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
“Gather Us In”
#2236 TFWS
Welcome
Threshold Moment
Pastor:The Sovereign Beloved has spoken to mountains and hills, waterways and valleys: I look upon you with favor; you will grow branches that bear fruit. I will settle people among you and make you prosper. May our worship resound with rumblings and splashings and rustlings and joy. Let us worship the Source of Life and Love.
“Let Love Be” · Laurie Bayen
Let Love Be, Let us do Justice, Hold to what is good
Let us love one another as a family,
Let us welcome the stranger as our own
Call to Worship
L:God of the mountains and the vineyards, You promise that you will rebuild and nourish the places that have become barren.
All:You promise your people that they will soon come home.
L:Welcome us home today. As we assemble for worship this day, prepare us to bear fruit in this place.
All:Give us new life in you that we might share that new life with the world.
L:Flow in us and fill us.
All:Flow through us into the dry places where you are most needed. Flow around us and lift us up for the new day you are bringing. Amen.
Passing the Peace
Gwen:The Peace of Christ be with you.
All:And also with you.
Gwen:You are invited to pass the peace among you, remembering to pass it to those joining us remotely.
Praising
“Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble”
Martin Smith
Young & Young at Heart Time
Contemporary Reading
Excerpt for Rivers and Streams
by Walt Whitman
The long thick river-stripes of the earth, flowing stately, rapid, swift-running,
Earth of shine and dark mottling the tide of the rivers,
At either tide, flood or ebb, the water always rushing along as if in haste;
The grand, sweeping, curving, gently undulating rivers;
And slow sluggish rivers, lonesome waters,
Where they flow, distant, over flats of silvery sands or through swamps.
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
EZEKIEL 36:8-12 (NRSVUE)
But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot out your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel, for they shall soon come home. See now, I am for you; I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown, and I will multiply your population, the whole house of Israel, all of it; the towns shall be inhabited and the waste places rebuilt, and I will multiply humans and animals upon you. They shall increase and be fruitful, and I will cause you to be inhabited as in your former times and will do more good to you than ever before. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. I will lead people upon you—my people Israel—and they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance. No longer shall you bereave them of children.
ROMANS 15:14-21 (THE MESSAGE)
Personally, I’ve been completely satisfied with who you are and what you are doing. You seem to me to be well-motivated and well-instructed, quite capable of guiding and advising one another. So, my dear friends, don’t take my rather bold and blunt language as criticism. It’s not criticism. I’m simply underlining how very much I need your help in carrying out this highly focused assignment God gave me, this priestly and gospel work of serving the spiritual needs of the non-Jewish outsiders so they can be presented as an acceptable offering to God, made whole and holy by God’s Holy Spirit.
Looking back over what has been accomplished and what I have observed, I must say I am most pleased—in the context of Jesus, I’d even say proud, but only in that context. I have no interest in giving you a chatty account of my adventures, only the wondrously powerful and transformingly present words and deeds of Christ in me that triggered a believing response among the outsiders. In such ways I have trailblazed a preaching of the Message of Jesus all the way from Jerusalem far into northwestern Greece. This has all been pioneer work, bringing the Message only into those places where Jesus was not yet known and worshiped. My text has been,
Those who were never told of him— they’ll see him! Those who’ve never heard of him— they’ll get the message!
We Sing
“For the Fruit of Creation”
Luther Emerson
Message
“Nurture”
Rev. Dr. Michele Robbins
Offertory
“Healing Hands · Elton John”
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
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise God, the source of all our gifts!
Praise Jesus Christ, whose power uplifts!
Praise the Spirit, Holy Spirit!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
*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.
The Great Thanksgiving
Liturgist:Out of topsy-turvy, you, O God, spoke the cosmos into being. Earth and sky reply. Water circulates between oceans, atmosphere, and land, becoming rain and snow, streams and rivers, lakes and swamps and oceans, and returning to the heavens. Seeds become trees. Their fruit becomes seeds. Stars and planets and moons dance. Life rises and reaches for the heavens. You, Great Spirit, weave us into a fabric of water, wind, earth, and holy fire. And so, with all your creation, and all the company of the heavens, we proclaim your name, and join the unending hymn:
Pastor:Before time, through time, beyond time, you enflesh yourself as Christ, God with us. In the fullness of time you sent Jesus, nurtured in the water of a womb, baptized by John, and anointed by your Spirit. Jesus called disciples to share in the baptism of death and resurrection and to make disciples of all nations.
Liturgist:Jesus spoke of your hopes and desires for us and for our reconciliation in stories of mustard seeds, grain, vines, trees, and pastoral flocks. Jesus slept under stars and calmed stormy seas. Jesus gathered the little ones, for to such belong your dreamed-of Realm.
Pastor:At the table with beloved ones, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and praise to you, broke it and gave it to his disciples saying, “Take, eat, all of you. This is my body broken for you. As often as you share it, remember me.” In like manner, after the supper, he took the cup, and again gave thanks and praise to you, gave it to his disciples and said, “Drink from this, all of you. This is the cup of the new covenant, filled to overflowing with forgiveness for all people. As often as you share it, remember me.”
Liturgist:And so, in remembrance of these, your humble and vulnerable acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice in union with Christ’s offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Pastor:Great Spirit, your work of stirring, strengthening, guiding, and comforting continues in sky and land and sea, in our lives and in our relationships, in our hopes and in our dreams. Draw us ever toward the garden that is the fruit of your love and compassion, a landscape of liberation and justice, watered by a mighty river flowing, watered by your grace. Pour out your Spirit on us gathered here, as upon all creation, and on these gifts of field and vine. Reconcile us with creation through this body and blood. By your Spirit, make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one with all creation.
Getting Strong
“Come, Let Us Dream”
#3157 W&S
Opportunities for Ministry
- ⤷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.
- ⤷Photo Directory: Our photo directory is coming along. If you have not had your photo taken yet, please contact Trudy Morgan (morganmiller95482@gmail.com) to set up a time to have one taken, or send a headshot to Debbie in the office (office@ukiahumc.org).
- ⤷Moving Help: Help for Ginny’s friend Terry to move items from a storage unit in Carmichael.
- ⤷Recycling: Annie is collecting CRV bottles & cans, to benefit Ukiah UMC. Text Annie at 707-513-9634 for pickups and more information.
- ⤷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 Casey 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: Eating utensils, paper plates, napkins, water, ice, soda, to-go containers, paper towels
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
“Here Comes the Sun”
Beatles
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.