Mother’s Day and Graduation Sunday
Welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church! We are so grateful you joined us today. Today is a special day in the life of our church as we give thanks for the wonderful women in our lives--especially our moms!--and we are recognizing two of our graduating seniors. Welcome to Worship and may God bless you!
Prelude “ Under His Wings I am Safely Abiding” [By I. D. Sankey] Sarah Park
Welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church
Good Morning!
Welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church
We are a community seeking to have open minds, open hearts, and open arms.
Today we are celebrating our Moms (biologically and spiritually)and all the women who have made a difference in our lives and we have two Graduating Seniors that we will be recognizing and offering our blessing.
Thank you for joining us here in the house and online. Welcome to everyone!
- ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Pentecost Sunday Offering Next Week - New Church Ministry is dedicated to fostering faithful communities marked by deep Christian spirituality and a passion for God’s love and justice.
- Clothing Giveaway - Rick & Rich & Nancy Tafel
Scripture Reading Psalm 119:105 Rev. Chad Delaney
“Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
*Welcoming Song “Here We Gather” #294
Here we gather as God’s people with our friends from far and near;
Let our voices sound with praises knowing Christ has called us here.
Now we seek and greet each other, now in joy approach our friends.
Here we mingle, bound together as to all our love extends.
*Call to Worship Travis Brant ONE: The spirit of God calls us from many places;
ALL: some of us come from busy homes with many people
ONE: some of us live on our own.
ALL: We are all a part of this family.
ONE: This week has been different for each of us;
ALL: some of us have had happy news we want to celebrate
ONE: some of us have faced grief and need to mourn.
ALL: We are all a part of this family.
ONE: We all come to this same place; all of us seeking God’s presence in our lives
ALL: Together we become God’s family.
Written by Katherine Hawker
*Opening Hymn God of the Women Tune: #595
[Written by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, Tune: Be Thou My Vision]
God of the women who answered your call,
Trusting your promises, giving their all,
Women like Sarah and Hannah and Ruth —
Give us their courage to live in your truth.
God of the women who walked Jesus' Way,
Giving their resources, learning to pray,
Mary, Joanna, Susanna, and more —
May we give freely as they did before.
God of the women who ran from the tomb,
Prayed with the others in that upper room,
Then felt your Spirit on Pentecost Day —
May we so gladly proclaim you today.
O God of Phoebe and ministers all,
May we be joyful in answering your call.
Give us the strength of your Spirit so near
That we may share in your ministry here.
Invitation to Generosity
Invitation - Travis Brant
Offertory
Music: “There shall be showers of blessing ” [by J. McGranahan] -Sarah Park
*Response Accept, O God, The Gifts We Bring #379, 2 lines
Accept, O God, the gifts we bring of spirit and of clay,
transform them into blessings on those we serve today.
Offering Prayer - Travis Brant
Children’s Moment - Rev. Chad Delaney
Special Music - “A Mother’s Prayer ” [by Juliet Calvins] Jan Green
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer- Rev. Chad Delaney
Emmy Doles - struggling to be well enough for the surgery to receive a Berlin Heart. It has been very difficult and her mom, Becky, says Emmy needs a miracle. Please pray for her.
Prayers for Roger Hurd
Prayers for Tuscaloosa -- another tornado went through
"As truly as God is our father, so just as truly is God our mother.
In our father, God Almighty, we have our being;
in our merciful mother we are re-made and restored.
Our fragmented lives are knit together and made perfect.
And by giving and yielding ourselves, through grace, to the Holy Spirit
we are made whole."
~ Julian of Norwich
Holy One, we gather in your presence to give you thanks and to celebrate the gift of your love; a love that supports, nurtures and challenges us in ways that strengthen and transform us. We offer you praise and thanksgiving for your unfailing presence in our lives and all of the blessings that you so generously offer us.
Today, as we celebrate Mother's Day, we give thanks for mothers the world over. We give thanks for all those who have nurtured and cared for us, remembering especially, birth mothers, adoptive mothers, surrogate mothers, aunts, grandmothers, teachers, neighbors and all women who have shared their faith with us.
We pray, compassionate God, for those mothers who have been hurt, disillusioned, or disappointed in their role as mother. We pray for those who have been denied a longed-for chance at motherhood, and for those whose years of mothering have been cut short by the loss of a child. We pray for those who have both joy and grief when thinking of their own mother or mothering. GIve us your grace and hold each in your loving embrace.
God of New Beginnings, we also lift up to you our graduating seniors in our church and community as they close this chapter of their lives and begin a new stage in life and adulthood. Be with them and their families. Thank you for the blessing they are to each of us and help us to continue to love and nurture young people in our midst.
God of Life and Love, we lift up before you, the members of our human family around the world—for those who are afflicted or suffering at this time—for those who need healing, for those who require bread or shelter, for those who live in violent homes and communities, for those who are grieving, and for those whose needs are known to you alone.
We lift to you the concerns of our own hearts to you in silent prayer…
Holy Mother and Father of us all, touch us with your healing peace and gentle embrace that we may walk in your ways bringing dignity, justice and peace to all corners of your world. In your spirit unite us together in the prayer Jesus taught us, saying…
Communion
Meditation - Ruth Anne Ruehr
Communion Hymn “I Was There…” #75, vs. 1-7
I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized, to see your life unfold.
