Order of Worship
GATHERING MUSIC
Spirit made a place for you where everything is new (4x)
Love has made a place for you where everything is new (4x)
Grace has made a place for you where everything is new (4x)
final verse:
Spirit's made / Love has made / Grace has made...
WELCOME
OPENING SONG God Is Here
God is here! As we your people,
meet to offer praise and prayer,
May we find in fuller measure
what it is in Christ we share.
Here, as in the world around us,
all our varied skills and arts
wait the coming of the Spirit
into open minds and hearts.
Here are symbols to remind us
of our lifelong need of grace;
Here are table, font, and pulpit,
here the cross has central place.
Here in honesty of preaching,
here in silence, as in speech,
here, in newness and renewal,
God the Spirit comes to each.
Here our children find a welcome
in the Shepherd's flock and fold;
Here as bread and wine are taken,
Christ sustains us as of old.
Here the servants of the Servant
seek in worship to explore
what it means in daily living
to believe and to adore.
Sovereign God, of earth and heaven,
in an age of change and doubt,
Keep us faithful to the gospel,
help us work your purpose out.
Here, in this day's dedication,
all we have to give, receive:
we, who cannot live without you,
we adore you! We believe!
CHILDREN’S TIME
PASSING OF THE PEACE
Peace be with you…. ...and also with you
SONG Working on a Building
Working on a building, I’m working on a building,
I’m working on a building for my Lord, for my Lord
It’s a Holy Ghost building, It’s a Holy Ghost building
It’s a Holy Ghost building for my Lord
If I was a gambler, I tell you what I’d do,
I’d quite my gambling and I’d work on the building too.
If I was a sinner…
If I was a preacher…
SCRIPTURE Acts 2:42-47
READING Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
SONG OF PREPARATION Sanctuary
Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
Sanctuary for You
SERMON Xander King
MUSIC FOR REFLECTION Make Our Garden Grow from Candide
Katy Lindhart, soprano
SHARING OF JOYS AND CONCERNS
When in the past week did you see God at work? What concerns would you like to turn over to God’s care?
PASTORAL PRAYER & LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father/Creator/Parent, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen
GIVE, SERVE, SHARE: Announcements
OFFERTORY
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise God, all creatures here below.
Praise God above ye heavenly host,
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
CLOSING SONG Crowded Table
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
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's 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 seed
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
The door is always open
Your picture's on my wall
Everyone's a little broken
And everyone belongs
Yeah, everyone belongs
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
* * *
You're Invited: Gilead’s Final Services
April 27th and May 4th
Gilead Chicago, the congregation that Rebecca and Vince started, has only two more services left. No pressure, but if you've ever been curious about Gilead, or just want to show your pastors some love at this time of serious grief (imagine if we had to close!), you are invited to join them for worship. On April 27th, at 5 pm, find them at My Buddy's (4416 N Clark). On May 4th, the final service is at Half Acre Brewing (2050 W Balmoral Ave). Doors, food, drinks at 4:30, worship at 5.
LAST Creation Justice Group
April 29th
Join the Green team for a zero waste dinner to celebrate all the work we’ve done this year. From our LED lights, to my CSA box, to our compost, our work since October has touched every part of how we share meals together. Let’s celebrate all that work!
Volunteer At Nourishing Hope
May 3rd
Join us on Saturday, May 3 from 11:30 - 3:00 to sort and glean food at Nourishing Hope (formerly Lakeview Pantry). It's a great opportunity to address local food insecurity and build connection with fellow Bethany congregants. Contact Paul Monzella if you have any questions, and check your weekly email for details on how to register as a volunteer!
Sunday School Returns!
May 4th
Sunday School will return for a 3-week session starting onMay 4 ! Kids 4 and up are invited to attend Sunday Schoolafter “Passing The Peace” on those Sundays.
Adult Sunday School: Stating Our Faith In Urgent Times
May 4th
Did you know that the UCC has three “official” statements of faith? Join Paul Monzella next Sunday (May 4th) after worship to explore our collective and individual beliefs about faith and how our actions reflect our beliefs.
