00:00:18,440 S1: You are. 00:00:22,760 S2: In the. 00:00:27,320 S1: Master of the. 00:00:39,719 S2: Castle. 00:00:51,719 S3: I am. 00:00:56,079 S2: The. 00:01:02,280 S3: I love. 00:01:08,680 S2: You. 00:01:18,680 S3: I. 00:01:28,879 S1: Love you. 00:01:59,239 S1: Did you? 00:02:04,239 S4: Know it's. 00:02:12,319 S4: Just like. 00:02:14,680 S1: This. 00:02:28,759 S4: You. 00:02:31,800 S2: Know what? 00:02:40,400 S4: I. 00:02:46,280 S1: Mean. 00:02:48,240 S4: I know. 00:03:38,919 S1: And now. 00:03:45,439 S1: I am. 00:03:50,199 S1: Just trying to get. I like. 00:03:57,479 S1: This one. But it turned out. 00:04:04,520 S1: To be. 00:04:13,840 S1: A problem for. 00:04:23,040 S1: You. 00:04:31,439 S1: I can't. 00:04:39,920 S1: Tell. 00:04:49,199 S1: You. 00:05:05,990 S1: I. 00:05:19,189 S1: Love. 00:05:23,230 S1: You. 00:05:48,990 S1: For your. 00:06:11,990 S1: Right? 00:06:16,230 S1: Yeah. 00:06:42,870 S5: Good morning. 00:06:46,629 S5: Oh, it is good to see you all here this morning as we gather on this Mother's Day and we gather the gather for worship. So welcome to worship this morning, where no one stands alone in every heart. Finds a place to rest and grow. 00:07:06,389 S6: Here, here, we. Here we remember that we are known by God and held in love through every season of life. 00:07:17,949 S5: This is a place of belonging, and you belong here not because of what you believe or doubt, and not because of what you've achieved or failed, but because God's grace surrounds us and brings us together. 00:07:36,430 S6: You belong here whether you come with strong faith or fragile hope, with deep joy or hidden sorrow. 00:07:44,870 S5: You belong here whether you are queer or straight, cisgender or transgender, young or old, certain or searching. 00:07:53,709 S6: You belong here if you've ever felt. On the margins. If you've ever wondered if there was a place for you because God has known your story all along. 00:08:05,709 S5: You belong in this community of faith. Knit together in the bond of Christ's grace and love. 00:08:14,310 S6: This is the service of worship and homecoming, where we are reminded that God's hand is upon us, guiding and holding us fast. 00:08:24,910 S5: So bring your whole self, all of who you are. Your story, your questions, your longings into this space. 00:08:34,950 S6: For here, belonging is not something to earn. It is a gift written into our lives before we were even born. 00:08:45,149 S5: As we gather, know this. You are beloved. You belong and you have found a place to become. Welcome home. Welcome to our worship. This morning we have a few announcements to go over with you. Good luck. Good list of announcements. Okay. I'll start. Uh, don't forget, uh, on Friday is our our choral concert, uh, led by Janet and our choir and friends. The Mozart requiem. It's in your bulletin. Uh, we will have a chamber orchestra as well. That's at 730 here in the sanctuary. You will not want to miss it. It is going to be fabulous. So please make, uh, make plans to join us for that concert. And bring a friend. Make a friend. Bring a friend. Bring an old friend. Uh, bring a stranger if you like. But bring someone with you. Uh, so that's, uh, this coming this coming Friday. 00:09:52,269 S6: Restrooms? 00:09:53,509 S5: Yes. The restrooms, if you need them, are right through this. This door and to your left and also through this door will be a reception following the service. And we will be having mimosas with the receptions, because mimosas go with Mother's Day. If you did not know. 00:10:20,669 S5: It's true. 00:10:23,909 S6: They should be every day. 00:10:24,990 S5: My mother would. Yes. And my mother would turn over in her grave knowing that we were serving alcohol in church. But that's a different story. 00:10:35,549 S6: We'll discuss. 00:10:36,309 S1: That. 00:10:36,669 S5: Yes. 00:10:39,070 S6: Um, next Sunday will be Mike Dudas. Uh, we will be entering him as pastor emeritus, or you'll be having a celebration for him. Uh, that's on May 17th at 10 a.m. in the sanctuary. All at all. Join us as we recognize and honor Reverend Mike and his faithful leadership. All are welcome. Reception to follow. Maybe with mimosas. Uh, please email the church office if you can. Bring a green salad, a fruit salad, or even dessert. Also on May 31st at 10 a.m. is Youth Sunday. Join us on this joyful day when our youth leaders are on youth lead the service. Um. And recognize and thank our faith formation teachers and assistants and congratulate the high school graduates we have among our congregation, followed by an ice cream social in all and all and mimosas. 