Covenant Relationships, Divine Remembering, Wilderness Wandering, Creation Renewing Hope thru Christ

WESTPORT RISING WORSHIP SERVICE
FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
February 18, 2024

(Video will be posted LIVE on the church’s FB page at 11am and then cross-posted here afterward.  If the video doesn’t load properly here, you should be able to click on the Watch on Facebook link and watch as a guest, even if you don’t have Facebook)

WELCOME
PRELUDE:   V A Poor Wayfaring Stranger                      African American spiritual, arr. Ann Buys
OPENING SCRIPTURE:   Genesis 9:8-17 (Covenant with Noah)
RESPONSIVE CALL TO WORSHIP: (Psalm 25: 1-3)

Leader:     To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
     People:    O my God, in you I trust;
     Leader:     Do not let me be put to shame;
     People:    Do not let my enemies exult over me.
     Leader:     Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
     All:            let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

OPENING HYMN:  Forty Days and Forty Nights   GTG #167
RESPONSIVE CONFESSION: (Psalm 25: 4-7)

Leader:    Make me to know your ways, O Lord; Teach me your paths.
     People:   Lead me in your truth, and teach me, For you are the God of my salvation; For you I wait all day long.
     Leader:    Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, And of your steadfast love, For they have been from of old.
     All:           Do not remember the sins of my you or my transgressions; According to your steadfast love remember me, For your goodness’ sake, O Lord!

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: (Psalm 25: 8-12)

Leader:     Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore God instructs sinners in the way.
     People:    God leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble God’s way.
Leader:     All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep God’s covenant and God’s decrees.
     People:    For your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great.
     All:           Who are they that fear the Lord? God will teach them the way that they should choose.

AFFIRMING OF HEALING, SAVING POWER OF GOD: Live in Charity (English & Latin)   GTG#205
PASSING OF THE PEACE:

     Pastor:      The grace, peace, love and joy of Jesus Christ be with you.
     People:    And also with you.
     Pastor:      Let us share the peace of Christ with each other.

CHORAL ANTHEM:   The Glory of these Forty Days (BOURBON)                        arr. Hal Hopson

The Glory of these forty days
We celebrate with songs of praise; for Christ, by whom all things were made,
Himself has fasted and has prayed.

Alone and fasting Moses saw the loving God who gave the law;
And to Elijah, fasting, came the steeds and chariots of flame.

So Daniel trained his mystic sight, delivered from the lions’ might;
And John, the Bridegroom’s friend, became the herald of Messiah’s name.

Then grant that we, like them, be true, consumed in fast and prayer with you;
Our spirit strengthen by your grace, and give us joy to see your face.

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION:

Leader:     May the words of my mouth
     People:    And the meditations of our hearts
     Unison:    Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, Our Strength and our Redeemer, Amen.

SCRIPTURE READINGS:     New Testament:    Matthew 3: 13-17;   1 Peter 3: 18-22
MESSAGE:   Covenant Relationships, Divine Remembering, Wilderness Wandering, Creation Renewing Hope thru Christ     Pastor Susan Wesley Hartley
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN:  Jesus Walked this Lonesome Valley   The Presbyterian Hymnal, Blue #80
WELCOMING, NEWS IN AROUND AND BEYOND THE COMMUNITY
SUNG PREPARATION FOR PRAYER:  Come, Bring Your Burdens to God   GTG#851
MORNING PRAYER, LORD’S PRAYER (Mother, Father God who art in heaven…)
CALL FOR THE OFFERING:

Offering link

OFFERTORY:   “I’ll Walk with God”    by Nicholas Brodszky           Benjamin Ruiz, Tenor
PRAYER OF DEDICATION

CLOSING HYMN:   What Wondrous Love Is This  GTG #215
BENEDICTION
BENEDICTION RESPONSE:   Spirit of the Living God   GTG #288
CHARGE TO CONGREGATION
POSTLUDE:   Wondrous Love     arr. Debbie Center

A WESTPORT WARM WELCOMING! 

• WELCOME! MEMBERS! NEWCOMERS! FRIENDS! We are so glad you could join us for worship today!
• VISITORS, please take a moment to let us know you were here by picking up an attendance card (in the pews) and filling out whatever information you would like to share with us.
• WELCOME FAMILIES! Children’s Sunday School is back in action in the redesigned 2nd floor Children’s Space, Sunday mornings during the 1st half of worship, beginning at 11:00 am.
• 2024 PER CAPITA is $43.94 per member. This money helps support our denomination on the regional and national levels. The breakdown is: $9.80 to General Assembly, $3.15 to Synod, and $30.99 to Heartland Presbytery. If you would like to help out the church by paying your own Per Capita, make your check out to Westport Presbyterian Church or place money in a pew envelope and include “per Capita” on the memo line. Thank You!
• CHURCH DIRECTORY UPDATE:   We are gathering information for a new church directory which will be available securely online and as a printed booklet. Please fill out the enclosed form with whatever contact information you would like to share with the congregation. Name, Address, Phone, Email, Birthdays & Anniversaries.

MISSION & OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES: 

• Bread, Buns, Fruit, Water, Meat, Peanut Butter, Cheese are always needed for our INTERRUPT HUNGER work. WESTPORT SHOWERS happens on Sundays & Thursday nights. Men’s boxer brief underwear needed. Men’s and Women’s shoes. Backpacks! Coats, Sweatshirts, Warm Clothes for this cold weather! 

INREACH & OUTREACH IN THE COMING WEEK: (All Events are at the Church, 201 Westport Rd – unless noted)

• Monday, Feb. 19     PRESIDENT’S DAY (CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED)

  4:30 p.m.         FREDitation – a centering prayer experience – 20 min (Chapel)

  6:30 p.m.         Men’s AA Meeting (Storefront)

  7:30 p.m.         Boy Scout Troop 60 (Westport Rising Room)

• Tuesday, Feb. 20

  6:00 p.m.         Irish Dance (Westport Rising Room)

  7:00 p.m.         Session Meeting (Fellowship Room)

• Wednesday, Feb. 21           8:00 p.m.         Mission & Outreach Committee Meeting (Zoom)
• Thursday, Feb. 22              5:30 p.m.         Westport Showers – For Women, Trans, & Gender Non-conforming people (Basement)

  7:00 p.m.         Search Committee Orientation Meeting (Fellowship Room)

• Friday, Feb. 23                   10:00 a.m.       Children’s Mercy TIES (Fellowship Room)
• Saturday, Feb. 24               8:30 a.m.         Living Integrated (Men’s Support Group) (Storefront)

  10:00 a.m.       Westport Center for the Arts Board Meeting (Fellowship Room)

• Sunday, Feb. 25                  8-9:30 a.m.      Westport Showers (Fellowship Room & Basement)

  11:00 a.m.       Service of the Lord’s Day (Sanctuary)

  Children’s Sunday School (Upstairs Children’s Room)

  12:15 p.m.       Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)

  5:30-7 p.m.      Cub Scouts Blue & Gold Banquet (Fellowship Room)

   LOOKING AHEAD:

• Wednesday, Feb. 28           6:00 p.m.         Presbyterian Urban & Immigrant Ministry Network (PUIMN) Meeting (Fellowship Room)

  6:00 p.m.         Stewardship Meeting (Library)