Bread and More Soup Kitchen continues to serve a free to-go meal every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30-6:15.
We are an open and affirming member of the United Church of Christ and no matter who you are or where you are in life's journey, you are welcome here. Contact the Pastor, the Rev. Dr. Murray at 631-727-2621 for more information.
Mother's Day luncheon following church services this Sunday. Please join us!
Church services are held at 10:00 am usually followed by a coffee hour. Please join us.
All are welcome.
Alley Cat Thrift Shop: Donations of adult clothing , shoes and small household items are accepted Tuesday and Thursday from 10-2 and Saturday 9-1 only. No furniture or children's items accepted.
Sunday School: Please call our church office if you would like your child to join. Sunday School is held during church services.
If you would like to join us on Zoom , please follow the link
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86897065711?
pwd=a0FZcDg5MnRqKz-JMQXRLVzIBTGZFQT09 to start or join a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Meeting ID: 850 1493 9172
Passcode: 7272621
Third Sunday of Easter
Service of Word and Sacrament
May 4, 2025✦ 10am
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE: Meditation on Showalter Loggin
*CHORAL INTROIT:
We are here this day to share God's love.
We have come with burdens and cares,
For within this place, we are bound as one
In this fellowship we share.
*CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: Sing praises to God, O you saints of God.
Give thanks to God’s holy name.
Many: Praise God for a joyous gift of a new day.
Thank God for healing and ever-present help.
One: Extol the one who lifts us up from defeat.
Praise the one who upholds us when we are discouraged.
Many: God sees and hears our weeping.
God lifts our souls from the pit of despair.
One: Give thanks to God who turns our mourning into dancing.
Praise God who hears our cries and answers our prayers.
ALL: We have cried to you in our need, O God.
We believe you are working to make us whole.
*HYMN: I Sing the Mighty Power of God No. 12
https://youtu.be/eeSoE1Kmmv0
WELCOME
PRAYER OF INVOCATION:
…Come to us as a light from heaven, Sovereign God. Pierce the shadows of doubt and despair, anger and scorn, that we allow to rule in our lives. Turn us from ways that deny your rule among us. Awaken us from dull routines to worship that is alive with awe and wonder, spontaneity, and joy. Surprise us with a presence we cannot avoid, a summons we dare not evade, a mission we may not escape. We are gathered by the love of Christ, that we may feed others as we have been fed. Amen.
CHILDREN’S TIME
PASSING OF THE PEACE
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS:
Installation at Old Steeple: You’re invited to attend the installation of Rev. Kerstin Weidmann as pastor of Old Steeple Community Church at 4:00 pm on May 18th.
Brick Donations: If anyone would like to contribute to the bricks for Lois Berman, Elaine “Bunny” Burns, Gloria Foley, Carol Terry, Dot Walsh, and/or Don Wylie, please put cash or check (FCCR) in the plate as indicated or in the envelope in the back of the church. Thank you.
A TIME OF PRAYER:
❖ Pastoral Prayer
God of love, who raised Christ from the dead to reign in power, we honor and bless you, even as we seek wisdom to follow where Christ leads. May your favor rest upon us, your joy fill our lives, your love motivate all we do. Make us instruments of good news who carry your name to others and share your blessing and delight…
❖ Silent Prayer
❖ 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 and forgive
us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not
into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory, now and forever. Amen.
OFFERING
OFFERTORY ANTHEM: As We Break the Bread Althouse
*DOXOLOGY AND BLESSING OF GIFTS:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, you heavenly host:
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
❖ Acts 9:1-6 NT Page 111
❖ Psalm 30 Hymnal Page 639
❖ Revelation 5:11-14 NT Page 220
❖ John 21:1-14 NT Page 101
*GLORIA:
Glory to the Creator, the Christ, the Holy Spirit,
Three -in-one; as it was in the beginning
Is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen. Amen.
SERMON: “Extraordinary”
There’s really no denying it. There’s some pretty weird stuff that happens in Bible land. Today, you’re especially treated to some extra-special weirdness. As the appetizer, you get the account of the conversion of Saul (who becomes the famous Paul of our NTs). Paul, gets jolted by a big burst of lighting, treated to a voice from heaven, but then is left blind. His recovery is also quite fascinating, and perhaps slightly less weird for you as we’re used to remarkable accounts of healing in the Bible. Paul’s recovery is found in the verses that follow the account you heard today. But as it is the appetizer, you just get the first bit.
