June 6, 2021 (Sabbath and Healing)
THE FIRST CHURCH OF DEERFIELD
“The Brick Church” / “The Brickless Church”
Good morning (or afternoon, or evening) and welcome to worship. The Brick Church Meeting House remains closed due to coronavirus response measures, and so we invite you to worship with us here — in the Brickless Church.
Whoever you are, wherever you may be (figuratively or literally), you are welcome here.
ORDER OF WORSHIP
Sunday, June 6, 2021
PRELUDE
Prelude Salve Sebastiàn Aguilera de Heridia
Dr. Thomas Pousont, organ
CALL TO WORSHIP
Even in the desert,
even in the wilderness,
sabbath comes.
May you keep it.
Light the candles,
say the prayers:
Welcome, sabbath.
Welcome, rest.
Enter in
and be our guest.
—Jan Richardson
HYMN
Hymn #217 All Creatures of Our God and King vv. 1-2
Karen Smith Emerson, soprano
FIRST READING
Genesis 2:1- 3 (NRSV)
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.
REFLECTION ON THE FIRST READING
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Herschel, The Sabbath
The words: “On the seventh day God finished His work” (Genesis 2:2), seem to be a puzzle. Is it not said: “He rested on the seventh day”?…We would surely expect the Bible to tell us that on the sixth day God finished His work. Obviously, the ancient rabbis concluded, there was an act of creation on the seventh day. Just as heaven and earth were created in six days, menuha was created on the Sabbath. “After the six days of creation—what did the universe still lack? Menuha. Came the Sabbath, came menuha, and the universe was complete.” Menuha which we usually render with “rest” means here much more than withdrawal from labor and exertion, more than freedom from toil, strain or activity of any kind. Menuha is not a negative concept but something real and intrinsically positive. This must have been the view of the ancient rabbis if they believed that it took a special act of creation to bring it into being, that the universe would be incomplete without it.
ANTHEM
Anthem Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel African-American Spiritual
Maddalena Honablue, soprano
SECOND READING
Mark 2:23 – 3:6
One sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?”And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”
Again Jesus entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come forward.” Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
REFLECTION ON THE SECOND READING
Healing and Sabbath
Rev. Knapp
(Mulyadi, unsplash.com)
BLESSING
Blessed are you
who bear the light
in unbearable times,
who testify
to its endurance
amid the unendurable,
who bear witness
to its persistence
when everything seems
in shadow
and grief.
— Jan Richard
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
June 6, 2021
shared by Mary Dancer
SHARING OF GIFTS
To make a donation to the First Church of Deerfield (aka “The Brick Church,” aka “The Brick-less Church”),
click here.
For more ways to give, see announcements, below.
OFFERING PRAYER
Bless these our offerings,
that they might serve your people,
and bring your healing love
to the places it is needed most.
in Christ’s name / in Love’s name,
amen
HYMN
Hymn #626 I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
Marc Dancer, bass
BENEDICTION
Early Scottish Blessing
Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the Son of peace to you, forever.
POSTLUDE
Postlude Tiento de Falsas Pablo Bruna
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
From the Mission Committee
This month’s non-perishable food collection will be held Tuesday, June 8, at the church from 1 – 1:30. Joe and Nancy Durham will be there to receive your donation! Thank you!
The First Church of Deerfield
an inclusive, inquisitive, open-and-affirming
congregation of the United Church of Christ
and the Unitarian Universalist Association
Rev. Liza B. Knapp, Pastor
deerfieldpastor@gmail.com
Dr. Thomas Pousont, Director of Music Ministry
Tom Mershon, Sexton
Pat Auchard, Office Administrator
office@firstchurchofdeerfield.org.
Ann Hallstein, Pastor Emerita
If you wish to make a donation in support of our ministry,
text “GIVE” to (413) 307-3730 or click below:
https://fcd.breezechms.com/give/online.
