Worship Services
Sunday Worship Service at 10:00am
Our church doors are open every Sunday at 9 am for those who would like to drop by for a visit or to drop off an envelope. Our worship service starts at 10 am and all are welcome.
You can also watch our worship service from home on our Website Sunday mornings. Go to: firstuccrichmond.yolasite.com and click on “Worship Services” in the side bar.
OR
Join us on our Facebook page as we live stream our service Sundays at 10 am. If we have your email address, the link to Facebook and You Tube can be forwarded to you.
Sermon Text - Worship - Songs - Readings & on-line download will be available after the First United Church of Christ Richmond 10:00 Worship
Please send in your prayer requests so they can be included in the on line worship.
Virtual is not the opposite of real. It’s the opposite of physical. And they are both real. This means that when you join us for worship online, it is still a real worship service and a real connection with other online congregants. The prayers are real, the preaching is real, and the ways that God will speak to you and through you in this online space is real.
Having church online is nothing new for First United Church of Christ. We do some of this every week! But it might be new for you. You'll find an amazing online congregation and our Digital Minister, and Music Minister Price Smith, and Pastor Katie Dailey waiting to welcome you. And if you have any questions or trouble connecting with our worship service, just know it is new and different, all we can do is continuing giving it our best shot.
Pastor,
KatieD+
Click on text in Blue to view supporting materials
It is always good to read the readings during the week to get your own ideas about what God can be saying to you through the readings.
If you would like to make a donation, on-line donations are available via PayPal by clicking the following button:
Otherwise, donations may be mailed to the church at:
First United Church of Christ
68651 S. Forest Avenue
Richmond, MI 48062
First United Church of Christ
68651 S. Forest
Richmond MI 48062
Rev. Katie Dailey, Pastor
If you prefer to send a check or are uncomfortable using Internet: Please include an email.
Thank you for claiming First UCC as your non-profit at Gordon Foods/Kroger
On-Line Worship 04/28/24
Order of Worship
Fifth Sunday of Easter
April 28, 2024
Welcome to our worship!
No matter what your journey of faith has been, you are welcome here.
Most began their journey of faith in other traditions and that matters not.
ALL ARE INCLUDED AND WELCOME!
Come and journey with us.
We are glad to have you if you are in-person or on line.
The gathered say the bold parts.
Readings:
#52 NCH ‘O How I Love Jesus’
THANKSGIVING FOR OFFERING
Having heard the good news and being assured of God’s love and grace, our only response is one of gratitude. Let us give thanks with what we have and who we are. Let us give our offering.
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Gracious God, please accept these gifts and use them for the coming of your kingdom in this time and place. In gratitude for all we have and for your love for us, we pray with thanksgiving. Amen.
Ringing of the Bell
Lighting of the candle
Welcome
We are a CAYA [come as you are] Church and we know God is Still Speaking. Our Table is open to all who wish to participate in the bread and beverage as it is God’s Table. If Judas could participate at that Passover Meal so long ago, all are certainly welcome at God’s Table here at First United Church of Christ. We share of the cup and bread as a sign that we want to grow into the image of God in which we were created. We take part together to grow more closely together, sharing each others joys and burdens.
CALL TO WORSHIP
We gather this day in joy and Christian fellowship, for we, the people, are the church of Jesus Christ that gather in our worship place.
We pray for the Holy Spirit to be among us, opening our hearts and minds to the worship of God!
# 459 'Come O Fount of Every Blessing’
Public Domain, 1758 Robert Robinson
Tune; NETTLETON John Wyeth’s Sacred Music
CALL TO CONFESSION
When we come before God, we remember and proclaim who God is: merciful, just, holy, and loving. We must also remember who we are, and we are a people who have not always been the people God has called us to be. We have not always been merciful, just, holy or loving. So let us confess our sin, trusting in God’s goodness to forgive us and create us anew for our lives ahead.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Gracious God, our hearts are restless until they find their home in you. Forgive our pursuit of things that separate us from you.
