May 24th: Ascension Sunday /Memorial Day
Worship online with Pastor Jenn and your church family via ZOOM at 8:00 am. (Hopefully! The ZOOM platform has been experiencing its own difficulties.) Use the same meeting ID and the same password every week. Call in using any phone: 1 929 436 2866 TOLL FREE. Connect with any computer, tablet or smart phone:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87216893763?pwd=b2lPWE4ySmlHUytwbS90dm1JaTFjQT09
Meeting ID: 872 1689 3763 Password: 013676
Welcome & Announcements: Good morning church!
Just a few announcements: There is no 6pm ZOOM this week. Due to the holiday, Pastor Jenn will be unavailable that evening.
I will offer a ZOOM gathering at 9:00 am Sunday. Zoom is a way to be connected via computer or telephone. You can call the phone number listed- it is toll free. This will be time of sharing joys and concerns and having prayer time. If there is a problem, call or text my cell at 570-317-0422 and I will try to assist.
9:00 am Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/757496754?pwd=ZUwyam5pYlI5L0tGSVJqRnNFWmlndz09
Or dial 1 929 436 2866 (toll free)
Meeting ID: 757 496 754
Password: 522345
Worship:
I invite you to light a candle to welcome the Light of the World in your presence and prepare your heart for worship this day:
Prelude: Surely the Presence of the Lord is in this Place
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.
I can feel God's mighty power and God's grace.
I can hear the brush of angel's wings, I see glory on each face.
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place
Call to Worship:
L: Our hearts are filled with Jesus’ love. He teaches us so much.
P: Yet we have so much to learn to prepare us for mission in this world.
L: Christ has risen! Even though we thought love and hope had died!
P: God is here with us right now, lifting and healing our lives.
Opening Song: America (My Country, Tis of Thee)
My country, 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died, Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From ev'ry mountainside Let freedom ring!
My native country, thee, Land of the noble free, Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills, Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills, Like that above.
Let music swell the breeze, And ring from all the trees Sweet freedom's song;
Let mortal tongues awake; Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break, The sound prolong.
Our fathers' God to Thee, Author of liberty, To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright, With freedom's holy light,
Protect us by Thy might, Great God our King.
Opening Prayer:
Lord of amazing visions, prepare our hearts and our spirits this day to receive Your glad tidings. Help make us ready to be Your disciples in all that we do, say, and think. For we ask this in the name of our beloved Savior Jesus Christ. AMEN.
Children’s Time:
It's our children's time and I want to start with a question I ask you each and every week: Who are you? Children Respond: Special Gifts of God!
PJ: That's right, you are special gifts of God each and every day and I'm so lucky to spend time with you!
This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day, a day to remember those who gave their lives so we can experience the freedoms we do today. Including the freedom to worship here.
The first Memorial Day was observed on May 30th, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery
Some know this day as Decoration Day- because traditionally it is the time graves of soldiers are decorated.
In fact since the late 1950's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, American soldiers place small American flags at each of the gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing.
We are encouraged to honor them too with what is known as the National Moment of Silence. On Memorial Day, at 3pm local time, all Americans are encouraged to pause from whatever you are doing and to remember those who gave their all for us.
So if you can, maybe remind your family that tomorrow at 3pm to stop and say this prayer:
Thank you God, for a day to remember those who have given so much for us. Bless their families and our country with Your peace and love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Enjoy this coloring sheet!