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March 1, 2026

If God lived next door,
I’d drop off a loaf of bread.
I’d use my mom’s best recipe.
I’d wrap it in parchment and ribbon
and place it on the front stoop.
If God lived next door,
I’d leave a note with my phone number.
Call anytime you need anything!
I’m always happy to help!
If God lived next door,
I’d keep sugar on the shelf,
just in case she needed a cup.
I’d put a picnic table in the front yard
and begin taking my coffee there.
Whenever God passed by with their gaggle of rescue dogs,
I could say, Want to sit for a moment? Want to rest your legs?
I’d keep a jar of dog treats and water by the mailbox
and change my doormat to one that says:
All are welcome here.
I’d invite God over for dinner.
She’d bring bread and juice.
I’d host a block party,
so that everyone could meet her.
I’d start a community garden
so that the kids could run between rows of squash and tomatoes
while we adults put our hands in the dirt.
We’d share stories while we weeded,
and eat harvest meals at the end of the season.
If God lived next door,
I’d want to build something beautiful.
Then again,
who says she doesn’t?

“If God Lived Next Door”
by Rev. Sarah A. Speed

Worship Resources used in this service by Rev. Sarah A. Speed
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BRUNCH!

WORDS OF GREETING AND GATHERING

Alexis Ward Owens

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, adapted

Want to hear something good?
God loves you more than you could imagine.
God loves all of creation more than you could imagine.
God’s love meets us here and now. We are not alone.

Even when we act with judgment,
Even when we are guided by fear,
Even when we turn our back on a neighbor in need,
God’s back never turns on us.

This is good news indeed!
Thanks be to God for this unending love.

Opening SongS

Songs Will Happen!

“RIPPLE”

~Lyrics by Robert Hunter / Music by Jerry Garcia

If my words did glow, with the gold of sunshine
And my tunes were played, on the harp unstrung
Would you hear my voice, come through the music?
Would you hold it near, as if it were your own?

It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken
Perhaps, they’re better left unsung
I don't know, don't really care
Let there be songs, to fill the air

Ripple in still water,
When there is no pebble tossed,
Nor wind to blow

Reach out your hand if your cup be empty
If your cup is full, may it be again.
Let it be known there is a fountain
That was not made by the hands of man

There is a road, no simple highway
Between the dawn, and the dark of night
And if you go, no one may follow
That path is for your steps alone

Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow

You, who choose to lead, must follow
But if you fall, you fall alone
If you should stand then who's to guide you?
If I knew the way I would take you home

La dee da da da…

___________________________________

The lyrics to “Ripple” were written by Robert Hunter, with music composed by Jerry Garcia. This was the songwriting duo that produced many of the Grateful Dead’s best songs, including most of the material on their two most beloved albums, American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead, and other favorites like “Sugaree”.

“Ripple” is about making peace with life, and finding a path that suits you by learning from the other lost people around you, and of course embracing the power of joy through music. It’s about remembering that we’re all in this together, but also that your life is your own to lead.

“Ripple”, however, certainly does dip its toes in the waters of religion. Especially with the line, “Let it be known there is a fountain / That was not made by the hands of men,” which Hunter told Rolling Stone in 2015 was his favorite lyric that he had ever written. It suggests rather directly that there is some greater being that created this mystical fountain, which one might assume is the Fountain of Youth.

As noted in the old school annotated Grateful Dead lyrics site at the University of Santa Cruz, Hunter’s lyrics also contain what could be interpreted as references to several other works of mythology and literature. Noted references include the ancient Indian mystic Kabir, the Hebrew Psalm 23, Walt Whitman and Yeat’s poetry, and more. In this way Hunter places “Ripple” in context with all of these things that weigh and interpret the meaning of life, and gives his own interpretation, but moreso invites listeners to ponder it for themselves:

There is a road, no simple highway
Between the dawn and the dark of night
And if you go, no one may follow
That path is for your steps alone

(Liner Notes extracted from https://extrachill.com/grateful-dead-ripple-meaning)

“Give Yourself To Love”

~Kate Wolf

Kind friends all gathered 'round,
there's something I would say:
That what brings us together here
has blessed us all today.
Love has made a circle
that holds us all inside.
Where strangers are as family,
loneliness can't hide.

You must give yourself to love
if love is what you're after;
Open up your hearts to
the tears and laughter
And give yourself to love,
give yourself to love.

I've walked these mountains in the rain
and learned to love the wind;
I've been up before the sunrise
to watch the day begin.
I've always knew I'd find you,
though I never did know how;
Like sunshine on a cloudy day
stand before me now.

So give yourself to love
if love is what you're after;
Open up your hearts to
the tears and laughter
And give yourself to love,
give yourself to love.