We pursue success, realizing it will never be enough. We desire more possessions, knowing they are empty.
We turn toward the world and hope we will find peace, knowing the world cannot provide it.
Forgive us, we pray, and may our wandering hearts find their rest in you alone. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON (from 2 Corinthians 5:17)
Hear the good news! In Christ, we are new creations. The old life is gone, thank God! A new life has begun. Know you are forgiven, and be at peace.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Gracious God, may your Holy Spirit open our hearts and minds to your words of love and grace this day. Amen.
Scripture readings:
#293 Sweet, Sweet Spirit
Sweet, Sweet Spirit, Doris Akers, 1962
One License #721 722
Gospel: John 15:1-8
Sermon
Affirmation of faith
We are the church: the people who believe the good news about Jesus, who are baptized, and who share in the Lord’s Supper.
Through these means of grace, the Spirit renews us so that we may serve God in love. We believe the good news that gives us comfort that we belong to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ, who died and rose again for our sake, so that nothing will ever separate us from God’s love.
We know this good news through reading the Bible and hearing it taught and preached. The Holy Spirit inspired those who wrote the Bible and helps us rely on its promises today.
Pastoral Prayer & Lord’s Prayer
Gracious God, you have promised to hear us when we pray to you, and we desperately need your guidance and care. We are a people who often walk around with a long list of concerns and worries on our minds. What a gift it is to come and offer them to you — for you are the author of all grace and goodness.
We worry about the state of the world. More people die in Gaza and Ukraine, and we grieve it all. We pray for your peace to come to every war zone in the world and for leaders to be filled with a spirit of reconciliation and care.
We worry about the state of our nation. In the run-up to the presidential election, it seems that divisiveness still reigns and that our very democracy is threatened. Remind us, Lord, of the greater good. May we focus not so much on ourselves, but on what we can do as a nation for those who need help the most. Let us live into our highest ideals and may we be agents of unity in a difficult time.
We worry about our communities. May your hand be in all of our decisions as a community so that we can be a light unto the world.
We worry about our those who are sick and suffering. It is difficult to witness illness, and we give you thanks for all the doctors and medical workers who live into their calling with grace and care.
Help us each to offer a kind word and helping hand when we are able. May your Spirit be with all who suffer, giving them each a peace that passes all understanding.
We worry about our families. We pray for your blessing on big families and small families, blood families and families of choice. We pray for our church family.
May the bonds of loyalty and love that unite us with others be strengthened and may we share love with all.
Lord, we are not to subdue and have dominion over the earth, we are called to respect all of creation. Humanity is only a part of creation.
In Thanksgiving: we praise God that Lucille Trombley is out of the hospital.
Lord, all that we know of goodness and love is found in the person of Jesus Christ and so we now join our voices together in the prayer that he taught us saying, “Our Father…”.
Announcements
May 5-11 MCREST at Armada Church
Two cakes per day needed.
SENDING AND BLESSING
May you leave this place to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ in the world, offering love and grace to all you meet. And may you be blessed by the triune God, Father, Son and Spirit
#4 Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
Public Domain, Hymn to Joy 1824
Ludwig van Beethoven
Thank you for praying with us - have a wonderful week!
OUR SERVICE HAS ENDED
LET OUR SERVICE BEGIN
Pay Pal OR Snail Mail Support for our Ministry to:
First United Church of Christ
68651 S. Forest
Richmond, Michigan 48062
On-Line Worship 04/21/24
Order of Worship
Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2024
Welcome to our worship!
No matter what your journey of faith has been, you are welcome here.
Most began their journey of faith in other traditions and that matters not.
ALL ARE INCLUDED AND WELCOME!
Come and journey with us.
We are glad to have you if you are in-person or on line.
The gathered say the bold parts.