Next comes the soup course. From Revelation. Frankly it’s a bit amazing that Revelation even made it into the cannon of scripture. It definitely reads as if it comes from one who managed to find some good hallucinogens on that island of Patmos. We only get four verses today, and it’s a big-time mix of angles, living creatures and elders. And when I say big-time, it’s as the author writes, myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. Plus, they’re singing. And it ends with what is apparently a reference to the really big four, the four living creatures who say, "Amen!" leading to all fall down and worship.
Then the main course comes with the gospel, of course. Mind you, for those in the account, the meal is actually breakfast, but as I haven’t had, and don’t think I know any who have had grilled fish for breakfast, I’m calling it the main course of the main meal of the day. And really, their choice of breakfast isn’t nearly half of the weird of that account itself.
If you were reading this Gospel for the first time, you’d likely be surprised to find another appearance of Jesus. The Doubting Thomas account certainly seemed like a good note to end on. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” And yet we get this one that seems to be an addition to the original work. But there is no evidence that this Gospel ever circulated without this chapter.
It's weird on several levels. The disciples are now back in Galilee; we last saw them in Jerusalem. On this occasion that were seven disciples in all (rather than the full remaining 11). After all they had experienced, they go back to fishing. Apparently, they needed time to process it all, and so, why not go fishing?
It may have been too dark for them to recognize the figure standing on the beach, yet that were clearly within earshot. Oddly, enough they take the instruction of the one on the beach without challenge. There is likely a lesson these for those of us who never see the Lord but discern his voice.
Then comes breakfast. The disciples, it appears, were conscious of a certain uneasiness in the presence of the resurrected Jesus. There was something familiar about him with them by the lakeside, yet there was something quite unfamiliar in the company of one who had returned from the dead. None even ask, “Who are you?” They just seem to know.
Albert Schweitzer, in The Quest of the Historical Jesus, has the best line for this scene. He writes, “He comes to us as One unknown, without a name, as of old.” It just a wonderfully extraordinary time.
He puts them at ease with the simple invitation, “come have breakfast.” And with the help of their own catch, he feeds them. Such is the case even for us, this day, as we celebrate communion.
Then it’s a matter of having breakfast on the beach with one risen from the dead. And we, like them, just take it in. But seriously, it’s pretty weird. Yet once we really consider it, it’s enchanting, an extraordinary meal in an extraordinary time.
I don’t know that it’s often that we have breakfast on the beach with Jesus. We certainly don’t get treated to him in person, or so it seems. But if we take the time to take in this odd account of another, even seemingly superfluous third appearance of Jesus, to the disciples, we too can discover the holy in our time. We’d just have to look a bit deeper to find, to consider, our God who feeds us, who directs us, who calls to us even from afar in the darkness.
If we take the time to take it all in, we’ll discover the extraordinary that is revealed in a gentle account of fishing and breakfast on the beach. We’re to look well, to listen, to follow the directives, and understand that we are nourished by our God who has long been known in the extraordinary wonders of our world.
OUR ORDER OF COMMUNION
The Invitation and Time of Confession:
❖ Call to Confession
❖ Silent Confession
❖ Unison Prayer of Confession:
Loving God, we admit to attitudes that exclude rather
than embrace. We prefer to associate with others who
think and act as we do. We turn away from those who
are different from us. We identify some as enemies to be
avoided or even destroyed. Forgive us, God, for seeking
to limit your family. Awaken us to the limits of our
understanding and the narrowness of our dealings.
Show us the better ways you intend and make us bold to
respond, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
❖ Words of Assurance
Thanksgiving:
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Pastor: Let us give thanks to God Most High.
People: It is right to give God thanks and praise.
Pastor: We give you thanks, God of majesty and mercy,
for calling forth the creation and raising us from dust
by the breath of your being.
We bless you for the beauty and bounty of the earth and for the vision of the day when sharing by all will mean scarcity for none.
We remember the covenant you made with your people Israel, and we give you thanks for all our ancestors in faith.
We rejoice that you call us to reconciliation with you and all people everywhere and that you remain faithful to your covenant even when we are faithless.
We rejoice that you call the entire human family to this table of sacrifice and victory.
We come in remembrance and celebration of the gift of Jesus Christ, whom you sent, in the fullness of time, to be the good news.
Born of Mary, our sister in faith, Christ lived among us to reveal the mystery of your Word, to suffer and die on the cross for us, to be raised from death on the third day, and then to live in glory.
