April 6, 2025

Hope

Check in and Get Connected!

BRUNCH!

Words of greeting and GATHERING

Chris Zepp

WELCOMING STATEMENT

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

*Read more about “Why Pronouns Matter” HERE.

OPENING PSalm

Psalm 126 (CEB)

1 When the Lord changed Zion’s circumstances for the better,
it was like we had been dreaming.
2 Our mouths were suddenly filled with laughter;
our tongues were filled with joyful shouts.
It was even said, at that time, among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them!”
3 Yes, the Lord has done great things for us,
and we are overjoyed.
4 Lord, change our circumstances for the better,
like dry streams in the desert waste!
5 Let those who plant with tears
reap the harvest with joyful shouts.
6 Let those who go out,
crying and carrying their seed,
come home with joyful shouts,
carrying bales of grain!

Opening Songs

Brent Holl and Songs Will Happen!

Revive Us Again

~Michael Stern

Do you know exactly when the night is over and day begins,
That moment that the light breaks in to revive again?
Night and day have always been locked in embrace so often when
one reaches out, one reaches in to revive again

Oh, revive us, revive again
Oh, revive us, revive again.

Faith and action meet as kin, peace and justice kiss and then,
like Daniel in the lion’s den revive us again.

Oh, revive us, revive again
Oh, revive us, revive again.

With strength and kindness wearing thin,
hate and violence come sneaking in.
Oh, take away such guilt and sin, revive us again.

Oh, revive us, revive again
Oh, revive us, revive again.

Dear God grant new life again
with joy that burns from deep within
love cannot lose, she’ll surely win, revive us again.

_______________________________________

The Story:

Once a rabbi gathered her students and asked, “When does nighttime end and day begin?” The most confident students rose immediately. The first one said, “It’s when the sun rises in the east.” The rabbi waited without saying anything. Another student said, “The day really begins when we wake up and have breakfast.” The rabbi still waited. A third student spoke up. “Surely the day begins regardless of oversleeping. The day begins when the rooster crows.” While the rabbi waited a fourth student offered, “The day begins when there is enough light to see the fruit that hangs on a tree in the distance.” The rabbi still said nothing. Finally, the youngest student - who was little more than a child – said, “It’s when you look in the face of a stranger or enemy and see a neighbor and friend.” The old rabbi’s eyes filled with tears. The rest of the students said nothing because they all realized - precisely at that moment - that nothing more needed to be said.

~Michael Stern

Jacob’s Ladder to the Sweet By And By

~Traditional folk song with Hymn by Sanford Bennett, arr. Brent Holl

We are climbing Jacob's ladder
We are climbing Jacob's ladder
We are climbing Jacob's ladder
Brothers, sisters, all

Every rung goes higher and higher
Every rung goes higher and higher
Every rung goes higher and higher
Brothers, sisters, all

Every round a generation
Every round a generation
Every round a generation
Sisters, brothers, all

There’s a land that is fairer than day
And by faith we can see it afar
For the father waits over the way
To prepare us a dwelling place there

In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore

We shall sing on that beautiful shore
The melodious songs of the blest
And our spirit shall sorrow no more
Not a sign for the blessing of rest

In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore

To our bountiful Father above
We will offer our tribute of praise
For the glorious gift of his love
And the blessings that hallow our days.

In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore

Rise, shine, give God glory
Rise, shine, give God your glory
Rise, shine, give God your glory
Brothers, Sisters, all

Scripture Readings

Isaiah 43:16-21 (CEB)

16 The Lord says—who makes a way in the sea
and a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings out chariot and horse,
army and battalion;
they will lie down together and will not rise;
they will be extinguished, extinguished like a wick.
18 Don’t remember the prior things;
don’t ponder ancient history.
19 Look! I’m doing a new thing;
now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it?
I’m making a way in the desert,
paths in the wilderness.
20 The beasts of the field,
the jackals and ostriches, will honor me,
because I have put water in the desert
and streams in the wilderness
to give water to my people,
my chosen ones,
21 this people whom I formed for myself,
who will recount my praise.

