Welcome Home To Your
Your Local & Global Queer Church Community for All A Positive Worship Experience
Theme for Today: Paul’s Place in the Revolution
April 21, 2024
All Are Welcome!
Service of Gathering
Welcome Rev Dr Durrell Watkins, Senior Minister
Rev Dr Robert Griffin, Executive Minister
Announcements
Rev Dr Anne Atwell
Minister of Connections
Introit O Filii Et Filiae with Alleluias
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Past are the cross, the scourge, the thorn, the scoffing tongue, the gibe, the scorn, and brightly breaks the eastern morn. Alleluia! Gone are gloomy clouds of night; the shades of death are put to flight; and from the tomb beams heav’nly light. Alleluia!
Please rise as you are able.
Sunshine Cathedral Affirmation
Sunshine Cathedral is a different kind of church where:
*Our God is love.
*Kindness is our worship.
*Compassion is our prayer.
*The sacred value of all people is our creed; and *Healing the hurts caused by hatred is our mission.
The Call to Worship
One: Alleluia! Christ is risen.
All: Christ is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
Service of Praise
Crucifer - Deacon Lydya Chapman
Processional Hymn To Thee Eternal Soul Be Praise
To you, Eternal Soul, be praise! Who, from of old to our own days
Thro’ souls of saints and prophets, Lord, have sent your light, your love, you word.
We thank you for each mighty one thro’ whom your living light has shone;
And for each humble soul and sweet that lights to heav’n our wand’ring feet.
We thank you for the love divine made real in every saint of thine;
That boundless love itself that gives in service to each soul that lives.
We thank you for the word of might the Spirit spoke in darkest night;
Spoke through the trumpet voices loud of prophets in your presence bowed.
Eternal Soul, our souls keep pure that like your saints we may endure;
Forever through your servants Lord, send now your light, your love your word.
Opening Prayer (Sunshine Cathedral 2024 Daily Prayer)
Rev Dr Anne Atwell
One: Let us pray in unison:
Right now, I am tapping into the universal life force. I wish for all who are suffering to find relief and hope. I deny fear any power over me.
I will be a bright light in the world.
I am serene and confident and full of joy.
I expect blessings. Nothing is too good for me
May we all be strong and wise and loving.
May Love heal our world.
Let there be peace. Amen.
Service of Proclamation
Prophetic Witness
In the Midst of New Dimensions
As we stand a world divided by our own self-seeking schemes, grant that we your global village, might envision wiser dreams
God of rainbow, fiery pillar, leading where the eagles soar, we your people, ours the journey now and ever, now and ever, now and evermore.
Please be seated
Clarion Call
Rev Dr Durrell Watkins
Should the threats of dire predictions cause us to withdraw in pain, may your blazing phoenix spirit resurrect the church again.
God of rainbow, fiery pillar, leading where the eagles soar, we your people, ours the journey now and ever, now and ever, now and evermore.
The Wisdom of Reza Aslan
(Zealot: The Life & Times of Jesus of Nazareth) Rev Marian Cavagnaro
Messiah means ‘anointed one.’ The title alludes to the practice of pouring or smearing oil on someone charged with divine office: a king, like…David or Solomon; a priest, like Aaron…a prophet, like Isaiah or Elisha…The principle task of the Messiah, who was popularly believed to be the descendant of King David, was to rebuild David’s kingdom and reestablish the nation of Israel. Thus, to call oneself the messiah at the time of the Roman occupation was tantamount to declaring war on Rome.
In these human words, God's voice is heard. Thanks be to God.
Please rise as you are able.
Gradual Mfurahini, Haleluya
Christ has arisen, alleluia. Rejoice and sing praise, alleluia. For our redeemer burst from the tomb, even from death, dispelling its gloom. Let us sing praise to God with endless joy. Death’s fearful sting Christ did come to destroy. Love always giving, alleluia! Jesus is living, alleluia!
