🎥 VIRTUAL WORSHIP ONLY 🎥: Order of Worship for August 2, 2026: Pray Without Ceasing

Call to Worship - Those of you joining us from home are invited to light a candle to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit

We Are Alive - El Dorado

Welcome - El Dorado

Crowded Table - The Highwomen- El Dorado

Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

Know Your Rights:

You have constitutional rights:

• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.

• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.

• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.

• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.

I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.

I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.

I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.

CALL TO PRAYER: Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi - Sarah McLaughlin- El Dorado

Joys and Concerns: Prayers of the People We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You welcome to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together. 

You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.

Wesley: The Marks of a Methodist

8. For indeed he "prays without ceasing." It is given him "always to pray, and not to faint." Not that he is always in the house of prayer; though he neglects no opportunity of being there. Neither is he always on his knees, although he often is, or on his face, before the Lord his God. Nor yet is he always crying aloud to God, or calling upon him in words: For many times "the Spirit maketh intercession for him with groans that cannot be uttered." But at all times the language of his heart is this: "Thou brightness of the eternal glory, unto thee is my heart, though without a voice, and my silence speaketh unto thee." And this is true prayer, and this alone. But his heart is ever lifted up to God, at all times and in all places. In this he is never hindered, much less interrupted, by any person or thing. In retirement or company, in leisure, business, or conversation, his heart is ever with the Lord. Whether he lie down or rise up, God is in all his thoughts; he walks with God continually, having the loving eye of his mind still fixed upon him, and everywhere "seeing Him that is invisible."

New Testament Lesson: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-23, NRSV
But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, to admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.

May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

One: This is the word of God for us, the People of God.
All: Thanks be to God!

SERMON: Pray Without Ceasing - Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow

WESLEY COVENANT PRAYER

“I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.”

HOLY COMMUNION

Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time.
Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.

The Great Mystery of our Faith | El Gran Misterio de Nuestra Fe
All: Christ has died. | Todos: Cristo ha muerto.
Christ is risen.  | Cristo ha resucitado.
Christ will come again. | Cristo volverá.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, 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 trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

Padre Nuestro

Padre Nuestro, que estás en el cielo, santificado sea tu nombre;
venga a nosotros tu reino; hágase tu voluntad, en la tierra como en el cielo.

Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día;
perdona nuestras ofensas,como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden;
no nos dejes caer en la tentación, y líbranos del mal. Amén.

CLOSING: Our Salvation - El Dorado
Benediction

And remember:
God is with you | Dios está contigo,
God is for you | Dios está a tu favor;
God refuses to be God without you | Dios se niega a ser Dios sin ti.
And may all of God’s people say: Amen! | Y que todo el pueblo de Dios diga: ¡Amén!

Donate

Order of Worship for July 26, 2026: Every Good Gift Comes from Above

Call to Worship - Those of you joining us from home are invited to light a candle to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit

Sowing the Seeds of Love- Roland Orzabel/Curt Smith - El Dorado

Welcome - El Dorado

Praise - Furtick, Redmon, Lake, Tomlin - El Dorado

Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

Know Your Rights:

You have constitutional rights:

• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.

• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.

• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.

• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.

I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.

I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.

I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.

CALL TO PRAYER: Lost Stars - Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois - El Dorado

Joys and Concerns: Prayers of the People We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You welcome to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together. 

You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.

Wesley: The Marks of a Methodist

7. And he who hath this hope, thus "full of immortality, in everything giveth thanks;" as knowing that this (whatsoever it is) "is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning him." From him, therefore, he cheerfully receives all, saying, "Good is the will of the Lord;" and whether the Lord giveth or taketh away, equally "blessing the name of the Lord." For he hath "learned, in whatsoever state he is, therewith to be content." He knoweth "both how to be abased and how to abound. Everywhere and in all things he is instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and suffer need." Whether in ease or pain, whether in sickness or health, whether in life or death, he giveth thanks from the ground of his heart to Him who orders it for good; knowing that as "every good gift cometh from above," so none but good can come from the Father of Lights, into whose hand he has wholly committed his body and soul, as into the hands of a faithful Creator. He is therefore "careful" (anxiously or uneasily) "for nothing;" as having "cast all his care on Him that careth for him," and "in all things" resting on him, after "making his request known to him with thanksgiving."

New Testament Lesson: James 1:1-11, NRSV
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the dispersion:

Greetings.

Faith and Wisdom

My brothers and sisters, whenever you face various trials, consider it all joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance complete its work, so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing.

If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Poverty and Riches

Let the brother or sister of humble means boast in having a high position and the rich in having been humbled, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.

One: This is the word of God for us, the People of God.
All: Thanks be to God!

SERMON: Every Good Gift Comes from Above - Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow

WESLEY COVENANT PRAYER

“I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.”

HOLY COMMUNION

Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time.
Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.

The Great Mystery of our Faith | El Gran Misterio de Nuestra Fe
All: Christ has died. | Todos: Cristo ha muerto.
Christ is risen.  | Cristo ha resucitado.
Christ will come again. | Cristo volverá.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, 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 trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

Padre Nuestro

Padre Nuestro, que estás en el cielo, santificado sea tu nombre;
venga a nosotros tu reino; hágase tu voluntad, en la tierra como en el cielo.

Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día;
perdona nuestras ofensas,como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden;
no nos dejes caer en la tentación, y líbranos del mal. Amén.

CLOSING: Take Heart - The City Harmonic - El Dorado
Benediction

And remember:
God is with you | Dios está contigo,
God is for you | Dios está a tu favor;
God refuses to be God without you | Dios se niega a ser Dios sin ti.
And may all of God’s people say: Amen! | Y que todo el pueblo de Dios diga: ¡Amén!

Donate

Order of Worship for July 19, 2026: Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

Call to Worship - Those of you joining us from home are invited to light a candle to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit

Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel - El Dorado

Take Heart - The City Harmonic - El Dorado

Welcome - El Dorado

O How I Love Jesus - Frederick Whitfield - El Dorado

Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

Know Your Rights:

You have constitutional rights:

• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.

• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.

• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.

• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.

I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.

I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.

I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.

CALL TO PRAYER: Called Me Higher - All Sons & Daughters - El Dorado

Joys and Concerns: Prayers of the People We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You welcome to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together. 

You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.

Wesley: The Marks of a Methodist

6. He is therefore happy in God, yea, always happy, as having in him "a well of water springing up into everlasting life," and overflowing his soul with peace and joy. "Perfect love" having now "cast out fear," he "rejoices evermore." He "rejoices in the Lord always," even "in God his Saviour;" and in the Father, "through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom he hath now received the atonement." "Having" found "redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of his sins," he cannot but rejoice, whenever he looks back on the horrible pit out of which he is delivered; when he sees "all his transgressions blotted out as a cloud, and his iniquities as a thick cloud." He cannot but rejoice, whenever he looks on the state wherein he now is; "being justified freely, and having peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." For "he that believeth, hath the witness" of this "in himself;" being now the son of God by faith. "Because he is a son, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into his heart, crying, Abba, Father!" And "the Spirit itself beareth witness with his spirit, that he is a child of God." He rejoiceth also, whenever he looks forward, "in hope of the glory that shall be revealed;" yea, this his joy is full, and all his bones cry out, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten me again to a living hope -- of an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for me!"

Gospel Lesson: 1 John 4:16-21, NRSV
So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We lovebecause he first loved us. Those who say, “I love God,” and hate a brother or sister are liars, for those who do not love a brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

One: This is the word of God for us, the People of God.
All: Thanks be to God!

SERMON: Perfect Love Casts Out Fear - Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow

HOLY COMMUNION

Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time.
Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.

The Great Mystery of our Faith | El Gran Misterio de Nuestra Fe
All: Christ has died. | Todos: Cristo ha muerto.
Christ is risen.  | Cristo ha resucitado.
Christ will come again. | Cristo volverá.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, 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 trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

Padre Nuestro

Padre Nuestro, que estás en el cielo, santificado sea tu nombre;
venga a nosotros tu reino; hágase tu voluntad, en la tierra como en el cielo.

Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día;
perdona nuestras ofensas,como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden;
no nos dejes caer en la tentación, y líbranos del mal. Amén.

CLOSING: Sanctify Yourself - Simple Minds - El Dorado
Benediction

And remember:
God is with you | Dios está contigo,
God is for you | Dios está a tu favor;
God refuses to be God without you | Dios se niega a ser Dios sin ti.
And may all of God’s people say: Amen! | Y que todo el pueblo de Dios diga: ¡Amén!

Donate

Order of Worship for July 12, 2026: With All Your Heart

Call to Worship - Those of you joining us from home are invited to light a candle to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit

Praise the Lord - City Harmonic - El Dorado

Welcome - El Dorado

By our Love - Fr. Peter Scholtes - El Dorado

Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

Know Your Rights:

You have constitutional rights:

• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.

• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.

• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.

• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.

I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.

I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.

I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.

CALL TO PRAYER: Holy Forever - Jenn Johnson, Brian Johnson, Jason Ingram, Phil Wickham, Chris Tomlin - El Dorado

Joys and Concerns: Prayers of the People We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You welcome to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together. 

You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.

Wesley: The Marks of a Methodist

4. Nor, lastly, is he distinguished by laying the whole stress of religion on any single part of it. If you say, "Yes, he is; for he thinks 'we are saved by faith alone:'" I answer, You do not understand the terms. By salvation he means holiness of heart and life. And this he affirms to spring from true faith alone. Can even a nominal Christian deny it? Is this placing a part of religion for the whole? "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid! Yea, we establish the law." We do not place the whole of religion (as too many do, God knoweth) either in doing no harm, or in doing good, or in using the ordinances of God. No, not in all of them together; wherein we know by experience a man may labour many years, and at the end have no religion at all, no more than he had at the beginning. Much less in any one of these; or, it may be, in a scrap of one of them: Like her who fancies herself a virtuous woman, only because she is not a prostitute; or him who dreams he is an honest man, merely because he does not rob or steal. May the Lord God of my fathers preserve me from such a poor, starved religion as this!

5. "What then is the mark? Who is a Methodist, according to your own account?" I answer: A Methodist is one who has "the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost given unto him;" one who "loves the Lord his God with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his mind, and with all his strength. God is the joy of his heart, and the desire of his soul; which is constantly crying out, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee! My God and my all! Thou art the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever!"

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 22:34-40, NRSV

The Greatest Commandment

When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, an expert in the law, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

One: This is the word of God for us, the People of God.
All: Thanks be to God!

SERMON: With All Your Heart - Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow

HOLY COMMUNION

Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time.
Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.

The Great Mystery of our Faith
All: Christ has died
Christ is risen. 
Christ will come again.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, 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 trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

Padre Nuestro

Padre Nuestro, que estás en el cielo, santificado sea tu nombre;
venga a nosotros tu reino; hágase tu voluntad, en la tierra como en el cielo.

Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día;
perdona nuestras ofensas,como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden;
no nos dejes caer en la tentación, y líbranos del mal. Amén.

CLOSING: Manifesto - The City Harmonic - El Dorado
Benediction

And remember:
God is with you | Dios está contigo,
God is for you | Dios está a tu favor;
God refuses to be God without you | Dios se niega a ser Dios sin ti.
And may all of God’s people say: Amen! | Y que todo el pueblo de Dios diga: ¡Amén!

Donate

Order of Worship for July 5, 2026: Come to Me, All Who are Weary, and I Will Give You Rest

Call to Worship - Those of you joining us from home are invited to light a candle to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit

Let the Day Begin - Michael Been - El Dorado

Welcome - El Dorado

Holy Forever - Chris Tomlin - El Dorado

Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

Know Your Rights:

You have constitutional rights:

• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.

• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.

• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.

• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.

I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.

I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.

I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.

CALL TO PRAYER: Not in a Hurry - Will Reagan - El Dorado

Joys and Concerns: Prayers of the People We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You welcome to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together. 

You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.

Wesley: Some Observations on Liberty, 1776

Let all who are real lovers of their country, use every lawful means to put out, or, at least; prevent the increase” of that flame, which otherwise, may consume our people and nation. Let us earnestly exhort all our countrymen, to improve the innumerable blessings they enjoy; in particular, that invaluable blessing of liberty, Civil as well as Religious; which we now enjoy in a far more ample measure than any of our forefathers did. Let us labour to improve our Religious liberty by practicing our pure religion, and undeſiled, by worshipping God in spirit and in truth; and taking his word for a lantern to our feet, and: a light in all our paths. Let us improve our Civil Liberty, the full freedom we enjoy, both as to our lives, goods and persons, by devoting all we have, and all we are, to his honourable service. Then may we hope that he will continue to us all these blessings, with the crown of all, a thankful heart. Then shall we say, in all the changing scenes of life, 

Father, how wide thy glories shine, Lord of the universe, and mine! 

Thy goodness watches o’er the whole; as all the world were but one soul; 

Yet counts my every sacred hair; as I remained thy single care.

____________________________________________________________________________________________
We hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed
by their Creator
with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
- Declaration of Independence, 1776

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30, NRSV

“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,

‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
    we wailed, and you did not mourn.’

“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

One: This is the word of God for us, the People of God.
All: Thanks be to God!

SERMON: Come to Me, All Who Labor and are Heavy Laden, and I Will Give You Rest - Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow

HOLY COMMUNION

Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time.
Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.

The Great Mystery of our Faith
All: Christ has died
Christ is risen. 
Christ will come again.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, 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 trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

Padre Nuestro

Padre Nuestro, que estás en el cielo, santificado sea tu nombre;
venga a nosotros tu reino; hágase tu voluntad, en la tierra como en el cielo.

Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día;
perdona nuestras ofensas,como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden;
no nos dejes caer en la tentación, y líbranos del mal. Amén.

CLOSING: This Is My Father’s World - Babcock & Sheppard - El Dorado
Benediction

And remember:
God is with you | Dios está contigo,
God is for you | Dios está a tu favor;
God refuses to be God without you | Dios se niega a ser Dios sin ti.
And may all of God’s people say: Amen! | Y que todo el pueblo de Dios diga: ¡Amén!

Donate

Order of Worship for June 28, 2026: The Marks of a Methodist Are Not in Their Actions

Call to Worship - Those of you joining us from home are invited to light a candle to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit

Naked as We Came - Iron & Wine - El Dorado

Welcome - El Dorado

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms - Hoffman & Showalter - El Dorado

Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

REV. ED HANSEN

Rev. Ed Hansen, UMC

Ed Hansen was born in Tacoma, Washington in 1940 to Robert and Edith Hansen. Ed was the middle son in the family; Bob was four years older and Bill five years younger. Ed’s father worked as a fireman and his mom was a homemaker who also taught preschool and dance. The family was involved in a Presbyterian Church in Tacoma. The pastor, whom Ed knew as “Uncle Bob,” had officiated at his parent’s wedding and was a close family friend. Uncle Bob first planted the seed of being a minister with Ed.

When Ed was 11 years old, his father left the family for another relationship. The following year his mother moved with the boys to Fallbrook in southern California. There was no Presbyterian Church there, so they joined a Methodist church. Ed was active in the youth group, participating in camps and other activities. He greatly respected his high school industrial arts teacher who became somewhat of a father figure for him. After high school graduation, Ed enrolled in Palomar Junior College to study industrial arts, aiming to become an industrial arts teacher. He completed studies there and moved on to San Diego State University, still majoring in industrial arts.

As Ed was in his junior year of college he visited with the pastor at Pacific Beach Methodist Church whom he had known previously in Fallbrook. This clergy friend’s church was hiring a youth director and he encouraged Ed to apply. Ed was hired as youth director there in spring 1961. Ed quickly found this work to be quite satisfying—he felt at home there; this was where he belonged. So he modified his studies to incorporate philosophy and sociology as he was approaching graduation. Ed recalls that when applying in-person to enroll at Claremont School of Theology, the secretary paused when he said his college major was industrial arts. When she checked this with the academic dean, he replied, “Well, Jesus was a carpenter.”

Hansen graduated from San Diego State in June 1962 and began studies at Claremont that fall. As he began looking ahead to a clergy career, he perceived that having a wife was an expectation. Ann had been a friend since Fallbrook youth group days and was a year behind Ed at San Diego State. They had dated occasionally, so they decided to get married after Ann finished college, in August 1963.

During his spring semester that first year at Claremont, Ed found himself strongly attracted to a male student who participated in the same personal growth group. The feelings were so intense that Ed became quite disturbed. Ed shared this experience with the group’s facilitator, Frank Kimper, who was professor of pastoral care. Kimper simply told him to “put that out of your mind.” So Ed determined to set that experience aside and get married. He and Ann moved into student housing on campus that fall. Ed assumed that feelings of same-sex attraction would dissipate as he settled into married life. However, later that year Ed had an interaction with another male student to which he had a strong emotional response. This time he talked with Howard Clinebell, who was professor of pastoral counseling. Clinebell appeared more understanding and voiced concern that this was a drain on Ed’s personal energy. He referred Ed to an Episcopal priest who was a pastoral counselor. This counselor listened to Ed’s concerns and proposed a course of therapy in which Ed and his wife would participate in group sessions that focused on heterosexual feelings, thereby distracting Ed from same-sex feelings.

Ed moved ahead on the parish ministry track and was ordained deacon, the first step toward full-clergy status, in the Southern California-Arizona Annual Conference of The Methodist Church in 1964. In Ed’s third year at Claremont, Lewis Durham, who was the director of the Glide Foundation in San Francisco, visited the school and sought applicants for an urban ministry internship. One professor proposed to Ed that he apply. Ed recalls mentioning rather naively in his application that he had had some homosexual feelings. Ed was accepted for the internship, so he and Ann moved to San Francisco in the summer of 1965, settling into an apartment in the North Beach community. Glide Memorial Methodist Church was being led by the senior pastor, John Moore. Others on the Glide Foundation staff included Cecil Williams, Ted McIlvenna and Phyllis Lyon. And the downtown urban mission staff included Cliff Crummey and Laird Sutton. Glide was embarking on large-scale, innovative urban mission work in the Tenderloin community where it was located. Ed’s responsibilities were to work with young adults in the community. During a tour of local gay bars, Ed witnessed a performance by well-known drag artist and gay rights advocate, José Sarria. To his chagrin, Ed was invited onto the stage where José sat on his lap and sang to him.

One of the persons with whom Ed worked was Mark Forrester who was an impassioned advocate for social justice for the young adults living in the Tenderloin with its problems of prostitution, drugs and poverty. Forrester lived in a small room there and was active in the fledgling gay group, Society for Individual Rights. He exposed Ed to Saul Alinsky-style community organizing and took him to meet with various government officials to advocate for services for young adults in the Tenderloin. Ed, Mark and Fred Bird, pastor at North Beach Methodist Church, wrote the Tenderloin Report which delineated the social problems there and received local media attention. Forrester was able to secure funding to open a program for Tenderloin youth, which he named Hansen House.

Ed developed a night ministry in which he walked the streets late at night to talk with hustlers and other persons working the streets. When some gay youth got together to form an organization they called Vanguard, Ed helped them get space in Glide's basement for their holiday dinners and served as their liaison with the church. Ed was profoundly impacted by hearing the stories and struggles of the youth he encountered during this year at Glide.

Back at Claremont for his final year, Ed had to determine a dissertation topic. He had previously thought he would write something about the human predicament as seen through the lens of the Bible. However, he was so moved by the experience at Glide that he wrote on the church’s ministry with homosexual persons. No one on the faculty had had the breadth of experience that Ed had in San Francisco, so Ed essentially was teaching his advisors. The dissertation included a proposal that the church should offer a “sacred covenant service” based on the covenant between David and Jonathan. Ed had performed such a union service for a couple while in San Francisco. Through all of these experiences, Ed still identified himself as a heterosexual man with some same-sex feelings. He graduated from Claremont with a Doctor in Religion degree in 1967. A first son was born to Ed and Ann that year.

Hansen was appointed pastor of Chollas View Methodist Church, a 100-member church that was half Black and half White. He and some colleagues started a gay bar ministry in San Diego and also a support group for gay persons, called Daughters and Sons of Society. During one of his bar tours a patron asked Ed to go with him to a restaurant to talk—turns out he was an Orthodox Navy chaplain. Ed later accepted his invitation to visit him at home. While the physical attraction was strong, the chaplain did not want to be the one to introduce Ed to man-on-man sex. Ed shared this experience with Ann who grew increasingly anxious about their relationship. Ed agreed to return to psychotherapy.

In 1969, the Metropolitan Community Church was seeking to start a congregation in San Diego. They contacted Ed who got permission from his congregation for this new church to worship there on Sunday evenings. The MCC congregation later honored Ed for his role in their founding.

A second son was born to Ed and Ann in 1972. While Ed grew increasingly conscious of his same-sex attractions, he resolved that he would not leave his family, as his father had done. So he found colleagues with whom he could share his feelings, touch and massage. This allowed him to find release for his feelings while remaining in his marriage.

In 1972, Hansen joined the staff of First United Methodist Church San Diego, first as associate for youth and then as the staff working on adult programs and membership cultivation. In the fall of 1981, he became Director of Development at Claremont School of Theology, where he worked until 1995.

