St. Paul's E&R Church (UCC)

About Us

Celebrating 130 Years of Sharing Christ's Love!

WELCOME

St. Paul’s Church is celebrating its 130th Anniversary this year, and we invite you to visit us on Sunday to explore the richness of St. Paul’s Church and its history of Dallas. We have been in our present location since the completion of its new sanctuary and dedication on April 7, 1957. * Our goal continues to be to reach and serve others with the love of Christ and his good news. * The history of St. Paul’s Church is a Journey of Faith that tracks with the social and cultural development of the City of Dallas. * The foundation of St. Paul’s Church was laid by faith and has placed us in a unique location to serve at the geographic heart of Dallas. * We welcome you to our services today, and we look forward to your continuing presence with us as we pursue St. Paul’s Church’s Journey of Faith in the future.

Sunday Morning Church Services at 11:00 A.M.

WORSHIP MATERIALS FOR SUNDAY, August 2, 2020

Worship at Home, Scattered but Gathered

Prelude: Ye Servants of God setting by Gordon Young

Click on "Saint Paul Playlist"-pause at end

Opening Prayer and Hymn

Opening Prayer*

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Hymn: Ye Servants of God

Click Play on Saint Paul Playlist-hit pause at end.

Confession, Gloria Patri & Anthem

Confession

Resurrecting God, confident in your love,

still my heart and my mind and my body

that I might turn toward you again.

Silence

Most merciful God,

We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart;

we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

For the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us;

that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways. Amen.

+May God who binds all of creation together

weave each of us into a story built of love, justice and abundant life.

Listen, give thanks, and live.

Gloria Patri: click play on Saint Paul Playlist-pause at end

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen.

Anthem: How Firm a Foundation

Click Play on Saint Paul Playlist-hit pause at end.

Video, Scripture, and Reflection

Video -- The Other Side of Fear

Scripture -- Genesis 29:1-30

Reflection

This week we encounter the benefit of doing a close reading through a book of the Bible over the span of some weeks. If we hadn’t just read the stories before this one, we would feel sorry for Jacob, and maybe Rachel and Leah too, and Laban would come off as a villain (who knows, maybe he is anyway). But we have the benefit of having met the parents of this upcoming generation, and even a few of the grandparents. So we can look back and remember some things.

First, about Rebekah (Jacob’s mom) and Laban (Rachel and Leah’s dad)--brother and sister. When Isaac showed up, Laban was happy to marry Rebekah off as long as his dad was the one doing the talking, and he was happy to give Rebekah the choice when his mom was the one doing the talking. But in the end, they’re family is a matriarchal one, and the women decide whether or not they’re willing to marry. This story doesn’t let on that this is the case, but we can assume it remains so. Rachel and Leah’s grandmother was Rebekah’s mother. So the behind the scenes view of these family conversations must have held an element of these women making decisions about their future. We’re just getting a bird’s eye view of what Jacob witnessed, not the inner workings. How often do we make judgements about what’s happening without remembering that there is always more to the story? When we cast someone as villain, how much have we misunderstood?

Second, it’s so tempting to feel sorry for Jacob. He spends seven years working toward a marriage, only to find out too late that he’s married the wrong sister. That is an epic trick. But if we remember, the whole reason Jacob is in exile is that he tricked his own father into giving him his brother’s blessing. And that was Rebekah’s idea. Rebekah tricks Isaac, and her family tricks Jacob. And they are all very good at it, as though it’s been perfected and everyone is on board. So whereas our first look at this story might lead us to believe that Laban is a trickster and his poor daughters and son-in-law are just pawns in his game to be set against one another--they likely were actually players who strategized and set the pieces. We see them do that later when they manipulate the flock in order to steal from Laban. The question for us is, who’s game are you playing? Have you allowed yourself to be set against others? If so, what can you do to reset the board?

The short video clip we watched highlighted how we move within love and fear. While we don’t know the motivations of the characters in our story today, we do hear talk of love and the actions we read might speak to fear. Rev. Dr. Jo Hudson spoke about fear last week, and how we can use it to advance toward justice and love, and now we’ve heard Julia Butterfly Hill talk about finding courage in the face of fear, and how we can use the hope we find in love to make that move. Where are you finding love and hope these days? How are you using it to advance in the face of your fear?

God isn’t mentioned in the portion of this story that we read today. That doesn’t mean that God isn’t present, just that the narrator hasn’t seen or told the full story. Take a moment to pay attention to this past week. Where was God present?

Prayers of the People. Lord's Prayer.

Prayers of the People

God of life and love, you gather and scatter your people to the ends of the earth;

but wherever we find ourselves, we are never beyond the reach of your love.

Gather me together now with the people of St. Paul E&R UCC and unite our hearts in prayer:

You, Gracious God, are no stranger to the striving or trickiness of humanity. You are in this moment with us--in our boredom, in our frustration, in our exile and our longings.
We pray for all who long for a present that eludes them. We lift up all who feel abandoned by a future for which they had hope.
We pray for all that seems irreconcilable: in our families, in our schools and workplaces, in our nation, in your church, in your world.
We pray for the sick, and those who care for them. We pray particularly for: Bonnie Steinhauer, Mary Louise Sampert, Pam Vorwerk, Jim Blume, Cathy Calder, Joyce Cope, Sierra Thetford, James Wellman, Adele Hahn, Suzanne Schwartz Milano, Patrick Tiner, Jane Hays, Rye Haller, Susan Covington, Jennifer Lee White, Carol Crowe, Ashton Rone, Miliana Kelly, Cynthia and Manuel Martinez.
We pray for our leaders who are called to govern through crisis. Teach us to work together for the common good.
We pray for the church which continues, scattered but gathered, to proclaim your grace.

Redeeming God, help us to trust that you are at work in every mingled heart, every conflicted community. Nourish the life you plant within us, that we might keep seeding the world with your truth and grace. Amen.

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Closing

Hymn: My Hope is Built

Click on Saint Paul Playlist- Pause at end

Closing Prayer***

Gathered and scattered, God is with us.

In suffering and in hope, God is with us.

Now and always, God is with us. Amen.

Postlude: Dorian Toccata BWV 538 by J. S. Bach

Click on Saint Paul Playlist

*Book of Common Prayer, Collect for Proper 12A

***Prayer Attribution: Iona Community Prayer Book, 2017.

WORSHIP MATERIALS FOR SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2020

Worship at Home, Scattered but Gathered

In lieu of our weekly worship guide this week, we are invited to join with New Church for their livestream this Sunday. Pastor Kayla is taking a week of vacation, so New Church's pastor, Pastor Jo, has graciously extended this invitation to St. Paul's. New Church is a new church start of the UCC here in Dallas, so this is a wonderful opportunity to support them in their ministry!

Info for worship:

Information for worship

Worship is at 11:00am on Sunday. It is a video that you can watch, and you can view it either through their website or on their Facebook page. Website: www.thenewchurch.com/livestream or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newchurchucc

I hope you find this as an opportunity to worship, and we'll be back to our usual way of doing things (well, usual for this pandemic!) next Sunday, August 2.

WORSHIP MATERIALS FOR SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2020

Worship at Home, Scattered but Gathered

Please note that all media EXCEPT the anthem are included in order in the Playlist. To play the anthem, click on the separate link and follow the instructions. Thanks!

Prelude: Jacob’s Ladder performed by:

Soli Deo Gloria Men’s Chorus Wezep, Netherlands

Click on "Saint Paul Playlist"-pause at end

Opening Prayer and Hymn

Opening Prayer

Holy One, you know us already.

Help us to know you better.

Let us see you all around us.

