# St. John's United Church of Christ — May 10, 2026 **Theme:** Partnership in the Gospel **Sixth Sunday of Easter | Mother's Day | NL444** 📹 **Service recording:** [YouTube — May 10, 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8) --- ## Liturgical Context ### Christian Liturgical Calendar - **Season:** Easter (continuing) — the Sixth Sunday of Easter - **Liturgical color:** White (Eastertide) - **Lectionary year:** Narrative Lectionary Year 4 – John (NL444); RCL Year A - **Days into Easter:** Day 36 of the 50-day Eastertide; Ascension falls Thursday May 14; Pentecost falls Sunday May 24 - **Concurrent observance:** Mother's Day (US secular calendar) — the bulletin includes a Responsive Litany for Mother's Day in the insert ### Jewish Calendar - **Hebrew date:** 23 Iyar 5786 - **Counting the Omer:** Day 38 (Yesod she'b'Hod — foundation within glory in the Kabbalistic sefirot count) - **Parashah this week:** Behar (Leviticus 25:1–26:2), read Shabbat May 9, 2026; Bechukotai follows the next Shabbat (May 16) - **Themes overlapping with worship:** Behar's sabbath-and-jubilee economics resonate with Philippians' partnership-in-mutual-aid emphasis - **Approaching:** Shavuot / Feast of Weeks (6–7 Sivan / May 22–23, 2026) — the giving of Torah at Sinai; in Christian reckoning, the Easter-to-Pentecost arc ### Ecumenical & Global Observances - **Mother's Day** observed today in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and many other nations (varies globally — UK Mothering Sunday was March 15) - **Mental Health Awareness Month** (May) — named in the Joys & Concerns by Erin - **National Day of Prayer** (US) was observed May 7 - **World Migratory Bird Day** (May 9, near observance) ### Lectionary Readings (Revised Common Lectionary, Year A) For the Sixth Sunday of Easter: - **First reading:** Acts 17:22–31 (Paul at the Areopagus — the same passage we just preached last week as NL443; the RCL holds it for this week) - **Psalm:** Psalm 66:8–20 - **Epistle:** 1 Peter 3:13–22 - **Gospel:** John 14:15–21 (the Advocate / Spirit promised; "I will not leave you orphaned") ### Narrative Lectionary Reading - **NL444:** Philippians 1:1–18a — Paul in prison, thankful for the Philippians' partnership in the gospel - **Accompanying reading:** Luke 9:46–48 (the disciples disputing greatness; "whoever welcomes this child welcomes me") - **St. John's expansion:** Luke 9:46–50 (extending through the "whoever is not against us is for us" pericope) ### Connection to Today's Message - **NL angle:** Pivots from Acts narrative (last week's Athens) into the Pauline epistles. Philippians is the warmest, most affectionate letter Paul writes — a thank-you note to a partner congregation that has materially supported his mission across many years - **RCL angle (untouched today):** John 14:15–21's "Advocate" promise dovetails with the Philippians-in-prison context — Paul writes from custody about joy and partnership, leaning on the same Spirit Jesus promised - **Mother's Day angle:** The Responsive Litany for Mother's Day (Patty Lawrence) explicitly broadens "mothering" beyond biological motherhood — Sarai, Esther, Jochebed, Hannah, Naomi, Ruth, Elizabeth, Mary, Rachel, Lois & Eunice, the mother of the prodigal son. This pairs with the partnership-in-the-gospel theme: chosen family, communal nurture, the church as collective mother - **Hermeneutical thread to track:** Philippians 1:1 names Paul AND Timothy as senders, addresses "all the saints… with the bishops and deacons" — note the plural episcopate/diaconate before later monarchical-bishop developments. Watch how Pastor Caroline handles ecclesial structure here --- ## Order of Worship _*Please stand in body or in spirit_ _Timestamps below link directly to the YouTube recording._ ### Gathering #### [Gathering Song — "This is the Day"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=1179s) Brief praise chorus drawn from [[Psalm 118#24]] — "This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Words and music by Les Garrett, © 1967 Scripture in Song / Maranatha! Music. (Copyrighted; lyrics summarized rather than reproduced.) ![[Psalm 118#24]] #### [Unison Welcome](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=1244s) > "No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here." (The signature UCC welcome statement — extravagant welcome as denominational identity.) #### [Announcements](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=1271s) Caroline names three: - **Hymn sing** request forms — last chance to submit a favorite for May 17 - **Camp cooks** needed for June 22–26; assist Kirk Johnson; sign-up sheet in the lobby; questions → **Renee Buyers** - **Habitat for Humanity** conversation **next Sunday after worship in Room 116** — will be recorded for those who can't make it; hard copies of the e-blast letter available #### [Passing of the Peace](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=1350s) > **Leader:** "The peace of Christ be with you." **People:** "And also with you." #### [Prelude](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=1440s) _Instrumental music during the sharing of peace, leading into the Chiming._ #### [Chiming of the Trinity](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=1568s) > "We worship in the name of God, Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit. Amen." #### [*Call to Worship](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=1575s) _adapted from Fresh Winds of the Spirit, Book 2 (Lavon Bayler)_ > **Leader:** God is here to meet us: glorify God's name. **People: God welcomes us and calls us by name.** **Leader:** Called by Christ to reconcile and rejoice, we come into God's house. **People: The Spirit is present to strengthen and sustain.** **Leader:** Let us enter this time of worship with thanksgiving. **People: Let us offer God our praise.** #### [*Hymn #310 — "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=1636s) **Words:** Henry van Dyke, 1907 **Music:** Ludwig van Beethoven, 1824 (from Symphony No. 9, "Ode to Joy"); harm. Edward Hodges, 1864 **Tune:** HYMN TO JOY (8.7.8.7 D) **Status:** Public domain _Verse 1_ Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love; Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away; Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day! _Verse 2_ All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays, Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise. Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea, Singing bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in Thee. _Verse 3_ Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blest, Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean-depth of happy rest! Thou our Father, Christ our Brother — all who live in love are Thine; Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine. _Verse 4_ Mortals, join the mighty chorus which the morning stars began; Love divine is reigning o'er us, bringing all within its span. Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife; Joyful music leads us sunward, in the triumph song of life. #### [Call to Confession](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=1811s) _from Feasting on the Word Worship Companion (ed. Kimberly Bracken Long)_ > Let us give up boasting and dishonesty, turning to the Lord with our confessions, because the one who knows us through and through has promised to renew us. #### [Prayer of Confession (Unison)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=1825s) _from Feasting on the Word Worship Companion_ > O God, who makes known to us all truth, we confess that we are weighed down by our failings: envy distances us from other people; greed alerts us only to our own desires. Where we might bring reconciliation, we create conflicts. Where you call us to give, we take. Where your presence beckons, we resist. Deal with us not as we deserve, O God, but forgive us, cleanse us, and teach us your way. Amen. #### [Kyrie — Hymnal Companion C-4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=1869s) > Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. #### [Assurance of Grace](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=1905s) _from Feasting on the Word Worship Companion_ > The God who loves and sustains you hears your plea. The Lord desires for you a welcome into the blessed community of freedom and light. You are forgiven. Remember the poor and the outcast, welcome the child, and you will know, as well, your own welcome, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, Mother of all things, now and forever. _(Note: the Trinitarian formula here expands to "Mother of all things" — a deliberately maternal naming of God, fitting the Mother's Day context and the broader UCC openness to expansive divine imagery.)_ #### [*Glory Be to the Father #704 (Gloria Patri)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=1942s) **Status:** Public domain (traditional doxological text from the early Church) > Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen. ### Word #### [Scripture Reading — Luke 9:46–50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=1999s) _Read by **Chani Wolfe** (pronounced "Shanny"). Caroline references this reading later in the sermon._ ![[Luke 9#46]] ![[Luke 9#47]] ![[Luke 9#48]] ![[Luke 9#49]] ![[Luke 9#50]] #### [Responsive Reading — "Worthy" by Bobby Jo Valentine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=2055s) _From the album_ Your True Name _by Bobby Jo Valentine. © Bobby Jo Valentine. Copyrighted song lyrics — paraphrased here for personal worship documentation._ **Structure (alternating leader / congregation, drawn from the song's verse structure):** The song imagines what happens after death — the morning still comes, the dew still gathers on the grass, the trees still clap their hands, the rocks still understand. The seasons keep cycling: another summer, fall, winter snow, spring flowers. The singer confesses brokenness and the limits of language ("a broken soul," "feudal words on my tongue," cannot sing what someone greater has not already sung) and yet still the trees clap and the rocks understand. The recurring refrain — _Worthy is the lamb_ — ties the natural-world witness to Christological worship: creation itself testifies to the worthiness of the crucified-and-risen Christ even when human voice fails. > _Theological note:_ The "rocks will understand" image alludes to [[Luke 19#40]] — Jesus telling the Pharisees that if his disciples were silenced, the stones themselves would cry out. Valentine reads this in resurrection key: even in death, even in failure of voice, creation's praise continues. #### [Anthem — "I Need Thee Every Hour"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=2179s) **Text:** Annie S. Hawks, 1872 (refrain by Robert Lowry) **Music:** Robert Lowry, 1872 (NEED) **Arrangement:** Robert P. Manookin (arrangement may be under copyright; underlying hymn is public domain) _Verse 1_ I need Thee ev'ry hour, most gracious Lord; No tender voice like Thine can peace afford. _Refrain_ I need Thee, O I need Thee; ev'ry hour I need Thee! O bless me now, my Savior — I come to Thee. _Verse 2_ I need Thee ev'ry hour, stay Thou nearby; Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh. _Verse 3_ I need Thee ev'ry hour, in joy or pain; Come quickly and abide, or life is vain. _Verse 4_ I need Thee ev'ry hour, teach me Thy will; And Thy rich promises in me fulfill. _Verse 5_ I need Thee ev'ry hour, most Holy One; O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son. #### [Children's Message — Roxanne Davenport](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=2376s) _Children's Corner will be offered following the Children's Message (led by Rebecca Pound)._ **Demonstration:** Roxanne brings a cup and saucer to the front. She fills the cup until it overflows onto the saucer (and warns the trustees about the resulting mess that has to stay put for the rest of the service: "I'm just going to leave this sit here if it's okay, pastor, because I'm going to make a mess if I try to move it"). **Key text:** [[Psalm 23#5]] — "my cup runneth over" **Featured poem:** John Paul Moore, "I Drink from My Saucer" — "I drink from the saucer because my cup runth over" _(The poem is widely circulated as a folk-Americana piece on gratitude and abundance; copyrighted but in such broad use that paraphrase is common. Moore is generally identified as a 20th-century American poet, but the poem's history of folk transmission means attribution can be slippery.)_ **Theological move:** - God's love continues to flow and to overflow, and to keep flowing - Paul's letter to the Philippians (today's reading) describes the same overflowing love — Paul's love for the Philippians mimicking God's love for all of us - Mother's Day connection: "Whether it's a blood family, whether it's an adoptive family, whether it's our family here as a church, our love is to overflow" - The challenge: love your neighbor → easy; love your enemy → hard. "Let God's love overflow for them like it does for those that are easy to love. **That's the challenge.**" - Closing prayer: thanksgiving for overflowing love that "no matter what we do gives us hope and joy and forgiveness"; thanksgiving for families "both blood and anyone else we call family"; thanksgiving for Jesus Christ "who came to teach us this and to commission us to go out and love others and let our love overflow to them" > _Worth noting hermeneutically:_ Roxanne's children's message anticipates Caroline's sermon almost exactly — same Pauline-koinonia spine, same "love your neighbor / love your enemy" pivot, same Mother's Day framing of chosen family. The Order of Worship structure has been designed so that the children's time and the sermon are not separate liturgical units — they are layered restatements of one theme. Whether Caroline and Roxanne coordinated this in advance or it emerged from shared text-handling is worth asking about. #### [Scripture Reading — Philippians 1:1–18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=2676s) _Read in the Common English Bible (CEB) by Pastor Caroline — "supervisors and servants" rather than "bishops and deacons" (v. 1); "partners in God's grace" rather than "share in God's grace with me" (v. 7). Caroline introduces the reading: "Listen for what the Spirit is saying."