We have been talking about the importance of de-centering our own stories and listening to the stories of others, especially those on the margins. We are sharing videos from different members and staff on what voices they are listening to that are shaping and reshaping their perspective.
In this first video, Associate Pastor Meg Lacy Vega shares some black voices in fiction that have impacted her recently. Have a voice you’d like to share with us? Email a video to meg@tbcrichmond.org or severns@tbcrichmond.org.
We would love for you to let us know you’re here. This worship guide is meant to be a companion to the Livestream service. You can join us live at 11am on Sunday morning, or watch the recorded service later, following along with the words to hymns, etc. in a separate window or on your phone, or print this guide out if you like!
CALL TO WORSHIP: “Pentecost” (Malcolm Guite, Sounding the Seasons, Seventy Sonnets for the Christian Year)
Today we feel the wind beneath our wings, Today the hidden fountain flows and plays, today the church draws breath at last and sings, as every flame becomes a tongue of praise. This is the feast of Fire, Air and Water, poured out and breathed and kindled into Earth. The Earth herself awakens to her maker, translated out of death and into birth. The right words come today in their right order and every word spells freedom and release. Today the gospel crosses every border, all tongues are loosened by the Prince of Peace. Today the lost are found in His translation whose mother-tongue is love, in every nation.
HYMN #229:“Let Every Christian Pray”
V. 1 Let every Christian pray, this day and every day, come, Holy Spirit, come! Was not the church we love commissioned from above? Come, Holy Spirit, come!
V. 2 The Spirit brought to birth the Church of Christ on earth to seek and save the lost: God never has withdrawn, since that tremendous dawn, the gifts of Pentecost.
V.3 The Holy Spirit’s power can fit us for this hour: come, Holy Spirit, come! Instruct, inspire, unite and make us see the light: come, Holy Spirit, come!
SCRIPTURE READING: Acts 2
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below, praise Him above ye heavenly hosts, praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Following the Worship Service, we encourage you to continue visiting with friends in the Livestream Chat, or join a Talk-Back moderated by Sandi Lowery and Beth McMahon. Share your laughter and tears, along with your prayer needs, as we discuss the sermon of the week.
Whether you’ve been coming to Tabernacle for years, or just recently started worshiping with us online, we are glad you’re here, and invite you to participate in other opportunities for fellowship and discipleship as well! There are several groups meeting regularly that are open to newcomers, and our Community Ministry is actively serving neighbors on a weekly basis. The Soul Care Project is a digital series that that you can follow along with at your own pace. It offers a weekly theme promoting practices to help us care for our souls by connection with ourselves, God, and the world. We encourage you to the final installment of the podcast and interact with the resources available on our Facebook and Instagram feeds.
Join us for our final podcast of the Soul Care series, on the gift and challenge of silence prayer.
“God’s first language
is silence.
Everything else,
is a poor translation.”
-Fr. Thomas Keating
Pray as you go: Centering Prayer
Centering Prayer is a receptive method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God’s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself. This method of prayer is both a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. – Contemplative Outreach
A Guide to Centering Prayer from Gravity: A Center for Contemplative Activism
Sit in an upright, attentive posture in a way that allows for an erect spine and open heart. Place hands in your lap.
Gently close your eyes and bring to mind your sacred word, image or breath as your symbol to consent to the presence and action of God within you. Your sacred symbol is intended to be the same every time you pray. It helps to ground you in the present moment, allowing you to give your undivided loving, yielded attention to God. Choose a name for God or a characteristic for God like, Love, Peace, etc.
Silently, with eyes closed, recall your sacred symbol to begin your prayer. As you notice your thoughts, gently return to your sacred word. Do this however many times you notice your thoughts.
When your prayer period is over, transition slowly from your prayer practice to your active life.
It is recommended to pray in this fashion for a minimum of 20 minutes, two times a day. Start out slowly with initial prayer periods of five to ten minutes, working up to the desired length of time.
This worship guide is meant to be a companion to the Livestream service. You can join us live at 11am on Sunday morning, or watch the recorded service later, following along with the words to hymns, etc. in a separate window or on your phone, or print this guide out if you like!
CALL TO WORSHIP: “Ascension Day” (Malcolm Guite, Sounding the Seasons, Seventy Sonnets for the Christian Year)
We saw his light break through the cloud of glory whilst we were rooted still in time and place, as earth became a part of heaven’s story and heaven opened to his human face. We saw him go and yet we were not parted, He took us with Him to the heart of things. The heart that broke for all the broken-hearted is whole and heaven-centered now, and sings; sings in the strength that rises out of weakness, Sings through the clouds that veil him from our sight, whilst we ourselves become his clouds of witness and sing the waning darkness into light; His light in us and ours in Him concealed, which all creation waits to see revealed.
