Center Congregational Church April 28th, 2024 10am Sunday Morning Service Pastor Joyce O. Crutchfield | Center Congregational Church UCC April 28th, 2024 10am Sunday Morning Service 11 Center St., MANCHESTER, CT 06040 www.CenterChurchUCC.org 860-647-9941... | By Center Congregational Church UCC | Good morning, everyone. Good morning Welcome to Center Congregational Church. Whether this is your first time or you've been here forever, we are so glad to have you. Gay Straight, non binary, whatever it is. It doesn't matter because all are god's children and welcome to the folks celebrating worship with us at home. We're very very excited. I'd like to invite anyone who has an announcement to please come forward and I'm sure you probably have seen if you haven't Peggy Nisnick died last week And We're having a celebration of life for her here on Thursday at eleven. So, May 1st at eleven. So, She is Tom, her son said, it was peaceful and and she was ready. So, we can be grateful for that. Alright. Good morning. Birdie McCarl from Mission Outreach. and this morning, I'm going to be wearing couple of hats. But this one is my rebuilding together hat. And I would like to thank all the volunteers from our church. And have them stand up. Um Dale. And Jan, Piero, Alex Wood, David McCartney, Gail Peters, Mary Ellen. And I know that also Karen was there with a different group wherever you are, Karen. Right behind you. Alright. Um so again, if you and if any of the others of you volunteered with a different group or with your people you worked with. David. Whatever. David. David, I know he doesn't want to stand up. There you go. There you go. Yeah. Thank you everyone. I just want to say thank you. We had a good time. Um I was very tired last night. I think I was in bed at eight thirty But this was their 32nd rebuilding together event and it was excess. Success is always. We worked with Girl Scouts, little ones. They were so cute. Anyway, we did have fun. So, thank you all again for your blood, sweat, and tears yesterday and hope you all have had a chance to recuper a little bit. Thank you. Alright, different hair This is my hat now. Um We are teaming up with the Manchester Fire Department and the Manchester Restorative Diversion. Say all this. Collaboratives. Um seventy-two hour bag supply drive. And what they have done is ask for things like toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoos, things that could be handed to victims of fire. Um in fact, last week, when we were here worshiping, we heard the sirens. There was a family that was displaced on Eldridge Street. Yeah. Last Sunday. So, what happens is the fire marshal carries all these goody bags and his car and they as they place people for housing because they can't go back into their home. Um they hand them the few things that they might need but what's missing from this bag is something very important. Well, if your underwear burned up, this is not going to help you. So, I'm looking for is cash donations or checks. I will take whatever and we're going to buy twenty-five-dollar card through script for Walmart so that people can get a few little other necessities that can't be put in a bag. So, in the Narthex, you'll see a Manchester Fire Department hat. Thank you. Um. Danny. Danielle. Because her husband is a firefighter here in the town and he was able to scarf some hats for me. So, anyway, so put we're not going to Pastor hat but the the hat is in the back. So, please make donations and this will go through the month of May so that we can purchase a bunch of Walmart cards. So, participate if you are able, appreciate it very much and so will the victims of our fires. So, thank you. Good morning. And Bernie, thank you for doing that. I know my niece was displaced by fire and you have nothing after. So, that's awesome. Um I wanted to call your attention. This is Bobby Jo Valentine. He's coming to the church on Friday, June 7th. There is an announcement in your bulletin but I ask you and encourage you to invite family and friends to this concert. Um we are going to be doing a free will offering to benefit the Trevor Project at the Trevor is explained in the bulletin but I would love to pack the sanctuary. We're doing this as a part of Pride Month and I just really encourage you to come and invite your family and friends. Thank you. Thank you and Birdie told me that it was 25 years ago that this church voted to be O and A. So, yeah. Good morning. My name is you know who I am. Not everybody I'm sorry. Not everybody. I'm Linda Barnsby. I just want to say a few things to bring us all up to date. First, the cannon bottle drive continues to amaze. Last week, your donations raised an additional $32 and 80 cents. Second, there's only one, one week left until Sunday. This event is being sponsored by Haven't signed up to attend, please do so today. We want to make sure that there is enough soup and desserts for everyone. And last, if you still want to make an offer, there's still time. Call me or reach me through the church office. You are all amazing. God bless you and thank you. Dear Linda. Alright. So friends, take a deep breath. Look around, see the beautiful balloons and colors. Remember, distill our