00:11:53,389 S5: Wouldn't that be great? I, I see, I see a theme emerging. Um, don't forget also women's enrichment coming up on the 13th this week. Uh, Death cafe. Ah, conversation around an open conversation around death that is on March 27th, 3:00 in the chapel. Also that day, uh, in the evening, we will be having the book table literary social, where we will be discussing the book Theo of Golden. So we'll have a few bites and a few drinks and have a wonderful discussion on that book. And then don't forget, the summer vacation on Star Island is August 9th through the 16th, and we hope that you will consider joining that group. So what's our Requiem this coming week? Don't forget, our carnations this morning are given by the Carolyn Hollins family and in memory of Carolyn Holland and and all mothers. And today. So if you don't know, Carolyn Holland is a very beloved member and staff member and volunteer of our church. She first interviewed for her position here at First Church in 1968. And so for 50, I believe it was 55 years. She was either on staff or volunteered in this congregation. And if you if you were here when she was here and met her, you got a hug from her. And, uh, and so many, many of us miss. Her talents and abilities. She did so much for this church, including starting women's enrichment and so, so many other things. Uh, so we're grateful for her family and for her and for her memory. So we really appreciate the carnations this morning. And then I think we have one final announcement for this morning. Anyway. 00:14:10,460 S1: Uh, this is Lobos. 00:14:13,539 S5: And following this announcements in about an hour, we'll have mimosas. Yes. Dorothy, from the chair of our, uh, associate pastor search committee has some announcement for us. 00:14:28,700 S7: Good morning. No mimosas. However, on behalf of the associate pastor search committee, we announced the calling of the Reverend Shirley Brooke as our candidate to be our new associate pastor. 00:14:55,019 S7: The committee was deeply committed to finding the right fit for our congregation, not simply filling a position, but discerning who God was calling to walk alongside us in ministry. That patience and playfulness has paid off. In Shirley, we found someone whose gifts, character and calling align beautifully with who we are and who we are becoming. Shirley brings eight years of experience as a hospice chaplain and a profound commitment to welcome justice and joy in our lives. She holds a master Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing her doctorate of ministry at Boston University. Her pastoral presence is marked by attentiveness, authenticity and a deep conviction that God is still speaking. Her joy, creativity, passion for singing, and love for people. Light up a room. We are excited that she will enrich and enliven our spiritual community and its mission. She will tell you that faith is a journey rooted in love and always moving, and we believe that she will help our congregation to do exactly that. So we are thrilled to announce that Shirley and her family will join us for a candidate in worship service on June the 7th at 10 a.m., with a congregational vote and a reception to follow. And an email will go out to everybody announcing this information. So in closing, I would say that as we chose her, she chose us. Thank you. 00:16:47,259 S5: And when we say light up a room. Wait. You just wait. You just wait. 00:16:55,379 S5: This beautiful moment is right here in this time and place, never to be repeated again. It is rich with God's Spirit. This moment is rich for connection between us and God, us and each other and us in our community. Let us take a moment and be present here and now in our worship. 00:17:34,539 S1: If. 00:18:15,740 S1: You. 00:18:39,059 S6: Please stand as you're able and join me in the responsive reading, the Call to Worship in your bulletin. 00:18:49,140 S6: The spirit is here to bless us with the new song. 00:18:53,819 S5: Let our joy be complete. 00:18:56,740 S6: Gifts for the good of all. Poured out on all. To teach us a new song. 00:19:03,460 S5: Love one another. 