Night Prayer for General Synod
Monday, July 3, 2017
Close of Business
*indicates that all are invited to stand in body or spirit.
Congregation is invited to respond as indicated by Bold print.
Musical Transition from Close of Business
Soon It’s Gonna Rain Tom Jones, Harvey Schmidt
Call to Worship
We gather at the end of this very long day,
to the cadence of rain drops,
joined by icy streams of rushing water,
flowing and gushing,
building and cascading over stones,
bringing life and depth to rolling rivers.
From the north to the south, from the east to the west,
we share life-giving waters.
Creator God, Giver of Life,
who called the oceans and rivers into being,
who parted the Red Sea to liberate your people,
who imbued the River Jordan with hopefulness
as your Child emerged glistening and filled with your grace.
For this we praise you, O Holy One.
Sustainer God,
wash away the grit of this day
as we settle into your word this evening,
And refresh us anew with your Spirit.
*Opening SongWe'll All Stand Together Amy G. Sens
Scripture Presentation: 2 Kings 5: 1-14 The Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund, reader
Edward Lawrence, dancer
Homily The Rev. Dr. David Vásquez-Levy
President
Pacific School of Religion
SongWade in the Water Traditional Spiritual
Chorus
Solo:See that host all dressed in white
ALL: God's gonna trouble the water.
Solo: The leader looks like the Israelite.
ALL: God's gonna trouble the water.
Chorus
See that band all dressed in red.
God's gonna trouble the water.
It looks like the band that Moses led.
God's gonna trouble the water.
Chorus
I went to the water one day to pray
God's gonna trouble the water.
My soul got happy and I stayed all day.
God's gonna trouble the water.
Chorus
Look over yonder and what do I see?
God's gonna trouble the water.
The Holy Ghost a-comin' on me!
God's gonna trouble the water.
Chorus
If you don't believe I've been redeemed
God's gonna trouble the water.
Just follow me down to Jordan's stream
God's gonna trouble the water.
Chorus
Litanyat the Water’s Edge
Get in the water, Naaman –
you must hurry, be healed, get strong, and lead anew.
Mother Earth, La pachamama, is taking its last breath.
Get in the water, Naaman!
Get in the water, Naaman,
or Shalom, Salaam, Peace, will only be distant echoes.
Get in the water, Naaman!
Get in the water, Naaman –
La migra está tocando la puerta y no tengo papeles.
Get in the water, Naaman!
Get in the water, Naaman,
our communities and churches are suffering,
our people are dying,
our families need you at their side.
Get in the water, Naaman!
Get in the water, Naaman,
we need protection, and education,
and health care, and love!
Get in the water, Naaman!
Get in the water, Naaman,
recognize the Gift of Being and
advocate disability Justice for all of us.
Get in the water, Naaman!
Get in the water, Naaman,
We First Americans need our lands, our language,
our heritage and our futures.
Get in the water, Naaman!
Congregation:Wash away fear, apathy, despair.
Cleanse us now
from sin-filled attitudes
and all “–isms”
which poison our thoughts and our acts.
Refresh us
with new hope, determination.
Grace us with guidance
to overcome barriers and bridge divides.
Help us now, O God –
to be in community with all of your creation –
to navigate these rushing currents –
let us do what needs to be done today,
mañana - and the day after.
We pray this in the name of the One
who meets us at the water’s edge.
*Song:Cristo es la peña de Horeb
Benediction Rev. Vásquez – Levy
Postlude
River Bridges, Block,Jenkins and Vivion
Catawba College Singers
Been traveling these wide roads for so long
My heart’s been far from you
Ten-thousand miles gone
Oh, I wanna come near and give ya
Every part of me
But there's blood on my hands
And my lips aren’t clean
In my darkness I remember
Momma’s words reoccur to me
"Surrender to the good Lord
And he’ll wipe your slate clean"
Take me to your river I wanna go
Oh, go on
Take me to your river I wanna know
Tip me in your smooth waters
I go in
As a man with many crimes Come up for air
As my sins flow down the Jordan
Oh, I wanna come near and give ya Every part of me
But there's blood on my hands
And my lips aren’t clean
Take me to your river I wanna go
Go on, Take me to your river
I wanna…
Take me to your river I wanna go
Go on,
Take me to your river
I wanna know
I wanna go, wanna go, wanna go
I wanna know, wanna know, wanna know
Wanna go, wanna go, wanna go
Wanna know, wanna know, wanna know
Wanna go, wanna go, wanna go
Wanna know, wanna know, wanna know
Take me to your river I wanna go
Lord, please let me know
Take me to your river I wanna know
Acknowledgements and Thanks
PreacherThe Rev. Dr. David Vásquez-Levy, President, Pacific School of Religion
LeadersThe Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund, Vice Chair of the UCC Mental Health Network
AJ Lacefield,member of Grace UCC, Lancaster, OH.