I was there when you were but a child, with a faith to suit you well;
In a blaze of light you wandered off to find where demons dwell.
When you heard the wonder of the Word I was there to cheer you on;
You were raised to praise the living Lord, to whom you now belong.
If you find someone to share your time and you join your hearts as one,
I’ll be there to make your verses rhyme from dusk ‘till rising sun.
In the middle ages of your life, not too old, no longer young,
I’ll be there to guide you through the night, complete what I’ve begun.
When the evening gently closes in, and you shut your weary eyes,
I’ll be there as I have always been with just one more surprise.
I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized, to see your life unfold.
Prayer - Carol Buzbee
Words of Institution - Carol Buzbee
Music: “Since Christ my Soul from Sin set Free” [by J. M. Black] Sarah Park
Celebrating our Graduating Seniors: Aspen Baynes & Josh Delaney
Scripture: Joshua 1:9
Presentation of the Seniors: “On a Journey”
MCCC Advice for Life and Words of Wisdom 2024
For Aspen Baynes and Josh Delaney
Delbert Auble (via Dave Auble)
Find a way to make money when you are not working. Like rental property, car wash, laundry mat.
Debbie Olson
Always smile and make eye contact with people - Hold the door open .
From Dave Auble
Humor usually eases situations. Tension in the workplace will happen. Be the one that brings resolution, togetherness, and the reality check that a perceived catastrophe can be managed and overcome.
Ken Pike (via Dave Auble)
Find a vocation that pays you what you’re worth, not what the job is worth. Do what you love and the money will follow.
Jon Secaur
From his favorite Mary Oliver poem, "Instructions for Living a Life," which says,
1) Pay attention
2) Be astonished
3) Tell about it
Dave Auble
Don’t worry about being perfect. Just get er done. Submitted work is better than not trying because you may think it’s not good enough. Remember nobody is perfect.
Karly Lind
Virginia Woolf said, ““The future is dark, which is the best thing the future can be, I think.”
Pam Auble
Kelly Dobrinski said “No more obstacles. Only opportunities.
I will not say “I have to …”. I will say “I have the opportunity to …”
Pete & Dina Pruszynski
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, :"The only way to have a friend is to be one."
Dave Auble
Always take the high road. Do what is right for your friend, family, your community and your customers even if it’s inconvenient, hard and sets you back. Nobody said life is easy.
Peggy Painley
A.A. Milne “Winnie the Pooh” said: “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
Beth Schabel
Embrace the relationships and people around you…….those connections will prove to be pivotal in your successes…… and lead those relationships with kindness ALWAYS.
Pastor Chad
Desmond Tutu said, “And God says to all of us, you are no chicken; you are an eagle. Fly, eagle, fly. And God wants us to shake ourselves, spread our pinions, and then lift off and soar and rise, and rise toward the confident and the good and the beautiful. Rise towards the compassionate and the gentle and the caring. Rise to become what God intends us to be--eagles, not chickens.”
Genesis 12:1-2
Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
Millenia ago, God called Abraham and Sarah to leave from their hometown---the only life they had ever known--to take a step of faith to go where God called them to go. This took courage, resolve, and trust to venture beyond the familiar. You are now taking these new steps on a new path that will give you freedom to live into the person that God has created you to be. When God called Abraham and Sarah he told them that they would be blessed in this journey. This new step of faith would even--the scripture says--bless them and their ancestors with greatness. What a gift and promise to receive on the threshold of a new beginning. AND we see God doesn’t end it there. They would learn that to receive greatness was not the culmination of this adventure. That to be blessed was not going to be their crowning moment. Instead, we see that God blesses them…why? The scripture says, “So that YOU will be a blessing.” That their gifts, their faith, their presence would be a blessing to all those they would encounter. As you go on this new journey of life, our prayer for you is that indeed you will be GREATLY BLESSED and that you will be a GREAT BLESSING to others. May you remember you have made in the image of God. May you live and love in the likeness of Jesus Christ--who is our Savior and Friend. And May God’s Grace and Peace strengthen you always...let’s pray…
Blessing
Loving God, we ask your blessing on Aspen & Josh….. as this new adventure in life opens to them. Give them courage, wisdom, and confidence in the path they take and assure them of your guiding and loving presence. We ask you, Lord, to bless their parents and loved ones who have raised them and loved them through all the ups and downs of life. Be with them, too, as this new chapter begins. In all things we place our trust in you knowing you walk beside us and bring us forgiveness, joy, and love. Help them and help us to be a blessing wherever your Spirit takes us. In the Name of Jesus Christ--our Example and Redeemer, we pray, Amen.
*Closing Hymn Standing on the Promises #552, vs. 1-2, & 4
1 Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
through eternal ages let his praises ring;
glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
standing on the promises of God.
[Refrain:]
Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God my Savior;
standing, standing, I'm standing on the promises of God.
2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
by the living Word of God I shall prevail,
standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
4 Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
list'ning every moment to the Spirit's call,
resting in my Savior as my all in all,
standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
Benediction - Rev. Chad Delaney
- God is Good!
- Please have some coffee and join for conversation in our wonderful classes led by Nancy Humes, Jon Secaur, and Carol Buzbee
Psalm 121: A song of Ascents
A Song of Ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills from where will my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and for evermore.
Postlude - “Standing on the Promises” [by R. K. Carter] Sarah Park