October 27, 2024
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 Prayer
~Rev. Cate Williams, Environment Officer, Diocese of Gloucester
Creator God,
We acknowledge that as your handiwork,
we stand alongside all that you have made.
Trees and rivers, mountains and valleys,
soaring birds and scuttling creatures,
all are held within your care.
May we grow in our love and appreciation
for the fabulous variety around us;
and may our awe and wonder draw us closer
to the natural world, and through it to you,
the God of all things.
We pray in Jesus name,
Amen
Opening Music
Brent Holl
“Down in the Valley to Pray”
~The earliest known version of the song, titled "The Good Old Way," was published in Slave Songs of the United States in 1867. The song (#104) was contributed to that book by George H. Allan of Nashville, Tennessee, who may also have been the transcriber.
As I went down in the valley to pray,
Studying about that good old way,
When you shall wear the starry crown,
Good Lord, show me the way.
O Sisters, let's go down, let's go down, let's go down,
O Sisters, let's go down,
Down in the valley to pray
O Brothers. . .
O Mothers. . .
O Fathers. . .
All Together. . .
SCRIPTURE READINGs
Psalm 8 (CEB)
Lord, our Lord, how majestic
is your name throughout the earth!
You made your glory higher than heaven!
2 From the mouths of nursing babies
you have laid a strong foundation
because of your foes,
in order to stop vengeful enemies.
3 When I look up at your skies,
at what your fingers made—
the moon and the stars
that you set firmly in place—
4 what are human beings
that you think about them;
what are human beings
that you pay attention to them?
5 You’ve made them only slightly less than divine,
crowning them with glory and grandeur.
6 You’ve let them rule over your handiwork,
putting everything under their feet—
7 all sheep and all cattle,
the wild animals too,
8 the birds in the sky,
the fish of the ocean,
everything that travels the pathways of the sea.
9 Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth!
Genesis 1:25-28 (CEB)
25 God made every kind of wildlife, every kind of livestock, and every kind of creature that crawls on the ground. God saw how good it was. 26 Then God said, “Let us make humanity in our image to resemble us so that they may take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and all the crawling things on earth.”
27 God created humanity in God’s own image,
in the divine image God created them,
male and female God created them.28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and master it. Take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, and everything crawling on the ground.”
THEOLOGICAL Reflection
Alexis Ward Owens
“The Earth is the Lord’s, and Everything in it”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What part of nature always helps you to feel the most connected to your creator? The ocean, mountains, animals, gardening, etc?
What is your greatest environmental fear? Or what environmental issue sparks the most anxiety for you? And what are you actively doing to help combat that issue?
Sometimes when we compare ourselves to the whole wide world we can feel very small. But scripture tells us that God uniquely created each and every one of us! Tell a story of a time when you felt particularly grounded and connected in nature as a part of the earth.
Prayer
~Alexis Ward Owens
Song
“I've Been a-List'ning All de Night Long”
~R. N. Dett, 1927 as performed by Jean Ritchie
(Throughout the song, leader sings once; congregation sings once in response.)
Chorus:
I've been listening all the night long,
Been listening all the day
I've been listening all the night long,
To hear some sinner pray.
Some say John was a Baptist,
Some say he was a Jew,
But the Bible does inform us
He was a preacher too.
Go read the fifth of Matthew,
Go read that chapter through,
It is a guide to Christians,
And tell us what to do.
Theere was a search in heaven,
And all the earth around,
John stood in sorrow hoping
A Saviour would be found.
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!
RISE is again on the move!
After communication issues and the doubling of fees for renting Sunday morning space prevented us from returning to worship this Fall on the campus of Eastern Mennonite University, RISE leadership has been actively seeking a new location for our community to meet for Sunday morning worship (and perhaps more). John Wesley UMC has graciously stepped in and offered to open their building to us to begin meeting in some of their under-utilized space beginning in November! We are very excited about this transition and the potential long term partnership opportunities between our communities.
We will be meeting concurrently with the JWUMC congregation (gathering upstairs in the sanctuary), so we are encouraging everyone to park in the farther end of the parking lot (nearer to the pavilion) and use the lower level door at the end of the building that will be closest to you. If in doubt, just look for our signs!
