Our world is changing again. In person worship has resumed in our meetinghouse. There are certain restrictions for the time being, for instance, we ask that you register in advance if you wish to attend on any Sunday. If you wish to register, be in touch with the church office before Friday of the week you plan to attend. You can attend on a drop in basis if for some reason you cannot register in advance and just appear on Sunday morning. You can register at that point if there is room inside. Please be aware that we require good health, masks and safe distancing. We are beginning to sing hymns (gently) in the church as a congregation. Some things are the same and in other ways the service may be a bit different.
Those not in church can now watch the service by a livestream feed on our Youtube page which is linked right below and again further down this page in our archive of worship services.
LIvestream to begin at 11 am today–you are able to view this livestream content anytime during the day
Sunday Worship livestream: Click here to attend
Related worship material for this Sunday’s service: Order of Service
Church meetings for this week: Click here to attend
In order to worship God, stay connected, and sustain our spirit with prayer and reflection here are some services of worship for you. Thanks to our church administrator, Nancy Andrews, our organist, Gene Marie Callahan, and our minister, Kenneth Clarke who together produce and coordinate this effort. As we move to the livestream we will post our latest livestream services below. Thanks to John Carson for his help and talent in making these livestreams possible!
You can play or download the content from this web page or you can use a podcast app (such as Spotify, Apple or Google podcast players–search for a podcast entitled “A Walk to Clio Hall”). One thing you might do is to share these media with others who might be interested. Easiest way to do this is to send a link—if this mystifies you, be in touch with the church office to take care of the details.
Current Services:
Our service for the Week of June 20, 2021
Livestream Link for the June 20, 2021 Service
Order of Service and related material for June 13, 2021: Order of Service
Above is a link to supporting material for the June 20, 2021 worship service. A suggested way to view this material is to download and print the file as a traditional order of service or to open the file in a separate tab or window on the computer as you listen. The link should open as a new window on your computer.
Here are additional audio and video recordings of recent worship services at the Old First Church:
Sunday Worship, June 13, 2021: Livestream link: June 13, 2021
Sunday Worship, June 6, 2021: Livestream link: https://youtu.be/MjIUN4Du7T8
Sunday Worship, May 30, 2021: Livestream link: https://youtu.be/Swgf56fwpV0
Sunday Worship, May 23, 2021: Livestream link: https://youtu.be/ETe3fkyBGB8
Sunday Worship, May 16, 2021: Livestream link: https://youtu.be/tUfn_w3S_1M
Sunday Worship, May 9, 2021: Livestream link:
Sunday Worship, May 2, 2021: Livestream link: https://youtu.be/1FhgmWyjY7U
Sunday Worship, April 25, 2021: Livestream link: https://youtu.be/79FJ4mt3vCo
Sunday Worship, April 18, 2021
Order of Service for April 18, 2021
Sunday Worship, April 11, 2021: Livestream link: https://youtu.be/B0fNcXvlb2I
Easter Sunday Worship, April 4, 2021
Order of service and related material for April 4, 2021
Worship material for the days before Easter, including Maunday Thursday and Good Friday
Below is an audio file with meditation materials for the time surrounding Maunday Thursday and Good Friday. It consists of the postlude from our Palm Sunday service (Alfred V. Fedak’s Six Variations on Pange Lingua) together with a reading of the Passion narrative in the Gospel of Mark (Mark 14:1-15:47) and concludes with a reading of Psalm 118. This is bracketed by the hymn tune O Sacred Head Now Wounded. The gospel narrative begins after the 12 minute mark.
Organist and Vocalist, Gene Marie Callahan
Reader, Kenneth Clarke
Sermon Title: Time To Celebrate…Or Not?
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for March 28, 2021
Sermon Title: Law Breaking and Other Adventures
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for March 21, 2021
Sermon Title: Good Works
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for March 14, 2021
Sermon Title: Write Your Own
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
https://meet.jit.si/OwnModificationsTourBest This link is not active today.