00:19:05,700 S6: Strangers and neighbors. Foreigners and family will join in the new song. 00:19:12,299 S5: No longer servants, but friends. 00:19:15,779 S6: Come, let us worship and make a joyful sound. 00:19:19,700 S5: Rejoicing in the friendship of God. 00:19:23,460 S6: Now please join in the song praise to the Living God found in the New Century Hymnal on page eight. 00:20:19,420 S1: The person. 00:20:26,539 S1: Who? 00:20:31,579 S1: We. 00:20:35,500 S1: Have to be the first to. 00:20:46,460 S1: Pray. 00:20:52,619 S1: In the Spirit of God. God has given. 00:21:04,619 S1: Us the. 00:21:08,460 S1: Ability for us. 00:21:15,539 S1: To be as Mary the son. 00:21:26,779 S1: Of. Would love. 00:21:34,049 S1: To. 00:21:36,690 S1: Remind us that living on. 00:21:53,890 S1: The other side of. 00:22:09,609 S1: The. 00:22:47,849 S6: Please be seated. Please join me in the prayer of invocation and then join me in the Lord's Prayer. Holy and present, O Lord, hear the Psalm of praise as we share the special and I gathered among you, may our hearts be opened and our minds engaged. Let the spirit of truth live in our songs of adoration. Prayers of intercession and words of pondering. In your name, glory and honor. Amen. Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom 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 lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. 00:23:59,569 S1: Amen. 00:24:16,569 S1: The church shall apply. 00:24:24,529 S8: To hold the key pieces he gave him thus to rest. He made me feel beside the late spring. 00:24:49,049 S8: In my mind. This world is my way. I certainly made his way in his plea for his mercy. 00:25:11,809 S8: In terms of truth. And praise. 00:25:20,930 S8: The Lord Now is the time. God help me. Oh my God. 00:25:36,569 S8: Oh, wait. I was in my own home and on. 00:25:48,289 S8: My way. Praise the. 00:25:55,210 S8: Lord, for the sense that my God has gone all over us. Trained to run against the hostile Applause. 00:26:41,210 S5: Now, I like to invite our children forward for our message of all ages. 00:26:48,769 S5: Welcome. 00:26:53,329 S5: Thanks for joining me. 00:27:05,490 S5: You all look handsome. You dressed up today, I like it. Come on down. 00:27:15,529 S5: So I wonder how many of you know how to ride a bike. Raise your hand. You know how to ride a bike. Raise your hand. All right. What about you all? Raise your hand. Know how to ride a bike? Do you remember how you were first taught how to ride a bike? Do you remember that? What do you remember about learning how to ride a bike? 00:27:42,250 S9: Well, I took my training wheels off and my dad would, like, push me in the driveway. 00:27:49,730 S5: Yeah. So your dad pushed you in the driveway? Maybe he helped you along a little bit, too, instead of just, like, shoving during the drive. Yeah. They helped you along in the driveway. Okay. Do you remember learning to ride a bike? 00:28:02,690 S9: Um. 00:28:03,769 S10: When I was, um, to, um. I ride a tiny bike that Eleanor. Now, you would think that's fantastic. 00:28:13,809 S5: I don't even think I was walking it, too. That's amazing. If you're riding a bike Any other. Anybody else remember riding the bike? Yeah. Sometimes you can't remember. I remember being on the bike and I remember the training wheels, just like you said, Emma. And then I remember taking them off, and I remember my parents walking with me as I wobbled. Do you remember wobbling? You're wobbling. 00:28:42,130 S9: I would, like, relearn how to ride a bike. 00:28:45,569 S5: I know sometimes you have to rethink about that. And you're wobbling and they're walking you along, and then, uh, they're there, right beside you. And maybe it's your grandparent or your father or mother or a sibling or friend, but they would hold the bike as they run alongside you. And what would they say? Right. They say you can do it. You're doing it. You're great. And sometimes we like you did. And I did a lot all over. Uh, sometimes I still do that, I fall over. Um, but they would be right there and they would say, don't stop. Keep going. You're doing it. You're doing it. And you think. And then at one point you think that they're holding onto the bicycle and help you studying it, and then you realize you're doing it on your own and they're still cheering you, and you're balancing the bike and you're riding the bike. And it's it's super exciting because you're riding. You've learned how to ride a bike. So today's story