Readings:
Opening Song #28 For the Beauty of the Earth
First United Church of Christ
68651 S. Forest
Richmond MI 48062
Rev. Katie Dailey, Pastor
If you prefer to send a check or are uncomfortable using Internet: Please include an email.
Thank you for claiming First UCC as your non-profit at Gordon Foods/Kroger
THANKSGIVING FOR OFFERINGS
Humbled by God’s generosity, let we have offered our gifts to God and Christ’s church.
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
God, you meet our needs and transform us for service. Accept these gifts as signs of our gratitude and our commitment to Christ’s ministry. Amen.
Ringing of the Bell
Lighting of the candle
Welcome
We are a CAYA [come as you are] Church and we know God is Still Speaking. Our Table is open to all who wish to participate in the bread and beverage as it is God’s Table. If Judas could participate at that Passover Meal so long ago, all are certainly welcome at God’s Table here at First United Church of Christ. We share of the cup and bread as a sign that we want to grow into the image of God in which we were created. We take part together to grow more closely together, sharing each others joys and burdens.
CALL TO WORSHIP (based on Psalm 23)
Our Good Shepherd has led us to this place.
He leads us beside still waters; he restores our soul.
Even though we walk through dark valleys,
even though we are fearful and in need of comfort,
Our cup overflows with God’s goodness and mercy;
we shall dwell in the house of the Lord our whole lives long.
GATHERING SONG #247 My Shepherd is the Living God
CALL TO CONFESSION
The joy of this Easter season continues as we are called to Word and worship. Let us pause to confess our sins to our Good Shepherd.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Savior God, you guide us, but we are slow to follow and stubborn. You welcome us to your fold, but we make others feel as if they don’t belong.
Forgive our life-alienating ways, our exclusion and judgment; the way we evaluate and compare, demean and degrade.
Redeem us. Restore us. Help us be faithful as your flock. Amen.
PARDON IS YOURS FOR THE ASKING
Christ forgives. Christ transforms. Christ renews. Christ leads us down the path of new beginnings. We are a new creation, ready to sing God’s glory and testify to God’s grace. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Amen.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
God our helper, guide us into and through your Word, that we might be shaped by your Spirit’s message to us today and transformed for service in your world. Amen.
Scripture readings proclaimed by Kim McCardell
SPIRIT SONG #293 NCH Sweet, Sweet, Spirit
Gospel: John 10:11-18
Affirmation of faith (privately prayed)
We trust in Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God. Jesus proclaimed the reign of God: preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives, teaching by word and deed and blessing the children, healing the sick and binding up the brokenhearted, eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners, and calling all to repent and believe the gospel. Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition, Jesus was crucified, suffering the depths of human pain and giving his life for the sins of the world. God raised this Jesus from the dead, vindicating his sinless life, breaking the power of sin and evil, delivering us from death to life eternal.
PASTORAL PRAYER and the LORD’S PRAYER
Holy God, Good Shepherd, we turn to you in prayer because we need a leader, someone we can trust, someone who can show us the way in complicated and confusing times.
Guide us, Good Shepherd.
The world’s problems overwhelm. The burden of suffering is great. We bear witness to tragedy after tragedy on the evening news as wolves circle your innocent sheep, threatening our hope for a just world, a path to peace and a beloved kin-dom.
What can we do, God? How can we be of help? What power do we have to transform evil to good?
Guide us, Good Shepherd.
When we doubt our worth and our belovedness, remind us that we are yours, that we belong, that we have place within your flock. Remind us and comfort us with the knowledge that in body and in soul, in life and in death we belong to you, our Savior and Shepherd. Unite your flock with your love and help us be as welcoming of others as you are to us.
Guide us, Good Shepherd.
