Worship - May 9, 2010

Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
May 9, 2010
Worship 10:00 am Sunday School 11:10am

The Fifth Sunday of Easter

The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” (John 5:7)

Beginning with Praise (9:50 am)
Announcements
Prelude "Praise Ye the Triune God" Hughes

*Call to Worship "Awake, arise, O sing a new song" 56

*Responsive Psalm 67

*Hymn of Praise "O bless the Lord, my soul" 80

*Opening Prayer

Children’s Story "Julia and Anne"

Scripture Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5

Sharing a joy, a concern, a word of testimony or praise
(please be brief, and aware of God's listening presence)

Hymn "Shall we gather at the river" 615

Pastoral Prayer

Scripture Acts 16:9-15

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

Offertory "Pastorale for Mother’s Day" Roesch
(Please sign the attendance pad and pass it on)

*Response "Arise, All Mighty Women" (see insert)

*Dedication

Scripture John 5:1-9

Message "Stirred up" (mp3)

*Hymn "Renew your church" 363

*Benediction

*Postlude "On Our Way Rejoicing" Smith

*Rise in body or in spirit

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Responsive Psalm 67

One - May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.

All - Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

One - Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.

All - Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

One - The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us.

All - May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.

Opening Prayer

Gracious God, we praise you for blessing us in ways the Psalmist could only dream about. You have not only blessed our lives with Jesus, but you continue to pour blessings upon us and within us through the person of the Holy Spirit This gracious gift of your Spirit continues to teach us about Jesus and to remind us of all he said and did. Today we rejoice over his gift to us of peace - his peace which is beyond our human understanding. We receive this gift with thanksgiving and pray that our lives may reflect this peace and your love. May this time of worship be an offering of praise and adoration for all your gifts to us. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

by Moira B Laidlaw, from Liturgies Online.

For Children
“Julia and Anne”

This morning I want to tell you the story of two girls, named Julia and Anne. One was born in New York City, which is many miles north of here (point northeast). The other lived in Appalachia, which is a place of many mountains west of here (point west).

When she was 5 years old, Julia’s mother died, and she was raised first by her aunt, and then by her uncle when her father also died, which is sad, I know. But she grew up and later married a fellow named Samuel and, together, they had 6 children, which is a happy thing. Julia was very smart. When her children were grown there was a war fought to free the slaves. Her family was very much in favor of freeing slaves. During that “civil war” she wrote a poem that became famous. People sang the words in the northern part of our country and called it “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

But she did more than write poems during that war. She also worked to make it so that people wouldn’t get sick from dirty conditions in hospitals and other places. More soldiers died in that war from germs than from bullets. All the bad things she saw during that war led her to believe that there must be a better way than killing people. After the war she started a movement of mothers to try to stop war. Every soldier has a mother, she thought, and if mothers spoke up, maybe their children would listen. For many years they held a Mother’s Day for Peace, which she started, but it was never made a national holiday.

Let me tell you now about the other girl, Anne. I don’t know anything about her childhood, other than that she was born in Virginia, which was on the other side of that war. Julia was from the north, Anne was from the south. I also don’t know who Anne grew up and married, but I do know she had 11 children. Can you imagine 11 children in a family? Of course, they didn’t all live to grow up, which happened more back then because of diseases and germs. Only 4 lived to become adults. Julia also lost 2 of her children. That’s sad.

What’s even sadder is what happened in many families during that war. It wasn’t just soldiers who died. War is a terrible and terrifying thing which leaves many people poor and hungry. Anne organized mothers’ work clubs to try to make things better. During the war, the mothers in these clubs cared for wounded soldiers on both sides. Anne encouraged these mothers not to pay attention to whether a soldier wore a blue or a gray uniform, but to help them anyway. After the war, she organized a Mother’s Friendship Day, to bring together the neighbors and soldiers on both sides of the war, to celebrate friendship and togetherness. Because this event was so successful, it was celebrated for many years.

A long time later, Anne’s daughter, who was also named Anne, decided to try to establish a day to honor her mother and all other mothers. She started to write letters and got others to write letters, and eventually even the President of the United States got a letter. In 1914, president Woodrow Wilson proclaimed a national holiday called “Mother’s Day,” to be held on the second Sunday of each May. Today. And it was all because of two girls, named Julia Ward Howe and Anne Marie Reeves Jarvis, who tried to make a difference in this world.

Pastoral Prayer

written closer to the time (if not at the moment)

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

The home of that woman named Lydia became the meeting place of the church in Philippi. She made a difference in her world, just like Julia and Anne, whose stories we heard earlier. By the way, in 1870, Julia Ward Howe issued a Mother’s Day Proclamation, which began with these words:

Arise, then, women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts,
Whether our baptism be of water or of tears!

Say firmly:
“We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs….”

Mother’s Day is not just about buying cards and flowers, as important as it is to show appreciation. This day is about another way of living. As you return your regular offering for the ministry of this church, and your special offering for the Family Crisis Center that they might continue healing domestic violence, rise in spirit and know that God is at work in you.

Ushers, please come forward and receive these gifts we share.

Dedication

Gracious God, you are a loving parent imparting wisdom to those who love and follow you. As Jesus demonstrated to his disciples, you offer the immeasurable peace of an eternal home. We praise your name in the comfort of this peace and place these tithes and offerings before you. Multiply these gifts so that those seeking to establish peace in this world will feel your guiding hand. We pray in the name of the Prince of Peace. Amen.

Benediction

And Jesus said,
                      “Stand up, take your mat and walk…”
       May you have the God-given “gumption” this week,
             to do whatever that invitation should mean for you
                   as together we follow Jesus.