that we're looking at in our Scripture passage this morning, and Jesus is talking to his disciples, and he's comforting them. He's telling them not to be afraid. And Jesus knows that he's not going to always be standing right beside them in the same way he had. And so he tells them these words, I will not leave you orphans, which we kind of think about that is that Jesus is saying, I'm always going to be with you. I'm always going to be with you. Just like your parents or a friend or grandparents who are there with you. When you were learning how to ride a bike and Jesus is always going to be there, that's what he says to them, that he's always going to be there and he's always going to, um, and he promises to send the Holy Spirit to be with them. And the Holy Spirit is kind of like your parents cheering you on and telling you that you're going to do it. You can do this. You've got this. And that is what, um, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to do. And so when life can kind of feel scary sometimes or wobbly, or when you have to relearn how to ride a bicycle, uh, the spirit is there to tell us you've got this, you're going to do this, and the spirit gives us strength. More importantly, the spirit reminds us that we're never, Ever alone that Jesus and his teachings are with us. And so you know who else is a part of us and running beside us? Not just our friends, not just our family, but all these people. Please look at this many people out there. They are with us to encouraging us to grow in our faith and grow in life. And they're with us to help us when we're fall, when we fall. So that's what I want you to remember. You're never alone. And there are people there encouraging you, and there are people there to help pick you up when you do fall and get back on your bicycle. So let us join together in prayer. Dear God, thank you for staying with us. Help us when we are scared, when things are wobbly, and help encouraging us and help us encourage others to to remind us all that we are never alone. Amen. 00:32:13,079 S1: Amen. 00:32:42,480 S1: With a reversal of fortune. Filled with love. I know that I love the way that I do. I. 00:33:10,680 S1: Love. What do I owe him? 00:33:35,000 S1: Praise the. 00:33:40,440 S1: Lord Jesus. Thy will. 00:33:49,759 S1: Be. 00:33:53,319 S1: Done. 00:34:00,039 S1: On earth. The. 00:34:08,440 S1: Lord. 00:34:17,159 S1: Follow. 00:34:21,920 S1: Me? 00:34:30,280 S5: Let us join together in prayer. 00:34:36,679 S5: God of compassion and companionship. We give you thanks for all those who have walked with us along our journey. We give you thanks for our mothers and grandmothers and mentors and friends, teachers and encouragers, all those who remind us we were loved when we had forgotten it ourselves. 00:35:06,199 S5: In this world of uncertainty And exhaustion when the path feels steep. Remind us again that we are not alone. When grief tilt us sideways. When anxiety steals. 00:35:28,679 S5: Our energy. When loneliness echoes loudly in our heart. Draw us through your spirit to you. Our comforter and our advocate. 00:35:46,599 S5: For those who are weary today. Oh, God, we ask that you give strength for those carrying silent burdens. Give them rest for those recovering from illness, surgery, addiction, or heartbreak. Give healing for those who feel lost or unseen, give them companionship and hope and a reminder that they are never alone. 00:36:18,320 S5: We pray for mothers today. For those celebrating. For those grieving. For those longing to be mothers. For those estranged from their children. For those whose mothers shaped them with tenderness. And for those still healing from wounds. Hold each person and your mercy and love. 00:36:48,719 S5: Teach us, O God, to be companions for one another. Make us a people who cheer each other on, who sit beside the hurting, who carry hope. For those who have run out of it. Who becomes signs of presence in a lonely world. 00:37:12,800 S5: When the path feels long. Steady our hearts, O God. Give us the quiet assurance of the words of Christ. I will not leave you orphaned and keep us moving forward in love, O God, step by step, breath by breath. As your grace carries us home, we pray all these things in the Spirit of Christ. 