Fill our worship with your Spirit

so that we may learn to recognize your presence

in all places. Amen.

Hymn: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

Click Play on Saint Paul Playlist-hit pause at end.

Confession, Gloria Patri & Anthem

Confession

Resurrecting God, confident in your love,

still my heart and my mind and my body

that I might turn toward you again.

Silence

Most merciful God,

We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart;

we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

For the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us;

that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways. Amen.

+May God who binds all of creation together

weave each of us into a story built of love, justice and abundant life.

Listen, give thanks, and live.

Gloria Patri: click play on Saint Paul Playlist-pause at end

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen.

Anthem: The Gate of Heaven by Craig Courtney (click on link below)

https://www.beckenhorstpress.com/the-gate-of-heaven/

Scroll down and click on “Listen” tab and then click on “Preview” tab” to follow text.

Scripture, Video, and Reflection

Scripture -- Genesis 28:10-22

Video -- Celeritas. https://youtu.be/46PSjiJUjcM

Reflection

+Jacob has a dream in which he talks with God. When he awakens he declares, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” This is the first time we’ve seen Jacob interact with God. Abraham, his grandfather, walks with God, Rebekah, his mother, talks with God--and now Jacob meets God. He places a stone and calls the place the House of God. We stand in good tradition to mark certain locations as places where one might meet God, to build pillars or buildings to facilitate worship in those places. For some of us, the church building where we worship is an entry point where we can recognize God’s presence. This connection makes it so hard to be apart and to worship away from the sanctuary where we have heard beautiful music, proclaimed God’s word, joined together in prayer, and celebrated the grace of God through the sacraments of baptism and communion. May we sit a moment with the grief of missing the place itself, even as we know that the building doesn’t contain our God.

+As we sit with the grief, we know that God can show up in any place and time and among any people. Have you found any of these moments or places while we’ve been apart? If not, what’s holding you back (it could be literally anything, so this isn’t a judgement question--rather, an encouragement to examine your state)?

+It seems the task is not so much about finding God or looking for God, as it is a task of paying attention to where God is. God was already with Jacob, even in his exile and wanderings. But it took a dream for him to realize that God was already right there. Take some time this week to pay attention. Close your eyes and listen to the world around you. Pray a prayer so familiar your mouth knows the words before your brain does. Look outside and see God’s creation. Breathe. Hold a stone as you reread Jacob’s story. But most of all, pay attention. Where is God showing up?

Prayers of the People. Lord's Prayer.

Prayers of the People

God of life and love, you gather and scatter your people to the ends of the earth;

but wherever we find ourselves, we are never beyond the reach of your love.

Gather me together now with the people of St. Paul E&R UCC and unite our hearts in prayer:

You, Gracious God, are no stranger to the striving or listlessness of humanity. You are in this moment with us--in our boredom, in our pain, in our exile and wanderings.
We pray for all who flee from pasts by which they are haunted. We lift up all who feel abandoned by a future for which they had hope.
We pray for all that seems irreconcilable: in our families, in our schools and workplaces, in our nation, in your church, in your world.
We pray for the sick, and those who care for them. We pray particularly for: Bonnie Steinhauer, Mary Louise Sampert, Pam Vorwerk, Jim Blume, Cathy Calder, Joyce Cope, Sierra Thetford, James Wellman, Adele Hahn, Suzanne Schwartz Milano, Patrick Tiner, Jane Hays, Rye Haller, Susan Covington, Jennifer Lee White, Carol Crowe, Ashton Rone, Miliana Kelly, Cynthia and Manuel Martinez.
We pray for our leaders who are called to govern through crisis. Teach us to place life and love in the center of our decisions and ways.
We pray for the church which continues, scattered but gathered, to proclaim your grace.

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Closing

Hymn: Nearer My God to Thee

Click on Saint Paul Playlist- Pause at end

Closing Prayer***

Gathered and scattered, God is with us.

In suffering and in hope, God is with us.

Now and always, God is with us. Amen.

Postlude: Guide Me, O thou Great Jehovah setting by Paul Manz

Click on Saint Paul Playlist

***Prayer Attribution: Iona Community Prayer Book, 2017.

WORSHIP MATERIALS FOR SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020

Worship at Home, Scattered but Gathered

Prelude: Touch the Earth by Joe Young

Click on "Saint Paul Playlist" -pause at end

Opening Prayer and Hymn

Opening Prayer

O God, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that we may know and understand what things we ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Hymn: Touch the Earth Lightly

Click Play on Saint Paul Playlist-hit pause at end.

Confession, Gloria Patri & Anthem

Confession

Resurrecting God, confident in your love,

still my heart and my mind and my body

that I might turn toward you again.

Silence

Most merciful God,

We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart;

we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

For the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us;

that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways. Amen.

+May God who binds all of creation together

weave each of us into a story built of love, justice and abundant life.

Listen, give thanks, and live.

Gloria Patri: click play on Saint Paul Playlist-pause at end

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen.

Anthem: We Cannot own the Sunlit Sky

Click on Saint Paul Playlist-Pause at End

Video, Scripture and Reflection

Video -- Into the Middle of Nowhere

Scripture -- Genesis 25:19-34

Reflection

By birth order, Esau should be first. But the oracle God offers to Rebekah during her pregnancy suggests that with Esau and Jacob, the order will be inverted. The social order we create for ourselves won’t always be the order by which we live. There will be times when something/someone/some new idea comes along and inverts the systems. Jesus points to this through the parable of the workers in the vineyard when he says, “So those who are last will be first. And those who are first will be last.” (Matthew 20:16) There are moments when we were first and suddenly through upheaval, we find ourselves last. And it usually happens that way rather than the opposite, at least for those of us who find ourselves to be white, middle-class Christians in North America. We are used to being first. We are used to claiming that as our birth right. But it hasn’t always been so. And it won’t always be so. And it certainly isn’t God ordained that we should stand on the necks of those who might invert the order. Where is order turning in on itself at this very moment? And what would God call us to learn from this?

Rebekah and Isaac have an opportunity with their two sons. Abraham drove both his sons away so that he lived separated from them, though they seem to have maintained some form of relationship with each other. But now, through their marriage built in love, Rebekah and Isaac can do something new. They can create a family that will not shatter into pieces. They don’t seem to succeed. We read, “Isaac loved Esau, because he was fond of game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.” And so, through the parents, the next generation is set for conflict. What conflict and shortcomings were baked into your generation? Where have you seen the world fail to reach for better?

We saw a video of a nursery school in Scotland where the kids are set free to play in nature each day. Whether that’s your ideal for school or not, it’s clear that the people who are creating it and participating in it have a distinct vision of the world they want for their children. We always have an opportunity with each new generation. What are your hopes for the next generation, the children of today? What kind of world would you like to build for them? And what are you willing to do to create it?

The good news is that God has a dream for this world--probably much like our dreams for the coming generations. Dreams full of hope and love and justice. The building of the beloved community in which we will fight for justice so that all people can be truly free. So that the wolf can live with the lamb and Black lives will matter and we will celebrate our neighbors from every nation and care for God’s creation. God has this dream for us and it’s our to reach for if we will. But we’ll have to first stop setting up our children so that they believe there’s not enough for everyone. And we have to stop grabbing what’s best for ourselves and leaving others to go without. God has created enough--more than that--God has created an abundance! We can celebrate that gift by caring for our neighbors and making sure they have enough.

Prayers of the People. Lord's Prayer.

Prayers of the People

God of life and love, you gather and scatter your people to the ends of the earth;

but wherever we find ourselves, we are never beyond the reach of your love.

