May 11, 2025
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
~Thomas Merton, “The Road Ahead,”
a reflection on Psalm 23, from Thoughts in Solitude
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.
OPENING PSalm
Ps. 23 (NRSV)
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long.
Opening Songs
Songs Will Happen!
“The 23rd Psalm”
~(NEW BRITAIN) from the metrical psalter of the Church of Scotland
The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want;
He makes me to lie down,
In pastures green; he leads me
To the quiet waters by.
My soul he does restore again,
And He makes me to walk
Within the paths of righteousness,
All for his own name's sake.
Yet, though I walk in death's dark vale,
Oh, I will fear no ill:
For He is with me, and his rod
And staff do comfort still.
He’s set a feast before my eyes,
In presence of my foes;
My head with oil He anoints
My cup, it overflows.
Goodness and mercy all my life
Will surely follow me;
And in God's house for evermore
My dwelling-place shall be.
“For The Beauty Of The Earth”
~Folliott Sandford Pierpoint (1864)
For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind’s delight,
For the mystic harmony
Linking sense to sound and sight;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For thy Church which evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
Scripture Reading
John 10:11-18, 22-30 (The Message)
11-13 “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He’s only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him.
14-18 “I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They’ll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father.”
22-24 They were celebrating Hanukkah just then in Jerusalem. It was winter. Jesus was strolling in the Temple across Solomon’s Porch. The Jews, circling him, said, “How long are you going to keep us guessing? If you’re the Messiah, tell us straight out.”
25-30 Jesus answered, “I told you, but you don’t believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words. You don’t believe because you’re not my sheep. My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of my hand. The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from him. I and the Father are one heart and mind.”
THEOLOGICAL Reflection
Chris Zepp
“Off the Map”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What are the monsters you are currently seeing off the edges of your map? What are the “what-ifs” or “even thoughs” that you are wrestling with now? What brings you back to trust and faith in God in face of all of these?
The shepherd metaphor and analogy works for Chris because he grew up on a sheep farm. Maybe it doesn’t resonate with you as well. Is there another metaphor that carries the same weight that helps you to illustrate and visualize what it means to trust in God?
Sheep are notoriously dumb and helpless (Yes, it is largely true). So we might not like being compared to them, nor wish to emulate their behavior beyond their trust in and relationship with a shepherd. So how can we be better “sheep” without being less human?
Mother’s Day bonus - How was your mom like a good (or a bad) shepherd? Or how do you strive to be one yourself?
Song
“MOM’s Medley” (for Mother’s Day)
~You Are My Sunshine / Will the Circle Be Unbroken / Angel Band, arr. Brent Holl
(You are my Sunshine)
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
I’ll always love you and be with you
I’ll protect you from harm’s way
‘Cause I adore you, you’re my dream come true
You’re my beautiful sunshine
(Will the Circle Be Unbroken)
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by Lord, by and by
There's a better home a'waiting
In the sky Lord, in the sky
We are part of a blessed circle
Going back a long, long time
And we're happy to face the future
Holding hands, both yours and mine
I was singing all the night long
I was singing with my Friends
And we all can, sing together
Cause the circle never ends.
(Angel Band)
Oh come angel band
Come and around me stand
Oh bear me away on your snow white wings
To my immortal home
Oh bear me away on your snow white wings
To my immortal home
Oh bear my longing heart to him
Who bled and died for me
Whose blood now cleanses from all sins
And gives me victory
Oh come angel band
Come and around me stand
Oh bear me away on your snow white wings
To my immortal home
Oh bear me away on your snow white wings
To my immortal home
Prayer
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!
WTF?
Wednesday at exactly dinner-ish! (6pm EST)
Downstairs at John Wesley UMC
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!
THIS WEEK (5/14)
LAST MEAL OF THE SEASON!
Pick your topping Panini bar
We welcome people from all walks of life and all walks of faith to join us on our journey. And we mean it. Everyone is welcome at RISE. Everyone. We seek to be a place free of judgment and full of love.
Closing Song
“Standing on the Promises”
~Text - R. Kelan Carter / Tune from the African American Heritage Hymnal
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.
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God, my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises of God.
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.
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God, my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises of Christ, the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love's strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit's sword.
Standing on the promises of God.
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God, my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises of God.
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.
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God, my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises of God.
Parting Blessing
~Earle W. Fike, Jr., adapted
Wherever we might go, may we go with God:
and be not tempted to stay
in the safety of known places.
Let us move from where we are
to where God calls
and hasten toward a God who beckons.
So let us go now with God;
and be not tempted to go only in our time,
when it suits, when it is sure.
Let us stir ourselves now, for now is God’s time.
And let us go now with God;
and not elect to go it alone –
Let us give our allegiance,
our destination to no other.
Yes friends, let us go now with God;
And go in the faith that there is
no valley so low
no wilderness so vast
no passage so crooked
no way so confused
That God does not go with us
to shepherd us along the way...
Remember friends — you are a gift!
Now go and be a gift!
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