The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme 2 Ferry Road Old Lyme, Connecticut (860) 434-8686 Website: www.fccol.org
SUNDAY WORSHIP Steven R. Jungkeit, Senior Minister Carleen R. Gerber, Senior Associate Minister Laura Fitzpatrick-Nager, Associate Minister Simon D. Holt, Director of Music April 22, 2018 Prelude *Processional Hymn: #66 O How Glorious, Full of Wonder *Call to Worship: 11:00 AM Christ is risen from the dead! The Spirit is poured out. Life is transformed. God is active in our world, bringing hope and healing. The Spirit of God invites us into community. We are called to see beyond ourselves, and to join in loving care for all those around us. We rejoice in the gift of community. We name the Earth as part of our community. We extend our love to all of God's creation. Let us worship God the creator and redeemer of the world. *Invocation *The Lord s Prayer Welcome and News of the Church Sacrament of Baptism Unison Reading: Thou canst not move across the grass, but my quick eyes will see Thee pass, Nor speak, however silently, but my hushed voice will answer Thee. I know the path that tells Thy way, through the cool eve of every day; God, I can push the grass apart and lay my finger on Thy heart. Edna St. Vincent Millay *Gloria Patri: (#36 in hymnal) Special Presentation: Members of the 4 th and 5 th grade God s Neighborhood class Scripture: Psalm 139: 1-14 (KIV) John 1:1-5 (NT, pg. 87), 8:56-59 (NT, pg. 97) and 14:7-12 (NT, pg. 103) Colossians 1:17 (NT, pg. 188) *Hymn: #521 God in Great Love for Us
Unison Prayer: A Prayer for Our Earth (on back page) Pastoral Prayer Response: Spirit of the Living God Offertory Invitation Offertory Selection *Doxology: Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise God, all creatures here below; Praise God for all that love has done; Creator, Christ, and Spirit, One. Amen *Offertory Prayer Sermon: REIMAGINING THE DIVINE IN ALL CREATION Conrad French and The Rev. Carleen R. Gerber *Hymn: #67 God, Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens Benediction Postlude *Congregation Standing Large print versions of the bulletin are available from the ushers.
We thank you for worshipping with us. Following the life and teachings of Jesus, we are a church that strives to be a place of grace, welcoming all regardless of theological expression, age, race, gender, sexual identity, national origin or financial means. In our Church Constitution we recognize that each member shall have the undisturbed right to follow the word of God according to the dictates of his or her own conscience, under the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, established in 1665, cherishes this proud Pilgrim tradition. We are honored by your presence among us, and we invite you to help us become what we endeavor to be. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We welcome Conrad French to our pulpit this morning. Conrad is a Senior at East Lyme High School. He is an active member of our Senior High Pilgrim Fellowship and assists in our Junior High Sunday morning classes. He has travelled to Haiti on several mission trips with the Crosbys, and has helped on many of the Midnight Run trips into NYC. We also thank Eli Doggart and Bella Hine for their leadership in worship. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This morning we are pleased to celebrate the baptism of Olivia Brooke O Reilly, daughter of Kara and Daniel O Reilly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "The flowers this morning are given by Jean and Jack Schaaf in loving memory of our parents Ken and Helen Dolph and John George Schaaf. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The deacon on duty is DonGonci. Childcare is available every Sunday morning in the nursery downstairs at the 9 AM service. If you need help finding it, please ask the ushers to assist you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you are visiting us for worship this morning, we welcome you, and invite invite you to pick up a Welcome packet, which can be found in the vestibule. We hope this information will be helpful in acquainting you with our church and its activities and programs. Quiet Activity Bags for young children are in the vestibule. They are colorful bags with quiet projects for our youngest members. Please feel free to offer these bags to your children. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Rev. David W. Good serves as our Minister Emeritus. The Rev. Rebecca T. Crosby is our Minister for Haitian Outreach. Thomas Burke (4 th year Yale Divinity School student) serves as minister to the South Lyme Union Chapel.