In 1988 Hansen was invited by the Rev. Lambert All to assist with developing a retreat for persons with HIV and AIDS, called Strength for the Journey. Ed served as the spiritual director for this annual retreat. Typically the gay male participants would ask Ed if he were gay and he would try to avoid answering directly. In 1993, Ed participated in a Gay Sexuality and Spirituality event at Stony Point Conference Center in New York that was led by the Rev. John McNeill and others. Ed wrote a paper reflecting upon his experiences of the past several years, called “The Heterosexually Married, Homosexual Male,” which he shared at this event. This writing helped him clarify his personal identity as a gay man. When he shared this with Ann, she indicated that she could not be married to an openly gay man. So they notified family members that they were separating because he was gay.

Hansen started looking for a church position where he could serve as openly gay. When the campus ministry position at Cal State Long Beach opened, Ed applied as openly gay and was hired. He intended this to be a long-term ministry, but one year later, church officials approached him to become the pastor of Hollywood U.M. Church. So, in 1996, he became pastor at Hollywood where he worked with the congregation to deepen its commitment to being a welcoming place for LGBT persons and to persons living with HIV/AIDS. He continued working with the Strength for the Journey retreats and became active in the national Reconciling Movement. He became one of the leading advocates for LGBT justice in the California-Pacific Annual Conference.

Ed was scanning the personal ads in the Los Angeles Times in 1998 and responded to an ad. He met up with Art and they immediately connected. Six weeks later, they took an international excursion together and have been together ever since. Ed retired from full-time ministry in 2006. He still maintains close ties with his extended family and his two sons, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter.

In 2008 Ed was invited by long time gay activist Don Kilhefner to be a founding member of the Gay Elder Circle of the Los Angeles area and he served as president of the GEC for two years, 2012-2014.

(This biographical statement written by Mark Bowman from an interview with Ed Hansen and edited by Hansen.)

Biography Date: October, 2015

El Pueblo de Los Angeles Heritage Festival - TODAY!

El Pueblo Historical Monument presents the inaugural El Pueblo de Los Angeles Heritage Festival, taking place June 26-28, 2026. This music and food event is a celebration of our shared living history at the Birthplace of Los Angeles, capturing the excitement of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Located between the official FIFA Fan Zone at Union Station, and Casa Mexico at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, the festival serves as the ultimate destination for locals and visitors to immerse themselves in the soul of the city.

To celebrate the entirety of the World Cup games which kick off June 11, 2026, El Pueblo Historical Monument is reinventing the majestic Pico House to become Celebration Plaza. For three weeks this new configuration complements the high-energy of the World Cup with live music, food, and team apparel shopping. The festivities culminate the last weekend of June at the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Heritage Festival.

L.A.’s own Ozomatli will perform on June 27 delivering their unique reggae and hip-hop styling. The legendary Poncho Sanchez brings his signature Latin jazz sounds to the festival on June 28. An interactive Kid’s Zone with family activities provided by El Pueblo partner museums, along with a curated, international food truck area will also be offered.

The Heritage Festival is a free event; no tickets are required. For more information, follow @elpueblola on Instagram and Facebook.

Know Your Rights:

You have constitutional rights:

• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.

• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.

• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.

• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.

I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.

I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.

I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.

CALL TO PRAYER: This is My Father’s World - Babcock & Sheppard - El Dorado

Joys and Concerns: Prayers of the People We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You welcome to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together. 

You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.

The Character of a Methodist

by John Wesley

3. Nor do we desire to be distinguished by actions, customs, or usages, of an indifferent nature. Our religion does not lie in doing what God has not enjoined, or abstaining from what he hath not forbidden. It does not lie in the form of our apparel, in the posture of our body, or the covering of our heads; nor yet in abstaining from marriage, or from meats and drinks, which are all good if received with thanksgiving. Therefore, neither will any man, who knows whereof he affirms, fix the mark of a Methodist here, -- in any actions or customs purely indifferent, undetermined by the word of God.

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 10:40-42, NRSV

I“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous, and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

One: This is the word of God for us, the People of God.
All: Thanks be to God!

SERMON: The Marks of a Methodist Are Not in Their Actions - Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow

HOLY COMMUNION

Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time.
Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.

The Great Mystery of our Faith
All: Christ has died
Christ is risen. 
Christ will come again.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, 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 trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

Padre Nuestro

Padre Nuestro, que estás en el cielo, santificado sea tu nombre;
venga a nosotros tu reino; hágase tu voluntad, en la tierra como en el cielo.

Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día;
perdona nuestras ofensas,como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden;
no nos dejes caer en la tentación, y líbranos del mal. Amén.

CLOSING: I Surrender All - DeVenter & Wooden - El Dorado
Benediction

And remember:
God is with you | Dios está contigo,
God is for you | Dios está a tu favor;
God refuses to be God without you | Dios se niega a ser Dios sin ti.
And may all of God’s people say: Amen! | Y que todo el pueblo de Dios diga: ¡Amén!

Donate

Order of Worship for June 21, 2026: The Marks of a Methodist Are Not in Their Words

Call to Worship - Those of you joining us from home are invited to light a candle to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit

Fly Like An Eagle - Steve Miller Band - El Dorado

Welcome - El Dorado

Home - Depeche Mode - El Dorado

Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

BISHOP KAREN OLIVETO

Rev. Dr. Karen P. Oliveto

Karen P. Oliveto was consecrated as a bishop of The United Methodist Church on July 16, 2016 in Scottsdale, Arizona and assigned for the 2016-2020 quadrennium to the Mountain Sky Episcopal Area, which includes the Rocky Mountain, and Yellowstone annual (regional) conferences. It includes 400 congregations in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and a small section of Idaho.

Bishop Oliveto was elected to the episcopacy after serving as the first woman pastor of the 12,000-member Glide Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco, Calif. She is the first woman to serve as senior pastor of one of The United Methodist Church’s 100 largest congregations. She served Glide from 2008 until her election as bishop.

Born on Good Friday in 1958, in the aptly named community of Babylon, N.Y. Bishop Oliveto grew up in her local United Methodist Church, being active in Sunday School and the youth group, believing from an early age that God was calling her into ministry. She preached her first sermon as 16-year-old in 1974 at the invitation of the Rev. Jack Savage, pastor of Babylon United Methodist Church It was on “Warm Fuzzies and Cold Pricklies,” focusing on how love rooted in God warms people from the inside out. She is the oldest of three daughters of Richard and Nellie Oliveto. Mr. Oliveto died in January 2016.

Bishop Oliveto earned her B.A. in Psychology, cum laude, from Drew University, Madison, N.J., in 1980. She earned her Master in Divinity from Pacific School of Religion, Berkley, Calif., in 1983, a Master in Philosophy from Drew University in 1991, and a PhD in the Sociology of Religion from Drew University in 2002.

She was ordained as an Elder in the New York Conference of The United Methodist Church in 1985. She transferred her clergy membership to the California-Nevada Annual Conference in July 1997.

Bishop Oliveto was twice elected as a delegate, in 2004 and 2016 to The United Methodist Church’s General Conference, its top legislative body. She was elected as a delegate to the Western Jurisdictional Conference in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. She has been a part of the denomination’s General Board of Higher Education and Ministry’s Lead Women Pastor Project, and has been a mentor to other clergywomen believing they are called to pastor large churches.

Bishop Oliveto has been the adjunct professor of United Methodist Studies at Pacific School of Religion from 2004 to 2016. She has also been an adjunct professor in Prophetic Leadership for the Doctor of Ministry program at Drew University and was adjunct professor in Evangelism and Mission at Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas.

Bishop Oliveto has the distinction of being the first openly lesbian bishop in The United Methodist Church. She and her wife, Robin Ridenour, a nurse anesthetist and United Methodist deaconess, were married in 2014.

Know Your Rights:

You have constitutional rights:

• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.

• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.

• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.

• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.

I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.

I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.

I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.

Juneteenth Celebration Honoring the Legacy of Biddy Mason (1818 - 1891)

"FROM ENSLAVED TO LANDOWNER. FROM SURVIVOR TO PHILANTHROPIST. HER LEGACY LIVES IN EVERY BLOCK OF THIS CITY."

JUNE 19, 2026 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Biddy Mason Memorial Park - 333 S. Spring Street

CALL TO PRAYER: Naked As We Came - Iron & Wine - El Dorado

Joys and Concerns: Prayers of the People We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You welcome to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together. 

You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.

The Character of a Methodist

by John Wesley

  2. Neither are words or phrases of any sort. We do not place our religion, or any part of it, in being attached to any peculiar mode of speaking, any quaint or uncommon set of expressions. The most obvious, easy, common words, wherein our meaning can be conveyed, we prefer before others, both on ordinary occasions, and when we speak of the things of God. We never, therefore, willingly or designedly, deviate from the most usual way of speaking; unless when we express scripture truths in scripture words, which, we presume, no Christian will condemn. Neither do we affect to use any particular expressions of Scripture more frequently than others, unless they are such as are more frequently used by the inspired writers themselves. So that it is as gross an error, to place the marks of a Methodist in his words, as in opinions of any sort.

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17, NRSV

Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
    for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am devoted to you;
    save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; be gracious to me, O Lord,
    for to you do I cry all day long.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
    for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
    abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you.
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
    listen to my cry of supplication.
In the day of my trouble I call on you,
    for you will answer me.

There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
    nor are there any works like yours.
All the nations you have made shall come
    and bow down before you, O Lord,
    and shall glorify your name.
For you are great and do wondrous things;
    you alone are God.

Turn to me and be gracious to me;
    give your strength to your servant;
    save the child of your maidservant.
Show me a sign of your favor,
    so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame,
    because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

One: This is the word of God for us, the People of God.
All: Thanks be to God!

SERMON: The Marks of a Methodist Are Not in Their Words - Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow

HOLY COMMUNION

Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time.
Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.

The Great Mystery of our Faith
All: Christ has died
Christ is risen. 
Christ will come again.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, 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 trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

Padre Nuestro

Padre Nuestro, que estás en el cielo, santificado sea tu nombre;
venga a nosotros tu reino; hágase tu voluntad, en la tierra como en el cielo.

Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día;
perdona nuestras ofensas,como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden;
no nos dejes caer en la tentación, y líbranos del mal. Amén.

CLOSING: Living Faith - Sojourn - El Dorado
Benediction

And remember:
God is with you | Dios está contigo,
God is for you | Dios está a tu favor;
God refuses to be God without you | Dios se niega a ser Dios sin ti.
And may all of God’s people say: Amen! | Y que todo el pueblo de Dios diga: ¡Amén!

