Central United Methodist Church

Central United Methodist Church Central United Methodist Church is a congregation of faithful people seeking to grow a Christ-centered world

"We warmly welcome, affirm, and commit to advocate for ALL God’s children – including people of all ages, races, ethnicities, genders, family structures, sexual orientations, gender identities, socioeconomic or citizenship status, political or theological positions, physical or mental abilities, and life experiences."

This week in music Central United Methodist Church: our scripture reading this week bring up themes of endurance, hearin...
06/17/2026

This week in music Central United Methodist Church: our scripture reading this week bring up themes of endurance, hearing the cries of the abandoned, and opening our eyes to solutions we have not yet been able to perceive. In both services, our Grace Notes ensemble sings "The Storm is Passing Over," extolling strength for the journey and the light that comes after periods of darkness. At the 11am service, our Chancel Choir sings a new composition by Music Director Karen Marrolli entitled"Through the Valley." Drawing inspiration from Psalm 23, its text speaks not only of finding a way our of no way, but in hearing the cries of others who are in need and helping them to move toward healing.

"When we wander through the valley of shadows and death,
and we cannot find the pathway to the sun,
we will be each others' lamplight, and, with trembling breath,
we will build a world where mercy's will is done.
And we will rise, we will rise and see it though,
and we'll see that no one ever stands alone,
and we will build, yes, we'll build this world anew,
where each soul is safe and every heart is home."

This week in music at Central United Methodist Church: Good News returns to both services in their last appearance of th...
06/10/2026

This week in music at Central United Methodist Church: Good News returns to both services in their last appearance of the season. In addition, tenor Brock Willard offers “Beautiful City” from Godspell. On a Sunday where the scripture reading speaks of fulfilling seemingly impossible promises, “Beautiful City” reminds us to hope.

“Out of the ruins and rubble
Out of the smoke
Out of our night of struggle
Can we see a ray of hope?
One pale thin ray
Reaching for the day…
We may not reach the ending
But we can start
Slowly but truly mending
Brick by brick
Heart by heart
Now maybe now
We start learning how.”

This week in music at Central United Methodist Church: Jazz to Go returns to our 11am service! If you’re streaming, be s...
06/03/2026

This week in music at Central United Methodist Church: Jazz to Go returns to our 11am service! If you’re streaming, be sure to tune in early at 10:45 for some “Just Jazz” preservice music. They will also join the Chancel Choir on the gospel classic “Order My Steps.” The song, written in 1991 by composer Glenn Edward Burleigh, was inspired by watching the youth drill team (or "step team") at Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church, where he served as minister of music. From UMC Discipleship Ministries: "The activity of 'stepping' is a combination of dance and rhythmic sounds created on the body, executed with complex choreography. This expression is an outgrowth of music created by enslaved Africans in the United States in the antebellum South who were forbidden to play drums. They, therefore, created another means of expression that simulated the sound and rhythm of the drum." Burleigh received the inspiration for this song during the youth's performance and "Order My Steps" came pouring out. It has since become a beloved classic of the repertoire.

This week in music at Central United Methodist Church: We celebrate Trinity Sunday this week. Sopranos Amanda Porter an...
05/27/2026

This week in music at Central United Methodist Church: We celebrate Trinity Sunday this week. Sopranos Amanda Porter and Karah Ingraham will offer Franck’s “O Lord, We Pray to Thee” (Panis Angelico’s) at both services. At 11am, our Chancel Choir will be joined by flautist Linda Davidson and violinist Maria Dickinson on a Trinity themed composition by Music Director Karen Marrolli: “Weave Us in Community.” A new tune and text by the composer is interwoven with the Irish tune “St. Patrick’s Breastplate,” carried by the instrumental parts. Although we only hear the tune throughout, those who know the hymn will remember that the text begins with “I bind unto myself today the strong name of the Trinity.” The new text refers to the Creator as the “threefold God of unity” and carries themes of all of us being subject to one another. A few weeks ago, the first portion of Karen’s reflection on a hypothetical “world wide choir,” written to accompany this specific anthem, was presented here. It ends as follows: “I believe that, in that choir, varied voices and human stories, like threads of varied texture and hues, would ring out and blend together to create the most vibrant and comforting musical garment. It would create a song of belonging, of safety, and of home. And through that song, with its multiplicity of voices and colors and textures, the voice of the Creator is truly heard. It’s a voice that declares that there is room for all, that all have worth and value. It assures us that no one has supremacy over another, that we are all children of God and stewards of beauty and abundance. And, most importantly, it demands that we go forth and act differently in our lives. Because of what we know from our singing together, there is no room for hatred or fear. There is no room for turning away from the suffering of our neighbors. There is no reason for exclusion or boundaries. Our breath, our music, our song has woven us- ALL of us- tightly in community.”

This week in music at Central United Methodist Church: Pentecost Sunday is full of music! Baritone Marshal Hollingsworth...
05/20/2026

This week in music at Central United Methodist Church: Pentecost Sunday is full of music! Baritone Marshal Hollingsworth will kick of both services with Michael Burkhardt’s setting of “Like the Murmur of the Dove’s Song,” and Grace Notes return to both services with a rousing arrangement of the spiritual “I’m Gonna Sing When the Spirit Says Sing.” At 11am, our Chancel Choir will offer Craig Courtney’s “Hymn to the Holy Spirit.” As stated by the publisher description, “D. Elton Trueblood's fiery text states that one of the Holy Spirit's many roles is to shake us out of our complacency that we might see the needs of those around us,” highlighting themes of awareness, social holiness, and service to others. We will also be joined at 11am by bagpipes (surely a mighty wind) from the Ballut Abyad Shrine Band.

This week in music at Central United Methodist Church: Our Gospel reading this week speaks of Christ’s desire for unity....
05/13/2026

This week in music at Central United Methodist Church: Our Gospel reading this week speaks of Christ’s desire for unity. Soprano Karah Ingraham offers a communal prayer of thanks, “Thanks Be to Thee,” at both services. At 11am, our Chancel Choir sings Pepper Choplin’s “One Song,” a lovely, folk like anthem speaks of the world as a song in which “there will be no division- everyone will belong, as we all join together in one song.” Music Director Karen Marrolli has had several opportunities in guest appearances the past few months to pose the question “What if the whole world were a singing community?” A portion of the reflection goes on as follows: “It’s a question worth pondering in a time of great division, fear, and “othering.” In a world that pushes narratives of scarcity rather than abundance, mistrust rather than curiosity, and ‘us vs them’ thinking, what we do in a choir seems almost countercultural. People of various life experiences, identities, and ideologies come together to create something special… We sing side by side with people who don’t necessarily think like us, look like us, or act like us. And in that harmonization, we become one. We become open to one another. We have to listen to one another and stand shoulder to shoulder with one another. We have to coalesce, breathe as a communal unit and let that breath carry forth a unified sound…colored by all of the varied threads that make up the choir. Unity without uniformity… We are united by breath, by human experience, by the desire to create something beautiful and meaningful. Nothing is hoarded. There is no scarcity. Everyone brings the fullness of their breath, their voice, their being into song, and in that abundance is created… What if our whole country, our whole world, could sing together as a congregation or in a choir? How much better off could we be?”

Address

201 University Boulevard NE
Albuquerque, NM
87106

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 12pm

Telephone

+15052437834

Website

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