The Acts of the Apostles (17.1-19)
Rev Dr Anne Atwell
Passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they eventually reached Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
Paul as usual went in and for three consecutive Sabbaths developed the arguments from scripture for them, explaining and proving how it was ordained that the [Messiah] should suffer and rise from the dead. 'And the [Messiah]’, he said, 'is this Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you.'
Some of them were convinced and joined Paul and Silas, and so did a great many god-worshipers and Greeks, as well as a number of the leading women.
Some religious leaders, full of resentment, enlisted the help of a gang from the market place, stirred up a crowd, and soon had the whole city in an uproar.
They made for Jason's house, hoping to bring them before the People's Assembly; however, they found only Jason and some of the brothers, and these they dragged before the city council, shouting, 'The people who have been turning the whole world upside down have come here now; they have been staying at Jason's.
They have broken Caesar's edicts by claiming that there is another king, Jesus.'
Hearing this, the citizens and the city councilors were alarmed, and they made Jason and the rest pay a security bond before setting them free.
In these human words, God's voice is heard.
Thanks be to God.
The Anthem
Please be seated.
A Change is Gonna Come
By Sam CookePerformed By Gabe Salazar
Homily Paul’s Place in the Revolution
Rev Dr Durrell Watkins
Altar Call and Anointing
Please rise as you are able.
Prayer Chorus I Believe in Miracles
I believe in miracles, I’ve seen a soul set free. Miraculous the change in one who has found liberty. I’ve seen a lily push its way up through the stubborn sod; O I believe in miracles for I believe in God.
I believe in miracles, I’ve seen a soul set free. Miraculous the change in one who has found liberty. I’ve seen a lily push its way up through the stubborn sod; O I believe in miracles for I believe in God.
Pastoral Prayer and Affirmations
Sign of Peace Filled With Loving Kindness
May I be filled with loving kindness. May I be well. May I be filled with loving kindness. May I be well. May I be peaceful and at ease. May I be whole.
May you be filled with loving kindness. May you be well.
May you be filled with loving kindness. May you be well.
May you be peaceful and at ease. May you be whole.
May we be filled with loving kindness. May we be well. May we be filled with loving kindness. May we be well. May we be peaceful and at ease. May we be whole.
Quarterly Volunteer Award (10:30 only) Service of Sacraments
Sacrament of Sharing (Tithes & Offerings)
Rev Dr Robert Griffin
Offering Prayer
9:00 Rev Kevin Tisdol / 10:30 Rev Lynda Pantoja
One: Because we value our community and believe in our inspired mission, because we want every person to live with hope and joy, and because we know that even a little can mean a lot, we participate in the Sacrament of Sharing, the joyful giving of resources meant to help more and more people discover that they are God’s miracle and not God’s mistake.
All: We give what we can and do so with love. Every dime and every dollar given with the intention to bless others will make a difference in someone’s life. This brings us joy, and in this way, we worship. God bless our gifts to faithful service, for the sake of your love. Amen.
Offering Music
Doxology
Teresa's Bulgar
By Folk Klezmer Arr Aaron Kula
Performed By Teresa Flores
Rise as you are able.
Glorify Thy Name
O God, we love you, we worship and adore you; glorify your names in all the earth.
Glorify your names, glorify your names, glorify your names in all the earth
Sacrament of Hospitality We Remember
Victor Houck 04/21/1994
Rex Owens 04/23/1997
Peter Lakomski 04/23/1998
Alain Larue 04/23/1999
Brian Like 04/23/1999
Carlos Diaz 04/23/2002
Carolyn King 04/24/2006
Intercessions
Ken Sasser 04/24/2017
Andree Fortin 04/25/2004
Ted Limbaugh 04/25/2022
Alex Ramos 04/26/1990
Pauline Richardson 04/26/1998
Griff Pitts 04/27/2003
Barbara Gillenwater 04/27/2006
9:00 Rev Marian Cavagnaro/10:30 Rev Lynda Pantoja
One: We pray, and we allow ourselves to be the answer to prayer.
