Order of Worship, Grafton Community Church, 05-10-26 PRELIM
Bill Watson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Grafton Community Church Worship
Time: Meeting – 9:45 a.m. May 10, 2026
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Meeting ID: 235 223 715
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** For those with health concerns, masks and safe social distance are suggested within the sanctuary, especially so, when singing or responding in prayer! Masks are available at the rear of the sanctuary.
Order of Worship, Grafton Community Church, 05-10-26 Sixth Sunday of Easter & Mother’s Day
Note: Gathering Music will begin at 9:50 with the Prelude to follow
Musician Amy Cann
Gathering Music/Prelude — A Medley of Mothers' Favorites.
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 “God Of Eve, God Of Mary” words Fred Kaan/A. Cann, tune: NETTLETON/Chalice 16
“Come Thou Font of Every Blessing”
1 God of Eve and God of Mary, God of love and mother-earth,
Thank you for the ones who with us shared their life and gave us birth.
2 Thank you for our mother’s mothers, stretching in unbroken line
Raising up each generation each a Mary in her time
3 Thank you God for nurture, shelter born of choosing, not of blood
Mothers, though they did not bear us, yet we are by them beloved
4 As you came to earth in Jesus, so you come to us today;
You are present in the caring that prepares us for life's way.
5 Thank you that the Church, our Mother, gives us bread and fills our cup,
And the comfort of the Spirit warms our hearts and lifts us up.
6 God of Eve and God of Mary, Christ our brother, human Son,
Spirit, caring like a Mother, take our love and make us one!
All lyrics © 1995 Chalice Press
Used by Permission. CCLI License
#21383697
* 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
Gracious God, open our hearts to Your power moving around us and between us and within us. Transform us through your Spirit, so we may have eyes to see and hearts to understand the magic of love in our world. Amen
*Response: (“God Of Eve, God Of Mary” Verse 4 & 6)
As you came to earth in Jesus, so you come to us today;
You are present in the caring that prepares us for life's way.
God of Eve and God of Mary, Christ our brother, human Son,
Spirit, caring like a Mother, take our love and make us one!
Scripture:
Acts 17: 24-28
Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said,
“The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands,
nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things.
From one ancestor he made all people to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live,
so that they would search for God and perhaps fumble about for him and find him--though indeed he is not far from each one of us.
For 'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we, too, are his offspring.'”
Psalm 66:8-12
Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard,
who has kept us among the living and has not let our feet slip.
For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.
You brought us into the net; you laid burdens on our backs;
you let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a spacious place.
John 14:15-20
[Jesus offers his Disciples the promise of the Holy Spirit, saying:] "If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.
This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
"I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live.
On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”
*Hymn: #265 “Spirit Of God, Descend Upon My Heart”
1 Spirit of God, descend upon my heart; wean it from earth, through all its pulses move;
stoop to my weakness, mighty as thou art, and make me love thee as I ought to love.
2 I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies, no sudden rending of the veil of clay,
no angel visitant, no opening skies; but take the dimness of my soul away.
3 Teach me to feel that thou art always nigh; teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,
to check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh; teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.
4 Teach me to love thee as thine angels love, one holy passion filling all my frame;
the baptism of the heaven-descended Dove, my heart an altar, and thy love the flame.
Reflection: “God’s DNA” Pastor C.J. King
Synopsis: The Apostle Paul says we are God’s offspring. Jesus tells us that we are in God, and God is in us. What does this mean for our identity as Christians?
*Hymn #517 “Love Divine, All Love Excelling”
1 Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling, all thy faithful mercies crown;
Jesus, thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation, enter every trembling heart.
2 Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit into every troubled breast;
let us all in thee inherit, let us find the promised rest;
take away the love of sinning, alpha and omega be;
end of faith, as its beginning, set our hearts at liberty.
3 Come, almighty to deliver, let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return and never, never-more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing, serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray and praise thee without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love.
4 Finish then thy new creation, pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee;
changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise.
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.)