The building is handicap accessible - there will be just a very slight lip from the gravel parking lot to the sidewalk. We will have use of their full kitchen, lower-level bathrooms, and more. We believe this space will more than meet our needs, and we are doubly enthusiastic about the possibilities for partnership and relationship between our two communities. We are very grateful to the people of John Wesley UMC for their openness to this possibility and their hospitality in opening their space to us!
Beginning Sunday, November 3, RISE will begin meeting for worship
Sunday mornings at exactly 10ish am
John Wesley United Methodist CHurch
lower-Level Fellowship Hall
435 Sterling Street
Harrisonburg, VA 22802
Note - This change in meeting location does NOT impact our new mailing address. Please continue to use our PO Box (281 N. Mason St., Box 110, Harrisonburg VA 22803) for all contributions and written correspondence.
Jennine Wood
November 28, 1969 - October 21, 2024
We are deeply grieved by the unexpected loss of Jennine Wood on Monday, and our love and prayers continue to be with her twin sister, Jennifer Wood. We are all invited to attend the visitation this afternoon from 1-3 PM at Kyger Funeral Home (3173 Spotswood Trail, Harrisonburg). Dress is casual - just like Jennine would have wanted. View Jennine’s Obituary HERE.
Craft ‘n’ Chat
6-8 pm Tuesday Evenings
James Madison University
Gabbin Hall, Room 0204
Join RISE on campus for evenings of crafting together and conversation about life and maintaining balance in a chaotic world. Feel free to bring any projects you’re already working on, but craft supplies will also be provided!
Contact Alexis or Sheridan for more info and/or directions.
The Sitting
(With an Issue)
6-8 pm Wednesday Nights
Brothers Craft Brewing
October 2 - November 6
It’s been great joining many of you over the past few months at The Sitting for open-ended conversation and company. But we’ve decided to get a bit more intentional about bringing some timely and topical conversation to our Sittings. For the next six weeks, we will take the opportunity on Wednesday nights to continue the conversations we will begin at worship on Sunday mornings by taking an even deeper dive into the issues that concern ourselves, our country, and our world during this election season. How do we live as people of faith in these trying times? And how do we think about the issue and concerns that divide us and our neighbors? Let’s talk about it and try to figure it out together!
During this election season, it is hard to find a safe place to talk about the prevalent issues in our country. We hope RISE can provide a safe place for judgment-free and pressure-free discussion about issues that affect us all. ❤️ Please come with an open heart and open mind!
Brunch Church
Sunday, November 3
at our NEW worship home!
Join us for some good food and conversation next Sunday as we get to know our new worship location and wrap up our worship series “It’s An Issue of Values.”
Click the button below to let us know if you are able to bring something to share.
Your source of information for all things RISE! Check out the latest edition if you haven’t already! Its packed with info on all our events this summer, staffing updates, etc.
closing SONG
“The COmmon Good”
~Chris Zepp & Alexis Owens
In this world where strife and hatred cause division with our friends
It is hard to find a vision that unites instead of rends
Politicians stoke division, talking heads just make it worse
So-called leaders chase poll numbers, taking care of their own purse
But the church should be much different — for each other we should live
Looking not to our own interests, but instead to what we give
Can we take our love and caring into public, witness bear?
The Golden Rule we preach on Sunday, our world needs us all to share
Earth is full of all Gods creatures, from elephants to the little mouse.
All the animals are sacred scampering around his house.
We are charged to protect nature, mountains, oceans and the trees.
But we all must protect each other, live in balanced harmony.
We are called to love our neighbors even when we disagree
Work for justice, and for mercy — turn the “me” into a “we”
Then together we shall flourish, treating each as if our own
The common good shall be our calling — faith-filled values be made known
Parting Blessing
~Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature
“To speak truly, few adult persons can see nature. Most persons do not see the sun. At least they have a very superficial seeing. The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and the heart of the child. The lover of nature is he whose inward and outward senses are still truly adjusted to each other; who has retained the spirit of infancy even into the era of manhood. His intercourse with heaven and earth, becomes part of his daily food. In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows.”
REMEMBER - YOU ARE A GIFT!
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