https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P0LgGZ-iNIoP2AOGYxEkH3w1AcAyrKS_/view
Above is the internet link to the recording of our worship service for Sunday May 12th, 2024. If you’d like to view the recording then copy the link, above, and place it into your browser. Enjoy the Mother’s Day service, music and reflection.
Order of Worship, Grafton Community Church, 05-12-24
Bill Watson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Grafton Community Church Worship
Time: Meeting – 9:45 a.m. May 12, 2024
Join Zoom Meeting
*Password: 099540
*You may need to enter this to join. Write it down; so, you have it when/if your computer/phone asks you to enter it. It may keep you out of the “waiting room.”
Meeting ID: 235 223 715
It helps to download the FREE Zoom app ahead of time.
Please mute your computer or phone microphone! Make sure there is a red slash through the microphone icon in the lower left-hand corner of your screen.
This will make the service more enjoyable for all.
**In the sanctuary, masks and a safe social distance are suggested, especially when singing or responding in prayer!!!
Order of Worship, Grafton Community Church, 05-12-24, Ascension Day/Mother’s Day
Prelude
(After entering Zoom or the Sanctuary, please use mute or observe silence to allow all to prepare for worship. Thank you & Blessings)
O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee (Michael Cox)
Be Thou My Vision (Molly Ijames)
Air in D (J. S. Bach)
Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me (arr. Ken Olsson)
Come Christians, Join to Sing (Lloyd Larson)
Welcome and Announcements (Linda Robertson, Council Chair)
No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here!
*Please observe a moment of silence; so we may each offer our prayers and praise to Creator, Christ & Holy Spirit.
*Hymn #90 “Come Christians, Join to Sing”
1 Come, Christians, join to sing: Alleluia! Amen!
Loud praise to Christ we bring: Alleluia! Amen!
Let all with heart and voice, before his throne rejoice;
praise we with gracious choice: Alleluia! Amen!
2 Come, lift your hearts on high, Alleluia! Amen!
Let praises fill the sky: Alleluia! Amen!
Christ is our Guide and Friend on whom we can depend;
his love shall never end: Alleluia! Amen!
3 Praise yet our Christ again: Alleluia! Amen!
Life shall not end the strain: Alleluia! Amen!
On heaven's blissful shore his goodness we'll adore,
singing for evermore: Alleluia! Amen!
* Call to Worship (from “Prayers for the World & Its People,” Iona Abbey Worship Book)
One: Believing that God made and loves the world,
Many: we gather.
One: That it may be reshaped to fulfill God’s purposes,
Many: we pray.
One: To seek a wisdom deeper than our own thinking,
Many: we listen.
One: To honor God who gave us voice,
Many: we worship.
* Unison Prayer (by Julian of Norwich)
In you, Father all-mighty, we have our preservation and our bliss. In you, Christ, we have our restoring and our saving. You are our mother, brother, and Savior. In you, Holy Spirit, is marvelous and plentiful grace. Teach us to believe that by your grace all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well. Amen
* Response Hymn #218 “Thine Is the Glory” (verse2)
Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let the church with gladness hymns of triumph sing.
for the Lord now liveth; death hath lost its sting.
[Refrain:]
Thine is the glory, risen, conquering Son,
endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won.
Scripture:
Acts 1: 1-11
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning
until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me;
for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"
He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.
They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
Ephesians 1: 17-19
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him,
so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,
and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.
*Hymn #83 “Mothering God” ©
1 Mothering God, you gave me birth in the bright morning of this world.
Creator, Source of ev’ry breath, You are my rain, my wind, my sun;
You are my rain, my wind, my sun.
2 Mothering Christ, you took my form, offering me your food of light,
Grain of life, and grape of love, Your very body for my peace;
Your very body for my peace.
Mothering Spirit, nurturing one, in arms of patience hold me close,
So that in faith I root and grow until I flower, until I know;
until I flower, until I know.
All lyrics © 1995 Chalice Press
Used by Permission. CCLI License #21383697
Reflection: “Why Look Up?” Pastor C.J. King
Synopsis: Where shall we look to find evidence of God’s presence and inspiration for our spiritual lives?
*Hymn #266 “Gracious Spirit, Dwell With Me”
1 Gracious Spirit, dwell with me: I myself would gracious be,
and with words that help and heal, would thy life in mine reveal,
and, with actions bold and meek, would for Christ my Savior speak.
2 Truthful Spirit, dwell with me: I myself would truthful be.
and with wisdom kind and clear, let thy life in mine appear,
and, with actions lovingly, mirror Christ's sincerity.
3 Silent Spirit, dwell with me: I myself would silent be,
quiet as the growing blade, which through earth its way has made,
silently, like morning light, putting mists and chills to flight.