00:37:44,199 S1: Amen, Amen. 00:38:27,789 S6: Mother's Day. Once again, we celebrate mothers. The mothers whose children come to this church and eventually will be grown and continue doing God's work. For these mothers, the congregation. Thanks you for the expecting mothers, or maybe those who are trying to adopt a child. The congregation will pray for you. For the mothers who have felt the pain and anguish of losing a child. The congregation will grieve with you. This family I see before me will always be here to support all the mothers who need to share. 00:39:14,030 S6: Their sorrow or joy through joy, grief and God's love. We are here to support anyone in need. May this Mother's Day be a reminder to hug your mother for somebody else's mother. Let's bring love back into the world. May the deacons come forward for the morning offering. 00:39:52,550 S8: We respond. They are shield and defender. We go with thee, Against the strong in thy strength safe in thy keeping tender. We rest on thee. And reminding we go. Yes, in thy name. Oh, captain of salvation in thy name. All of the names of of Jesus our righteousness. Additional nation, our Prince of Glory and our King of glory. 00:40:48,829 S8: We rest on our shield and defender. Why is a battle that shall be the phrase when passing through the gates of this world. Let us be rest with thee. Through the stained glass in my name, O captain of salvation. In the name all of the names of God. Jesus, our righteousness, our shores and nation are Prince of Glory. And are we the world? 00:42:09,670 S1: You. 00:42:13,349 S1: Are the. 00:42:32,469 S6: Giver of life. Receive all that we offer you this day. Let the spirit you bestow on your church. Continue to work in the world through the hearts of all who believe. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen. 00:42:48,949 S1: Amen. 00:42:52,429 S1: Amen. 00:42:56,670 S6: A reading this morning comes from the Gospel of John and can be found in your Pew Bible on page 877. In John chapter 14, verses 15 through 21. Jesus speaks to his disciples on the night before his crucifixion, offering comfort to hearts already troubled by fear and uncertainty. He promises that although he will soon depart from them physically, they will not be abandoned. For God's Spirit, the advocate, will remain with them and within them. This passage reveals that faith is not merely belief about Jesus, but participation in the living presence of God. In a world where people often feel separated by anxiety, grief, and disconnection. These words speak a promise of enduring companionship. Now hear our reading from John chapter 14, verses 15 through 21. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the father, and he will give you another advocate to be with you forever. This is the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you. 00:44:38,190 S6: I will not leave you orphaned. I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me. But you will see me because I live. You also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my father and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me, and those who love me will be loved by my father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them. The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Amen. 00:45:27,349 S5: Thank you. Carly. 00:45:32,590 S5: Going back to the announcement with Pastor Shelly Brooke, it's going to be amazing. I wanted to just let you also know an email has been sent out to all of you and to the whole church. And within the email is Pastor Shelly's bio and also the letter that Dorothy read. And there is a link. This is what I want you to take. There is a link in there. I want you to click on it that goes to a Pastor Shelley's web page. And on that is a lot of stuff, a lot of wonderful things. So take a look at that over the next few weeks. So I'm wondering if you can finish this sentence. All right. Let me see if we can do it. Mama's always said. 00:46:25,750 S11: That we like this. 00:46:33,309 S12: That's great. And I did not anticipate that. That's perfect. 00:46:42,670 S12: That works. 00:46:44,429 S5: Mama said there will always be days like this. Yes. Okay. And a. 00:46:49,750 S12: Mama. 00:46:50,510 S5: Mama always said, you gotta shop around. 00:46:53,659 S12: You gotta stop. Right? 00:46:59,300 S12: Okay. This is great. And mama always said. 00:47:06,860 S11: Do what you want. We'll do it anyway. 00:47:14,059 S12: Yes. 00:47:24,019 S12: This is what's great about audience participation. 