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The Congregational Church of Westborough UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
57 West Main, Westborough, Massachusetts 01581
ONLINE WORSHIP APRIL 26, 2020
THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
Photo: ©Niccolo Talenti\licensed by 123RF.com
OPEN DOORS –GROWING FAITH! No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here!
WE WELCOME VISITORS AND NEWCOMERS! We are an “Open and Affirming” Church
Statement of Inclusion We, the people of The Congregational Church of Westborough, United Church of Christ, believe that all people are created equal, in God’s image. “We are all God’s children.” In our journey of faith, we strive for justice and equality for all. We invite and welcome into our community and into the full life and Christian ministry of this church, persons of every race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, family structure, faith background, economic circumstance, mental and physical ability. We say, and mean, “No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.” We declare ourselves an Open and Affirming Christian community, actively expressing our belief in diversity and inclusion. We seek to be a faith community centered in Christ, ready to proclaim the Gospel and seek to grow through the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. We offer to each person acceptance and the responsibilities and blessings of participation in this congregation.
About Today’s Online Worship Service
Please note that we are trying something a little different this week. Our Zoom meeting room will be open to attendees at 9:45. When you log in, you will remain an “attendee” until after the service. This means that your camera and microphone will be off and you won’t be able to see yourself or others outside of the worship team. You will be greeted by a slide with instructions and information about the service and tech support will still be available via chat should you have any trouble. After the service is over and recording has stopped, we will change everyone’s designation from “attendee” to “panelist” which will allow you to turn on your camera and microphone and enjoy the online fellowship that has meant so much to all of us these past weeks.
Need some Zoom help? We’ve added a handy guide on the church website: http://www.uccwestboro.org/my-church/online-worship
Today’s worship service will be recorded and streamed live on Facebook.
Please sign up for our weekly ENEWS bulletin and announcements by contacting us at [email protected]
WELCOME!
Are you visiting with us today? We are glad you are here!
WHETHER YOU HAVE JOINED US BY PHONE, IPAD, OR COMPUTER
We celebrate “OPEN DOORS and GROWING FAITH”
“No matter who you are or where you are on your journey, you are welcome here.”
If you are here for a brief visit or are searching, let us be of help.
WE HOPE YOU WILL BE INSPIRED AND PRAYERFULLY FILLED IN OUR SERVICE OF WORSHIP
and that
YOU WILL FEEL WELCOMED, AS ONE WHO BELONGS!
CONTACTS AND INFORMATION
Rev. Sue Remick, Interim Minister – [email protected] Peter Graham, Student Minister – [email protected]
Wendy Reardon, Director of Children’s and Youth Ministries - [email protected] Joseph Stillitano, Director of Music – [email protected]
Sue Menzel, Director of Bells – [email protected] Lisa Coffey, Administrator – [email protected]
Bonne Rossi, Administrator – [email protected] Office hours: WE ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
We will check our messages as often as we can. Church office phone 508/366-2000
General Church email – [email protected] , Church website- www.uccwestboro.org www.facebook.com/TheCongregationalChurchofWestborough
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF WESTBOROUGH UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
ONLINE SERVICE April 26, 2020 Third Sunday of Easter
GATHERING FOR WORSHIP
SIGN IN (Cameras and microphones will remain off until after the service) 9:45 AM ZOOM GREETING & ANNOUNCEMENTS 9:50 AM PRELUDE MUSIC 9:55 AM
INVITING THE WORD WELCOME Pete Graham
CALL TO WORSHIP (from Worship Ways, UCC.org) Kathy Reynolds Kathy: Travelers on the Way, what shall we do?
Sue: We shall praise God who hears our prayers, who draws near to us, and brings new life out of death.
Kathy: Dear Ones, how shall we live? Wendy: With the confidence of God’s beloved children, with security and joy of God’s saving grace. Kathy: Friends old and new, what is the promise? Joe: New life, forgiveness of sin, the Spirit as a gift! Kathy: Beloved Siblings, how shall we praise? Sue: We will lift our voices and our hearts in love, thanks, and praise!
PRAYER OF INVOCATION from christianaid.org.uk/ Kathy Reynolds Living God, Whose presence on our daily road we often fail to see, warm our hearts with fresh confidence
in Your Word, so that, in making room for the stranger, we find Your hospitality awaiting us, and the reassurance of Your presence to inspire us to tread the road again, and to share the good news of Your resurrection life. AMEN.
THE LORD’S PRAYER Sung by Joseph Stillitano 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. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, Amen.
RECEIVING THE WORD CHILDREN’S TIME Wendy Reardon SCRIPTURE (see below for text) Luke 24:13-35 REFLECTION "Toward the Rising Sun" Pete Graham MUSICAL PIECE “Hush! Somebody’s Callin’ My Name” Recorded February 16, 2020
RESPONDING TO THE WORD
A MOMENT FOR SILENT PRAYER AND REFLECTION During this time you may enter your prayer requests in the chat window. For the privacy of those we will be lifting up in prayer, please use first names only.