Forums: TODAY: Dick Humphreville, Biking Through Cuba. April 29: Dr. Richard Jones (Organ Transplant and Donorship). Book Group on April 29th following the 11:00 service. We're reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's No Ordinary Time as we ponder the exemplary leadership of Eleanor Roosevelt at a critical time in our nation's history. (At our last meetings we made the decision that focusing on great national leadership would be an uplifting enterprise.) Please join us for a great discussion - even if you have not had time to finish (or even read!) the book. News from the Immigrant Assistance Committee Today is day 35 of Sanctuary for Malik and Zahida. The FCCOL village continues to bring the outside world into the lives of our dear new friends. We organize activities hoping to give them some levity as they await news of their legal case. We are always looking for volunteers to provide some happy distractions. Should you want to volunteer, please contact Lina Tuck (lina.tuck@gmail.com) or 860-680-8825. The FCCOL Immigration Committee supports the humane and dignified treatment of Immigrants by providing education on immigration rights, sanctuary for families in threat of deportation, and assistance to secure legal counsel. Donations to the Immigrant Assistance Fund may be sent to FCCOL. Please note this fund in the comment line. Indian Taco Dinner On Sunday, April 29th, at 5:00pm in the Fellowship Hall, the Green Grass Partnership Committee will be hosting an Indian taco dinner. $10 at the door gets you a delicious taco with all the trimmings! Made with a fry bread base and stacked with plenty of meat and veggies, it is one of our favorite meals when we visit our friends on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota (vegetarian options will be available). Proceeds from the dinner will benefit the Green Grass Partnership, celebrating 33 years! All are welcome! EARTH DAY CONCERT by Cappella Cantorum a performance of Haydn's Creation at the John Winthrop Middle School TODAY at 3:00pm. Soloists are soprano Sarah Callinan, tenor Brian Cheney and bass-baritone David Pittsinger. The 70-voice choir and 25-piece orchestra are directed by Simon Holt. Tickets $30 www.cappellacantorum.org.or at the door. Wings of Justice - Immigration, Sanctuary and the Pathways of Faith Join us TODAY, 12:30 in the library to hear more Through the Guadalupe Experience, a 10 day immersion program in Mexico, we will gain insight on the present day reality of our Mexican neighbors and how it relates to our Immigration and Sanctuary work. Learn more about the Guadalupe Experience at westronpriory.org/mexico Dates of the Journey are set for September 18-27, 2018.
God s Neighborhood This Pretty Planet. Time for Children Rachael Jungkeit and God s Neighborhood, God s Neighborhood Today we will be thinking about the Environment and how we can be good stewards. We will participate with art, projects, songs and discussion. Everyone Welcome Please Join us! May 27, 2018 Midnight Run. Please RSVP if you would like to help in any way! White Elephant Sale -- Get out your calendars out and mark these dates. Friday, July 13th from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm and Saturday, July 14th from 8:00 am - Noon.. This is a good time of the year to sort through the cellar and attic to put aside some of those treasures for this years sale. Hold those goodies until first intake day, Thursday June 28th. We are in need of help in a number of departments as folks have prior commitments or retired: Accessories, Help in packing Christmas intake items for Winter sale, Baked Goods - department head, Knick Knacks, Flowers and baskets - department head, Men's department, Children's department, Large Furniture - co chair, and Toy department - help share sorting, pricing & sale days. MusicNow Foundation/Nightingales will present a songwriting retreat workshop, "Songwriting from the Soul" to be held on Saturday, April 28, 2018 from 10am-4pm at the Sheffield Auditorium. Facilitated by trainer, Rodney Brown and the CT Chapter of the Nashville Songwriters Association, the workshop will focus on unleashing the creative spirit bringing your words to life through song and A-Z of songwriting. All levels welcomed. Workshop fee is $75 to include lunch. For registration, contact gstevens@musicnowfoundation.org call (860) 434-1961. A Tree of Life Homecoming Saturday June 16th, 4:00 PM $30/per person $20/ students An afternoon of sharing Journey experiences with fellow travelers, hearing thoughts from our Palestinian friends living in the US, and a look at whats to come for Tree of Life. Together we'll enjoy beautiful music, art, delicious foods, a raffle and silent auction, and more. Please contact Nick Westbrook (westbrooknicholas@gmail.com) if you would like to assist with this event. Space is limited, so RSVP to mary@tolef.org. Pay at the door. 33 rd Annual Journey to the Cheyenne River Reservation, South Dakota Explore the beauty of the Black Hills and invest in a mutually beneficial relationship with our Lakota friends in Green Grass, SD. Trip dates are June 24th July 3 rd. We will need a commitment no later than April 22 nd. Please contact Stephanie Kenny at 860-884-3875 or by email Stephanieckenny@gmail.com if you are interested in joining us or if you have any questions.