00:47:28,860 S12: And mama always said I'm just gonna fill it in. 00:47:40,699 S12: So I guess I got to supply my own answer here. 00:47:45,699 S11: Oh, yes. 00:47:49,699 S5: Nancy only got it because I told her. 00:47:55,260 S5: I tried this last night and it equally failed, so I don't know why. I don't know why it would be different, but my mama always said life is like a box of chocolate. You never know what you're going to get. But similar to what was the many of the other things, right? Mama always said like, life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get. And that's exactly it. We do not always know what's going to come our way. We never know what's going to come our way. Side quests, roadblocks, adversities, happy accidents, blessings, challenges all of those things come our way. These are definitely challenging times and we can feel alone. We can feel unmoored, unloved, orphaned even. And we can feel overwhelmed and uncertain. But the wise ones, the wise ones who go before us, try to prepare us and give us advice. Like you all said this morning. Right? They give us advice as they look back on their own lives. Like Forrest Gump's mother. Like the sayings that you all put forward. They try to impart a guidance to us. Write a guidance to hopefully make our journey just a little bit smoother. They can walk. They can't walk the road for us, but they can give some pointers and help us along the way. So some of the advice that we get is good. Some of us. 00:49:42,139 S8: Are. 00:49:42,460 S5: Not so, but always there trying to help us along the way. And so today we celebrate mothers and mother like figures in our lives. They guided us. They guided us. And they could've been your mother, your grandmother, your aunt, your mentor. There are those beautiful women in our lives that have helped us along the way. I mentioned earlier Carolyn Holland, uh, and that she, um, that she was interviewed for this church in 1968 and Carolyn Holland's book, here I am. She wrote that when she interviewed with Reverend Johnson and the for the C position here that, um, she wrote that she didn't think Reverend Johnson wanted her to hire her, but but she knew that the Sea Board loved her. And so she was hired. She held a staff or volunteer position for 55 years here. She mentored many, many of us here. She mentored many ministers here and she passed sadly in 2023. We miss her presence. We've tried to replicate what Carolyn Holland did for this congregation. It would take 5 or 6 people. We've yet to accomplish that. Her hugs, her welcome. I mean, she taught us the art of welcome, the art of welcome. And we still have not figured out how to replicate that just perfectly. She taught us a lot. Our mentors taught us a lot. Our mothers have taught us a lot. Forrest Gump's mother gave him different life lessons for him to remember. Maybe you remember some of these. Stupid is the stupid does. You're no different than anybody else. Don't ever let anybody tell you they're better than you. You have to do the best with what God gave you, or you've got to put the past behind you before you can move on. And on her deathbed in the movie, she said dying is a part of life. I wonder what your mother taught you. Uh, my mother taught me not to drink. And you really don't do that in church. 00:52:33,340 S5: You know, some things are helpful. And, you know, mothers teach us a lot, but both positive and negative. But they teach us and they teach us. And with the desire for us to have a better life. These words, these actions we keep with us. We hold on to them and so we can move forward and grow in love, learning to love one another. In our passage this morning, we have the last words of Jesus wisdom that he wished to impart on his disciples. Like the words mama always told you, Jesus always told us they shape us both. The words that our mama gave us and the words of Jesus. As we have discussed in previous weeks, chapters 13 through 17 in the Gospel of John are Jesus's private moments with his disciples. He has shared the last meal before the crucifixion with them. He has washed their feet as a sign that they are to serve one another. He is identified Judas as his betrayer. He has revealed that Peter would deny him three times and so would all the other disciples, and chapters 14 through 17. Jesus shares his parting wisdom with them. We read that he is troubled in spirit, and that he wants