Online worship for Sunday, April 26, 2020 is now available for listening. Pastor Michael preaches a sermon entitled "What are We Waiting For?" on scripture from the Gospel of John. The anthem, "Precious Lord," is provided by Shaun's North Hills Singers group from one of their performances last year. Sunny and Shaun provide music leadership for the remainder of the service.
You are encouraged to download the PDF bulletin to follow along while you listen and to participate in the prayers, hymns, and responses as listed. AND EXCITING NEWS! As Michael mentions in the announcements at the beginning of the service, we are going to attempt a VIDEO of next week's service! Look for the post next week to a link sending you to our YouTube channel, with all elements of the service, including the sacrament of The Lord's Supper, provided on screen. It will be good to "be in the sanctuary together" at least virtually. Thank you to Elder John Foster for serving as videographer so that Michael, Sunny, and Shaun (and possibly Mandy, too!) will be able to lead the service from our socially distant places in front of our worship space. "See you" next week! 
The online worship service for April 19, 2020 - the second Sunday of Easter - is now available on our SoundCloud channel. We invite you to fully participate in all of the spoken and sung hymns, prayers, and responses by following along on the PDF bulletin posted below.
Christ is risen! Christ is risen, indeed! Alleluia!
We have a full, exciting, and meaningful service for you to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ on this Easter Sunday 2020. A pdf of the order of worship is posted for you to follow along, with links to the various portions embedded for you to click on. Audio of the service, including liturgy, prayers, scripture, sermon, hymns, and anthems is posted on our SoundCloud channel. Two videos were recorded to accompany this service and are posted on our YouTube channel: the Easter candle ritual, in which we light the candles in celebration of Christ's victory over death; and our Easter Communion liturgy, where Pastor Michael, Sunny, and Shaun share in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper through spoken word and sung responses. You are invited if you choose to have your own bread and cup ready to partake from home at the appropriate time in the video. We look forward to the day when we can all gather in person to celebrate as a family of faith. Until that time, we virtually shout together: "He is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!" Happy Easter!
 Pastor Michael leads a brief service in this time of social distancing and isolation, remembering the fearful disciples and the long day of waiting between Jesus's death and resurrection. 
The events leading up to the death of Jesus are presented in our Good Friday Tenebrae Worship online. While we can't diminish light through an audio file, you will hear chimes toward the end of the service to represent the darkness surrounding this most solemn of days in our life as Christians. A video of the Lenten candle ritual extinguishing the final red candle can be found on our YouTube channel below.
The service includes liturgy spoken by Pastor Michael and Shaun, a dramatic presentation by Lisa Segedy, music performed by Sunny, Shaun, and even an archived recording of the Sanctuary Choir singing a Taize response. As with the Maundy Thursday service yesterday, a PDF bulletin/order of worship is posted so that you may follow along and sing the hymns if you so choose.
Our observance of the events in the Upper Room during the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday has been posted online. Audio for the service is available on SoundCloud, and video of the celebration of Holy Communion led by Pastor Michael and Shaun is on our YouTube channel. These links will also be shared on social media.
Several hymns prepared by Sunny & Shaun have been included in this service, and if you would like to sing along, the lyrics -- as well as the scripture passages -- are in a PDF version of the bulletin for you to follow as you listen and watch. We also invite you to have your own bread and cup ready while viewing the communion liturgy so that you may partake of the body and blood of Christ from home when invited to do so.
Sunny brings us another of her beautiful musical meditations with an improvisation of the tune “His Eye is on the Sparrow” Why should I feel discouraged? why should the shadows come? Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home? When Jesus is my portion? A constant friend is He: His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free, His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me. 
We begin our Holy Week journey this Palm Sunday in a variety of ways online. Included in the SoundCloud audio file is the usual liturgy of calls to worship & confession, prayers, readings, sermon, and benediction led by Pastor Michael. In addition, a dramatic reading of the Palm Sunday story in the style of a man-on-the-street interview podcast is presented by Shaun Cloonan, Lisa Segedy, and Jim Segedy.
Two musical selections are included as well:
Finally, the Lenten Candle ritual for the 6th Sunday in Lent is posted as a video on our YouTube channel, with Pastor Michael leading the liturgy in the sanctuary, extinguishing the lights leading us on the dark path toward the cross this week. Lyrics to "The Palms" 1 O'er all the way green palms and blossoms gay Are strewn this day in festive preparation, Where Jesus comes, to wipe our tears away, E'en now the throng to welcome Him prepare. Refrain: Join all and sing His name declare, Let ev'ry voice resound with acclamation, Hosanna! Praised be the Lord! Bless Him, who cometh to bring us salvation! 2 His word goes forth, and people by its might Once more their freedom gain from degradation, Humanity doth give to each his right, While those in darkness find restored the light. [Refrain] 3 Sing and rejoice, O blest Jerusalem, Of all thy sons sing the emancipation, Thro’ boundless love, the Christ of Bethlehem Brings faith the hope to thee forevermore. [Refrain] Lyrics to "Hosanna" Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest! Lord we lift up Your name with hearts full of praise Be exalted oh Lord my God! Hosanna in the highest! Glory, Glory, Glory to the King of Kings! Glory, Glory, Glory to the King of Kings! Lord we lift up Your name with hearts full of praise Be exalted oh Lord my God! Glory to the King of Kings! Be exalted oh Lord my God! Hosanna in the highest! Happy Friday to All, The praise song "Holy Ground" has become an incredibly well-known and beloved expression of worship over the past several decades in churches across the country. Written by Geron Davis, it has been performed for the memorial service of President Bill Clinton's mother, recorded by Barbara Streisand, and appears in many hymnals. This recording took place during our worship service on Sunday, February 26, 2017, when I just happened to hit record on my phone before Sunny and I shared the offertory. In her blog, worship leader Judy Jacobs writes about the idea of holy ground as follows: That song is always a reminder of the Scripture where God meets with Moses at the burning bush–but the bush was not consumed. When that happened, God said to Moses, “Do not come any closer. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” As we continue to navigate these uncharted waters of online worship in the time of social distancing, and especially as we approach Holy Week and miss our physical worship space together, I pray that you are able to set aside your own holy ground. Peace, Shaun For your prayer and meditation, here are the lyrics you will hear sung: In His presence There is joy beyond measure And at His feet Peace of mind can still be found And if you have a need I know He has every answer But you've got to reach out and claim it For you are standing on holy ground We are standing on holy ground And I know that there are angels all around Let us praise Jesus now We are standing in His presence On holy ground We usher in the month of April with a beautiful improvisation by Sunny Sakai of the beloved hymn tune “In the Garden.” I come to the garden alone While the dew is still on the roses And the voice I hear, falling on my ear The Son of God discloses And He walks with me And He talks with me And He tells me I am His own And the joy we share as we tarry there None other has ever known He speaks and the sound of His voice Is so sweet the birds hush their singing And the melody that He gave to me Within my heart is ringing And He walks with me And He talks with me And He tells me I am His own And the joy we share as we tarry there None other has ever known I'd stay in the garden with Him 'Tho the night around me be falling But He bids me go; through the voice of woe His voice to me is calling And He walks with me And He talks with me And He tells me I am His own And the joy we share as we tarry there None other has ever known |
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First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood | The Community Church | 120 East Swissvale Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15218 | 412-241-4613