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Get Your Trinity Sunday Worship Guide (click here)

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This Week’s Worship Preview

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Christians know all about the Trinity, right? Well, if you’re like most followers of Jesus, while we do affirm the Trinity (notice the Fire of Pentecost and the Dove of the Spirit depicted in our denomination’s logo, to the right.) But few of us would profess to understand the Trinity completely. We will celebrate Trinity Sunday this week. Jesus said of the Spirit, “I have many things to say. When the Spirit of truth arrives, he will guide you into all the truth.” We need the Spirit to help us understand Jesus! From the beginning,

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Get Your Pentecost Sunday Worship Guide here

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This Week’s Worship Preview

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Last week was Ascension Sunday when we recounted Jesus ascending into heaven. Before Jesus was out of sight, he gave the disciples a fantastic job to do. They were to be his witnesses to the entire world, but only after they received power from the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. And while Pentecost Sunday celebrates the receiving of the Spirit as the birthday of the Church, featuring the bold, powerful color red, Pentecost originated as a Jewish holiday.

One thousand six hundred years before Jesus, Moses instructed the people to present their first harvest to God to say thanks. In Hebrew, it is called Shavuot (rhymes with “oat”), meaning “weeks,”—and so it is known as the Feast of Weeks. The Feast of Weeks occurs fifty days after Passover on the Hebrew calendar. By the time of Jesus, the Feast of Weeks was called Pentecost, derived from the Greek word for “fifty.”

In Leviticus 23, we see the connection between Passover and the Feast of Weeks when the Lord spoke to Moses. “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, when you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest, and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath, the priest shall wave it.” (23:9-11). The flame never went out. 

Jesus was our Passover sacrifice on the cross. Three days later, Jesus rose triumphant over death! But there’s so much more. Fifty days after Easter, Jesus gave the Holy Spirit that power-lifted the followers of Jesus. The Spirit uplifted an already special day and transformed it into Power-Up Sunday. You won’t want to miss Pastor Kevin’s message and learn how to practice Pentecost every day using the 5-fold Pentecost Power-Up and Power-Up Your Life!

Music Preview

Barbara Cain will sing “Come People of the Risen King.” This music calls the church, both young and old, to rejoice in the risen King. Following the message, we will be singing On Pentecost They Gathered. You may recognize this hymn tune from Mendelssohn’s oratorio “Elijah.” During communion, we will enjoy Blessed Jesus, Living Bread. You may listen or join in singing.

We will conclude worship with the hymn Every Time I Feel the Spirit, an African-American spiritual dating to before the US Civil War. Contemporary artists and gospel music groups have frequently recorded the song.

An escaped enslaved person from Maryland named “Aunt” Mary Dines reported the earliest known performance of the song. She served as President Abraham Lincoln’s private cook and prepared meals for displaced enslaved people at Camp Barker. President Lincoln often passed by the Camp into and out of Washington, D.C. During the Civil War (1861–1865), musical performances by the residents included “Every time I feel the Spirit,” a favorite of the Lincolns. According to Dines, the President was moved to tears and returned to hear more singing on another day. PENTECOST is the name of the tune chosen by the United Methodist Hymnal (1989) editors. The syncopated music we sing today from the Presbyterian hymnals (PCUSA) uses an arrangement by Joseph T. Jones (1902–1983) from Great Day: Negro Spirituals (1961), adapted by Melva Wilson Costen for The Presbyterian Hymnal (1990).

“…That you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:18).

Whatever your religious affiliation, or none at all, we all hear Jesus say, “Come to me all who are overburdened, and find rest for your soul!” Everyone is welcomed at Cold Spring Church. Yes, everyone!

Enjoy sitting with others from greater Cape May as we worship together. We simplified our service and made it even easier to participate, with our Worship Guide and lyric videos displayed on a large screen.

Worship anytime on YouTube Live!
(click here)

Physical distancing and masks are NOT required!

You have found a place to encounter God and people who care about you – just as you are, right where you are, anytime. Feel free to share photos or text friends about what you are learning! Subscribe to our weekly Connections email newsletter. Sign up here!

Energize your life and discover the amazing love of Jesus! This week is the perfect time to join us in person for worship. Enjoy live music and solo, lyric videos, and a message of hope from God’s word.

We are excited to welcome to worship all who are able and comfortable in our historic Red Brick Church on Sundays at 10:30 AM.

 

Get Your Worship Guide here

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This Week’s Preview

Message Preview

Our Memorial Day tributes are tragically overshadowed by the school shooting on Tuesday in Uvalde, Texas that took the lives of nineteen students and two adults.

“A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more” (Matthew 2:18).

Our entire nation mourns the violence, especially gun violence in the United States. Let’s not grow weary in the urgent and challenging work ahead to address violence and promote peace in our communities and ensure the safety of our children. 

