Paradise, Giusto de’ Menabuoi, 1375-78, fresco decoration of the Baptistery of the Padua Duomo (dome ceiling)
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“I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint
as a sinner who keeps on trying.”
― Nelson Mandela
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Welcome to Worship on Sunday, November 1, 2020.
During this time of worship you may wish to have a candle to light and to have bread and a beverage for communion — whatever you have available will be sufficient.
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Gathering Song For All the Saints Fernando Ortega
“For all the saints who from their labors rest,
Who you by faith before the world confessed,
Your Name, O Jesus, be forever blest.
Alleluia, alleluia!“
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Acknowledgement of Land
(An act towards reconciliation)
For thousands of years, First Nations people have walked on this land; their relationship with the land is at the center of their lives and spirituality. We are gathered on the traditional territory of the Coastal Salish and Puyallup people, and we acknowledge their stewardship of this land throughout the ages.
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GATHERING & EXPLORING
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Prayer of Confession Ambrose, Bishop of Milan (c. 330-397) .
O Lord, who is all merciful:
Take away my sins from me,
and enkindle within me the fire
of your Holy Spirit.
Take away this heart of stone from me,
and give me a heart of flesh and blood,
a heart to love and adore you,
a heart which may delight in you,
love you and please you, for Christ’s sake.
(silence for reflection)
Assurance of Pardon
Anyone in Christ is a new creation.
The old has passed away.
Behold, the new has come.
Amen.
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Scriptural Reflection from To Bless the Space Between Us John O’Donohue
What is a blessing?
A blessing is a circle of light drawn around
to protect a person, heal, and strengthen.
Life is a constant flow of emergence.
The beauty of blessing is its belief
that it can affect what unfolds…
A blessing awakens future wholeness…
We could say that a blessing ‘forebrightens’ the way.
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Set apart your worship space by lighting a candle along with the video clip. The light of the candle symbolizes the presence of the Holy wherever we are.
You can find all of the lectionary readings for Sunday, November 1, 2020 here: https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=166
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Welcome · Community Candle · Scripture · Moment of Wonder · Sermon · Remembrance
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AFFIRMING
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Song for Reflection & Offering The Gathering of Spirits Carrie Newcomer
“There’s a gathering of spirits
There’s a festival of friends
And we’ll take up where we left off
When we all meet again.”
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Offering
There are a number of ways to contribute financially when we are unable to attend worship in person:
• Make a one-time donation or manage ongoing, automatic giving on our secure website page: https://fccpuyallup.com/donate
• Use our mobile app to set up one-time or ongoing giving from your phone. Download the GivePlus app from the App Store or Google Play to your smartphone and then search for “First Christian Church” using our zip code, 98371.
• Send checks by mail to:
First Christian Church, 623 9th Ave. SW, P.O. Box 516, Puyallup, WA 98371
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CELEBRATING & BLESSING
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Prayers of the People Blessed Are the… Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber
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Communion
Sharing of the Bread and Cup
During this video clip you are invited to share the elements of communion which you have set aside for this worship time. Bread, crackers, juice, wine, or water–all are signs of Christ’s abiding presence with us.
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Closing Benediction III Autumn (Audio reading) Malcolm Guite
Now for the harvest! All is rich and full;
The swelling grape is ripe upon the vine,
So may his blessing sanctify your fall,
And old love be remembered in new wine.
Now may your ears be open to his call,
You stand on holy ground, look up and see:
His love burns red and gold in every tree.
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Closing Song And All the People Said Amen Matt Maher
“Blessed are the poor in spirit who are torn apart
Blessed are the prosecuted and the pure in heart
Blessed are the people longing for another start
For this is the Kingdom“
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Guest Preacher: Devin Wright; Elders: Karrin Lewis & Kelli Kays; Scripture: Eunice Squires; Moment of Wonder: Gretchen Mertes
