Easter 7 | Ascension Sunday

Prelude

Peace Candle | Lehman Family

As we worship in place today, we light a Peace Candle in our home, inviting you to light a Peace Candle in your home. The flame joins us in spirit across distance, along with our sister church in Armenia, Colombia.    

Welcome and Opening | Sarah Werner

Call to Worship | Sarah Werner

HWB 298 | Veni Sancte Spiritus | Paul Knapke

Children’s Time | Jon Lucas

Pastoral Prayer and Offering Dedication | Mark Rupp

Special Music | Bach Minuet I: Partita No. 3 in E Major | Alexander Martin

Scripture | Acts 1:6-14 | Larry Less

Sermon | Ascension, grief, falling | Joel Miller  (Manuscript below)

Grief in 100 Words | Dan Lehman, Lavonne van der Zwaag, Jerry Nussbaum, Bethany Davey, Matthew Leahy, Laurie Zimmerman

Interludes | STS 45 | Calm Me Lord | Phil Yoder

STS 121 | Nothing is lost on the breath of God | Paul Knapke

Benediction | Sarah Werner

Christian Education | Mental health during pandemic | Jenny Campagna interviewed by Mark Rupp

Sermon

Ascension, grief, falling | 24 May 2020

I remember the moment each of our daughters was born.  I remember how it felt.  How my body responded.  Each time was similar.  At the moment of birth my body reflexively took a huge in breath.  Like the world was now instantly a fuller place and my body had to expand to rise to the occasion.  This was followed by tears – not attached to any particular emotion I can name other than beholding the wonder of what just happened.  A life fills the room, a breath fills the body to the point of overflowing. 

This happened three times:  Eve, Lily, Ila.

There was a fourth birth, third in chronological order.  11 years ago this past Thursday Belle was stillborn.  With labor beginning only 22 weeks into the complicated pregnancy, we knew Belle…

Easter 6 | Membership Sunday

Prelude | Katrina Cortes

Peace Candle | Britni, Jeff, Micah, and Blaise Lookabaugh

As we worship in place today, we light a Peace Candle in our home, inviting you to light a Peace Candle in your home.  The flame joins us in spirit across distance, along with our sister church in Armenia, Colombia.    

Welcome and Opening | Joel Miller

Call to Worship | Adam Glass, Victoria Schrock, Meaghan Torres, Will Kentris

HWB 356 | Breathe on me, breath of God | Debra, Galen, Sarah, and Elizabeth Martin

Children’s Time | Mark Rupp

Membership Commitment Statement | New members

Pastoral Prayer and Offering Dedication | Joel Miller

Special Music | Excerpt from Wedding Day at Troldhaugen Op. 65 no. 6 by Edvard Grieg | Katrina Cortes

Scripture | John 14:15-21 | Jared Crowe and Katie Kramer

Faith journey reflections | New members 

STJ 2 | Come walk with us | Debra, Galen, Sarah, and Elizabeth Martin

STJ 87 | Put peace into each other’s hands | Debra, Galen, Sarah, and Elizabeth Martin

Benediction | Joel Miller

Communion* | 11 am via Zoom

*We practice an open Communion table and all who hunger and thirst for God are welcome to participate.  

…

Easter 5

Welcome and Call to Worship | Julie Hart

Peace Candle | Nina Graber-Nofziger

As we meet today in spirit but not in person, we gather around these Sunday Meditations offered by members of the CMC community. Just as we light the Peace Candle to begin our worship, you are invited to light a candle for these Meditations. The flame joins us in spirit across distance, along with our sister church in Armenia, Colombia.

