Live Worship Broadcast
We have aired our services on Emerson Radio WERS 88.9 FM for over 30 years. You can tune in every Sunday at 11 AM by turning your dial or visiting the WERS website and stream the broadcast live from your desktop.
In response to the COVID pandemic, we have begun streaming live video in addition to our usual WERS audio broadcast. The details (and hopefuly, production quality) will be subject to change. The streamed broadcasts will be available for viewing through links on this page on Sunday mornings at 11am.
ORDER OF SERVICE
First Church Boston
66 Marlborough Street
Boston, MA
Sunday, July 12, 2020 from the Sanctuary
This service is broadcast live from 11:00 am to noon on WERS, 88.9FM,
Vivian Borek, announcer.
Also streamed live on Facebook @firstchurchboston, Michael Sullivan, videographer.
Music -- Ethan Bremner, tenor; Robert Winkley, pianist
Prelude For Shirley Gabis Rhoads Perle; For Steven Sondheim; For Helen Coates
(from Thirteen Anniversaries) Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)
Opening Words Rev. Stephen Kendrick
Hymn # 352 Find a Stillness SIGISMUND
Chalice Lighting and Tolling of the Bell
Love is the spirit of this church, and Service its law. This is our
great covenant, to dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in love, and to help one another.
Time for All Ages “The Contented Fisherman” Rev. Kendrick
Go Now in Peace
Responsive Reading # 468 “We Need One Another,” by George E. Odell
Daniel Lawlor
Musical Meditation Einsamkeit; Der Krähe (from Winterreise) Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Reading “The Deep Sea Diver,” by Howard Thurman Daniel Lawlor
Announcements Daniel Lawlor
Prayer and Meditation Daniel Lawlor
Affirmation # 123 “Spirit of Life”
Sermon “The Two Vigils” Rev. Kendrick
Offertory Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen (from Rücker Lieder) Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Text Messaging Donation
You can use text messaging on your smartphone to send a contribution to the First Church offertory. Text a number representing your dollar amount (5, 10, 20, etc) to (617) 917-5610. You will receive an emailed receipt. Thank you!
Hymn # 131 Love Will Guide Us OLYMPIA
Benediction
Postlude Aria (Partita no. 5, BWV 828) Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
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Hymn texts and readings
Hymn # 352 “Find a Stillness”
Find a stillness, hold a stillness, let the stillness carry me.
Find the silence, hold the silence, let the silence carry me.
In the spirit, by the spirit, with the spirit giving power,
I will find true harmony.
Seek the essence, hold the essence, let the essence carry me.
Let me flower, help me flower, watch me flower, carry me.
In the spirit, by the spirit, with the spirit giving power,
I will find true harmony.
Responsive Reading # 468 “We Need One Another,” by George E. Odell
We need one another when we mourn and would be comforted.
We need one another when we are in trouble and afraid.
We need one another when we are in despair, in temptation, and need to be recalled to our best selves again.
We need one another when we would accomplish some great purpose, and cannot do it alone.
We need one another in the hour of success, when we look for someone to share our triumphs.
We need one another in the hour of defeat, when with encouragement we might endure, and stand again.
We need one another when we come to die, and would have gentle hands prepare us for the journey.
All our lives we are in need, and others are in need of us.
Musical Affirmation # 123 “Spirit of Life”
Spirit of Life, come unto me.
Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion.
Blow in the wind, rise in the sea;
move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice.
Roots hold me close; wings set me free;
Spirit of Life, come to me, come to me.
Hymn # 131 “Love Will Guide Us”
Love will guide us, peace has tried us,
hope inside us will lead the way
on the road from greed to giving.
Love will guide us through the hard night.
If you cannot sing like angels,
if you cannot speak before thousands,
you can give from deep within you.
You can change the world with your love.
Love will guide us, peace has tried us,
hope inside us will lead the way
on the road from greed to giving.
Love will guide us through the hard night.
.
Song Translations
Einsamkeit (Loneliness)
Like a mournful cloud passing through clear sky when through the fir tops a gentle breeze blows, so I wend my way onward with halting step through bright, happy life lonely and ungreeted.
Pity the air is so calm, pity the world is so bright! When the storms still howled I was not so miserable.
Der Krähe (The Crow)
A crow was with me coming out of town. Back and forth till now it has flown above my head. Crow, curious creature, will you not forsake me? Have you prey in mind here soon, when you seize my body? Well, there is not far to go for my stick and me. Crow, let me at last behold fidelity to the grave!
Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen (I am lost to the world)
I am lost to the world With which I used to waste much time; It has for so long known nothing of me, It may well believe that I am dead. Nor am I at all concerned If it should think that I am dead. Nor can I deny it, For truly I am dead to the world. I am dead to the world’s tumult And rest in a quiet realm! I live alone in my heaven, In my love, in my song!
Our Sunday Offertory
There are two easy ways two ways to donate to First Church during online services (or at any other time). Both are processed through the same secure service company (Vanco):
(1) The DONATE button here or on our home page on website leads to a secure online Vanco payment form where you can designate the amount and purpose of the contribution.
(2) You can use text messaging on your smartphone to send a contribution that is like dropping a bill in the virtual plate. This is a germ-free way to get that familiar good feeling during the Offertory part of the online service. Text a number representing your dollar amount (5 for Lincolns, 10 for Hamiltons, 20 for Tubmans) to (617) 917-5610. The first time you do that, it will ask you to fill in credit card information that can be reused for subsequent contributions. You will receive an emailed receipt.