Philippians 3:4b-14 (CEB)

If anyone else has reason to put their confidence in physical advantages, I have even more:
5 I was circumcised on the eighth day.
I am from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin.
I am a Hebrew of the Hebrews.
With respect to observing the Law, I’m a Pharisee.
6 With respect to devotion to the faith, I harassed the church.
With respect to righteousness under the Law, I’m blameless.
7 These things were my assets, but I wrote them off as a loss for the sake of Christ. 8 But even beyond that, I consider everything a loss in comparison with the superior value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have lost everything for him, but what I lost I think of as sewer trash, so that I might gain Christ 9 and be found in him. In Christ I have a righteousness that is not my own and that does not come from the Law but rather from the faithfulness of Christ. It is the righteousness of God that is based on faith. 10 The righteousness that I have comes from knowing Christ, the power of his resurrection, and the participation in his sufferings. It includes being conformed to his death 11 so that I may perhaps reach the goal of the resurrection of the dead.
12 It’s not that I have already reached this goal or have already been perfected, but I pursue it, so that I may grab hold of it because Christ grabbed hold of me for just this purpose. 13 Brothers and sisters, I myself don’t think I’ve reached it, but I do this one thing: I forget about the things behind me and reach out for the things ahead of me. 14 The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus.

THEOLOGICAL Reflection

Alexis Ward Owens

“Two things can be true”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Have there been times in your life where, like Paul, you found yourself valuing your own accomplishments, routines, and goals over God, or the plans God had for your life? Is there anything holding you back right now from forming a deeper connection with your creator?
Can you think of any individuals or institutions who do a good job of learning from their past mistakes as well as the mistakes of others in order to move forward in a healthy way? Why do you think we struggle with this so much?
Why do you think it is often so easy to fall into the pattern of simply maintaining the status quo rather than pushing ourselves to think more deeply? Why do people shy away from pushing back and asking hard questions? What can you do as an individual and what can we do as a community to remind ourselves and one another to stay rooted in our creator in all the things we do?

PRAYER

~Rev. Lizzie McManus-Dail

God who sees and is not ashamed:

You know all of who we are and all that we can be -
And this is, frankly, terrifying.

We can be so scared to speak aloud to you what
we know you already know.
But you ask us to.

So here it is: we are afraid, we are angry, we are envious,
we are sad, we are numb, we are greedy, we are -
We are a million things that make us feel too
Small and too big, all at once.

Remind us that you already know,
You have always known. And somehow,
You are still here.
Still.
Here, give us what we need;
Give us what we don't know to ask for,
Give us courage.

Help us trust where we are
And help us see where we are going.

In the name of the groaning spirit,
the weeping Messiah,
and the all-knowing father,

Amen

Song

“Crowded Table”

~The Highwomen - Brandi Carlile & Natalie Hemby with Lori McKenna

You can hold my hand, when you need to let go
I can be your mountain, when you’re feeling valley low
I can be your streetlight, showing you the way home
If you can hold my hand, when you need to let go

I want a house with a crowded table
And a place by the fire for everyone
Let us take on the world while we’re young and able
And bring us back together when the day is done

If we want a garden, we’re gonna have to sow the seeds
Plant a little happiness, let the roots run deep
If it’s love that we give, then it’s love that we reap
If we want a garden, we’re gonna have to sow the seed

Yeah, I want a house with a crowded table
And a place by the fire for everyone
Let us take on the world while we’re young and able
And bring us back together when the day is done

The door is always open
Your picture’s on my wall
Everyone’s a little broken
And everyone belongs
Yeah, Everyone belongs

I want a house with a crowded table
And a place by the fire for everyone
Let us take on the world while we’re young and able
And bring us back together when the day is done

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!

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Downstairs at John Wesley UMC

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THIS WEEK (4/9) - Personal Pizza's & Pie!
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CLOSING SONG

“Lord of the Dance ”

~Quaker Song “Simple Gifts” / Lyrics by Sydney Carter

I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem I had my birth.