Donate

Order of Worship for June 14, 2026: Plain, Old Christianity

Call to Worship - Those of you joining us from home are invited to light a candle to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit

This Will Be Our Year - The Zombies - El Dorado

One of Us - Joan Osborne - El Dorado

Welcome - Stephen Folds

Where Do I Go - Ellie Holcomb - El Dorado

Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

The 2024 General Conference took action to begin to offer a means of redress for those whose clergy careers in The United Methodist Church were ended because of their gender or sexual identity or because they had presided at a same-sex union or marriage ceremony long before there was specific language in the Book of Discipline naming these matters as unauthorized conduct or chargeable offenses. During the course of the 2024 annual conference season in the United States, we are aware, to date, of three clergy (two women and one man) who have been reinstated as elders in full connection. They are Irene Elizabeth “Beth” Stroud (Eastern Pennsylvania), Susan Morgan (Desert Southwest), and Leonard Deen Thompson (Louisiana). Of these, only Stroud will be appointed to active ministry, and she will be in an extension ministry setting. The Revs. Morgan and Thompson are retired.

Beth Stroud had served as associate pastor at West Chester United Methodist Church and First United Methodist Church of Germantown in Philadelphia, both in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, prior to a church trial in 2004 in which Stroud was found guilty of being a “self-avowed practicing homosexual.” She was required to surrender her clergy credentials. After leaving a lay ministry staff role at First United Methodist Church of Germantown, she completed a doctorate at Princeton University in 2014 (Ph.D., Religion in America). She had continued in academic roles at Princeton, Union Theological Seminary (New York City) and Sarah Lawrence College. She is now appointed to the faculty of Methodist Theological School in Ohio (Columbus), where she will teach in the area of the history of religion, beginning this fall. She preached and served Holy Communion as an elder for the first time in 20 years on June 16 at First United Methodist Church of Germantown.

Know Your Rights:

You have constitutional rights:

• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.

• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.

• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.

• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.

I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.

I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.

I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.

Juneteenth Celebration Honoring the Legacy of Biddy Mason (1818 - 1891)

"FROM ENSLAVED TO LANDOWNER. FROM SURVIVOR TO PHILANTHROPIST. HER LEGACY LIVES IN EVERY BLOCK OF THIS CITY."

JUNE 19, 2026 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Biddy Mason Memorial Park - 333 S. Spring Street

CALL TO PRAYER: Not in a Hurry - Will Reagan - El Dorado

Joys and Concerns: Prayers of the People We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You welcome to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together. 

You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.

The Character of a Methodist

by John Wesley

TO THE READER

   1. SINCE the name first came abroad into the world, many have been at a loss to know what a Methodist is; what are the principles and the practice of those who are commonly called by that name; and what the distinguishing marks of this sect, "which is everywhere spoken against."

   2. And it being generally believed, that I was able to give the clearest account of these things, (as having been one of the first to whom that name was given, and the person by whom the rest were supposed to be directed,) I have been called upon, in all manner of ways, and with the utmost earnestness, so to do. I yield at last to the continued importunity both of friends and enemies; and do now give the clearest account I can, in the presence of the Lord and Judge of heaven and earth, of the principles and practice whereby those who are called Methodists are distinguished from other men.

   3. I say those who are called Methodists; for, let it be well observed, that this is not a name which they take to themselves, but one fixed upon them by way of reproach, without their approbation or consent. It was first given to three or four young men at Oxford, by a student of Christ Church; either in allusion to the ancient sect of Physicians so called, from their teaching, that almost all diseases might be cured by a specific method of diet and exercise, or from their observing a more regular method of study and behaviour than was usual with those of their age and station.

   4. I should rejoice (so little ambitious am I to be at the head of any sect or party) if the very name might never be mentioned more, but be buried in eternal oblivion. But if that cannot be, at least let those who will use it, know the meaning of the word they use. Let us not always be fighting in the dark. Come, and let us look one another in the face. And perhaps some of you who hate what I am called, may love what I am by the grace of God; or rather, what "I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus."

The Character of a Methodist

   1. THE distinguishing marks of a Methodist are not his opinions of any sort. His assenting to this or that scheme of religion, his embracing any particular set of notions, his espousing the judgment of one man or of another, are all quite wide of the point. Whosoever, therefore, imagines that a Methodist is a man of such or such an opinion, is grossly ignorant of the whole affair; he mistakes the truth totally. We believe, indeed, that "all Scripture is given by the inspiration of God…". We believe the written word of God to be the only and sufficient rule both of Christian faith and practice; and herein we are fundamentally distinguished from those of the Romish Church. We believe Christ to be the eternal, supreme God; and herein we are distinguished from the Socinians and Arians. But as to all opinions which do not strike at the root of Christianity, we think and let think. So that whatsoever they are, whether right or wrong, they are no distinguishing marks of a Methodist.

New Testament Lesson: Romans 5:1-8, NRSV

Results of Justification

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

One: This is the word of God for us, the People of God.
All: Thanks be to God!

SERMON: Plain, Old Christianity - Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow

HOLY COMMUNION

Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time.
Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.

The Great Mystery of our Faith
All: Christ has died
Christ is risen. 
Christ will come again.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, 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 trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

Padre Nuestro

Padre Nuestro, que estás en el cielo, santificado sea tu nombre;
venga a nosotros tu reino; hágase tu voluntad, en la tierra como en el cielo.

Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día;
perdona nuestras ofensas,como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden;
no nos dejes caer en la tentación, y líbranos del mal. Amén.

CLOSING: Dwell - Casey Corum - El Dorado
Benediction

And remember:
God is with you | Dios está contigo,
God is for you | Dios está a tu favor;
God refuses to be God without you | Dios se niega a ser Dios sin ti.
And may all of God’s people say: Amen! | Y que todo el pueblo de Dios diga: ¡Amén!

Donate

Order of Worship for June 7, 2026: Graduate Sunday! 🎉🎓🎉

Call to Worship - Those of you joining us from home are invited to light a candle to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit

Under the Milky Way - The Church - El Dorado

Welcome - Stephen Folds

Good, Good Father - Zealand Worship - El Dorado

Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

Know Your Rights:

You have constitutional rights:

• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.

• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.

• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.

• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.

I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.

I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.

I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.

CALL TO PRAYER: Not in a Hurry - Will Reagan - El Dorado

Joys and Concerns: Prayers of the People We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You welcome to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together. 

You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.

New Testament Lesson: Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26, NRSV

The Call of Matthew

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax-collection station, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.

And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that moment. When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread through all of that district.

One: This is the word of God for us, the People of God.
All: Thanks be to God!

SERMON: Mercy Not Sacrifice - Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow

HOLY COMMUNION

Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time.
Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.

The Great Mystery of our Faith
All: Christ has died
Christ is risen. 
Christ will come again.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, 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 trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

Padre Nuestro

Padre Nuestro, que estás en el cielo, santificado sea tu nombre;
venga a nosotros tu reino; hágase tu voluntad, en la tierra como en el cielo.

Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día;
perdona nuestras ofensas,como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden;
no nos dejes caer en la tentación, y líbranos del mal. Amén.

CLOSING: On Time God - Abbie Gamboa, Chandler Moore - El Dorado
Benediction

And remember:
God is with you | Dios está contigo,
God is for you | Dios está a tu favor;
God refuses to be God without you | Dios se niega a ser Dios sin ti.
And may all of God’s people say: Amen! | Y que todo el pueblo de Dios diga: ¡Amén!

Donate

Order of Worship for May 31, 2026: Trinity Sunday - I Am With You Always

Para los hebreos, el Pentecostés era la Fiesta de los 50 días, el día de los primeros frutos, el final del período de luto, día de bodas y alegría. Para los cristianos vino a ser la fiesta para celebrar la venida del Consolador, del Espíritu prometido por Jesús a Sus discípulos. Este día también se celebra el nacimiento de la iglesia.


For the Hebrews, Pentecost was the Feast of Fifty Days, the Day of Firstfruits, the end of the period of mourning—a day of weddings and joy. For Christians, it became the feast celebrating the coming of the Comforter, the Spirit promised by Jesus to His disciples. This day also marks the celebration of the birth of the Church.

- Tomado de Cada Celebración, Tercera Parte: TIEMPO ORDINARIO, pág. 56.© 2009, Discipleship Resources, Nashville, Tennessee.

Call to Worship - Those of you joining us from home are invited to light a candle to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit

Sanctify Yourself - Simple Minds - El Dorado

Welcome - Stephen Folds

Amen - Rita Springer - El Dorado

Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

Know Your Rights:

You have constitutional rights:

• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.

• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.

• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.

• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.

I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.

I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.

I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.

CALL TO PRAYER: One of Us - Joan Osborne - El Dorado

Joys and Concerns: Prayers of the People We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You welcome to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together. 

You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.

New Testament Lesson: Matthew 28:16-20, NRSV

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but they doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

One: This is the word of God for us, the People of God.
All: Thanks be to God!

SERMON: I Am With You Always - Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow

HOLY COMMUNION

Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time.
Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.

The Great Mystery of our Faith
All: Christ has died
Christ is risen. 
Christ will come again.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, 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 trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

Padre Nuestro

Padre Nuestro, que estás en el cielo, santificado sea tu nombre;
venga a nosotros tu reino; hágase tu voluntad, en la tierra como en el cielo.

Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día;
perdona nuestras ofensas,como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden;
no nos dejes caer en la tentación, y líbranos del mal. Amén.

CLOSING: Say So - Michael Gungor, Israel Houghton - El Dorado
Benediction

And remember:
God is with you | Dios está contigo,
God is for you | Dios está a tu favor;
God refuses to be God without you | Dios se niega a ser Dios sin ti.
And may all of God’s people say: Amen! | Y que todo el pueblo de Dios diga: ¡Amén!

Donate

Order of Worship for May 17, 2026: Pentecost Sunday - I Will Pour Out My Spirit on All People

Para los hebreos, el Pentecostés era la Fiesta de los 50 días, el día de los primeros frutos, el final del período de luto, día de bodas y alegría. Para los cristianos vino a ser la fiesta para celebrar la venida del Consolador, del Espíritu prometido por Jesús a Sus discípulos. Este día también se celebra el nacimiento de la iglesia.


For the Hebrews, Pentecost was the Feast of Fifty Days, the Day of Firstfruits, the end of the period of mourning—a day of weddings and joy. For Christians, it became the feast celebrating the coming of the Comforter, the Spirit promised by Jesus to His disciples. This day also marks the celebration of the birth of the Church.

- Tomado de Cada Celebración, Tercera Parte: TIEMPO ORDINARIO, pág. 56.© 2009, Discipleship Resources, Nashville, Tennessee.

Call to Worship - Those of you joining us from home are invited to light a candle to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit

Sanctify Yourself - Simple Minds - El Dorado

Welcome - Stephen Folds

Firm Foundation - Cody Carnes - El Dorado

Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

Know Your Rights:

You have constitutional rights:

• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.

• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.

• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.

• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.

I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.

I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.

I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.