Gather me together now with the people of St. Paul E&R UCC and unite our hearts in prayer:

We were yours before we drew breath, and we will be yours when life draws to a close. In every fragile, reckless moment, we belong to you.
We thank you for the life we have received. May the love we have received spill gratitude from our hearts. May the wounds we carry open our hearts to the needs of others. May we recognize in your mercy the faithfulness that judges and redeems every human bond.
We pray for all that seems irreconcilable: in our families, in our schools and workplaces, in our nation, in your church, in your world.
We pray for the sick, and those who care for them. We pray particularly for: Bonnie Steinhauer, Mary Louise Sampert, Pam Vorwerk, Jim Blume, Cathy Calder, Joyce Cope, Sierra Thetford, James Wellman, Adele Hahn, Suzanne Schwartz Milano, Patrick Tiner, Jane Hays, Rye Haller, Susan Covington, Jennifer Lee White, Carol Crowe.
We pray for our leaders who are called on to govern through crisis. We pray for the courage to name ourselves as those whose responsibility is great. Teach us to act, to tend the world you love: to sow more than we reap, to heal more than we wound, to make room for others as you made room for us.
We pray for the church which continues, scattered but gathered, to proclaim your grace.

Redeeming God, stake your claim upon us now, until we hear your gospel echo in each stranger’s story and see your image reflected on every wounded face, for we pray in the name of Jesus, who unsettles our lives for the sake of your love. Amen.

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Closing

Hymn: O God, We Bear the Imprint

Click on Saint Paul Playlist- Pause at end

Closing Prayer***

Gathered and scattered, God is with us.

In suffering and in hope, God is with us.

Now and always, God is with us. Amen.

Postlude:

Click on Saint Paul Playlist

***Prayer Attribution: Iona Community Prayer Book, 2017.

WORSHIP MATERIALS FOR SUNDAY, JUly 5, 2020

Worship at Home, Scattered but Gathered

Prelude: Dance of the Water Spirits by Hans-André Stamm

Click on "St. Paul Playlist"-pause at end

Opening Prayer and Hymn

Poem of the Day and Opening Prayer

“The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

God of abundant life,

You give Rebekah strength and opportunity to make decisions for her life.

As we make decisions in our lives which are bound to impact others,

Keep us faithful to your call for love: to love you, love ourselves, and love one another,

That we might hold as sacred the lives we encounter each day. Amen.

Hymn: God Moves in a Mysterious Way

Click Play on Saint Paul Playlist-hit pause at end.

Confession, Gloria Patri & Anthem

Confession

Resurrecting God, confident in your love,

still my heart and my mind and my body

that I might turn toward you again.

Silence

Most merciful God,

We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart;

we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

For the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us;

that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways. Amen.

+May God who binds all of creation together

weave each of us into a story built of love, justice and abundant life.

Listen, give thanks, and live.

Gloria Patri: click play on Saint Paul Playlist-pause at end

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen.

Anthem: O Perfect Love

Click on Saint Paul Playlist-Pause at End

Scripture and Reflection

Scripture: Genesis 24 or Genesis 24:34-38,42-49, 58-67

Reflection

Again this week I want to lift Dr. Wil Gafney’s Womanist Midrash: A Reintroduction to the Women of the Torah and the Throne, as it was integral in the forming of this reflection.

+I want to focus on Rebekah in this story from Genesis, because I think her role in this story is fascinating (in the sense that a Bible nerd would find something fascinating--I don’t want to oversell this). Rebekah has a lot of speaking lines; she’s an active participant in this story. Which might seem obvious, as she’s one of two people to be married. But a lot of these stories feature women who aren’t really given a voice, which makes Rebekah a particularly strong character. What’s even more interesting is that this seems to be a theme in her family. Rebekah’s dad is identified as “Bethuel ben Milcah”. As in, he identifies himself according to his mother. Which means Rebekah is from a “matrilineal” family--she lives in her mother’s house and identifies according to her mother’s family. She doesn’t have to ask permission to invite the guests into her mother’s house; Rebekah has inviting powers.

+And then there’s something interesting that happens with all of this. The men Abraham have sent keep assuming that Rebekah’s family is patriarchal like theirs is. They ask about her father’s house, they ask her father and brother permission to take her with them to be Isaac’s wife. And her brother and father, Laban and Bethuel, answer yes--they give these men permission to take Rebekah with them. But it turns out, maybe they don’t have that kind of authority. Rebekah’s mom tells them to wait. And then she asks Rebekah herself. Only once Rebekah has agreed to go with them do they leave. Here’s what I think is interesting about this exchange. Laban and Bethuel answer as though they are the permission givers, but the actual outcome hinges on Rebekah’s answer.

I suspect this type of thing happens quite a lot--where the person who answers, who claims authority to make a decision, isn’t the one who is 1. Impacted or 2. The one who actually has the authority to do so. But unless we pay attention, we won’t see what’s happening, this assuming of an unauthorized authority. I also suspect that there isn’t a person in our congregation who wouldn’t look at our daughter/sister/friend and give them a round of applause for being the one to make such major decisions for themselves. We value this trait--until we don’t. So...when do we wish for ourselves more authority than we hold? And when has someone else wished for more authority over us? And how have we broken free from these traps?

+When Rebekah and Isaac meet, they go into Sarah’s tent, they become husband and wife, and he loves her. This is the first time love is mentioned in the context of marriage. And they go into Sarah’s tent, so that even though Rebekah has now joined a “patrilineal” family, they maintain this moment of Rebekah’s matrilineal heritage by moving into Sarah’s tent. Perhaps it’s fitting, this mixture of heritage, this honoring of two cultures. It also further points to the divide between Abraham and Isaac. And it points to the power that Isaac is sharing with Rebekah in a way that didn’t always happen between Abraham and Sarah.

+The poem at the beginning of worship is the poem inscribed at the foot of the Statue of Liberty, boasting a “world-wide welcome” and a bridge between cultures without the threat of war and violence. She and Rebekah both claim their own strength, signaling their own power that is not beholden to the former ways. How can we live into this version of strength more fully--the version that doesn’t push people down but rather lifts one another up? How can we approach one another as equals, seeking to form a union based in love and welcome? What must we do to arrive at that point?

Prayers of the People. Lord's Prayer.

Prayers of the People

God of life and love, you gather and scatter your people to the ends of the earth;

but wherever we find ourselves, we are never beyond the reach of your love.

Gather me together now with the people of St. Paul E&R UCC and unite our hearts in prayer:

We give thanks for your love in this world which binds us together.
We pray for our nation, deeply divided.
We pray for the sick, and those who care for them. We pray particularly for: Bonnie Steinhauer, Mary Louise Sampert, Pam Vorwerk, Jim Blume, Joyce Cope, Sierra Thetford, James Wellman, Adele Hahn, Suzanne Schwartz Milano, Patrick Tiner, Jane Hays, Rye Haller, Susan Covington, Jennifer Lee White, Carol Crowe.
We pray for our leaders who are called on to govern through crisis.
We pray for the church which continues, scattered but gathered, to proclaim your grace.

Heal the wounds we have inflicted on ourselves and one another. Teach us to see the humanity in one another, that we might grow to love and compassion.

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Closing

Hymn: My Country, Tis of Thee

Click on Saint Paul Playlist- Pause at end

Closing Prayer***

Gathered and scattered, God is with us.

In suffering and in hope, God is with us.

Now and always, God is with us. Amen.

Postlude: Variations on “America” by Charles Ives

Click on Saint Paul Playlist

***Prayer Attribution: Iona Community Prayer Book, 2017.

WORSHIP MATERIALS FOR SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020

Worship at Home, Scattered but Gathered

Announcement! Virtual Potluck this Sunday, June 28 from noon-12:30 via Free Conference Call.

