One: Good morning and welcome to Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ, where no matter who you are or where you are on life's journey . . .

All: You are welcome here!

[We offer you a warm welcome, and as is our practice, we remember that the land on which we meet is, was, and always will be native land. We acknowledge those indigenous tribes to Oklahoma: the Wichitas, Caddos, Plains Apaches, and the Quapaws, as the original custodians of the land in this place. We grieve the violence done to native language, culture, and personhood, and seek to honor the sovereignty and dignity of native peoples.]

We are so glad to worship together!

One: Anybody who has ever endured a cricket invasion knows that nature is very good at creating exact copies.

All: But that is not the case for people. Just stand in a crowded place - an airport, a mall, a concert - and marvel at the variety of humanity.


One: Indeed, we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

All: Oh to be so blessed! Come let us worship together!

God the Spirit, Guide and Guardian, Hymn 355
New Century Hymnal

[Please rise in body or in spirit.]

One: "May the peace of Christ be with you."
All: "And also with you!"

[Please rise in body or in spirit to enact the ancient practice of passing the peace.]

Anthem
Composer
Carolyn Sargent

For the joys of this congregation, let the people say: Thanks be to God.

Our Creator, who is in heaven, holy is your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For you reign in the power that is love, now and always. Amen.

The Garden Hymn
David W. Music
Third Sunday Choir

The Lord into his garden comes,
the spices yield a rich perfume,
the lilies grow and thrive,
the lilies grow and thrive;

refreshing showers of grace divine
from Jesus flow to ev’ry vine,
and make the dead revive
and make the dead revive.

O that this dry and barren ground
in springs of water may abound,
a fruitful soil become,
a fruitful soil become;

a desert blossom as the rose,
when Jesus conquers all his foes,
and makes his people one,
and makes his people one.

Psalm 1 (King James Version)
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Our second reading this morning is a poem by the founding saint and chief instigator of the Mayflower Men’s Group:

“Long Journey Home,” by Tim Reardon
I wanted to get in trouble
but not get caught
Something said
I had to be a good little Timmy
Ma needed me to be her shield

I didn’t want that job
Certainly I didn’t want to be sweet
I wanted to be like Billy
Chase girls, shoplift, hotwire cars
Be daring and take chances

But there it was, on my platter
I was formed early to be something other
than what I wanted to be I played that role for awhile
But eventually it was time to fly away

Part of my soul left home one year
and it wandered far and wide
That painful journey led me into dark places
where I sought fulfillment for my fractured soul
I didn’t know what I wanted but the ache was ever present

I told the old man I was trying to find myself
“Find yourself, what the hell does that mean
Be a man, grow up…get a job”
A job…one of his answers to all my problems!

Then one day I looked into the abyss
and said, “No more. I am lost.”
Gradually over time healing began
The fear that woke me every morning
slowly began to disappear with the rising sun

Over time I faced my painful past
and my true self began to appear
Like spring snow the dark side slowly melted
and my shadows became visible
Baffling dreams became clear and eventually
Timmy was healed and I appeared.

Men’s Group members:
Ken Ford, Framing the Story of the MMG
Bob Eskridge, My Mayflower Men’s Group Story
Larry Mitchell, Lessons Learned

Like a Mother Who Has Borne Us, Hymn 583
New Century Hymnal

[Please rise in body or in spirit.]

One: May God grant to us the grace to never sell ourselves short, the courage to risk something big for something good, and the wisdom to know that the world is too small for anything but love. Let us go in peace, pray for peace, wage a little peace, and love one another . . .

ALL: Every single other.

What Does the Lord Require?
Jim Strathdee

Part 1: What does the Lord require of you? What does the Lord require of you?
Part 2: Justice, kindness, walk humbly with your God. Justice, kindness, walk humbly with your God.
Part 3: To do justice, and love kindness and walk humbly with your God. To do justice, and love kindness and walk humbly with your God.

[Sung in a round, Part 1 begins the response, joined the second time by Part 2, then by Part 3, and then a fourth time through. For those in-person, it is our tradition for the congregation to stand and turn towards the center aisle during the benediction response so that we might "send each other forth" to embody what we sing.]