"Kind hearts are the garden,
kind thoughts are the roots,
kind words are the blossoms,
kind deeds are the fruits.”
~ John Ruskin
kind thoughts are the roots,
kind words are the blossoms,
kind deeds are the fruits.”
~ John Ruskin
A warm welcome to all visitors to our church email newsletter or web page. If the Pastor or any member of the congregation may be of service to you, please contact the church office at 802-228-4211 or Rev. Harpster at 802-875-8895. His email is harpsterd@vermontel.net.
Regarding Individuals in the Hospital or Sick at Home
It would be greatly appreciated if you know of individuals or family members in the hospital or sick at home, to kindly inform the pastor, Rev. Harpster.
Executive Board Meeting
The Executive Board Meeting will be held this week on Wednesday, May 6 at 7 PM via Zoom. George will be sending out an invitation to join the meeting.
Weekly Offerings
Offerings and other cash receipts for the week ending 4/26/20 were $ 1870 which includes $545 in memory of Pat Liao. The costs for each week are $ 1,118 (derived by dividing the annual budget by 52 weeks).
As always, please continue with your weekly offering by writing a check to The United Church and sending it in to Anne Oakes at 145 Merrill Rd., Ludlow, VT 05149. Thank you so much.
Prayer Concerns
We ask for prayers for all those on the front lines of the pandemic and those who are working feverishly to slow and end this pandemic. There are other people who are leaving the safety of their homes so that we can have food, medicines and supplies and we thank them and keep them in our prayers. Prayers for all those who have COVID 19 and whose families have been affected by illness and death. We pray for wisdom for our leaders and scientists and for kindness to spread even faster than the virus around the world.
In our own community let us keep the following in our prayers:
James Almond, Terry DeYoung, Kathy Doyle, Pam Dundy, Judy Edwards, Carolyn Gauthier, Susan Kneebone, Ginny Kottkamp, Annie Oakes, Evelyn Tucker, Herb Van Guilder, and Evelyn Verro.
Jim Peplau’s brother needs our prayers.
Continue to keep the family of Pat Liao in your prayers as they continue to adjust to life without her.
We know the power of prayer. If you have others to add to our prayer concerns, please email Thomson131VT@gmail.com
Zoom Church Services Continue
United Church of Ludlow
We will continue until further notice to have Zoom services complete with music as an alternative. If you are not already in the “Zoom Community” it is not very hard. We would love to have you join us for Sunday worship. Read below to see how you can participate in the service. The invitation is listed below. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call us at a number below. If you have used Zoom before and have it downloaded to your computer you do not need to contact us, but if you have never used Zoom, please contact us before Sunday so we can add you to the invitation we will be sending out Sunday morning. New to Zoom? We can help you navigate the program.
Just ask.
Linda: 802-558-9055
George: 802-558-9057
The Bulletin for the service and the words to the hymns are at the end of the newsletter. They are also attached as .pdf documents which you can download. You may wish to print them out prior to the meeting.
Here are a few things to note:
We will be opening the meeting and checking in at 10 with the worship service to start at 10:15. Following the service, we will leave the meeting open for a while so folks can enjoy fellowship time.
We will be muting everyone during most of the service INCLUDING during the hymn singing. You will hear the piano or organ and can sing loudly to you or your family, but a Zoom group of 20+ singing does not seem to work. Everyone will be able to speak during announcements and during prayer concerns. Simply raise your hand and you will be recognized to speak. If you are not on a computer, we will ask if anyone on a phone connection has anything to share.
Linda or I will be announcing each section of the service to make sure we have unmuted those that are participating in the service.
If you have any suggestions or would like to provide feedback on how the service goes, please feel free to let us know afterwards. Zoom church services are not ideal or glitch free (especially when you have novices doing it) but we are trying to make them as meaningful as possible having the congregation safe in the comforts of their own home.
At 10AM on Sunday Go to your computer and click on the url link below (it starts with https://us02… etc.) or copy it into your browser. If I have sent you a previous invitation to join a meeting for a previous week, that url will NOT work. You must click on the one contained in this email.