to bring assurance to his disciples and prepare them for the horrendous events that are about to transpire. He encourages them to be rooted in what he has taught them, his commandments of love. He encourages he just like what mama always said. We have Jesus's phrases what Jesus said. Jesus always said, love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus always said, love one another. Jesus always said, abide in me. Don't let your hearts be troubled. The last shall be first, and you are never alone. In our passage today, Jesus says, I will not leave you orphaned. I will not leave you orphaned. Jesus is reminding his disciples in this difficult moment that they will never, ever be alone, right? Never be alone no matter what happens next. No matter how difficult the path ahead of them. Jesus is saying, you got this. You You are not alone. 00:55:43,610 S5: I'm a fan of ultra, of running. I will never, I won't say never. I probably most likely will not ever participate in an ultra run. Ultra running is anything beyond a marathon distance at 26.2 miles, but I love watching and track keeping track of ultra running. It's a timed event, and most of the time it takes place on a course with mixed trails and roads and mountainous terrain and drastic changes in elevation. Yesterday was the end of the Coco Dona 250. It is a 250 mile road race that stretches from Black Canyon City to Flagstaff, Arizona with 38,000ft of climbing and descent across mountains and deserts. Really impressive. Two world records were set at the same time of the same person this year. Rachel Intricate won the overall race overall, beating all the men, all the women and setting a course record 57 hours and 28 minutes. Running 250 miles. She took four naps of seven minutes each. She calls it dirt naps because literally she slept on the dirt and she set those two world records. What an amazing accomplishment. I saw a sign at the end that said run Like a Girl. 00:57:37,769 S5: Yes. 00:57:42,730 S5: Here's the thing. This accomplishment is amazing. And while she ran those miles, it took a team effort. She had a whole team behind her at every single aid stop. Food stops, aid stops. And she had a pacer with her throughout this race. And a pacer is someone who runs with them for a period of time to keep them company, to encourage them, to spur them on. Right. It looks like a single event, but it is not. It is an accomplishment. And it is won. A race that she had to run with her two legs, but she had an amazing team around her and this is so evident when you watch. And it was definitely evident with Rachel, but it was also evident in the unofficial DFL. I really can't say what those initials mean except dead last and you can fill in the F. 00:58:54,690 S5: It is a term that's used, and the the unofficial dead last person is the very last runner that makes it before the time out. Wayne, IMO, was that unofficial DFL? He finished yesterday five and a half days later. 00:59:20,969 S5: In the live feed of the race, you see Wayne running tilted like this, using his his, uh. um. What what do you call those things? You know, Paul's using his paws. He's running sideways. He's using his balls to stay upright. His brother is cheering him on. The cutoff time is 125 hours. Wayne is stumbling. He is lifting. And nearly. I mean, no exaggeration. Off to his side. His team is cheering him on. It was hard to watch. Wayne gets to within five feet of the finish line. He tumbles and then he crawls, and then he rolls across the finish line. 250 miles. 125 hours and one Minute. 01:00:35,769 S5: Yeah. And the crowd goes wild. The announcers and the cameramen admit they are left in tears. 01:00:50,530 S5: Watching this, I could not help but think of the comforter, the advocate, cheering us on in life. More than likely, we will not run a 250 mile race. But my gosh. Every single one of us has to do hard things. Every single one of us. We have our ultra marathon to work through and we do not do it alone. Never. And this is what Jesus is telling the disciples. You are not orphaned. You are not alone. You have to move your legs and go on the path. But you are never alone. Jesus reminds the disciples of everything he has taught and shown them. He tells them that God will send an advocate, a comforter to be with them, a presence, the Holy Spirit, to be with them and to be with us, to guide us and comfort us and