As we remember the sacrifices of those who have died serving our country in every branch of our military, we remember those sacrifices were not just for our freedom, but for the freedom of all people around the world! Jesus said, “There is no greater love than this, that one lays down their life for another.” As a faith community, we thank God for freedoms here and around the world.

The message this week centers on Jesus’ Ascension into heaven when he gave the disciples a new job to do. With his ascension, Jesus called us to be “little Christs,” Jesus’ incarnation in the world. That’s a large responsibility. If it were not for Jesus’ promise of Pentecost we will celebrate next Sunday, June 5th, the disciples would have no power to go “into all of the worlds.” Jesus, in his Ascension, promised spiritual power was on its way. Discover how to develop your spiritual staying power this week at Cold Spring Church! Thank you for bringing others with you to our Memorial Day worship experience.

Music and Video Preview

We will enjoy a special Memorial Day countdown video and a video tribute to those who gave their lives in military service. Rev. Larry Moyer will serve as our worship leader and will offer a special solo this week. Following the message, we will sing the hymn, All Hail the Power. This hymn is a declaration of praise, but it’s also much more than that. The words both declare the majesty of Christ and task us with making that majesty known to all. Like many hymns describing the glory of God and the hope that one day all people will see that glory, this hymn alludes to Philippians 2:9-11: “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

We long for this day and declare our hope in its arrival in the text of this hymn. But are we willing to declare that hope to those who have not heard it? The phrase, “Easier said than done” comes to mind here. After we have sung these words of victory and longing, what do we do? Do we act on those words and turn our expectancy into realities? Or do we wait for someone else to do it for us? The fourth stanza of this great hymn declares, “We’ll join the everlasting song….” Everlasting means that we are a part of that song right now – are we willing to lift our voices together to sing more than a hymn, and truly crown our God Lord of all, then tell others the Good News? 

Our closing hymn was written by the Rev. Carolyn Gillette in remembrance of the beloved children and adults who died in the school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on May 24, 2022. Many of us, as individuals, do not accept violence, keep silent, or clamor for guns. Yet, as a nation, we do these things, and as a nation, God invites us all to repent; we need to turn around and live a different way. All of us are called to do more than sing and pray. Let’s find ways to work for gun safety laws in your community and state. If you’d like to read more about this hymn, click this link to an article from the Presbyterian Mission Agency.

“…That you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:18).

Whatever your religious affiliation, or none at all, we all hear Jesus say, “Come to me all who are overburdened, and find rest for your soul!” Everyone is welcomed at Cold Spring Church. Yes, everyone!

Enjoy sitting with others from greater Cape May as we worship together. We simplified our service and made it even easier to participate, with our Worship Guide and lyric videos displayed on a large screen.

Worship anytime on YouTube Live!
(click here)

Physical distancing and masks are NOT required!

You have found a place to encounter God and people who care about you – just as you are, right where you are, anytime. Feel free to share photos or text friends about what you are learning! Subscribe to our weekly Connections email newsletter. Sign up here!

Energize your life and discover the amazing love of Jesus! This week is the perfect time to join us in person for worship. Enjoy live music and solo, lyric videos, and a message of hope from God’s word.

We are excited to welcome to worship all who are able and comfortable in our historic Red Brick Church on Sundays at 10:30 AM.

 

Get Your Worship Guide here

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This Week’s Preview

Message Preview

We know how tiresome health protocols can feel. Since our Covid-19 concerns began in March 2020, favorite things remain missing in our lives. We miss entering buildings and socializing without so many health considerations. We miss more frequent and personal contact with family and friends. We miss working in the office, learning in the classroom, actually shopping in stores, traveling more freely, and many of us miss regularly worshipping in person. Understandably, we can feel stuck.

This week’s passage from John 5:1-9 tells about a stuck person, missing the joys and experiences of that “normal life” he imagined that others enjoyed. He missed walking where he wanted, spending time with family and friends, working, learning, and other things we can take for granted. He couldn’t stir himself to get moving and waited for something to change his life. He waited for weeks, then months. Nothing changed. The months turned into years. Then years became decades. He missed the stirring of the healing waters and the changed life he longed for thirty-eight years until Jesus stirred things up.

If you want to get unstuck from missing God’s spiritual abundance, join us for worship on June 22, when we will discover that Jesus is in the business of stirring things up. (And stirring you up is just the beginning. All of us have a role to play in stirring things up for others, too!)

Music Preview

The Rev. Larry Moyer will be singing, A Believer’s Prayer, a song about responding to the Good News by acting like Jesus. Following the message, we will sing the first two verses of Stir Your Church, a hymn about our mission to share and show God’s love for the world. It was composed by Dr. Milburn Price with music by Aubrey Lee Butler. Our sending hymn will be verses 3 and 4 of Stir Your Church.

“…That you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:18).

Whatever your religious affiliation, or none at all, we all hear Jesus say, “Come to me all who are overburdened, and find rest for your soul!” Everyone is welcomed at Cold Spring Church. Yes, everyone!

