First Christian Church – Bloomington June 19, 2020 6:30 pm

June Series of Meditations on the Theme: Calm Calm in the Midst of Estrangement

Elena Escudero, singer Linda Abe, reader Elena Escudero, artwork

Gathering O God, Our Help in Ages Past Elena Escudero

A thousand ages in your sight, are like an evening gone; Short as the watch that ends the night before the rising sun.

Text: Isaac Watts, 1719, vs. 4 Tune: ST. ANNE; William Croft, 1708 Jazz Interpretation: Elena Escudero

Greeting and Scripture Elena Escudero

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. -Philippians 4:6

Jazz Meditation Come and Find the Quiet Center BEACH SPRING

Come and find the quiet center Silence is a friend who claims us, in the crowded life we lead, cools the heat and slows the pace, find the room for hope to enter, God it is who speaks and names us, find the frame where we are freed: knows our being, touches base, clear the chaos and the clutter, making space within our thinking, clear our eyes, that we can see lifting shades to show the sun, all the things that really matter, raising courage when we're shrinking, be at peace, and simply be. finding scope for faith begun.

In the Spirit let us travel, open to each other's pain, let our loves and fears unravel, celebrate the space we gain: there's a place for deepest dreaming, there's a time for heart to care, in the Spirit's lively scheming there is always room to spare! Text: Shirley Erena Murray, 1989 Tune: Traditional American Melody Jazz Interpretation: Elena Escudero

Poem You, Reader Billy Collins (b. 1941)

I wonder how you are going to feel when you find out that I wrote this instead of you,

that it was I who got up early to sit in the kitchen and mention with a pen

the rain-soaked windows, the ivy wallpaper, and the goldfish circling in its bowl.

Go ahead and turn aside, bite your lip and tear out the page, but, listen– it was just a matter of time

before one of us happened to notice the unlit candles and the clock humming on the wall.

Plus, nothing happened that morning– a song on the radio, a car whistling along the road outside–

and I was only thinking about the shakers of salt and pepper that were standing side by side on a place mat.

I wondered if they had become friends after all these years or if they were still strangers to one another

like you and I who manage to be known and unknown to each other at the same time–

me at this table with a bowl of pears, you leaning in a doorway somewhere near some blue hydrangeas, reading this. Dismissal Linda Abe

Closing Sung Prayer The Lord’s Prayer Elena Escudero

Art Works by Elena Escudero

ocean meets the sun casual 2 flower kindred spirits depth from surface keep your head to the sky free your mind

First Christian Jazz Vespers Staff

Helen Hempfling, Pastor Linda Abe, Jazz Vespers Ministry Elena Escudero, Director of Friday Jazz Vesper Moments Jan Harrington, Director of Music Jono Palmer, Video Editor

Acknowledgement

Come and Find the Quiet Center: Shirley Erena Murray, text ©1992, Hope Publishing Company. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission through OneLicense.Net #A-724866 Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from OneLicense.net with license#A-724866.

You, Reader: Billy Collins, from The Trouble with Poetry, ©2007, Random House. accessed http://writingfoverthethreshold.blogspot.com/2012/08/billy-collins-sunday-you- reader.html

This service was pre-recorded in various segments to allow the participants to strictly follow guidelines regarding social distancing.