“God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginnings of prayer.” - Mother Theresa A warm welcome to all visitors. 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 [email protected]. Please be sure to sign the guestbook located at the entrance to the church. 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. Upcoming Meetings/Events -Executive Board Meeting, Wednesday, July 29, 7:00 pm. Weekly Offerings Offerings and other cash receipts for the week ending 7-12-20 were $930. The costs for each week are $1,118 (derived by dividing the annual budget by 52 weeks). Altar Guild Linda Alexander will do the Altar Guild duties for the month of July. Prayer Concerns Anne Matulonis is at The Pines, 99 Allen Street, Rutland, VT 05701. She is in room 203 B. Prayers for her as she begins this next chapter in her life. We continue to 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. Celebration CHURCH SERVICES RESUME at the UNITED CHURCH of LUDLOW This Sunday, July 19th, church services on site will begin, again. If you are comfortable attending in person, the doors will open at 9:45 am, and worship will begin at 10:00 am. Procedures have been designed to minimize the risk of exposure. Please read and follow these procedures for your own, and your fellow congregants’ safety. CHURCH REOPENING PROCEDURES We ask everyone who might need water or other refreshment to please bring your own, as the kitchen will not be available. Everyone will enter and exit the church through the rear door. The entrance is now complete, along with the new walkway from Elm St. The LULA is operational. Masks will be required when entering the church and at all times when moving about inside. Upon entering you will be greeted by a church member, offered a mask if you do not have one and instructed to sanitize your hands with the sanitizer located inside the doorway. You will be asked some questions about your health and your name and address will be recorded for any potential contract tracing. You should then proceed immediately to your pew in the sanctuary. There will be no congregating inside the church building. Other than the sanctuary and bathrooms, all other areas of the church are off limits except for those participating in the service. Upon entering the sanctuary, please look for cushions in the pews. These cushions indicate where seating may take place in order to maintain proper social distancing. They will be placed in pairs, but if any core family group is attending, please feel free to add space in your area, keeping in mind the location of those around you. While we are encourage keeping masks on at all times, masks MAY be removed when you are seated in your pew. Keep in mind that masks should be worn any time you are talking with your neighbor, speaking aloud during the service, and moving throughout the building. During the hymns, if you wish to sing, it must be done with the mask in place, and in a soft speaking voice. Announcements and prayers will be offered without microphones, so please stand and speak clearly wearing your mask. When communion is celebrated, parishioners may bring their own "bread and wine". When services are over, the Deacon will instruct the congregation to leave in an orderly fashion, by pew, and everyone will leave the church building immediately, using the rear door, and only stopping to use the rest rooms, which are available at all times. For the time being, we are asking that people continue 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. For those choosing to mix socially after services, please do so away from the exit so as not to make others leaving feel uncomfortable. Keep in mind, this is the first phase of reopening our church, and we are sure adjustments to practices will need to be amended as time and circumstances dictate. We encourage anyone with thoughts, fears or suggestions to contact either our President, George Thomson, Rev. Harpster, Deacon Laura Lienhard or Trustee Dean Alexander. We look forward to worshiping together with all of you, whether in person or through the internet and pray that we soon will be able to return to a more normal worship experience together in God's house. Zoom Church Services Continue at the United Church of Ludlow We will continue to offer access to the service using Zoom. 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. The invitation will be sent separately. 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. Laura Lienhard [email protected] Dean Alexander [email protected] 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. July 19, 2020 10:00 A. M. Service of Worship SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST PRELUDE (All are encouraged to use the prelude as a quiet time of meditation in preparation for the worship service which follows.) ANNOUNCEMENTS AND GREETING 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) And also with you. CALL TO WORSHIP * Listen, for the voice of God comes near! Listen, for God’s voice is not obtrusive. We come to worship the God who became one of us, Who calls us by name, Who is Love Incarnate, Who is! Let us gather together in joy and hope. Let us worship the God of Love! HYMN 496* Sweet Hour of Prayer PRAYER OF INVOCATION O God, most loving Parent, we thank you that you are not a faraway God, hidden in magnificence in the heaven; we thank you that you commune with us in the depths of our souls. You know us through and through; you hear our prayers; you heal our sorrows. Like a father, you are compassionate; like a mother, you comfort us. Help us to live in childlike trust in you, that we may be free to live with courage as your children on earth. Amen. READING OF SCRIPTURE PSALM 46, Response #2 Hymnal, pages 780-781 GLORIA 70 * Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen. THE GOSPEL LESSON Luke 11: 1-13 SERMON “Pause Awhile” HYMN 404* Every Time I Feel the Spirit JOYS AND CONCERNS PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray. LORD’S PRAYER (“trespasses”) PRAYER RESPONSE Hymnal, 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 “Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40 OFFERTORY At the Presentation, Hymn 95* Old 100th Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise him, all creatures here below; Praise him above, you heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. PRAYER OF DEDICATION* HYMN 707* Hymn of Promise BENEDICTION AND BLESSING* BENEDICTION RESPONSE DISMISSAL Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God POSTLUDE * All who are able may stand. “God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginnings of prayer.” - Mother Theresa Lyrics of the Hymns for the Church Service on July 19, 2020 496. Sweet Hour of Prayer 1. Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! that calls me from a world of care, and bids me at my Father's throne make all my wants and wishes known. In seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found relief, and oft escaped the tempter's snare by thy return, sweet hour of prayer! 2. Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! the joys I feel, the bliss I share of those whose anxious spirits burn with strong desires for thy return! With such I hasten to the place where God my Savior shows his face, and gladly take my station there, and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer! 3. Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! thy wings shall my petition bear to him whose truth and faithfulness engage the waiting soul to bless. And since he bids me seek his face, believe his word, and trust his grace, I'll cast on him my every care, and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer! 404. Every Time I Feel the Spirit Refrain: Every time I feel the spirit moving in my heart, I will pray. Yes, every time I feel the spirit moving in my heart, I will pray. 1 Upon the mountain, my Lord spoke, out his mouth came fire and smoke. All around me looks so shine, ask my Lord if all was mine. (Refrain) 2 Jordan river runs right cold, chills the body, not the soul. Ain't but one train on this track, runs to heaven and right back. (Refrain) 707. Hymn of Promise 1 In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree; in cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free! In the cold and snow of winter there's a spring that waits to be, unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. 2 There's a song in every silence, seeking word and melody; there's a dawn in every darkness bringing hope to you and me. From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery, unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. 3 In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity; in our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity. In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory, unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. More Opportunities for Religious Engagement This Summer For the past 4 months, Bob Kottkamp and George Thomson have been participating in a Covenantal Group meeting via Zoom. The group consists of representatives of four small churches in our area who are exploring alternative and innovative approaches to meeting the religious needs of our communities. Two of the churches are looking for (or will soon) a pastor; one has a part time pastor and the other has just hired a pastor. Rev. Paul Sangree the Associate Conference Minister of the Vermont Conference, United Church of Christ, has attended the sessions as well. We know from the Conference that there is a serious shortage of ordained ministers to fill all the current openings. We have been putting our creative minds together to design a different delivery system. For the summer, we have hired a Summer Intern as part of our Experimentation in Covenantal Community Outreach (ECCO) to try something different. Please read the Newsletter below and meet Ana Kelsey-Powell. Ana has listed several things that she is spearheading this summer. Any member of a congregation from any of the four churches is welcome and encouraged to participate in the activities. Please feel free to join in on a Bible Study, a book study, “Just Mercy” study or informal pastoral chats about anything! Contact information is available in the July Newsletter. Comments are closed.
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