Offertory — “Taizé Meditation” (Jacques Berthier, France 1970) *Full music at end
Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten - those who seek God shall never go wanting
Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten - God alone fills us
Nada de turbe, nade de'espante - quien a Dios nada le falta
Nada de turbe, nade de'espante - solo Dios bas-ta
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 & The 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: —“God Is Here!” (Chalice 280)
As the postlude ends, feel free to move about the Sanctuary. Music may continue as you join others for coffee or greet your friends as you exit the Sanctuary. All should feel free to share the peace of this space in the Sanctuary or on Zoom. On Zoom you may unmute your mics and begin virtual coffee hour. (You will temporarily be muted in the Sanctuary.)
In the sanctuary, use appropriate precautions for those with health concerns.*
*Masks are available in the sanctuary for those wishing to use one.
Music Notes
“God Of Eve, God Of Mary” words Fred Kaan/A. Cann, tune: NETTLETON
The first and last three quatrains of today's opening hymn - "God of Eve, God of Mary" are by Fred Kaan, a Dutch pastor already known to us through two excellent hymns in Chalice: For the Healing Of The Nations (#668) and Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ (#422). Born in Haarlem in the Netherlands in 1929, he lived through the Nazi occupation, saw three of his grandparents die of starvation, and witnessed his parents deep involvement in the resistance movement including taking in a number of refugees. Ordained in 1955 in the Congregational Church of Glamorgan, in 1963 he was called to be minister of the Pilgrim Church in Plymouth, England. It was in this congregation that he began to write hymns, both original work and translations, often addressing issues of peace and justice. The second and third quatrains are my own contribution, in honor of the grandmothers and mothers-by-choice who raised me.
Taizé Meditation:
Grafton Prayer List:
Our Planet Earth * Immigrants experiencing or facing detention or deportation in their loneliness and fear *Transgender people and their families *Those enduring times of stress *Those with PTSD & their families *Beloved pets of Grafton *Mary Karam, & the Humes family *Arlene & Ron Carey *Gaelle McLoud *The Rowley family *Carol Bason *Arthur Park *Nancy Merrill *Dick Warren *Cecile Fisher Smith *Dennis Scharback *Todd Baker (Pastor Watson’s friend) *Linda Preziosi *Christine Tattersall *Karen Hunt *David Lambert *Sophie Field *Irene Rice *Max Brown *Dick Desrochers *Ben Williams (Pastor King’s husband) *Patricia Donatelli *Lorrie Young
*Ed Gruelich *Flo & Tim Bosch *Ross Ludeman *The Olsson families. *Candace Damon & the Jacobson family *The Arbuckle family *Christian Rogerson & family *Lima Leland
Those Who Have Lost Loved Ones
*Irene Rice & family *Family & friends of Liam Parker (Michele Chickering’s son) *Family & friends of Barbara Andrews (Meg Gonzalez’ mom) *Family & friends of Bob Haseltine *Family & friends of Denize Schemm *Family & friends of Helen Lanoie (mother of Andre Lanoie) * Family & friends of Bernard “Pete” Haley *Family & friends of Donna Rice *Family & friends of Galen Pinkham *Family & friends of Susan Lathrop *Family & friends of David James Smith (Cecile Smith’s brother in law) *Family & friends of David Fischmann (partner of Katherine Brown) *Family & friends of Estelle Pieth *Family & friends of Dave Robinson *Family & friends of Debbie Wright *Family & friends of Stephan Fitzsimmons (Caidin Domeracki’s grandfather) *Family & friends of Norm Robertson *Family & friends of Ginger Ludeman *Family & Friends of Lisa Cashetto (Lorrie Young’s sister-in-law) *Family & friends of Diana Toomey *Family & friends of Jim Webb (Angela Moulton’s Father) *Family & friends of Kenneth Dorko (Pastor Watson’s nephew)
Extended Care:
*Dottie Royal, Bromley Manor, 2595 Depot St., Manchester, VT 05255
*Addie Hall Vogel. Equinox Village, 49 Maple St. Manchester, VT 05255
*Judy & Chuck Dickison, Equinox Village, 49 Maple St. Manchester, VT 05255
*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
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