For the Sunshine Cathedral Global Fellowship and local congregation, for all who are on our prayer list, for our loved ones, for world and community leaders, and for our own needs, let us pray:
Prayer Chorus
Bless Us All
One: And with people all over the world we pray –All: May peace prevail on earth.
These prayers we offer in the names of all helpers of humanity, and in the spirit of Jesus, son of Mary, as we continue to pray as Jesus taught us:
Model Prayer
Creator which art in heaven, hallowed be thy names. Thy kin-dom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And leave us not in temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kin-dom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
Please be seated.
The Last Supper Narrative
Rev Dr Anne Atwell
One: On the night of his arrest, Jesus shared a Passover meal with his closest companions.
He compared sharing bread to being a body where many parts work together within and as a whole.
He compared a memorial cup to the life-blood of a ministry dedicated to justice-love.
And he asked that when such a meal was shared again, that he be remembered (+), so that his life and love would be present in their blessed memories.
All: We remember. We share. We give thanks. We summon hope. We are one. Amen.
Invitation to Communion
Rev Kevin Tisdol
One: These are the gifts of God for all the people of God. All: Thanks be to God.
Communion is Shared
The ushers will direct you row by row to come forward for Communion. If you would like a communion kit to serve yourself communion in your seat, tell your usher. “Taste and see that God is good.”
Communion Songs
Laudate Dominum (2x)
Laudate Dominum, laudate Dominum omnes gentes, alleluia!
Laudate Dominum, laudate Dominum omnes gentes, alleluia!
Sing, praise and bless the Lord. Sing, praise and bless the Lord, peoples! Nations! Alleluia!
8 Fold Alleluia
Eucharistic Intentions
9:00 Rev Dr Anne Atwell /10:30 Rev Lynda Pantoja
We celebrate this Eucharist to the glory of God and with special intentions for peace, justice, and reconciliation in the world.
Christ lives in story, in ritual, and in our lives as we remember Jesus at this table. And so, with Easter gladness, let us sing together:
Let the victor’s people sing, alleluia! Where, O death, is now your sting? Alleluia!
Dying once, Christ lives today, alleluia! Where your victory, O grave? Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Rev Dr Robert Griffin
Please rise as you are able.
The Prayer of Protection
The light of God surrounds us; the love of God enfolds us. The power of God protects us; the presence of God watches over us. Wherever we are, God is.
Benediction Rev Dr Durrell Watkins
Final Song
Commissioning
Raise You Up
One: Our worship has ended. Let our service begin!
All: Thanks be to God!
Postlude
Barbara Ramcharitar
FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK DEATH OF GOD?!
by Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins (Senior Minister, Sunshine Cathedral)Someone recently came across the term “death of God” and was very concerned about it and asked me what it meant. Relax. It’s not as dramatic as it sounds (although, the phrase may be intentionally provocative and I believed borrowed from Nietzsche). 50 or even 60 years ago Christian theologians, both Protestant and Roman Catholic (but mostly Protestant) looked at trends of declining worship attendance in the West for both Jews and Christians. Entire denominations were declining.
The theologians studying these trends determined that it wasn’t just cultural shifts that were leading to these trends of decline, but that the old ways of understanding God simply didn’t match with 20th century (and now 21st) knowledge.
The God as understood in the Middle Ages was dead, or dying, and new understandings of God were needed for a space age. While the term isn’t used much anymore, the Death of God theology influenced a lot of liberal theologians (i.e., Dorothee Sölle and Paul Tillich) and some of its conclusions are found in what we now call Progressive Christianity.
No one is preaching God’s funeral, but the Death of God theology does remind us that how we imagine and talk about God must constantly evolve if our spirituality is to be relevant to people in an ever-changing world.
