Celebrating diversity, independent thought, & faithful action - JUNE 7, 2020 8410 Little River Turnpike Annandale, VA 22003-3710 - Little River ...
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~celebrating diversity, independent thought, & faithful action~
JUNE 7, 2020
8410 Little River Turnpike Annandale, VA 22003-3710
(703) 978-3060 ~ office@lrucc.org
www.lrucc.org
WELCOME!
We are glad you are worshiping with us today! Since our founding in the 1950s, we at Little River United
Church of Christ (UCC) have been called by God to celebrate diversity, independent thought, and faithful
action. This call led us to become racially integrated in the segregated Virginia of the 1950s. That same call
led us in 2001 to become open to and affirming of LGBT folks, including full access to the rites of ordination
and marriage. Today, we build on our heritage of proclaiming God’s radically inclusive love to our
congregation, neighborhood, and world by nurturing individual and congregational spirituality, serving our
community, and advocating for all God’s creatures and creation. We’d love to have you join with us in these
sacred tasks! You may make your presence known by emailing us at office@lrucc.org. Welcome!
WORSHIP AND MEETING CHANGES IN RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS
Little River is currently evaluating plans to reopen, but will continue to worship and hold meetings online
until further notice. Since these will be different experiences than what we usually do, expect to see some
changes. We’ll try to keep as much continuity as possible, recognizing that online worship and meetings
require adjustments from in-person worship.
This is hard on all of us, but please do offer and receive as much patience, grace, and forgiveness as possible
right now. God is with us, even when we cannot all be together!
SERVICE CREDITS
The liturgy for today was adapted from a liturgy written by the Rev. Dr. Bob Gross, OCC, Senior Pastor at
Evangelical and Reformed United Church of Christ, Waukesha, WI. Rev. Gross is a member of the Order
of Corpus Christi, (OCC), which is an ecumenical covenantal community that seeks to be a contemporary
expression of the Mercersburg Tradition (Cleveland: United Church of Christ, 2020). Today’s hymns are
used with permission, reprinted under Onelicense.net A-715105.
COMMUNICATIONS AT LITTLE RIVER UCC
Little River UCC produces a weekly e-newsletter, Current Tidings, and periodically sends out Alerts (emails
with significant, time-sensitive information). All submissions for the weekly Bulletin, Current Tidings, and
online Currents should be submitted to the office by Wednesdays at noon. We also send out a monthly print
newsletter, Current Reflections. To receive any of these communications, please send an email to
currents@lrucc.org or call the church office to give us your contact information.
STAFF AND PARTNERS
Rev. Alexis Kassim, Pastor (571) 217-8326 | alexis@lrucc.org
Dawn Jefferson, Ministry Intern dawn@lrucc.org
Craig Stapert, Director of Music craig@lrucc.org
Ashton Streavig, Children and Youth Choir Director ashton@lrucc.org
Kathy Heyman, Office Administrator kathy@lrucc.org
Roberta Croll, Communications Coordinator roberta@lrucc.org
John Davis, Sexton/First Friday Coordinator john@lrucc.org
Yris Saenz, Liana Berbichasvili, Child Care Providers office@lrucc.org
Rev. Dr. Verne Arens, Pastor Emeritus
Rev. Hubert S. Beckwith, Founding Pastor
SERVICE OF CELEBRATION AND WORSHIP
JUNE 7, 2020
TRINITY SUNDAY
PRELUDE Holy God, We Praise Your Name Wilbur Held
WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALL TO WORSHIP Cindy Fithian
One: In the name of the Creator, the Christ and the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
One: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
All: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
One: In the beginning the Spirit of God swept over the face of the waters.
All: In the beginning God said, “Let us make humankind in our image.”
One: And so we came into being, created by God who exists in community.
All: We are here as God’s community to worship the Source of our being.