Easter season so we continue to celebrate the rebirth of life, the renewal, and growth. So, look around. You can look at Paul Maidman's awesome is that the Arizona Trail shirt? Yeah. That Jonathan is hiking. Um but great colors around. Just take in where you are. And know that you are welcome and God's beloved. So, friends, I invite you to please stand as you are able, embody your spirit, and share god's peace with one another. May god's peace be with you all. Do you want to? Alright. So, friends, while we're standing, we are going to sing our first hymn which the words are an insert in your bulletin but you will recognize the tune once you hear it. All four verses. Thank you very much. Beloved, let us love one another As love is from god. Everyone who loves is born of god and knows god. Whoever does not love God's love was revealed among us in this way. And Jesus into the world By this, we know that we abide in god and god in us. Because as the spirit. Let us love one another and join in worship of our god. Be seated. Let us pray. Gardening god, cultivate in us a spirit of openness in this time of worship Help us to till the soil of our hearts. To dig deep into your scriptures. To nourish our bodies and spirits with song and praise. Help us to love one another more fully. and to bear spiritual fruit. For you are the vine and we are the branches and in you, we will live and grow Okay. From Acts that 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 Candas, Queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and he was returning home, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the said to Philip, go over to this chariot and join it. So, Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, do you understand what you are reading? He 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 like this, like a sheep, he was led to the slaughter. Like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation, justice was denied him. Who can describe this generation? For his life is taken away from the earth. The eunuch asked Philip about who may I ask? 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 he went on his way rejoicing but Philip found himself as a Zodus and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea. And I was just wanting this When when you're assisting church historian birdie, you don't just find old reports. In the archives, we have a couple of these and I don't know if they're original or if they're something else but the whole idea is that if you pretty much during the long service, lost your focus, somebody would come along and tickle you to be able to do that and so, finding now that this would be something, I don't know. I I would suggest somebody like Liz Marks could be the one kind of watching out for everything and then hand it to instead of his microphone to go around and do that. But these are the types of things that again bring church history and how long we have been here as a congregation. And how throughout the time we've changed things to be the way that we are now. Thank you. And I'm going to have Scott on duty during this sermon. So be prepared. So, friends, we continue our reading in the Gospel of John and You're not going to be surprised to know it's about Jesus being the true vine and you are the branches. We are. So, we're reading from chapter fifteen verses one through eight. And this whole time, it is Jesus speaking. Jesus says, I am the true vine and my father is the vine grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit, god prunes to make it bare more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. So, abide in me as I abide in you. Just as a cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit. Because apart from me, you can do nothing. So, whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers Such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me and my words, if you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish and it will be done for you. My father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. Here ends our reading. Let us be in prayer. Good and gracious god. We thank you for your love and light that abides in us. We thank you for all the ways you remind us of your presence. So gracious god, may we be open hearted this day. May we be open to something new. May we be open to whatever comes our way. And gracious god, I pray that the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts are accept unto you. Amen. So, how many gardeners we got here? Anybody have houseplants? Houseplants. Houseplants? That are still alive? Sometimes even, you know, the vines are root system, if you will, they get all entangled and if you have a houseplant and the plant gets too big for the container, what does it get? What's it called? Roof bound. Root bound. So the plant could die from that, right? So, it has to be transplanted to get more room and stretch out those roots Well, that's kind of what god is looking for for us to be able to stretch out our roots, our vines as we're connected to god as our lifeline, our guide, abide in god, abide in abide in the words, the law that god has given. So, this is a vine and the grapes is part of the children's