HYMN #215:“Rejoice, the Lord is King”
V. 1: Rejoice, the Lord is King: your Lord and King adore! Rejoice, give thanks and sing, and triumph evermore: lift up your heart, lift up your voice! Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
V. 2: Jesus, the Savior, reigns, the God of truth and love; when He had purged our stains, He took His seat above: lift up your heart, lift up your voice! Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
V. 3: His kingdom cannot fail, He rules both earth and heaven; the keys of death and hell are to our Jesus given: lift up your heart, lift up your voice! Rejoice, again I say, Rejoice!
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 28:16-19
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below, praise Him above ye heavenly hosts, praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Following the Worship Service, we encourage you to continue visiting with friends in the Livestream Chat, or join a Talk-Back moderated by Sandi Lowery and Beth McMahon. Share your laughter and tears, along with your prayer needs, as we discuss the sermon of the week.
Whether you’ve been coming to Tabernacle for years, or just recently started worshiping with us online, we are glad you’re here, and invite you to participate in other opportunities for fellowship and discipleship as well! There are several groups meeting regularly that are open to newcomers, and our Community Ministry is actively serving neighbors on a weekly basis. The Soul Care Project is a digital series that that you can follow along with at your own pace. It offers a weekly theme promoting practices to help us care for our souls by connection with ourselves, God, and the world. We encourage you to listen to this week’s podcast and interact with the resources available on our Facebook and Instagram feeds.
Join us on the podcast this week as we talk about the spiritual practice of getting lost, learning to navigate the wilderness of place and soul.
The wilderness
holds answers
to more questions
than we have yet
learned to ask.
– Nancy Newhall
Pray as you go: The Welcoming Prayer
Sink into this three part prayer that helps us welcome uncomfortable feelings and experiences and find God in the midst of one.
First, feel and sink into what you are experiencing this moment in your body.
Next, “welcome” what you are experiencing this moment in your body as an opportunity to consent to the Divine Indwelling.
Finally, Let go by saying “I let go of my desire for security, affection, control and embrace this moment as it is.”
“Start practicing the Welcoming Prayer with the little things in life — small, everyday frustrations like sitting in traffic or waiting in line at the grocery store. Practicing with the small things prepares us for the bigger upsets.”
Grab some crayons, markers, or colored pencils and retreat into your spiritual, emotional, psychological cave as a family and color a picture of a Wild Cactus together.
You can find more information about what worship will look like in this next phase in Sterling’s video here. Join us this Sunday, May 17, at 2PM for a Town Hall Meeting, in which Pastor Sterling and Pastor Meg will address questions about these plans.
This worship guide is meant to be a companion to the Livestream service. You can join us live at 11am on Sunday morning, or watch the recorded service later, following along with the words to hymns, etc. in a separate window or on your phone, or print this guide out if you like!
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say about the nations, “The Lord is King!” Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
HYMN #208:“He Is Lord”
He is Lord, He is Lord, He is risen from the dead and He is Lord! Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Gospel Lesson: John 21:1-17
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below, praise Him above ye heavenly hosts, praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
SOLO: “Feed My Lambs” (Sleeth), Brynne Severns
BREAD FOR THE JOURNEY: Kate Marshall
Following the Worship Service, we encourage you to continue visiting with friends in the Livestream Chat, or join a Talk-Back moderated by Sandi Lowery and Beth McMahon. Share your laughter and tears, along with your prayer needs, as we discuss the sermon of the week.
Join us this afternoon at 2PM for a town hall meeting. The Pastor, and other staff members, will do their best to respond to questions related to where we’ve been, what to anticipate, and what we’re praying about. Realistically, they won’t be able to answer all of the questions that come up. However, we will collect questions to pass along to leaders and find creative ways to share responses as they become available. We encourage you to watch the video updates from Sterling and Meg before the meeting.
Whether you’ve been coming to Tabernacle for years, or just recently started worshiping with us online, we are glad you’re here, and invite you to participate in other opportunities for fellowship and discipleship as well! There are several groups meeting regularly that are open to newcomers, and our Community Ministry is actively serving neighbors on a weekly basis. The Soul Care Project is a digital series that that you can follow along with at your own pace. It offers a weekly theme promoting practices to help us care for our souls by connection with ourselves, God, and the world. We encourage you to listen to this week’s podcast and interact with the resources available on our Facebook and Instagram feeds.
Join us on the podcast this week as we talk about creativity as a spiritual practice!
When you were a child, you knew yourself to be co-creator of the universe.
But little by little you forgot who you were.
-Mirabai Starr, Wild Mercy
Pray as you go: Put Two Things Together
The practice of creativity is more broad than we give it credit for. Chase Jarvis, the author of Creative Calling defines creativity as “the act of combining or arranging two or more unlikely things in new or useful ways.”