We are constantly learning more about Zoom and with additional knowledge, endeavor to improve the service each week. Hopefully, you will hear a big difference in the music offerings this week.
PLEASE NOTE: At any one location, you should only have one live microphone. Please make sure to NOT use your phone AND the microphone on your computer. Turn one off. When both are on, this causes rather unpleasant reverberations for everyone.
George Thomson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: UCC Church service Sunday, May 3, 2020 - Communion
Time: May 3, 2020 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85493238629
Meeting ID: 854 9323 8629
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+16465588656,,85493238629# US (New York)
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+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 854 9323 8629
Communion Sunday - Today
Don will be providing a service of Communion during our Zoom service Sunday, May 3. It will be a little different, but we can do it. The Communion portion of the service will be condensed. Everyone in the Zoom service will serve themselves and be responsible for their own bread or crackers and beverage. At the appointed time we will partake together.
May 3, 2020 10:15 A.M.
SERVICE OF WORSHIP
FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
PRELUDE Voluntary in D Composed by William Boyce
GREETING
Peace be to this house and to all for whom this is home. The grace of our LORD Jesus
Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
(2 Corinthians 13: 13)
CALL TO WORSHIP
I will sing of your steadfast love, O God, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim
your faithfulness to all generations.
For your steadfast love was established forever, your faithfulness is firm as the heavens.
Hear these words of Jesus Christ: I am the bread of life; anyone who comes to me shall not hunger; anyone who believes in me shall never thirst.
HYMN 139 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (Linda Announce)
Stanzas 1 & 2
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Gracious God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you have promised to receive us when we come to you. We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed. We have disobeyed your law. We have not loved you or our neighbors as we should. Forgive us, O God, and grant that we may live and serve you in newness of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF GOD’S LOVE AND FORGIVENESS
Hear the Good News! God has forgiven each one of us and calls us to take our
parts in the drama of redeeming love. Praise God, who accepts and uses our very
lives in the unfolding story of salvation and new life!
READING OF SCRIPTURE
THE OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Psalm 23
THE GOSPEL LESSON John 10: 1-11
SERMON “Constantly On the Watch”
JOYS AND CONCERNS
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
PRAYER RESPONSE Hymnal, No. 473
Lead me, Lord, lead me in thy righteousness;
Make thy way plain before my face.
For it is thou, Lord, thou, Lord only,
That makest me dwell in safety.
OFFERTORY SENTENCE
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
HYMN 381 Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us
Stanzas 1 & 2
THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION
INVITATION
BLESSING OF THE ELEMENTS
THE LORD’S PRAYER
BREAKING THE BREAD AND LIFTING THE CUP
THE COMMUNION
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Let us give thanks.
Bountiful God, we give you thanks that you have refreshed us at your table by granting us the presence of 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. Amen.
HYMN 671 Lord, Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing
Stanzas 1 & 2
BENEDICTION
BENEDICTION RESPONSE
POSTLUDE Gigue Fugue Composed by Dietrich Buxtehude
Hymns for the service on May 3, 2020
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
page 139, verses 1 & 2
Praise the Lord the Almighty, the King of Creation.
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation.
All ye who hear, now to his temple draw near.
Join me in glad adoration.
Praise to the Lord who o’er all things is wondrously reigning
And as on wings of an eagle, uplifting sustaining.
Have you not seen, all that his people has been
Sent by his gracious ordaining.
Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us
page 381, verses 1 & 2
Savior, like a shepherd lead us, Much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us, For our use Thy folds prepare:
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Thou hast brought us, Thine we are;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Thou hast brought us, Thine we are.
We are Thine; do Thou befriend us, Be the Guardian of our way;
Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us, Seek us when we go astray:
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Hear, O hear us when we pray;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Hear, O hear us when we pray.
Lord, Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing
page 671, verses 1 & 2
Lord, dismiss us with Your blessing, Fill our hearts with joy and peace;
Let us each, Your love possessing, Triumph in redeeming grace.
O refresh us; O refresh us, Trav’ling through this wilderness.
Thanks we give and adoration, For your gospel’s joyful sound.
May the fruits of Your salvation, In our hearts and lives abound.
Ever faithful, ever faithful, To Your truth may we be found.
