Memorial Day Weekend
Prelude Prelude and Fugue in g minor J.S.Bach (1685-1750)
Welcome, Welcome Back
Call to Worship
*Hymn No. 210 Our God, Our Help in Ages Past, st. 1&3
*Unison Prayer of Gathering and New Life
One Voice: In The Revelation, Jesus says “See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” With Jesus’ assurance, let us pray:
All: Good and gracious God, come gather us for worship together in Jesus’ name. Uplift our spirits, engage our intellects, and guide our convictions. For these days of memorial and then summer still render our hearts troubled, and even afraid. Only your alpha and omega are enough for the living of these days. Only your ways can renew our hopes. So draw draw us in your Spirit’s tether, your healing way, and we will worship with hope and praise. Amen.
*Assurance of God’s Grace
*Response in Thanks
Our God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while life shall last, And our eternal home.
The Gospel Reading John 17: 20-26
The Children’s Time
Go, my children, with my blessing, Never alone. Waking, sleeping,
I am with you; You are my own. In my love’s baptismal river I have made you mine forever. Go, my children, with my blessing – You are my own.
The Living of these Days
The Hymn Response Amazing Grace, # 280 st. 1&3, seated
The Psalmist’s Lament
The Hymn Response Precious Lord # 404, seated
Lament leads to Praise
The Choral Offering Sheep May Safely Graze Bach/Morgan
Psalms of Timing and Inquiry
Hymn of Community O Beautiful, How Beautiful, insert
Still Living in These Days
Hymn of Hope (insert) For the Healing of the Nations, st. 1&3, seated
Pastoral Prayer and Lord’s Prayer (Our father and mother… trespasses…)
*Hymn No. 526 For All the Saints, st. 1&3
*Benediction
*Choral Response God Be With You Dale Wood
Postlude Prayer M.Enrico Bossi (1861-1925)
* Those who are able please stand
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
During this time of covid caution we welcome all to safe, cautious congregational assembly. It is good to worship together. To care for one another we wear masks
(except for worship leaders at times) and our leaders are vaccinated.
We have a touch-free offering today. Please leave a gift in the basket, deliver an envelope after worship, go online, or any touch-free method you wish.
Thanks to worship leaders Kenneth Baily, Yevgenia Semeina,
Lynd Matt, Wendy Donnell, and Carol Jensen
NHCC is an Open and Affirming, Still Speaking congregation where all are welcome regardless of the divisions or separations that some in society would impose: whoever you are, you are welcome in God’s house. “In Christ we are a new creation,” so we are blessed to be together in Christ’s name.
Newton Highlands Congregational Church, UCC
54 Lincoln Street, Newton, MA
www.nhcc.net 617 527 3898
The Morning Meditation:
“Music doesn’t lie. If there is something to be
changed in this world it can only happen through music.”
— Jimi Hendrix
O Beautiful, How Beautiful
O beautiful, for pilgrim feet, Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in Law!
How beautiful, sincere lament, the wisdom born of tears,
the courage called for to repent the bloodshed through the years.
America! America! God grant that we may be
a nation blessed with none oppressed, true land of liberty.
(stanzas by Katharine Lee Bates
and Miriam Therese Winter)