chat. But a plant cannot live if it's not planted. They are doing some cool things now with hydroponics where they grow em in water but they need something to help them grow. So, how do you think we could stay reminded and fresh in our ideas that we are all connected like this stall they are all holding hands and we tend to think we're not connected but we are. Right? If we could not see the exterior of someone else, if we could not see but just talk to people. And listen. How might that affect our opinions of some folks? I know we're not supposed to judge but you know, we all do, right? And when I'm in a bad mood, boy, oh boy, can I get judgy? So, you're not asked to be superhuman but you're asked to be human. So, to challenge yourself to abide in your faith, to abide in god and what god is teaching you, to abide in the wisdom of our ancestors and their faith stories, to abide in your wisdom and what you know to be true. But to abide intentionally to connect. Connect to yourself, connect to the divine, connect to the sacred. And we're complicated were complicated and were privileged. We're privileged to be able to choose how much we want to get involved or not. We're privileged in ways we don't even know because it's like breathing air, right? You know, a fish doesn't know about water until you take it out of water. So, we don't know a lot of the things we have, the privileges we have because we're in our water, if you will. There's nothing wrong with privilege. There's nothing wrong with having things. It's great. But it's about that connection to one another, our connection to the divine presence that is all around and within us. You know, Celtic spirituality is of god. We are all of god. Everything. This is of god. The concrete The spiritual, the things we can see, and the things we can't see. And sometimes, do you ever have this happen? Sometimes And I'm like, but there's noone that I see So, some things like that can happen. Sometimes, you, I can feel like I see something out of the corner of my eye and then I look and it's nothing. Or nothing I can identify. Now, our our faith stories tell some incredible, give us some incredible images. You know, like Phillip hops in the chariot and explains scripture explains to this eunuch who is so thirsty for knowledge and curious that he's really, he's like, something's going on and I want to know more and it's happening with this group of people. So, I want to know more. So, he's reading it and he's reading it out loud because sometimes for me too, if I read out loud, I can hear it better. I sort of take it in but I can hear it. And Peter god sends Peter over to him How did he get there? Like was Peter walking on the road? Did god give him express? Brought him right to the eunuch but the the eunuch was curious. Wasn't Jewish? Was Egyptian and invited Peter and I was like, how can I know this unless someone explains it? And so they have this incredible conversation with the spirit of god igniting the passion of the words. And the eunuch is so moved by all of this. Where's there's water. Why can't I be baptized? See, when you are god in the world, when you are representing your faith, when you are giving of yourself, people are drawn not by what you say, but by who you are. How you are in the world. And so Peter was just there sharing the good news and sharing what he knew and the eunuch was so excited. He wanted to be baptized like he had heard about. And as soon as he's baptized, Peters disappears You know, when we read these scriptures, I think, wow, it's like science fiction because he's there and then he's gone. But remember the Bible scriptures are full of Wisdom and truth How much are exact facts? Nobody knows. So, if we get stuck on that, how did that happen? We missed the point. I don't know how any of it happened or if it happened exactly that way. But I know that those times I think I see someone here or someone calls my name that's all they ever say is Joyce Nothing else. I'm waiting for the rest of the message. But it it kind of wakes me up out of that moment. You know, I don't know about you but my head can get so full. That I don't see. That's why I invite us to see around us in the morning. My head is so full of thoughts and what I have to do and I walk through and I don't even know Wait, what did I have for breakfast? I know what I had because I have the same thing every morning. So, that one's easy. But it's easy to walk through life and not remember how you got from point A to point B. If you work or you go on errands, do you remember every bit of your drive? Do you ever drive your car and you're like, wait, did I miss my turn? I'm not exactly sure where I am. Isn't that scary? We're driving cars and we're like, wait, where am I? I don't know. But that's how unconscious we can be to ourselves. And if we can't stay out of our minds to see the things around us, how can we abide in the love and light that is god without effort? That's why gathering in these communities is so wonderful. I have a good friend Christian man but he doesn't get to a church service every week because he has a different service he attends that keeps him connected and grounded and real so he can abide in god. He