Category: Liturgy

The Lent “Bending” Floral Displays

In order from top left to bottom right:

  • Bending our way through Lent — “We are afflicted but not crushed, bent over with burdens but not broken!”
  • Faith and Uncertainty — “Do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your intellect, so that you may discern what is the will of God.”
  • Light as a feather — “Love bears all things . . . “
  • Dogging — “Yes, Rabbi, but even the dogs under the table eat the family’s scraps.”
  • Palm Sunday — “God so generously loved the world that he placed his only son here, so that everyone who has confidence in him may not be lost or be destroyed but may have eternal life.”

Thank you Ned Davis for all your magnificent work on these beautiful Lenten reminders that we bend but don’t break, we seek continually without the illusion we arrive, and in and by love we bear all things.

Communion Again — December 11, 2022

On Sunday, January 26, 2020, the children’s story of the day was a favorite, “Old Jake’s Skirts.” The story of a bachelor farmer who finds a trunk full of women’s skirts by the side of the road. It is the story of how these skirts of colorful calico bring him back to life. I concluded by saying:

Broken and remade. . . . We don’t have to have suffered cancer, or the plague of crows, to experience the power of a calico skirt in our lives. Old Jake, St. Paul, me — and you — this is our story.

We all deserve love and nurturing — and we deserve it because that is, in its essence, just what it means to be human. It is our job to come to see that. Again and again. And to share it with a full heart. And a full table. . . . .
Join me in celebrating all that is so good.

And together we broke bread and said:

We, who have gathered in this safe and sacred space, from houses and farmhouses, condos and apartments, from Montpelier to Burlington, the Center and Duxbury . . . give thanks and praise for all that is good in the world; for the bridges that connect us across rivers and ideas, the telephone lines that carry words of hope and love and mutual upbuilding.

The Lord’s Supper, which we then celebrated for the last time before the pandemic broke out and stopped us, is something we do not because if we don’t we are somehow not Christian, not because if we don’t we are somehow “in trouble,” but because it is one, often beautiful and tender, way for us to acknowledge that despite our confusions, and our frustrations, despite our illness and losses, we all deserve love and nurturing . . . and that is a gift, freely given to us in our need.

Communion is not a requirement of our faith, it is an opportunity. The deacons and I are planning, provided community Covid-19 levels remain low as they have since early summer, to celebrate communion again. We will serve it by passing plates of the juice and the bread, grateful for this church and for the chance we have to “break bread together.”

The servers and preparers will prepare and serve with the utmost care and concern for good hygiene. We hope you can join us this Sunday, December 11.

Kiddush

The Kiddush in the modern Jewish tradition is a blessing “sanctifying the Shabbat.” I have experienced it also as the small meal after the Saturday prayer service is ended and before the worshippers go their ways to meals in their homes. Saturday morning Kiddush has always had the feel of a communion service to me — partly I suppose because it is small. The glass of juice I’ve been served is no more than the size of our communion cups. The challah is, happily, always a bit more than we allow in our tradition! But also because the moment is a communal moment of eating and celebrating.

Jews will recite at the Saturday morning Kiddush texts from Isaiah and Exodus.

If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, from pursuing your affairs on My holy day. If you call the sabbath “delight,” God’s holy day “honored”; And if you honor it and go not your ways nor look to your affairs, nor strike bargains. Then you can delight in God. I will set you upon the heights of the earth, and let you enjoy the inheritance of your father Jacob, for the mouth of God has spoken.

Isaiah 58.13-14

Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. . .

Exodus 20.8

And then the people say: “Blessed are you God, our Lord, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.” With a resounding “L’Chaim,” the cup is shared together.

I would like to try a modified version of Kiddush this Sunday and Sundays to follow. Our sign off is always a bit awkward, and maybe there’s no real way to solve that problem. But as part of our Benediction, I will invite you to raise your cup — coffee or tea, juice or wine and say to yourself or to whoever is with you, “L’Chaim!”

Order of Worship — March 29, 2020

Welcome to worship! Here’s the Login (Don’t forget the password — in your email)

Waterbury Congregational Church At the White Meeting House March 29, 2020

Prelude

Nocturne, Opus 9, No. 2 by Chopin

Welcome

Lighting the Candles

Aubade by W. S. DiPiero

Good morning to what’s left and what has gone.
No more of my dense cries and heavy songs
about time’s hardships, my mood, gunfights in schools,
our murderous American sunshine.
I want a looser grip, a sweeter lightness
and grace and mercy around us, plainer talk . . .

Gathering Prayer & Our 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 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.

Gathering Hymn

Holy, Holy, Holy!

Holy, holy, holy! Lord, God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! Lord, God Almighty!
Though the eyes of humankind your glory may not see,
You alone are holy, you alone are worthy,
Perfect in power, in love and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord, God Almighty!
All your works shall praise your name in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

A Story

Reading 

From Exodus 33:7-23

Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp; he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise and stand, each of them, at the entrance of their tents and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.  . . .

