Bulletin 8/5

July 19, 2020

LeCompte, Rowan and Irene Matz LeCompte. Beauty of Creation, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.

To join worship this morning via zoom app, click this link: https://umn.zoom.us/j/207862614 The password is kindred1.

To dial in by phone (NEW INSTRUCTIONS!) call 1(651)372-8299. When prompted, enter the meeting ID followed by #: 207862614#. Next, you will be prompted to enter your participant ID or to push #; simply push # again. Lastly, when prompted, enter the meeting password followed by #: 140213#.

Prelude

Welcome

If you’re new to First Church, we’d love to get to know you better. You can sign up to receive our email communications on the home page of our website, www.firstchurchmn.org (scroll down to the heading “stay connected” on the right side of the page). You find us on Facebook by searching for “First Congregational Church of MN, UCC.” You’re also welcome to introduce yourself later in the service.

Gathering Words: “Beginners” by Denise Levertov

Hymn: Joyful Joyful We Adore You, NCH 4

Scripture: Psalm 139:1–12, 21-24; Romans 8:12–25

Sermon: “Sarx and Soma” Clyde Steckel

Hymn: Walk in Peace, Text and tune © 2013, GIA Publications, Inc.

Prayers of the People

To share a prayer concern with the community today, please share your prayer in the chat on the zoom call or comment on the livestream. To honor the privacy of those you pray for, please seek their permission, and pray for them using their first name only. Please respond to each prayer with the words: “Hear our prayer.”

Lord’s Prayer

A commonly used form is printed below. Please use the version most meaningful to you.

Let us pray with words and in the spirit of Jesus:

Our God, 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.

Offering Invitation

We invite your financial gifts to support our ministries within and beyond First Church.

July’s Special Offering is for July: University Area Sanctuary Coalition. These

funds help provide sanctuary and they also provide a variety of supports for our immigrant neighbors—legal counsel, medical care, and help with other basic needs.

You can give online at our website. Find the link to our online giving portal on the homepage. You can also give by text. Please text 612-255-4109: “$(amount) Special” (for the monthly offering) or “$(amount) General Fund. Thank you!

Offertory Anthem

Offertory Response: Spirit of the Living God, NCH 283

Prayer of Dedication

Spirit of Christ, may these gifts be signs of your imagination, creativity, hope and freedom, alive in each of us and in the world. Amen.

Introductions & Announcements

Hymn: In the Bulb There Is a Flower, NCH 433

Benediction

Postlude

Thank you to those who led our worship today!

Reader: Margo Richardson

Tech Support: Maggie George, Annie Schenck, Glenn Strand

Today, after worship concludes, stay on the Zoom call and join us for coffee hour!

Coming up this week

Monday July 20

Articles due for July Chimes

8p: Praying hymns with Sandy Johnson https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87337381871?pwd=cytncDhPS2UrbUlvOGE2d1VoV2ZKUT09

Tuesday July 21

7p: FCC Board

Wednesday July 22

7:30a: Centering Prayer with Jane McBride https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83793931536?

9a: “Water Wednesday” day camp https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89173970572

7p: Chancel Choir online gathering (contact Byron for zoom info)

8p: Lectio divina with Jane McBride https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82073060366?

Thursday July 23

10a: Guided meditation with Jean Chagnon https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88992712420

6p: Hospitality & Engagement team https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81518338039

Friday July 24

Noon: Kundalini yoga with Vicki Snowden https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84028373184?pwd=bk43bk02eXF3N2FGV3NzUzlMT21FQT09

Saturday July 25

3p: Family Gathering https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86746892715?

Sunday, July 26

10a: Worship https://umn.zoom.us/j/207862614

1p: Youth get-together (6th-12th grade) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87597993810?pwd=Si9hTGFKZ2RTQTJSS09vNmV3em9yZz09

Contact Us

First Congregational Church of Minnesota, UCC • 500 8th Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414• 612-331-3816; office@firstchurchmn.org; www.firstchurchmn.org

Ministers The People of First Church

Principal Minister Jane McBride: jmcbride@firstchurchmn.org; ext. 304;

cell: 612-598-2432

Minister of Music Byron Almén: balmen@firstchurchmn.org; cell: 512-809-9789

Parish Administrator Sarah Tittle: office@firstchurchmn.org; cell: 612-205-9870

Facilities Manager Brad Schumann: bschumann@firstchurchmn.org; cell: 651-357-8082

Moderator Greg Hubinger: hubinger5@comcast.net; cell: 612-384-2631

Music is reprinted and permission to podcast/stream the music in this service under OneLicense.net A-704086.