A PRAYER FOR 2024 by Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins
(Put this prayer where you will see it every day and use it throughout 2024)
Right now, I am tapping into the universal life force. I wish for all who are suffering to find relief and hope. I deny fear any power over me.
I will be a bright light in the world.
I am serene and confident and full of joy. I expect blessings. Nothing is too good for me. May we all be strong and wise and loving.
May Love heal our world. Let there be peace. Amen.
SEEING RED – April 24 at 7 pm. $20. Through the incredible generosity of one of our members (okay, it’s Mike Bosco) we have an opportunity to taste 9 or 10 different Cabernet vintages – and to explore the differences that terroir and a winemaker can make using the same varietal! We will also taste foods that actually pair well with that bold grape. AND, some non-Cabernet grapes will be tasted as well. There is also a one-of-a-kind bottle raffle opportunity for those in attendance. Tickets for Seeing Red $20. Contact Pastor Robert. Robert@SunshineCathedral.net
MEMBERSHIP CLASS – 27 April via Zoom. Contact Rev. Kevin (kevin@sunshinecathedral.org)
Learn about Sunshine Cathedral’s history, values, mission, and how your involvement is essential to our future. Anyone who takes this one-day class (2-2.5 hours) can become a member upon request. All members are
asked to pledge time, talent, and treasure in support of our ministry.
EASTER CONTINUES – Eastertide lasts 7 weeks (49 days) and is followed by Pentecost.
CASA MONARCA PRIDE WEDNESDAY - Eat at Casa Monarca on Wednesdays after 4:30 pm and part of your bill will be donated to the Sunshine Cathedral. Happy Hour menu is available until close.
MIDDAY PRAYER - Pray with us daily at Noon (eastern) for Midday Prayer on Facebook.
QUEER GOD SQUAD - We invite you to watch the Queer God Squad. It is live Monday – Friday at 3 pm eastern, and then available ON DEMAND on all smart televisions and your favorite social media.
GLOBAL FELLOWSHIP – Those who don’t live locally but who wish to be part of the Sunshine Cathedral community can learn about the Sunshine Cathedral Global Fellowship by visiting SunshineCathedral.org
OUR SUNDAY BROADCAST is made possible by Happening Out Television Network and donors who support our televised ministry. Happening Out is housed at Sunshine Cathedral Square. Happening Out programming can be viewed on YouTube, Facebook, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Google TV, and Roku.
OUR CLERGY - Our clergy are highly educated and have been steeped in such academic disciplines as Feminist Theology, Womanist Theology, Queer Theology, Queer Theory, Liberation Theology, Theopoetics, HistoricalCritical Biblical Studies, Literary and Social Scientific methods of Biblical criticism, Allegorical/Metaphorical approaches to Scripture Study, History of Christian Thought, Spiritual Disciplines, Communication, Behavioral Sciences, Ethics, and Human Sexuality, and have studied (and even participated in) liberation movements such as the fight for marriage equality, the struggle for transgender acceptance, women’s rights (including the right to bodily autonomy), resisting the stigma of mental illness, combatting the stigma attached to HIV, and the affirmation of and advocacy for the LGBTQQIAAP2S+ community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, allies, asexual, pansexual, two-spirit PLUS... basically meaning everyone, with a special outreach to those who have been harmed by white, cis-het male dominated systems). Their passion, commitment, and expertise in these areas are featured in their ministries.
DELI MAC IS BACK - Place Your Oder Now for Some Ugly Sister’s Deli Mac - This Mother’s Day show Mom how much you love her - get her a 1lb container of Ugly Sister’s Deli Mac. Love yourself too and get another one for you alone.
Minimum donation is $10.00 per lb. but you can give whatever above that amount, as all proceeds go to the Sunshine Cathedral Food Sharing Ministry.
This yummy B.Y.O.F. (Bring your own fork) fundraiser benefiting the Sunshine Cathedral Food Sharing program is by reservation only and will have two pickup dates for Sunshine members:
