Re-Imagining Church as a Spiritual Movement!
Sunday, May 23, 2021
9:45-10:05am outdoors, 10:05-11:00am indoors, recession to picnic

Liturgists: Pastor Laurie, Jane Medema
Hosts: Tom Manley & Shaun Bernhardt
Music: Gabrielle Lochard, Ken Medema
Percussion: Ivan Quijano & Tony Pegram
Dance: Pastor Laurie, Carolyn Noble

Pre-Service Gathering
Ken Medema, Gabrielle Lochard, Pastor Laurie
Prayers & sung response: Veni Sancte Spiritus

Invocation: Kumbaya

Reading: Jane Medema, Ezekiel 37:1-14 (The Message)
God grabbed me. God’s Spirit took me up and set me down in the middle of an open plain strewn with bones. He led me around and among them—a lot of bones! There were bones all over the plain—dry bones, bleached by the sun. Move towards the body lying there under the white sheet.
He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Master God, only you know that.”
He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones: ‘Dry bones, listen to the Message of God!’”
God, the Master, told the dry bones, “Watch this: I’m bringing the breath of life to you and you’ll come to life. I’ll attach sinews to you, put meat on your bones, cover you with skin, and breathe life into you. You’ll come alive and you’ll realize that I am God!”
I prophesied just as I’d been commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound and, oh, rustling! The bones moved and came together, bone to bone. I kept watching. Sinews formed, then muscles on the bones, then skin stretched over them. But they had no breath in them.
He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, ‘God, the Master, says, Come from the four winds. Come, breath. Breathe on these slain bodies. Breathe life!’”
So I prophesied, just as he commanded me. The breath entered them and they came alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army.
Then God said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Listen to what they’re saying: ‘Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone, there’s nothing left of us.’
“Therefore, prophesy. Tell them, ‘God, the Master, says: I’ll dig up your graves and bring you out alive—O my people! Then I’ll take you straight to the land of Israel. When I dig up graves and bring you out as my people, you’ll realize that I am God. I’ll breathe my life into you and you’ll live. Then I’ll lead you straight back to your land and you’ll realize that I am God. I’ve said it and I’ll do it. God’s Decree.’”

Improvisatory Dance: Can These Dry Bones Live?

Processional: Let’s Go Walking (tune: Will the Circle Be Unbroken?)

Let’s go walking in the spirit,
Let’s go walking in the light.
We’ll be learning, we’ll be turning,
Candles burning in the night.

Welcome: Pastor Laurie
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Sign of Peace

Call to Worship: Pastor Laurie, Joel 2:28
The prophet Joel speaks this word of God: I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your young shall see visions, And your old shall dream dreams. Even upon those whom others despise, I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. Then everyone who calls upon the name of God shall be saved.

Opening Hymn: For the Beauty of the Earth

Prayer of Awareness: Pastor Laurie

Music for Preparation: Spirit of the Living God

Scripture Reading: Pastor Laurie, Acts 2:1-4 (The Message)
When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.

Reflection: Pastor Laurie, Pentecost in a Pandemic

Instrumental: Over My Head

Prayers of the People

Lord’s Prayer
Our Creator/Mother/Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kin-dom come. Thy 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 thine is the kin-dom, and the power and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Offering Invitation
Special collection: UCC National Strengthen the Church (STC) Offering reflects the shared commitment of people to cooperatively build up the UCC. Conferences and the national setting equally share the gifts given by members and friends through their local congregations. Funds raised support leadership development, new churches, youth ministry, and innovation in existing congregations. By your generosity to this offering, you build up the Body of Christ. As God calls our congregations to be the church in new ways, your generosity will plant new churches, awaken new ideas in existing churches, and develop the spiritual life in our youth and young adults.

Ways to Give
Online with Church Connect for a secure donation through Stripe, using ACH bank transfer with a $0.25 fee or a credit/debit card with a ~3% fee. You can easily set up recurring donations and even do so through text.
Visit skyline.churchtrac.com >
Watch How-to video >

Mail a check to Skyline Community Church at 12540 Skyline Blvd, Oakland, 94619 (deposited weekly)

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Closing Music: Go to the World by Ralph Vaughan Williams (Tune: Sine Nomine “For All the Saints”)
Text: Sylvia G. Dunstan

Go to the world! Go into all the earth.
Go preach the cross where Christ renews life’s worth.
Baptizing as the sign of our rebirth. Alleluia.

Go to the world! Go into every place.
Go live the word of God’s redeeming grace.
Go seek God’s presence in each time and space. Alleluia.

Go to the world! Go struggle, bless, and pray.
The nights of tears give way to joyful day.
As servant church, you follow Christ’s own way. Alleluia.

Go to the World! Go as the ones I send.
For I am with you till the age shall end.
When all the host of glory cry, “Amen.” Alleluia.

Benediction: Pastor Laurie

Recession & Postlude: Siyahamba (We Are Marching)

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