When Things Fall Apart Not Causing Harm June 14, 2020

540 S. Commonwealth Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90020 Telephone 213.385.1341 – www.FCCLA.org The Gathering of the People First Congregational Church of Los Angeles is a safe place for all people, and we celebrate our diversity of race, creed, gender, religion, cultural background, sexual orientation, gender identities and expressions...We extend a warm welcome to all this morning and especially those who are worshiping with us for the first time. Your presence both enriches us and this time of celebration together ~

Prelude on the Great Organs of First Church Dr. Christoph Bull, Organist-in-Residence When Bach met : Autobahn-Toccata (Johann Sebastian Bach, Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider, Emil Schult; arr. C. Bull) Fugue in F Major, BWV 540/2 (Johann Sebastian Bach) What’s Going On (Al Cleveland, Renaldo Benson, Marvin Gaye) Over The Rainbow (Harold Arlen, E.Y. Harburg; arr. C. Bull)

Words of Welcome Rev. Laura Vail Fregin

Chiming of the Hour

Words of Gathering Rev. Michael Lehman It is into a world of wonder that we tumble as we make that first gasping grasp for life.

Our separation from whatever beauty came before is as certain as our separation from the one who, with a final push, sent us out into this world.

We cannot remember the pools of life from which we came. We cannot imagine the whirling mists into which we shall all go.

Yet we journey on, yearning to make whole our experience of life, so that the mysteries that it holds might unfold for us, and we might know what Holy, truly means.

Blessed be the break of day. Blessed be the journey. Blessed be the Spirit of Life around us, among us, and within us.

May it be so, O God. May it be so for us! Gathering Hymn “We Sing Your Mighty Power, O God” ELLACOMBE Prayer of Awareness Rev. Fregin O God, for your love for us, warm and brooding, which has brought us to birth and opened our eyes to the wonder and beauty of creation, we give you thanks.

For your love for us, wild and freeing, which has awakened us to the energy of creation: to the sap that flows, the blood that pulses, the heart that sings, we give you thanks.

Holy One, on this day, we celebrate that your Spirit of Life is present deep within us, and at the heart of all life. Forgive us when we forget your gift of love made known to us in Jesus, whose Way draws us evermore into your presence. Amen. [adapt/IonaCommunity]

Introit “Dove Descending Breaks The Air” IGOR STRAVINKSY LAUDE, DR. DAVID HARRIS, DIRECTOR

“The dove descending breaks the air With flame of incandescent terror Of which the tongues declare The one discharge from sin and error. The only hope, or else despair Lies in the choice of pyre or pyre To be redeemed from fire by fire.

Who, then, devised the torment? Love. Love is the unfamiliar name Behind the hands that wove The intolerable shirt of flame Which human power cannot remove. We only live, only suspire, Consumed by either fire or fire.” ~T.S. Eliot

The Lord’s Prayer Raúl Rojas You are invited to pray the traditional words or to use the inclusive text below: Our God…who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom 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 kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Gloria Patri Glory be to God, and to the Christ, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end, Amen, Amen

Blessing of the Children Rev. Hoeger

Prayers with the People Rev. Michael Lehman

Invitation to Prayer

Silence

Prayer of Confession Gracious, Loving God, we open our hearts to you. We confess there have been times when we have turned away from you. There have been times when we have hurt and rejected our neighbors. Sometimes it has been difficult to love and accept ourselves.

Forgive us for the systemic oppression we have allowed to be part of our culture – racism, sexism, homophobia, and economic elitism. Give us the courage to stand up for the dignity and rights of all our siblings.

Make us willing, O God, to live our lives in response to your call to love all your children as you have loved us.

Words of Assurance The Holy One, helps us find the courage to let go of our fears, accept the challenges before us as we open ourselves to the still, small voice - we know to be grounded in holiness. May this truth help our souls to be filled with the awe of who we are called to be, as we give thanks for the one who is the light of God’s love and the one who is always calling us home.

Meditation Anthem “The Road Home” STEPHEN PAULUS GMCLA’S AFTERSHOCK, ERNEST HARRISON, DIRECTOR LUCIO MARAMBA AND ED CARLO ARAFILES, AV TEAM Aftershock is the a capella ensemble of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles. First Church is proud to serve as the rehearsal home of GMCLA and a host of other richly diverse musical groups from across Los Angeles.

The Reading from the Hebrew Bible Will Green Paraphrased from Exodus 1&2

Sermon “When Things Fall Apart: Not Causing Harm” Rev. Hoeger

Invitation to Offering Rev. Fregin This morning we have gathered together, turned our hearts to praise, willed that we might be moved to live out the wholeness of love in this broken world.

We have seen the places in this world where the living of that wholeness is so needed. But we cannot stop there. We cannot pretend that to gather, be moved, notice pain and injustice is anywhere near enough.

Together, we must push ourselves further – push to know the completeness of love in our own lives, push to recognize what it means, push to work miracles in its name.

Even though we have a long way to go, this is a space where the miracles are working as we continue to open our hearts to the pain, and the possibilities, of this our sacred time and place.

We invite you to join us in the work, by giving from your talents, gifts, resources, and your continued presence.

Offertory Anthem “True Colors” STEINBERG & KELLY RA’ED SAADE, SOLOIST Doxology Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise God, all creatures here below; Praise God above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Offering Prayer Rev. Fregin Spirit of Openness and Affirmation, we dedicate these gifts to the ministry of love and acceptance in the world.

May we ever seek to use all of our resources to create a world, and a church - where all are welcome and honored, loved and fully known.

This we pray as we follow the One whose welcome and love, still shows us the way. Amen.

Passing of the Peace Rev. Lehman In this place… We believe in the precious nature of each individual. Peace to the people who respect their challenging and devoted neighbors.

We believe in Justice for all people. Peace to the people who support the right for people to be accepted, and celebrated, for who they are.

We believe in the acceptance of our siblings of whatever sexual orientation and gender identities. Peace to the people who speak out against persecution, bullying, verbal, and physical abuse of individuals and groups of people.

We believe in an Inclusive Church. Peace to the people who, with their love and desire for wholeness of humankind, create communities and churches where we are all enabled to worship in the spirit of diversity, honesty, and love. [adapt/gduncan/England]

This morning, may the peace of God, and the peace of this place of this place, be with you. And also with you!

Words for the Journey Rev. Hoeger In Christ we experience our wholeness, we are God’s beloved creation.

As you have received God’s grace, go now and dare to reach out to others, to help others reconcile and make new. And the presence of God, who is our Creator, Christ, and Sustainer, will go with you. [adapt/kturney]

May it be so. May it be so for us!

Choral Benediction Response “Amen” KELLY MCCANDLESS LAUDE

Hymn for the Journey “Rejoicing, Reclaiming, Our Life-Giving Call” FOUNDATION

Organ Postlude Autobahn-Toccata - Elektrische Reprise JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH, RALF DR. BULL HÜTTER, FLORIAN SCHNEIDER, EMIL SCHULT; ARR. C. BULL Inside the Music “I’ve always been drawn to Stravinsky’s “Dove Descending”, set to Eliot’s powerful poetry. The poem speaks of peace via the metaphor of the dove carving a clear line of choice for humanity. Both will consume us. Whether we choose to love or live outside of love, we will be taken over, the choice is ours to hang back and be consumed by terror, or move forward into love that will take us over for love’s sake. Stravinsky, who famously spoke about artistic freedom stating that “my freedom will be so much the greater and more meaningful the more narrowly I limit my field of action,” chose one of the more confining modes of composition to convey Eliot’s message by writing a twelve-tone composition. Twelve-tone music is atonal, meaning that it doesn’t adhere to harmonic hierarchies that our ears are so accustomed to. Each note of twelve has to be sounded in a pre-determined order before any of them can be heard again. By limiting himself to this bound structure, Stravinsky reveals that he sees the choice of living in love to embody a certain kind of restraint and limitation. Love is many things, as Paul tells us in Corinthians, but it is also not many things. To live in love takes the courage to walk into its fire where, presumably, all else will be consumed. I am also drawn to this piece because in the midst of a confining compositional style, Stravinsky still conveys deep passion, and opens the singers to explore communication in new ways, opening our minds to possibilities of renewal that we haven’t yet considered.” ~Dr. Harris