Just as the shepherd knows each of his sheep, help us to know and care for the individuals that are in particular need of your merciful grace. Hear our prayers for:
- The innocent caught in the cross hairs of war…
- Soldiers suffering from moral injury and PTSD…
- The sick and those who care for them…
- The grieving, the exhausted, the depressed…
- Those in need of resurrection hope…
Now hear us as we pray together the prayer our Savior taught us saying, “Our Father…”
SENDING & BLESSING
We are an Easter people! Christ is risen! Live into the hope of Christ’s resurrection and follow him as our Good Shepherd.
May the grace, hope, peace and love of God our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier be with us all this week and always. Until we meet again, go in peace.
CLOSING SONG #76 Sent forth by God’s Blessing
Thank you for praying with us - have a wonderful week!
OUR SERVICE HAS ENDED
LET OUR SERVICE BEGIN
Pay Pal OR Snail Mail Support for our Ministry to:
First United Church of Christ
68651 S. Forest
Richmond, Michigan 48062
On-Line Worship 04/14/24
Order of Worship
Third Sunday of Easter
April 14, 2024
Welcome to our worship!
No matter what your journey of faith has been, you are welcome here.
Most began their journey of faith in other traditions and that matters not.
ALL ARE INCLUDED AND WELCOME!
Come and journey with us.
We are glad to have you if you are in-person or on line.
The gathered say the bold parts.
Readings:
First United Church of Christ
68651 S. Forest
Richmond MI 48062
Rev. Katie Dailey, Pastor
Pay Pal on Facebook. Church Address for snail mail if you prefer to send a check or are uncomfortable using Internet: Please include your email.
Thank you for claiming First UCC as your non-profit at Gordon Foods/Kroger
THANKSGIVING FOR OFFERING
In response to God’s abundant grace at work in our lives, let us present with gratitude our gifts of time, talent and treasure, for the building up of God’s kingdom.
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Living Lord, we give you thanks for the bounty of your grace: you create us in your image, shower us with your love, forgive us when we turn away from you.
Give us a future with hope. Bless these gifts we offer you today, and make us good stewards of the resources you have entrusted to us.
May our gifts bring joy and peace in our church and in our community. In Christ’s holy name we pray, Amen.
Ringing of the Bell
Lighting of the candle
Welcome
We are a CAYA [come as you are] Church and we know God is Still Speaking. Our Table is open to all who wish to participate in the bread and beverage as it is God’s Table. If Judas could participate at that Passover Meal so long ago, all are certainly welcome at God’s Table here at First United Church of Christ. We share of the cup and bread as a sign that we want to grow into the image of God in which we were created. We take part together to grow more closely together, sharing each others joys and burdens.
CALL TO WORSHIP (inspired by Psalm 4)
The Lord hears us when we call:
Come, let us put our trust in God.
The Lord fills our hearts with gladness:
Come, let us sing God’s praises with shouts of joy!
The Lord grants peace to our weary souls:
Come, let us rest by the quiet waters of God’s grace.
Hymn: My Shepherd Is the Living God
CALL TO CONFESSION
To repent is to turn away from sin and turn toward Christ Jesus. Scripture promises that when we confess, God hears our cries and wipes away our sin (Acts 3:19). Trusting in God’s promises of new life, let us confess our sins and the sin of this world.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Risen Christ, we are often troubled by our doubts. But you are not troubled by them. You do not require perfect understanding.
Instead, you reveal yourself to us again and again that we might come to know you.
Forgive us when our doubts keep us stuck, when fear prevents us from loving all creation as you call us to do. Help us to accept the peace you so graciously offer to us.
Have mercy on us when we hoard or hide it, when we fail to offer it to others. Renew us and make us whole that in this world of strife we may be bearers of your peace. In resurrection hope we pray, Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are” (1 John 3:1). Children of God, we are claimed by God, forgiven of our sins, and set free for love. Alleluia!
Amen.
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
Redeeming God, as we hear your Word spoken to us, open our eyes to see the risen Christ, open our ears to hear the good news of his salvation for all the world, and open our minds to understand the mysteries of your love. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.