STJ 54 | Longing for light | Phil Hart

Scripture | Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 | Andrew Riel, Carolyn May, Kyle Kerley

Pastoral Prayer | Joel Miller

Scripture | John 14:1-12 | Andrew Riel, Carolyn May, Kyle Kerley

Children’s Time | Joel Call, Phil Yoder

HWB 553 | I am weak and I need thy strength | Phil Hart

*Sermon | The Way Home | Mark Rupp 

STJ 73 | The Lord lift you up | Phil Hart

Benediction | Julie Hart

Christian Education | A Mother’s Day Conversation with Edith | Interviewed by Joel Miller

*Sermon | The Way Home | Mark Rupp

As a visual for the sermon this morning, I invite you to walk a labyrinth with me as we contemplate what it means for Jesus to say “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  Labyrinth walking is a practice that goes back a long time and has been used by many different people as a form of centering meditation.  A labyrinth is different from a maze in that it only has one path in and one path out; there is only one “way.”  While it is impossible to get lost in a labyrinth, the goal IS to get lost in thought, welcoming and noticing whatever questions, ideas, or images come and go as you walk.  

So join me, step-by-step, breath-by-breath on this journey. 

~~~ 

The Way Home

Easter 4

Peace Candle | Erin and James Neese

As we meet today in spirit but not in person, we gather around these Sunday Meditations offered by members of the CMC community. Just as we light the Peace Candle to begin our worship, you are invited to light a candle for these Meditations. The flame joins us in spirit across distance, along with our sister church in Armenia, Colombia.

Welcome, Opening | Julie Hart

Call to Worship | Julie Hart

HWB 519 | Shepherd me, O God | Jodi Quint

Scripture | Psalm 23 | Carolina Neese

Children’s Time | Ryan Hoke

Mission Moment | Peace and Justice Support Network | Melonie Buller

Pastoral Prayer | Charlie Shenk

Special Music | Bright Morning Stars | Jodi Quint

Scripture | John 10:1-10 | Erin Neese

Sermon | We, like sheep (and chickens) | Joel Miller

Hymn | Could it be that God is singing?

Benediction | Julie Hart

Christian Education | A scientist’s perceptions of our present reality | Interview with Dave Denlinger

Cookie Sunday | 11:00 am via Zoom 
 

Sermon | We, like sheep (and chickens) | Joel Miller

After several months of worship themes unique to our congregation, we’re back on the lectionary. We’ll stick with it throughout May and maybe beyond. 

One benefit of the lectionary is the consistent cycle of the liturgical year.  No matter what’s happening in the world, any given year, these Sundays between Easter and Pentecost always place us within the Easter season.    With the headlines giving the appearance of an eternal Lent, this is a good thing.   

Another lectionary gift is that the “our” and the “us” and the “we” involved are universal.  This morning Christians around the world are looking at these same texts, pondering the same startling possibility of Easter’s extended appearance.  

As a bonus, this year offers a wonderful liturgical convergence across religions with Muslims observing Ramadan, and Jews counting the days between Passover and…

Special thanks to Elisa and Matthew Leahy for video production

Welcome | Jerry Nussbaum

As the Psalmist proclaims with these words :
24” This is the day that the Lord has made;
    let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24 English Standard Version (ESV)

Here we are, again, invited to worship in place, where you are right now. 

These are indeed new and changing days, learning new ways to be together without being together. Saying to friends and family “I’m not taking visitors right now…let’s connect by phone or Skype.”

Maybe you are fortunate and able to work from home.  

Some may wonder when will my business open again, when will I be called back to my job.  Will my loved one recover from this illness. There seems to be a perpetual state of grieving.  Grieving which takes a lot of energy and patience. You may feel tired. Everything takes a little more effort.

How long can this last? When can I visit with my family or friends. If your loved ones or friends are in the hospital or nursing home visits if permitted at all can be very limited.

Are you finding a place for hope? For renewal of a tired and uncertain spirit? When is the last time you stepped outside or looked out of the window? Have you noticed the flowers, the redbuds, the tulips, the birds singing or even those fading blooms, that remind us that life comes to us again and again just like the sun rises and sets again and again.  Our scientists have observed that the earth as a whole is quieter now; the air, cleaner and the skies clearer. 

I hope that today wherever you are there will be some space to just breathe again. The let the artist inside find new life,…