_ ![[Philippians 1#1]] ![[Philippians 1#2]] ![[Philippians 1#3]] ![[Philippians 1#4]] ![[Philippians 1#5]] ![[Philippians 1#6]] ![[Philippians 1#7]] ![[Philippians 1#8]] ![[Philippians 1#9]] ![[Philippians 1#10]] ![[Philippians 1#11]] ![[Philippians 1#12]] ![[Philippians 1#13]] ![[Philippians 1#14]] ![[Philippians 1#15]] ![[Philippians 1#16]] ![[Philippians 1#17]] ![[Philippians 1#18]] #### [Sermon — Rev. Caroline E. Saxton](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=2883s) _Title (theme): "Partnership in the Gospel"_ _Sermon notes from the recording follow in the Sermon Notes section below._ ### Response #### [Responsive Litany for Mother's Day](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=3503s) _© Rev. Patty Lawrence (insert & on screen)_ > **Leader:** We remember Sarai who was taunted by others in the household because of her inability to have children. **People: All-encompassing God, we pray for those who feel excluded when we emphasize one kind of family as normal.** > > **Leader:** We remember Esther, who was adopted and raised by her cousin. **People: God who embraces us all, we pray for those who cannot be raised by their parents, for a short time or permanently.** > > **Leader:** We remember Jochebed, the mother of Moses, who placed him in a raft on the river. **People: Saving God, we pray for parents who struggle to raise their children in oppressive circumstances.** > > **Leader:** We remember Hannah, who loved her child so much she handed him over to another to raise. **People: Loving God, we pray for parents who have placed their child in another family.** > > **Leader:** We remember Naomi, who grieved the death of her sons. **People: God, who grieves with us, we pray for parents who mourn the death of a child.** > > **Leader:** We remember Ruth, who gave up her family to be family to another. **People: Inclusive God, we pray for those who choose to be family to those isolated by culture or language or distance.** > > **Leader:** We remember Elizabeth, who had a child in old age and we remember Mary, who had a child as a teenager. **People: Ageless God, we pray that as a community we accept people of varying life stages and responsibilities and relationships.** > > **Leader:** We remember Rachel, crying out for her children. **People: God of justice and hope, we pray for those whose children are killed, and look to a time when children can live safely in their communities.** > > **Leader:** We remember Lois and Eunice, who taught Timothy faith by example. **People: Faithful God, we pray for those who teach us faith by their lives, may we remember that we also teach about you in the way we live.** > > **Leader:** We remember other people, not named in the Scriptures, like the mother of the prodigal son. **People: Companion God, we pray for those who wait for a phone call or a visit, cut off from family and friends by distance and disagreement.** > > **All:** Nurturing God, we give thanks for those who enrich our lives by their presence who teach us about your abundant love who encourage us in the journey of faith. **Amen.** _Scripture allusions in the litany:_ - Sarai/Sarah — [[Genesis 16#4]], [[Genesis 16#5]], [[Genesis 21#9]] - Esther — [[Esther 2#7]] - Jochebed (Moses' mother) — [[Exodus 2#1]], [[Exodus 2#2]], [[Exodus 2#3]] - Hannah — [[1 Samuel 1#27]], [[1 Samuel 1#28]] - Naomi — [[Ruth 1#3]], [[Ruth 1#5]] - Ruth — [[Ruth 1#16]] - Elizabeth — [[Luke 1#7]], [[Luke 1#36]] - Mary — [[Luke 1#27]], [[Luke 1#28]] - Rachel weeping — [[Jeremiah 31#15]], [[Matthew 2#18]] - Lois & Eunice — [[2 Timothy 1#5]] - Mother of the prodigal — implied at [[Luke 15#11]]–[[Luke 15#32]] (notably absent from the parable, hence Lawrence's "not named") #### [Sharing of Joys and Concerns](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=3698s) Caroline opens: "As we gather together today, we pray together, lifting up the prayers that are on our hearts and lips, prayers of celebration, prayers of concern, prayers of all kinds, lifting them to God and community. What are the prayers that you bring with you this morning?" Response after each prayer: **"God, by your grace — hear our prayer."** ##### [Roxanne Davenport](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=3723s) For her son **Chris**, in Ohio visiting family — safe return on Tuesday. Chris's best friend from high school died of a **drug overdose** (Roxanne self-corrected in real time after first saying suicide); Chris is hoping to see the friend's mother while in Ohio. She is still grieving. Connects directly to the Mother's Day litany line on parents who mourn the death of a child. ##### [Doug](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=3786s) Thank yous: for prayers and cards for his niece; for Pastor Caroline's pastoral visit; for his wife (also caregiver) — "she's taking good care of me." Caroline notes Doug had **double knee replacement after Easter** and rejoices in his presence today. Wife mentioned by Caroline: **Amanda**. ##### [Diana](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=3820s) Prayer for those living with **chronic pain** — "we don't always see their pain, we don't always hear, they don't always say, but they're there." Specifically named: **Jen** (severe back pain / back issues). Caroline expands the prayer to include **Jen Long** and **Jen Hudzinski** by name. ##### [Erin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=3893s) **May is Mental Health Awareness Month.** Erin: "Mental health issues — despite the better awareness that is being raised — still face a lot of stigma." Asks the congregation to come together and "appreciate and love those who are dealing with mental health issues." Caroline expands the prayer: "Awareness is one piece. Acceptance is another. Affirmation yet another point as our compassion. We offer ourselves alongside those who may be struggling, and we walk with them not only in May but all year round." ##### [Judy Gaul — the passing of Mike](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=3968s) **This is the major joys/concerns moment of the morning.** Judy thanks her church family for prayers, cards, and calls **with the passing of Mike**. "It's been a struggle, but I'm still trying to cope with it. Thank you all so much." Caroline: "We're not going anywhere. So we will continue to support you, Judy, as you figure out this new reality where Mike is not here, but has gone to go with God... He's forever in our hearts." **Mike and Judy would have celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary this past Friday (May 8, 2026).