Welcome to this service for this Third Sunday after Pentecost.   

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 June 13th. 

“A New Creation” is the title of the sermon by the Rev. Thomas Cary Kinder which explores our spiritual tradition’s wisdom about transforming what we find challenging or what causes suffering into “a new creation,” a realignment of the material world to be more like the realm of God on earth. We will hear verses from Psalm 130 (“De profundis”), and Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians (“we walk by faith and not by sight”) and a pivotal moment early in Jesus’ ministry from the Gospel of Mark (3:20-35) when he turns from his old identity to a new one that his family thinks is insane and that the authorities declare is Satanic, but that we celebrate as the incarnation of God’s Spirit of love at work in the world.

Annemieke McLane and members of our choir provide beautiful music including two favorites, “Lead Me Lord,” and “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize.” 

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 Herbert Goertz:                                     

The bear stood upright,

his paws on the porch railing,

sniffing the fuchsia. 

Let us worship together…        

Readings: 

The scripture readings for this Sunday are Psalm 130:1-2, 5-7; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; 5:6a, 7, 16-17; Mark 3:20-35.

You can hear them read beautifully on the video below or read the text or download it here: 6-13-21 Service Readings

The Live Zoom Service Recording Order of Worship (the video is below): 

1. Call to Worship, by Pastor Tom Kinder
2. Introit, “Lead Me Lord,” sung by members of the United Church of Strafford choir, directed by pianist Annemieke McLane
3. Scripture Reading, read by Ken Bushnell
4. Sermon “A New Creation” by the Rev. Thomas Cary Kinder, Pastor
5. Anthem “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize,” sung by members of the United Church of Strafford choir, directed by pianist Annemieke McLane
6. Hymn ““Faith, While Trees Are Still in Blossom” 
7. Closing Prayer
8.  Postlude by Annemieke McLane, piano: French Suite VI, Polonaise, by J.S.Bach

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 continue to stay closely connected during this transition time.  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 and Kim Welsh, 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.