April 26 “For the Healing of the World”
Live Stream Worship:
Facebook: Los Angeles First United Methodist Church - Home
Instagram: Los Angeles First UMC (@lafirstumc)
YouTube: Los Angeles First United Methodist Church
Call to Worship - You are invited to light a candle in your home to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit
Come Thou Fount: Come Thou Fount - El Dorado (Robert Robinson)
Come Thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Hither by Thy help I've come
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let that goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.
Announcements:
Stewardship Campaign: Our goal is to raise $20,000/month for payroll, so that we can continue to employ all the people who are working tirelessly to bring the Good News to all who need to hear it. My prayer is that we can raise enough money to cover our church’s payroll over the next three months. This allows the congregation to use any money we have on hand to directly support our ministries.
We have converted our parsonage into a co-housing community, which now has 6 residents living safely and affordably together. We have been able to support people who might not have been able to find sustainable housing in the current market, and we can ensure that they will stay housed during the pandemic. It would be an additional hope to raise $3,000/month to support the utilities and expenses of the co-housing community.
Jubilee Fund: This fund is designated to helping reduce the burden of debt in our community. As we make our way through the pandemic, the economic pressures are going to be challenging. If you feel led, you can now donate through Venmo!
VENMO: You can find us here: https://venmo.com/LAFirstUMC
Bishop Hagiya’s Update on Public Health (April 20, 2020)
“‘Confront the brutal facts, but never lose hope.’ This is what we must do amid the COVID-19 crisis, especially as it relates to our churches. A group of us faith leaders recently met online with Governor Newsom and he was just as articulate and compassionate with us as he has been on his state briefings. He compassionately cares about us, the people, and prioritizes our safety and well-being over the economic downturn that has also devastated our society.
Because of this, I don’t think that we are going to be able to open our churches right away… For the safety of our members and friends, we will probably be using electronic means to worship and meet all of the month of May.”
And the people stayed home.
And read books, and listened, and rested,
and exercised, and made art, and played games,
and learned new ways of being, and were still.
And listened more deeply.
Some meditated, some prayed, some danced.
Some met their shadows.
And the people began to think differently.
And the people healed.
And, in the absence of people living in ignorant,
dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways,
the earth began to heal.
And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again,
they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images,
and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully,
as they had been healed.
Kitty O’Meara
Skid Row Community Handwashing Campaign: http://skidrowpower.com/handwashing/
How you can help:
Build a DIY handwashing station and drop it off at LA CAN ( 838 E 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90021). We will place it in Skid Row where it can best serve residents
Drop off (or ship) supplies to LA CAN. We need parts to build more DIY handwashing stations, and supplies to keep them working, like liquid soap and paper towels.
Donate to LACAN to support our handwashing campaign. Follow our social media to see how your donations are making a difference.
Report the status of Handwashing Stations so we can update our map. Send us your field reports at handwashing@skidrowpower.com (note the address, the status, and if possible attach a photo or video).
Zoom Bible Study: LA First UMC Bible Study - Acts 2
Time: Monday evenings at 6:30 PM PST
Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/598868178?pwd=U1B2YjZYWURDRXJXMStKajI3L1RWZz09
Praying with the Daily Examen: What is the Examen?
St. Ignatius of Loyola created the Examen to be a very short prayer that can be prayed at any time. In the Examen, we review our recent past to find God and his blessings in our daily life. Ignatius would say that the Examen should be the most important moment of our day, because this moment affects every other moment.
Relish the moments that went well and all of the gifts you have today.
Request that the Spirit lead you through your review of the day.
Review your day.
Repent of any mistakes or failures.
Resolve, in concrete ways, to live tomorrow well.
Zoom Fellowship Coffee Hour: Immediately following worship on Zoom
Zoom Happy Hour: Wednesdays from 5:00-6:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/910730196?pwd=cmVYTEhadmJiRThJTlhhcXlCd04yUT09
Stay Connected:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LAFirstUMC/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lafirstumc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LAFirstUMC/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLh1AQKTgxTXSwwXr-J9qvA
Text Updates: https://slkt.io/5BMn
CALL TO PRAYER How the City Sings - El Dorado (Sam Carter)
As the morning mumbles
As the sleepers rise
As the main road rumbles
As I rub my eyes
[Chorus]
I can hear the city sing
How the city sings
I can hear the city sing
a million hymns
As the office closes
and the streetlights spark
As the foxes scurry
Out into the dark
[Chorus]
I can hear the city sing
How the city sings
I can hear the city sing
a million hymns
[Chorus 2]
When we sing can you hear
pure delight pure delight
When we sing can you feel
joy that nothing can conceal
When we sing can you hear
pure delight pure delight
When we sing can you feel
joy that nothing can conceal
When my troubles chew me
and worry at my bones
May a melody renew me
A rhythm walk me home
[Chorus]
I can hear the city sing
How the city sings...
I can hear the city sing
a million hymns
[Chorus 2]
When we sing can you hear
pure delight pure delight
When we sing can you feel
joy that nothing can conceal
Joys and Concerns: We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You are invited to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together.
You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.
Earth Song: El Dorado (Michael Jackson)
What about sunrise
What about rain
What about all the things that you said
We were to gain
What about killing fields
Is there a time
What about all the things
That you said were yours and mine
Did you ever stop to notice
All the blood we've shed before
Did you ever stop to notice
This crying Earth, these weeping shores
What have we done to the world
Look what we've done
What about all the peace
That you pledge your only son
What about flowering fields
Is there a time
What about all the dreams
That you said was yours and mine
Did you ever stop to notice
All the children dead from war
Did you ever stop to notice
This crying earth, these weeping shores
I used to dream
I used to glance beyond the stars
Now I don't know where we are
Although I know we've drifted far
Hey, what about yesterday
(What about us)
What about the seas
(What about us)
The heavens are falling down
(What about us)
I can't even breathe
(What about us)
What about apathy
(What about us)
Drowning in the seas
(What about us)
What about the promised land
Preachin' what I believe
(What about us)
What about the holy land
(What about it)
What about the greed
(What about us)
Where did we go wrong
Someone tell me why
(What about us)
What about baby boy
(What about him)
What about the days
(What about us)
What about all their joy
Do we give a damn
GOSPEL READING: Acts 2: 36-41
One: This is the word of God, for us, the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God!
SERMON: For the Healing of the World
Rev. Mandy Sloan McDow
Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time. Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.
The Great Mystery of our Faith
All: Christ has died
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
The Lord’s PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be 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,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Music During Communion: Remain - El Dorado (Mutemath)
I've been dreaming
Dreaming of a day in the end
Waiting for someone
To wake me from the dream that I'm in
I've been confiscating
Every shred of hope that I can
I keep on mistaking
The future for the places I've been
Always the same
Always forever we remain
Always the same
I'm dying just to keep my place
I've been breaking
And repairing everything that I make
Just to feel important
And worth the little space that I take
I keep on delaying
Everything I'd rather avoid
Rapidly decaying
And panicking I'm losing the choice
Always the same
Always forever we remain
Always the same
I'm dying just to keep my place
Always the same
Always forever we remain
Always the same
I'm dying just to keep my place
Just keep on trying
Just keep fighting
Just keep going
Just keep surviving
Benediction
Remember:
God is with you,
God is for you,
God refuses to be God without you.
And may all of God’s people say: Amen.
Virtual Coffee Hour Begins now! Immediately following worship on Zoom