** > ⚠️ **Cross-year through-line:** In the [[2025-05-11]] joys & concerns, Connie shared (on Nancy Gaul's behalf) that Judy (Nancy's sister) had fallen and fractured her pelvis, and that her husband Mike had been **recently diagnosed with Parkinson's**. One year later, Mike has died. This is the same family. The grief is layered: Parkinson's diagnosis → year of caregiving → death, all within a 12-month window. Pastoral follow-up will matter for many months. ##### [Virginia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=4049s) Prayer for all those who have a difficult time on Mother's Day — loss of mother, estrangement, difficult relationships with mothers or children. ##### [Peg Bryner](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=4081s) Joy: **"a knock on your door at 6:15 on Friday evening when you're on the phone with your son thinking he is 180 miles away — and he walks in."** Surprise visit from son **Tim**. Joy that he is with **John and Peg** (Peg's husband John Bryner) for the weekend. Caroline: "Well done pulling off the surprise." ##### [Jim Wood](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=4134s) Three items: 1. **Prayers for Henry Hopper and Allison** — Henry now in rehab, doing fairly well; **Allison as caregiver is struggling too.** "We need to keep her in prayers as she tries to keep Henry up and running." 2. **Thanks to Tom Kinton and Tom Harrison** for installing the **peace pole** out front. "It looks great." Jim ties it back to Roxanne's children's message: "Roxanne said this morning that God is love. Well, one of the ways that God is love is through the actions of peace and how we embrace peace. So hopefully the pole is a reminder, as we gaze at it, of all the languages that are on the pole — of the many people around the world that's yearning for peace." 3. **White carnations** — Jim is wearing one for his deceased mother; his wife **Mary Lynn (Cate)** wears one too. "Women are special, and we love our mothers." #### [Prayers of the People and the Lord's Prayer (Debts)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=4260s) Caroline's gathering prayer: "Gracious and living God, thank you for drawing us into this community to be your church — to celebrate, to remember, to embrace, and to serve. You hear the prayers of our hearts, prayers of our lips, the prayers of our lives. Thank you for your Holy Spirit that strengthens and supports us and enables us to support one another. Continue to guide us forward in faith with our eyes on the future, giving thanks for all that has been and all that will be. Help us to be people of peace, people of justice, people of good will and grace, and lead us forward with wisdom and courage. All this and so much more we ask in Jesus' name, praying the prayer that he taught us to pray." [The Lord's Prayer follows — debts/debtors form.] #### [Invitation to Giving](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=4352s) Caroline: "Embracing the partnerships that we have now and the ones yet to come, let us indeed continue the work of the gospel here on earth just as it is done in heaven. May our giving reflect God's love for us and our neighbors." #### [Offertory](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=4371s) _Instrumental offertory music._ #### [*Offertory Response #706 — "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow" (Doxology)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=4578s) **Text:** Thomas Ken, 1674 (last stanza of the morning, evening, and midnight hymns from "A Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Scholars of Winchester College") **Music:** OLD 100TH, Genevan Psalter, 1551 (attributed to Louis Bourgeois) **Status:** Public domain > Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. #### [*Prayer of Dedication](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=4600s) _adapted from Feasting on the Word Worship Companion_ > God, who gives us everything we have, we return with joy a portion of our bounty, giving to the work of your church and your world what is already yours: ourselves, our lives, and our means. Make good come from these gifts. Teach us to use what we have with wisdom and compassion. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. ### Sending #### [*Hymn #281 — "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=4636s) **Words:** Charles Wesley, 1747 **Music:** John Zundel, 1870 **Tune:** BEECHER (8.7.8.7 D); alternate tune HYFRYDOL **Status:** Public domain _Verse 1_ Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heaven to earth come down, Fix in us Thy humble dwelling; all Thy faithful mercies crown. Jesus, Thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love Thou art; Visit us with Thy salvation; enter every trembling heart. _Verse 2_ Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit into every troubled breast! Let us all in Thee inherit, let us find the promised rest. Take away our bent to sinning; Alpha and Omega be; End of faith, as its beginning, set our hearts at liberty. _Verse 3_ Come, Almighty to deliver, let us all Thy grace receive; Suddenly return, and never, nevermore Thy temples leave. Thee we would be always blessing, serve Thee as Thy hosts above, Pray, and praise Thee without ceasing, glory in Thy perfect love. _Verse 4_ Finish, then, Thy new creation; pure and spotless let us be; Let us see Thy great salvation perfectly restored in Thee: Changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place, Till we cast our crowns before Thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise. #### [*Commission & Benediction](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=4845s) > Go forth into the world in peace. Be of good courage. Hold fast to that which is good. Render to no one evil for evil. Strengthen the faint-hearted. Support the weak. Help the afflicted. Honor all people. Love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the Holy Spirit. > > The Lord send a blessing on all here today. May your love surround us forever. We pray. May your arms enfold us whenever we fall, and light and inspire us. Oh God, bless us all. _The Commission text draws on the traditional 1928 Book of Common Prayer dismissal ("Go forth into the world in peace…"). The Benediction is in a sung/responsive blessing form._ #### [Postlude (seated)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOyBk42OU8&t=4918s) _Join us a time of fellowship after worship!_ --- ## Sermon Notes ### Introduction > Caroline opens by naming what the Narrative Lectionary does — _it stretches us_. Both pastor and parishioners encounter passages we don't typically hear or teach. Her _personal favorite_ from Philippians is **chapter 4:4–9** (focus on whatever is true, holy, just, pure, lovely, worthy of praise) — but the letter's introduction is also important. **The opening of Philippians is a reminder that the gospel is lived in community. It is proclaimed and practiced together.** > _Pastoral move worth noting:_ Caroline names her preferred Philippians text upfront — Phil 4:4–9 — and then redirects to the assigned NL text. This is a hermeneutically honest move: surfacing the preacher's own preference rather than pretending neutrality, then submitting to the discipline of the lectionary anyway. (Compare last week's NL443, where the lectionary text became the spine of an unplanned sermonet.) > **Translation note:** Caroline read Phil 1:1–18 in the **Common English Bible (CEB)** — "supervisors and servants" instead of "bishops and deacons" (v. 1), "partners in God's grace" rather than "share in God's grace with me" (v. 7). The CEB's "partner in the ministry of the gospel" (v. 5) is the load-bearing phrase for the whole sermon. ### Main Points #### Point 1: Partnership is the gospel's mode of life > - Paul gives thanks to _this gathering of people, the church at Philippi_ — "you have been my partners in the ministry of the gospel from the time you first believed it until now" > - **"None of what happens in church happens because of one person."** — explicit naming of the anti-individualist claim > - Church happens in relationships with God and with one another, in response to the movement of the Holy Spirit > - "We need each other to survive. We are all part of God's body." > - Call: "Friends, let us embrace what it means to be partners in the gospel." #### Point 2: Paul writes from prison — context shapes proclamation > - Paul is in jail, in the hands of the Praetorian Guard, awaiting trial — exact prison location uncertain > - From this carceral context comes a letter of _thanks_ and _reminder of what matters_ — counter-intuitive > - Caroline cites **Fred Craddock** by full name: _"As noted preacher and teacher Fred Craddock writes…"_ — likely his Philippians commentary in the _Interpretation_ series > - Craddock's reading: "While it is Paul who is in prison, he understands that it is the gospel which is on trial." > - The gospel from Jesus was a _destabilizing force to the empire_ because "those who follow Jesus declare that **Christ is Lord and Caesar is not**" > - **"Allegiances shift and priorities pivot for those who embrace the gospel of God in Jesus Christ."** > - Even amid persecution, Paul writes thanks and prays — for love that grows rich with knowledge and insight, for discernment of what really matters, for sincerity > - Caroline notes the eschatological irony: "Paul thought the day of Christ when he would return would be soon — as did most early Christians. Yet here we are, still asking for the gift of discernment, still asking for wisdom, motivated not by ambition or power, but by love." #### Point 3: The gospel proclaims to partner, not to dominate > - **"The message of the gospel should be proclaimed not to dominate but to partner, to embrace and encourage."** > - Throughout his life, Jesus sought out others to walk with him and to carry the gospel forward > - "We are Christ's disciples. **Jesus invites us into the story, not as observers but as participants.**" > - Just as Paul reminds Philippi that they are partners in the gospel, so are we #### Point 4: "Here is the church, here is the steeple" — unity not uniformity > - Childhood finger-play: "Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors and see all the people." > - **"Our building might not have a steeple — but we certainly have people."** > - People with ideas and passion, with a variety of gifts and talents > - **"The church is better because we are not all the same. Remember the importance of unity, not uniformity."** > - This is the rhetorical pivot from Pauline theology to local application #### Point 5: Three local partnerships embodying the gospel message > **(a) NETWork Ministries** — partnership featured each year (cf. last week's planned-but-cancelled Step Show) > > - Monetary support > - Monthly meal during the school year > - Summer snack collection so young people have what they need to grow and thrive > - "Network shares the love of Jesus with vulnerable, marginalized youth" > - Connection to Chani Wolfe's earlier reading [[Luke 9#46]]–[[Luke 9#48]]: "Jesus welcomed and lifted up the children" > **(b) SCAP (South Central Community Action Programs)** — local food-insecurity partnership > > - **Megan Shrieve of SCAP** gave a powerful presentation at the **Mercersburg Association spring meeting** last Sunday > - "It was disconcerting to realize how many of our neighbors struggle to afford food, especially children and seniors." > - **"Complex problems need complex solutions: immediate, intermediate, and systemic."** > - St. John's designates **"a significant percentage of our budgeted benevolences to SCAP"** > - **Plastic bag collection** in the lobby grocery cart goes to SCAP for **fresh-produce distribution gleaned from area farms** > - **Race Against Poverty — Saturday, June 6** > - $500 goal to support the **Circles program** — helps folks working their way out of poverty > - **"We are, friends, in the business of loving our neighbors' bodies as well as their spirits and souls."** — key justice-and-incarnation line > **(c) Habitat for Humanity** — proposed land partnership > > - Megan Shrieve also shared: **average rent in the area has increased 40% since the COVID pandemic** — Caroline: "that hit me like a gut punch" > - "More families are struggling to afford what we all need: a safe place to call home" > - Email blast went out earlier this week inviting congregation to discern use of St. John's property in partnership with Habitat > - Habitat: **"a long-established, trusted, faith-based nonprofit"** > - Already aligned with St. John's via the annual book sale partnership > - Q&A in Room 116 after worship next Sunday (May 17); congregational vote May 31 > _Three-example structure:_ Caroline frames this triad as "just three examples of partnerships we have that extend the gospel message that **all are welcome, all are loved, and we are responding to Christ's life, death, and resurrection.**" #### Point 6: We rejoice in our community of believers > - "We are partners in the gospel" > - "We rejoice in the partnerships and relationships that exist within our congregation" > - "We are engaged in the work of the gospel every day — in our study, in our worship, in our praying and singing, in our serving, and **most especially in our loving**" > - "Paul rejoices in the community of believers at Philippi, and we rejoice in our community of believers here at St. John's" > - **"God gathers us together. God calls us to be co-partners. We're bound in reciprocity and mutuality."