PASTORAL PRAYER OFFERING & MUSIC (Please share your offerings in our chat) Pete Graham PRAYER OF DEDICATION BENEDICTION Pete Graham CLOSING MUSIC “King of My Heart,” by King, Rademaker, Barnes, and Pardo Performed by Faith Formation on June 19, 2019.
VIRTUAL COFFEEHOUR You are invited to remain online for our social time following the worship service. When recording and live streaming has ended, our moderators will enable you to turn on your microphone and camera. This process may take a few minutes, but we will get to everyone as soon as we can. Images and videos seen during today’s reflection were used courtesy of the Istituto Luce-Cinecittà Historical Light Archive, a member of the UNESCO Memory of the World Register dedicated to “the audiovisual memory of the 20th century in Italy and the Mediterranean area.” To view their vast cinematographic, photographic, and documentary collections, visit https://www.archivioluce.com/.
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING Luke 24:13-35 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
On the Road to Emmaus
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from
Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about
everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and
discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came
up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from
recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you
walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them,
named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting
Jerusalem who does not know the things that have
happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a
prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the
people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over
to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we
had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem
Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed
us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had
seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it
just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
Gino Bartali on the Cover of el Gráfico Magazine,
September 16, 1938\Public Domain
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not
the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the
Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going
farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he
went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to
them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him,and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They
asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the
Scriptures to us?”
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them,
assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two
told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
PRAYERS
New Prayers: Please pray for Joe Harrington and his family upon the loss of his sister-in-law in Germany, Herburg Ihringer, who died of Covid-19 on April 17. She would have been 80 in July. Continued Prayers: Amanda Pu Ruiz and her family are sick with the Corona virus; Betty Gray’s nephew Brendan & his family; Marge Butcher; Dorothy Collins; Megan Huber’s mother Fran Kelly; Marie Murphy’s son Craig Jernberg; Nancy Reimann; Cathie Achorn’s mother Dee Mumby; Bob Brown; Gini & Tom Erwin; Anna Gavel, granddaughter/cousin of Karen Gavel and the Oevermanns; Linda Polatka (Cathie Achorn’s sister). Prayer requests: You can place prayer concerns on the church’s email distribution list at [email protected]. If you would like a prayer request included in today’s service, please let a Deacon know prior to the start of worship. Prayers will remain listed for 8 weeks. If you would like a prayer renewed, please call the church office.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: APRIL 26, 2020
GROCERY CARDS FOR SALE Grocery Cards at a Social Distance! The Grocery Card Team continues to sell grocery gift cards to Stop & Shop, Roche Bros., and Price Chopper. It's easy. Place your order with Karen Hutchinson who will make a plan with you for delivery. Please don't hesitate. Selling grocery cards is our mission to benefit our Church.
For donations to the Food Pantry: Send a check to Karen made payable to Congregational Church of Westborough. We will get them to the Food Pantry.
For personal use: Email your order to Karen who will make arrangements with you for pick up. We have loads of cards on hand and your Grocery Card Team is eager to sell them.
IHN NEEDS
Dismas House in Worcester is down to just 5 guys but they are in need of some basics. They need the usual things everyone is having trouble getting...toilet paper, paper towels, wipes, spray, hand sanitizer, detergent, bath towels and packs of men's underwear, size large. Someone will be dropping off food and anything we can collect next Tuesday 4/28. Please contact me, at [email protected] or 508-212-8297, if you can help. I'm able to pick up from you or you can drop stuff off at my house (40 Byard Lane, Westborough)...whatever is easier. Thank you in advance for your help! Stay safe! Megan Huber
CAN YOU HELP CONNECT? We are looking for a few good folk who would like to be deputized as Deacons for this time. Don't worry, you are not being signed up. You are being deputized during this pandemic. Our current deacons could use some help. We have all the church member households divided into precincts. They are quite large. Our intent (as many churches are doing) is to connect with our members at least once a week. Called to Care members are also assigned but they too are stretched. Are you someone who can send out a weekly email to a smaller neighborhood group or 10-12 households? Can you make an occasional phone call to those who most need our connection? If so, please let Rev. Sue ASAP or Elaine Moore. We will assign folk and set up a first contact email for you to send along with emails for this group. Rev. Sue will also send along guidelines and possible questions to ask our members. PLEASE HELP US STAY CONNECTED. We will consider non-member households if we get enough volunteers. As an aside, Rev. Sue received an email from a member of her home church suggesting just this thing and it was a wonderful thing indeed!
PCC
The Pastoral Counseling Centers of MA, Inc. would like to make sure everyone knows that we are open for business, just in a different way. Though we are not having face to face sessions, all of our 11 therapists are still meeting with clients via "teletherapy" as in phone conversations, FaceTime, Skype, Zoom or other means that are agreed upon by the client and therapist. In these trying times of raised anxiety, it is important to have support. Know that we are available and receiving referrals. If you hear of relatives, friends or neighbors who may be struggling, feel free to let them know we are open and would be pleased to be able to help. You can email us at [email protected] or call our main office at #508-366-4000. Mary Taber
