Liberty Sunday!
We welcome in a spirit of silence as
the prelude begins our service.
Chaplain George Munkenbeck, 14th Brooklyn Regiment, Company H is co-officiating
this morning.
OUR
APPROACH TO GOD
Prelude "Hymn Medley"
Introit "Thou Art Worthy" P. Mills
Welcome
Call
to Worship: A Native American Prayer by Black Elk
Then I was standing on the highest mountain of them all,
AND ROUND BENEATH ME WAS THE
WHOLE HOOP OF THE WORLD.
And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell,
AND I UNDERSTOOD MORE THAN I SAW.
For I was seeing in the sacred manner the shape of all things of the
spirit
AND THE SHAPES AS THEY MUST LIVE
TOGETHER LIKE ONE BEING.
And I saw that the
sacred hoop of my people was one of many hoops that make one circle,
wide as daylight and starlight,
AND IN THE CENTER GREW ONE
MIGHTY FLOWERING TREE
To shelter all the children of one mother and one father.
AND I SAW THAT IT WAS HOLY.
*Hymn "America the Beautiful"
Let us pause in silence before our God.
Prayer in
Unison by Helen Steiner Rice
GOD BLESS AMERICA AND KEEP US
SAFE AND FREE;
SAFE FROM ALL OUR ENEMIES, WHEREVER THEY MAY BE.
TEACH
US TO WALK HUMBLY AND CLOSER IN THY WAYS,
GIVE US FAITH AND COURAGE AND
PUT PURPOSE IN OUR DAYS,
MAKE EACH ONE OF US AWARE THAT EACH MUST DO
HIS PART, FOR IN THE INDIVIDUAL IS WHERE PEACE MUST HAVE ITS START ---
FOR A BETTER WORLD TO LIVE IN WHERE ALL ARE SAFE AND FREE
MUST START
WITH FAITH AND HOPE AND LOVE DEEP IN THE HEART OF ME.
Kyrie
(sung)
LORD, HAVE MERCY ON US.
CHRIST, HAVE MERCY ON US.
LORD, HAVE MERCY ON US.
A Word of Assurance: Micah 4:3
They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither
shall they learn war any more; but they shall all sit under their own
vines and fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid.
The Summary of the
Law
(Mark
12:29b-31)
This is the
first commandment:
HEAR O
ISRAEL,
THE LORD OUR GOD,
THE LORD IS ONE!
THEREFORE YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD
WITH ALL YOUR HEART,
WITH ALL YOUR SOUL,
WITH ALL YOUR MIND,
AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.
This is the
second commandment:
YOU SHALL LOVE
YOUR NEIGHBOR AS
YOURSELF.
There
is no greater commandment
than these.
Anthem: "God of Our Fathers" G. Warren
THE WORD OF
GOD
*Responsive Reading: An excerpt from "Liberation is Costly" by
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Liberation is costly. Even after the Lord had
delivered the Israelites from Egypt, they had to travel through the
desert.
THEY HAD TO BEAR THE
RESPONSIBILITIES AND DIFFICULTIES OF FREEDOM.
There was starvation and thirst and they kept complaining.
WE MUST REMEMBER THAT LIBERATION
IS COSTLY. IT NEEDS UNITY.
We must hold hands and refuse to be divided. We must be
ready.
LET US BE UNITED. LET US BE
FILLED WITH HOPE, LET US BE THOSE WHO RESPECT ONE ANOTHER.
All people of Christian faith are welcome to join
us as we conclude this prayer of praise:
*Gloria
Patri (Hymn No. 623)
GLORY BE
TO THE FATHER
AND TO THE SON
AND TO THE HOLY GHOST.
AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING,
IS NOW AND EVER SHALL BE,
WORLD WITHOUT END,
AMEN, AMEN!
The Greeting of Peace and Special Greetings
"Soldier" by Robert Frost, read by Susan Hanyen, Vice President,
New Utrecht Reformed Church
Meditation by The Reverend Terry Troia
OUR
RESPONSE TO GOD
*Hymn "This is
My Song"
*The Offering
*Doxology (625) and Prayer
PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM
ALL BLESSINGS FLOW;
PRAISE GOD ALL CREATURES HERE BELOW;
PRAISE GOD ABOVE YE HEAVENLY HOSTS;
PRAISE FATHER (CREATOR), SON (CHRIST) AND HOLY GHOST. AMEN.
(Non-Christians are invited to sing this verse in place of the
Triune Doxology above.)
PRAISE GOD, THE LOVE WE ALL MAY
SHARE.
PRAISE GOD, OUR BEAUTY
EVERYWHERE.
PRAISE GOD, THE HOPE OF GOOD TO
BE.
PRAISE GOD, THE TRUTH THAT MAKES
US FREE. AMEN!
A Time of Giving Thanks & Praise
The Prayer of the People & the
Lord's Prayer
*Hymn "Battle Hymn of the Republic"
*Benediction
*Response to the Benediction
Postlude "Hymn Medley"
*Please stand if you are able.
The flowers gracing the sanctuary this morning are given to the
glory of God and in loving memory of my sister and brother-in-law, Dorothy and
Harold Abrahamson, nephew Stephen Barning and brother-in-law, John Simmons by
Lucille L. James.
The Memorial Wreath commemorating the 222nd anniversary of the
Liberty Pole is graciously donated by the
Ruggiero Family of Bath Beach Florist. Thank you for your enduring
friendship. God Bless You!
Special thanks and much gratitude is extended to our
New Utrecht
Liberty Pole Association President, Rose Lood and Friends of Historic
New Utrecht President Bob Buonvino, Vice President Edward Paunetto and
Angela Sarro, Chairperson of the New Utrecht Liberty Weekend,
David Elligers, our cemetery tour guide and trustee, and the
Boy Scout Leaders and Scouters for making Liberty Weekend possible!
Many, many thanks to Chaplain George Munkenbeck and the soldiers of the
Brooklyn 14th Regiment, Company H, N.Y. State Militia. Our hats off to Brian
Worsdale for a magnificent expression of America Spirit in the Pops Concert he
conducted last night to a full house! Thank you Brian and the
ISO
Band! To our own New Utrechters: Susan, Rose, Carol, Debbie, Suzanne,
Louise, Michelle, Marilyn, Erik, Pam, Gene, Annette, Mohammed, Jo, Mary, Vincent,
Frank, and
many Scouting and community volunteers---thank you!!! Many thanks also to all other volunteers whom I may have inadvertently
omitted. We thank you all profoundly. We are privileged by your
presence
and graced by your efforts and enthusiasm! God bless you all!!!
If you do not have a church home, we invite
you to consider worshipping with us each week!