HYMN #15 Rejoice Ye Pure in Heart MARION
(SEE BACK OF BULLETIN FOR MUSIC INSERT)
PRAYER OF CONFESSION Cindy Fithian
One: Holy God, we were created in your image, an image of mutuality and respect for one another;
an image of a dance ever moving, ever in tune one with others; an image of community with
shared blessing and mission.
You have given us dominion over the work of your hands.
You have charged us to be fruitful and multiply, to make disciples of all nations.
All: Forgive us God; we have denied our purpose.
One: We have abused the earth’s resources for our own selfish gain and the consequences wreak
havoc upon the fish of the sea, the birds of the air and every living thing that moves upon the
earth.
All: Forgive us God; we have defiled your image.
One: We have regarded some of your children as “other” and therefore, beyond the reach of your
love and care because their professed faith in you, or lack thereof, is different from our own.
All: Forgive us God; for we have sinned.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
One: God desires to see broken relationships restored and has heard our prayer.
In the name of Jesus the Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, we are forgiven.
All: Thanks be to God.
TIME FOR CHILDREN Emily MingusANTHEM Holy, Holy, Holy Dan Miller
Amanda Halstead and Craig Stapert
SCRIPTURE Matthew 28:16-20
SERMON Alexis Kassim
CALL TO OFFERING
You can give your offering to Little River UCC by mailing a check to church, or by visiting the Donate Online page on
our website. To give to the Congregation Action Network’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund, visit the “Action and
Outreach” page of our website or click here. Thank you.
GRATITUDE FOR OUR GIFTS
DOXOLOGY OLD HUNDREDTH
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
praise Christ, all creatures here below;
praise Holy Spirit evermore;
one God, triune, whom we adore.
THANKSGIVINGS AND CONCERNS
Please feel free to share your Thanksgivings and Concerns at this time. You can also use the online submission form by
clicking here or emailing Pastor Alexis at alexis@lrucc.org. Thank you.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE Dawn Jefferson
We invite everyone to join our new midweek prayer calls to check-in with each other and to pray on Wednesdays at
12:00pm. We will use Zoom for these calls. To join, please email office@lrucc.org for a ZOOM invitation.
LORD’S PRAYER
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.
Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
SACRAMENT OF COMMUNION
Every Wednesday that we are social distancing, we invite you to drop off your gifts of non-expired, non-perishable staple
food items, baby items, and toiletries directly to the church office. You may place your donations in the purple bin by the
front door anytime on Wednesdays before 3:00 pm.
INVITATIONWORDS OF INSTITUTION
SHARING THE BREAD AND SHARING THE CUP
Have your own bread and juice, or whatever spirits you would like, ready to share in communion together.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
All: For the beauty of creation, the gift of life and your presence with each of us, even
though we are physically distanced, we give you thanks.
Work through us so that we might be channels of your mission in the world, to build
your community on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
HYMN #62 Creator God, Creating Still ST. ANNE
(SEE BACK OF BULLETIN FOR MUSIC INSERT)
BENEDICTION
One: God calls us from this time of worship to share the hope of abundant life in the presence of
hardship, relationship that transcends the barriers of isolation, and to do what we can, where we
are, to be the body of Christ.
All: This is what we were created for.
One: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit will
go with you and before you, today and ever more.
All: Amen.
POSTLUDE Toccata on 'Grosser Gott' Matthew Corl
TODAY
Virtual Coffee Hour Sundays at 11:00 am
Now that we are worshiping on Zoom, coffee hour will begin after the service has concluded. We will give
you a few minutes after the postlude concludes to grab some coffee or a snack, then come back for a time
of fellowship! You will not need to log-in to a different Zoom meeting for coffee hour.
THIS WEEK AND BEYOND
Board of Christian Education Meeting June 9
All are invited to participate in this special CE meeting that will include a discussion about continuing our
study of White Privilege using the UCC’s curriculum and planning how we want to work together to become
anti-racist. If you’d like to participate, email Pastor Alexis at alexis@lrucc.org for the Zoom link!