New Members Info Session
May 5th
New around here? Maybe you've been attending for a while (or even once!) and are curious what it would mean to join Bethany. (Spoiler: technically it mostly means you get a vote at congregational meetings and otherwise, it's a way of formalizing the relationship we already have.)
Join Vince and Rebecca for a conversation on May 5th: we’ll talk about who we’ve been, who we’re called to be, and to answer questions you might have about membership or the community.
Disability Justice & Movie
Tuesdays in May
Our May worship theme at Bethany is Sanctuary: being and making a place to rest safely in God for all kinds of people. Bethany has long been an intentionally diverse, intergenerational church. And we're committed to asking, "Who's not here?" and "why"?
In May, there are two related opportunities to ask those questions about who can and cannot access life at Bethany. Both are an invitation to look at our building and community with (what may be for some of us) a new lens.
On Tues, May 6th, we'll watch the excellent movie Crip Camp at 7 pm in the sanctuary. Then, for four Tuesdays beginning May 13th, we'll read and work through Amy Kenny's “My Body in Not a Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church.”
Sign up here if you’re interested in participating!
May Book Group: The Storied Life of AJ Firky
May 7th
We hope you'll join us in reading “The Storied Life of AJ Fikry” by Gabrielle Zevin for our next book group on May 7th at 7pm!
The novel (which was adapted for film in 2022) follows A.J. Fikry. His wife has died, his bookstore is in trouble, and now his prized rare edition of Poe poems has been stolen. However, when a mysterious package appears, its arrival gives him the chance to start his life over and see things anew.
If you’re interested in reading with us, please sign up here!
Join The Outer Belt Pilgrimage!
We had a great beginning to our Bethany pilgrimage along the Chicago Outer Belt Trail. We're walking 210 miles together, looping our city in prayer, and getting to know one another along the way.
Save the dates for our next legs:
Saturday, May 17
Sunday, June 8
Sunday, July 13
We walk around 10 miles each time. Please contact Vince for more information and/or go to outerbelt.org. Sign up here to be part of our May 17th walk from the Aragon Ballroom to Bunker North Flatwoods.
Retrieve Your Things From Bethany
Deadline May 26th
Remember back during social-distancing times when we would meet outside and in the gym? Many of you so kindly brought in blankets to keep the congregation warm during those services. Welp, it’s time to give em’ back!
If you lent us a blanket, please look for it in the Narthex after worship this week and take it home with you. We also have a bunch of unclaimed dishes in the kitchen that belong to congregants. Please take a peek there as well to see if anything belongs to you.
If there’s something here that you know is yours but need us to hold onto for a bit before you can come grab it, totally fine! Reach out to our Office Manager Jordan at info@bethanychicago.com to let us know and we’ll put those things aside for you.
If you haven’t collected your stuff by May 26th, and we haven’t heard from you, we’ll start preparing to donate them (but we really don’t want to give your stuff away if you still want it, so please let us know!)
Climate Action Camp
June 16th-20th
Join Xander King and Rev. David Russell (former Bethany Associate Minister) as they encourage faith leaders and families, students and teachers, activists and seekers to come together to begin, continue or go deeper to be the Land Defenders and Water Protectors God needs at this time.
“Climate Action Camp” will take place from June 16th-20th at Tower Hill UCC Camp. It is open to all ages and will cost $375 per person.
During our time together, all ages will explore the climate crisis through the lens of water, especially Lake Michigan and it’s watershed. We will spend time diving deeper into the issues and learning how we can be agents of change. We will also spend time doing fun camp things- exploring Vernal Pools, playing and swimming at the beach, archery, teach building, campfires and creating. Click here to register or learn more!
COFFEE HOUR
We’ll have coffee hour on every second and fourth Sunday of each month! Click here to lock in a date you're willing to host. Reminder, we make the coffee and you bring treats to share!