Love is born in fire;
it's planted like a seed.
Love can't give you everything,
but it gives you what you need.
And love comes when you're ready,
love comes when you're afraid;
It'll be your greatest teacher,
the best friend you have made.

So give yourself to love
if love is what you're after;
Open up your hearts to
the tears and laughter
And give yourself to love,
give yourself to love.

REPEAT

Tell Me Something Good

Nate Carr

Scripture Readings

Luke 7:36-50 (CEB)

36 One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him. After he entered the Pharisee’s home, he took his place at the table. 37 Meanwhile, a woman from the city, a sinner, discovered that Jesus was dining in the Pharisee’s house. She brought perfumed oil in a vase made of alabaster. 38 Standing behind him at his feet and crying, she began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured the oil on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw what was happening, he said to himself, If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. He would know that she is a sinner.
40 Jesus replied, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Teacher, speak,” he said.
41 “A certain lender had two debtors. One owed enough money to pay five hundred people for a day’s work. The other owed enough money for fifty. 42 When they couldn’t pay, the lender forgave the debts of them both. Which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the largest debt canceled.”
Jesus said, “You have judged correctly.”
44 Jesus turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your home, you didn’t give me water for my feet, but she wet my feet with tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing my feet since I came in. 46 You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but she has poured perfumed oil on my feet. 47 This is why I tell you that her many sins have been forgiven; so she has shown great love. The one who is forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other table guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this person that even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Matthew 25:35-40 (The Message)

35-36 I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’
37-40 “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

THEOLOGICAL Reflection

Chris Zepp

“One of Us”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Jesus announces to Simon that the woman with the alabaster jar has shown “great love” or agapaó, which means to love wholeheartedly and unconditionally, with self-giving actions that reflect the character of God. (This is the same word used in Matthew 22:39 to describe loving your neighbor.) Why do you think Jesus describes the woman’s actions - which are interpreted very differently by Simon and those at the dinner - in this way? How do her actions display great love, and what can we learn from her?
In The Moral Teachings of Jesus, David Gushee says of the radical nature of Matthew 25: “The most striking thing about this passage remains the incarnational identification of the Judge of all the earth with the least of these. . . In this story, the hungry, thirsty, etc., are not just representatives of God, or sent by God, they are God. Or, at least, God is incarnated in them.” So what if God was one of us? Have you had a time(s) when God “showed up” in an unexpected encounter? How would our interactions with others be changed if we could truly take to heart the notion that God is still incarnate among us?
Nadia’s confessions about her sleepless night of embarrassment brought the concept of God’s grace and love to self, even though she admitted that it was the kind of thing that usually makes her cringe. Do you wrestle with such things yourself? How can we extend the good news of great love for God and neighbor to our selves without it becoming self-serving?

Song

“Make Me a Channel of Your Peace” (Prayer of St. Francis)

~Adapted by Sebastian Temple

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is hatred let me bring your love
Where there is injury your pardon, Lord,
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there’s despair in life let me bring hope
Where there is darkness, only light
And where there’s sadness ever joy.

Master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved, as to love with all my soul

Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving of ourselves that we receive
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.

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!

Give Now

BOOK STUDY GROUP

Monday Evenings, 7:30 pm
Home of the Harbicks

Monday, March 2
Discussing Chapter 3 — “Affection”

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.

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!

Book Study Interest

WTF?
LENT EDITION

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

This Week’s Menu (3/5):
Buddha Bowls

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!

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!

Order Little Mermaid Tickets

Dinner and Bingo
to Support our
Love Packs Ministry

March 13, 6-9 pm
JWUMC

Support our Love Packs Ministry - a weekend food bag program for school-age children & families - while having fun and enjoying good food and company! Just $25 a ticket! Reserve yours now by clicking the link below!

Dinner and Bingo Tickets

Closing Song

“Keep Your Lamps”

~Gary Davis

Keep your lamps trimmed and burning,
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning,
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning,
Come see what the Lord has done.

Children, don't grow weary,
Children, don't grow weary,
Children, don’t grow weary,
Come see what the Lord has done.

Troubles and trials soon be over,
Troubles and trials soon be over,
Troubles and trials soon be over,
Come see what the Lord has done.

Keep your lamps trimmed an burning,
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning,
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning,
Come see what the Lord has done.

Soon the morning will be breaking,
Soon the morning will be breaking,
Soon the morning will be breaking,
Come see what the Lord has done.

Brothers and Sisters keep on singing,
Brothers and Sisters keep on singing,
Brothers and Sisters keep on singing,
Come see what the Lord has done.

Keep your lamps trimmed an burning,
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning,
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning,
Come see what the Lord has done.

Parting Blessing

~Rev. Sarah A. Speed, adapted

Friends,
God loves you more than you could imagine.
God loves all of creation more than you could imagine.
God’s love meets us here and now. We are not alone.