Friday night, we received a message from the community partner that initially reached out to us late last week. It sounds like they have found placement for their program. I’m incredibly proud of the Tabernacle Community for your willingness to consider such a BIG request. It as a good test of faithfulness for us and an open door for a much needed conversation about the use of God’s resource at the corner of Grove & Meadow.
We will still have a town hall meeting on Monday, August 17 at 7:30 pm. as this week’s series of conversations have highlighted the need for us to go deeper into discernment about the use of our physical space during the pandemic. We also need to determine if we feel that Education and Community Ministry are the two primary areas God is calling us to serve during the remainder of the pandemic.
Please make plans to join us. Please also continue to pray for our community partner, and their placement site, as much work needs to be accomplished in a very short span of time.
We would love for you to let us know you’re here. This worship guide is meant to be a companion to our Livestream service. You can join us live at 11am on Sunday morning, or watch the recorded service later, following along with the words to hymns, etc. in a separate window or on your phone, or print this guide out if you like!
CALL TO WORSHIP: “God in Christ” (Susan Palo Cherwien)
God in Christ. God in flesh. God in human form. The impact of the Christ story should startle and delight us; it should form our lives and our desire, it should turn our heads. For God entered creation in a new way; God sat at table and shared bread God laughed and God wept, God savored sunsets and felt damp sand on the soles of feet, God suffered God risked, God danced, And thus God blessed human life. There should be no more doubt. Life is blessed. Life is holy.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
NICENE CREED
I/We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. I/We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, true God from true God, begotten, not made. For us and for our salvation He came down from Heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
GOSPEL LESSON: John 3:16
Following the Worship Service, we encourage you to continue visiting with friends in the Livestream Chat, or join a Talk-Back moderated by Sandi Lowery and Beth McMahon. Share your laughter and tears, along with your prayer needs, as we discuss the sermon of the week.
This summer, we will actively covenant together in multiple ways, particularly in our physical gatherings in one one another’s homes. You can find more details related to expectations, hopes, and practices here.
Whether you’ve been coming to Tabernacle for years, or just recently started worshiping with us online, we are glad you’re here! We invite you to participate in other opportunities for fellowship and discipleship as well. A new series is starting up soon, in which Art Wright will lead a discussion about Revelation, and how apocalypses, in addition to anticipating the end of the world, reveal things about our current realities. Listen to the first podcast episode now!
Our Community Ministry is actively serving neighbors on a weekly basis. We have consistently seen about 50 families each week, and sometimes up to 100! If you would like to support this key ministry to our neighbors, our current needs include:
Join us on the podcast this week as we muse about how wearing skin, being peoples of flesh and blood, can shape and nurture our spiritual lives.
The miracle
is not
walking on water,
but on
the earth.”
-Thich Nhat Hanh
Pray as you go: Walking Meditation
Today, notice what its like to walk on the earth.
Stand outside. Feel the soles of your feed on the ground. Take slow movements. One foot. Then the next. Slow down the breath. Look around you. What do you notice? Look within you. What do you notice?
Give thanks for your body, for all that it does for you, for how God created you and calls your body “good.”
“Walking meditation, whether in a labyrinth or in a park, is a physical expression of the interior journey towards Christ. Like a pilgrimage, forms of walking meditation evoke our earthly journey towards heaven while simultaneously giving us time and space to listen and respond to God.” – Stephen Barany
Family Activity: NATURE SCAVENGER HUNT
This week’s family activity invites you to walk in nature.
You can do this in your back yard, at a park, or around your neighborhood. As you walk, be willing to slow down, to observe, bend and reach and notice how your body opens and relaxes in the process of finding the things listed in the Nature Scavenger Hunt card.
At the end, have each family member name on thing they are grateful their body can do, and give thanks to God.
This worship guide is meant to be a companion to the Livestream service. You can join us live at 11am on Sunday morning, or watch the recorded service later, following along with the words to hymns, etc. in a separate window or on your phone, or print this guide out if you like!
PRELUDE: Judy Fiske
CALL TO WORSHIP: “We have not seen…and we believe” (Joseph T. Nolan)
We believe in God whom we do not see because of Jesus who was seen and people who live by His Spirit. We believe in God whom we do not see because of truth and beauty, love, goodness, and integrity, which make the divine a part of human life. We believe in a heaven we have not seen because love is stronger that death and all our hopes cannot find fulfillment in this life. We believe in the Spirit we cannot see because we see the Creator Spirit at work in our lives and hear the Spirit’s voice in our silence. We believe in the earth and its people in spite of the evil we see because we have shared their goodness. We believe in a providence we do not always see because God made us, and here we are, with ten billion years behind us. We believe in the resurrection in spite of the death we see because we have been raised up many times, and passed from death to life. We believe in God whom we do not see because of the One who said, “He who sees me sees the Father.” We have seen him in our humanity, in His risen body, and we believe.
HYMN #606: “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High”
Lord, I lift Your name on high, Lord, I love to sing Your praises I’m so glad Your’re in my life, I’m so glad You came to save us! You came from heaven to earth to show the way; from the earth to the cross, my debt to pay. From the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky, Lord, I lift Your name on high.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Gospel Reading: John 20:19-29
SOLO: Anna Tuckwiller, ““I Never Leave Your Hands” by JJ Heller
HYMN #196: “Alleluia No. 1”
Chorus: Alleluia, alleluia! Give thanks to the risen Lord. Alleluia, alleluia! Give praise to His name.
V.1: Jesus is Lord of all the earth. He is the King of creation.
Chorus: Alleluia, alleluia! Give thanks to the risen Lord. Alleluia, alleluia! Give praise to His name.
V. 2: Spread the good news o’er all the earth; Jesus has died and has risen.
Chorus: Alleluia, alleluia! Give thanks to the risen Lord. Alleluia, alleluia! Give praise to His name.