Scripture readings proclaimed by Christine Hensch.
Hymn: Peace I Leave With You, My Friends
Gospel: Luke 24:36b-48
Sermon: WHY ARE YOU SO TERRIFIED? Where is your hope?
PASTORAL PRAYER & LORD’S PRAYER
God of abundant grace, we gather today just as your first disciples gathered in the wake of the resurrection: in joy, wonder and disbelief.
We remember that whenever we gather in your name, you appear in our midst, offering us the comfort of your presence and the assurance of your love.
And we give you thanks that like those first disciples, you give us a community to practice our faith. Grant us grace to hold space for one another’s doubts and questions.
Give us courage to admit that we do not have all the answers. Make this community where we explore what it means to receive your forgiveness and dedicate our lives to you.
We remember that when the risen Christ first appeared to his disciples, he offered them peace. Our world is deeply in need of your peace, O God: a peace that is not only the absence of conflict but the presence of wholeness for all people.
We pray for innocent victims of war in Ukraine and Gaza and around the world. Put an end to violence, Lord. Teach us to recognize our shared humanity, our shared status as your beloved children, each of us created in your image.
Lead each of us to prioritize peace, both in our homes and communities and in the wider world. We pray for all who sit in seats of power: fill their hearts with compassion and their decisions with wisdom, that all may have the chance not only to survive, but to flourish.
Most of all, God, save us from despair. Open our eyes to see the signs of resurrection life that are all around us. Plant hope within us, and help us to nurture its tender shoots, that it may grow more robust each day. May we begin to imagine the future of your shalom.
Loving Lord, we pray for members of our community who need your care. Ease the suffering of the sick and speed the healing of those in recovery. Comfort all those who mourn and bring rest to all who are worn down.
Surround the isolated with love and soothe the troubled minds of the anxious. We especially pray for …, and all we name now in the quiet of our hearts….
Lord of life, remind us of our call to love one another as you have loved us, with a love that casts out fear and creates community. Grant us energy to serve one another with humility and hope. Keep us faithful in your service until Christ comes again and all things are made new. We pray in his name and as he taught us: “Our Father….”
SENDING & BLESSING (Teresa of Avila)
As you go out from this place, remember that
“Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body…
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”
Together we are the resurrected body of Christ in the world. And wherever we go, however we live into that call, the risen Christ will be with us, God’s love will surround us, and The Holy Spirit will move us. AMEN
Hymn: Because He lives I can face tomorrow
Thank you for praying with us - have a wonderful week!
OUR SERVICE HAS ENDED
LET OUR SERVICE BEGIN
Pay Pal OR Snail Mail Support for our Ministry to:
First United Church of Christ
68651 S. Forest
Richmond, Michigan 48062
On-Line Worship 04/07/24
Order of Worship
Second Sunday of Easter
HOLY HUMOR SUNDAY
April 07, 2024
Welcome to our worship!
No matter what your journey of faith has been, you are welcome here.
Most began their journey of faith in other traditions and that matters not.
ALL ARE INCLUDED AND WELCOME!
Come and journey with us.
We are glad to have you if you are in-person or on line.
The gathered say the bold parts.
Scripture readings:
First United Church of Christ
68651 S. Forest
Richmond MI 48062
Rev. Katie Dailey, Pastor
If you prefer to send a check or are uncomfortable using Internet: Please include an email.
Thank you for claiming First UCC as your non-profit at Gordon Foods/Kroger
THANKSGIVING FOR OFFERING
We become who we are called to be not through getting, acquiring and possessing but in our giving. To that end, we worship God by giving our good gifts.
PRAYER OVER GIFTS
Good and gracious God, help us to say thank you, to live with gratitude, to look for the best in each other, and to live charitably with all.
May your resurrection never stop surprising us, disrupting us and transforming us, until Christ’s kingdom comes. Amen.