CALL TO PRAYER: I Surrender All - Judson W. Van DeVenter - El Dorado

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION FOR PENTECOST SUNDAY

God of All Power,
Open our ears, our eyes, and our hearts with a spirit of wisdom and revelation.
Help us to hear your voice, to see your ways, and to receive with joy your truth.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

-Valerie Bridge Davis, The Africana Worship Book: Year A. (Discipleship Resources, 2006), 235-236.

Joys and Concerns: Prayers of the People We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You welcome to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together. 

You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.

New Testament Lesson: Hechos 2:1-21 (Acts 2:1-21), NRSV - The Coming of the Holy Spirit

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every people under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

Peter Addresses the Crowd

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Fellow Jews and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

‘In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
    and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
    and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
    in those days I will pour out my Spirit,
        and they shall prophesy.
And I will show portents in the heaven above
    and signs on the earth below,
        blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
The sun shall be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood,
        before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

One: This is the word of God for us, the People of God.
All: Thanks be to God!

La venida del Espíritu Santo

Cuando llegó el día de Pentecostés, estaban todos juntos en un mismo lugar, y de repente vino del cielo un ruido como el de una ráfaga de viento impetuoso que llenó toda la casa donde estaban sentados. Se les aparecieron lenguas como de fuego que, repartiéndose, se posaronsobre cada uno de ellos. Todos fueron llenos del Espíritu Santo y comenzaron a hablar en otras lenguas, según el Espíritu les daba habilidad para expresarse.

Había judíos que moraban en Jerusalén, hombres piadosos, procedentes de todas las naciones bajo el cielo. Al ocurrir este estruendo, la multitud se juntó; y estaban desconcertados porque cada uno los oía hablar en su propia lengua.

Estaban asombrados y se maravillaban, diciendo: «Miren, ¿no son galileos todos estos que están hablando? ¿Cómo es que cada uno de nosotros los oímos hablar en nuestra lengua en la que hemos nacido? Partos, medos y elamitas, habitantes de Mesopotamia, Judea y Capadocia, del Ponto y de Asia, de Frigia y de Panfilia, de Egipto y de las regiones de Libia alrededor de Cirene, viajeros de Roma, tanto judíos como prosélitos, cretenses y árabes, los oímos hablar en nuestros propios idiomas de las maravillas de Dios».

Todos estaban asombrados y perplejos, diciéndose unos a otros: «¿Qué quiere decir esto?». Pero otros se burlaban y decían: «Están borrachos».

Primer sermón de Pedro

Entonces Pedro, poniéndose en pie con los once apóstoles, alzó la voz y les declaró: «Hombres de Judea y todos los que viven en Jerusalén, sea esto de su conocimiento y presten atención a mis palabras. Porque estos no están borrachos como ustedes suponen, pues apenas es la hora tercera; sino que esto es lo que fue dicho por medio del profeta Joel:

“Y sucederá en los últimos días”, dice Dios,
“Que derramaré de Mi Espíritu sobre toda carne;
Y sus hijos y sus hijas profetizarán,
Sus jóvenes verán visiones,
Y sus ancianos soñarán sueños;
Y aun sobre Mis siervos y sobre Mis siervas
Derramaré de Mi Espíritu en esos días,
Y profetizarán.
-”Y mostraré prodigios arriba en el cielo
Y señales abajo en la tierra:
Sangre, fuego y columna de humo.
-”El sol se convertirá en tinieblas
Y la luna en sangre,
Antes que venga el día grande y glorioso del Señor.
-”Y sucederá que todo aquel que invoque el nombre del Señor será salvo”.

Uno: Esta es la Palabra de Dios para nosotros, el Pueblo de Dios.
Todos: ¡Demos gracias a Dios!

SERMON: I WIll Pour Out My Spirit on All People / Derramaré mi Espíritu sobre toda carne - Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow

HOLY COMMUNION

Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time.
Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.

The Great Mystery of our Faith
All: Christ has died
Christ is risen. 
Christ will come again.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, 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 trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

Padre Nuestro

Padre Nuestro, que estás en el cielo, santificado sea tu nombre;
venga a nosotros tu reino; hágase tu voluntad, en la tierra como en el cielo.

Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día;
perdona nuestras ofensas,como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden;
no nos dejes caer en la tentación, y líbranos del mal. Amén.

CLOSING: Set a Fire - Will Reagan - El Dorado
Benediction

And remember:
God is with you | Dios está contigo,
God is for you | Dios está a tu favor;
God refuses to be God without you | Dios se niega a ser Dios sin ti.
And may all of God’s people say: Amen! | Y que todo el pueblo de Dios diga: ¡Amén!

Donate

Order of Worship for May 10, 2026: Festival of the Christian Home

Call to Worship - Those of you joining us from home are invited to light a candle to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit

A Better Yes - Travis Clark - El Dorado

Welcome - Stephen Folds

Praise - Elevation Worship - El Dorado

Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

Know Your Rights:

You have constitutional rights:

• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.

• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.

• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.

• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.

I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.

I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.

I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.

Rev. Mandy will be offering the invocation at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. The agenda for the meeting can be found here.

CALL TO PRAYER: For What It’s Worth - Stephen Stills - El Dorado

CONGREGATIONAL REAFFIRMATION OF THE BAPTISMAL COVENANT of CALLUM ARDEN TWOMEY

Brothers and sisters in Christ:
Through the Sacrament of Baptism
we are initiated into Christ's holy Church.
We are incorporated into God's mighty acts of salvation
and given new birth through water and the Spirit.
All this is God's gift, offered to us without price.
Through the reaffirmation of our faith
we renew the covenant declared at our baptism,
acknowledge what God is doing for us,
and affirm our commitment to Christ's holy Church.

RENUNCIATION OF SIN AND PROFESSION OF FAITH
On behalf of the whole Church, I ask you:
Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness,
reject the evil powers of this world,
and repent of your sin?
I do.

Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you
to resist evil, injustice, and oppression
in whatever forms they present themselves?
I do.

Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior,
put your whole trust in his grace,
and promise to serve him as your Lord,
in union with the Church which Christ has opened
to people of all ages, nations, and races?
I do.

According to the grace given to you,
will you remain faithful members of Christ's holy Church
and serve as Christ's representatives in the world?
I will.

Let us join together in professing the Christian faith
as contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.

Do you believe in God the Father?
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

Do you believe in Jesus Christ?
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic (universal) church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.

THANKSGIVING OVER THE WATER

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Let us pray.

Eternal God:
When nothing existed but chaos,
you swept across the dark waters
and brought forth light.
In the days of Noah
you saved those on the ark through water.
After the flood you set in the clouds a rainbow.
When you saw your people as slaves in Egypt,
you led them to freedom through the sea.
Their children you brought through the Jordan
to the land which you promised.

Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Tell of God's mercy each day.

In the fullness of time you sent Jesus,
nurtured in the water of a womb.
He was baptized by John and anointed by your Spirit.
He called his disciples
to share in the baptism of his death and resurrection
and to make disciples of all nations.

Declare Christ’s works to the nations,
his glory among all the people.

Pour out your Holy Spirit,
and by this gift of water call to our remembrance
the grace declared to us in our baptism.

For you have washed away our sins,
and you clothe us with righteousness throughout our lives,
that dying and rising with Christ
we may share in his final victory.

All praise to you, Eternal God,
through your Son Jesus Christ,
who with you and the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns forever. Amen.

REAFFIRMATION OF FAITH

Remember your baptism and be thankful. Amen.
The Holy Spirit work within you,
that having been born through water and the Spirit,
you may live as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.
Amen.

THANKSGIVING

Now it is our joy to welcome our new brother in Christ!

ALL: Callum, through baptism you are incorporated by the Holy Spirit into God's new creation and
made to share in Christ's royal priesthood.
We are all one in Christ Jesus.
With joy and thanksgiving we welcome you
as members of the family of Christ!

Joys and Concerns: Prayers of the People We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You welcome to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together. 

You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.

Gospel Lesson: John 14:15-21, NRSV
The Promise of the Holy Spirit

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me, and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

One: This is the word of God for us, the People of God.
All: Thanks be to God!

SERMON: I Will Not Leave You Orphaned - Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow

FESTIVAL OF THE CHRISTIAN HOME

BLESSING OF OUR INDIVIDUAL CREATION       

Mothering God, it was you who formed our inward parts, you who knit us together in our mother’s womb. We praise you, for we are fearfully and wonderfully made!

Fathering God, you have searched us and known us. You know when we lie down and when we rise up; you discern our thoughts from far away.

Holy Son, you have come into the world as the Word made flesh and dwelling among us, as a constant and abiding reminder that God is always with us, even to the ends of the earth. You are the light that has shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 

Creating Spirit: Where can we go that you are not with us? If we ascend to heaven, you are there. If we make our bed in the depths, you are there. If we perceive the darkness overwhelming us, we know that even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you. You hem us in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon us. When we come to the end, you are still with us. 

Let us pray:

Loving God, in your wisdom you have created us and given us many gifts.  Today, we thank you for all that we mean to each other and to our friends and families.  We thank you for the love that has brought us to this time and place, and for your love which abides to tie us all together. Where you are, O God, there is love. Amen.

HOLY COMMUNION

Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time.
Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.

The Great Mystery of our Faith
All: Christ has died
Christ is risen. 
Christ will come again.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, 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 trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

CLOSING: Come to the Table - Sidewalk Prophets - El Dorado
Benediction

And remember:
God is with you,
God is for you, 
God refuses to be God without you. 
And may all of God’s people say: Amen!

Donate

Order of Worship for May 3, 2026: Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled

Call to Worship - Those of you joining us from home are invited to light a candle to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit

War Games - Stephen Folds - El Dorado

Welcome - Stephen Folds

By Our Love - Father Peter Scholtes - El Dorado

Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

Eastertide Book Study: The Way of Discernment - Final week!

Wednesdays 10:00-11:00 am PT

Zoom link here

Know Your Rights:

You have constitutional rights:

• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.

• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.

• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.

• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.

I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.

I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.

I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.

Rev. Mandy will be offering the invocation at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. The agenda for the meeting can be found here.

CALL TO PRAYER: For What It’s Worth - Stephen Stills - El Dorado

Joys and Concerns: Prayers of the People We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You welcome to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together. 

You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.

Gospel Lesson: John 14:1-14, NRSV
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, but if you do not, then believe because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

One: This is the word of God for us, the People of God.
All: Thanks be to God!

SERMON: Let Not Your Hearts be Troubled- Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow

HOLY COMMUNION

Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time.
Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.

The Great Mystery of our Faith
All: Christ has died
Christ is risen. 
Christ will come again.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, 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 trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

CLOSING: O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing - Charles Wesley - El Dorado
Benediction

And remember:
God is with you,
God is for you, 
God refuses to be God without you. 
And may all of God’s people say: Amen!

