This Sunday is World Communion Sunday. We will have communion elements available for the 8:30 and 10:00 in person services. If you are joining us on the live-stream, gather some bread and juice for communion. Also, if it helps you create a sacred space and reminds that God is present even though we are separated during this time, light a candle as the Light of Christ is our midst.

This Sunday we begin a new sermon series: "Thriving". It is a sermon series on stewardship. This year because of Covid-19 we will not do a standard stewardship campaign. Instead, we will be intentional about weaving stewardship into things. In the sermon series, we will look at how can church members can be charitable but also balance debt, lifestyle maintenance, and limited retirement savings? How do churches balance their budget without harming members who struggle financially? The struggles are not as different as they seem.

Sunday’s scripture text is Matthew 21:33-46. Good stewardship begins with an organization that is trustworthy. How does a church do that and do it well?

Join us this Sunday, October 4, for a World Communion Sunday with Jazz to Go! We’ll start streaming at 9:45 so that our “at home” crowd can enjoy all of Jazz to Go’s pre-service music. Live-streamers, grab your coffee and your Communion elements and tune in a little early for some “Just Jazz” prior to the 10am service!

8:30am Drive-In Worship, East Parking Lot

Join us for a Drive-In Worship Service in the East Parking Lot of CUMC.

You will be guided off of the University Entrance into a parking space. Please turn your radio to FM 88.1 and open your smart phone to our website or FaceBook page where you will find the Order of Service. Relax and enjoy this informal style of worship! Once the service concludes, you will be asked to exit out of the parking lot onto Copper. Please Note: No building/restroom access will be available!

10:00am Streaming Worship,

Found on Centraltolife.org, FaceBook, or YouTube

Join us for our On-Line Limited In-Person Worship Service.

Every Wednesday, Pastor Greg’s Bible Study takes place. The study will be on the Book of Acts.

Read Acts 9:32- 10:48

Questions

Join Pastor Kelly for the Educational Opportunities FootSteps of Paul Cruise, October 3-14th 2021 (Tour: GC21, Code C, ID 55108). You will arrive in Venice from Albuquerque on October 3rd, and then on to Katakolon, Santorini, Ephesus, Mykonos, Athens, and Corinth. A pre-tour to Florence and a post-tour to Venice is also available. Additional information and registration information can be found on centraltolife.org or www.EO.travel. http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/GC21_55108_Brooks_005_FINAL.pdf

Video Link

Contact Pastor Kelly with questions or scholarship information kellyb@centraltolife.org. 

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Call to Worship    Psalm 19:1-4     

Opening Hymn      Let Us Break Bread Together  

Let us break bread together on our knees, 

Let us break bread together on our knees. 

When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,

O Lord, have mercy on me. 

Let us praise God together on our knees

Let us praise God together on our knees. 

When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,

O Lord, have mercy on me.

        

Opening Prayer.          

Cornerstone of our faith, do not abandon us when we fall away from you. You are the true master of the vineyard; we are here to work in your fields and make disciples throughout the world. Bring us into your kingdom, that we might taste the sweetness of your mercy and share the joy of your grace. Amen.

Scripture Reading    Matthew 21:33-46       

Solo     “For Everyone Born”     Murray/Mann         

Sermon                                 

Closing Hymn       One Bread, One Body

One bread, one body, one Lord of all

One cup of blessing which we bless

And we, though many, throughout the earth

We are one body in this one Lord

Many the gifts, many the works

One in the Lord of all

One bread, one body…

For at least the first few Sundays of our return to worship in our Sanctuary, those who stream or attend the service in person will notice one element missing: sung or spoken community responses. As Music Director, I would like to take this opportunity to both acknowledge the importance of congregational participation in worship and to explain why we will be starting off cautiously as we reenter sacred space.

There has been a great deal written and speculated about the possible role of aerosols in the spread of COVID-19. Unlike respiratory droplets which are generally accepted to fall to the ground within a short space, aerosols are smaller particles that can spread over larger distances and remain suspended in the air for longer periods. We produce these aerosols just by breathing, but we produce more through speaking or singing. The louder the collective noise, the more aerosols are produced, and these can tend to build up over time in indoor spaces. A single singer or speaker does not seem to pose a danger to others provided that they are positioned an adequate distance away, but there are lingering concerns about how much aerosol can be produced by multiple people singing or speaking at once. The science in this heretofore unexamined area is continuously evolving, and a number of first-of-their-kind studies are currently being done. Churches and Music Directors have been monitoring the progress of these studies for months and have chosen to respond in various ways. Many churches who have returned or plan to return to in-person worship are not allowing singing or spoken responses for the time being. Others are allowing a minimal amount of singing in masks. The good news is, these ongoing studies are very favorable to the practice of singing in masks and spaced a minimum of 6 feet apart to significantly reduce aerosol spread. Volume, not necessarily specific activity (singing vs. speaking) is emerging as the biggest factor in aerosol production. Suggestions for singing in groups also include keeping periods of singing down to 30 minutes, with outside being the safest venue and a large, well ventilated inside space with high ceilings as the next best. All of this information indicates that we should be able to quickly progress to singing short closing hymns at the end of our services. However, we all feel it best to err on the side of caution at the outset and introduce any congregational singing or responses after we have had a few weeks to assess our in-person worship practices, as well as to monitor the spread of the virus in our area.

So, for at least the first few weeks, expect the music in our services to be delivered by keyboard instruments, soloists, and video. Please be patient with us as we navigate this next chapter in our worship lives with everyone’s safety in mind.

Call to Worship - Psalm 19:1-4       

Central to Life and Catalytic Generosity                 

Scripture Lesson: Matthew 21:33-46                

Anthem    “Come Before the Table”

Sermon “When the Church Accounts for Its Harvest”        

Receiving the Bread and Cup    “Gather Us In” Haugen

Postlude     “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing/Take V” Ahrend/Desmond