Feeling Deeply Depressed? Go Deeper to Stay Buoyant!

Epiphany Season Celebration—Westport Presbyterian Church
January 30, 2022, 11:00 am

PRELUDE: Song Without Words in E-flat major, op. 30, no. 1-Felix Menselssohn
CALL TO RETURN TO OUR SOULS

Leader:          For stars guiding and doves descending!
People:         For epiphanies glad surprising!
Leader           For skies circling and streams singing!
People:         For four leggeds talking and two leggeds walking!
Leader:          Winged ones flying! Hopping ones hopping!
People:         All creatures crawling, creeping, paddling and diving!
Leader           For earth’s holy places! For soul’s silent spaces!
People:         And all God’s surprising, healing graces!
Leader:          For Jesus’ parable and Mary’s singing prayer!
People:         For Miriam’s dance and for Martin’s unfinished dream!
Leader:          For Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s gospel music sensations!
People:         And mystic Howard Thurman’s rhythmic meditations!
Leader:          Let us all, in our minds’ imagination
People          Gather in timely preparation!
Leader:          It’s a Holy Ghost liberation celebration!

CONGREGATIONAL HYMN: You Walk along Our Shoreline    GtG#170
CALL TO CONFESSION

Leader:       In the stillness of the quiet,  if we listen, we can hear the whisper of the heart giving strength to weakness,
People:      Love’s power to face fears,
Leader:       Courage to undermine discouragements,
People:      Stamina for despair.
Leader:       Rest for all our weariness.
People:     There is something in every one of us that waits and listens  for the sound of the genuine in ourselves.  It is the only true guide we will ever have.
Leader:       And if we cannot hear it,then all of our life    we will spend our days  on the ends of strings    that somebody else pulls.
People:      Listen to the long stillness: New life is stirring. New dreams are on the wing. New hopes are being readied.
Leader:       God is at work.
People:      This is the season of Promise.
All:            Amen.
—adapted from Howard Thurman

BLESSED ASSURANCE OF GOD’S ACTIVE GRACE: We’ve Come This Far by Faith   GtG #656
BIBLE READINGS:   Psalm 42 and Psalm 43
SUNG RESPONSE:   Down in the River to Pray
MESSAGE: Feeling Deeply Depressed? Go Deeper to Stay Buoyant!
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN:  My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less  GTG#353
WELCOMING
ANTHEM: This Little Light of Mine-arr. Mark Mabry
Matthew 25 Prayer, Lord’s Prayer, Sung Response: Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying(sing twice) GTG#469 
OFFERTORY: O Gladsome Light-Raymond Weidner
UNISON PRAYER OF DEDICATION

May I be a guard for those who need protection. A guide for those on the path. A boat, a raft, a bridge for those who wish to cross the flood.  May I be a lamp in the darkness. A resting place for the weary. A healing medicine for all who are sick. A vase of plenty, a tree of miracles.  And for the boundless multitudes of living beings May I bring sustenance and awakening, Enduring like the earth and sky Until all beings are freed from sorrow And all are awakened.
—Shantideva, Indian Buddhist sage 700 C.E.    Prayer performed each morning by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

CONGREGATIONAL HYMN: Somebody’s Knocking at Your Door  GTG#728
BLESSING
SUNG BENEDICTION RESPONSE:  Somebody’s Knocking at Your Door   (added 4th stanza)

Jesus calls you  (Somebody’s knocking at your door)
Jesus calls you (Somebody’s knocking at your door)
O sinner, why don’t you answer? Somebody’s knocking at your door.

POSTLUDE:    Song without Words in E major, op. 30, no. 3- Felix Mendelssohn

Wednesday, Feb. 16, 12:00-1:15 Zoom Dialogue on Racism & Anti-Racism with Micah Rose Emerson and Rev Scott  (anyone is invited to join in this event. Let Rev Scott know and you will receive the link)