You’re welcome to bring your lunch to the computer and eat while we talk! Instead of a free for all, Pastor will invite each person to give us a One-Minute update of your life. This way we can all catch up at least a little. If you don’t have video, there is an option to call in.

If you want to join on your computer or other device through Free Conference Call, you will need to download the app (which is free). You’ll just need to make sure you click on “Call in Using Wifi or Data” and then you can choose to join in with video or just audio.

Online meeting ID: revkayla

Join the online meeting: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/revkayla

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Prelude: Echoes of Joy by Hans-André Stamm

Click on St. Paul Playlist-pause at end

Opening Prayer and Hymn

Opening Prayer

God of Life and Love,

Make us have perpetual love and reverence for you,

for you never fail to help and govern those whom you have set

upon the sure foundation of your loving-kindness;

through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Hymn: If Thou but Suffer God to Guide Thee

Click Play on Saint Paul Playlist-hit pause at end.

Confession, Gloria Patri & Anthem & Video

Confession

Resurrecting God, confident in your love,

still my heart and my mind and my body

that I might turn toward you again.

Silence

Most merciful God,

We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart;

we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

For the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us;

that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways. Amen.

+May God who binds all of creation together

weave each of us into a story built of love, justice and abundant life.

Listen, give thanks, and live.

Gloria Patri: click play on Saint Paul Playlist-pause at end

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen.

Anthem: Here I am Lord arranged by Craig Courtney

Click on Saint Paul Playlist-Pause at End

Video

We Became Fragments

Scripture and Reflection

Scripture: Genesis 22:1-14

Reflection

+I believe we can all agree that the God we worship condemns human sacrifice. Which makes this a very difficult story. The story itself is framed with this idea of “God testing Abraham.” Would God test Abraham by convincing him to sacrifice his son? A son through whom God has promised a great nation? This seems alarming, and not terribly consistent. If God isn’t a God of human sacrifice, then why would God demand loyalty in the form of such a sacrifice? It doesn’t make sense. And we might be hesitant to question what we read in the Bible, but it’s a good practice, because it can help us to understand better. If we assume the narrator is reliable, then this is a test of Abraham by God. But it’s our inner narrator (or perhaps our church school narrator) which interprets the meaning of this test. Scripture doesn’t tell us what God is testing about Abraham. We have guessed piety. God wants to see how faithful Abraham is, how loyal he is. Is Abraham willing to sacrifice Isaac just because God tells him to do so? Will Abraham trust God, who promised him a nation of offspring, as God tells him to sacrifice his son? According to this reading, Abraham passes, God saves Isaac, and life continues. Of course, then we have to reckon with a God who performs such tests. Which is the difficult piece of this story, isn’t it? Do we desire to worship a God who would call us to sacrifice our child just to test our faithfulness?

+We have assumed this is a test of piety. But what if it’s something else entirely? Abraham and God have had this close relationship, talking and walking with one another on multiple occasions. Abraham pleaded to God for Lot’s life. This hasn’t been a one way relationship built on tests of piety from a demanding God. Rather, they’ve held an intimate relationship with two-way conversations. When Abraham pushed back against God’s plan to destroy Sodom, God agreed to save Lot. So why doesn’t Abraham push back right now? He’s already allowed one son to be sent off to probable death. Will he really just let this one go, too? It wouldn’t be unfaithful for Abraham to protest to God here. He’s done it before--that’s the nature of their relationship. But here, Abraham just packs Isaac up and leads him off to sacrifice. He has not fought for either son. And maybe his guilt over Ishmael consumes him in this moment, but he does no better here. So this begs the question: did Abraham pass the test?

+If we look closely, we see a shattering in this story. Sarah has been conspicuously absent. What would she have to say? All we know is that she and Abraham don’t speak again in the telling of the story. He goes to live in Beer-sheba. She lives in Kiriath-arba. He cares for her after her death, but we never see Sarah reach toward Abraham again. In the same way, Isaac and Abraham don’t speak again. Isaac and Ishmael seem to reunite, but Abraham is not part of that reunion. And then there’s the matter of God. God and Abraham spoke regularly before this test, but never after. Even in the second half of this story, it’s the angel of God speaking from heaven, not God and Abraham speaking together. Abraham’s family is shattered.

+We agreed at the beginning that the God we worship condemns human sacrifice. It follows that we, too, condemn human sacrifice. So, do we? Which deaths do we accept too easily? We know that we worship a God of life and love. We know that our community is based in life and love. We know this. But we have a really hard time seeing when our society clashes with those values. We have a terrible time seeing when our commitment to life and love has been superseded by any other number of things. My hope for us is this: that we can create a filter of life and love that we apply to every situation we encounter. In politics: are these policies encouraging life and love for all of God’s creation? In society: is there anyone to whom this practice causes death or injustice? In economics: are we prioritizing life and love for the most vulnerable? In church: how will we offer life and love to those who we previously cast out? As you read the news this week, I encourage you to read it with this filter of life and love, asking the difficult questions about who has been cast aside or offered for sacrifice, and looking for the points in the story when we need to be arguing back.

Prayers of the People. Lord's Prayer.

Prayers of the People

God of life and love, you gather and scatter your people to the ends of the earth;

but wherever we find ourselves, we are never beyond the reach of your love.

Gather me together now with the people of St. Paul E&R UCC and unite our hearts in prayer:

We give you thanks for your commitment to abide among us and within us.
We pray for world leaders who continue to navigate the pandemic. Make their first priority care for the people in their charge. We pray particularly for Texas, as our hospitals reach capacity and cases rise exponentially. Teach us to place care for one another ahead of our own individual comforts, that we might value life and love.
We pray for our nation, and the sin of racism which continues to plague us. Move our hearts that we might repent and be free. Show us practical ways that we can combat racism in ourselves and our communities, that we might extend our commitment to life and love to our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color siblings.
We pray for those who have been sacrificed in the name of the powers that be. Guide us to extend life and love to those moments when death prevails.
We pray for those who are struggling financially. Create a new world, O God, in which all have food and shelter, love and belonging.
We pray for those who are ill and in pain, and those who care for them. Offer them healing, and remind them of your love.

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Closing

Hymn: All My Hope on God Is Founded

Click on Saint Paul Playlist- Pause at end

Closing Prayer***

Gathered and scattered, God is with us.

In suffering and in hope, God is with us.

Now and always, God is with us. Amen.

Postlude: Fantasia Piedi Veloci by Hans-André Stamm

Click on Saint Paul Playlist

***Prayer Attribution: Iona Community Prayer Book, 2017.

WORSHIP MATERIALS FOR SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2020

Worship at Home, Scattered but Gathered

Virtual Potluck Reschedule:

It comes to my attention that I mixed up the dates for the virtual potluck. Please accept my apologies! We will hold a Virtual Potluck on Sunday, June 28th at noon via Zoom. We will send out the details closer to that date.

God’s Peace and All Good, Pastor Kayla

Prelude: Ellyllon for organ by Hans-André Stamm

Click on "Saint Paul Playlist"-pause at end

Opening Prayer and Hymn

Opening Prayer

Living One Who Sees Us,

your compassion reaches beyond

the mere making and keeping of promises.

Teach us to listen to one another with your heart. Amen.

Hymn: I Need Thee Every Hour-vs. 4 choir alone no printed text/continue with 5 & 6

Click Play on Saint Paul Playlist-hit pause at end.

Confession

Resurrecting God, confident in your love,

still my heart and my mind and my body

that I might turn toward you again.

Silence

God of mercy, hear our prayers.

