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CHURCH SERVICES at the UNITED CHURCH of LUDLOW Service are shared ELECTRONICALLY (contact [email protected] for more information) _________________________________________________________________________ If you are comfortable attending in person, please join us. The doors open at 9:45 am, and worship begins at 10:00 am. We follow procedures to minimize the risk of exposure. Please read and follow these procedures for the safety of all. If you are not able to attend in person, a simultaneous Zoom stream is available. Send an email to [email protected] to get Zoom access. _________________________________________________________________________ The peace of God be with you, The peace of Christ be with you, The peace of the Holy Spirit be with you and with your loved ones, for an hour, for ever, for eternity. Amen - a Scottish Prayer _________________________________________________________________________ A Warm Welcome to All Visitors. If any member of the congregation may be of service to you, please contact the church office at 802-228-4211 or [email protected]. 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 church office at 802-228-4211 or [email protected]. Upcoming Meetings/Events Executive Board Meeting, Wednesday, December 9, at 6:30 pm Weekly Offerings Offerings and other cash receipts for the week ending November 15 were $2945. Donations for the church accessibility project were $850. 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 November. Prayer Concerns We continue to keep the following in our prayers: James Almond, Terry DeYoung, Kathy Doyle, Pam Dundy, Judy Edwards, Jean Eggleston, Carolyn Gauthier, Sheila Kafer, Susan Kneebone, Ginny Kottkamp, Anne Oakes, Evelyn Tucker, Herb Van Guilder, and Evelyn Verro. If you are aware of someone in need of prayer, please leave a message at the church office by phone, 802-228-4211, or email, [email protected]. Celebrations Lee Kafer celebrates a birthday on November 25. Bob and Ginny Kottkamp celebrate an anniversary on November 26. _________________________________________________________________________ A New Way for Churches Bob Kottkamp and George Thomson have participated in a weekly Zoom partnership called ECCO (Experiment in Covenantal Community Outreach). It is an idea born of a need for pastoral leadership along the southern end of the Connecticut River Valley in both Vermont and New Hampshire. It consists of four small churches (Acworth, NH, Bellows Falls, Ludlow and Springfield) all facing problems and trying to stay alive and vibrant to serve their congregations. All the churches are dealing with the fact that they are looking for part time pastors with few if any candidates. It is challenging if not impossible to even find interim pastors. We are working on establishing a collaborative covenantal cluster of possibly one ordained minister, and a combination of licensed lay ministers, semi-retired pastors, and student pastors to support one another and our individual congregations. We have been working with the Conference in developing this model of church leadership. The goal would be to have a person in our houses of worship every Sunday to lead our worship services and then provide opportunities for all the churches to gather together for a wide variety of activities. Now these other activities would be provided virtually through Zoom. _________________________________________________________________________  ECCO EXPERIMENT IN COVENANTAL COMMUNITY OUTREACH Thanksgiving Bible Study Thursday, November 26th Bible Study at 10 am by Zoom. Luke 17:11-19. “Gratitude”. Open to all. This has been an ongoing group since Lent with new folks joining in. All are welcome. Advent Bible Study “A Walk with Mary” during Advent, starting Thursday, December 3rd at 7 pm by Zoom for three weeks. E-mail Diane Holme at [email protected] if you would like to join in or try it out. This link provides a quick and easy way to support a second COVID Relief Bill. Across the country COVID cases are rising dramatically. The fall and winter ahead of us hold significant challenge, especially at a time when many people are already facing extreme hardship. People in every community are facing hunger and the threat of eviction or homelessness, in alarming numbers. Since May more than eight million more people have been forced into poverty; many of them Black people and children. The pandemic and the resultant economic disaster won’t go away anytime soon, and Congress needs to start acting like they care by passing a COVID relief bill that is significant in scope; addressing: childcare, paid leave, housing and nutrition assistance, as well as providing funding for state/local/tribal governments to keep essential services running, _________________________________________________________________________ November 22, 2020 10:00 A.M. Service of Worship LAST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST: REIGN OF CHRIST SUNDAY PRELUDE (All are encouraged to use the prelude for quiet meditation to prepare 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 * (Please Stand.) We are God’s people. Worship the Holy One with gladness; Come into God’s presence with singing. Enter God’s gates with