Order of Service and related material for March 7, 2021
Sermon Title: Journeys
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for February 28, 2021
Sermon Title: Swing Low
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for February 21, 2021
Sermon Title: Staying Close By
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist: Gene Marie Callahan
Video of this Sunday’s service on Youtube: follow this link: https://youtu.be/YdTHBp31gGM
Order of Service and related material for February 14, 2021
Sermon Title: A Guide for Faith
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for February 7, 2021
A New Feature for the Week of February 7th:
The link here will take you to our Youtube channel where you can see the service presented above. Just click
Youtube Sunday February 7th service
Sermon Title: Prophets and Healers
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for January 31, 2021
Sermon Title: Our Work, Our Call
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for January 24, 2021
As a special feature this Sunday, we present an “extended version” of this week’s sermon. The reason is, frankly, that it ran a little long and also because a lot of the “extra” content is more centered around matters of biography that are more personal than some may want. The extended version is below. The sermon in this case should really be titled as follows:
The Other Galilee–Or A Recollection of Aunt Margaret
Sermon Title: Call and Response
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for January 17, 2021
Sermon Title: In the Beginning
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for January 10, 2021
Sermon Title: Light
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for January 3, 2021
Sermon Title: Guided By the Spirit
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for December 27, 2020
Sermon Title: The Season’s Promise
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for December 20, 2020
Sermon Title: Hold Fast to What Is Good
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for December 13, 2020
Sermon Title: Expectation of the Dawn
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for December 6, 2020
Sermon Title: The Day and the Hour
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for November 29, 2020
Sermon Title: One in Ten
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for November 22, 2020
Sermon Title: The Time of Judges
Minister, Kenneth Clarke
Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for November 15, 2020
Sermon Title: Choose This Day
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for November 8, 2020
Sermon Title: Their Fringes Long
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for November 1, 2020
Link to Robert Frost’s poem, “In a Disused Graveyard”
Sermon Title: The View From Here
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for October 25, 2020
Sermon Title: Face To Face
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for October 18, 2020
Sermon Title: Dead Reckoning
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for October 11, 2020
Sermon Title: Then God Spoke
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material
Sermon Title: Get Yourselves A New Heart
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material
Sermon Title: Belly of the Beast
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for September 20, 2020
Sermon Title: Each Of Us
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for September 13, 2020
Sermon Title: Follow These Instructions Carefully
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for September 6, 2020
Sermon Title: Who Am I
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for August 30, 2020
Sermon Title: The Quarry
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for August 23
Sermon Title: Lord, Help Me
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for August 16
A YouTube link to Mozart’s Kyrie referenced in the sermon
Sermon Title: Troubled Waters
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist: Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for August 9
Sermon Title: Where We Ought To Be
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for August 2
Sermon Title: Look! Up In the Sky…lt’s….
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for July 26
Sermon Title: A Good Night’s Sleep
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for July 19
Sermon Title: No Roots
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for July 12
Sermon Title: An Inner War
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of service and related material for July 5
Sermon Title: Where’s the Lamb?
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of service and related material for June 28
Sermon Title: The In Crowd
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of service and related material for June 21
Sermon Title: Guests from a Different Land
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of service and related material for June 14
Sermon Title: The Sixth Day
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of service and related material for June 7
Sermon Title: Down to Camp
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of service and related material for May 31
Sermon Title: Mystic Chords of Memory
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of service and related material for May 24
Sermon Title: “Agnostos Theos”
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of service and related material for May 17
Sermon Title: Duck Tales
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of service and related material for May 10
Sermon Title: With Glad and Generous Hearts
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for May 3
Sermon Title: Waiting By The Gate
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for April 26,
Sermon Title: The Challenge
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for April 19, 2020
Easter Sunday
Sermon Title: There You Will See Him
Minster, Kenneth Clarke Organist, Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for April 12, 2020, Easter Sunday
Easter Video Greetings Here!
Here are two short videos, one a general greeting to members and friends and the second a fun segment for children of all ages.
A Children’s Moment for those of any age:
Sermon Title: Not At All What We Expected
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist: Gene Marie Callahan
Order of Service and related material for April 5, 2020, Palm Sunday
Sermon Title: Testing the Limits
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist: Gene Marie Callahan
Sermon Title: A Desolate Place
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist: Gene Marie Callahan
Sermon Title: Faith, Facts and Fear
or
Why Toilet Paper?
Minister, Kenneth Clarke Organist: Gene Marie Callahan Violinist: Francois Secordel