We hold contempt toward your children in place of facing hard truths about ourselves.

We deal harshly with your children when they remind us of what we lack.

We cast out your children when their existence becomes an inconvenience.

We sometimes believe ourselves to be victims, but more often than not, we play the role of Abraham or Sarah, throwing away life at the imagining of threat.

Forgive us. Fill us with compassion for Hagar and Ishmael, and all whose lives are treated as expendable. Transform us into people who are neither victim nor executioner, but who instead offer care for the most vulnerable.

+May God who binds all of creation together

weave each of us into a story built of love, justice and abundant life.

Listen, give thanks, and live.

Gloria Patri & Anthem & Video

Gloria Patri: click play on Saint Paul Playlist-pause at end

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen.

Anthem: His Eye Is on The Sparrow

Click on Saint Paul Playlist-Pause at End

Video

Lost World

Scripture and Reflection

Scripture: Genesis 21:8-21

Reflection

Before we begin reflecting on this scripture, I want to share with you a book I read in preparation. Womanist Midrash: A Reintroduction to the Women of the Torah and the Throne by Wilda C. Gafney. The book is an excellent resource (and enjoyable to read) and helped shape the ideas here concerning this text in Genesis.

+I remember growing up singing a song called “Father Abraham” complete with arm and leg movements. Did you know that one? We have long claimed Sarah and Abraham as a mother and father of our faith. So when we read their stories, we read with a sympathetic ear. They were chosen by God. They begin our story. Time and again, they acted faithfully. But none of this means they were perfect. It’s a difficult thing to read when someone we admire has done something terrible. We’d prefer to gloss over it, to maintain the image we hold. Do you ever find yourself doing this?

+But Sarah and Abraham messed up in some major ways. In a story we didn’t read, Abraham gave Sarah to another man, in order to protect themselves from harm. But that didn’t protect Sarah from harm. She was sexually exploited in the process. And in the midst of that, she was given a girl whom she would exploit, Hagar. These stories are short, so we are spared many of the details, but they are nonetheless full of horror, especially for the people they represent. Hagar was given to be enslaved, exploited by Sarah and Abraham in order to provide for them a son, abused, and ultimately thrown out into the desert. It’s possible that this feels removed from us--a thing that might have happened long ago but would never happen now. Take a moment to reflect though. It’s all closer than it seems. What does this exchange look like today, in Dallas, Texas? Whose life do we use and then toss aside when we perceive it as a threat? There are always, in every society, people whose lives we treat as expendable. Who is that today? And which role do we play in the story? Abraham? Sarah? Hagar? How can we reckon with this truth in a way that is transformative in our personal lives and in the life of our community?

+If you’re up for it, go back and read Genesis 16, an earlier part of Hagar’s story. Here, she’s out in the wilderness, having run away from Sarah who was abusing her. An angel comes to encourage her. And we hear Hagar name God as “God who sees”. She’s the only person to name God in all of scripture. She returns to Sarah, only to be driven back to the wilderness years later at the birth of Isaac. It’s strange at first, because Sarah wants to send Hagar away, and Abraham disagrees, but God tells him to do as Sarah says. Does God support Sarah’s decision to cast this mother and son into the wilderness? Maybe. But when I read this, I think something else might be happening. Hagar has suffered years of abuse and exploitation at the hands of Sarah and Abraham. Maybe this is a moment of liberation. Maybe God isn’t supporting Sarah’s scorn, but rather Hagar’s and Ishmael’s well-being. It’s difficult and scary to leave an abusive situation, and a happy ending is not guaranteed. If you’ve ever had to escape abuse, you know the depth of this story too well.

+This story doesn’t end with human action, though. Hagar and Ishmael go into the wilderness. They are on the verge of death. And God shows up for Hagar again. An angel says, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.” And then God opens Hagar’s eyes so that she can see the water well before her. They drink the water and live. Two things are noteworthy here (well, lots of things really, but two to highlight at the moment): 1. God’s not hanging out with Sarah and Abraham. They aren’t the ones getting the attention right now. God shows up for Hagar. This is why people say that the Bible shows God as having a “preferential option for the poor.” This is why people all across the US are saying Black Lives Matter. It’s not that the others aren’t important. But it’s black lives that risk being forgotten, being cast out. If God doesn’t attend to Hagar, she and Ishmael risk dying. There’s no one else to attend to them. Abraham and Sarah, on the other hand, they’ll be fine for the while. 2. God promises that a great nation will be born from Ishmael--the same promise given to Sarah and Abraham. Only in human understanding can a person be tossed aside and forgotten. For God, nothing could diminish the importance of Hagar or Ishmael. God is with them in the wilderness.

+God shows up. Sometimes for us in our need. Sometimes for the one to whom we have caused harm. We could find ourselves on either or both sides of the coin. This is something to be mindful of as we move through this world.

Prayers of the People. Lord's Prayer.

Prayers of the People

God of life and love, you gather and scatter your people to the ends of the earth;

but wherever we find ourselves, we are never beyond the reach of your love.

Gather me together now with the people of St. Paul E&R UCC and unite our hearts in prayer:

We give you thanks for your commitment to abide among us and within us.
We pray for world leaders who continue to navigate the pandemic. Make their first priority care for the people in their charge.
We pray for our nation, and the sin of racism which continues to plague us. Move our hearts that we might repent and be free.
We pray for those who have been cast into the wilderness. Teach us to show up for them in your name.
We pray for those who are struggling financially. Create a new world, O God, in which all have food and shelter, love and belonging.
We pray for those who are ill and in pain, and those who care for them. Offer them healing, and remind them of your love.

We pray alongside Hagar, who calls out to you and names you the God who sees. See in us the fullness of your creation, and open our eyes to your love

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Closing

Hymn: Give to the Winds Thy Fears

Click on Saint Paul Playlist- Pause at end

Closing Prayer***

Gathered and scattered, God is with us.

In suffering and in hope, God is with us.

Now and always, God is with us. Amen.

Postlude: Saint Peter's Postlude for organ by Hans-André Stamm

Click on Saint Paul Playlist

***Prayer Attribution: Iona Community Prayer Book, 2017.

WORSHIP MATERIALS FOR SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020

Worship at Home, Scattered but Gathered

Prelude: Variation 3 from Partita on “The God of Abraham Praise”

Jacob B. Weber

Click on Saint Paul Playlist-pause at end

Gathering Words and Opening Prayer

Opening Prayer

Almighty God,

by your grace alone
we are accepted and called to your service;
strengthen us by your Holy Spirit and empower our calling;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Hymn and Confession*

Hymn: The God of Abraham Praise

Click Play on Saint Paul Playlist-hit pause at end.

Confession

Resurrecting God, confident in your love,

still my heart and my mind and my body

that I might turn toward you again.

Silence

Creator God,

We hear your vision for the goodness of this world,

and we laugh.

We laugh at the radicalness of your love.

We laugh at the radicalness of your justice.

We laugh at the radicalness of your beloved community.

We consider your visions of peaceable kingdoms

and neighbors caring for neighbors,

and we laugh.

We consider your visions of nations that attend to the least of these,

and we laugh.

We dismiss the notion that such a vision could ever be possible,

that a creation in which the mighty are brought low

and the lowly lifted high

could ever come to fruition.

And so instead of fighting for your vision,

we laugh.

We dismiss you as radical.

We settle in with the status quo.

We sacrifice our neighbors on the altar of comfort and peace.

Forgive us. Move us toward a wholeness

that makes room for your radical visions,

that all life might be one.

+May God who binds all of creation together

weave each of us into a story built of love, justice and abundant life.

Listen, give thanks, and live.