Ringing of the Bell
Lighting of the candle
Welcome
Thank you for joining worship with us here at First United Church of Christ Richmond. We are ‘Intersection’ at S. Forest & Main. We are glad to have you if you are in-person or on line. And thank you also for going onto our chat and leaving remarks: we welcome any comments and encouragement.
We are a CAYA [come as you are] Church and we know God is Still Speaking. Our Table is open to all here at First United Church of Christ. We share of the cup and bread as a sign that we want to grow into the image of God in which we were created. We take part and worship together to grow more closely together, sharing each others joys and burdens.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Into our fears and through our locked doors.
Come, Almighty God.
When we think ‘peace be with you,’ means no change or disruption,
Come, Lord Jesus.
Amidst our lives that confuse religious entertainment with Easter fulfillment,
Come, Holy Spirit.
For the sake of a community meant to be its best during crisis,
Come Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
#247 NCH My Shepherd Is the Living God
CALL TO CONFESSION
When we stand at the baptismal font and confess our sins we are not doing so as lost, guilty and ambiguous human beings who are not sure of our standing before God. We do not come groveling, but we come confident as those who are no longer dead in our trespasses but who are already alive in Jesus Christ. Without God’s grace, we would not even know we are sinners. So we confess together:
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
O Lord our God, we think our best should happen when we are in control.
Forgive us for not expecting the risen Christ to show up when we are anxious, content to lock the doors of your house for fear of all that is outside.
Forgive us for thinking that church mainly happens inside these walls and not into the world you so love and into which we are sent.
Forgive us for looking for your power in all the conventional places but never in places of brokenness, crisis and defeat.
In your mercy, forgive what we have been, repair what we are, and by the power of Christ’s resurrection, raise us up to serve others for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
You are already forgiven, loved and whole. In Christ, you are a fully flourishing human being; go live like it. In the Spirit, you are not an isolated spiritual being, doing Christianity alone, but you are part of a community of faith; go build that. By the grace of God, every human being is seen, loved, and made whole; go practice that. Amen.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Divine Redeemer, bearer of life, open us to the wisdom of your Word today and enlighten us with your truth. Liberate us from all that distracts us and turns us from your path. Guide us and ground us in Christ’s everlasting hope. Amen.
Scripture readings proclaimed by Darlene Furtaw
#249 Peace I Leave with You My Friend
Gospel: John 20:19-31
Sermon: Doubting Thomas
Prayers of the people and the Lord’s Prayer
Eternal God, give us grateful hearts for the divine mysteries we cannot explain, solve or grasp.
Thank you that the good news of Christ’s resurrection continues to impact this world with its ripples. May this miracle and its ongoing aftermath disrupt us even as it comforts us, may it send us out to risk telling others the life-changing story.
We thank you for the beauty of this worship service, the singing of your praises, the rhythm of the seasons, and the fullness of this day. We remember those who Christ made a priority in his midst:
People who lived outside the legal codes, the social codes and the cultural norms. Remind us that Christ not only welcomed those presumed to be unworthy but liberated their full dignity and humanity.
Show us how this is something Christ continues to do in our midst despite the narratives of division that try to put Christ back in the tomb.
Give us eyes to see. Give us courage to act.
To that end, we pray for this community and for the mission of the universal church. Like those mourning male and female disciples who could barely see the risen Christ through their despair, we are prone to pessimism.
Remind us that Easter is always a miracle and that we are at our best when we walk by faith and not by sight. Remind us that we are called and equipped to be people of hope in a world entombed by death.
Remind us that you are at work even now, giving us what we need to share our faith with others. It is in the name of our resurrected Lord we pray, “Our Father….”
SENDING AND BLESSING
Jesus says: ‘As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’
The work of church is not over; it has just begun.
Go with joy where the crucified and risen Christ is sending you.
And as you go, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion off the Holy Spirit be with you.
BECAUSE HE LIVES, I CAN FACE TOMORROW
God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus; He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon, An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!
