Draw us nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord

Draw us nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord

WESTPORT RISING WORSHIP SERVICE
FORTH SUNDAY OF LENT
March 10, 2024

(Video will be posted LIVE on the church’s FB page at 11am and then cross-posted here.  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)

Pastor: Susan Wesley Hartley
Liturgist: Bobbie Testa

WORDS OF WELCOME:  from Westport Presbyterian Church and the set of August Wilson’s play Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, produced by the MET @ the Warwick Theater
PRELUDE:   Herr Christ, der einig Gottes Sohn  (Lord Christ, the Son of God) Georg Phillip Telemann
OPENING SCRIPTURE:   John 3: 13-21 (The Message Translation)
OPENING HYMN:    Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love  GTG#203
RESPONSIVE CALL TO RETURN TO OUR SOULS:   Jeremiah 31: 35, 31-34 (The Message)

Leader:     God’s Message, from the God who lights up the day with sun and brightens the night with the moon and stars,
People:    Be ready. The time is coming when I will make a brand new covenant with Israel and Judah.
Leader:     It won’t be a repeat of the covenant I made with their ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant even though I did my part as their Master.
People:    God’s Message: This is the brand new covenant that I will make with Israel when the time comes. I will put my law within them – write it on their hearts! – and be their God. And they will be my people.

RESPONSIVE ASSURANCE OF PARDON:

Leader:     They will no longer go around setting up schools to teach each other about God.
ALL:         They’ll know me first hand, the dull and the bright, the smart and the slow.  I will wipe the slate clean for each of them. I’ll forget they ever sinned.  God’s Decree. 

AFFIRMING OF HEALING, SAVING POWER OF GOD:  Change My Heart, O God   GTG#695
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. 

SOLO:   The King of Love My Shepherd Is;  Charles Gounod;   Sarah Baxter, alto
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:    Ephesians 2: 1-10 (The Message)MESSAGE:   Draw us nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord   

CONGREGATIONAL HYMN:        Love Divine, All Loves Excelling   GTG#366
WELCOMING, NEWS IN AROUND AND BEYOND THE COMMUNITY
SUNG PREPARATION FOR PRAYER:   Come, Bring Your Burdens to God   GTG#851
SHARING OUR JOYS AND CONCERNS, LORD’S PRAYER (Mother, Father God who art in heaven…)
CALL FOR THE OFFERING
                 Offering link
OFFERTORY ANTHEM:   Wondrous Love; Geoffrey Wilcken
PRAYER OF DEDICATION:   Psalm 1
CLOSING HYMN:    Lord, Speak to Me That I May Speak   GTG#722
BENEDICTION:   Ephesians 3:28 (New Revised Standard Version)
BENEDICTION RESPONSE:  Lead Me, Guide Me (refrain, SING TWICE)   GTG#740
CHARGE TO CONGREGATION
POSTLUDE:   Herr Jesu Christ dich zu uns wend (Lord Jesus Christ, Turn to Us);  G. P. Telemann 

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 submit 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!
  • WESTPORT SHOWERS is looking for additional volunteers to help with Sunday mornings. With the increase in guests, we would like to have teams of 2 volunteers upstairs working together at the door and 2 downstairs working in the shower/laundry room each Sunday. You would be working with experienced volunteers who can train you in what is needed. If you would like to help, and are willing to volunteer 1 Sunday morning a month, reach out to Drew Irwin or Allison Rozga for more information.

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

  •      Today, Mar. 10                   2:30 p.m.         MET: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Sanctuary)
  •      Monday, Mar. 11               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, Mar. 12               6:00 p.m.         Irish Dance (Westport Rising Room)
  •                                                7:00 p.m.         Session Meeting (Fellowship Room)
  •      Wednesday, Mar. 13         7:00 p.m.         Zoom Bible Study – contact church office for link (Online)      *meets every other week*
  •      Thursday, Mar. 14             5:30 p.m.         Westport Showers – For Women, Trans, & Gender Non-conforming people (Basement)
  •      Saturday, Mar. 16              8:30 a.m.         Living Integrated (Men’s Support Group) (Storefront)
  •                                                10:00 a.m.       Cub Scouts (Westport Rising Room)
  •      Sunday, Mar. 17                                        ST. PATRICK’S DAY (Avoid Broadway -Parade Route)
  •                                                 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)

LOOKING AHEAD:

  •  Friday, Mar. 22                  12:00 noon      Westport Center for the Arts’ Brown Bag Concert Series: Marian Thomas and Friends (Sanctuary)
  • HOLY WEEK AT WESTPORT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
    PALM/PASSION SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE   Sunday, March 24   11 a.m.
    Good Friday TENABRAE Service   Friday, March 29   7:00 p.m.
    EASTER SUNDAY COMMUNION SERVICE   Sunday, March 31   11 a.m.
  • If you would like to order an Easter Lily for Easter Sunday, please use the sign-up sheet at the back of the sanctuary, or you may contact the church office. The cost is $10 each. You can pay by check or cash and write Easter Lily in the memo line or on the pew envelope. Orders are due by March 24 (Palm Sunday).

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