The Rev. Elivette "Elly" Mendez Angulo, Project Coordinator, UCC Encuentros de Gracia y Bienvenida; Co-Pastor, Manantial de Gracia, East Hartford, CT
The Rev. Ruth Costello,Pastor, Community Church of Fontana, United Church of Christ, Fontana, Wisconsin
Kennedy Copeland,UCC National Setting Volunteer
Owen Roberts, Immanuel Congregational Church in Hartford, CT
Reid Young, Memorial Congregational Church in Sudbury, MA
Musicians and Artists
Edward Lawrence, Juilliard trained dancer from Trinidad who has performed and taught internationally. He has been dancing at UCC national events since 2009.
Catawba College Singers
Jessica Yates, Joan Hedrick, Victoria Layton,Savannah Shaver, Brie Gardner
Sarah Botts, Mikaela Brown, Hannah Addair, Taylor Kroop, Mia Schuster
Dustin Chapman, Liam Pendergrass, Jason Hickerson,
Duane Leatherberry, Reshaud Brown
RJ Thornton, Angel Paez, James Satterwhite, Randall Stull, Sam Reeder
The Rev. Amy G. Sens, Pastor of Six:Eight UCC, Baltimore, MD
Dr. Jo Deen (Jody) Blaine Davis, Director of Music Ministries, Congregational Church of New Canaan, CT, and President, UCC Musicians Association
Dr. Thomas More Scott, Director of Music Ministries at First Congregational Church, Hudson, OH
Writer and Planners for this evening’s service:
The Rev. Andrea Cano, writer, Chaplain, Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital, Affiliate Faculty Providence Center or Health Care Ethics, Portland, OR
The Rev. Dr. Diane M. Carter, Pastor of St. Paul’s UCC, Bellevue, Ohio
Mr. Jerry King, Director of Television and Media atCathedral of Hope,
Dallas, Texas
Dr. Thomas More Scott, Director of Music Ministries at
First Congregational Church, Hudson, Ohio
The Rev. Susan A. Blain, Minister for Faith Formation:
Curator of Worship and Liturgical Arts, UCC, Cleveland, Ohio
Thanks to the Steinway Piano Gallery of Washington DC (11611 Old Georgetown Road , North Bethesda, MD 20852, 301-230-6535) for the loan of theAllen Organ and Steinway Piano used throughout Synod.
Artesian Pool and Fountain created by Clifford F. Dupill of The Athena Garden, Latrobe, PA.
Copyright and Licensing information:
Every effort has been made to locate copyright holders for permission to use their work.
Music livestreamed under Worshipcast License 7631
Music performances covered under PERFORMmusic License 7631
Soon it’s Gonna Rain – Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt. © 1960 by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt. Chappell-Styne, Inc., owner of publication and allied rights throughout the world. International copyright secured. All rights reserved.
We’ll All Stand Together – Amy G. Sens; written for General Synod 2017. © 2017 Amy Sens. All rights reserved. Used with permission of the composer.
Wade in the Water – Traditional Spiritual
Cristo es la peña de Horeb—Text, Anonymous; Translation ©1993 The Pilgrim Press; Tune: Cristo es la Peña Puerto Rican melody, arrangement © 1993 Luis Olivieri; permission pending.
River – Todd Michael Bridges, Joshua Alan Block, Austin Jenkins and Christopher Vivion. © 2015 Eartha’s Gumbo Music/ATV Allegro/Christ Vivion Music/Joshua Block Music and WarneParker. All rights for Earth’as Gumbo Music administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing. All rights for Joshua Block Music and WarneParker administered by Downtown Music Publishing. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
1