How sweet to hold a newborn baby, And feel the pride and joy he brings;
But greater still the calm assurance: This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!
And then one day, I'll cross the river, I'll fight life's final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to victory, I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!
Thank you for praying with us - have a wonderful week!
OUR SERVICE HAS ENDED
LET OUR SERVICE BEGIN
Pay Pal OR Snail Mail Support for our Ministry to:
First United Church of Christ
68651 S. Forest
Richmond, Michigan 48062
On-Line Worship 03/31/24
Order of Worship
Easter Sunday
March 31, 2024
Welcome to our worship!
No matter what your journey of faith has been, you are welcome here.
Most began their journey of faith in other traditions and that matters not.
ALL ARE INCLUDED AND WELCOME!
Come and journey with us.
We are glad to have you if you are in-person or on line.
The gathered say the bold parts.
First United Church of Christ
68651 S. Forest
Richmond MI 48062
Rev. Katie Dailey, Pastor
If you prefer to send a check or are uncomfortable using Internet: Please include an email.
Gordon Foods/Kroger thank you for claiming First UCC as your non-profit
THANKSGIVING FOR OFFERING
We give thanks to God for God is good. We have gratefully given of our offerings to the glory of God and in praise of Christ’s resurrecting ministry.
Thank you to all who continue to support our mission, our purpose, and our legacy.
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
God of the empty tomb, your grace astounds us, your generosity fills us to overflowing.
Accept these offerings as signs of our gratitude and bless our work on Christ’s behalf.
May we love as Christ loved. May we serve as Christ served.
Call us forth into your world, guided by Christ’s spirit. Amen.
Ringing of the Bell
Lighting of the candle
Welcome
Thank you for joining worship with us here at First United Church of Christ Richmond. We are ‘Intersection’ at S. Forest & Main. We are glad to have you if you are in-person or on line. And thank you also for going onto our chat and leaving remarks: we welcome any comments and encouragement.
We are a CAYA [come as you are] Church and we know God is Still Speaking. Our Table is open to all here at First United Church of Christ. We share of the cup and bread as a sign that we want to grow into the image of God in which we were created. We take part and worship together to grow more closely together, sharing each others joys and burdens.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia!
CALL TO WORSHIP
Christ is Risen! Shout Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!
Celebrate this day of days! Hosanna! Hosanna!
Let all creation be amazed! Hosanna! Hosanna! Christ is Risen!
#233 NCH Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia
Suffer to redeem our loss, Alleluia
To the tomb the women bring, Alleluia!
Spices rise an offering, Alleluia!
Asking where might Jesus be, Alleluia!
Savior come to set us free, Alleluia!
There the angel clothed in white, Alleluia!
Tells the news with great delight, Alleluia!
This the news the angel gives, Alleluia!
That the Sovereign glorious lives, Alleluia!
Hasten now to Galilee, Alleluia!
Tell the others what you see! Alleluia!
With excitement trembling, Alleluia!
Off they run good new to bring, Alleluia!
Christ appears to full array, Alleluia!
|Ting with joy this Paschal day, Alleluia!
Christ now from the dead is raised, Alleluia!
Holy Trinity be praised, Alleluia!
CALL TO CONFESSION
The joy of this Easter Sunday reminds us of God’s resurrecting power.
Let us confess all that turns us toward death, so we can know the grace of new life through Christ.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Savior God, forgive our life-alienating ways, our exclusion and judgment of others;
the way we evaluate and compare. Forgive our death-dealing sins.
Forgive our habits that demean and degrade, our addiction to violent and destructive behavior.
Redeem us. Restore us. Resurrect us for life in Christ. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
“Jesus Christ is risen today. But the pains which he endured, our salvation have procured.”
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Alleluia. Amen.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Divine Redeemer, bearer of life, open us to the wisdom of your Word today and enlighten us with your truth.
