Fourth Avenue United Methodist Church

Crossing Over: We've Come This Far by Faith

February 17, 2019 at 3:00pm
 Crossing Over: We've Come This Far by Faith
4th Avenue United Methodist Church, February 17, 2019

*Processional “We Shall Overcome” Al Mortenson & Rev. Craig Tuck

Call to Worship Jan Ciermans & Congregation

One: My Lord, what a day! You have raised up a mighty nation and a mighty people
All: And we are strong, proud, and yours.
One: My Lord, what a morning! You have brought us through the dips and hollows, up
and down the streets, over the hills and mountains and through the valleys.
All: And we are strong, proud, brave and yours.
All: My Lord, we have come to celebrate you, to affirm ourselves as images of you
in all your glory and to say "Yes, Lord, we are strong, proud, brave, and
yours in every way." We count it all joy!

* Opening Hymn “We’ve Come This Far by Faith” Cantor & Congregation
SoZ No. 192 (The congregation is invited to sing the refrain.)
Untitled Black History Dialogue aJourney DeBlessed

Reading “The Creation” Joyce Ware and Brandi Mitchell

James Weldon Johnson
(see insert for text)

Choral Anthem “I’m Glad” Chancel Choir

Margaret P. Dourox
I’m glad man didn’t make sunshine, for he may not let it shine on me;
I’m glad man didn’t make raindrops, for he may forget to water the grain;
I’m glad man didn’t give life to me, for he would surely, surely forsake me;
And I’m glad, glad, glad, glad, glad that God made me.

He made me in his image, He made me just like him.

He trusted the world in my hands, but he promised to come see about me.
He gave me wisdom and knowledge, He gave me eyes to see.
And I’m glad, glad, glad, glad, glad that God made me.
Litany Exodus 15:1-18 Dipo Onaeko & Congregation
Song of Moses
One: I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed.
All: Our enemies have been thrown into the sea; they threaten us no more.
One: The Lord is my strength. The Lord gives me a song to sing.
All: The Lord has been our God, our strength, our praise for many generations.
One: The Lord is greatly to be feared by those who do evil
All: The right hand of the Lord is sure, full of excellence, power and righteousness.
One: You cast your enemies into the sea with breath from your nostrils.
All: Who is like you, O God, glorious and holy?
One: All people will hear of your glorious power and will give you praise.
All: The mightiest of all nations will fall down and worship you.

*Hymn “Lift Every Voice and Sing” Congregation

UMH No. 519

Scripture Exodus 15:19-21 Jackson Craig

Miriam’s Dance
19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen[a] went into the sea, the Lord brought
the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry
ground. 20 Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the
women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. 21 Miriam sang to them:

“Sing to the Lord,

for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
he has hurled into the sea.”

Contemporary Dance “Freedom” Naudia Green

Reading “All of Us” Joyce Ware

Joyce Barnett
Freedom and liberty sings… for All of Us.
This big, vast, and great land
was made for All of Us.
It was made for the African-American, Caucasion, Hispanic, and Asian.
This land was made for All of Us.
 From Niagra Falls to the Pacific Coast Highway…
from the inner
city of Detroit…
to Florida’s blue water deep
Freedom and liberty is not for
“some” of us
It’s for All of Us!

Special Music Sharron Sales

Reading “I, Too Sing America” Nashon Ware

Langston Hughes
I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.

They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.

Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed--

I, too, am America.

Hymn “Give Me a Clean Heart Cantor & Congregation

TFWS No. 2133 Psalm 51
(The congregation is invited to sing the refrain.)
Choral Anthem “I Love the Lord, He Heard My Cry” Chancel Choir
Psalm 116
Traditional Meter Hymn; arr. Richard Smallwood
I love the Lord, He heard my cry
and pitied every groan.
Long as I live and troubles rise
I’ll hasten to his throne.

Reading “Christ Recrucified” Rev. Craig Tuck

Countee Cullen
The South is crucifying Christ again
By all the laws of ancient rote and rule:
The ribald cries of “Save yourself” and “fool”
Din in his ear, the thorns grope for his brain,
And where they bite, swift springing rivers stain
His gaudy, purple robe of ridicule
With sullen red; and acid wine to cool
His thirst is thrust at him, with lurking pain.
Christ’s awful wrong is that he’s dark of hue,
The sin for which no blamelessness atones;
But lest the sameness of the cross should tire,
They kill him now with famished tongues of fire,
And while he burns, good men, and women too,
Shout, battling for black and brittle bones.

