Welcome to this service for this Pentecost Sunday.   

The main part of the service is included below in a video of our live zoom worship on Sunday morning at 10:00 AM on May 23rd. 

“Where and How Do We Go from Here? Part II” is the title of the Pentecost sermon by the Rev. Thomas Cary Kinder which reflects on how the Spirit has helped churches and movements find a new way in the past, just as our changed world requires that we find a new way.

The video includes an inspired reading of the Pentecost story in Acts by Becky Bailey and her equally inspired reading that brings alive the voice of Paul in I Corinthians 12 talking about the one Spirit that unites the diverse members of the Body of Christ, the church.

The video also includes beautiful music by Annemieke McLane, Becky Bailey, Joey Hawkins and Herbert and Mel Goertz.

You can see the Order of Worship below. You will also find some portions of our worship that were not included in the live zoom service, including the haiku of the day, a few announcements and the offering.

Thank you for being part of our church community! If you would like to join us on our Sunday morning zooms click here, or on our Thursday Heartfulness Contemplative Training Circle zooms click here. 

If you would like to be added to our weekly newsletter list please let us know at unitedchurchofstrafford@gmail.com

You can respond with thoughts about the service or with anything you would like to say by using the comment feature at the end of the post or by emailing us.  You can also bring others into this experience by sharing the link to this webpage by email or social media.

Whoever you are, wherever you are on your journey, you are welcome here and in our church community.

Pastor Tom Kinder         Call to Worship  “Be still, and know that I am God.”  Psalm 46  

Here is this week’s haiku by Mel Goertz:                             

   The apple trees have opened.

Hummingbirds revel

    among the blossoms.

Let us worship together…    

Readings: 

The scripture readings for this Sunday are verses from I Corinthians 12:4-26; Acts 2:1-17.

You can hear them read beautifully and inspirationally on the video below or read the text or download it here: 5-23-21 Service Readings    

The Live Zoom Service Recording

Order of Worship (the video is below): 

1. Call to Worship, by Pastor Tom Kinder
2. Introit, “I’m Going to Sing When the Spirit Says Sing” Becky Bailey and Joey Hawkins with Annemieke McLane, piano, and Herbert and Mel Goertz as additional voices
3. Scripture Reading, read by Becky Bailey
4. Anthem, Medley: “Every Time I Feel The Spirit/Halleluya! Pelo tsa rona” 
5. Sermon “Where and How Do We Go from Here, Part II” by the Rev. Thomas Cary Kinder, Pastor
6. Hymn “When Christ Left Earth” 
7. Closing: our Future Directions Statement as a Unison Reading
8. Postlude JS Bach: Gavotte French Suite VI; Annemieke McLane, piano

Here is the video: 

Sermon  

You can read the text and find a pdf of the Call to Worship and Sermon by clicking here.                  

Offering

This congregation is a small but meaningful part of the movement to establish God’s realm of peace, justice and care for God’s creation on earth, actively engaged in serving our community and supporting the wider worldwide movement.

One of the ways we work together and increase our strength beyond our individual abilities is by pooling our resources.  This is hard to do when we are forced apart by the pandemic, so we hope you will take just a minute to use our online donation service.

To make your offering on line, please click here.  (This is a service we are providing through an extremely well established on-line donation company specializing in churches that is recommended by the national United Church of Christ and used by thousands of churches like ours.  To read more about our decision to allow on line donations, click here.)                    

Announcements

To read additional announcements please see our weekly churchwide emails by clicking here. 

You can be added to our email list by requesting so at unitedchurchofstrafford@gmail.com.

It is extremely important that we stay connected now.  Please reach out by phone or email to neighbors and other members of the congregation, especially those who live by themselves or are struggling or vulnerable. 

Our Deacons, Becky Bailey, Kim Welsh and Maggie Hooker, are coordinating our Deacons Fund and our outreach to people in need of support, and Danette Harris, Chair of our Mission Committee, is leading our work with the Food Shelf.  If you would like to donate or help please email us or use the comment feature on this page.