May 14, 2017

Happy Mother’s Day

Welcome and Announcements – A warm welcome is extended to all. Your
presence both enriches us and this time of celebration together.

For Meditation and Reflection: We come together from our separate lives,
each of us bringing our concerns, our preoccupations, our hopes, and our dreams.
We are not yet fully present. The traffic, the last-minute cooking, the final details still cling to us. Our bodies hold the rush of the past few hours. It is now time to let go of these pressures and embrace and become aware of the present moment. When you are ready, repeat silently to yourself: ‘Hineini’ or ‘Here I am’. Hineini is used in the
Torah to signify being present in body, mind, and spirit. It means settling into where
we are and simply being “here”.

Call to Worship
Pastor: We are people of all ages who enter this space
bringing our joys and our concerns.
All: We come together in hope.
Pastor: We greet each other warmly with our voices and our smiles.
All: We come together in peace.
Pastor: We share our growth and our aspirations.
All: We come together in wonder.
Pastor: We share our losses and our disappointments.
All: We come together in sorrow.
Pastor: We share our concern and our compassion.
All: We come together in love.
Pastor: We sing and pray and listen. We speak and read and dream.
We think and ponder and reflect. We cry and laugh and reflect.
We mourn and celebrate and meditate. We strive for justice and for mercy.
All: We come together to worship God.

Opening Hymn: Standing At the Future’s Threshold – #538

Opening Prayer: (Unison) Spirit of life, in us and around us, here is our chance, once again, to live like we wish the world would live. May we find within our-selves the courage to be who we are. May we know when it is time to listen and when it is time to speak. May we trust ourselves to be the ones to find the words that need to be said or to do what needs to be done. May we trust one another and know there are many ways to go through life. May we know that though we cannot change some of what life gives to us, we can choose how we deal with what we are given. Together we can make possible justice and love. As we worship this morning, may we be reminded that we are all connected. We
depend upon one another more than we know. We are one body. We are salt
of the earth. So be it. Amen.

Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:13

Sermon by Rev. Samantha Tuttle – “Salt Does Not Exist For Itself”

Responsive Sharing

Hymn: You Are Salt For the Earth, O People – #161

The Offerings and Offertory Music

Acknowledgment of Mothers and Nurturers
We Are Dancing Sarah’s Circle – #501

Sharing of Joys and Concerns

Lord’s Prayer

Closing Hymn: God’s Eye Is on the Sparrow – #475

Pastor’s Benediction: Before we gather here again,
may each of us bring happiness into another’s life;
may we each be surprised by the gifts that surround us;
may each of us be enlivened by constant curiosity.
And may we remain together in spirit til the hour we meet again. Amen.

Sharing the Peace as we go…….And we hope you can join us for post-worship coffee and conversation in Fellowship Hall.

Thoughts for the Day/Week

Home is the definition of God. Eden is that…house we dwell in every day.
– Emily Dickinson

Poets have waxed lyrical about the joys of domesticity for centuries, no doubt be-
cause they lived with loving, patient and nurturing women who created havens of tranquil order in which they could work in peace and comfort. But often, I am nearly bowed under, physically and emotionally, but the minutiae of the mundane. Perhaps that is when I need the reverence of poets, who bear witness to the sacredness of
the ordinary. Perhaps they can help me discover that the poetry is to be found in the perception of my tasks…..if I choose to live with meaning, homecaring is sacred.

Though we are grown, we never outgrow the need for someone special to hold us close, stroke our hair, tuck us into bed and reassure us that tomorrow all will be well. Perhaps we need to reacquaint ourselves consciously with the maternal and deeply comforting dimension of Divinity….to learn how to mother ourselves.

Paraphrased from Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy
By Sarah Ban Breathnatch

Announcements:

This Sunday, May 14th
Our Worship Leader is the Rev. Samantha Tuttle, whose message is titled
“Salt Does Not Exist for Itselt” We hope our members and friends will join us
and bring your parents and grandparents, children and grandchildren for this special Mother’s Day worship service.

Sunday, May 21st
Our Worship Leader will be David Plume from Martinsburg, WV. His sermon title is “Speaking to Today’s Areopagus”.

Jammin’ At James will be held in the sanctuary from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
A light supper will be available beginning at 5:30. All are welcome to participate in the open mic, or just enjoy the good music provided by Max Honn and friends. We extend a special invitation to the members of Grace Episcopal Church in Brunswick to join us, and thank them for allowing us to share their worship last Sunday.

Sunday, May 28th
Our Worship Leader will be the Rev. Michael Lyle, whose sermon will be
titled “Listening In”.

Our Statement of Faith

We gather in worship as an inclusive community, an open & affirming community
of faith that transcends any distinctions based on gender, sexual orientation, nationality, race, or religion…

Our formal worship flows into a living worship of love and support for one another
as we pursue ways to reflect God’s reign of mercy, justice, and peace in our community and throughout the world…

….along with a continuing search for ways to celebrate the goodness of life together… and always reaching out to draw others, with total inclusiveness, into this communal experience.