Donate

Order of Worship for April 26, 2026: Awe Came Upon Them!

Call to Worship - Those of you joining us from home are invited to light a candle to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit

Everything Hallelujah - Justin Bieber - El Dorado

Welcome - Stephen Folds

Our Salvation - Derek Johnson - El Dorado

Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

Eastertide Book Study: The Way of Discernment

Wednesdays 10:00-11:00 am PT

Zoom link here

UNITED WOMEN IN FAITH - Assembly 2026
May 15-17 in Indianapolis, IndianA

Keynote Speakers:
Stacey Abrams and Rev. Carolyn Abrams

Registration is now open at uwfaith.org/assembly!

Know Your Rights:

You have constitutional rights:

• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.

• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.

• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.

• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.

I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.

I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.

I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.

CALL TO PRAYER: Dwell - Vineyard Worship - El Dorado

Joys and Concerns: Prayers of the People We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You welcome to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together. 

You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.

New Testament Lesson: Acts 2:42-47, NRSV
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

One: This is the word of God for us, the People of God.
All: Thanks be to God!

SERMON: Awe Came Upon Them - Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow

HOLY COMMUNION

Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time.
Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.

The Great Mystery of our Faith
All: Christ has died
Christ is risen. 
Christ will come again.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, 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 trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

CLOSING: How Great Thou Art - Shane & Shane - El Dorado
Benediction

And remember:
God is with you,
God is for you, 
God refuses to be God without you. 
And may all of God’s people say: Amen!

Donate

Order of Worship for April 26, 2026: Awe Came Upon Them!

Call to Worship - Those of you joining us from home are invited to light a candle to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit

Everything Hallelujah - Justin Bieber - El Dorado

Welcome - Stephen Folds

Our Salvation - Derek Johnson - El Dorado

Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

Eastertide Book Study: The Way of Discernment

Wednesdays 10:00-11:00 am PT

Zoom link here

UNITED WOMEN IN FAITH - Assembly 2026
May 15-17 in Indianapolis, IndianA

Keynote Speakers:
Stacey Abrams and Rev. Carolyn Abrams

Registration is now open at uwfaith.org/assembly!

Know Your Rights:

You have constitutional rights:

• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.

• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.

• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.

• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.

I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.

I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.

I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.

CALL TO PRAYER: Dwell - Vineyard Worship - El Dorado

Joys and Concerns: Prayers of the People We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You welcome to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together. 

You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.

New Testament Lesson: Acts 2:42-47, NRSV
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

One: This is the word of God for us, the People of God.
All: Thanks be to God!

SERMON: Awe Came Upon Them - Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow

HOLY COMMUNION

Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time.
Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.

The Great Mystery of our Faith
All: Christ has died
Christ is risen. 
Christ will come again.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, 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 trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

CLOSING: How Great Thou Art - Shane & Shane - El Dorado
Benediction

And remember:
God is with you,
God is for you, 
God refuses to be God without you. 
And may all of God’s people say: Amen!

Donate

Order of Worship for the Easter Sunrise Service 2026

GATHERING IN DARKNESS AND SILENCE

CHIMING OF THE HOUR           

BREAKING THE DAWN Remain/Hallelujah Chorus - El Dorado

GREETING AND INTRODUCTION   
Grace to you from Jesus Christ, who was and is, and is to come.
Beloved, our Savior Jesus Christ has passed from death to life.
Hear the word of God: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
In the Word was life and the life was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.   

BLESSING OF THE NEW FIRE                                                       
Eternal God, giver of light and life, bless this new flame that by its radiance and warmth we may respond to your love and grace, and be set free from all that separates us from you and from each other; through Jesus Christ, the Sun of Righteousness. Amen.

LIGHTING OF THE PASCHAL CANDLE                  
ONE: May the light of Christ, rising in glory, banish all darkness from our hearts and minds. Christ is our light!  
MANY: Alleluia! Thanks be to God!          

OPENING HYMN: Christ the Lord is Risen Today - El Dorado
            
*GOSPEL LESSON: John 20:1-18
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look* into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew,* ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.                

EASTER EXAMEN

St. Ignatius created the Examen to be a very short prayer which can be prayed at any time. In the Examen, we review our recent past to find God and his blessings in our daily life.
Ignatius would say that the Examen should be the most important moment of our day, because this moment affects every other moment.

  • Take a deep breath and hold it for a moment - taking in God’s love, light and strength - and let it out slowly, exhaling any worries, cares or fears.

  • Invite the Holy Spirit to help you see Easter as God sees it.

  • This year is different. What was normal a year ago is no longer so.

  • Think about this Easter season, the Resurrection that we are celebrating. Take a moment to recognize how God has been present in the days since last Easter Sunday.

  • Think about the things you have experienced over this past year which you are grateful for.
    Be specific; it can be time spent with your family, new ways to connect with friends, the ability to travel or explore a new opportunity, something special you’ve discovered, warmer weather, sunshine, spring flowers beginning to blossom. Recognize the experience a Resurrection experience. Take a moment to thank God for your gift.

  • As you pay attention to your feelings, ask yourself where God seems to be present in your Easter-Resurrection experience.
    Did you experience God’s love, forgiveness or mercy?
    What graces do you recognize in your Easter experience?

  • Now take a moment and review where you may not have recognized God’s presence in your Easter-Resurrection experience.
    Think deeply about this moment when you saw the need for love and didn’t feel that love.
    What was the behavior that may have distanced you from God in the moment?
    Ask for forgiveness and the grace to recognize God’s presence in all things.

  • Finally, think about what you are hopeful for and what you are looking forward to as the Easter season continues to unfold.
    Offer these to God and ask for God’s blessing on your hopes and dreams.
    Invite God to journey with you throughout the rest of the Easter season and beyond.

  • Let us pray the Lord's Prayer in the language in which you learned it first and best:

    Our Father in heaven,

    Hallowed be your Name.

    Your Kingdom come.

    Your will be done

    on earth, as it is in heaven.

    Give us today our daily bread.

    Forgive us our sins,

    as we forgive those who sin against us.

    Save us from the time of trial,

    and deliver us from evil.

    For the kingdom,

    the power,

    and the glory are yours

    Now and forever.

    Amen.

                                       
RENEWAL OF BAPTISM VOWS                                  
Sisters and Brothers, on this day, when we celebrate the rising of Christ from death, let us gather at the water to celebrate our baptism, which is the sign and seal of our new life in Christ, by saying the promises that were made at our baptism…Do you renounce the spiritual forces of evil?
MANY: I renounce the spiritual forces of evil. 
ONE: Do you believe in God? 
MANY: I believe in God.
ONE: Do you believe in Jesus Christ? 
MANY: I believe in Jesus Christ. 
ONE: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit? 
MANY: I believe in the Holy Spirit.

Closing: O Happy Day/My Sweet Lord – El Dorado

PROCLAMATION AND SENDING FORTH        
One: Go to the world! Go into all the earth! Go preach the cross where Christ renews life’s worth, baptizing as a sign of our rebirth.  
           

 Christ is risen!                         Christos anesti!            
Christ is risen, indeed!         Alethios anesti!             
Alleluia!                           Alleluia!            
Alleluia!                                 Alleluia!

Join us for Easter Worship at 9:30 am PDT on FB/YouTube/Instagram
or IN PERSON at 1010 S. Flower Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015!

Order of Worship for April 5, 2026 - Easter Worship and Jesus Christ Superstar!

Call to Worship - Those of you joining us from home are invited to light a candle to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit

Invitation to Worship - Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow

Call to Worship

One: Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
Many: Christ is Risen, indeed! Alleluia!
One: Easter people, raise your voices!
Many: Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!
One: Now we are the ones to shout, “Where, O Death, is your victory?”
Many: Jesus Christ is risen! Alleluia! Amen!

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today - Charles Wesley - El Dorado

Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

Eastertide Book Study: The Way of Discernment

Wednesdays 10:00-11:00 am PT - Class resumes March 11 at 10 am PT.

Zoom link here

THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEERS!

Thank you to our volunteers for restoring our Labyrinth this weekend!

UNITED WOMEN IN FAITH - Assembly 2026
May 15-17 in Indianapolis, IndianA

Keynote Speakers:
Stacey Abrams and Rev. Carolyn Abrams

Registration is now open at uwfaith.org/assembly!

“I Belong: Stories on Resurrection & Belonging”
- Eastertide Devotional

In a time marked by polarization, injustice, and deep questions about who truly belongs, “I Belong: Stories on Resurrection & Belonging” devotional series offers a sacred counter-witness. We invited contributors from across our richly diverse United Methodist connection to share personal stories of belonging—moments when they encountered radical welcome, spiritual homecoming, holy affirmation, or healing made possible through community.

Each reflection, paired with scripture, prayer and a practice of belonging, becomes an act of resistance against the forces that divide us. Together, these daily testimonies guide us from the promise of Easter Resurrection toward the Spirit-filled vision of a Pentecost Church where every person is seen, valued, and embraced.

This series is designed to:

  • Cultivate a theologically rooted understanding of belonging as a spiritual practice and a justice commitment

  • Amplify diverse voices and lived experiences across the UMC, especially in a season when marginalized communities continue to face threats to their dignity and safety.

  • Inspire daily actions of inclusion, courage, and solidarity, nurturing communities that embody God’s vision of justice and beloved community.

In a world where exclusion is loud, these reflections remind us that God’s welcome is louder—and that building a Church and society where all belong is holy work for our time.

DOWNLOAD NOW

Know Your Rights:

You have constitutional rights:

• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.

• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.

• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.

• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.

I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.

I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.

I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.

CALL TO PRAYER: In Christ Alone - Getty/Towend - El Dorado

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism - Kayla Ayler-McCormick

Pastor: Siblings in Christ: Through the Sacrament of Baptism we are initiated into Christ's holy Church.
We are incorporated into God's mighty acts of salvation and given new birth through water and the Spirit.
All this is God's gift, offered to us without price.
I present Kayla Ayler-McCormickfor baptism.
RENUNCIATION OF SIN AND PROFESSION OF FAITH
On behalf of the whole Church, I ask you:
Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness,
reject the evil powers of this world,
and repent of your sin? I do.

Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you
to resist evil, injustice, and oppression
in whatever forms they present themselves? I do.
Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior,
put your whole trust in his grace,
and promise to serve him as your Lord,
in union with the Church which Christ has opened
to people of all ages, nations, and races? I do.

According to the grace given to you,
will you remain faithful members of Christ's holy Church
and serve as Christ's representatives in the world? I will.

AFFIRMATION OF THE CONGREGATION

Do you, as Christ's body, the Church, reaffirm both your rejection of sin
and your commitment to Christ?  
ALL: We do!
Will you nurture one another in the Christian faith and life
and include these persons now before you in your care?
ALL: With God's help we will proclaim the good news and live according to the example of Christ. We will surround these persons with a community of love and forgiveness, that they may grow in their trust of God, and be found faithful in their service to others. We will pray for them, that they may be true disciples who walk in the way that leads to life.