thanksgiving, and God’s courts with praise. Make a joyful noise! For God is good. God’s steadfast love endures forever, and God’s faithfulness to all generations. Let us worship with thanks and joy! Let us praise God in song and word and prayer HYMN 185 * When Morning Gilds the Skies OPENING PRAYER * CONFESSION OF SIN Loving God, too often, we overlook the needs of people around us while we proclaim our devotion to you. We could do so much more to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, to welcome the stranger, and heal the sick. We fail to see how our prison system diminishes the humanity of all of us, how our medical system denies healing to the poor, how poverty leaves children without coats, how legal obstacles keep the strangers at a distance. Open our eyes to see your presence in every person, and to respond to their needs so that we may be rightly called by your name. Amen. SILENCE (Silence may be observed for reflection and prayer.) ASSURANCE OF GOD’S LOVE AND FORGIVENESS READING OF SCRIPTURE Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 PSALM 100 Hymnal, page 821, Response 1 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 Matthew 25:31-46 SERMON “Wanted: Lost Sheep” HYMN * Oh For a World Where Everyone… Sung to the tune of Hymn # 87 O for a world where everyone respects each other's ways, where love is lived, and all is done with justice and with praise. O for a world where goods are shared and misery relieved, where truth is spoken, children spared, equality achieved. We welcome one world family and struggle with each choice that opens us to unity and gives our vision voice. The poor are rich, the weak are strong, the foolish ones are wise. Tell all who mourn, outcasts belong, who perishes will rise. O for a world preparing for God's glorious reign of peace, where time and tears will be no more, and all but love will cease. PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray. LORD’S PRAYER (“trespasses”) 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 Generosity may come as an impulse, but it is cultivated by the practice of regular giving. Let us today move from beliefs to actions that make a difference in the world. We give in gratitude for God’s gifts to us, and we give because we need to live beyond ourselves. Use this time of offering as an opportunity to grow and to grow the realm of God. OFFERTORY At the Presentation, Hymn 95* Old 100th 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. PRAYER OF DEDICATION* God of abundance, we give these offerings of material goods as our commitment to give back to you and to care for your people. Let our giving remind us to see Jesus all around us. Use our offerings of money and of our lives for ministry to your purposes. Amen. HYMN 102 * Now Thank We All Our God 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. Our Service this week is offered by Diane Holme, a member of the ECCO group, which is working to develop new ways to sustain our churches. _________________________________________________________________________ Lyrics to the Hymns and Responsive Reading for the November 22 Service HYMN 185 When Morning Gilds the Skies When morning gilds the skies my heart awaking cries: May Jesus Christ be praised! Alike at work and prayer, to Jesus I repair: May Jesus Christ be praised! The night becomes as day when from the heart we say: May Jesus Christ be praised! The powers of darkness fear when this sweet chant they hear: May Jesus Christ be praised! Let all the earth around ring joyous with the sound: May Jesus Christ be praised! In heaven's eternal bliss the loveliest strain is this: May Jesus Christ be praised! Be this, while life is mine, my canticle divine: May Jesus Christ be praised! Be this th' eternal song through all the ages long: May Jesus Christ be praised! Oh For a World Where Everyone… Sung to the tune of Hymn # 87 O for a world where everyone respects each other's ways, where love is lived, and all is done with justice and with praise. O for a world where goods are shared and misery relieved, where truth is spoken, children spared, equality achieved. We welcome one world family and struggle with each choice that opens us to unity and gives our vision voice. The poor are rich, the weak are strong, the foolish ones are wise. Tell all who mourn, outcasts belong, who perishes will rise. O for a world preparing for God's glorious reign of peace, where time and tears will be no more, and all but love will cease. HYMN 102 Now Thank We All Our God Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices, who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices; who from our mothers' arms has blessed us on our way with countless gifts of love, and still is ours today. O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us, with ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us; and keep us still in grace, and guide us when perplexed; and free us from all ills, in this world and the next. All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given; the Son, and him who reigns with them in highest heaven; the one eternal God, whom earth and heaven adore; for thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.  Comments are closed.
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