"We will get through this and we will do so partly because our approach is informed not just by science but by kindness, humanity and compassion. We can and must remain together even though now we may be apart."
- Dr. Nirav Shah
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This Morning's Order of Worship
Rev. Frieda Gillespie, Interim Minister
Sam Chandler, Music Director
with readings by First U Congregants
- Welcome & Announcements
- Prelude: Lotus Dance
- Call to Worship: The Good Fridays of Our Lives
- Opening Hymn: #61 Lo, the Earth Awakens Again
- Reading: To Bless the Space Between Us
- Lighting Our Chalice: Sacred Unknowing
- Time for All Ages: If You Plant A Seed
- Offering
- Morning Message: Courage
- Joys & Concerns
- Closing Hymn: #1020 Woyaya
- Closing Words: Kafka on the Shore
- Coffee Hour: Live! at 12 pm
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Welcome & Announcements
Welcome to our virtual worship service this Sunday, April 5th.
We are still looking for a few more volunteers for
Preble Street Soup Kitchen this Tuesday, April 7, 3:30 - 6:30 pm. Please remember that it is very safe preparing bagged meals and there is no contact with the clients. To sign up, please contact
Ruth White.
If you have joys or concerns for next week's Worship at Home, please send them to Gwen at
gwenatfirstu@gmail.com by Wednesday at 9 am.
Please take a deep breath, settle in, and join together across distances for this service.
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Prelude
Lotus Dance
We begin our worship service now with
Lotus Dance as played by music director, Sam Chandler.
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Call to Worship
The Good Fridays of Our Lives
by Andrew Pakula
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The Good Fridays of our lives come unbidden and unexpected
Bringing the winter of despair and the death of dreams and hope
Only love has the power to mend what has been broken
A love that brings healing to our wounds
A love that offers hope when we have none
A love that creates unity where there is conflict
A love that instills new life into lifeless brown husks
May this great love be in you, upon you, and among you
Now and through all of your days
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Opening Hymn
The lyrics to sing along are attached
here.
Please note that this link is an audio file of Sam playing and singing the hymn that he has recorded, hosted by Soundcloud. The link above will direct you to that web page. The lyrics to the hymn are attached as a PDF.
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Reading
To Bless the Space Between Us
by John O'Donohue
This is the time to be slow
Lie low to the wall
Until the bitter weather passes
Try, as best you can, not to let
The wire brush of doubt
Scrape from your heart
All sense of yourself
And your hesitant light.
If you remain generous
Time will come good
And you wil find your feet
Again on fresh pastures of promise
Where the air will be kind
And blushed with beginning.
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Lighting Our Chalice
Sacred Unknowing
by Amy Carol Webb
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We light this flame
For the art of sacred unknowing.
Humbled by all that we cannot fathom in this time,
We come into the presence of what we do know,
Perhaps the only thing we can ever know:
That Love is now and forever
The only answer to everything
And everyone
In every moment.
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Time for All Ages
If You Plant a Seed
by Kadir Nelson
After you watch the story being read, consider one of these activities:
- As we spend our days together, it can sometimes be all too easy to see the things that bother us about one another. Instead of pointing out the things that are annoying you about your family, trying catching kindness. Each time you catch someone in your family being kind or loving to one another, write it down or draw it on a slip of paper and add it to a jar. At the end of the week or a month, go back and see how full your jar is with all the kindness you've caught!
- Start planting your own seeds. You can start seeds like broccoli, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, and lettuce indoors right now. These are some ideas of what you can plant from early Spring through late Summer. (for all ages)
- Get into composting - you can make or buy a large compost bin for outside, make a small, two-liter compost bin out of a soda bottle so you can learn about and watch the process, or consider creating a worm habitat and watch as they breakdown compost. (for K/1 and up)
- Learn and sing with "The Farmer Plants The Seeds" (for pre-K/K)
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Offering: Our Half-Plate
This week's half plate helps our local partner,
Preble Street Soup Kitchen, serving over 1100 meals daily. Preble Street has never closed its doors and is serving hundreds of Portland’s hungry of all ages through the COVID-19 crisis. Now as much as ever, your support saves lives. To offer more help, join one of our teams serving dinners 1st Tuesday of each month (email Ruth White at rwhite7@maine.rr.com).
Please offer your gift by clicking the "Make Your Offering" button below (to contribute via PayPal), dropping a check or cash in the mail, or sending via your bank. We are here for you. The morning offering has now been requested.
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Morning Message
Courage by Rev. Frieda Gillespie, Interim Minister
Please note that this link is to YouTube and includes an audio recording of Rev. Frieda's morning message and a slideshow of photos of flowers and our church buildings and grounds.
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Joys and Concerns
We remain together in spirit. Here is what we have in our hearts today:
- Marie, Steve and Siona - are lighting a candle of gratitude. Marie had surgery at Mercy Hospital on Friday, 3/27 and is recovering very well. Thanks to all the health care providers at Mercy Hospital (and Dana-FarberCI, source of 2nd opinion) who have been so caring and professional — all from 6’ away (when possible - no remote robotic surgery!). Marie’s care at Mercy Hospital has been so amazing. And Steve and Siona have provided awesome home care this past week. Thank-you. I am / we are grateful.
- We light a candle for all those we hold in our hearts today and every day. We honor those whose concerns are too tender to be spoken.
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Closing Hymn
The lyrics to sing along are attached
here.
Please note that this link is an audio file of Sam playing and singing the hymn that he has recorded, hosted by Soundcloud. The link above will direct you to that web page. The lyrics to the hymn are attached as a PDF.
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Closing Words
an excerpt from
Kafka on the Shore
by Haruki Murakami
And once the storm is over you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what the storm is all about.
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Coffee Hour: Live! at 12:00 pm
You can join:
- Online (this includes audio and optional video capabilities)
- By landline or cell phone by calling: +1 929-205-6099 and then entering the Meeting ID: 379 697 489.
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Here are the ways you can contact us at First Universalist:
OFFICE
*
You can contact Rev. Frieda at any time in an emergency. Home office hours are 10 am - 2 pm.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
CARING CONNECTION
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