Table of Contents
The words in **black bold** are spoken or sung by the congregation. Please, no food or beverages are allowed in the Sanctuary. * Indicates when to rise in body or spirit.
UMH--United Methodist (Blue), TFWS--The Faith We Sing (Black), W&S--Worship & Song (Green)
Prelude
“Cantemos al Señor”
#149 UMH
Welcome
Threshold Moment
P:"There are times in our lives when we must learn to see the world differently. Caterpillars have limited vision and are only able to sense changes in the intensity of light. When they become butterflies, they are gifted with a completely new eye structure that allows them to form images and take in a huge range of colors — even more than the human eye! Let we who have limited vision in this life be reassured by God's presence, even when we cannot know what lies ahead. Today, we open ourselves to the light of enduring hope."
"Come Out!" · Mark Miller
Come out! Come out of your comfortable spaces.
Come, meet Jesus in the difficult places.
Questions for Metamorphosis
Liturgist:On the long road of our faith journey, we wonder…
All:…what lies ahead along the path?
Liturgist:Through all our in-between stages of transformation, we wonder…
All:…where am I going, and where am I growing?
Liturgist:As we search for direction in life, we wonder…
All:…how can I trust when everything is so uncertain?
Liturgist:Moving into new paradigms and perspectives, we wonder…
All:…what will be revealed when I open up to new possibilities?
Liturgist:Then the love of the Divine reminds us,
All:"You too are my child. You can emerge to renewed life. Again and again." Amen.
Passing the Peace
Pastor:The Peace of Christ be with you.
All:And also with you.
Pastor:You are invited to pass the peace among you, remembering to pass it to those joining us remotely.
Praising
“How Great Is Our God”
#3003 W&S
Young & Young at Heart Time
Receiving New Members
Pastor:It is the mission of the United Methodist Church to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Today we have friends who have decided they would like to join us in our mission.
Lay Leader:I present Les and Margaret Ridgeway and Bonnie Reda who desire to enter into the fellowship of this congregation.
Pastor:Will you accept the freedom God gives us to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.
New Members:I will.
Pastor:Will you follow the Way of Jesus for the transformation of the world?
New Members:I will.
Pastor:As a member of this congregation, will you faithfully participate in its ministries by your prayers, your presence your gifts, your service and your witness?
New Members:I will.
Pastor:Members I commend these siblings to your love and care. Do all in your power to increase their faith, confirm their hope, and perfect them in love.
All:We give thanks for all that God has already given you and we welcome you in love. As members together with you in the Body of Christ and in this congregation of The United Methodist Church, we renew our covenant to faithfully participate in the ministries of the Church by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness, that in everything Divine Love may be glorified through the love of this community.
Pastor:It is our joy to welcome you in a spirit of Love.
Contemporary Reading
by Kate Bowler
"Joy is one of the most powerful experiences we can have because it is an emotion that can co-exist with our actual lives. Unlike happiness, joy can live alongside sadness, boredom, fear, or despair. It expands our capacity to hold contradictory truths at the same time—and because we know joy, we recover a strange, steady confidence that life is still worth loving, even when it hurts….
It is not joy instead of grief. It is joy with grief. Not joy that rushes us forward, but joy that allows us to remain human in the meantime.… This joy is more totalizing than optimism. It is truer than plain happiness. It is the deep assurance that the story is not finished, even when our lives feel painfully incomplete.
Easter joy is the grace of being able to say: This is hard. I am still waiting. And God is still good."
COMMUNITY PRAYER ~ THE LORD'S PRAYER
Sung in Echo
Our Mother, Father, Our Mother, Father
Who art in heaven, Who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name, Hallowed be thy name
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Kingdom come
Thy will be done, Thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven, On earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day, Give us this day
Our daily bread, Our daily bread
And forgive us all our sins, And forgive us all our sins
And lead us not, And lead us not
Into temptation, Into temptation
But deliver us from evil, But deliver us from evil
For yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory
Forever, Forever
And ever, And Ever
Our Mother, Father, Our Mother, Father
Who art in heaven, Who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name, Hallowed be thy name
Ancient Readings
FIRST READING - LUKE 9:1-6 (NRSVUE)
Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey: no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money—not even an extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there, and leave from there. Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” So they departed and went through the villages, bringing the good news and curing diseases everywhere.
SECOND READING - LUKE 24:28-49 (NRSVUE)
As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them.
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”
That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem, and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see, for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
Yet for all their joy they were still disbelieving and wondering, and he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised, so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
We Sing
“For the Healing of the Nations”
#428 UMH
Message
“"Open: Into the Light"”
Rev. Dr. Michele Robbins
Offertory
“Fly · Tracy Wong”
Offerings can be placed in the basket on the table, online at ukiahumc.org, or mailed to PO Box 323, Ukiah
*DOXOLOGY
“Praise God, From Whom Blessings Flow”
#94 UMH
*MEMBERSHIP STATEMENT
Members of the Ukiah United Methodist Church accept the freedom God gives us to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves. We welcome opportunities to bring God's love to the world in as many ways as we can. We promise to uphold our beloved church by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness.
Getting Strong
“Christ Has Broken Down the Wall”
Mark Miller
Opportunities for Ministry
Opportunities where you make a difference: A strong church has members who are actively taking part in ministry and service.
- ⤷Defensive Walking Workshop: with Janet Rosen is tomorrow, Monday April 20 from 10am to 11:30am in the Social Hall.
- ⤷Friendship Forward Dinner: Wednesday April 22 at 5:30pm in the Social Hall.
- ⤷Gentle Yoga: Every Wednesday and Saturday with hand weights at 8:15 am, yoga at 8:30 am in the Social Hall led by Pastor Michele. Except there will be no Yoga Sat 4/25.
- ⤷Newsletter Deadline: The May-June issue of the Chimes deadline is next Sunday, April 26. Email your notes to Linda at lindab.nagel@gmail.com and newsletter@ukiahumc.org.
- ⤷Church Conference: Sunday, May 10th after the worship service.
- ⤷Recycling:
- ⤷Pride March:
- ⤷Mendo Labor Co-op: Our church sponsors a worker-led co-op connecting underemployed and unhoused workers with people needing help around the house or yard. We need church members willing to hire workers with patience as we get started and work out the kinks. Call/text Cheryl and Braven at (369) 216-1512 to be matched, or fill out the online form on mendolaborcoop.ukiahumc.org.
- ⤷The Building Bridges Homeless Resource Center: If you would like to donate to Building Bridges Homeless Resource Center, below is a list of needed items. All donations can be dropped at HRC M-F, 9-5 or to Trudy’s front porch at any time. Thank you to everyone who donates! Trudy•Items needed are: Adult Underwear, socks, Men’s pants (size 32-38), Backpacks, Blankets, Sleeping bags, Razors, Dog food
Go For It!
South:Do all the good you can,
North:By all the means you can,
South:In all the ways you can,
North:In all the places you can,
South:At all the times you can,
North:To all the people you can,
All:As long as ever you can. Amen.
— John Wesley
Blessing
*STEPPING OUT
“Sent Out in Jesus' Name”
#2184 TFWS
WE ARE A WELCOMING & AFFIRMING CONGREGATION:
We welcome all persons into full participation in the life of the congregation regardless of age, gender identity, racial or ethnic background, sexual orientation, marriage status, or physical or mental condition.