Morning Worship

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.

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One: Good morning and welcome from 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!

One: We gather as friends and strangers, first-timers and long-timers, seekers, doubters, and believers.

All: Whether we are stuck, standing upright, or barely making it, this community will remind us that we are beloved.

One: Whether we come today looking back with regret or looking ahead with hope, God wants us to see the beauty of this time and place.

All: So let us be fully present, bearing each other’s burdens and celebrating each other’s happiness, so that we might divide our sorrows and multiply our joy!

Come Forth, O Love Divine, Hymn 289
New Century Hymnal

[Please rise in body or in spirit.]

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

Sonata No. 6 Finale
Felix Mendelssohn
Carolyn Sargent

For the joys of this congregation, let the people say: “Thanks be to God!”

Let us say together the Lord’s Prayer, a translation by this congregation:

O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
arr. Cindy Berry
Glenda Stansbury

Rev. Dr. Lori Walke

Now in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, to begin with, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. Indeed, there have to be factions among you, for only so will it become clear who among you are genuine. When you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s supper. For when the time comes to eat, each of you proceeds to eat your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk. What! Do you not have households to eat and drink in? Or do you show contempt for the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I commend you? In this matter I do not commend you!

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For all who eat and drink[b] without discerning the body[c] eat and drink judgment against themselves.For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. If you are hungry, eat at home, so that when you come together, it will not be for your condemnation. About the other things I will give instructions when I come.

Rev. Dr. Lisa Wolfe

With a passion for biblical studies and a commitment to empowering others through knowledge, Dr. Wolfe brings the ancient texts to life for contemporary audiences. Since 2007, Dr. Wolfe has been an integral part of Oklahoma City University (OCU), where she serves as a Professor of Religion. Throughout her career, Dr. Wolfe has taught a wide range of courses, including Bible and Culture, Introduction to World Religions, Methods of Biblical Analysis, Biblical Hebrew, Women in the Hebrew Bible, Prophetic Literature, Psalms and Wisdom Literature, and Pentateuch. Her teachings often incorporate honors sections and service learning components, reflecting her commitment to comprehensive and engaged learning. Beyond her academic pursuits, Dr. Wolfe is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, a role she has held since 2000. She takes her call to ministry seriously, regularly participating in chapel services on campus and frequently preaching and teaching at her own church and others across Oklahoma and the country.

This is a Day of New Beginnings, Hymn 417
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. So 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.]