Worship Service - April 21, 2024

Welcome to the April 21, 2024 Worship Service

Here you will find visual pieces to this morning's worship service. When the audio stream for the service begins at approximately 10:25am, you will be able to listen to it at http://listen.uucfm.org:8000/stream-church. The stream will open in a new tab in your browser. Click the browser tab for this page to come back to view visuals while the audio plays.

You may also access the service via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/5264858673.

You may follow along with the service with this Order of Worship. An online donation button is at the bottom of this page for contributing to the morning offering. Additionally, the words for our covenant and the lyrics for the hymns are provided on this page below the photos. Please join us in singing along! Even though you are not here in body with us, we know that you are with us in spirit. We are glad that you are here!

"The Fuuture, What's Next?"

Rev. Sue Gabrielson
Jennifer Grant, Worship Associate

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Gathering Music

Jon Dalton, piano
UUCFM Musicians

"Where Do We Come From"
UUCFM Choir

Welcome

Jennifer Grant

Call to Worship

Rev. Sue Gabrielson

Chalice Lighting

"Letting Go" by Jay Wolin
Jennifer Grant

Covenant

Jennifer Grant

Love is the spirit of this congregation
And service its law
This is our great covenant
To dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in love
And to help one another
~ James Vila Blake

Opening Hymn

#103 - For All the Saints

For all the saints who from their labors rest,
who thee by faith before the world confessed,
thy name most holy be forever blest. Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou wast their rock, their shelter, and their might;
their strength and solace in the well-fought fight;
thou, in the darkness deep their one true light. Alleluia! Alleluia!

O blest communion of the saints divine!
We live in struggle, they in glory shine;
yet all are one in thee, for all are thine. Alleluia! Alleluia!

And when the strife is fierce, the conflict long,
steals on the ear the distant triumph-song,
and hearts are brave again, and arms are strong. Alleluia! Alleluia!

A Story For All Ages

"Milo and the Magical Stones" by Marcus Pfister
Rev. Sue Gabrielson

Reflection

"Let's Get Real"
Jennifer Grant

Responsive Reading

#733 - A Place of Meeting

Stones of Intention

Jennifer Grant

Musical Interlude

Jon Dalton, piano

(After you add yours, the counter will record it.
Please know that you are doing this in community.
Feel free to come back to this page later and see how many online stones joined with yours.)

May your prayers be heard and your hearts be restored

Prayer and Meditation

Rev. Sue Gabrielson

Reflective Hymn

#1002 - Comfort Me

Comfort me, comfort me,
comfort me, oh my soul.
Comfort me, comfort me,
comfort me, oh my soul.

Sing with me, sing with me…

Speak for me, speak for me…

Dance with me, dance with me…

Sermon

"The Fuuture, What's Next?"
Rev. Sue Gabrielson

Online Morning Offering

Jennifer Grant

Community Sharing Partner:

One of the ways we live our spiritual values in the world is by making them real through the form of financial contribution. We invite you to enliven your commitment to this community and be generous in giving to support the work of this Congregation during this challenging time. Every month we also donate funds to a community organization in Lee County. Our Community Sharing partner in February is the South Fort Myers Food Pantry. The South Fort Myers Food Pantry believes that every person in our community deserves access to fresh, nutritious food. They are dedicated to serving our neighbors with compassion, dignity, and respect. Their shelves are stocked with a wide variety of food essentials, from fresh produce to pantry staples, ensuring that no one in South Fort Myers goes hungry.

Please give generously. Thank you!

If you would like to make an online donation to UUCFM or pay your church pledge virtually, please click the yellow Donate below -- which takes you to our PayPal account. Please make a note in the space provided by PayPal to indicate whether your contribution is for UUCFM, our community sharing partner, or goes towards your pledge. Thank you.

For a complete list of methods to donate, please visit contribute.uucfm.org.
Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Musical Interlude

"Uma Familia"
UUCFM Choir
Jon Dalton - Director

Words of gratitude:

By the work of our hands, and the work of our hearts, our love is made real.
May we be grateful for all that is given, and grateful for all that is shared.

Extinguishing the Chalice

Words by Elizabeth Selle Jones

We extinguish this flame but not the light of truth,
the warmth of community or the fire of commitment.
These we carry in our hearts until we are together again.

Hymn

#1030 - Siyahamba

We are singing in the light of day,
We are singing in the light of day,
We are singing in the light of day,
We are singing in the light of day.
We are singing, singing, we are singing, singing,
we are singing in the light of day.
We are singing, singing, we are singing, singing,
We are singing in the light of day.

Siyahamb’ ekukhanyen’ kwenkhos’,
siyahamb’ ekukhanyen’ kwenkhos’.
Siya hamb’ ekukhanyen’ kwenkhos’,
siya hamb’ ekukhanyen’ siyahamb’ ekukhanyen’ kwenkhos.
Siyahamba, hamba, siyahamba, hamba,
siyahamb’ ekukhanyen’ kwenkhos’.
Siyahamba, hamba, siyahamba, hamba,
siyahamb’ ekukhanyen’ kwenkhos’.