Hymn “Were You There” Congregation

UMH No. 288

Invitation to Offering

Offertory “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow (The Doxology)” Phillip Morgan
arr. Roberta Martin

Scripture John 20:19-31 Annie Hagler

Doubting Thomas
19-20 Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had
locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, “Peace to
you.” Then he showed them his hands and side.
20-21 The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were exuberant. Jesus repeated
his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.”

22-23 Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he
said. “If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are
you going to do with them?”

24-25 But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when
Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We saw the Master.”

But he said, “Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and
stick my hand in his side, I won’t believe it.”

26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them.
Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.”

27 Then he focused his attention on Thomas. “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take
your hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbelieving. Believe.”

28 Thomas said, “My Master! My God!”

29 Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes. Even better
blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.”

30-31 Jesus provided far more God-revealing signs than are written down in this book. These
are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act
of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it.

Choral Anthem “He’s So Real” Chancel Choir

Charles Nicks
He’s so real, real in my soul today.
He has washed all my sins away.
Jesus’ love just bubbles over in my soul.

Some people doubt the Lord

They don’t believe in His word.
They try to make you think that God is dead.

He’s done so much for me

One day he set me free.
 And now I want the world to know.

Hymn “Yes, God Is Real” Congregation

SoZ No. 201

Prayer of Response Rev. Craig Tuck

*Hymn “We Shall Overcome” Congregation

UMH No. 533

Postlude

*****
You are welcome and encouraged to say “AMEN” at the end of prayers and when you are
particularly moved by a piece of music or something that happens in worship.

Asterisks (*) indicate that all who would like to and are able may stand. Large print
hymnals are located in the front, center pew.

Methodists live fully into a rich tradition of hymn singing and congregational song
drawing from a wide canon of sacred music in four different publications found in our
hymnal racks. These hymnals sometimes shift to where there are most needed in our worship
space so if you don’t see one near you feel free to move one closer to you so that you can be
fully active in the worship of God in this place.

Here is a guide to the abbreviations used in our bulletin:

UMH- The United Methodist Hymnal (the largest, hardcover red hymnal in the pew rack.)
SoZ- Songs of Zion. The United Methodist’s songbook dedicated to the sacred traditions of
African Americans (the black book with red and green letters on the spine)
TFWS- The Faith We Sing- A supplement to the UMH of more recently published hymns
(the thin black book in your pew rack.)
W& S- Worship and Song- A contemporary supplement to the existing body of UM hymnals
and songbooks (the thin green book in your pew rack)

Text Permissions:
“The Creation,” God’s Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse, James W. Johnson, 1923. Public Domain
“All of Us,” Joyce Barnett, 2016. All rights reserved. Reprinted with Permission
“I, Too Sing America,” Langston Hughes. 1924. Public Domain
“Christ Recrucifed,” Countee Cullen, 1922. Public Domain
“He’s So Real,” Charles H. Nicks, 1967. GIA publications. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission
“I’m Glad,” Margaret Pleasant Dourox, 1972. GIA publications. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission
“I Love the Lord, He Heard My Cry,” Traditional Negro hymn. Public Domain
 4th Avenue United Methodist Church
Mission: It is the mission of Fourth Avenue United Methodist Church to share the love of God in the heart of
the city.

Vision: To create a community that develops disciples of God in the way of Jesus Christ in fellowship with the
Holy Spirit. Fourth Avenue will foster love, acceptance, and personal growth where every person knows they
belong and are valued.

STAFF
Pastor: Craig Tuck
Director of Music: Phillip Morgan
Office Manager: Lisa Kolb

Weekly Schedule at a Glance:

Sunday:
 8:45 a.m., Communion Service (Chapel)
 9:30 a.m., Traditional Worship Service (Sanctuary)
 10:30 a.m., Fellowship Time (Parlor)
 10:45 a.m., Sunday School
Wednesday:
 5:30 p.m. Prayer Time
 6:00 p.m. Pot Luck
 6:30 p.m. Study
Thursday:
 1:00 p.m. Daytime Choir Practice
 6:30 p.m., Evening Choir Practice