Our church will mark Earth Day TODAY, Plastic Awareness Day. Some may want to practice total avoidance of disposable plastic for the day but all are urged to learn about the ubiquitous intrusion of plastics into our everyday lives and ways we can reduce our dependence. If you would like to help organizers explain the need of our Earth for a commitment from each of us to reduce our use of disposable plastic, please call Patsy McCook 860 434-3912 or Tink Willauer 860 434-8315. Annual Haitian Dinner on Sunday, May 20th at 5:00 pm The Ladies Benevolent Society will once again sponsor a Haitian dinner to benefit the work of The Crosby Fund for Haitian Education. Becky Crosby, our former Associate Minister and co-founder of The Crosby Fund, will offer a 'PowerPoint' presentation of their on-going work in Haiti with a special focus on the work of the Education Center. Vaudy Jean Baptiste, our Program Director in Haiti, and Fednor Sidort, our Program Administrator, will join us on this festive occasion. The presentation will offer several short videos to give you a glimpse of the activities at the Center. Sandra's Next Generation, a fabulous Creole restaurant from New Haven, CT will provide the delicious Haitian meal. Suggested cost per person is $10.00 (donations are gratefully received!). Doors will open at 5 pm for Haitian art shopping. Dinner will be served at 5:30 pm, followed by the presentation. Call the church office (860-434-8686) for reservations. The Ladies Who Stitch will meet on Monday, April 23rd, but not on April 30th, in the Sheffield Auditorium from 10:00 to 2:00. Spring projects include replacing some of the red WES aprons, continuing to make large tote bags for the NLHHC and backpacks for Haiti, creating baby blankets and quilts, as well as knitting and sewing many other new creations. We welcome shoppers during our Monday work hours, and our inventory will also be available at the next LBS luncheon on May 8th. Occasionally we are able to fulfill special requests. Questions? Contact Eunice via email: eunicetaylor@me.com. Puerto Rican Community Meal The Refugee Committee of Christ the King Church, St. Ann s Church and the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme invites you to our 2 nd annual community meal, this year hosted by our Puerto Rican family: Adrian, Lis Marie, Adrian Jr. and Gustavo. Saturday, June 9, 6:00 pm at Christ the King Church. All Donations Welcome. LBS COOKBOOK PRESERVES THE WISDOM OF THE AGES LBS has collected more than 300 tested and cherished recipes from members and friends. Some come from Grandma s table; some are almost as new as yesterday. One of the great treasures of our church family is a very deep reservoir of remarkable cooking wisdom accumulated over decades, centuries even. Cookbooks, $10, available at the church office. Sunday Memorial Flowers The third week in October is available for Sunday Memorial flowers. Please call Gisele Perry at 860-382-3115 for more information.
A Prayer for Our Earth Encyclical: Laudato Si : On Care for Our Common Home Pope Francis All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures. You embrace with your tenderness all that exists. Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one. O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes. Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction. Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth. Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light. We thank you for being with us each day. Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for justice, love and peace. Calendar of Events and Meetings for This Week Sunday School TODAY at 9:00 am. Mexico Trip Meeting TODAY at 12:30 pm in the Library. Sewing Group Monday, April 23rd at 10:00 am in the Sheffield Auditorium. LBS Board Meeting Tuesday, April 24th at 10:00 am in the Library. Board of Deacons Tuesday, April 24th at 7:00 pm in the Library. Poetry Group W ednesday, April 25th at 4:00 pm in the Hoag Parlor. Senior Choir Wednesday, April 25th at 7:30 pm in the Sheffield Auditorium. Endowment Committee Thursday, April 26th at 7:00 pm in the Library. David Rahr Memorial Saturday, April 28th at 2:00 pm. Book Group Sunday, April 29th at 12:00 pm in the Library. Confirmation Class Sunday, April 29th at 4:00 pm in the Library. Taco Dinner Sunday, April 29th at 5:30 pm in Fellowship Hall.