WESTPORT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE
FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
March 30, 2025
PRELUDE: Variation on SOUTHWELL (“Lord Jesus, Think on Me”) Alfred Fedak
CALL TO WORSHIP: (inspired by Psalm 32)
One: In times of trouble, in days of fear,
All: Steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.
One: When we are lost and lonely, not sure of our place,
All: Steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.
One: When we are hard-hearted and cynical,
All: Steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.
One: When we struggle to believe God’s promise of redemption,
All: Steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.
One: Together we look to God to teach us the way we should go.
All: Steadfast love surrounds us, as together we place our trust in the Lord.
OPENING HYMN: God, You Spin the Whirling Planets GTG#23
UNISON CONFESSION OF OUR NEED OF GOD:
All: Merciful God, we have strayed from your ways like lost sheep. Our values are misshapen and our hearts bent away from kindness. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Restore us according to your promises declared to the world in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant that we may live a holy, just, and humble life to the glory of your blessed name.
ASSURANCE OF GOD’S GRACE:
One: Psalm 32 says: “Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are those happy people whose sins have been forgiven. Believe in the good news and rejoice!
All: Thanks be to God!
SUNG RESPONSE: Goodness Is Stronger than Evil GTG#750
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 READINGS: Joshua 5:9-12 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
One: May God bless the reading of Holy Scripture.
All: Thanks be to God.
CHORAL ANTHEM: When Jesus Wept William Billings
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION:
One: Gracious God, your mercy is wide, but our understanding is limited. Open our minds and our hearts, that your good news may reach the deepest places within us. In Christ’s name we pray,
All: Amen.
MESSAGE: Re-imagining Our Relationships
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN: All Who Hunger, Gather Gladly GTG#509
WELCOME: News In, Around, and Beyond the Community
SUNG PREPARATION FOR PRAYER: Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying GTG#469
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.
THE OFFERING OF OURSELVES/INVITATION TO GIVE:
One: As people who have received the overflowing God’s mercy, we respond with gratitude in our hearts. Our offerings give us the opportunity both to express our gratitude and to commit our resources to God’s gracious purposes in the world.
All: We share what we have for the good of this community and the good of our neighbors.
OFFERTORY SOLO: Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace by John Rutter Nico Caruso, tenor
PRAYER OF DEDICATION:
One: Lord of all, we give you thanks for your unfailing love.
All: All that we have and all that we are is a gift from you, and we return it to you now with thanks and praise.
One: Take and bless what we offer here today,
All: that it may be used to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, liberate the oppressed, care for the suffering, and share the good news of your love with the world. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: Over My Head STF#2148
CHARGE AND BLESSING
POSTLUDE: In Christ There Is No East or West (MCKEE)Anna Laura Page
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.
- 2025 PER CAPITA is $44.98 per member. This money helps support our denomination on the regional and national levels. The breakdown is: $10.84 to General Assembly, $3.15 to Synod of Mid-America, 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!
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.
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, Mar. 31 6:30 p.m. Men’s AA Meeting (Storefront)
7:30 p.m. Boy Scout Troop 60 (Westport Rising Room)
Tuesday, Apr. 1 4:30 p.m. Centering Prayer and Silence – 20 min (Chapel)
6:00 p.m. Irish Dance (Westport Rising Room)
Wednesday, Apr. 2 10:00 a.m. Resource Center Open (Storefront)
11:00 a.m. Sack Lunches Distributed (Storefront)
Thursday, Apr. 3 5:30 p.m. Westport Showers – For Women, Trans, & Gender Non-conforming people (Basement)
Friday, Apr. 4 8:15 a.m. Voting Equipment Delivered (Fellowship Room)
11:30 a.m. Children’s Mercy Healthy Families (Fellowship Room)
Saturday, Apr. 5 8:30 a.m. Living Integrated (Men’s Support Group) (Storefront)
Sunday, Apr. 6 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)
12:15 p.m. Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)
LOOKING AHEAD:
Tuesday, Apr. 8 5 a.m.- 7 p.m. Election Day – Voting (Fellowhip Room)
7:00 p.m. Session Meeting
Friday, Apr. 11 12:00 p.m. Westport Center for the Arts’ Brown Bag Concert Series: Voices of America; A Kaleidoscope of artist vision.
Featuring Poetry by Whitman, Hughes, Dickinson and others, and Music by Copland, Adams, Beach, and others. Presented by actor Robert Gibby Brand and pianist Robert Pherigo. (Sanctuary)
HOLY WEEK AT WESTPORT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
¬PALM/PASSION SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE Sunday, April 13 11 a.m.
¬Good Friday TENEBRAE Service Friday, April 18 7:00 p.m.
¬EASTER SUNDAY COMMUNION SERVICE Sunday, April 20 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 (please include your dedication), or you may contact the church office. The cost is $15 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 April 13 (Palm Sunday).
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). You will also find bill summaries and 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.
The Missouri Legislature is back in session.
Bills that are moving through the Legislature:
- HB 507 creates a protection for election workers by making it an offense to tamper or harass an election official. This is a good bill and necessary to protect our election workers.
- SB 280 is similar to bills in other states and the US Congress. It would require documentary proof (birth certificate) in order to register to vote. Very few people have access to this document and women especially will have issues because their birth certificate is not in their married name. By the time people are old enough to register to vote, their identification has been legally established.
- SB100 denies a change to gender on a birth certificate unless the individual had a surgical change because of a medically – verifiable disorder. This creates issues with transgender individuals who have not had surgery, whose birth certificate does not match their presented gender when seeking employment, to a security guard etc.
If you would like to contact your legislators concerning these bills, please go to house.mo.gov or senate.mo.gov and email or call them.
Vote411.org is up and running. Please check out what will be on your specific ballot (put in your address) for the April 8th election. You can also check your voter registration and other important election dates.
The League of Women Voters of Kansas City is once again holding forums for the candidates for the school board. Here are the dates. If you cannot tune in on those dates, you can go to the LWVKC you tube channel later or the LWVKC.org website to watch the recordings
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