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below, praise Him above ye heavenly hosts, praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
We hope you’ll join us this afternoon at 2PM for our quarterly Church-Wide Business Meeting! Members and visitors are welcome; this is a key opportunity to participate in the life of our church. This will be one of the more unique business meetings we’ve had over the last 130+ years, but we look forward to praying together, celebrating the ways God is at work among us, and offering updates on our financial status and other operations of the church. We encourage you to read through the written reports before the meeting.
We also have a need for members to vote before 5PM today on a decision about whether or not to accept funding from the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program in order to help with payroll expenses for our Childcare Center Ministry and church staff. Additional information and instructions for voting are available in video and audio formats, as well as a written Q&A, here.
Whether you’ve been coming to Tabernacle for years, or just started worshiping with us online recently, we are glad you’re here, and invite you to participate in other opportunities for fellowship and discipleship as well! There are several new groups starting up or starting new studies, and our Community Ministry is actively serving neighbors on a weekly basis. The Soul Care Project is a new digital series that started this week. It will offer a weekly theme promoting practices to help us care for our souls by connection with ourselves, God, and the world. We encourage you to listen to this week’s podcast and interact with the resources available on our Facebook and Instagram feeds.
We know many of you are longing for deeper connections and spiritual sustenance during this season of isolation. We are working hard to create new opportunities for community and support for those connected to Tabernacle both locally and globally. We have a number on ongoing groups that are open for new participants to join. We will also be creating new 8-week groups that will begin mid-April and continue through mid-June. If you are interested in getting plugged into one of these, or hearing about other upcoming opportunities for connection during COVID, please fill out the following information and one of our pastoral staff will be in touch with you to help you discern the right next steps for you and your family.
Thank you for joining us to celebrate the life of Susan Randolph Braden. Please join us in singing the hymns below during the service. You can view the Livestream video here, and offer condolences to the family through the chat feature or by adding a message at www.blileys.com.
He Keeps Me Singing
V. 1: There’s within my heart a melody; Jesus whispers sweet and low, “Fear not, I am with you, peace, be still,” in all life’s ebb and flow.
Chorus: Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know, fills my every longing, Keeps me singing as I go.
V. 3: Though sometimes He leads through waters deep, trials fall across the way; though sometimes the path seems rough and steep, see His footprints all the way.
Chorus: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know, fills my every longing, Keeps me singing as I go.
V. 4: Feasting on the riches of His grace, resting ‘neath His sheltering wing, Always looking on His smiling face, that is why I shout and sing.
Chorus: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know, fills my every longing, Keeps me singing as I go.
Blessed Assurance
V. 1: Blessed assurance, Jesus is Mine! Oh, what foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Chorus: This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long; this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.
V. 3: Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest: watching and waiting, looking above, filled with His goodness lost in His love.
Chorus: This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long; this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.
Wonderful Grace of Jesus
V. 1: Wonderful grace of Jesus greater than all my sin; how shall my tongue describe it, where shall its praise begin? Taking away my burden, setting my spirit free, for the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.
V. 3: Wonderful grace of Jesus, reaching the most defiled, by its transforming power ransoming God’s dear child, purchasing peace and heaven for all eternity and the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.
Chorus: Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus, deeper than the mighty rolling sea; higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain, all sufficient grace for even me; broader than the scope of my transgressions, greater far than all my sin and shame. O magnify the precious name of Jesus, praise His name!
Hello lovely BB Bible Study Group and family members of group members. Hope you’re hanging in there. We’re going to offer Brown Bag Bible tomorrow via “Zoom”. I know that some of us haven’t used it before. You’ve got two basic options, should you want to give it a try:
The system will ask you for the meeting Code: Enter 813730343#
The system will ask you for a participant number. You don’t have one 🙂 Just hit #
Congrats, you’re in the meeting.
PHONE OPTION #2, THE SHORT WAY
Click on the phone icon on your smartphone
Copy this weird looking phone #….in it’s entirety…… (646) 558-8656,,813730343#
Paste the weird looking number onto your phone screen and then hit “call”
Don’t worry. That long crazy number is designed to do ALL the work for you. Just be patient. It will dial the number, pause for a moment, enter the meeting code on your behalf, pause for another moment, enter one last thing, and then put you into the room. You don’t need to do anything or answer any of the questions the automatic voice is making for. Your smartphone move through all the steps on your behalf.
Congrats, you’re in the meeting!
Beth McMahon has been very gracious in offering “zoom” and “livestream” tutoring for anyone needs some extra help. Just reach out to the staff if you don’t have access the online phone directory
I have been
terrified of needles my entire life. However, I’m actively trying to conquer my
fear and I got brave enough to try donating blood at a blood drive in December.
It was nowhere near as awful as I anticipated (I have a great imagination) and
I actually really enjoyed my experience for a number of reasons. There is
something incredibly special about knowing that the blood you are giving is
going to help someone who really needs it because they are potentially
undergoing a surgery, transplant, dealing with a
chronic illnesses, blood disorders or cancer. As you are donating, it is a
wonderful opportunity to say a prayer of thanksgiving for good health. It is
also a special time to ask God to bless the blood you are donating as an
offering and pray for God’s healing for the person who will be receiving it.
My Mom has worked at Retreat Doctor’s Hospital for over 30 years. When she told me about the blood drive there on Wednesday March 4th before our Wednesday night activities at church I was excited because I realized what a great opportunity this was for us as a church to participate in. We have been focusing on loving our neighbor. What better way to demonstrate our love of neighbor as Christians than to give them our blood, something that Christ did for us on the cross? So please consider participating in the blood drive at Retreat Hospital. I’ve signed up to be there at 1:15 so maybe I’ll see you there!