We bless you, gracious God, for the presence of your Holy Spirit in the church you have gathered. With your sons and daughters of faith in all places and times, we praise you with joy as we say together:
All: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts,
Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory,
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Words of Institution and Communal Proclamation:
Pastor: We remember that on the night of betrayal and desertion,
and on the eve of death, Jesus gathered the disciples for a shared meal of preparation.
Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying: “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way, he took the cup after supper.
Again he gave God thanks and praise and said:
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as
often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Therefore, we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
All: Christ’s death, O God we proclaim.
Christ’s resurrection we declare.
Christ’s coming, we await.
Glory be to you, O God.
Prayers of Consecration:
Pastor: Eternal God, we unite in this covenant of faith, recalling Christ’s suffering and death, rejoicing in Christ’s resurrection, and awaiting Christ’s return in victory. We spread your table with these gifts of the earth and of our labor. We present to you our very lives, committed to your service on behalf of all people. We ask you to send your Holy Spirit upon this bread and wine, upon our gifts, and upon us. Strengthen your universal church that it may be the champion of peace and justice in all the world. Restore the earth with your grace that is able to make all things new.
All: Be present with us as we share this meal,
and throughout all our lives, that we may know you as
the Holy One, who with Christ and the Holy Spirit,
lives forever. Amen.
Sharing the Bread and Cup:
Pastor: Alleluia! Christ our Passover is offered for us.
People: Therefore, let us keep the feast.
Pastor: The gifts of God for the people of God.
We celebrate the grace of God in our midst.
(Please wait until all have been served and we’ll ingest together)
Unison Prayer of Thanksgiving:
We give you thanks, Almighty God, that you have refreshed us at your table through the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Continue to heal us, we pray, and 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; we ask these things in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
*HYMN: Jesus Calls Us, O’er the Tumult No.172
https://youtu.be/SVJ3G7L_yjU
*PASTORAL BENEDICTION
CHORAL BENEDICTION:
May the light of God shine on us today.
May the light of God shine on us today.
May it show us where to travel,
Lead us back if we should stray,
May the light of God shine on us today.
POSTLUDE: Let Us Break Bread Together Wagner
(please remain seated for the postlude)
Second Sunday of Easter
“Bright Sunday”
A Service of the Word
April 27, 2025 ✦ 10am
OPENING WORDS:
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE: Blessed Assurance Wagner
(Once the music begins we ask that you would please maintain respectful silence)
*CHORAL INTROIT:
We are here this day to share God's love;
We have come with burdens and cares,
For within this place, we are bound as one
In this fellowship, we share.
*CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: God is our strength and our salvation;
let everything that breathes praise our God!
Many: This is the day that God has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it!
One: Praise God for mighty deeds and extravagant love.
Praise God for loving care and answered prayer.
Many: We will give thanks this day, for God is good.
The steadfast love of God endures forever.
One: Grace to you and peace from the one
who is and who was and who is to come.
ALL: We are witnesses to the God who acts.
We are here to offer our worship and praise.
*HYMN: Enter, Rejoice, and Come In No. 73
https://youtu.be/pzizJcQpqvYhttps://youtu.be/pzizJcQpqvY
WELCOME
PRAYER OF INVOCATION
…God of all our beginnings, may this day and every day begin with our praise to you. Let every breath become a witness to your Spirit, dwelling within and among us. Open our hearts to receive your saving gifts. Loosen our tongues to proclaim your unsurpassed greatness. May the noise of our celebration help your people to sense your powerful presence and to claim the joy of serving you, in Christ’s name we pray. Amen
CHILDREN’S TIME
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS
A TIME OF PRAYER:
❖ Pastoral Prayer
God whom we have not seen, whose gifts we take for granted and misuse, speak to us your Word of peace, that our inner turmoil may be stilled, our eyes opened, our ears alerted to make faithful response. May our witness be authentic, that the world may come to know your glory and dominion and respond with joyous obedience to your Word….
❖ Silent Prayer
❖ 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
and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory,
now and forever. Amen.
OFFERING & OFFERTORY: Rain Down Carter
*DOXOLOGY AND BLESSING OF GIFTS:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, you heavenly host:
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
❖ Acts 5:27-32 NT page 107
❖ Psalm 150 Hymnal Page 723
❖ Revelation 1:4-8 NT Page 217
❖ John 20:19-31 NT Page 101
SERMON: “Grief Relief”
We gather this day after several days of mourning for millions in the wake of the death of good Pope Francis. He lived a rich long life filled with goodness and blessings for many and so the hope is that the grief will soon be replaced with grace-filled thanksgiving. And except for his closest friends and family, that grief is likely on the light side. I know it is for us, no matter how much a fan of man. God rest his soul.
Grief is never easy. Yet some people handle it differently from others. Take, for example, this account:
It was Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, and a man makes his way to his seat right at center ice. He sits down, noticing that the seat next to him is empty. He leans over and asks his neighbor if someone will be sitting there.
"No," says the neighbor. "The seat is empty." "This is incredible", said the man. "Who in their right mind would have a seat like this for the Stanley Cup and not use it?"
The neighbor says "Well, actually, the seat belongs to me. I was supposed to come with my wife, but she passed away. This is the first Stanley Cup we haven't been to together since we got married in 1967.
"Oh ... I'm sorry to hear that. That's terrible. But couldn't you find someone else, a friend or relative, or even a neighbor to take the seat?"
The man shakes his head "Nope...... they're all at the funeral."
------
Ah, yes, it’s Bright Sunday, AKA, Holy Humor Sunday. It’s the Sunday we take a moment to focus on the gift of laughter in the new season of Easter. It actually has very ancient roots as it was an old Easter custom begun by the Greeks in the early centuries of Christianity. The custom was rooted in the musings of early church theologians who argued that God played a practical joke on the devil by raising Jesus from the dead. They called it, "Risus paschalis - the Easter laugh." For centuries in Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant countries, the week following Easter Sunday was observed by the faithful as "days of joy and laughter" with parties and picnics to celebrate Jesus' resurrection. Churchgoers and pastors played practical jokes on each other, drenched each other with water, told jokes, sang, and danced.
But the tradition slowly faded out from view as churches returned to their normal way of doing things. And so, the church was again restored to its more temperate condition, that is a chillier, more humorless place, which of course is the rightful home to the frozen chosen. After all we need to be sincere; it's too bad that it so often comes with a dour face.
As for a sermon, it’s one of the most difficult to write. There’s a fair bit of humor out there, but it’s not all that easy to find humor that’s suitable for church. Plus, these days, I find that a lot of what I get is illustrated with just a short joke line. One I particularly liked of late was the mounted saying of “April showers bring May flowers.” May flowers was crossed out, and below it was written, in caps, MUD, THEY BRING MUD.
Another I saw was entitled, “Mug shot of a runaway girl who killed an elderly woman and stole her shoes, and then claimed it was an accident. 1939.” The black and white picture shows a young female holding an arrest slate; it’s Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.
Okay, so I’ve also learned that what’s funny to one person, can fall flat to others.
Oh, that reminds me of a story…
A man lay sprawled across three entire seats in the posh theater.
When the usher came by and noticed this, he whispered to the man, "Sorry, sir, but you're only allowed one seat."
The man groaned but didn't budge.
The usher became impatient. "Sir, if you don't get up from there, I'm going to have to call the manager."
Again, the man just groaned, which infuriated the usher who turned and marched briskly back up the aisle in search of his manager. In a few moments, both the usher and the manager returned and stood over the man. Together the two of them tried repeatedly to move him, but with no success.
Finally, they summoned the police.
The cop surveyed the situation briefly then asked, "All right buddy, what's your name?"
"Sam," the man moaned.
"Where ya from, Sam?"
With pain in his voice Sam replied "... the balcony."
Another challenge of such a message is the temperament of our times. When things are particularly ugly, when we’re seriously down, beset by life’s troubles, we tend to be rather humorless. Mind you, I know first century Christianity was hard, but I still find it odd that there is so little humor in our Bibles, especially as we’re told, “the joy of the Lord is our strength.” Given the ragtag gang of early apostles, one would rather expect they would get to telling jokes, but there’s little levity to be found, even post-resurrection. Consider the Gospel account today.
When we left off last week, Mary Magdalene had returned from the tomb and announced, to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them what Jesus had said. That was verse 18. As John tells the story, that’s immediately followed by verse 19, which we read today, and that opens with the disciples together behind locked doors for fear of the Jews.” Apparently, Mary’s words weren’t enough to promote any assurance or relief. Mind you, none of the guys were married, so they apparently hadn’t yet learned that the woman is always right. There is no joy noted, until Jesus shows them his sliced hands and his side. It’s only then that we’re told the disciples rejoiced. Talking about being a little slow.