** > - "We walk alongside one another to support and strengthen, encourage and build up each other as we seek to be Jesus' hands and feet." ### Closing Charge > - "The gifts of God and the gifts of the people come together to share the gospel with those who know it best, and those who have never heard it before." > - **"We are the church called to heal, called to serve, called to give. Let's do the work. Let's live out the purpose of the church."** > - "We are God's hands and feet. The spirit of the Lord is upon you and me." > - **"May we celebrate and honor one another. And may we embrace the joy of being partners in the gospel — discerning what God has in store and following the Spirit's lead as we answer Christ's call. Amen."** ### Illustrations / Stories - **Childhood finger-play:** "Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors and see all the people." Used to pivot from Pauline ecclesiology to St. John's local congregation. Embodied/kinesthetic memory drawn into theological argument. - **Megan Shrieve's Mercersburg Association presentation** (named in full this time, with her SCAP affiliation) — sourced both the food-poverty point AND the 40%-rent-increase data point. Single-source pedagogy (one presenter, two takeaways) extended into multiple programmatic responses. - **Three programmatic examples** as the central illustration triad: NETWork (youth), SCAP food-insecurity infrastructure, Habitat (housing). Each structured in parallel: described → connected to scripture/mission → mobilized into action. - **Roxanne's children's message** functions as an _uncredited_ but powerful illustrative parallel — the cup overflowing onto the saucer became a visual that re-echoed throughout the sermon's "love your neighbor / love your enemy" framing. ### Scripture Connections - **[[Philippians 1#1]]–[[Philippians 1#18]]** — preaching text, read in CEB - **[[Philippians 4#4]]–[[Philippians 4#9]]** — Caroline's stated personal favorite ("focus on whatever is true, holy, just, pure, lovely, worthy of praise"); referenced as a comparison point but not preached - **[[Philippians 1#5]]** — _koinonia_ in the gospel ("partnership in the ministry of the gospel from the first day until now") — central verse for the sermon's theme - **[[Philippians 1#6]]** — "I am sure about this: the one who started a good work in you will stay with you to complete the job by the day of Christ Jesus" - **[[Philippians 1#9]]–[[Philippians 1#11]]** — Paul's prayer for love rich in knowledge and insight, for discernment of what really matters - **[[Philippians 1#13]]** — the Praetorian Guard reference grounds Paul's imprisonment - **[[Philippians 1#15]]–[[Philippians 1#18]]** — those who preach Christ from competition vs. love; "Christ is proclaimed in every possible way" — Caroline READ this but did NOT linger on it homiletically (see Hermeneutical Notes flag below) - **[[Luke 9#46]]–[[Luke 9#48]]** — Chani Wolfe's earlier reading; Caroline pulls "welcomed the children" thread into the NETWork Ministries example - **[[Psalm 23#5]]** — "my cup runneth over" — Roxanne's children's-message anchor; resonates with Caroline's koinonia framing - **Implicit Lord-and-Caesar contrast** — drawn from Craddock; political theology of the gospel as destabilizing force vs. empire ### Key Quotes > "None of what happens in church happens because of one person." > "Allegiances shift and priorities pivot for those who embrace the gospel of God in Jesus Christ." > "The message of the gospel should be proclaimed not to dominate but to partner, to embrace and encourage." > "Jesus invites us into the story, not as observers but as participants." > "Our building might not have a steeple — but we certainly have people." > "The church is better because we are not all the same. Remember the importance of unity, not uniformity." > "Complex problems need complex solutions: immediate, intermediate, and systemic." > "We are, friends, in the business of loving our neighbors' bodies as well as their spirits and souls." > "God gathers us together. God calls us to be co-partners. We're bound in reciprocity and mutuality." > "We are the church called to heal, called to serve, called to give. Let's do the work." ### What She Read but Did Not Develop > Worth flagging for hermeneutical purposes — the pre-sermon scripture reading covered material Caroline chose not to engage: > > - **Phil 1:15–18** — the "preach Christ from envy / preach Christ from love / what does it matter, Christ is proclaimed" passage. Caroline read it but did not preach on it. Whether by deliberate homiletical choice (focusing on the warmer partnership thread) or selection-by-omission, the more theologically thorny material got left on the table. This is exactly the passage flagged in the Hermeneutical Notes section as the one historically used to justify partnerships with bad-faith proclaimers. > - **The plural "supervisors and servants" / "bishops and deacons" of v. 1** — left undeveloped. The ecclesial-structure observation (anti-monarchical-bishop receipt) goes unspoken. > - **The economic specificity of _koinonia_** — Caroline's framing of partnership stayed at the affective and missional level rather than pressing the financial-partnership specificity in Paul (cf. Phil 4:15–18, where Paul names actual gifts received). The Mercersburg Association data on food and rent IS itself economic, and Caroline's three local partnerships ARE concretely material — but she does not loop back to argue Paul-as-thank-you-note-for-actual-money. The economic resonance with Behar's jubilee parashah remains a hermeneutical thread for personal reflection rather than a preached connection. --- ## Personal Reflections ### What spoke to me: ### Questions raised: ### Challenges / Convictions: ### Liturgical Context Reflections: > **Mother's Day pastoral note:** The Patty Lawrence litany is a careful, inclusive piece — it deliberately broadens "mothering" to chosen family, foster parents, those who lost children, those who can't have children, queer chosen-family configurations, and the absent maternal figures Scripture leaves unnamed. The day's joys & concerns vindicated this framing: Roxanne's prayer for a mother grieving a son lost to overdose, Virginia's prayer for those with difficult Mother's Day experiences, Jim's white-carnation gesture for his deceased mother, and Judy Gaul's grief over Mike's death all sat inside the litany's vocabulary. > **The Mike Gaul through-line.** Judy thanking the congregation for prayers, cards, and calls "with the passing of Mike" — one year after Connie shared on Nancy Gaul's behalf that Mike had just been diagnosed with Parkinson's. The 61-year marriage now ended; the anniversary that would have been is named aloud (May 8). This is the kind of pastoral history a sermon-notes vault makes legible — Caroline's "we're not going anywhere" line is exactly the right response, but it lands harder if you can trace the year that came before. > **Philippians 1:1 plural episcopate observation:** Caroline read v. 1 in CEB ("supervisors and servants") but did not develop this thread. The opportunity remained open and unworked. > **"Partnership in the gospel" as economic not just sentimental:** Caroline named the partnerships at St. John's in concrete material terms (NETWork meals, SCAP allocations, Habitat land use) — but did not explicitly connect the _form of Paul's koinonia_ to the _form of St. John's local koinonia_. The economic specificity is on the ground in the local examples but is not theologically named. > **Roxanne's children's message as theological co-preaching.