 While the healed man clung to Peter and John, all the people rushed toward them at Solomon’s Porch, completely amazed. 12 Seeing this, Peter addressed the people: “You Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why are you staring at us as if we made him walk by our own power or piety? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of our ancestors—has glorified his servant Jesus. This is the one you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence, even though he had already decided to release him. 14 You rejected the holy and righteous one, and asked that a murderer be released to you instead. 15 You killed the author of life, the very one whom God raised from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 His name itself has made this man strong. That is, because of faith in Jesus’ name, God has strengthened this man whom you see and know. The faith that comes through Jesus gave him complete health right before your eyes. SERMON Acting Up: When We Notice God Rev. Laurel Capesius HYMN #172 Jesus Calls Us, o’er the Tumult GALILEE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD’S PRAYER To honor the power of both the traditional and new versions of the Lord’s Prayer, we will alternate which version we pray each week. One: …We pray these things using the words you teach us, saying together, All: Great Giver, in whom heaven is found, holy is Your name. May Your commonwealth of peace and freedom flourish on earth. Give us this day bread for our journey, and make us hungry to see the whole world nourished. Forgive us and help us forgive one another. Strengthen us for the challenges that lie ahead. Let us hear Your prophets, and deliver us from our privilege. For Your love is the only power, the only home, the only honor we need, in this world and in the world to come. Amen. CHORAL BENEDICTION Benediction Marin Jacobson Concordia Donne di Canto & Men’s Chorus

BENEDICTION Come, Christians, Join to Sing MADRID CLOSING RESPONSE POSTLUDE Prelude in Classic Style Gordon Young Special thanks to our Media Ministry Volunteer: David Moore ALTAR FLOWERS Today’s altar flowers are given by Ruby & Alvin Beilby, in loving memory of their parents-- Claud & Elma Beilby, Nels & Lillian Nelson. GUEST ARTISTS CONCORDIA DONNE DI CANTO is known for its seamless, expressive tone and engaging programming. This select choir is a diverse and inclusive group of

treble singers, both music and non-music majors, who come together to make and share music as partners in song. Donne Di Canto inspires audiences at the annual Fall Choral Concert, Christmas Concerts, Valentine’s Concert, and Spring Choral Concert. Singers have an opportunity to study and perform distinctive literature for treble voices including classical choral music, contemporary works, world music, folk songs and spirituals. Long-term relationships develop out of the musical experiences that are shared by choir members during rehearsals and performances. The CONCORDIA MEN'S CHORUS is an energized group who love to sing and perform distinctive music for men’s voices. Each year the choir includes a diverse and unique representation of the university community. Singers include both music and non-music majors that span across all academic disciplines. Through the rehearsal of sacred and secular music representing a broad range of styles, singers strive for a high standard of vocal excellence. Performances include fall and spring concerts, Christmas performances, the popular Valentine’s Concert, and annual tours. The Men’s Chorus also regularly sings for chapel services on campus and in worship at area churches and schools. DR. CLARISSA SHAN serves on faculty at Concordia University Irvine and California State University Fullerton. At CUI, she directs both Donne di Canto and Men’s Chorus, teaches Applied Voice Lessons, and Opera Workshop. Her responsibilities at CSUF include teaching Studio Voice, and Music Theory in the Musical Theater Department. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she is also a church musician, serving as the Director of Music at both the Glendale City Seventh-day Adventist Church and Temple City First United Methodist Church. Dr. Shan is also active as an educator in Los Angeles and Orange County, working as a clinician at local high schools, guest conducting, and adjudicating for events with the Southern California Vocal Association and Music Teachers' Association of California. Dr. Shan spends her summers as the Program Director for Musik Theater Bavaria, an opera and musical theater summer performance program in Oberaudorf, Germany that hosts an international array of students. She is also an active soloist and a professional chorister in the Southern California area and is a staff singer and member of Pacific Chorale. In 2019, Dr. Shan had the privilege to sing on the Grammy Winning Deutsche Grammaphon recording of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel. Dr. Shan earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance with an emphasis in Sacred Music and a Masters of Music in vocal performance from the University of Southern California. She received a Bachelor

of Arts degree in music from La Sierra University. In her free time, Dr. Shan runs a baking business and loves to spend time with her husband, Drew, and their dog, Wicket. DR. JULIA OH earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, where she was also on the faculty in the Extension Division. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, a Master of Music in Piano Performance/Pedagogy, and a Graduate Performance Diploma in Piano Performance from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. Recognized as a Dean’s List honoree and a recipient of various scholarships at Peabody Institute, Dr. Oh was appointed as a student accompanist and subsequently awarded fellowship to coach and accompany a class in Musical Theatre styles, Peabody’s Opera Scenes program and voice majors including the studio of the late John Shirley-Quirk. Moreover, she was selected as one of the few qualified pianists to participate in the prestigious Leon Fleisher Seminar. Dr. Oh is staff accompanist at Concordia University Irvine and Irvine Valley College. Prior to relocating to Southern California in 2015, Dr. Oh had taught at Texas Wesleyan University, University of Texas at Arlington and Tarrant County College. She served as pianist of the New Jersey Philharmonic, New York Concert Choir, and Casa Mañana Studios in Fort Worth, Texas. She has appeared as a recitalist and collaborative musician at major venues including Carnegie Hall, Bass Performance Hall, New York Public Library, Steinway Hall New York, Zimmerli Art Museum, Mannes College and Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. She has performed with members of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, Baltimore Opera, Lyric Opera Baltimore and Metropolitan Opera, among others. Dr. Oh has performed in the masterclasses presented by Sergei Babayan, Vladimir Feltsman and the late Leon Fleisher. She frequently works with living composers and has premiered several works.

PLEASE BE IN TOUCH Claremont United Church of Christ 233 W. Harrison Ave., Claremont, CA 91711 (909) 626-1201 | claremontucc.org @uccclaremont Claremont United Church of Christ Senior Pastors Directors of Music & Fine Arts Rev. Dr. Jacob Buchholz Dr. Alexandra Grabarchuk [email protected], x230 [email protected], x242 Rev. Dr. Jen Strickland Dr. David Rentz [email protected], x228 [email protected], x242 Finance & Payroll Administrator Principal Organist Ms. Jocelyn Bocking Dr. Carey Robertson [email protected], x225 [email protected] Office Manager Building Manager Ms. Jasmine Tomita Mr. Adam Thomas [email protected], [email protected], x222 x240 Minister of Children, Youth, & Technology Director Families Mr. Jon Van Rev. Laurel Capesius [email protected] [email protected] Technology Assistant Children, Youth, & Families Mr. Josh Ngo Assistant [email protected] Ms. Elizabeth Zehm [email protected] ASL Interpreter Ms. Jennifer Stephenson Junior High Youth Director Ms. Zoe Estrada Moderator (Council President) [email protected] Ms. Rita Dixon [email protected] Director of the ECC Ms. Kristy Knight Pastor Emeritus [email protected], x226 Rev. Dr. Homer “Butch” Henderson