Praying through Changes & Challenges

WESTPORT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE
SEASON OF EASTERTIDE
CELEBRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION
May 4, 2025

PRELUDE: Prelude to the Dance David Lanz
CALL TO WORSHIP: (from Psalm 30)

One: You have turned our mourning into dancing;
All: You have taken off our sackcloth and clothed us with joy.
One: Our hearts may praise you and not be silent:
All: O Lord our God, we will give thanks to you forever.

OPENING HYMN:      I Danced in the Morning   GTG#157
UNISON CONFESSION OF OUR NEED OF GOD:

All: O Lord, “resurrection” is another name for your liveliness. Our ancestors in the faith passed down to us this poetic and imaginative orientation of our hearts. Your prophets offer us a peek into the perpetual praise offered to you by singing angels, whose lives are utter gladness. Most days, our worries and cares pull us down into bad moods where this kind of praise and thanksgiving is hard to practice. Show your splendor to us anew and raise our faces into this new light.

ASSURANCE OF GOD’S GRACE: (from Psalm 30)

One: The Lord’s anger is momentary. God’s favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. Friends, entrust your lives to this good news. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
All: Thanks be to God!

SUNG RESPONSE:    Halle, Halle, Hallelujah!
SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST:

One: The peace of Christ be with you.
All: And also with you.
One: Let’s share the peace of Christ with one another.

SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 30      Ephesians 6:18    Philippians 4:6-7   Colossians 4:2
CHORAL ANTHEM: He Never Failed Me Yet Robert Ray      (“He” generally refers to Jesus)
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION:

One: God of light, restore our sight – that in Scripture and sermon
we may meet Christ, in whose name we pray.
All: Amen.

MESSAGE: Joy When Life is Unsettled: Praying through Changes & Challenges
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN:  #267 Come, Christians, Join to Sing
SUNG PREPARATION FOR PRAYER:  #469   Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER:

Our Mother and Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

CELEBRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION:
THE OFFERING OF OURSELVES/INVITATION TO GIVE:

One: Jesus invites us to bring what we have to the feast. With gratitude for God’s provisions and assured of our place at Christ’s table, we respond with generosity.

OFFERTORY SOLO: Deck Thyself, My Soul, with Gladness Handel     Joshua Stark, Baritone
PRAYER OF DEDICATION:

One: God, you have filled our lives with good things. Empower us to use these gifts for the well-being of your creation.
All: In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

INVITATION TO THE TABLE
GREAT THANKSGIVING
BREAKING OF THE BREAD
COMMUNION
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION:

One: God incarnate, in these ordinary elements you have fed us with the body of the living Christ, that we might become the body of the living Christ. Now fed and filled with courage, we welcome our new lives as your friends, co-creators of a new world.
All: Amen.

WELCOME: News In, Around, and Beyond the Community
CLOSING HYMN:  #720    Jesus Call Us
CHARGE AND BLESSING
POSTLUDE: Te Deum Prelude Marc-Antoine Charpentier

 

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 meets in the 2nd floor Children’s Space, Sunday mornings during the 1st half of worship, beginning at 11:00 am. NURSERY care is also available upstairs. Parents are asked to fill out a brief registration form before church begins. (This form only needs to be filled out once).
• HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICES available upon request. Talk to Deanna up in the front of the sanctuary at the livestream table if you would like to use one.
• WPC’s Session has chosen a CONGREGATIONAL SURVEY provided by HolyCow! Consulting. Members and friends of the congregation received an email with a link to the survey this week. Contact the church office if you did not receive the link. Help is available to those who need computer access or would prefer a paper copy. Thank you in advance for helping us make wise decisions regarding how we move faithfully into the future.

MISSION & OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES:

• WESTPORT SHOWERS happens on Sunday mornings & Thursday nights. Items Needed for our CLOTHING CLOSET include: Sneakers, T-shirts, Underwear (Men’s Boxer Briefs), Socks, Women’s pants/shorts size 0-8, Men’s pants/shorts size 28-40, Bandaids, Sweatpants, Leggings, Belts, Backpacks, Body wash, Sports bras, & Washcloths.
• 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.
• We are giving out lunches on Wednesdays in the RESOURCE CENTER and Sundays as part of WESTPORT SHOWERS. Food donations of bread, fruit, meat, cheese, peanut butter are always needed.
• BOARD MEMBERS NEEDED: Westport Center for the Arts is seeking board members who are interested in helping us keep community arts alive in Westport. We are a volunteer board who meets monthly (usually on the 4th Saturday of the month at 10 am) to work on planning programming, fundraising, community partnerships, and marketing. With the recent loss of our board president, we need people who are willing to fill some leadership roles within the organization. Our programming includes Monthly Brown Bag Concerts, Independent Professional Theater, The Dancing Word (poetry & dance) and Visual Art Exhibits. If you have an interest in the arts or know anyone who may be interested in serving on the board, please contact us at admin@wcakc.org. Support from our community is needed to keep our organization thriving.