attends an AM meeting. And he does that so he can have the abundant life he needs. He wants and how much better it's been but it's work. He continues to tell his mind, his soul, his body to stay on track. To abide in the love that god has for him to keep him going. So, it is work. It is a discipline So, it's always the same invitations, my friends. Breathe deeply You know who's best at this kids? You say breathe deeply and they're like but that's a freedom that they continue to have Um they're they're they're more there, more present than we are sometimes. So, again, close your eyes. We won't look at each other. It's okay. Close your eyes and take a deep, slow breath. Your stomach should expand, your chest should fill up sigh it out. That grounds us. That brings us to now. Now, there is a danger in breathing so deeply to be so present. Because you might feel something. Sometimes you or whatever It could be tears. But that's okay. God created us with this overwhelming fountain of all kinds of emotions Someone can't even explain. So, however it is, whatever it is, gives you life that touches your soul, that gives you energy dive into that. Be thirsty for a knowledge and experience. Be thirsty for something in your life that can fill you. And draw you to what satisfies you. Dive into the water deeply like the eunuch. Be so to a building or some water. Here, baptize me here. Be that excited about Find that thing Light and life find that thing Even if it's not church, it's okay but if it brings you joy and you start to experience that, then, your joy is going to enhance your life in so many ways. The vine of connection to one another. The vine of reaching out. Now, I know a lot of folks who are retired and at work, we have a sort of ongoing connection with the people around us or at least pre-covid. Some folks are still remote but Most everyone I was way busier than they used to be. But they're excited. They're not doing to get a paycheck. But they're doing things they love. And they're making connections. And they're realizing how tightly we need each other. There's a church in Bridgeport that sold their building. Cost them 90? I don't know. Cost them a lot of money to try to run, keep this giant building open. And they did a lot of praying and they sold their building because they couldn't maintain it. But they kept their communion table They took a huge leap of faith They put their communion table on wheels. And as they sold their giant building to the Muslim community could run it and had all the resources they fixed it up. They rolled on Easter Couple of years back. Rolled their communion table down to a new location. Tears, heartbroken, excited, terrified, all those things because they didn't know what was next but they knew they couldn't do that. And now, what they've done is they have this, I forget what building it's in but it's like maybe like our Woodruff Hall only bigger. So, on some days, Sundays, they do a service. They roll out the communion table and they put out chairs and they have their service. Sunday night, they might have a big meal for the community. What they did was they went out into the streets, to the community and said, what do you need? What do you need? So, now, they do English as a second language classes Now, they were able, they have like two identities. They do a non-profit section. Um like like a Mac kind of thing and they have a hydroponic garden in a warehouse. Cuz people said, yes, we have food banks but we don't get fresh fruit and vegetables. You don't get fresh food. So now, as they help people get off the street, get on their feet again. Like one gentleman now works at that hydroponic giant warehouse. And they call their organization nourish Bridgeport and out of that, the R. I think I've talked about this before. O U R is highlighted. R Bridgeport. Because we're in this together. So, they do these things that I'm not thinking, oh here, I know exactly what you need but they took a risk and went into the community, asked questions, and they took a huge, huge risk. Um I don't know how they did it but they did it and is it easy? No. Still struggle? But they have the space that they can rearrange so they can have dinners, then they can have ESL classes, then they can do a daycare, during the week, so they can change It's a lot of work In a moment, well, probably not a moment but they can change the configuration to meet the needs and they have a food pantry and that's a lot of work because it's that same space. So, after whatever happens, they set up the shelves and they put the food out and then they break it all down for the next event. So, they're still learning. They're still growing but they're so excited and alive. So, friends, when we can find something individually or as a group, that feeds us. It does awaken us to other possibilities in all areas of our lives. What might that be? Some things we have to do but what draws you What excites you? What's your thing? I know some people it's art. Some people it's music. To pray through music or art. So find your thing that excites you. That feeds you. And then with that same energy, just take a look around what else is going on in your life and see if it won't