Sunday, April 21, 2013

This Sunday's Service

According to the Liturgical Church Calendar, the 4th Sunday of Easter (the six weeks between Easter Sunday and Pentecost) is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. The scriptures deal with the image of God, and, or Jesus as the Good Shepherd. We are all familiar with this metaphor, and it is one of the most cherished scriptural references to the loving God. Of course, the most well known passage is the 23rd Psalm. Even people who are not church goers are usually familiar with this beautiful passage from the Hebrew scriptures. This Sunday we will consider the 23rd Psalm as we go on a meditational journey through these beloved verses. Let us walk in right paths, and beside still waters, for the Shepherding God is with us in all of our journeys.

The Meeting House Choir will sing Allelujah by Dr. William Boyce, and My Shepherd Will Supply My Need arranged by Mack Wilberg with Denise Zoch on oboe. Organist Gavin D. Craig will playThe King of Love by Charles Villiers Stanford, In Green Pastures by Harold Darke, and Scherzo from Symphony II by Charles-Marie Widor. Our congregational hymns will be The King of Love My Shepherd Is (ST. COLUMBIA), Precious Lord Take My Hand (PRECIOUS LORD), and Crown Him with Many Crowns (DIADEMATA).

BAGS

BAGS Program

FCC has started a new missions effort called BAGS (Be A Good Samaritan). This program,

entirely voluntary, consists of FCC members providing aid to homeless persons on street corners.

FCC members that want to participate can pick up an empty bag after worship on Sundays, along

with a suggested shopping list for simple food items, a note that tells that the aid has been

provided by an FCC member, and a HELP CARD in both English and Spanish. The HELP

CARD gives contact information on: emergency shelters, crisis intervention hotlines, food

pantries, housing, health clinics, mental health services, and other vital resources for the

homeless. Participating FCC members will then add food items of their choice to the bag, keep

them in their cars, and pass them out to street people as appropriate occasions arise. Participants

are encouraged to give feedback to the church office on how the program is received by the bag

recipients.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

This Sunday's Service

 

The man known as Saul, later to become Paul, figures greatly in the history and development of Christianity, sometimes perhaps not in a very positive light. Many of Paul's writings have been taken out of context and used to form rigid doctrinal understandings of Christianity, far from the original teachings of Jesus. However, one of the taken for granted, and so overlooked parts of Paul's life is his conversion experience on the road to Damascus. This facet of the Apostle's life lifts up one of the truly mystical and spiritual aspects of who Paul was and can point us on a fruitful journey within our own lives. Join us for worship as we journey down the "Long and Winding Road". The scripture reading is Acts 9:1-20.

This Sunday there will be special music featuring choir member Brian Kosior. He will sing My God is Real arranged by Kinley Lange and Easter! from Five Mystical Songs by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Guest organist, Alice Hopkins, will play Morning Has Broken arranged by Diane Bish, and Jubilation by Gordon Young. The congregational hymns will be I Look to You in Every Need (O JESU), Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty

(NICEA), and Joy Dawned Again on Easter Day (PUER NOBIS NASCITUR).

Mission 4/1 Earth at FCC

First Congregational Church tree planting as part of the United Church of Christ Mission 4/1 Earth - 50 great days of resurrection and renewal. See www.ucc.org/earth for more info and to purchase or donate trees!

This Sunday's Service

Last Sunday was a "glorious" celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, otherwise known as Easter. We had beautiful music from the choir and bells, a ton of excited children ready to hunt Easter Eggs and a Meeting House filled with joyous people. What more could you want on Easter? Now, here we are at the first Sunday after the Resurrection, and how are we supposed to feel? Is there any reason to feel less joyful than a week ago? Or, do we hit a pothole on the road to realizing new life that tends to dull our excitement? The scriptures for Sunday are Acts 5:27-32, John 20:19-31.

The Meeting House Choir will sing Rejoice! by C.O. Beck, and Hosanna! by Sonja Poorman. Organist Gavin D. Craig will play Offertory on O Filii et Filiae by Alexandre Guilmant and Lord of Majesty by Richard Lloyd. Our congregational hymns will be Open Now Your Gates of Beauty (UNSER HERRSCHER), Let It Breathe on Me (BREATHE ON ME),and Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain (ST. KEVIN).