APOSTLES’ CREED

Do you believe in God the Father?
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

Do you believe in Jesus Christ?
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;  he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

THANKSGIVING OVER THE WATER
PASTOR: The Lord be with you. 
PEOPLE: And also with you.
Eternal Father: When nothing existed but chaos, you swept across the dark waters and brought forth light.
In the days of Noah you saved those on the ark through water. After the flood you set in the clouds a rainbow. When you saw your people as slaves in Egypt, you led them to freedom through the sea. Their children you brought through the Jordan to the land which you promised. 
ALL: Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Tell of God's mercy each day.

In the fullness of time you sent Jesus,
nurtured in the water of a womb.
He was baptized by John and anointed by your Spirit.
He called his disciples
to share in the baptism of his death and resurrection
and to make disciples of all nations.
ALL: Declare Christ’s works to the nations,
his glory among all the people.

Pour out your Holy Spirit,
to bless this gift of water and those who receive it,
to wash away their sin
and clothe them in righteousness
throughout their lives,
that, dying and being raised with Christ,
they may share in his final victory.
ALL: All praise to you, Eternal Father,
through your Son Jesus Christ,
who with you and the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns for ever. Amen.

SACRAMENT OF HOLY BAPTISM

Kayla,  I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Holy Spirit work within you,
that being born through water and the Spirit,
you may be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Now it is our joy to welcome
our new sisters and brothers in Christ.

ALL: Through baptism you are incorporated by the Holy Spirit into God's new creation and
made to share in Christ's royal priesthood.
We are all one in Christ Jesus.
With joy and thanksgiving we welcome you
as members of the family of Christ!

Joys and Concerns: Prayers of the People We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You welcome to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together. 

You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

Reader 1: Narrator………………………………….…………………….Tom Grode

Reader 2: Narrator………………………..…………………...………..Kayla McCormick

Reader 3: Narrator……………………….………….…………………..Rice Rander

Reader 4: Narrator……………………….…………………….……….Elaine Livingston

Reader 5: Judas Iscariot……………………………………………ALL OF US

Reader 6: Mary Magdalene……………………………….……Mandy McDow

Reader 7: Pharisee/Leper…………………………………………Marshall Wade

Reader 8: Jesus (J.C.)………………………………………………….Gabe Gayhart

Reader 9: Centurion………………………….....................………Amalia Quijano

Reader 10: Simon Peter/Servant Girl……………………Ashley Woods

Reader 11: Caiaphas…………………………………………………….Amalia Quijano

Reader 12: Pilate..........……………………………….…………………Oscar Gomez

Script written, edited, and arranged by Rev. Mandy McDow, 2018. Please do not use, without permission of the author.

Music written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, arranged by Stephen Folds, 2018.
Directed by: Stephen Folds
Written by: Mandy McDow
Video Production: Jackson Flemming
Original Lyrics: Tim Rice
Original Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Judas’ Requiem composed by: Stephen Folds & Salvador Villanueva
Music Performed by: El Dorado
Stephen Folds - Vocals (Jesus, Caiaphas), Piano, & Synth
Salvador Villanueva - Vocals (Judas), Electric Guitar
Mandy McDow - Vocals (Mary Magdalene)
Diego Ruvalcaba- Sound Design
Jorge Villanueva - Vocals and Drums & Percussion

Jesus Christ Superstar - El Dorado and Readers

  1. Overture

  2. Heaven On Their Minds- Judas

  3. What’s the Buzz- Judas, Disciples, & Congregation

  4. Everything’s Alright- Mary Magdalene, Judas, & Jesus

  5. Hosanna- Disciples, Jesus, & Congregation

  6. REPRISE: Everything’s Alright- Mary Magdalene & Jesus

  7. I Don’t Know How to Love Him- Mary Magdalene

The Last Supper - Jesus and Disciples

All are welcome to share in this meal. 

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, 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 trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

  1. REPRISE: What’s the Buzz- Jesus, Disciples, & Congregation

  2. REPRISE: I Don’t Know How to Love Him- Judas

  3. Judas Requiem

  4. Superstar- Disciples, Judas, Jesus, & Congregation

Benediction Remember:
God is with you,
God is for you, 
God refuses to be God without you. 
And may all of God’s people say: Amen!

Donate

Order of Worship: Good Friday Meditation Service

Click HERE for the video to guide you through this service on your own time

Welcome to the Guided Meditation for Holy Week

This guide will help you navigate through nine stations throughout the church. This meditation will give you an intimate look at the last hours of Jesus’ life. You are invited to gather some items which may help with your meditation:

  • Each station: your Bible and a candle (or 9 candles, to be extinguished as you complete each station)

  • Station 1: a small bag of coins and a small table, which you could overturn (this takes some courage)

  • Station 2: a plant to represent the Garden of Gethsemane

  • Station 3: sharp wire or sticks, to represent the Crown of Thorns and a piece of purple cloth

  • Station 4: a cross you can lift

  • Station 5: a hammer, nails, small scrap of wood

  • Station 6: a pair of dice

  • Station 7: a place to kneel

  • Station 8: a Bible turned to Psalm 22

  • Station 9: a length of white or linen cloth, a small amount of oil (as if for anointing)

Holy Week Meditation Service Video

The artwork for each station was painted by my beloved friend, Bobby Strickland, for Saint Mark United Methodist Church in 2008. These paintings were commissioned by the Director of Fine Arts, Jane Burke, and have been a blessing to so many through the years.

****************************************************************************************************************

We are busy people, and these are busy times, and so we’re glad that you’re here and that you’ve taken the time to be in this sacred space.

We are going on a journey today, and at each station, you will encounter a text which describes what Jesus did during Holy Week. As you make your way along the path, we invite you to reflect on the texts. As you leave the tomb—the final place in our journey today—you will have opportunities to think about how the text might affect you in the here and now. What does the text mean for the Christian life today? What does it mean for your life?

Keep in mind that we live in a world where time is based on linear-thinking. We know of life as past, present and future. But, the God of all, who created us to live in this world, is not bound by time. So, the events of Holy Week are not bound by history. The events of Holy Week recur each year as if they are happening all over again.

There’s no need to rush. The goal is to think about the text as if for the first time and then to think about its meaning for your life today. It requires listening with new ears and seeing with new eyes. So, take as much time as you need, and give others the time and space they need as well.
Breathe deeply. Relax. It’s okay to go slowly and let your mind wander.

Our journey begins with Monday of Holy Week, on the day following Palm Sunday. In our first text, commonly referred to as the cleansing of the temple, Jesus enters the temple courtyard, and, seeing the business going on there, begins to drive out those who were buying and selling and he overturns the tables of the moneychangers. He interrupts the temple activity because it had become a substitute for the activity of justice and righteousness which God commands.

What Jesus did in the cleansing of the Temple was an interruption. An interruption of the normal, day-to-day way of doing things. It might have been a Holy interruption, but it was an interruption nonetheless.

An interruption…

Keep that word in mind as you begin. It will be important. Interruption. When you feel ready, you may enter the courtyard, and, as you make your way to the first stop, remember that this is a Sacred Space and a Sacred Time.

Blessings on your journey.

Station One:  Jesus Cleanses the Temple
 

Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through t he temple. He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations?’ 
But you have made it a den of robbers!”

And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. And when the evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.  
- Mark 11:15-19


If you wish, close your eyes and imagine this scene:

 

        ...Business as usual… then t he violence of Jesus’ anger… the shock of the onlookers…Pause with the scene for a moment, and let it unfold in your imagination.
What in our world,
            The church,
                        Your own life
                                 Makes Christ this angry now?

Invite God into the place where you hold these thoughts, images and feelings in your heart. This is your chance to give these things over to God, and let God be angry with you, for you. Wherever you are, I invite you to “overturn” the tables of the things that have set up camp in your lives and hearts.  Smash them, break them, let them go. Watch as the good intentions that have turned into bad habits & misguided actions are turned on their heads.

When you are ready, continue reading. 

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane, Bobby Strickland

Station Two: Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

 They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.” And, going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, “ Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.”

He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour? Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

And again, he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And once more, he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.”  - Mark 14:32-42

Jesus came to the garden to pray. Here, in this quiet space, we invite you to focus on the painting of Christ. Look at his expression. What do you see?

As you read the scripture, how does it make you feel to know that Jesus was distressed… agitated?
What is he asking of the disciples? Why can’t they seem to do it?
How does it make you feel, that Jesus prayed for the hour to pass from him?

Let this be your prayer, as you sit and contemplate:
“Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.”

When you are ready, continue reading.

Jesus Carrying the Cross, Bobby Strickland

Station Three: To Mock Your Reign, O Dearest Lord

Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace; and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.—Mark 15:16-20

Here, you will find scraps of purple cloth, and a crown of thorns. I invite you to touch the thorns, to feel how sharp they are, and to run your hands over the soft fabric.

The actions of the soldiers were humiliating and scornful, and yet, during this Holy Week, the mocking and derision still pointed to the truth of the Gospel: that Jesus is the King of the Jews, the Lord of Life, the Son of God and the Son of Man.

What do you find that you mock or deride in your own life? A person? A relationship? A job? Consider why you have such deep feelings, and seek to discover why. Are you afraid, of love? Of success? Of failure?

We mock what we desire, and what we desire most is to be loved. Yet, to receive love is often the most challenging thing for us. So, we hurt Love. We hold it at a distance. We scorn it and question it and wait for Love to leave.

Jesus came that we may know the fullness of God’s love. Like the soldiers, we deny that Love because it is too powerful, too mysterious, too overwhelming. We flood our minds with doubt.  We place a thorny crown on the head of that which we most desire. But, for God, nothing that we do will separate us from God’s love. As you sit, open yourself to the possibility that God’s love does not have to be scorned or mocked, but can be accepted.

When you are ready, continue reading.

Simon of Cyrene, Bobby Strickland

Station Four: Take up Thy Cross, and Follow Me

 The soldiers compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross. It was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus . —Mark 15:21

We know little of Simon of Cyrene, except that he was the one chosen to carry the cross for Jesus.

He was willing. Able. Weighted down.

Here, you will find the cross that we use on Sunday mornings. If you are able, I ask you to lift it up out of its stand. Feel the weight in your hands, watch how it pulls you forward, and the force of gravity makes you want to put it down.

As you feel the heaviness of this cross, consider the weight of the cross upon which Christ was crucified. It was massive, made of hewn logs that weren’t hollowed or sanded. Not only was it heavy, it was also rough and abrasive.

