Koinonia

HFUMC/MUMC
April 11, 2021
John 20:19-22
1 John 1:1-4

Leader: This is the Easter Season! Easter is not just one day of proclaiming that life and love are more powerful than death and hatred, but a whole “week of weeks,” as we call it–seven more weeks of daring to dance our dances with hope and passion. So let us continue our praise!

Dare to dance with dreamers, sing their song,
Dare to dance their stories, sing out strong.
Dare to dance with freedom your whole life long,
Dare to dance again!

Leader: Dancing requires that we pay attention to our dance partners. It requires finding a rhythm together. The Sunday after Easter brings the story of Jesus appearing to the disciples and breathing the Holy Spirit on them. Other scriptures this week point to the power of being together, of finding fellowship in the presence of Jesus and the presence of the community. What does it take to dance together?

Dare to dance with dreamers, sing their song,
Dare to dance their stories, sing out strong.
Dare to dance with freedom your whole life long,
Dare to dance again!

Leader: This is the call!
Shake off the dust that has been gathering underfoot.

People: We lift up our heads to meet the day.
Raise your hands in grateful praise.
We fortify our hearts with compassion and action.
If rain still lingers, open the umbrellas of determination and set out anyway.
For we are called to dance again!

Praise: Hear our Praise — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X4sf6HxYLU

Prayer:
Teach me to dance to the beat of your heart,
teach me to move in the power of your Spirit,
teach me to [move] in the light of your presence,
teach me to dance to the beat of your heart.

Leader:  For the beauty of the world in all its diversity, we give you thanks, O God. (Lift up your joys)

Leader: Let us pray together…

People:  May our gratitude to you fill our days.

Leader: We need your healing, O Holy One, for our troubled planet, for our nation, for all who are struggling in body, mind, relationships, and spirit.

We remember those who are suffering…(Lift up your concerns)

Leader: Let us pray together…
People:  Come, O God, and restore our lives.
Teach me to pray in the power of Easter,
following Christ in a life resurrected,
teach me to act with compassion and justice,
teach me to dance with the beat of your heart.

Leader:  Be with each of us now.
May the dance of your Spirit ever call us
to engage with you and with the needs around us.
Lead us; guide us; surround and fill us.

People: Come, Holy Spirit, come.

Teach me to love with your heart of compassion,
teach me to trust in the word of your promise,
teach me to hope in the day of your coming,
teach me to dance to the beat of your heart.

Holy One, Justice-Seeker, Lover of Creation –
You are the restorer of life,
he conqueror of all that is death-dealing
in our hearts and in this world.
Tune us to each other.
Come and dance with us,
engage with us, as we seek you –
so that we can be risen with Christ and in Christ.
Be with us now, we pray.  Amen.

Dare to dance with dreamers, sing their song,
Dare to dance their stories, sing out strong.
Dare to dance with freedom your whole life long,
Dare to dance again!

Children’s Message: Dare to Dance — Week 2 — https://www.umcherkimer.com/post/04-04-2021-dare-to-dance-again

Anthem: United Methodist Virtual Choir – For Thine Be the Glory! — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9KnAzKLOgo

Scripture John 20:19-22 & 1 John 1:1-4 /Message — Koininia — (Children’s message included) — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3mvx2WEK2M

Dance for All Your Worth — The Umbrella Project —

Offering:

Take this time to exercise the privilege of sharing in the work of God by giving your tithe to the church.  You have options:

US Mail:
First United Methodist Church of Herkimer
127 N. Prospect Street
Herkimer, NY 13350.   

         or

Morning Star United Methodist Church
36 Second Avenue
Ilion, NY  13357

        or

Online Giving for HFUMC (safe and secure)

You can use this link or download the Tithe.ly app from the app store https://tithe.ly/give?c=1695306

During this time the church is especially challenged to meet payroll and pay bills.   We are unable to hold our fundraisers -rummage sales, etc. We still count on you to help us meet our commitments. We have folks among us who have reduced income as a result of the COVID-19 guidelines who may not be able to give as they have in the past.

Use this time to brainstorm ideas in how you can reach out tangibly to others to show God’s love to the people around you this week even while living in a self-quarantine state.

Prayer of Dedication:
Holy God, we continue to hold on to the celebration and triumph of Easter. As we look back over the past year, we realize that many of us can identify with Thomas’s doubt. “Can we be the church, the body of Christ, when we can’t see the body gathered in our sanctuary?” Yet Christ has opened our eyes to his risen body that can’t be confined by walls and is not diminished by precautions and social distance. As we make our gifts to you, we affirm the Resurrection power that we have seen, and so we say again, “Alleluia!” In the powerful name of Jesus, we pray. Amen!

Hymn: The Summons — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiXnbOORTAU

Benediction:
As the song recorded by Lee Ann Womack goes:
“I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed.
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance…
I hope you dance!”
And may the Loving God,
Risen Christ,
and Dancing Spirit
fill you with all you need
for the days ahead.
And all God’s people said,
“Amen!”