Advice for Graduates Deadline for Submissions: Wednesday, June 10
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? In preparation for Graduation Sunday on June 14, we are
collecting pieces of advice from the congregation to share with our graduates in a special way as they prepare
to start new chapters in their lives. Please send your nuggets of wisdom to alexis@lrucc.org by Wednesday,
June 10.Gentle/Chair Yoga Saturday, June 13 Former Little River member Irena Pavlin, who has been teaching yoga for over 10 years, will offer a gentle yoga class via Zoom every other Saturday on June 13, 27; July 11, 25; August 8, 29 from 9:00 to 9:45 am. To join, please email office@lrucc.org for a ZOOM invitation. Book Group: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens Saturday, June 13 Author Delia Owens in her first novel Where the Crawdads Sing weaves the beauty and mystery of the marsh lands of North Carolina into a story of abandonment, betrayal, resilience, and reconciliation. The main protagonist Kya, abandoned as a child to fend for herself, draws on her personal strengths to survive and thrive in the face of adversity and failure to fit in with the local townspeople. Nicknamed “the Marsh girl,” she educates herself in the wonders of nature around her while she grapples with betrayals of men in her life, both in childhood and as a young adult, and ultimately is entangled in the suspicious death of one of these men. This powerful story captures the imagination and draws the reader into a world of mystery and discovery. Join us for a discussion of this book on Saturday, June 13 at 8:00 pm via Zoom. To join, please email office@lrucc.org for a ZOOM invitation. Honoring Our Graduates and Teachers Sunday, June 14 On Sunday, June 14, we will honor members of our church family who graduated this spring or have done so since last June. This includes graduates from high school, college, technical school, or graduate school. Please join us in wishing all our graduates the best by wearing attire representing your alma mater! We will also honor our church school teachers and First Friday volunteers for their dedication to our children and youth ministries. Wednesday Prayer Call Wednesdays at Noon Every Wednesday at 12:00 pm, Pastor Alexis will lead a midweek call via Zoom for LRUCC members and friends to check-in and pray together for about half an hour. Feel free to grab your lunch, or anything you’d like to share. To join, please email office@lrucc.org for a ZOOM invitation. Pastoral Phone Calls with Dawn Jefferson Wednesdays 1-3 pm Dawn Jefferson, our summer intern, wants to set aside some time each week for phone calls, prayer, or greetings. Dawn will be off this Wednesday, June 10th, but you may sign up now for next week, June 17th. You may use this brief phone call for pastoral support or as just another opportunity to get to know Dawn. Please sign up for a slot next Wednesday, June 17 between 1:00 and 3:00 pm on Sign-Up Genius.
Meditation Group Meeting Sundays at 9:00 am
The Little River Meditation Group will meet every Sunday via Zoom Video Conferencing during this time
of social distancing. All are welcome to join in at 9:00 am as the group explores meditation as a contemplative
practice that helps to quiet the mind. Meetings will end at 9:50 am, just in time for participants to make it to
the online worship services. Below is the information to join the meeting. Questions? Contact Sallyanne
Harper at Saharper1@verizon.net. To join, please email office@lrucc.org for a ZOOM invitation.
IT and ZOOM Help Sundays at 9:30 am
Chris Weakely, Chair of the Board of Deacons, will begin offering IT and ZOOM help 30 minutes before
each worship service. If you’d like to test your audio and video, learn more about ZOOM features, and try
navigating around the platform, please join us at 9:30 am on Sundays via the same link for worship and coffee
hour.
MORE CHURCH NEWS
Little River UCC Response to the Coronavirus
Due to the situation with COVID-19, Little River UCC will be closed to ALL in-person meetings and
gatherings until further notice. This includes LRUCC-sponsored groups and community-use groups, worship
services, and special events. The church office will also remain closed to the public until further notice, but
mail is being received and opened remotely. We will continue to monitor the recommendations of public
health and county officials, and will be updating our plans accordingly. Please continue to check our website
and Facebook page for updates. If you need to communicate with a staff member, please contact us at
office@lrucc.org.