When you are called by Jesus to take up your cross, what do you imagine lifting? What, in your life, is so heavy and burdensome that you crave and desire help to carry it?

Who in your life might need help with their cross? Is there someone who is struggling that could use your strength and comfort?

Now: Consider what sort of “cross” Jesus is calling you to carry as you follow him. What makes being a Christian hard for you? What do you struggle with most? 

As you consider the cross, ask Jesus where you are being led. Consider picking up your burden and following where Christ is calling you to go.

 When you are ready, continue reading. 

 

Christ is Crucified, Bobby Strickland

Station Five: Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?

A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when they will say, “Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.”

Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us”; and to the hills, “Cover us.” For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?’ Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to Golgotha, the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus* there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’—Luke 23:27-34

 “And they crucified Jesus there with the criminals.”

It’s horrible. These eight words contain the greatest sin that humankind ever committed. We crucified Jesus, the Son of God, our Savior… the embodiment of love. 

Here, you will find a hammer and nails. You are invited to hammer a nail, carefully, into the wood that’s available. Hear the ring of the hammer. The echo of its force.

What have we done, O Lord?

And yet, Jesus’ first words are, “Father, forgive them;
for they know not what they are doing.”

Pray for forgiveness for the things in your life that you find most unforgiveable.
God is willing, if we but ask.

Take a moment to read James Weldon Johnson’s powerful poem: The Crucifixion.

When you are ready, continue reading.

Casting Lots, Bobby Strickland

Station Six: Casting Lots

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.’ This was to fulfill what the scripture says,
‘They divided my clothes among themselves,
for my clothing they cast.’
And that is what the soldiers did.
                                                   —John 19:23-25a

Before Jesus died,
the soldiers took charge
and led him out,
“just politics,”
they said.

And suddenly they were there
the skull
the horrid mount
stripped,
naked,
he refused the anesthesia and was pounded into wood.

Gambling, laughing,
cursing, mocking,
weeping, hoping,
praying -

a casino at the cross.
-Brother Maria Anthony Serval 

As you read the poem above, hold the dice in your hands. Roll them around.

A Casino at the Cross…

What do we gamble on today?

We take things that are so trivial, and give them power and value when they have none. A tunic. A simple tunic, gambled away by the soldiers at the foot of the cross.

This is your chance to take away the power that you’ve given to arbitrary things. To set down the dice, and refuse to gamble for something that means nothing. We don’t have to take chances with God. We’ve done our worst, and we’re still loved and forgiven.

 When you are ready, continue reading.


Women Weeping at the Cross, Bobby Strickland

Station Seven: Woman, Behold your Son

 Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.        —John 19:25b-27

Jesus has always pushed us to reconsider everything we hold dear—institutions, possessions, now, our family systems.

Jesus says to his weeping mother, who birthed him, nursed him, fled with him, fed him, taught him, rejoiced with him, lost him and found him… “Woman, here is your son.”

He knows that she is looking at her own flesh and blood in its most vulnerable state. As an infant, she washed his feet, belly, chest and head. She knows him intimately. And here, for all the world to see, is her son, naked and dying. Bleeding and wounded. Broken.

It’s a heartbreaking scene. But, Jesus says to the disciple with her, “Here is your mother.” In this absurd moment, on the cross, Jesus shakes even the bond of family. Or so it seems.

Perhaps what Jesus is doing is restoring those bonds, so that when Mary weeps for her son, she will have another to comfort her. Jesus does not leave her alone or abandoned. He provides a new relationship, with the Disciple Whom He Loved.

How is it that Jesus has given you hope out of sorrow? Brought for life, where there was death? How is it that a heartbreaking death made a place for new relationship to begin?

 When you are ready, continue reading.

The Angel Weeps, Bobby Strickland

Station Eight: The Death of Jesus

When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice,

‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’

which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’

When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling for Elijah.’ And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.’  Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’ - Mark 15:33-39

Open your Bible, not to the scripture above, but to Psalm 22.

Read it through.

Do you see the echo of the words Jesus shouts from the cross?

Read the Psalm again. Listen and be attentive to the tone throughout this Psalm. How does it change? Do you see the Psalmist moving from one emotion to another?

What does Jesus’ invocation of these words, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” tell you about his final moments on the cross? How does it make you feel to think that Jesus felt forsaken… by God?

Remember that Jesus was wholly divine and wholly human. His death was not divine punishment, but truly God suffered and died, as well. If you choose, light the candle, and let it burn for a bit. Blow it out before you leave to signify the darkness of this moment.

When you are ready, continue reading.


The Stone is Rolled at the Tomb, Bobby Strickland

Station Nine: The Sealing of the Tomb

After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds.

 They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. - John 19:38-42

After death, all we can do is mourn. We go through the motions of grieving and preparing, and when Death makes itself welcome in our lives, we have to accommodate it. 

Take the anointing oil and a linen cloth. You are invited to use the oil to anoint your head, as a reminder that we will meet death ourselves, one day. Our mortality is always with us, and the promise that we receive is that we are not alone, even in death.

Today, we prepare to bury the body of Jesus. He has been crucified and has died the same death that we will one day face. 

Give thanks that God loves us, even through our own sinfulness and brokenness. God refuses to be without us, even in death.

When you are ready, you may finish in silence.

Order of Worship for March 29, 2026: 🌿Palm Sunday🌿

Call to Worship - Those of you joining us from home are invited to light a candle to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit

One: Hosanna to the Son of David!
ALL: Hosanna in the highest!
One: Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
All: Hosanna in the highest!

All Glory, Laud and Honor - Saint Theodulph - El Dorado

Almighty God,
on this day your Son Jesus Christ entered the holy city of Jerusalem
and was proclaimed King
by those who spread their garments and palm branches along his way.
Let those branches be for us signs of his victory,
and grant that we who bear them in his name
may ever hail him as our Lord,
and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life.
In his name we pray. Amen.

Hosanna! - Andrew Lloyd Webber - El Dorado

Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

Lent Book Study: The Way of Discernment

Wednesdays 10:00-11:00 am PT - Class resumes March 11 at 10 am PT.

Zoom link here

THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEERS!

Thank you to our volunteers for restoring our Labyrinth this weekend!

UNITED WOMEN IN FAITH - Assembly 2026
May 15-17 in Indianapolis, IndianA

Keynote Speakers:
Stacey Abrams and Rev. Carolyn Abrams

Registration is now open at uwfaith.org/assembly!

Know Your Rights:

You have constitutional rights:

• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.

• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.

• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.

• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.

I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.

I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.

I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.

CALL TO PRAYER: Is He Worthy - Andrew Peterson & Ben Shive - El Dorado

Joys and Concerns: Prayers of the People We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You welcome to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together. 

You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 21:1-10, NRSV

Jesus’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:

“Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
    humble and mounted on a donkey,
        and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!
    Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”

One: This is the word of God for us, the People of God.
All: Thanks be to God!

SERMON: The Lord Needs This! - Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow, preaching

HOLY COMMUNION

Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time.
Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.

The Great Mystery of our Faith
All: Christ has died
Christ is risen. 
Christ will come again.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, 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 trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

CLOSING: King of Glory - Jesus Culture - El Dorado
Benediction

And remember:
God is with you,
God is for you, 
God refuses to be God without you. 
And may all of God’s people say: Amen!

Donate

Order of Worship for March 22, 2026: Know God, Know Yourself

Call to Worship - Those of you joining us from home are invited to light a candle to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling - Charles Wesley - El Dorado

Welcome - Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow

Our Salvation - Derek Johnson - El Dorado

Passing of the Peace: Through the act of passing the peace of Christ, we offer our sincere desire to love our neighbor.
You are invited to greet one another in the live stream chat on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

Church Council on Tuesday, March 24 at 5 pm via Zoom. Link to join is here!

Lent Book Study: The Way of Discernment

Wednesdays 10:00-11:00 am PT - Class resumes March 11 at 10 am PT.

Zoom link here

Eduardo Galeno - Funeral Service - Saturday, March 28 at 6 PM
HUNTINGTON PARK UMC - 2660 E Gage Avenue
Huntington Park, CA. 90255

Servicio Funeral en testimonio a la Resurrección de

EDUARDO GALENO
Abril 14, 1996 – Enero 31, 2026

Sábado 28 de Marzo, 2026 @ 6:00 PM

Pastor: Rubén Esponda

In American Methodism in the late 19th century, few women served as preachers and even fewer were ordained as clergy. Anna Oliver was the first woman among the Methodists to graduate from seminary and Stacey Yvonne Abrams is an American politician, lawyer, voting rights activist, and author who served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2007 to 2017. Abrams founded Fair Fight Action, an organization to address voter suppression, in 2018. Her efforts have been widely credited with boosting voter turnout in Georgia.

The second of six siblings, Abrams was born to Robert and Carolyn Abrams in Madison, Wisconsin, and raised in Gulfport, Mississippi. In 1989, when Abrams was a junior in high school, the family moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where her parents pursued graduate divinity degrees at Emory University. They became United Methodist ministers and later returned to Mississippi with their three youngest children while Abrams and two other siblings remained in Atlanta. 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stacey_Abrams

UNITED WOMEN IN FAITH - Assembly 2026
May 15-17 in Indianapolis, IndianA

Keynote Speakers:
Stacey Abrams and Rev. Carolyn Abrams

Registration is now open at uwfaith.org/assembly!

Know Your Rights:

You have constitutional rights:

• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.

• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.

• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.

• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.

• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.

I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.

I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.

I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.

These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.

CALL TO PRAYER: The Whole Earth is Full of Your Glory - Mission House - El Dorado

Joys and Concerns: Prayers of the People We believe that the best way to bear our burdens is to share them with one another. You welcome to share your joys and concerns so that our community can hold these things in our hearts as we lift them to God together. 

You are invited to share your prayers in the Facebook Live Chat, or on the YouTube Live chat.

Epistle Lesson: Colossians 3:8-17, NRSV

But now you must get rid of all such things: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, enslaved and free, but Christ is all and in all!

Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

One: This is the word of God for us, the People of God.
All: Thanks be to God!

SERMON: Know God, Know Yourself - Rev. Dr. Mandy McDow, preaching

HOLY COMMUNION

Invitation to the Table: As we understand the Body of Christ to be inclusive, we understand God’s table of grace and fellowship can extend into our homes. As you’re able, bring your own elements to this time.
Bread, Juice, Coffee, Muffins… the Body of Christ is comprised of wonder and mystery. Today, we celebrate that God can reach us where we are, even if we are not together.

The Great Mystery of our Faith
All: Christ has died
Christ is risen. 
Christ will come again.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, 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 trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. Amen.

CLOSING: Amen - Rita Springer - El Dorado
Benediction

And remember:
God is with you,
God is for you, 
God refuses to be God without you. 
And may all of God’s people say: Amen!

Donate