May 28 Bulletin

Claremont United Church of Christ Sunday, May 28, 2023 10:00 am Welcome home! Regardless of your age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, abilities, or faith background, we are glad you’re worshiping with us today. You belong here.

A CELEBRATION OF WORSHIP CLAREMONT UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST PRELUDE Contemplation on ‘Veni, Creator Spiritus’ James Biery Dr. Carey Robertson, organ INTROIT A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing! DEO GRACIAS CALL TO WORSHIP One: God’s Spirit is present all around us– All: In the laughter of children, in the warmth of friendship, in the joy of music. One: God’s handiwork is all around us– All: In the starry skies, in the rustle of leaves in the wind, in the bud of a new plant shooting through the dirt. One: God’s miracles are present all around us— All: In the compassion, generosity, and kindness shown to one another. One: Our world is saturated with the Divine. We witness and testify to this. All: Let us celebrate the presence of our God. OPENING HYMN #286 Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness SPIRIT (verses 1, 3, 4) WELCOME PRAYER OF CONFESSION Holy Spirit of God, forgive us for the times we deliberately resist Your guidance, creating barriers to Your work in the world and within ourselves, Barriers that prevent Your healing work and prevent us moving toward wholeness. Forgive our self-centeredness, our anger, our fear of change, our lack of trust in your love. Forgive our resentment of others, our love of control, our indifference to the poor. Forgive our greed, our misuse of resources, our pollution of the environment. Spirit, in Your mercy and power, free us and break down these barriers. Guide us into the freedom of life lived for You and Your purposes. Amen. RECEIVING GOD’S GRACE One: …we are forgiven and offered another chance to live with faithfulness. All: Let us embrace this abundant grace. 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 worshiping throng. Water, God’s Word, bread and cup, prayer and song: This is where children belong. SERMON ON THE STEPS Rev. Laurel Capesius OFFERING/MUSIC O Holy Spirit, Flowing Light Ron Barnett Dylan Faustlin, trumpet Jack Mills, trombone 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 Luke 10:38-42 38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying, 40 but Martha was distracted by her many tasks. So she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. 42 There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” John 11:1-2, 17-27 1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill.

17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” SERMON Rev. Dr. Jen Strickland A.K.A.: Nicknames & Name Changes in the Bible “Martha, aka Mary, aka Mary the Tower” ANTHEM I’m Gonna Sing ‘Til the Spirit Moves In My Heart Moses Hogan 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 lift up those who are in search of holy friendships, in search of lasting partnerships, and in search of Your voice. All: Come, Spirit, and guide us. One: …those who are trying to follow Your teachings, and those who are seeking Your peace. All: Come, Spirit, and guide us. One: …We lift up those who are experiencing fear, insecurity, or depression today. All: Come, Spirit, and guide us. One: We pray all of these using the words You teach us, saying, 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.

MUSICIAN-IN-RESIDENCE I Am Light India Arie Maritri Garrett, voice & piano BENEDICTION CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE Spirit of the Living God LIVING GOD POSTLUDE Agincourt Hymn John Dunstable Dr. Carey Robertson, organ Thank you for your support of Claremont UCC! You can donate by texting an amount to (909) 343-5901 or scanning the QR code:

ALTAR FLOWERS Today’s flowers are given by the loving family of Elaine Ball, in honor of her 90th birthday today, May 28. HYMN COMMENTARY \"Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness\" James Keith Manley (b. 1940) felt the urging of the Holy Spirit to write this hymn after he had completed the rough draft of his Doctor of Ministry thesis. Manley added a fourth stanza at a later time. The hymn was first sung at Waiokeola Congregational Church in Honolulu. Manley received his education at Whittier College, Pacific School of Religion, and Claremont School of Theology. He was ordained in the UCC in 1966 and lives at Pilgrim Place and is a member of our church. COMPOSER NOTE Until his untimely death in 2003, Moses Hogan was one of the most celebrated contemporary directors and arrangers of spirituals. In his short life, he created dozens of new original arrangements of classic spirituals, and formed several choirs that performed and recorded them with unparalleled excellence. He also composed many acclaimed original pieces in a variety of styles. A New Orleans native, he was a graduate of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and also studied at New York’s Juilliard School of Music and Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. MUSICIAN-IN-RESIDENCE Maritri Garrett is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from San Bernardino, California. She holds a BA in biology from Fisk University where she was a Jubilee singer, a BS from Howard University in composition, and an MFA in Jazz studies from Howard University. Of late, she has freelanced for several Southern California theaters as a musician and composer. She plays a nightly show, Reunion of Souls, on Facebook Live M-F 5pm Pacific time. Facebook.com/maritri

A Note from the Pastors: Pastors Jen and Jacob wish the congregation a blessed summer of spiritual growth and connection while they are away on their sabbatical and they look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday, September 3rd!

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], x201 [email protected] Rev. Dr. Jen Strickland Dr. David Rentz [email protected], x202 [email protected] Finance & Payroll Administrator Principal Organist Ms. Jocelyn Bocking Dr. Carey Robertson [email protected], x110 [email protected] Office Manager Building Manager Ms. Jasmine Tomita Mr. Adam Thomas [email protected], [email protected], x101 x109 Minister of Children, Youth, & Technology Director Families Mr. Jon Van Rev. Laurel Capesius [email protected], x120 [email protected], x210 ASL Interpreters Children, Youth, & Families Ms. Jennifer Stephenson Assistant Ms. Rebecca McAllister Ms. Elizabeth Zehm [email protected] Moderator (Council President) Ms. Linda Yao Junior High Youth Director [email protected] Ms. Zoe Estrada [email protected] Pastor Emeritus Rev. Dr. Homer “Butch” Henderson Director of the ECC Ms. Kristy Knight [email protected], x114