influence how you approach other things. But be here now. Be thirsty, be hungry be excited, be alive. Non-existing but alive Oops, I forgot to get the birthdays for this week. Sorry, folks. Are there any joys or concerns? Hold on, Kathleen. And then Chuck Um Jeff is coming. Michael turns 6 months today. Yay, Michael. That's awesome. Uh Denise and I had to say goodbye to our dear dog Natalie this come this past Friday. Uh I'm so grateful though to all the joy she brought to us throughout the years and how she taught me or reminded me to live in the moment and to live fully in the moment. And I'm grateful to our vet for helping her to transition gently. Anybody else? I know Mary Harrington has a birthday this week, tomorrow. Anybody else? Alright, I'll catch you all next week when I'm more awake or something. I'm sorry about that So, friends, here we are. God's beloved community Connected in so many ways. So, let us come together and offer god all that we carry, all that is on our hearts and minds. May we give it to god. So we can find some peace So, let us be in prayer. Good and gracious god, this is an amazing, incredible world I thank you for all the diversity around us and plants and animals and people and gracious god, I thank you for the ways that we remain connected to loved ones who have gone before us and to friends and family even when we don't see them every day. So gracious god, I thank you for this gathering. This gathering of people here in person and also those watching at home. I thank you for the beauty of this Earth. And god, we thank you for all the ways this Earth can regenerate. And renew itself We thank you for the ways we also can do that for ourselves. So god, we come to you this morning saying thank you. We come to you celebrating Michael's six months of being a blessing in this world. And god we celebrate all the hard work and giving of rebuilding Manchester, of all the generosity and community that gets pulled together. So god, we say thank you for this beautiful building and all your people. God, but things weigh on us and we worry, we struggle with what we can control and what we can't. And know that loved ones continue to have struggles. So, we offer our prayers this day for Martha Ilga, Bill, Lonnie, Janet, Rich, Sue, Jordan, Mike, Jared, Jan Z, John, Sandra, and Bridget, Shanae, and Doctor B. Catherine Linda, and Brittany, and Aaron And God we continue to pray for Jean as she's on the edge of transition. And god we thank you for the life and legacy of Peggy Nisnik. We thank you for her spark. And her love. And we pray for her family and friends and ourselves as we will miss her. But god, we thank you too for the opportunity and god, we thank you for all the first responders of every kind and pray that you hold them close. May they feel your presence and may they heal or manage all that they see and feel May they continue to know love and hope. God, we pray too for those in the military, for Nick and Chandler, for Alex, and Ryan, We pray for all who serve, that we might remember their sacrifice, that they might feel your love and presence, and that we together can find a way of lasting peace. And god, we continue our prayers for Jonathan Maidman as he hikes to raise money for the Alpha 1 Foundation. We ask that you watch over him and his fellow hikers to keep them safe and to make sure they find water when they are thirsty, and places of rest when they are tired. It's a good and gracious god. We continue our prayers as our brother Jesus taught us saying, our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever So friends, it's our time in the service for our operatory and there'll be collection plates in the back and the deacons will bring two upfront and I invite you to be as generous as you can so we can continue the incredibly important work of love and connection here in this place. So, friends, please stand as you are able in body or spirit and let us sing our doxology. Please join me in the prayer of dedication Loving god, we come together with grateful hearts, remembering all that Jesus has done for us, knowing we can never repay that kind of love, Accept in how we love one another. So, as we share god's love, as we share god's peace, and as we share god's joy, we ask you to bless these gifts. May these gifts in our hearts magnify your love. Amen. So friends, please remain standing and let us sing together number six three three, lead on, oh cloud of presence. Friends, let us say together our personal commission. And now, let us go forth to the world in peace. Being of good courage Holding fast to that Rendering to noone evil for evil. Strengthening the fainthearted Helping the afflicted Loving and serving our living savior and rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. And I was also remiss in saying that today is the one year anniversary for Ryan and Danielle Fisher. So they're off celebrating. They're awesome So, friends, I was also remiss in talking about our second hymn. So, may the spirit of our living god fall afresh on us. May the spirit of the living god melt us, mold us, fill us, and use us. May the spirit of the living god fall afresh on us this moment and in the week to come. Amen. Amen.