CONNECTION HOUR SMALL GROUPS:  Sunday Mornings

• 9:30 a.m. “Overcoming Dumpster Fire Overwhelm” lead by Jennifer White.
  Does it feel like everywhere you look the world is on fire? This weekly workshop will give you 1-5 minute tools to help deal with the stresses of our modern way of living.
• 10:00 a.m. Book Discussion Group readings related to various topics including faith, art, culture, politics, earth care. Currently reading Wanderlust: A History of Walking, by Rebecca Solnit.

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

• Monday, May 5 6:30 p.m. Men’s AA Meeting (Storefront)
  • • 7:30 p.m. Boy Scout Troop 60 (Westport Rising Room)
• Tuesday, May 6 4:30 p.m. Centering Prayer and Silence – 20 min (Chapel)
  • 6:00 p.m. Irish Dance (Westport Rising Room)
• Wednesday, May 7 10:00 a.m. Resource Center Open (Storefront)
  • 11:00 a.m. Sack Lunches Distributed (Storefront)
  • 6:00 p.m. “Beyond The Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness” Film Screening (at Intersect KC, 606 Gladstone Ave., KCMO)
• Thursday, May 8 5:30 p.m. Westport Showers – For Women, Trans, & Gender Non- conforming people (Basement)
• Friday, May 9 11:30 a.m. Children’s Mercy TIES Group (Westport Rising Room)
• Saturday, May 10 8:30 a.m. Living Integrated (Men’s Support Group) (Storefront)
  • 10:00 a.m. Cub Scouts (Westport Rising Room)
  • 2-4 p.m. Westport Center for the Arts’ Visual Art Exhibit: Jane McClain Closing Reception (Fellowship Room & Chapel)
• Sunday, May 11 MOTHER’S DAY SUNDAY
  • 8-9:30 a.m. Westport Showers (Fellowship Room & Basement)
  • Connection Hour Small Groups:
    9:30 a.m. “Overcoming Dumpster Fire Overwhelm”
    10:00 a.m. Book Discussion Group
  • 11:00 a.m. Service of the Lord’s Day (Sanctuary)
    Children’s Sunday School & Nursery Care (Upstairs Children’s Room)
  • After church Potluck Lunch (Fellowship Room)
  • 12:15 p.m. Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)

LOOKING AHEAD:

Tuesday, May 13 5:30 p.m. Happy Hour Gathering – All Are Welcome
(Location?)

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

Friday, May 16 12:00 p.m. Westport Center for the Arts’ Brown Bag Concert Series:
Jan Kraybill, organist (Sanctuary)

MISSOURI LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:  from Riva and the League of Women Voters

If you would like to read more about individual bills please go to the house and senate websites (house.mo.gov – HB bills) (senate.mo.gov – SB bills). There is a place where you can put in the bill number and it will take you to that bill page. You will also find the emails to all legislators there. If you would like to receive the weekly Legislative Action Newsletter from the League of Women Voters KC, visit the website lwvkc.org and click on the red sign up box on top of the page. You do not have to be a member of the league to do this. You can also share the alert with others.
Concerning bills that are moving through the legislature:

• SS#2 SCS SB 22 – This prohibit courts from re-writing summary statements on legislatively referred constitutional amendments. This allows the legislature to write ballot language that could be misleading and often times, unconstitutional. This has occurred many times in the past and the courts were called upon to change it. This bill is important because it will allow the legislators to write deceptive ballot language to intentionally confuse citizens to vote for it. By eliminating the court, there will be no check on the ballot language. This bill has passed through the legislature and is on Governor Kehoe’s desk. Contact him to urge him to not sign this bill. 1-573-751-3222 Governor.mo.gov
• HCS HB 328 – Would allow concealed carry permit holders to carry firearms on public transportation and lowers the age requirement for concealed carry permits. Lowers the age for a concealed carry permit to 18 from 19. Only cities with pubic transportation will be affected by this. Rural areas where there is no public transportation will not be affected by this law. The sponsor of this bill (as well as many of its supporters) do not ride public transportation or ever have. This House bill is now making its way through the senate. Contact your state Senator to express your views.
• HCS HJR 73 – Proposes a Constitutional Amendment that would prohibit abortion except in cases of medical emergency, rape or incest, no later than 12 weeks gestational age and only if reported to law enforcement within at least 48 hours of the procedure. Also contains language regarding gender transition and possible prosecution of medical professionals. This bill is now moving through the Senate. Contact your state Senator to express your views.
• SCS SJRs 47, 30, & 10 & HCS HBs 575 & 551 – These sets of bills makes it much more difficult for citizens to make changes to the Missouri Constitution through the Citizen’s Initiative Process. It asks for a 2 threshold win ( to pass by both statewide majority AND a majority of the state representative districts – almost an impossibility), greatly restricts who can collect signatures, repeals the public comment period (and other things). Currently it takes a simple majority to pass an amendment. The legislature can also put amendments on the ballot but these need only to be passed by 51% giving their amendments an unfair advantage. If these bills had been in place, Amendment 3 would not have passed last November. These bills are now in the senate – please contact your senator to express your views.
• HB 1072 HB 1417 – Missouri Prenatal Equal Protection Act. Makes a fertilized egg a person in the criminal code which would abolish abortion and make it murder. (I’m not making this up.)

There are 14 more working days for this legislative session. The legislature is working on the budget which is due May 9. The last day of session is May 16.