This week, get creative in some small way--through your work, your parenting, your cooking, or the aesthetic of your space, by putting two or more unlikely things together.
Consider this your prayer.
God created us in God’s image, and we were made to be co-creators with God. When we tap into our creative spark, we tap into the Spirit of God within us.
Family Practice: COLLage
This cut-and-glue craft activity for families helps build creativity, improve motor skills, and create memorable pieces of art.
Supplies: scissors (child safety if you have young ones) colored paper with predetermined shapes magazine clippings or photos glue drawing paper cloth, wood, stickers, or any other items you have around
Gather your supplies and invite everyone to spend time together at the table. Open with a prayer, thanking God for creating the world, and for inviting us to create, too. You can make a family collage together, or each make your own collage. When you are finished, ask each member of the family to share about what they created.
Join us this Sunday for a town hall meeting. The Pastor, and other staff members, will do their best to respond to questions related to where we’ve been, what to anticipate, and what we’re praying about. Realistically, they won’t be able to answer all of the questions that come up. However, we will collect questions to pass along to leaders and find creative ways to share responses as they become available.
This worship guide is meant to be a companion to the Livestream service. You can join us live at 11am on Sunday morning, or watch the recorded service later, following along with the words to hymns, etc. in a separate window or on your phone, or print this guide out if you like!
CALL TO WORSHIP: Mark Andrist “Lord I Lift Your Name on High”
CALL TO WORSHIP: “Who Was This Jesus?” (Susan Palo Cherwien)
Who was this Jesus we call Christ, the Anointed One? Who is this who said I AM? I am the Vine. I am the Gate. I am the Bread of Life. I am the Light of the World. Who is this at whose Name every knee should bend? We know Christ Jesus was steeped in divinity one with God, the Breath, the Heartbeat, of creation. We know Jesus was compassion, excluding no one, having mercy on all. We know he set aside time to be alone in prayer. He sat at table with the whole spectrum of people he met. He helped people who were outside the circle of acceptability. He taught in stories. He wept at his friend’s death. He suffered with those who were suffering. He asked hard questions. He challenged the values of his society. He loved without promise of return. And so when we pray, “Come Lord” when we sing “Give Me Jesus” we are praying into our lives all that Jesus Christ is: compassion, discernment, mercy, joy at friendship, suffering with the suffering. We are praying into our lives the ability to love without promise of return.
HYMN #606:“Lord, I Lift Your Name on High”
Lord, I lift Your name on high, Lord, I love to sing Your praises I’m so glad You’re in my life, I’m so glad You came to save us You came from heaven to earth to show the way; from the earth to the cross, my debt to pay. From the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky, Lord, I lift Your name on high.
Gospel Lesson: John 20:30
Prayer: This prayer was originally given by Rev. Anna Miller on May 10, 2009. Anna is currently serving on staff at River Road Church, Baptist. Her son Adam is graduating from James Madison University this year and recently took a job as the band director at Parry McCluer High School in Buena Vista, VA, where Rev. Bryon LePere is the pastor of Buena Vista Baptist Church. Bryon served on staff at Tabernacle about 17 years ago. His daughter is a member of the band’s flag corps.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
TRIO:“Be Not Afraid”
HYMN #196:“Alleluia No. 1” (ALLELUIA NO. 1)
Chorus: Alleluia, alleluia Give thanks to the risen Lord. Alleluia, alleluia! Give praise to His name.
V. 1 Jesus is Lord of all the earth. He is the King of creation. Chorus: Alleluia, alleluia Give thanks to the risen Lord. Alleluia, alleluia! Give praise to His name.
V. 2 Spread the good news o’er all the earth; Jesus has died and has risen. Chorus: Alleluia, alleluia Give thanks to the risen Lord. Alleluia, alleluia! Give praise to His name.
OFFERTORY: Tony Williams, “Because He Lives” (Matt Maher)
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below, praise Him above ye heavenly hosts, praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Following the Worship Service, we encourage you to continue visiting with friends in the Livestream Chat, or join a Talk-Back moderated by Sandi Lowery and Beth McMahon. Share your laughter and tears, along with your prayer needs, as we discuss the sermon of the week.
Whether you’ve been coming to Tabernacle for years, or just recently started worshiping with us online, we are glad you’re here, and invite you to participate in other opportunities for fellowship and discipleship as well! There are several groups meeting regularly that are open to newcomers, and our Community Ministry is actively serving neighbors on a weekly basis. The Soul Care Project is a digital series that that you can follow along with at your own pace. It offers a weekly theme promoting practices to help us care for our souls by connection with ourselves, God, and the world. We encourage you to listen to this week’s podcast and interact with the resources available on our Facebook and Instagram feeds.