Interim Pastor Search Committee -- Please Send Your Feedback
An Interim Pastor search committee has been formed and includes Larry Roth, Carrie Douglas, Michael Alt
and Jennifer Mack. The committee is putting together a congregational profile and position description for
the interim, to be sent to the Potomac Association in mid-June.
The congregation is asked to answer the following questions and submit feedback to search@lrucc.org as
soon as possible:
1. How would you describe the church to others in both what we are and what we would like to be?
2. In what areas do you think an Interim Pastor might be most helpful?
REALM
Don't be alarmed if you get any unexpected messages or emails from REALM, just let us know at
offce@lrucc.org. Church staff are actively testing functions in the platform in preparation for future staff
learning and hopefully another roll-out to the congregation in late summer.
Register to Vote! And Request an Absentee Ballot!
Little River UCC is participating in the UCC Central Atlantic Conference Faith and Democracy Campaign
this year. The first step is to make sure you are registered to vote and that your registration is up to date. This
year, because of the coronavirus, anyone concerned about contracting the virus is encouraged to request an
absentee ballot. To vote in the June 23 Virginia Primary Election, you must request your ballot by June 16.
The form to request a ballot is here: https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation.
Look for ongoing opportunities to increase participation in the election process this year! Let Jan Curtis
know if you would like to be a part of this effort at janetscurtis@gmail.com.
In addition, you may file immediately for an absentee ballot for the November elections by going to:
https://www.vote.org/absentee-ballot/virginia/. Ballots will to be sent to you in the USPS mail in October.You'll need the last four digits of your social security number. Questions? Contact Nancy Hall at 703-608- 3577 or nancydaltonhall0515@gmail.com. Food Pantry Drop-offs Little River is still collecting donations of non-perishable food items, toilet paper, paper towels, diapers, baby wipes, and feminine hygiene products for neighbors in need across Northern Virginia. Please consider purchasing a few extra items for our Food Pantry when you do your grocery shopping and online orders! Grocery gift cards are also welcome. In addition, individual pre-packed bags of food are prepared for use by FISH and church staff to respond to immediate needs. A bag of food includes: two boxes of cereal, one can of fruit, two cans of vegetables, one canned meat product, two boxes of pasta, one jar/can of pasta sauce, dry milk, and a jar of peanut butter. These items and paper or reusable grocery bags to pack them in are always appreciated. Donations can be dropped in the purple trunk by the front door of the church on Wednesdays before 3:00pm. If you would like to arrange a different drop-off time, please contact the church office at office@lrucc.org so that a staff person can be onsite to receive the items. Thank you for your continued support and faithful giving during these challenging times!
EVENTS OF THE WEEK OF JUNE 7, 2020
Sunday, June 7 9:00 Meditation Group Meeting - via Zoom
10:00 Sunday Worship - via Zoom
11:00 Virtual Coffee Hour - via Zoom
Monday, June 8 No LRUCC-sponsored Events
Tuesday, June 9 1:30 Little River UCC Staff Meeting – via Zoom
7:00 Board of Christian Education Meeting – via Zoom
Wednesday, June 10 12:00 Midweek Prayer Call with Pastor Alexis - via Zoom
5:30 Worship Committee Meeting - via Zoom
7:00 Church Council Meeting - via Zoom
Thursday, June 11 7:30 Sanctuary Choir Check-in - via Zoom
Friday, June 12 No LRUCC-sponsored Events
Saturday, June 13 9:00 Gentle Chair Yoga – via Zoom
8:00 Book Group – via Zoom
Sunday, June 14 9:00 Meditation Group Meeting - via Zoom
10:00 Sunday Worship - via Zoom
11:00 Virtual Coffee Hour - via ZoomYou can also read