Gloria Patri & Anthem & Video

Gloria Patri: click play on Saint Paul Playlist-pause at end

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen.

Anthem: Deep in the Shadows of the Past

Text: Bryan Wren

Music: Annabeth McClelland Gay

Click on Saint Paul Playlist-Pause at End

Video

Laugh Clown Laugh

Scripture and Reflection

Scripture: Genesis 18:1-15, 21:1-7

Reflection

+We’ve often heard judgement at Sarah’s infamous laugh in this story. She doesn’t have faith in God! How dare she laugh at God’s promise! But first of all, Abraham laughed too, the first time he heard back in chapter 17. So if they lack faith, they lack it together. Second, really? Imagine you’re ninety years old and someone told you you were going to have a child. What would you do? Laugh, probably. Of course she laughed! It’s absurd! Ninety year olds having children. Can you imagine chasing after a toddler at 92? No thank you. I don’t think it does us any good to read Sarah with judgement for her laughter. This is a human response, so it has the potential to pose human questions. How would you react to such news? Why? Where does her laughter come from? Is it faithless, or does it hold something else entirely?

+In the video we watched, the clown spoke about laughter full of sadness and laughter full of longing. Does this ring true in your experience, that laughter can hold more than joy or delight? When have you experienced laughter with this more somber nuance? Is it possible that it’s from this place that Sarah and Abraham laugh?

+When Isaac is born—his name means laugh, by the way—Sarah laughs again. It strikes me that this laugh might be different than the first. What do you think this laugh contains?

+In this moment in history, we are encountering hugely difficult things: an ongoing pandemic, economic trouble, and a renewed movement to rid ourselves of the sin of racism. What does laughter do here? Maybe it allows us to access and process fear and sadness and anger that would otherwise be too big to handle. How can we find laughter, not because these things aren’t important, but precisely because they are? How can we walk alongside God through this world so that our laughter full of longing becomes laughter full of hope?

Prayers of the People. Lord's Prayer.

Prayers of the People

God of life and love, you gather and scatter your people to the ends of the earth;

but wherever we find ourselves, we are never beyond the reach of your love.

Gather me together now with the people of St. Paul E&R UCC and unite our hearts in prayer:

We laugh, full of praise for your commitment to abide among us and within us.
We laugh, full of anger, as we struggle to transform our hearts, to birth new justice alongside one another into this world.
We laugh, full of fear, as we contemplate the devastation of this pandemic.
We laugh, full of anticipation, as we wonder what all of this upheaval will bring.
We laugh, full of hope, because you have shown us the resurrection and offered to us the feast of abundant life.
We laugh, full of longing for the beloved community you have planted among us.

We laugh alongside Sarah and Abraham at the audaciousness of your presence among us, oh God, and we anxiously await the day when we will see the new world unfold before us.

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Closing

Hymn: O God Whose Steadfast Love

Click on Saint Paul Playlist- Pause at end

Closing Prayer***

Gathered and scattered, God is with us.

In suffering and in hope, God is with us.

Now and always, God is with us. Amen.

Postlude: Variations 2 & 1 from Partita on “The God of Abraham Praise”

Jacob B. Weber

Click on Saint Paul Playlist

***Prayer Attribution: Iona Community Prayer Book, 2017.

WORSHIP MATERIALS FOR sUNDAY, June 7, 2020

Worship at Home, Scattered but Gathered

Prelude: Franz Josef Haydn: Die Schöpfung (The Creation) Overture:

Haydn’s Musical Description of Chaos

Click on Saint Paul Playlist-pause at end

Gathering Words and Opening Prayer

Each week this summer we will read a story from Genesis, and we’ll accompany it with a video from the Global Oneness Project, which you can learn about HERE. The video will correspond some way (hopefully in a way that’s obvious!) with the scripture. We’ll find themes throughout the summer of creation, fracture, birth, heartache, etc. Some of the stories will be joyful while others will prove difficult to process. But we’ll walk through them together, with the goal of learning more about ourselves, our God, and what it means to live in community as humans.

This series begins with a story of creation, and a story of a man who has made it his life work to document the silence of this creation.

Now, O God,

Calm me into a quietness that heals and listens,

and molds my longings and passions,

my wounds and wonderings

into a more holy and human shape. Amen.*

Hymn and Confession*

Hymn: Canticle of the Sun

Click Play on Saint Paul Playlist-hit pause at end. https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLVCoMs6C85HXf6bobj8xS3PAYI-B9Saw-

Confession

Resurrecting God, confident in your love,

still my heart and my mind and my body

that I might turn toward you again.

Silence

We confess that the sin of racial hatred and prejudice

distorts your divine plan for our human lives:

You created us in divine likeness, diverse and beautiful:

In every person, every race is your image.

But too often we fail to recognize your image in all: Forgive us.

You created us in divine freedom, to be free:

In every decision, every choice is your possibility of justice.

But too often we fail to choose to advocate for your justice for all: Forgive us.

You created us for divine abundance, to tend and share:

In every garden, every social structure is your seed of community.

But too often we fail to create that community which includes all,

and gives to all equal access to your abundant life: Forgive us.**

May God who binds all of creation together

weave each of us into a story built of love, justice and abundant life.

Listen, give thanks, and live.

Gloria Patri & Anthem

Gloria Patri: click play on Saint Paul Playlist-pause at end

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen.

Anthem: Die Himmel Erzählen die Ehre Gottes (Psalm 19)

(The Heavens are Telling the Glory of God)

From Die Schöpfung (The Creation)

by Franz Josef Haydn

Click on Saint Paul Playlist-Pause at End https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLVCoMs6C85HXf6bobj8xS3PAYI-B9Saw-

Scripture and Reflection

Scripture -- Genesis 1:1-2:4a

Video -- How To Find Silence in a Noisy World

https://youtu.be/qUxMdYhipvQ

Reflection

I’ve been planning this Genesis series for a number of weeks now. I still like it. I think we’ll navigate some important conversations along the way. So I’m holding that in one hand. And on the other hand, the events of this week bear talking about. We’ve witnessed nationwide protests. Perhaps some of us have participated in them. We’ve witnessed the pain that the sin of racism has borne spilling into our streets. Karl Barth, a German theologian, said that we should preach with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other. You’ve likely heard that quote. It’s an important piece of sermon formation. And I believe it’s an important piece of anytime we hold the Bible in our hand. How do we proclaim what we read to be true? How do we allow it to invade our lives so that we might transform into beings who practice God’s love and justice with every breath? How do we find life in these words?

A few years ago, the church that I was serving went to the Pride Festival in Collin County. We handed out buttons that said, “God made me _____ and called me good.” We invited people to fill in the blank with words that are true about themselves. This “God called it good” is an essential piece of Genesis 1. God creates. And God calls this creation good. God creates humankind. And God calls humanity good. God creates human in God’s own image. And God calls us good. So that with each breath we take, we hold God’s image and the goodness of creation in our bones. This is the essence of our humanity. The humanity in which we all share.

This story of creation weaves us together into God’s good image. It’s beautiful. And then it’s tragic. Because we certainly don’t live into it all, do we? We have watched over 100,000 of our neighbors die of a virus in recent months, with more dying every day. We have watched the murders of our black neighbors. We have watched our cities burn. We have watched our black neighbors cry out in the pain of being treated as less than human, as less than good, as less than God’s image. We have watched a physical lament take to our streets. And it is so painful. It is hard to reconcile this beginning story with the midpoint we now face. Over and over in our nation’s history, we have thought we had dealt with the sin of racism. And over and over, we see its death-dealing wrath emerge again. The trauma it causes is rearing its head in public right now, so that we might see racism’s carnage.

I don’t know about you, but I feel heartbroken and consumed. I feel the pain I felt when I lived in east Texas and learned what it was to be treated as less than human simply by virtue of who I was (a woman), and the pain of realizing that it was indeed possible to be treated as less than human--and in fact, that it’s not difficult at all for people to treat others as less than human--all that’s required is ignoring the God image in the person standing before you. I felt the weight of walking around in a system that devalued my life. But, leaving that place, I also got to feel what it was to no longer live in such a state. I was able to reclaim my humanity, my goodness, my God image trueness. That hasn’t been the case for our siblings of color. No matter where they go in white America, the truth is the same. Their life is devalued and their humanity denied. That’s why it’s so important that we learn that black lives matter. Because if we are white, we have denied it. We might not use overt hateful words any longer, but not much else has changed.

It is difficult to confront this sin of ours. Either we don’t want to admit to ourselves that we’ve played a role in it and benefited from it. Or we want a simple solution of repentance: Apologize and take these three action steps to reconcile with your estranged neighbor. The journey isn’t so easy, as we can see when we are willing to look. It is a process full of painful small steps, some of them in the wrong direction.

But we do have good news to hold onto in the process. It remains true that God creates us and calls us good, no matter what has transpired between then and now. And it remains true that we hold the image of God within our very beings--which is why, I believe, nothing can separate us from God’s love. This doesn’t absolve us. But it does give us a starting point. Just like the first story in Genesis tells us: in the beginning, God created all these things and called them good. And God created humans in God’s own image. So this is where we begin. We find the image of God in our neighbors of color. We see their humanity and take seriously their pain. This is the only way to honor the image of God that is contained within ourselves--to love our neighbors and see them for who they are as beloved children of God.

The video we watched to accompany the scripture made a bit more sense before this current uprising began, but it’s still valuable. Going out and listening to the sounds of creation is always a good exercise for our mental and spiritual health. Again in this creation story, we hear the importance of sabbath, of rest. And as we listen to the sounds of nature, perhaps we will find ourselves better equipped to listen also to the sounds of our neighbors in need.

Prayers of the People. Lord's Prayer.

Prayers of the People

God of life and love, you gather and scatter your people to the ends of the earth;

but wherever we find ourselves, we are never beyond the reach of your love.

Gather me together now with the people of St. Paul E&R UCC and unite our hearts in prayer:

We thank you for your commitment to life beyond death. Open our eyes to find you among us and within us.
We pray for the church throughout the world. May we remember your presence in this world, learn from Christ’s teachings, and move along with the Holy Spirit to eradicate racism from ourselves and our communities.
We pray for our neighbors and the people of Dallas. May we hold space for the pain we are witnessing and join together in working for a more just city.
We pray for the nations of the world, and its leaders. Give them wisdom, self-control and compassion.
We pray for planet Earth, our home. We give thanks for your good creation; may we strive to care for it with gratitude.
We pray for all in sickness or in need, both those we know and those who we have never met. Send your healing Spirit upon them and restore them to health.
We pray for all the ways in which we are divided. Grant us wisdom to carve paths upon which we can walk in compassion and unity.

Blessed are you, Eternal One, our rock and our refuge, who offers us shelter and love.

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Closing

Hymn: God, Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens

Click on Saint Paul Playlist- Pause at end

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLVCoMs6C85HXf6bobj8xS3PAYI-B9Saw-

Closing Prayer***

Gathered and scattered, God is with us.

In suffering and in hope, God is with us.

Now and always, God is with us. Amen.

Postlude: Vollendet ist das Große Werk

(Fulfilled at last the Glorious Work)

from Die Schöpfung (The Creation)

By Franz Josef Haydn

Click on Saint Paul Playlist

*”Calm Me Into a Quietness” by Ted Loder from Guerrillas of Grace: Prayers for the Battle.

**https://www.ucc.org/worship_worship-ways_year-c_le_lent-prayer-of-confession

***Prayer Attribution: Iona Community Prayer Book, 2017.

WORSHIP MATERIALS FOR pentecost SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2020

Worship at Home, Scattered but Gathered

Prelude: Chorale and Variations on Come, Holy Spirit by Maurice Duruflé

Click on Saint Paul Playlist-pause at end

"https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLVCoMs6C85HVs1VwFpqNOtnkx2qzv3HJW"

Gathering Poem and Opening Prayer

Gathering Video and Opening Prayer

+As we celebrate the birth of the church on this Pentecost Sunday, I’ve included a video about the church in Ethiopia. Did you know that they surround their church buildings with forests in order to recall the garden of Eden? I had never heard of this! It makes me wonder about the things that we find to be essential to our faith, and what those things tell us about who we are and how we relate to God and one another. I tend to believe that growing my understanding of cultures other than my own will increase my compassion and help me to hear those from whom I feel divided. Perhaps your experience leads you to the same idea? Check out this story by clicking on the Saint Paul Playlist (and pause at the end so you’ll be at the correct place for the next hymn).

The Church Forests of Ethiopia

Holy God, you spoke the world into being.
Pour your Spirit to the ends of the earth,
that your children may return from exile
as citizens of your commonwealth,
and our divisions may be healed
by your word of love and righteousness. Amen.

Hymn and Confession*

Hymn: There’s a Sweet, Sweet Sprit in This Place

Click Play on Saint Paul Playlist-hit pause at end.

Confession

Resurrecting God, confident in your love,

still my heart and my mind and my body

that I might turn toward you again.

Silence

We need your healing, merciful God:

Give us true repentance.

Some sins are plain to us;

Some escape us,

Some we cannot face.

Forgive us; set us free to hear your word to us;

Set us free to serve you.

God who binds all of creation together

weaves each of us into a story built of love and justice .

Listen, give thanks, and live.

Gloria Patri & Anthem

Gloria Patri: click play on Saint Paul Playlist-pause at end

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen.

Anthem: Veni Creator (Come, Holy Spirit) Canon/Taizé

Click on Saint Paul Playlist-Pause at End

Scripture and Reflection

Scripture: Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:24-34; John 20:19-23

Reflection

Pentecost is largely about people coming together, but when we look around the world, one of the things we might see is all the ways we are divided from one another. Looking at the divisions in our country (and there are many), several are shouting themselves loud and clear right now. We see racially motivated violence around our country, and we hear so much pain from our neighbors of color who continue to be targets of racism. And at the same time, we have a huge debate happening about whether to reopen or stay closed. No matter the issue at hand, our way of dealing with it repeats itself. We argue, dig in our heals, call names, and retreat to our corners. As long as we allow this division to reign, though, we’ll keep losing sight of all the good we can do together. Are there places in our community that you can see to open the conversation beyond this division, so that we can better love ourselves and our neighbors? Is there anything God is calling you to do toward this end?
Pentecost is a joyous celebration of this moment in time when people from all sorts of different places were able to come together, and the Holy Spirit allowed them to understand one another despite language barriers or cultural barriers. The Spirit unites the people--and no artificial human rendering can divide us, not truly, not permanently. Where have you seen the Spirit at work uniting people, whether in recent days or further back in your memory? Might you see this work of the Spirit in the coming week?
The Holy Spirit is among us and within us, just as Christ has promised. Take time this week to sit in the Spirit, to feel her movement, and to rest in her love, even if chaos echoes around you.

Prayers of the People. Lord's Prayer.

Prayers of the People

God of life and love, you gather and scatter your people to the ends of the earth;

but wherever we find ourselves, we are never beyond the reach of your love.

Gather me together now with the people of St. Paul E&R UCC and unite our hearts in prayer:

We thank you for your commitment to life beyond death. Open our eyes to find you among us and within us.
We pray for the church throughout the world. Inspire the children of your church for prophetic witness to your truth, and upon old and young give clarity of vision to carry on with your work in this world.
We pray for our neighbors and the people of Dallas. Teach us to be good neighbors, to live in peace with one another, to care for one another, and to build bonds of friendship.
We pray for the nations of the world, and its leaders. Overcome the babble of misunderstanding among the nations, and let all people hear in their own language and recognize in their own culture your unifying message of love.
We pray for planet Earth, our home. By your Spirit, renew the earth, make us good stewards of its resources, and teach us to enjoy its abundance rightly.
We pray for all in sickness or in need, both those we know and those who we have never met. Send your healing Spirit upon them and restore them to health.
We pray for all the ways in which we are divided. Grant us wisdom to carve paths upon which we can walk in compassion and unity.

Blessed are you, Eternal One, our rock and our refuge, who offers us shelter and love.

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Communion

Communion

People of Saint Paul, Will and Pastor Kayla have made an audio recording of our Great Thanksgiving. If you would like to participate in communion this week, click on the link to hear the recording. You have two options:

1. You can participate with your household at home, using your own bread and wine or juice, awaiting the day when we can celebrate the Eucharist in person once more.

2. We will have the host available on Pentecost Sunday from 11am-noon in the circle drive. If you would like to participate in this way, you may drive through to receive the host. We ask that you remain in your car while you are on campus. Pastor will greet you at your car with a small cup containing the host. Those preparing and serving will wear gloves and masks.

Click here for the recording Service of Holy Communion,

or here is a communion prayer for those unable to access the recording:

Praise and glory to you creator Spirit of God;

You make our bread Christ’s body to heal and reconcile

And to make us the body of Christ.

You are truth.

You come like the wind of heaven, unseen, unbidden.

Like the dawn, you illuminate the world around us;

You grant us a new beginning every day.

You warm and comfort us.

You give us courage and fire and strength beyond our every day resources.

Be with us Holy Spirit in all we say or think,

In all we do this and every day.

Sustainer, may we who have received this sacrament

live in the unity of your Holy Spirit,

that we may show forth your gifts to all the world.

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Hymn: We All Are One in Mission

Click on Saint Paul Playlist- Pause at end

Closing

Closing Prayer*

Gathered and scattered, God is with us.

In suffering and in hope, God is with us.

Now and always, God is with us. Amen.

Postlude: Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit

Click on Saint Paul Playlist

*Prayer Attribution: Iona Community Prayer Book, 2017.

Other prayers this week come from New Zealand Book of Prayer and Feasting on the Word: Worship Companion.

WORSHIP MATERIALS FOR SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2020

Worship at Home, Scattered but Gathered

Saint Paul Sunday 5-17-2020 Playlist

A note from Pastor Kayla: It occurs to me as I prepare this worship, that this week marks one year that I’ve been with you as your pastor. I have so loved our time together, though admittedly, I have not so much loved the last two months when we haven’t been able to gather in person. I miss seeing you. You are a lovely people and a joy to walk alongside. I hope that this coming year of ministry brings joy and hope and growing in God’s love.

God’s Peace and All Good, Pastor Kayla

Prelude: Variations on “All Creatures of Our God and King” by Denis Bédard

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLVCoMs6C85HXlZcrByKEUYH5XCXm9u06P

Click on Saint Paul Playlist-pause at end

Gathering Poem and Opening Prayer

“The Poet Comments on Yet Another Approaching Spring” by Mary Oliver

Don’t flowers put on their

prettiness each spring and go to it with

everything they’ve got? Who

would criticize the bed of yellow tulips or the blue

hyacinths?
So put a

bracelet on your ankle with a

bell on it and make a little music for

the earth beneath your foot, or wear a hat with hot-colored

ribbons for the pleasure of the

leaves and clouds, or at least a ring with a gleaming

stone for your finger; yesterday
I watched a mother choose

exquisite ear-ornaments for someone beloved, in the spring

of her life; they were
for her for sure, but also it seemed

a promise, a love-message, a commitment to all girls, and boys too, so

beautiful and hopeful in this hard world and young.

The peace of the Risen Christ be with each of you.

Keep your church alert, Holy Spirit, ready to hear when you are calling, and ready to celebrate the beauty you weave among us. Keep us hopeful, Holy Spirit, connected with you, creation and one another. Amen.

Hymn

Hymn: I Sing the Mighty Power of God

Click Play on Saint Paul Playlist-hit pause at end.

Confession*

Resurrecting God, confident in your love, still my heart and my mind and my body that I might turn toward you again.

Silence

Loving God,
We do not always keep your commandments;
we fail to love you; our conscience is not clear. Wash us in the water of life that we may live again through the grace and mercy you bring
through your presence among and within us.

God, who raised Jesus from the dead has not given us over to death. Listen, give thanks, and live.

Gloria Patri & Anthem

Gloria Patri: click play on Saint Paul Playlist-pause at end
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen.

Anthem: If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments by Thomas Tallis

Click on Saint Paul Playlist-Pause at End

Scripture and Reflection

Scripture: Acts 17:22-31 Psalm 66:8-20 John 14:15-21

Reflection

+Jesus promises the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, that we might never be alone. “You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you.” Here we are with this idea of abide once again. The Spirit abides with us, we abide with Jesus, Jesus abides with God. Jesus, comforting his disciples, describes this big circle of abiding. We can’t separate from one another. This isn’t conditional; it is already so. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. This is our sure and certain hope.

+In Acts, as Paul is talking to the Athenians, he speaks this famous line: “In him we live and move and have our being” (17:28a). God isn’t something out “there” to be sought after. Rather, God is already here. Does this challenge your image of God? How, this week, might you notice God in your living and movement and being? Be mindful of God’s presence in you and with you.

+As Christians we talk about resurrection and new life. And a piece of that story is bound up in how we as humans, as part of creation, can be at one with God. Here in John and in Acts we hear that it is already so. We have no work to do here--God has done the work of making sure that we are together, that we abide in one another, that we live and move and be together. And so perhaps we can do as the poet suggested, making music for the earth and creating beauty for the children so that we can all rejoice in God’s presence. How will you celebrate the renewal of life?

Prayers of the People. Lord's Prayer.

Prayers of the People

God of life and love, you gather and scatter your people to the ends of the earth;
but wherever we find ourselves, we are never beyond the reach of your love.
Gather me together now with the people of St. Paul E&R UCC and unite our hearts in prayer:

We thank you for your commitment to life beyond death. Open our eyes to find you among us and within us.
We pray for the church, that we might discover new ways to care for one another and our neighbors, and that we might continue in God’s work of love and justice even as we cope with our own day to day challenges.
We pray for all who hunger, and those who worry each day how they will care for themselves and their families.
We pray for the governments of the world and its leaders, especially as they navigate caring for their people during a pandemic. Grant them wisdom and hearts open to the best interest of all in their jurisdiction.
We pray for the earth, that we might shepherd well the resources we find therein, and we give thanks for all bursts of abundant life we find around us.
We pray for the sick, the scared, those who grieve, the lonely and the crowded.
We pray for our neighbors, that we continue to care for one another.
Blessed are you, Eternal One, our rock and our refuge, who offers us shelter and love.

Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Closing

Hymn: All Creatures of Our God and King
Click on Saint Paul Playlist- Pause at end

Closing Prayer*
Gathered and scattered, God is with us. In suffering and in hope, God is with us. Now and always, God is with us. Amen.

Postlude: All Creatures of Our God and King setting by David Schack
Click on Saint Paul Playlist

*Prayer Attribution: Iona Community Prayer Book, 2017.