intercede on our behalf. There's a word here is translated advocate or comforter. It's called Paraclete. It's an interesting word, its unique Greek word that only appears in the Gospel of John in these chapters and in the Epistle of John. The Paraclete is the advocate, the comforter, the companion, the helper. It is the presence beside you on the trail, the voice saying, take one more step. 01:03:04,250 S5: It's the breath that steadies you when you are tilting sideways. The spirit serves as a constant guide in Jesus's absence, aiding us in recalling and deeply comprehending the essence of Jesus's teachings and actions. The spirit is our constant companion, our pace setter, and is there to help us on our journey. It is our constant source of strength and guidance, and it ensures that we are equipped and inspired to live the abundant life of love and grace that Jesus taught. Wayne M0 then crossed the finish line because he was the strongest. 01:03:57,239 S5: He crossed it because he had a cloud of witnesses refusing to let him quit, and he didn't quit on himself. 01:04:09,920 S5: That's what the spirit does for us and is what we do for each other. Following the examples of our mothers and mentors. 01:04:23,039 S5: Supporting us in time of need. We are called to do that with one another as we leave this place today. Remember that you are in the middle of a long race. Pace yourself. Some days the terrain is going to be smooth. The sun is going to be out. It's going to be lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely. In other days it's going to rain, it's going to snow. There's going to be mud and you're going to fall down. 01:05:02,159 S5: Like Forrest Gump, you may find yourself in difficult circumstances. Or like Wayne, you might be tilted sideways by the weight of the world. But in the wisdom of the mothers who raised us in the legacy of those like Carolyn Holland, who welcomed us, and in the fierce breath of the Holy Spirit within us. We have our pacers. We have our team. 01:05:39,159 S5: You may not know. You might get a lot of those coconut covered, chocolate covered coconut ones you don't like, or the caramel ones that you love. We just don't know. It might be better. It might be sweet, but know this you are not orphaned. You are not alone. The advocate runs beside you. So take heart, lean into the spirit and keep moving your legs. 01:06:19,360 S5: And let us run. The race is set before us together. Amen. 01:06:26,519 S11: Amen. 01:06:29,280 S1: Amen. Amen. 01:07:00,119 S1: Praise. 01:07:04,960 S1: The Lord. For. 01:07:10,440 S1: Christ abides with us forever. 01:07:16,480 S8: Pray for us. We are. 01:07:22,880 S8: Was with my friend Holy lioness for us to receive Christ. 01:07:35,440 S8: As Holy See. You see, I do not see. 01:07:50,159 S8: Myself. 01:07:56,840 S8: With every. 01:08:02,880 S8: Free service in the world. 01:08:14,400 S8: Let us take my friend Holy Father 01:08:24,079 S8: For? 01:08:26,760 S8: Us. This is interesting to me because. 01:08:41,279 S8: I. 01:08:49,600 S8: Love. 01:08:53,960 S8: The spirit. 01:08:57,319 S8: Spirit 01:09:00,600 S8: of the soul. 01:09:06,279 S8: Was acquired. 01:09:15,520 S8: By. 01:09:18,840 S8: One story sea was necessary. 01:09:33,600 S8: For a fruitful spiritual 01:09:40,039 S8: blessing to the. 01:09:46,119 S8: One who seems to follow me. 01:09:53,960 S8: They will be. 01:10:02,199 S8: Holding my breath for you and seeing my. 01:10:12,000 S8: Services in the. 01:10:17,920 S8: And for the most part. 01:10:28,279 S5: I wonder if you would like to help me. We have a number of people that watch our service online, and they always see the back of your head. And I just wonder if this Sunday, if you all would turn to the camera and if we could have a. So just face the balcony, and if we could have a wide shot of everyone and we're going to wave to them and we're going to say, I'm going to say the benediction, and then you're all facing the right way for the benediction, even go forth from this time and place, but never from God's presence. Go forth to witness and minister in the world. Go forth knowing that as you go, the Holy One is with you, will strengthen you and give you courage for your journey. Go in peace, to love and to serve the Holy One and God's good creation. Amen. 01:11:22,949 S8: Amen. Amen. 01:11:26,109 S8: Amen. 01:14:52,630 S8: And. 01:14:58,029 S11: That was quite.