Moses said to the Lord, ‘See, you have said to me, “Bring up this people”; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, “I know you by name, and you have also found favour in my sight.” Now if I have found favour in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favour in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.’ 

[The Lord replied] said, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ 

And [Moses] said to him, ‘If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favour in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth.’

The Lord said to Moses, ‘I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favour in my sight, and I know you by name.’ Moses said, ‘Show me your glory, I pray.’ And [the Lord] said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, “The Lord”; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But . . . you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.’ And the Lord continued, ‘See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.’

Brief Reflection

Deep Descent

Passing the Peace

Offering Moment

He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands

Community Matters

Parting Hymn

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise (no. 7)

Immortal, invisible, God only wise, 
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes, 
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, 
Almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and the silent as light, 
Nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all, life thou givest to both great and small;
In all life thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree, 
And wither and perish, but nought changeth thee.

Great Father of Glory, pure Father of light, 
Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
All praise we would render; O help us to see
‘Tis only the splendor of light hideth thee.

Benediction

Postlude

Yesterday

Litany for Sharing the Work of Justice

Children: On this last Sunday before Lent, we give up the idea that we have no voice. We refuse to believe that we are powerless, that we cannot make a difference in our chuMelanierches, and neighborhoods, our country and our world. We give up the idea that our vision of a better tomorrow must wait until we’re older or richer or smarter or more holy. How will you help us?
Adults: We will hear your voices and look to your visions. We acknowledge that with God all things are possible and we will help you make a difference by giving you opportunities to serve in your church. We will support your efforts in the community and world. We will enter Lent with you.
All: For the kingdom of God is at hand.

We give up the idea that war will always be a part of our world. We will not listen to those who lie to us when they say we must go to war to be safe — in America or in other countries around the world. We refuse to believe that we must kill in order to bring democracy and freedom to others. We give up the idea that violence ever solves anything. How will you help us?
Adults: We will be honest with you. We will not glorify weapons or violence, or righteous indignation. We will teach you ways of peace and model for you ways of loving our enemies. We will seek out and vote for leaders who, like Christ, are willing to be mediators and peacemakers.
All: For the kingdom of God is at hand.

We give up the idea that we are not responsible for our environment,
that it has always been and will always be. We will stop taking our Earth for granted and begin to hear her voice. We give up the idea that worship only happens indoors and behind stained glass. We will remember that our daily bread comes from God through a living, healthy planet and that we must care for her as she cares for us. How will you help us?
Adults: We will delight in the moon and the stars, we will look for God in the oceans and hear the Spirit’s voice in the winds. We will walk gently, buy and eat locally, and reduce our consumption of all things non-renewable. We will worship among the trees and rocks more often and we will bring you with us. We will see all life as sacred and will join with you in preserving our Earth.
All: For the kingdom of God is at hand.

We give up the idea that even though we are healthy, sickness does not affect us. We give up the idea that we do not have a responsibility to act as healers through prayer and touch and action. We give up the fear of disease, especially the fear that causes us to look away. We let go of the idea that illnesses like AIDS and malaria and dysentery have to happen, or that they don’t matter because they don’t happen here. We refuse to believe that healthcare must be for only a few. How will you help us?
Adults: We will take on the role of healers, however we are best suited to do so. We will fund research to find cures and will support health education in impoverished nations. We will respond swiftly to natural disasters that threaten to bring new diseases to already battered people. And when sickness occurs in our midst we will not fear it. Through it we will pray and we will touch, and we will be present for each other.
All: For the kingdom of God is at hand.

We give up the idea that poverty is something normal for some people in some places. We will not tolerate poverty in our world, or the thought that the poor don’t matter. We will not believe that poverty is someone else’s problem and we give up the idea that people who don’t have enough stuff or the right stuff are any less worthy of hope. How will you help us?
Adults: We will work with you to end poverty. We will put our own wealth to work, bringing hope and change to those who need it most. We will ask that you watch us as we feed the hungry, clothe the homeless, and care for widows and orphans in all corners of the world. We will stop pretending that the poor are not among us and we will help you find ways to respond compassionately to this very real problem.
All: For the kingdom of God is at hand.

We give up the idea that hatred is ever ok, that people can be treated differently because they are a different color or speak a different language or live on the other side of a border. We will not allow unequal treatment of gay, lesbian and transgendered people, women, or anyone else. We dream of a world where all people, in all places, of all faiths can work together. We give up the idea that hatred, bigotry, and bullying should ever be associated with God. How will you help us?
Adults: We will fight against injustice for you and with you. We will elect leaders who will help you reach your dreams. We will not harbor hate in our own lives and we will speak out any time we hear intolerance, knowing that to remain silent is not an act of love. We will work with you to rid the world of all those very things that Jesus was willing to die for.
All: For the kingdom of God is at hand.