MAY 2, 2021

the Fifth Sunday of Easter

. . . . . . . . . . 

-PRELUDE-
“Every Time I Feel the Spirit” - arr. P. Keveren

-WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS-

-SINGING TOGETHER-

“Dare to Dance Again”

DARE TO DANCE WITH DREAMERS, SING THEIR SONG,

DARE TO DANCE THEIR STORIES, SING OUT STRONG.

DARE TO DANCE WITH FREEDOM YOUR WHOLE LIFE LONG,

DARE TO DANCE AGAIN!

-CALL TO ACTION-

Look to the skies be it rain or shine.

WE LIFT UP OUR HEADS TO MEET THE DAY.

Look around and see that you do not dance alone.

WE FORTIFY OUR HEARTS WITH COMPASSION AND ACTION.

If rain still lingers, open the umbrellas of praise and set our anyway.

FOR WE ARE CALLED TO DANCE AGAIN!

-OPENING HYMN-

“Guide My, O Great Redeemer” 

GUIDE ME, O MY GREAT REDEEMER,

PILGRIM THROUGH THIS BARREN LAND;

I AM WEAK, BUT YOU ARE MIGHTY;

HOLD ME WITH YOUR POWERFUL HAND.

BREAD OF HEAVEN, BREAD OF HEAVEN,

FEED ME NOW AND EVERMORE,

FEED ME NOW AND EVERMORE.

OPEN NOW THE CRYSTAL FOUNTAIN,

WHERE THE HEALING WATERS FLOW;

LET THE FIRE AND CLOUDY PILLAR

LEAD ME ALL MY JOURNEY THROUGH.

STRONG DELIVERER, STRONG DELIVERER,

EVER BE MY STRENGTH AND SHIELD,

EVER BE MY STRENGTH AND SHIELD.

WHEN I TREAD THE VERGE OF JORDAN,

BID MY ANXIOUS FEARS SUBSIDE;

DEATH OF DEATH, AND HELL’S DESTRUCTION;

LAND ME SAFE ON CANAAN'S SIDE.

SONGS OF PRAISES, SONGS OF PRAISES,

I WILL EVER SING TO YOU,

I WILL EVER SING TO YOU.

-OPENING PRAYER & INVITATION TO WORSHIP-

-SINGING TOGETHER-

“Dare to Dance Again”

DARE TO DANCE WITH DREAMERS, SING THEIR SONG,

DARE TO DANCE THEIR STORIES, SING OUT STRONG.

DARE TO DANCE WITH FREEDOM YOUR WHOLE LIFE LONG,

DARE TO DANCE AGAIN!

-CHILDREN'S MOMENT-

-SCRIPTURE-

Psalm 22: 25-31 (NRSV adapted) 

  From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear God. The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Holy One shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord. For dominion belongs to the One who rules over the nations. To this One, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; and I shall live for God alone.

Posterity will serve God; future generations will be told about the Lord, and proclaim God’s divine deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that God indeed has done it. 

Acts 8: 26-39 (NRSV adapted) 

Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went.

Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to this chariot and join it.” So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?” The eunuch replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?"

And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.

Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth." 

 The eunuch asked Philip, "About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?"

He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 

-SERMON-

"Forbidden Dances"

Pastor Kenny

-SINGING TOGETHER-

“Teach Me to Dance" 

TEACH ME TO DANCE TO THE BEAT OF YOUR HEART,

TEACH ME TO MOVE IN THE POWER OF YOUR SPIRIT,

TEACH ME TO MOVE IN THE LIGHT OF YOUR PRESENCE,

TEACH ME TO DANCE TO THE BEAT OF YOUR HEART.

-PASTORAL PRAYER-

-SINGING TOGETHER-

“Teach Me to Dance" 

TEACH ME TO PRAY IN THE POWER OF EASTER,

FOLLOWING CHRIST IN A LIFE RESURRECTED,

TEACH ME TO ACT WITH COMPASSION AND JUSTICE,

TEACH ME TO DANCE TO THE BEAT OF YOUR HEART.

TEACH ME TO LOVE WITH YOUR HEART OF COMPASSION,

TEACH ME TO TRUST IN THE WORD OF YOUR PROMISE,

TEACH ME TO HOPE IN THE DAY OF YOUR COMING,

TEACH ME TO DANCE TO THE BEAT OF YOUR HEART.

-WE WORSHIP THROUGH GIVING-

-SINGING TOGETHER-

“Teach Me to Dance" 

TEACH ME TO DANCE TO THE BEAT OF YOUR HEART,

TEACH ME TO MOVE IN THE POWER OF YOUR SPIRIT,

TEACH ME TO MOVE IN THE LIGHT OF YOUR PRESENCE,

TEACH ME TO DANCE TO THE BEAT OF YOUR HEART.

-INVITATION TO BELONG-

-HYMN OF INVITATION-

“Lead Me, Guide Me”   

LEAD ME, GUIDE ME ALONG THE WAY,

FOR IF YOU LEAD ME I CANNOT STRAY.

LORD, LET ME WALK EACH DAY WITH YOU.

LEAD ME, O LORD, LEAD ME.

I AM WEAK AND I NEED YOUR STRENGTH AND POWER

TO HELP ME OVER MY WEAKEST HOUR.

LEAD ME THROUGH THE DARKNESS YOUR FACE TO SEE.

LEAD ME, O LORD, LEAD ME.

LEAD ME, GUIDE ME ALONG THE WAY,

FOR IF YOU LEAD ME I CANNOT STRAY.

LORD, LET ME WALK EACH DAY WITH YOU.

LEAD ME, O LORD, LEAD ME.

HELP ME TREAD IN THE PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

BE MY AID WHEN SATAN AND SIN OPPRESS.

I AM PUTTING ALL MY TRUST IN YOU.

LEAD, O LORD, LEAD ME.

LEAD ME, GUIDE ME ALONG THE WAY,

FOR IF YOU LEAD ME I CANNOT STRAY.

LORD, LET ME WALK EACH DAY WITH YOU.

LEAD ME, O LORD, LEAD ME.

-BLESSING & BENEDICTION-

-POSTLUDE-
“Let It Be  Dance” - arr. R. Masten