Announcements

Staff Notes: Jane McBride is on vacation , returning July 21. For pastoral care needs, please contact Doug Donley, pastor of University Baptist Church, at 763-242-6553.

Sarah’s summer “Office Hours” will be Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10a-4p. Sarah will be physically in the office on Tuesdays, and in and out the other days. These hours will continue through Labor Day. 

Brad is at church most days (except Wednesday) from 10a-2p.

Byron is working at home.

Our continuing racial justice work. On Sunday, July 26, please join members of the Racial Justice Team for a short discussion of public safety and the initiative by the Minneapolis City Council to reimagine the police force as the Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention. Recently, several members of our team have been meeting with leaders of other churches’ racial justice work in order to facilitate dialogue and create paths to change. We have drafted a statement of support of the Minneapolis City Council’s initiative. The statement will be available soon for your consideration and input, which we welcome. We hope you’ll join us at this short meeting in break-out groups immediately following the worship service on the July 26.

August Chimes articles are due July 20. We are looking for input from the younger members of our community: How is your summer going? Can you draw/paint a picture to describe what you’ve been doing? Commentary from everyone is welcome—just send your articles to Sarah at office@firstchurchmn.org.

All Church camping invitation! Earlier this year, we put some dates on the calendar to do our all-church camping. We normally would look for a place that allows people to stay in cabins as well as camp. However, this year, given COVID, we’re going to stick to camping. A few of us have been researching options and propose that we camp together at William O’Brian State Park, Thurs. Aug 27–Sun. Aug 30. You could choose to camp for 1, 2 or 3 of those nights. William O’Brian is very close to the cities—about 45 minutes away. It is on the St. Croix River and offers opportunities to canoe and kayak and rent boats as needed. 

Since the group sites in state parks are not open right now, we will each need to make our own reservations at the regular campground. There are quite a few openings still at the Savannah Campground. If you would like to participate, you will want to book soon; however; state parks are filling up this year! The park website is: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/park.html?id=spk00283#homepage. Click on the “reservations” button to go to the site where you can make a reservation. The McBride-Nagel family will be in site 99 if you want to be near us (or avoid us : ).

Water Wednesdays. Our virtual summer day camp, ”Water Is Life” was shared with a dozen other Minneapolis congregations. We will continue with once a week “Water Wednesdays” from July 8–Aug 26. We’ll gather from 9–10a on Zoom, plus provide videos on the day camp website. Please spread the word to kids you know! This opportunity is geared for elementary-aged kids, but middle schoolers are welcome to tune in as well. Register here: https://sites.google.com/view/southminneapolisdaycamp2020/homeAnd here is the Zoom link for the Water Wednesdays gatherings: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89173970572

July special offering: University Area Sanctuary Coalition. These funds help provide sanctuary and they also provide a variety of supports for our immigrant neighbors—legal counsel, medical care, and help with other basic needs. We urge you to give electronically by visiting our website, www.firstchurchmn.org and clicking the link to our donations page, or by texting 612-255-4109: “$(amount) Special.” You may also give by check. Please make checks out to First Church with “Sanctuary” in the memo line. Thank you!

How would you like to connect, give, serve and grow as part of First Church this year? Thanks to everyone who attended our all-team ministry meeting last Sunday. If you were not able to attend, (or even if you were) please fill out this super-fast (two-question) survey to let us know which ministry team or teams you will commit to be part of for the coming program year at First Church! You are welcome to join more than one team. Take the survey by clicking here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MGQJBWM Our ministry teams are: Congregational Care, Worship, Faith Formation, Hospitality & Engagement, and Justice. 

Need a listening ear? Befrienders are trained in the ministry of listening. They are available to walk with you in difficult times like these, when you are facing illness, grief, crisis, and life change. Contact Jane McBride to learn more.

Pastor Jane’s typical work week is Sun.–Thurs. Please call or email her to set up appointments as she is in and out of the office. She hopes you will contact her for support and prayer in times of illness, hospitalization, or crisis. If your need is urgent, please call or text her cell phone at any time of the week.

1