FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Mother’s Day
Rev. Dawn Garrett-Larsen, Pastor
Ann Schwab and Family, Lay Readers
May 10, 2020 Online Worship
WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE Prelude on an English Folk Song arr. by Andrew Unsworth
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Come, Mothering God, come as an enfolding, nurturing presence;
People: Come as steadfast love to hold us.
Leader: Come, Mothering God, come as an enabling, strengthening force;
People: Come as tough love to let us go.
Leader: Come, Mothering God, come as friend and comforter, healing our wounds, walking
our way;
People: Come as wounded healer to make us whole.
*HYMN The Gift of Love arr. Al Hopson (First Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, NC)
INVOCATION (in unison)
Holy One, Father and Mother of us all, we come with songs aching to be sung, with words aching to be spoken, with questions aching to be answered, with feelings aching to be expressed, with hearts aching for love, with arms aching for embracing. We come with wounds aching to be healed, with emptiness aching to be filled, with joy aching to overflow. Let your love soak into the spirit and the skin like soothing salve, and leave a tingle where once there was an ache, so that all may say we have met with God today, and everyone was touched and no one was turned away. Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER (trespasses)
GLORIA PATRI
SPECIAL MUSIC “Family Blessing” by Berta and Sonja Poorman
Video and audio compilation by Matt Bond; Sung by Dan, Edie, Abby and Thomas Rice; Becca and Ryan Fitzpatrick; Jordan Bachmann
CHILDREN’S TIME
HEBREW BIBLE LESSON Psalm 31: 1-5, 15-16
MORNING PRAYER
*HYMN Mothering God (First-Plymouth Church, Lincoln, Nebraska)
EPISTLE LESSON 1 Peter 2: 2-10
SERMON Mothering God Rev. Dawn Garrett-Larsen
OFFERING Invitation to Share
Offertory Rejoice Greatly O My Soul by Siegfried Karg-Elert
The Doxology
PRAYER OF DEDICATION (in unison)
We dedicate these gifts and ourselves to you, Generous God, for we want to accomplish the greater works to which Christ calls us. Increase our generosity that we may learn to give in proportion to the mercy we have received. Ready us for the sacrifices that may be required of all who seek to live in faithful response to the way, the truth, and the life. May the programs supported by our offerings turn us and many others from our vain idols and distracting pursuits. Amen.
*HYMN Fairest Lord Jesus (Truro Cathedral Children’s Choir)
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE Now Thank We All Our God arr. by James D. Kimball
Call to Worship reprinted from The Green Heart of the Snowdrop; Invocation adapted and reprinted from Touch Holiness; Unison Prayer of Dedication reprinted from Fresh Winds of the Spirit, Book 2
Happy Birthday
May 11 Janet Tenreiro May 15 Jane Wheeler
May 12 Dolores Kruchten & Kay Muscato May 16 Kira Casellas
May 13 George Braddon, Cheryl LaRoach
& Andy Gajewski
May 14 Lea Brosche
Calendar
Month of May: Diaper Drive
Sunday May 10: Online Worship
Monday May 11: Zoom Trustees meeting 4
Friday May 15: Weathervane deadline
Sunday May 17: Online Worship, Virtual MS walk
Tuesday May 19: Zoom Church Council meeting 7
Prayer List
Muriel Allemand (Jim & Connie Malone’s friend); Steve Beck (Heidi Schwarz’s brother); Keith Blaker; Brad Bliss; Ruth Bundy (Cheryl Bootes’ friend); Marjorie Case; Cathy Coots; Peggy & Bob DeSantis (Dorice & Don Raw, Sr.’s friends); Julie English (Janet & Kim Tenreiro’s friend); Brian Fuscaldo (Mara Huberlie’s nephew); Jerry Gomez (Kathi Nacca’s friend); Gayle Henry; Carin Herren; Jeff Johnson (Jim & John Johnson’s brother); Jerry Kahler (Nancy Ward’s brother); Carol Kober (Debbie Lyon’s neighbor); Jim Kolesar (George & Carin Herren’s friend); Sue Kotalik; Laura (Karen DeMay’s sister); Michelle List (JoAnn Reed’s friend); Loren (Meg & Jack Radley’s friend); Lynn (Joan Ryan’s friend); Scott Lyon (Betty’s son); Eileen McCarthy (Carla DeMeco & Betsy Dresser’s friend); Sally Mueller; Liz Nelson (Kathy Ward’s friend); Chris Pritchard (Rick, Cindy Mullen & George Herren’s friend); Jack and Meg Radley; Sara (Meg & Jack Radley’s granddaughter); Scott and Amanda (nephew and niece of Don & Marilyn DeSmith); John Paul and Pat Smith; Smith/Dworetsky Family (Okke & Kathy Postma’s friends); Sally Stowell (Alice Berry’s mother); Walker (Don & Dorice Raw’s friend); Kathy Ward; Gordon Wenner (George & Carin Herren’s friend); Merle Winn (Amy Ogden’s friend); Josh Yeo (Barb Stahl’s friend); Jason Zeller (Kathy Ward’s son); Linda Zeller (Kathy Ward’s daughter in law)
SPECIAL THANK YOUS!
Thank you to Rhonda Nyerges and Mike Parsons for their organization of deliveries for the Mother’s Day roses! We couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks also to each of the drivers, including many of our youth, who delivered flowers. Thanks also to the Rice family and Matt Bond for the wonderful “Family Blessing” video for our special music today.
VIRTUAL MS WALK: NEXT SUNDAY, MAY 17th
For the past several years our Church has participated in the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Walk MS to help fund the fight against MS. This year, we will be having a “Virtual” MS Walk! Please visit the MS website at:
https://secure.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?fr_id=30974&pg=entry for more information. You can participate in an online walk with your friends or make a donation to the MS Society.
Healthy Families Diaper Drive – Remote Edition!
It seems so long ago that we heard Teresa Deacon’s Healthy Families presentation at the March 5 soup supper. Now that May is upon us, Social Action hopes that you will participate in our month-long diaper drive, which we will handle a bit differently than planned.
Here is a reminder of just some of the services provided by Healthy Families:
Pre- and post-natal support
Child development assessment and activities
Regular home visits for 5 years
An annual baby shower
A grandparent support group
A twice-monthly baby café
Car seats
Breastfeeding support
Positive parenting options
These services are free for 50 young families in the county, regardless of income or education. And they go through LOTS of diapers!
So, the diaper drive: If you would like to purchase diapers (all sizes welcome, but the newborn size (N) is least needed), you can either drop them off on the Naccas’ porch at 109 Chapel Street or call Kathi at 394-7901 and she will get them from your doorstep. If you would like to donate money for diaper purchases, please send a check to the church with the word “Diapers” on the memo line. Difficult times demand creative solutions, and we hope this diaper drive, remote edition, will gain support. If you have any questions about Healthy Families or about the diaper drive, please call Kathi Nacca at 394-7901. THANK YOU! ~Social Action
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
United Church of Christ
58 N. Main St., Canandaigua, NY 14424 (585) 394-2184
Website: www.canandaiguachurch.org
E-mail: office@canandaiguachurch.org
We’re a Different Kind of Church
- We value and respect diversity in the ways we express our faith.
- We enjoy thoughtful dialogue about faith issues.
- We encourage each other to work for justice and to care for people in need in our community and in our world.