4 Mighty Spirit, dwell with me: I myself would mighty be,
mighty so as to prevail where unaided I would fail,
ever, by a mighty hope, pressing on and bearing up.
5 Holy Spirit, dwell with me: I myself would holy be;
break from sin and choose the good, cherish what my Savior would,
and whatever I can be, give to God who gave me thee.
Offerings of the People
You can present your offering for the work of Grafton Community Church, using the “Donate Now” button on our Facebook page at The Grafton Church, or on our web site www.graftoncommunitychurch.org (The button may actually say “Shop Now,” but it has the same function. You will not run afoul of Martin Luther’s edicts on indulgences.)
Offertory: (Music Minster Ken Olsson)
Reverie (Stanley E. Saxtons)
Response: Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise God all creatures here below – Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise God above the source of gifts!
Praise Jesus Christ, whose power uplifts.
Praise the Spirit, Holy Spirit – Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Offertory Prayer of Dedication
The Benediction & 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen.
Postlude:
Come Christians, Join to Sing (Mark Hayes)
Please greet your neighbors on Zoom or at a “Safe Social Distance” in the sanctuary, as the postlude ends. On Zoom unmute your mikes, share greetings and the peace of this virtual space.
Masks are optional but recommended in the sanctuary!
Grafton Prayer List:
Our Planet Earth *Those with PTSD & their families *Those enduring times of stress * *Beloved pets of Grafton *Mary Karam, & the Humes family *Arlene & Ron Carey *Gaelle McLoud *Ellis Miller * Pat Mack *The Rowley family *Carol Bason *Phil Atwood *Bob Haseltine & the Haseltine families *Arthur Park *Bill Brown *Galen Pinkham *Kate Gravelle *Matt Brown *Michael Brown (Matt Brown’s brother) *Pastor Harold Noyes *Michelle Dufort *Andrea Turner *Sylven Lang *Jane Metcalf (Sherry Brown’s Aunt) *Kenny King (Pastor King’s brother) *Norm Robertson *Robert Johnson (Ken Olsson’s father-in-law) *Nancy Merrill *Ann Royal Beaulne *Dick Warren *Amy Phillips *Michelle Dolloph *Dave Robinson *Michelle Dufort *Joyce Olsson (Ken’s mom) *Mark Rushton *Cecile Fisher Smith *Pam & Ray Robinson *Meg Gonzalez *Dennis Scharback *Judy Dickison *Todd Baker (Pastor Watson’s friend)
Those Who Have Lost Loved Ones
*Irene Rice & family *Family & friends of Arol Ward *Family & friends of Jonathan Miller *Family and friends of Joe Valente *Family & friends of Mary Clare Ahern (Maryanne Donald’s mother) *Family & friends of Eric Lambert *Family & friends of Allison Forney (Mary Ann & Bill Kearns’ daughter) *Family & friends of Jerry Smith *Family & friends of Len Gravelle *Family & friends of Evan McCulloch Lovell *Family & friends of Henry Rounds *Family & friends of Stuart Archambault *Family & friends of Tom Rutkowski *Family & friends of Chuck Woodman *Family & friends of Dennis Hunt *Family & friends of Jim Chickering *Family & friends of Ray Durand *Family & friends of Gloria Gold (Donna Alexander’s mother) *Family & friends of Rev. Allen Humes *Family and friends of Richard Geist (Franklin Geist’s- brother) *Family & Friends of Marion Tenney *Family and friends of Patricia Hastings (Nelson Cooley’s sister.) *Family & friends of Philip Rowley *Family & friends of Doug Wright *Family & friends of Cathy Hallock *Family & friends of Michelle Brown (sister of Carol Wright) *Family & friends of Stan Mack *Family & friends of Frank Ryan *Family & friends of Peter Preziosi *Family & friends of Charles “Tim” Goodwin (Kirk’s brother) *Family & friends of Raymond Gregory
Extended Care:
*Denize Schemm, Vermont Veterans’ Home, Cardinal Point, 325 North St., Bennington, VT 05201
*Dottie Royal, Bromley Manor, 2595 Depot St., Manchester, VT 05255
*Luann Ward, Gill Odd Fellows Home, 18 Gill Terrace, Ludlow VT 05149
*Rev. Catherine Cadieux, Sterling House, 33 Atkinson Street, Bellows Falls VT 05101
Grafton Community Church, 55 Main Street, PO Box 158, Grafton, VT, 05146, United States
(802) 843-2346 Graftonchurch@gmail.com
Our Website: www.graftoncommunitychurch.org
On Facebook: The Grafton Church
Alleluia! Celebrate Easter!
with Grafton Community Church