Liberate us from all that distracts us and turns us from your path. Guide us and ground us in Christ’s everlasting hope. Amen.
Scripture readings
#237 I Come to the Garden Alone
1
I COME to the garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear, Falling on my ear, The Son of God discloses.
And He walks with me, And He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share As we tarry there, None other has ever known.
2
He speaks, and the sound of His voice Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody That He gave to me Within my heart is ringing.
And He walks with me, And He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share As we tarry there, None other has ever known.
3
I’d stay in the garden with Him Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; Through the voice of woe, His voice to me is calling.
And He walks with me, And He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share As we tarry there, None other has ever known.
GOSPEL: John 20:1-18
SERMON: TEN REASONS TO BELIEVE
Affirmation of Faith
I believe in God the Creator
I believe in Jesus, the Redeemer
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Sustainer.
PASTORAL PRAYER
God of resurrection, of new life, of new beginnings, we stand before the empty tomb full of terror and amazement — like the Scripture describes the women who first discovered this miracle.
We are amazed, Holy God, by your power, by your love, by the grace you extend to us and our world, even when we are undeserving.
On this Easter Sunday, we bow before you in prayer, lifting our petitions for those who suffer and struggle, and searching for the strength, guidance and hope we need to serve as your faithful disciples.
In your mercy, Risen Savior, hear our prayers. Our terror is real and debilitating, God. We fear for ourselves, for our neighbors, and for our world. Evil has gained traction, convincing many that violence and war, death and destruction are acceptable means to human ends. Forgive us, God.
Turn our hearts toward what is holy and right. Turn our faces toward your risen Son, whose light graces us with peace, love, and divine wisdom. On this Easter morning, let us recommit ourselves to Christ’s path of peace and the road of Christian discipleship.
This road is difficult and most challenging. But this road also leads to new and renewed life. Savior, hear our prayers that all who are struggling know your resurrection hope.
We pray for those struggling under the weight of despair…
We pray for those who feel trapped and victimized…
We pray for those who lack necessary resources for survival…
We pray for those who are exhausted and overwhelmed…
We pray for those who are traumatized or depressed…
We pray for those who are unsafe and without a place or a people to call home…
We pray for the sick, the grieving, the loved ones we know are struggling,
God of hope, hear our prayers, as well as those we name silently now before you.
Pause for silent prayers of petition . . . . . . . . .
We pray for the family of Henry Schroeder whose funeral was yesterday.
Strong God, we praise you as the one who rolls stones away from empty tombs and as the one who opens minds and softens hearts. We stand in awe of your power on this Easter Sunday. We celebrate your risen Son.
As the flowers bloom this spring and the butterflies emerge from their cocoons, we cannot help but hope in your everlasting love, our strong foundation that grounds us even as the world around us shakes.
COMMUNION RITE
Holy, holy, holy God of love and majesty,
the whole universe speaks of your glory, O God Most High.
We Remember & Consecrate
“Our Father…”
Receive
AFTER ALL HAVE PARTICIPATED
Our Savior Jesus Christ keep and preserve you to everlasting life. Let us pray.
We thank you, God, for inviting us to this table where we have known the presence of Christ and have received all Christ’s gifts.
Strengthen our faith, increase our love for one another, and let us show forth your praise in our lives; through Christ our Savior. AMEN.
SENDING AND BLESSING
Celebrate this day of days!
Rejoice in God, your Savior!
Know the new life gifted through Jesus Christ!
Shout your Alleluia’s for all to hear!
May the grace, hope, peace and love of God our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer be with us all, now and forever. Amen
BECAUSE HE LIVES
God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus; He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon, An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!
How sweet to hold a newborn baby, And feel the pride and joy he brings;
But greater still the calm assurance: This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!
And then one day, I'll cross the river, I'll fight life's final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to victory, I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!
Thank you for praying with us - have a wonderful week!
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Richmond, Michigan 48062
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