CMC Worship in Place for June 14 | Pride Sunday

As we forgo Sunday worship gatherings, we are offering a video service each week. The link to the video is sent out on Sunday morning along with prayer requests.

Welcome and Call to Worship | Jen Cartmel

Peace Candle | Stried 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.    

STJ 4 | You’ve got a place | Phil Hart

Children’s Time | Tim Stried

Pastoral Prayer | Jen Cartmel

Special Music | By Way of Sorrow* | Phil Hart

Scripture | Acts 8:26-36 | Jen Cartmel

Sermon | What Can Stop Us? | Mark Rupp

Hymn | There is a Time for Silence** | Phil Hart 

Benediction | Mark Rupp

* Permission granted for use by artist.

** Words by Carolyn Gillette (used with permission); Music by Phil Hart

Sermon: What Can Stop Us?

Even though the pandemic has forced the Columbus Pride Parade and Festival to be postponed until October, we wanted to make sure we still recognize Pride month by remembering that Pride was never meant to be about parades and festivals.  The initial spark that led to what we now know as Pride was, indeed, a protest against police brutality, and many people say the first brick was thrown by a Black Trans woman named Marsha P. Johnson. 

We cannot celebrate Pride without also insisting that Black Lives Matter, without recognizing the way that the experiences of oppressed groups overlap and intersect.  While our focus this morning will be on queer lives, we must never forget that none of us are truly free until all of us are free.  I was inspired by a protest sign I…

Prelude

Peace Candle | Gretchen Geyer and Thomas Leonard

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 Call 

Call to Worship | Joel Call

Hymn | Holy Spirit, come with power | Tom Blosser, Debra and Galen Martin

Children’s Time | Kelsey and Mike Ryan-Simkins

Mission Moment | Comforter Blessing | Joyce Wyse

Pastoral Prayer and Offering Dedication | Robin Walton

Special Music | O healing river | Tom Blosser

Scripture | Acts 2

v. 1 – 2 | Japanese | Charlie Shenk

v. 3 – 4 | Spanish | Edith Espinal

v. 5 – 6 | German | Roberta Gerlach

v. 7 – 8 | French | Isaac Ruggles

v. 14 – 16 | Mandarin | Ruth Leonard

v. 17 – 18 | Turkish | Wilbur Miller

Sermon | Holy Spirit everywhere | Joel Miller

STJ 33 | Come, Holy Spirit, descend | Tom Blosser

Benediction | Joel Call

—————————-

Sermon Text

There’s a story in the Torah, the book of Numbers chapter 11.  It takes place just after the Israelites depart from Mt Sinai where Moses received the teachings of the law.  They are again on the move and they are again complaining about the lack of dining options in the desert.  Nothing but this bland manna to eat.  The people are upset, and this makes Moses, their leader, upset.  Moses has it out with the Lord, Yahweh, saying that this is an impossible task, too heavy a burden to bear, and that if the Lord is indeed merciful, the Lord should end his life at once.

The Lord’s response is to have Moses gather 70 of the elders.  Yahweh says, “I will take some of…

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.  

…