** This is worth dwelling on. The children's message is normally a side dish — but today Roxanne preached the same sermon Caroline did, in compressed form, with a visual. "Let God's love overflow for them like it does for those that are easy to love. That's the challenge." That is precisely the Pauline-koinonia thesis. It's worth asking whether this was coordinated, and whether the worship planning at St. John's intentionally treats the children's message as a parallel pulpit rather than a junior one. ### Hermeneutical Notes > **Hermeneutical genealogy thread:** Philippians 1:15–18 ("some preach Christ from envy and rivalry … the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely … What does it matter? Just this, that Christ is proclaimed in every way") has been used historically to argue both for ecumenical generosity (Augustinian, Wesleyan readings) AND for strategic alliances with bad actors ("they preach Christ — that's what matters"). The latter is a NAR / charismatic-empire reading often deployed to defend partnerships with abusive ministries on the grounds of "the gospel still goes forth." **POST-SERVICE NOTE:** Caroline read this passage but did not preach on it. From a Phase-3.5 historical-hermeneutical-audit perspective, the passage's interpretive history was simply absent from today's homily — neither weaponized nor disarmed. > **Lateral transfer audit:** A progressive UCC reading of Philippians 1 might still smuggle in the same instrumentalist logic ("results justify the partnership") under different aesthetic packaging. The more rigorous question: what makes a partnership _gospel_ partnership rather than a transactional one? Paul's answer in v. 9–11 — "love overflowing with knowledge and full insight" producing "the harvest of righteousness" — is criterion-laden, not outcome-collapsed. **POST-SERVICE NOTE:** Caroline's three local examples each pass an implicit version of this audit because they're rooted in concrete neighbor-love. NETWork (vulnerable youth), SCAP (the hungry), Habitat (the housing-insecure) all map onto the prophetic-justice tradition's criteria, not just outcome metrics. The criteria are present even where they go unnamed. > **Craddock's empire-reading observation:** The "Christ is Lord and Caesar is not" rhetorical move is itself a contested space in contemporary preaching. It can function as genuine prophetic critique (anti-imperialism, in line with Liberation hermeneutics and Yoder's _Politics of Jesus_) — OR as a dog-whistle for Christian nationalist counter-empire claims (replacing one Caesar with a different one, and then identifying "Christ is Lord" with that replacement's political program). Caroline's deployment was clearly in the first register. Worth tracking how the same line travels in NAR / Seven Mountains contexts. > **Comparative through-line with Peter Emig's 2025 sermon ([[2025-05-11]]):** Both sermons are about _koinonia_ and inclusion, but they approach the topic from inverse directions. Peter's 2025 sermon developed Phil 1:15–18 _implicitly_ through the seven-parable cascade on God's extravagance, then explicitly affirmed universal mercy. Caroline's 2026 sermon stays away from Phil 1:15–18 directly, and develops koinonia through _local material partnerships_ (NETWork, SCAP, Habitat). The combined effect is a remarkable two-year arc: 2025 makes the cosmological-eschatological case for inclusion; 2026 makes the local-material case. Both sermons converge on the same conclusion that the congregation's loving is the substance of the gospel proclamation. --- ## Applications ### This week I will: ### People to pray for: > - **Judy Gaul** — grieving Mike; their 61st anniversary would have been Friday May 8. Pastoral follow-up matters for many months > - **Chris** (Roxanne's son) — safe travel home Tuesday; his planned visit with the mother of his deceased high-school friend > - **Doug** — recovering from double knee replacement > - **Doug's niece** > - **Jen Long** and **Jen Hudzinski** — chronic pain > - **Henry Hopper** (in rehab) and **Allison** (caregiver) > - All those for whom Mother's Day is hard ### Follow-up study: > - Look up Fred Craddock's Philippians commentary (Interpretation series) for the Lord/Caesar reading Caroline cited > - Review Phil 4:15–18 alongside Phil 1:5 to trace the economic specificity of _koinonia_ > - Track St. John's Habitat conversation through May 17 Q&A and May 31 vote > - Compare Roxanne's children's message structure to Caroline's sermon — coordinated or emergent parallel? --- ## Connections > Cross-references and threads to follow: > > - [[2025-05-11]] — last Mother's Day at St. John's (guest preacher Peter Emig on universal salvation); contains the **Mike Gaul Parkinson's diagnosis** that today's joys & concerns closes. The year-over-year continuity is significant. > - [[2026-05-03]] — last week's NL443 sermonet on Acts 17 (Paul at Athens); Caroline's transition into the Pauline epistles begins from there > - [[2026-04-26]] — NL442 (Paul and Silas at Philippi, Acts 16:16–34); Caroline's mention that Paul writes to Philippi as the church he founded ties back to that earlier narrative episode > - James study (current — Chapter 3 tonight via Zoom): the _koinonia_ / community-discernment theme in Philippians sits in productive tension with James 3's caution about teachers and the tongue > - **WHO Corpus thread** (NAR analytical work): the "Christ is proclaimed in every way" passage as a NAR alibi for partnership with abusive ministries — pull cases where this line is cited to defend bad actors > - Behar parashah (read this Shabbat): jubilee economics as the structural backdrop to Phil 1's _koinonia_ --- ## Worship Leadership |Role|Person| |---|---| |Pastor|Rev. Caroline E. Saxton| |Organist|Barbara Motichka| |Choir Director|Gary Crum| |Deacon in Charge|Peg Bryner| |Lector|Chani Wolfe| |Children's Corner|Rebecca Pound| |Children's Message|Roxanne Davenport| |Media Coordinators|Calvin Frantz| |Bulletin cover|"Harvest of Righteousness" by Lauren Wright Pittman| **The Flowers at the Foot of the Cross** are given in loving memory of **Ken Tosten** from Bernie and family. --- ## Birthdays This Week - 5/11 — Christina Eslinger; Larry Wadel - **5/12 — Courtney Robertson** 🎂 _(your birthday!)