“Everything Is Waiting for You”



We are an Open and Affirming, Creation Justice CongregationOrder of Service First Sunday of Easter, April 19, 2020We Gather in God’s PresenceLight a candle and center yourself in the presence of God, connecting the light of the candle with the divine light within you.Remember the words of our welcome – “No matter who you are and no matter where you find yourself on life’s journey, you are welcome here.” CREATION CARE MOMENT — This week’s Creation Care Moment comes from Steve Smith: “Good morning,Where were you 50 years ago in the spring of 1970?? I will always remember it as a most historic time - the invasion of Cambodia and riots against the Vietnam war resulting in the deaths of students at Kent State and consequent closing of many colleges and universities(including my own).? It was also the time of the flight of Apollo 13 and it’s near disaster in space.? That spring will be remembered this year as the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day - April 22nd, 1970.Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson imagined it as a national day to focus on the environment.? After witnessing the ravages of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California in 1969, Senator Nelson of Wisconsin hoped to harness the energy and determination of the mostly young anti-war movement with emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution and force environmental protection into the national political agenda.? He announced the idea of a “national teach-in on the environment” to the national media.Some 20 million Americans rallied to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment uniting many individual groups with shared common values.? Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment with support from Republicans and Democrats,? rich and poor, farmers and urban dwellers and business and labor resulting in the passage of theClean? Air Act.? Two years later it was followed by the Clean Water Act and the year after that by the Endangered Species Act.”Opening Prayer – “Liminal Time,” by Rev. Beth Merrill NeelThey say this will all be over,Sooner or laterThat this won’t last foreverThat this is a temporary, though difficult, timeA passing phaseA passing pandemicBut isnt’ all time temporary, passing phases,Passing minutes, hours, days, seasons, years?Isn’t time just a human constructA way to measure – what?Our productivity?? Our greatness? Our failures to act?This is liminal time, time on the edgeTime of misstepping and falling off the cliffMy time is now unboundI do not know what day it is, or what I’m supposed to be doingA friend suggested waking up every day and while getting out of bed shouting the day and date, just to keep ourselves groundedThey say that to offset a panic attack you should be very presentNotice what you see, smell, hear, taste, feelGround yourself in the immediate now.Isn’t that what we are supposed to do all the time anyway?Be present?? Notice?This is what it is, right now, in this momentWhat it will be in the next moment, we cannot knowLook: the crocuses are up.Smell: the neighbor is burning trash again.Listen: that bird keeps singing the same song, over and over again.Taste: coffee lingers on the tongue.Feel: the skin on my wrists is so dry.Breathe.This too shall pass, as all things do.OPENING HYMN “Now the Green Blade Rises” (Tune: NOEL NOUVELET) PRAYER OF CONFESSION Our hearts are hard, O God –Soften them with your love.Our hands are clenched, O God –Open them with your grace.Our feet are planted too firmly, O God –Invite us to dance with you.Our lives are not our own, we know –Let us live and move and have our being in you, O God.SILENT REFLECTION WORDS OF ASSURANCE“Everything Is Waiting for You”by?David WhyteYour great mistake is to act the dramaas if you were alone. As if lifewere a progressive and cunning crimewith no witness to the tiny hiddentransgressions. To feel abandoned is to denythe intimacy of your surroundings. Surely,even you, at times, have felt the grand array;the swelling presence, and the chorus, crowdingout your solo voice. You must notethe way the soap dish enables you,or the window latch grants you freedom.Alertness is the hidden discipline of familiarity.The stairs are your mentor of thingsto come, the doors have always been thereto frighten you and invite you,and the tiny speaker in the phoneis your dream-ladder to divinity.Put down the weight of your aloneness and ease into theconversation. The kettle is singingeven as it pours you a drink, the cooking potshave left their arrogant aloofness andseen the good in you at last. All the birdsand creatures of the world are unutterablythemselves. Everything is waiting for you.We Listen for God’s WordSCRIPTURE John 20: 11-31Watch Deacon John Myhre read the scripture here SERMON Watch Pastor Daniel’s sermon here We Respond to God’s WordHYMN “Joy Dawned Again on Easter Day” (Tune: PUER NOBIS NASCITUR) Joy dawned again on Easter Day,the sun shone out with bright array;For when the Apostles hid in fear,the Risen Christ to them appeared. O Jesus, Savior, Gentle One,come take our hearts to be your own,That we may give you all our daysthe willing tribute of our praise. O Sovereign One, with us abidein this our joyful Easter-tide;From every weapon death can wield,your own redeemed forever shield.OFFERING OF GIFTS We will be checking the church mailbox each week, so please continue to donate to our life and mission together through the mail.In addition to our regular offering, these weeks we will be continuing to collect our Deacons Fund offering. The Deacons Fund is a discretionary account used to help local Addison County individuals and families in times of acute need. Checks can be made out to the Weybridge Church, with “Deacons Fund” in the memo line.OFFERATORY – “O Sons and Daughters Let us Sing” – King’s College Choir, Cambridge DOXOLOGY We sing together: “Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise God all creatures here below; Praise God above ye heavenly host; Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.” Prayers of the People – Join us for our 10:30am Zoom Prayer & Fellowship time to share our joys and concers, and to pray together.BENEDICTIONGod of Big Surprises and Ordinary Days, walk with us through this Easter Season. Open us to see you in each other and your creation. Remind us of your promises while surprising us as we experience new things. Our lives are not what we expected, Holy One, and we ask that you use us in this time to share your love with others. No matter what tomorrow brings, we will trust in you and give thanks. We know you are making all things new, and so we will wait and be ready. In the name of Jesus who lived and died and lives with you, we pray. Amen!We would love to have you join us for our Zoom Fellowship and Prayer Hour – beginning at 10:30am. You can join the Zoom gathering here. Meeting password: 96153. ................
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