It also seems to be to a perfect time for a light line or two, like, “Hey Jesus, where you been?” or “You know you really should do something about that. It looks serious.” Or even, “Wow, how’d you get in here.”
Which reminds me, you’d think that when you’d be so kind as to wash another’s back for him in the shower, you wouldn’t have to say, “Hey just enjoy it. None of this, ‘who are you and how did you get in here?’ stuff!”
Yet, at least the disciples had a few things right when it comes to grief relief. Gathering with friends, talking and sharing is a great early step in grief. So is engaging oneself in something that takes one’s mind off the grief. However, it is a bit of a pity that what was taking their mind off Jesus was the fear of who’s next. Worrying about being murdered next isn’t recommended in the healing process.
Oh, as a side ponderment: How important does a person have to be before they
are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?
And, if Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him?
If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables,
what is baby oil made from?
If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?
But I digress.
Humor, of course, has long been touted as a fine cure for that which brings us down, but we have to make a bit of an effort to let it take effect, lest we just fluff it off, especially amid the most grim, and death can be particularly tough.
A man, his wife and mother-in-law went on a trip to the holy lands. Unfortunately, the mother-in-law passed away while on the trip. The man and his wife were trying to decide what to do with her body. They were talking to a man, and he said, "You can ship her home but it will cost thousands of dollars. Or we could bury her here for about ten dollars." the man said, " um, no we will have her shipped home. I heard about a man buried here once and he rose from the dead. I just can't take that chance."
A golfer set up his ball on the first tee, took a mighty swing and hit his ball into a clump of trees.
He found his ball and saw an opening between two trees he thought he could hit through. Taking out his 3 wood, he took another mighty swing, the ball hit a tree, bounced back, hit him in the forehead and killed him.
As he approached the gates of Heaven, St. Peter saw him coming and asked, "Are you a good golfer?", to which the man replied, "Got here in two, didn't I?"
A police detective was investigating a homicide. As he questioned the on-scene officer, he learned the body was that of a young woman. The body was found with a bowl over her head and a spoon stuck in her back.
The on-scene officer asked what the detective thought had happened to the woman.
The detective responded, "I think it's obvious. A cereal killer got her!"
--
Of course, praying, too, goes a long way to bring some grief relief:
A priest, a minister and a guru sat discussing the best positions for prayer, while a telephone repairman worked nearby
"Kneeling is definitely the best way to pray," the priest said.
"No," said the minister. "I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven."
"You’re both wrong," the guru said. "The most effective prayer position is lying down on the floor."
The repairman could contain himself no longer. "Hey, fellas," he interrupted. "The best prayin' I ever did was when I was hangin' upside down from a telephone pole."
Whether it’s grief relief, or just a break from the stress and anxiety of our days, I hope you continue to celebrate the joy of the Lord and have a laugh or two, and even share it with a few. A more cheerful world certainly would be a welcome change. Be blessed by God.
*HYMN: Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain No. 230
https://youtu.be/tRhyKTBFHV8
*BENEDICTION
CHORAL BENEDICTION:
May the light of God shine on us today.
May the light of God shine on us today.
May it show us where to travel.
Lead us back if we should stray.
May the light of God shine on us today.
POSTLUDE: Prelude in G minor Bach
We're biblical, traditional, yet progressive.
We honor and take pride in our
Congregational roots.
We covenant with one another and with God,
as revealed
in Jesus Christ through the illumination of
the Holy Spirit.
We endeavor to walk humbly with God and
strive for justice and peace.
My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people.
Isaiah 56.7
We are an open and affirming congregation in which all persons regardless of race, ethnic background, economic status, gender, age, or personal ability, are equally affirmed into membership, leadership and employment
and joyfully welcomed.
Our church office is open for phone calls at 631-727-2621. Pastor Sean will return your calls. Our secretary is in the office Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
Our church office is open for phone calls at 631-727-2621. Pastor Sean will return your calls. Our secretary is in the office Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
Worship on Sundays at 10:00am.
No matter who you are or where you are in life's journey, you are welcome here.
103 1st Street, Riverhead, New York 11901, United States
Today | Closed |
Our church office is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:00am-12:00. Church services are held on Sunday at 10:00am, and coffee hour in the fellowship hall following the worship service. Sunday School will be held at 10:00 am. (To run concurrent with our worship service)
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