Enjoy sitting with others from greater Cape May as we worship together. We simplified our service and made it even easier to participate, with our Worship Guide and lyric videos displayed on a large screen.

Worship anytime on YouTube Live!
(click here)

Physical distancing and masks are NOT required!

You have found a place to encounter God and people who care about you – just as you are, right where you are, anytime. Feel free to share photos or text friends about what you are learning! Subscribe to our weekly Connections email newsletter. Sign up here!

Energize your life and discover the amazing love of Jesus! This week is the perfect time to join us in person for worship. Enjoy live music and solo, lyric videos, and a message of hope from God’s word.

We are excited to welcome to worship all who are able and comfortable in our historic Red Brick Church on Sundays at 10:30 AM.

Get Your Worship Guide here

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This Week’s Preview

Message Preview

We like thinking that life is simple. We prefer fewer choices and default to think binary, choosing between two things. Day/night. No/Yes. Either/or. Off/on. Bad/good. Right/wrong. Sacred/secular. Dry/wet. Poor/rich. Democrat/Republican. Foreigner/resident. Female/male. Believer/unbeliever. Dark/light. You can add many more binary examples of your own.

We look at life through simple, safe/dangerous absolutes, even as small children. Consider the things that go bump in the night. That is what scares us when we are children. And the same panic can continue as a fear factor throughout our adult lives. The same fear inspires all those “teenage slasher” movies, zombie stalker sagas, and ghost stories you heard around a campfire. Our need to divide the world into a “safe” (day) and a “scary” (night) is a way to manage the chaos and unexpected outcomes that are part of daily living. We reassure our kids that there is nothing “bad” at night. God created the world and said it was all good. The world of day and the world of the night is the same. The world created by the divine does not know the difference between night and day. God’s presence is always and everywhere, even when the world looks dark and scary, not just when the world looks sunny and bright.

The amazingly diverse world and God’s abiding presence are behind the text in this week’s reading from Acts. Oh, and it’s all about food. Actually, it’s about people who prefer their regional culinary favorites to the exclusion of tasty favorites enjoyed by outsiders. Peter (Jewish) had already been preaching to the Gentiles (non-Jewish) about Jesus. He was criticized by Jewish believers but still cling to their favorite foods (Kosher) and unique Jewish identity (God’s chosen).

This Sunday, let’s join Peter as he was challenged to enjoy an incredible assortment of foods and the people who prepared new meals. He was urged to eat like Jesus. And by enjoying new foods, Peter could begin to love like Jesus, too, who called him to be freed from binary thinking. 

Are you hungry to discover new, nutritious spiritual food? Come and get it!

Music Preview

Barbara Cain will be singing a selection from the Glory to God Hymnal, A Grateful Heart. This paraphrase of Psalm 111 lists God’s praiseworthy characteristics. These attributes are organized as an acrostic on the Hebrew alphabet in the original text. 

Following the message, our music video is O God of Every Nation. This hymn won first place in a contest co-sponsored by the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada and the National Council of Churches. It was first sung at the Council’s Fifth World Order Conference held in Cleveland, Ohio, in November 1958. If we genuinely believe that God cares for all people, we cannot limit our prayers and songs for peace to the welfare of our own nation, no matter how much we may love it. This challenging text is set to a stirring Welsh tune, named for a hamlet with a prominent Baptist chapel.

Today, our sending hymn is Draw the Circle Wide, written by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Gordon Light in 1994. The words of the refrain to this catchy melody use the metaphor of a circle. Draw the circle wide brings to mind that all points in a circle are the same distance from the center. Jesus Christ is the center of our circle, the center of all life (Colossians 1). When we are in a circle, all are visible to one another – “No one stands alone. We’ll stand side by side.” A circle is drawn when the outside points revolve around the center point—rather than vice versa. Many will say, there shouldn’t be a circle at all. However, if you read the lyrics, you will see that everyone ends up inside the circle. Jesus said, “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32).

“…That you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:18).

Whatever your religious affiliation, or none at all, we all hear Jesus say, “Come to me all who are overburdened, and find rest for your soul!” Everyone is welcomed at Cold Spring Church. Yes, everyone!

Enjoy sitting with others from greater Cape May as we worship together. We simplified our service and made it even easier to participate, with our Worship Guide and lyric videos displayed on a large screen.

Worship anytime on YouTube Live!
(click here)

Physical distancing and masks are NOT required!

You have found a place to encounter God and people who care about you – just as you are, right where you are, anytime. Feel free to share photos or text friends about what you are learning! Subscribe to our weekly Connections email newsletter. Sign up here!

Energize your life and discover the amazing love of Jesus! This week is the perfect time to join us in person for worship. Enjoy live music and solo, lyric videos, and a message of hope from God’s word.

We are excited to welcome to worship all who are able and comfortable in our historic Red Brick Church on Sundays at 10:30 AM.