State Street Church United Church of Christ - March 6, 2022 An Open and Affirming Church

State Street Church
United Church of Christ
  An Open and Affirming Church
           March 6, 2022

           159 State Street
            P.O. Box 4037
        Portland, Maine 04101
           Tel. (207) 774-6396
  E-mail: office@statestreetchurch.org
      www.statestreetchurch.org
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State Street Church
                 United Church of Christ
                             March 6, 2022

GATHERING MUSIC: Adagio                                      W.A. Mozart
                                                             (1756-1791)

GREETINGS & ANNOUNCEMENTS:                               Cheryl Anderson

PRELUDE: Allegro non tropo                              Felix Mendelssohn
                                                              (1809-1847)
INTROIT
    There’s a path… though it winds its way through darkness
    We would choose… to avoid it if we could
    We awake… to an unexpected calling
    God says, “come… there are gifts in the Dark Wood”
THRESHOLD MOMENT
RESPONSE
    There’s a path (there’s a path) … though it winds its way through
    darkness
    We would choose (we would choose) … to avoid it if we could
    We awake (we awake) … to an unexpected calling
    God says, “come (God says, “come) … there are gifts in the Dark
      Wood”
OPENING PRAYER
         Unexpected Love, enter our lives and open us to the gifts
residing deep within the Holy Darkness of our lives. Walk with us, speak
to us, call to us. In your many names, we pray. Amen.
HYMN: #366 “God of Our Life”
LITANY OF CONFESSION, ASSURANCE AND PEACE
     Leader: For giving fear too much face-time,
     People: Forgive and restore us, O God.
     Leader: For digging in rather than going with the flow,
     People: Forgive and restore us, O God.
     Leader: For holding on too tight when what we need to do is let go,
     People: Forgive and restore us, O God.
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Silent prayers…
   Leader: Hear these words of assurance:
   God dwells with us, no matter how sure or unsure we are.
   God is not uncertain about whether or not we are worthy of love.
   God is with you, forgiving and restoring you to wholeheartedness.
   People: Thanks be to God! Amen!

SONG OF PRAISE
     Like a rock, like a rock, God is under our feet
     Like the starry night sky, God is over our head.
     Like the sun on the horizon, God is ever before.
     Like the river runs to ocean, our home is in God evermore.
A TIME FOR CHILDREN
BLESSING
      Like a rock, like a rock, God is under our feet
      Like the starry night sky, God is over our head.
      Like the sun on the horizon, God is ever before.
      Like the river runs to ocean, our home is in God evermore.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
GOSPEL READING: 1 Corinthians 13:11-12
MESSAGE The Gift of Uncertainty                   Rev. Cheryl P Anderson
A TIME FOR REFLECTION

INVITATION TO THE TABLE

SHARING THE BREAD AND CUP

UNISON PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

       We give you thanks, O God, that you have refreshed us at your table
by granting us the presence of your son, Jesus Christ. Strengthen our faith,
increase our love for one another, and send us forth into the world in
courage and peace, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit; through Jesus
Christ our Savior. Amen.

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THE PRAYERS
   Come and rest
       Come and listen
       Lay the fullness of your lives before the Maker
                        Leader: God, in your mercy,
                        People: Hear our prayer.
SILENT PRAYER
THE LORD’S PRAYER
        Our Mother 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors.
   And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
   For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

PRAYER RESPONSE:

  Come and rest (echo: come and rest)
  Come and listen (echo: come and listen)
  Lay the fullness of your lives before the Maker (echo is a canon)

GATHERING OF GIFTS

  Offering Anthem: Return Us to Your Garden
                    Text by Hern Fromback
                    Music by David Lantz III

*DOXOLOGY and PRAYER OF DEDICATION
  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
  Praise God all creatures here below!
  Praise God above, all heavenly hosts!
  Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost! Amen!

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*COMMISSION

Leader: May the Spirit of the Living God, made known to us most fully within life’s
Dark Wood:
All: Go before us to show us the way;
   Go above us to watch over us;
   Go behind us to push us into places we may not choose to go ourselves;
   Go beneath us to uphold and uplift us;
   Go beside us to be our strong and constant companion;
   And dwell within us to remind us that we are surely not alone,

*BENEDICTION

*CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE
  There’s a path (there’s a path) … and it leads us out together
  To the wood (to the wood) … where the darkness hovers still
  We are sent (we are sent) … and the Spirit goes before us
  God says, “go (God says, “go) … be my presence in the world”

POSTLUDE: Ukraine National Anthem
          *The title of this piece, which is a protest song, translates to "We are not dead yet!"

*We are invited to praise God by standing.

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This Week at State Street Church
          Office Hours: Mon. - Thurs. 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
                        Fri. 9:00-12:00pm

 Sun. March 6                         Weds. March 9
 10:00 a.m. Worship Service           5:30 p.m. Trustees Meeting
                                      7:00 p.m. No More Tears Meeting

 Tues. March 8
 4:00 p.m. Missions Meeting       Sun. March 13
 7:00 p.m. Share and Live Meeting 10:00 a.m. Worship Service
                                  After Service, Deacons Meeting

               Thank you to our Deacons of the Day,
                  Margy Soule and Priscilla Bird

                   Thank you to Tori Bachman
           for managing our livestreaming support today.

                Pastor Bryan will be on vacation
     February 20 and be back to work on Tuesday, March 8.
If you have a pastoral emergency, please call Rev. Reba Delzell of
Williston-Immanuel UCC at (207) 400-4395.
The church office will be closed Friday, March 4th 2022.

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Parking Pass Required
You may park at the Portland Club on Sunday mornings only
AND you must show a State Street parking pass (available at
the visitors’ table) on your dashboard. You must vacate the
spot by 1 p.m. and do not park in “Members Only” spots.”

      Where Else You Can Park on Sundays
Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Home—unless they have their sign out
that states “Funeral Home Parking Only”

On Street Parking—spaces are often available on State Street and
Winter Street.
                     We want you in church.

         State Street Church, United Church of Christ
     Tel: (207) 774-6396 website: www.statestreetchurch.org
    Rev. Bryan S. Breault, Pastor - pastorbryanssc@gmail.com
              Dr. David Maxwell, Minister of Music
Celia Wilson, Office Administrator - office@statestreetchurch.org
               Maryam Darjazi, Child Care Provider

    Copyright 1995, The Pilgrim Press All rights reserved. Reprinted
   under permission by OneLicense.
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