_ - 5/14 — Heather Myers; Neilan Rensch Jr. - 5/15 — Naomi Mull - 5/16 — James Boyer; Colton Wadel; Jeff Young - 5/17 — Denise Skipper --- ## Vision & Mission ### St. John's Vision > We are called to love, to learn, to worship and to witness in Christ as a congregation that welcomes everyone, and seeks service that will advance God's realm on earth. ### St. John's Mission > To grow in love of God and neighbor. --- ## Worship Resources Used Today - _Fresh Winds of the Spirit, Book 2: Liturgical Resources for Year A_ by Lavon Bayler — Call to Worship - _Feasting on the Word Worship Companion_, edited by Kimberly Bracken Long — Call to Confession, Prayer of Confession, Assurance of Grace, Prayer of Dedication - "Worthy" included in _Your True Name_ by Bobby Jo Valentine — Responsive Reading - "A Litany for Mother's Day" © Rev. Patty Lawrence — insert - "Harvest of Righteousness" by Lauren Wright Pittman — bulletin cover art - Hymnal Companion (Kyrie C-4) - Celebrating Grace hymnal (#310, #281, #704, #706) - **Common English Bible (CEB)** — Caroline's preaching translation today - **Fred Craddock**, _Philippians_ (Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching) — cited by full name - **John Paul Moore**, "I Drink from My Saucer" — Roxanne's children's-message poem --- ## This Week at St. John's ### Today (Sunday, May 10) - **8:00 PM** — Sunday Night Bible Study on the Letter of James, **Chapter 3** — via Zoom (Meeting ID: 836 0593 5961, Passcode: 277938; link in Friday e-blast) ### Monday, May 11 - **1:30 PM** — Monday Afternoon Book Study (Conf. Room 111) — _WILL RESUME ON 5/18_ - **7:00 PM** — Boy Scouts (Fellowship Hall) ### Tuesday, May 12 - **10:00 AM** — Summer Singers Practice (Fellowship Hall) - **5:30 PM** — Yoga — _NO YOGA; will resume May 26_ - **6:00 PM** — Ladies' Bible Study (Zoom) - **6:30 PM** — Cub Scouts (Fellowship Hall, then break into smaller groups) ### Wednesday, May 13 - **11:30 AM** — Ladies Luncheon — Hoss's Steak & Sea House (20 Falling Spring Rd., Chambersburg) ### Thursday, May 14 - **6:00 PM** — Bell Choir Practice (Bell Room 117) - **7:15 PM** — Choir Rehearsal (Choir Room 103) ### Sunday, May 17 — Hymn Sing - **8:45 AM** — Combined Church School Class — "What is Pentecost?" with Pastor Caroline (Fellowship Hall, continental breakfast) - **8:45 AM** — Godly Play Class (Room 119) - **8:45 AM** — SPARK! Elementary Church School Class (Room 115) - **10:00 AM** — Sunday Worship (Sanctuary) — **Hymn Sing** - **11:15 AM** — Q&A Session on Habitat Proposal (Room 116) - **8:00 PM** — Sunday Night Bible Study, James **Chapter 4** (Zoom) --- ## Church News & Announcements ### Hymn Sing — May 17 A "hymn sing" featuring favorite sacred songs is planned for Sunday, May 17. Submit up to **three hymn requests** (title and number) from the green Celebrating Grace hymnal or the Hymnal Companion. As many as possible will be sung (2 verses each). Place form in the offering plate **May 3 or 10**. Questions? Contact Pastor Caroline. ### Combined Church School Class — May 17 Continental breakfast and conversation on **"What is Pentecost?"** led by Pastor Caroline, Sunday May 17, 8:45 AM, Fellowship Hall. ### Camp Cooks Needed — June 22–26 Sign up to help in the kitchen at camp under the direction of camp cook **Kirk Johnson**. Sign-up sheet is at the welcome center counter in the front lobby. Questions → **Renee Buyers**. ### Pentecost Picnic — May 24 After worship. Menu: hot dogs, chips, drinks, dessert. Hopefully outside. ### Exploring an Expanded Partnership with Habitat for Humanity Congregational Q&A in **Room 116 after worship May 17**, regarding developing a portion of St. John's land for housing through Habitat. Letter from Pastor Caroline and Council was sent via e-blast and is available in hard copy at the Welcome Center and in the Narthex. Will be recorded for those who can't attend. **Special congregational meeting to formally vote: Sunday, May 31.** ### Peace Pole Installed! The peace pole is now installed outside. Thanks to **Jim Wood and Mary Lynn Cate** (donors of pole) and **Tom Kinton and Tom Harrison** (installation expertise). Jim's joys-and-concerns reflection: "Roxanne said this morning that God is love. Well, one of the ways that God is love is through the actions of peace and how we embrace peace. So hopefully the pole is a reminder, as we gaze at it, of all the languages that are on the pole, of the many people around the world that's yearning for peace." **Special prayer gathering at the peace pole: Sunday, June 14, 8:45 AM.** More about the global peace pole initiative is in the May _Spirit_. ### Sunday Night Bible Study Pastor Caroline leads a Bible study on the **Letter of James** Sunday evenings at **8:00 PM via Zoom**. May 10 session = **Chapter 3**. Zoom Meeting ID: 836 0593 5961, Passcode: 277938. Hyperlink in weekly e-blast. ### Bible and a Beer Talk about faith in public. **3rd Monday** of the month at the **Trojan Diner at 6:30 PM**. Next gathering: **May 18.** ### Monday Afternoon Book Study Reading **Chapter 1 of Adam Hamilton's _The Walk: Five Essential Practices of the Christian Life_** for discussion **Monday, May 18, 1:30 PM** in Conference Room 111. ### Race Against Poverty St. John's is a sponsor of the **16th Annual Race Against Poverty** held the first weekend in June. Contact the Church Office for sponsor codes. ### Keystone Conference Annual Meeting **June 5–7, 2026 at Millersville University.** Theme: **"Joy at the Table Together!"** Two lay delegates needed — contact Pastor Caroline. ### Life Talk Sunday mornings after services in the parlor. Snack, coffee, conversation. Everyone welcome. ### Summer Quarter First Fruits May, June, and July offerings will support **Race Against Poverty (RAP), Maranatha Ministry, and United Way's Stuff the Bus.** ### May/June _Upper Room_ Available at the Welcome Center. Suggested donation: $1 small print / $2 large print. Mailed copies on request from the church office. ### Strengthen the Church Offering Special UCC offering supporting expansion and growth of UCC local congregations — planting new churches, supporting existing churches, developing youth and young adult spiritual life. **Received May 24 & 31.** --- ## Contact Information - **The Rev. Caroline E. Saxton**, Pastor — [email protected] — (641) 260-1868 (cell) - **Tonya Schwartz**, Office Administrator — [email protected] — (717) 263-8593 (office) - **Gary Crum**, Music Director - **Barbara Motichka**, Organist - **Roxanne Davenport**, Director of Children & Youth - **The Rev. Stephen W. Hoffman**, Pastor Emeritus --- ## Post-Service Tasks - [x] Add YouTube timestamps to all Order of Worship subheadings (`&t=XXXs` format) ✅ (May 10, 2026) - [x] Fill in sermon notes from the transcript ✅ (May 10, 2026) - [x] Add Joys & Concerns names with individual timestamps ✅ (May 10, 2026) - [x] Correct "JustGAFF" → SCAP (South Central Community Action Programs); Megan Shrieve named in full ✅ (May 10, 2026) - [ ] Run the 13-category sermon analysis rubric (65-point scale) — invoke `/church-notes` when ready