February 22, 2026

I wonder if Jesus stopped dancing when he heard the news.
I wonder if he looked out over the crowd of happy people.
I wonder if he could see their joy poking through their fragility.
And I wonder if he knew, in that moment, that joy was holy,
that joy would sustain them, that joy was a form of resurrection,
so he turned water into wine and the dancing did not stop.

~excerpted from “They’re Out of Wine” 
by Rev. Sarah A. Speed

Worship Resources used in this service by Rev. Sarah A. Speed
A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org

WORDS OF GREETING AND GATHERING

Chris Zepp

WELCOMING STATEMENT

RISE believes that God has open arms, and so should we. Our Creator wants us to love, accept and affirm every human being, including persons of every age, race, ethnic background, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, family or socioeconomic status, educational background, religion or creed, and physical or mental ability. We celebrate our diversity and recognize the sacred worth and dignity of all. Everyone is invited and encouraged to join us as we seek to follow Jesus with mutual respect, understanding, and love.

*Read more about “Why Pronouns Matter” HERE.

Call to Worship

~Rev. Sarah A. Speed

The good news of the gospel is:
manna in the desert,
water turned into wine,
love after loss,
forgiveness after pain.

The good news of the gospel is:
release for the captive,
hope for the hopeless,
mourning turned to dancing,
and strangers turned to friends.

So come on in.
There’s no time to waste!
This surprising good news is here for you.

Let us worship this good-news God.

Opening SongS

Songs Will Happen!

“Indescribable”

~Chris Tomlin

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation's revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom.

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
(Repeat)

“See the precious children”

~Lyrics - Anna Strickland (2025); Music (BEACH SPRING) - B.F. White (1844)

See the precious children seated on the lap of Christ our Lord
Called the greatest in the kingdom held so gently and adored
They are precious in the sight of God who made each tiny toe
In their weakness they’re held by love as each day they learn and grow

See the precious widowed women gleaning harvests from the field
Then returning to their kitchen to prepare their daily meal
They are precious in the sight of God who holds their broken hearts
In their sorrow they’re held by love that redeems each fragile part

See the precious foreign strangers as they carry all they own
To a land that’s full of dangers for the powerless and prone
They are precious in the sight of God who made their homeland, too
In their journey they’re held by love as each day they start anew

See the precious dispossessed ones asking for some food to eat
Sleeping under starry heavens, daily living on the streets
They are precious in the sight of God who loves them as a child
In their hunger they’re held by love as they guard their human pride

See the precious world impoverished by our malice and our greed
Humans, animals, and planet crying out for some relief
We’re all precious in the sight of God who made each holy thing
In our living we’re held by love as we care for every being

Scripture Readings

John 2:1-11 (CEB)

1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and 2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. 3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They don’t have any wine.”

4 Jesus replied, “Woman, what does that have to do with me? My time hasn’t come yet.”

5 His mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Nearby were six stone water jars used for the Jewish cleansing ritual, each able to hold about twenty or thirty gallons.

7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water,” and they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some from them and take it to the headwaiter,” and they did. 9 The headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine. He didn’t know where it came from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.

The headwaiter called the groom 10 and said, “Everyone serves the good wine first. They bring out the second-rate wine only when the guests are drinking freely. You kept the good wine until now.” 11 This was the first miraculous sign that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

Matthew 13:31-32 (CEB)

31 He told another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and planted in his field. 32 It’s the smallest of all seeds. But when it’s grown, it’s the largest of all vegetable plants. It becomes a tree so that the birds in the sky come and nest in its branches.”

THEOLOGICAL Reflection

Alexis Ward Owens

“Mother Knows Best”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. The Wedding at Cana contains many unanswered questions. Why are Jesus and his newly-appointed disciples hanging out at a wedding in the first place? Is this a family affair, a favor to his mother before Jesus departs from Galilee? Why do you think John’s Gospel highlights this miracle as the start of Jesus’ ministry? What does this say about the good news of Jesus according to John’s Gospel?

2. Today we described the wedding at Cana as lighthearted and comedic. How do you interpret the tone of this miracle story? Playful, sarcastic, comedic, serious, secretive, or something else?

3. In the parable of the mustard seed, one of the smallest seeds surprisingly grows into a large tree-like shrub. When have you witnessed something flourishing unexpectedly? What stories of surprising good come to mind?

COMMUNION

Pastor Alexis

Prayer by Rev. Sarah A. Speed, adapted

Song

“The Love of God”

~Frederick M. Lehman (1917)

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song

When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song

_____________________________________________

The Story...

Lines similar to verse 3 are found in the Qur’an (18:109 and 31:27) and in Akdamut, an 11th-century Jewish poem. Frederick Lehman tells us that the English rendition included in his song had reportedly “been found penciled on the wall of a patient’s room in an insane asylum after he had been carried to his grave.” While it is only supposition that the man was the one who translated or adapted the words to leave us these well-known lines, if the account is true it shows in any case that he highly esteemed the message.

https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/The_Love_of_God/

Offering and NOMOFOMO

One of our core values is, "God gives to us, so we give back." We're called to give as a joy-filled response to what we've been given. Your financial gifts make a tremendous difference in the lives of God's beloved in Harrisonburg and beyond. Whether it's helping to make sure children in our community have enough to eat, helping to respond to the mental health crisis in our community, or providing much needed backing for the operating costs of our spaces and staff — your gift is a part of God's dream and we are grateful for everyone who partners with us on this journey!

BOOK STUDY GROUP

Monday Evenings, 7:30 pm
Starting TOMORROW (Feb. 23)
Home of the Harbicks

For the first study, we will be reading the C.S. Lewis classic The Four Loves, a fairly short read exploring various ways that we understand love and how they draw us closer to God.

The first session will cover the first 2 chapters (thru p. 40). If you’re interested but haven’t yet signed up, you are still welcome! Just click the button below to get added to the list, through which we will communicate schedule changes, new books to read, and anything else book study related!

WTF?
LENT EDITION

Thursdays at exactly dinner-ish! (6pm EST)
Downstairs at John Wesley UMC

This Week’s Menu (2/26):
Baked Ziti and Salad

Join us for a midweek check in to fuel your body, mind and soul.

RISE will provide the meal and a topic for conversation. All you have to do it show up!

If you are interested and/or able to help (cooking and prep, giving rides to students, setting up and greeting, washing dishes, etc) please let Alexis know!

FIRST SUNDAY
Brunch Church

NEXT WEEK!

March 1, 2026

Same bat time.
Same bat channel.
Just more food:-)

Bring some of your favorite brunch food to share if you are able!

Turner Ashby High School MUSICAL
The Little Mermaid

March 12-15

TAHS Musical Theater presents Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Our very own Gabe Carr is the Assistant Stage Manager and Tristan Zepp plays percussion in the pit orchestra! Reserve your tickets using the link below!

Closing Song

“What a Wonderful World”

~Bob Thiele, George Douglas, George Weiss

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom, for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They’re really saying I love you

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Yes I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Parting Blessing

~Rev. Sarah A. Speed

As you leave this place,
when you meet anger, speak with love.
When you meet fear, speak with hope.
When you meet pain, speak with gentleness.
But no matter what, speak this good news.

For the good news of the gospel is
love and justice for all.
It is joy that surprises,
and nonviolence that transforms.
The good news of the gospel is alive in the world,
so go forth speaking.

For if you won’t, then who will?
Thanks be to God
for this good, good news.

Remember friends — you are a gift!

Now go and be a gift!

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