Ubc Liturgy Stuff
September 27, 2020
Below, you’ll find the song lyrics and scripture readings for the live stream on September 27th (in the order they are needed). Also you can find UbcKids Sunday School Videos here.
What the Dry Years Took Away
Eternal, uncreated
who traced the frame
before there was a frame
and never did forget it
though the shape
was mired along the way
would you now yet speak it?
reassert, the vision of the Name
write it on our longing
like a pillar
of fire and cloud, the same
with urgency and grace
would you restore what the dry years took away?
o God of life
may your mercy shine
upon the painted world
with power benign
and raise our hearts to sing
like the moon-pull to the tide
’til every riven thing
is found whole yet,
in plain sight
out here in the distance
among the fences
we build around our dreams
there’s a numbing of the senses
abject indifference
and ubiquitous fatigue
so would you now yet speak it,
Holy beacon?
the vision of the Name
write it on our longing
like a pillar of fire and cloud the same
with urgency and grace
would you restore what the dry years took away?
o God of life
may your mercy shine
upon the painted world
with power benign
and raise our hearts to sing
like the moon-pull to the tide
’til every riven thing
is found whole yet,
in plain sight
with urgency and grace
would you restore what the fracture took away
write it on our hearts
the back of our hands
and doorposts, the same
Call to Worship
we have gathered to worship
the Eternal One
i’m whom there is life
and breath and everything
to enter the story of God
and find our own stories reimagined
as the Spirit of God forms our hearts and minds in the way of Christ
and draws into the work of God in the world
Amen
Rain by Claribel Alegría
As the falling rain
trickles among the stones
memories come bubbling out.
It's as if the rain
had pierced my temples.
Streaming
streaming chaotically
come memories:
the reedy voice
of the servant
telling me tales
of ghosts.
They sat beside me
the ghosts
and the bed creaked
that purple-dark afternoon
when I learned you were leaving forever,
a gleaming pebble
from constant rubbing
becomes a comet.
Rain is falling
falling
and memories keep flooding by
they show me a senseless
world
a voracious
world--abyss
ambush
whirlwind
spur
but I keep loving it
because I do
because of my five senses
because of my amazement
because every morning,
because forever, I have loved it
without knowing why.
Twice Begun
Jesus Christ did not cling tight
to height, nor form Divine
but instead emptied himself
into the hands of time
the wind drew cracks in the lips of Love
the sun beat down the Light
now Life itself has torn the veil of death
that all the rest may rise
now life and death and resurrection
are painted over all creation
their colors swirling into one
as if every moment is now twice begun
and doesn’t stop, the path, the pulse, the clock
Jesus Christ did not cling tight
to height nor power Divine
but instead emptied himself
into Breath and blood and spine
as the feeble crowds began to mount
the powers of state and faith aligned
to crush that which might tear their mountains down
but he turned not his mind
that all the rest may rise
now life and death and resurrection
are painted over all creation
their colors swirling into one
as if every moment is now twice begun
so mourn your losses, sing your songs
but build your houses with fingers crossed
there is a hope now graven in the dawn
and every ending to that burning edge belongs
Old Testament Reading
Today’s Old Testament reading is Exodus 17:1-7:
From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
New Testament Reading
Today’s New Testament reading is Matthew 21:23-32:
When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Heart Won’t Stop
there is not a man, nor a beast
nothing on the land or underneath
nothing that could every come between
the love you have for me
I could lay my head in sheol
I could make my bed at the bottom of the darkness deep
there is not a place I could escape you
your heart won’t stop coming after me
there is not an angel of the stars
there is not a devil in the dark
nothing that could change the way you are
the love you have for me
I could lay my head in sheol
I could make my bed at the bottom of the darkness deep
there is not a place I could escape you
your heart won’t stop coming after me
I could lay my head in sheol
I could make my bed at the bottom of the darkness deep
there is not a place I could escape you
your heart won’t stop coming after me
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Amen
Benediction
As we approach this week
May we love God
Embrace Beauty
and Live Life to the fullest
Amen
New Giving App
In case you missed this info for the past couple of weeks:
We're excited to offer a new way to give to UBC - through a simple, fast and secure app! You can download the free Church Center app and enter "UBC Waco" as your church. In just a few taps, you'll have your account set up and can give any amount, anytime, from anywhere in the world. You can make a one-time donation or set up recurring giving instantly. Best yet, this app is designed specifically for churches, with reduced fees that make sure more of your donation actually goes to support UBC. If you're not an app person, no worries - we've added Church Center as an option under the "give" tab on our website. Thanks for your giving and support of our UBC community!