Reflections on Birth and Change

WESTPORT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE
SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT – CELEBRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION
March 1, 2026

PRELUDE: Christe, Du Lamm Gottes; 21 Orgelbuchlein Bach
CALL TO WORSHIP: (For A New Beginning, by John O’Donohue)

One: In out-of-the-way places of the heart, Where your thoughts never think to wander, This beginning has been quietly forming, Waiting until you were ready to emerge.
All: For a long time it has watched your desire, Feeling the emptiness growing inside you, Noticing how you willed yourself on, Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.
One: It watched you play with the seduction of safety And the gray promises that sameness whispered, Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent, Wondered would you always live like this.
All: Then the delight, when your courage kindled, And out you stepped onto new ground, Your eyes young again with energy and dream, A path of plenitude opening before you.
One: Though your destination is not yet clear You can trust the promise of this opening; Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life’s desire.
All: Awaken your spirit to adventure; Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk; Soon you will be home in a new rhythm, For your soul senses the world that awaits you.
One: Friends, summoned into the risk and adventure of worship, let us meet ourselves and one another, here in the presence of the birthing God.

OPENING HYMN:  #490 Glory to God Wash, O God, Your Sons and Daughters
UNISON CONFESSION OF OUR NEED OF GOD:

All: Gracious God, we’ve gotten lost along the way. We find ourselves tangled up, knotted, stuck. You invite us to put our trust in you, yet we’re full of questions, worries, and excuses (some of them decent). We’re afraid of setting out on the great adventure – timid that the timing isn’t right and fearful of failure. Too often we take a pass on the new life you offer to us, preferring old habits to risky change. Forgive us and help us to be born again – becoming fresh expressions of your love and belonging to one another. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF GOD’S GRACE:

One: Friends, God is for us and not against us! God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be healed and made whole through him. Trust in this: in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and freed for new possibilities.
All: Thanks be to God! Amen.

SUNG RESPONSE: #468 Glory to God In My Life (verses 1-2)
[Kids’ Time Front of Sanctuary]
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.

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION:

One: God of births and beginnings, help us to hear in this good news a fresh start for ourselves and the whole world.
All: Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING: Genesis 12:1-4a John 3:1-17
CHORAL ANTHEM: God So Loved the World by Stainer
MESSAGE: Reflections on Birth and Change -Rev. Jared Witt
SUNG PREPARATION FOR PRAYER:  #472 Glory to God Kum ba Yah (verses 1, 4)
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: All that we have is a gift from God. In faith and gratitude, we return now a portion of what we have so abundantly received.

OFFERTORY SOLO: Prayer by H. Leslie Adams Emma WitbolsFeugen, soprano
PRAYER OF DEDICATION:

One: Gracious God, we dedicate to you not only these gifts, But also ourselves, in deep gratitude for your call on our lives. Accept what we bring for your own good purposes. In Christ we pray,
All: 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. Increase in us faith, hope, and love, that we might be your friends, co-creators of a new world.
All: Amen.

WELCOME: News In, Around, and Beyond the Community
CLOSING HYMN:  #618 Glory to God O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High (verses 1, 2, 5)
CHARGE AND BLESSING
POSTLUDE: Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown arr. Shackley

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! NURSERY care is available in the upstairs children’s space. Parents are asked to fill out a brief registration form before church begins. (This form only needs to be filled out once). Children’s Sunday School usually meets during the second half of worship in the in the 2nd floor Children’s Space, but is on break. Children are invited to remain in the service until the “Time for Young Disciples” and then they can go play in the upstairs children’s room.
• 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.
• 2026 PER CAPITA is $45.91 per church member. This money helps support our denomination on the regional and national levels. The breakdown is: $11.26 to General Assembly, $3.15 to Synod of Mid-America, and $31.50 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!
• CHILDREN’S CHOIR PRACTICE: Kids that want to sing with the choir are invited to join Renee in the front of the sanctuary on Sunday mornings from 10:00-10:25 a.m.
• CONNECTION HOUR SMALL GROUP:
  Sunday Mornings
  10:00 a.m. Book Discussion Group readings related to various topics including faith, art, culture, politics, earth care. Currently reading Search: A Novel, by Michelle Huneven.

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 Fridays in the RESOURCE CENTER and Sundays as part of WESTPORT SHOWERS. Food donations of fruit cups, meat, cheese, peanut butter are always needed.
• WINTER WEATHER CLOTHING DRIVE: Through the cold weather months Westport Showers will be collecting coats, hats, gloves, warm socks, shoes and boots. Look through your closets and see if you have any extra items you can donate.
• BOARD MEMBERS NEEDED & PAID PART-TIME POSTITIONS AVAILABLE: Westport Center for the Arts, an non-profit organization founded by our church that has dedicated itself to bringing free art exhibits, concerts, dance performances, etc. to the neighborhood, has several positions that need filling. They need a board president to set a meeting agenda and keep track of who is doing what, and they are looking to fill a few paid positions: Grant Writer, Visual Arts Program Director. If interested, email [email protected] or speak with Josh Stark or Deanna Capps.

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

• Monday, Mar. 2 6:30 p.m. Men’s AA Meeting (Storefront)
  7:30 p.m. Boy Scout Troop 60 (Westport Rising Room)
• Tuesday, Mar. 3 4:30 p.m. Centering Prayer and Silence – 20 min (Chapel)
  5:00 p.m. Happy Hour Gathering (at Dos Lokos, 401 Westport Rd)
• Thursday, Mar. 5 5:30 p.m. Westport Showers – For Women, Trans, & Gender Non- conforming people (Basement)
• Friday, Mar. 6 11:00 a.m. -3:00 p.m.  Resource Center Open & Sack Lunches Distributed (Storefront)
  11:30 a.m. Children’s Mercy Healthy Families Group (Fellowship Room)
• Saturday, Mar. 7 8:30 a.m. Private Rental – Meeting (Storefront)
  10:00 a.m. Cub Scouts (Westport Rising Room)
  2:30 p.m. PNC Meeting (Fellowship Room)
  5:45-7:30 p.m. Iftar Gathering/Ramadan Fast Breaking Dinner  Second Pres, Rolling Hills Pres & Westport Pres  with the Dialogue Institute of Kansas City  (at Second Presbyterian Church, 318 E 55th St, KCMO)
  7:00 p.m. KC English Dance (Westport Rising Room)
• Sunday, Mar. 8 THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
  8-9:30 a.m. Westport Showers (Fellowship Room & Basement)
  Connection Hour Small Group:
  10:00 a.m. Book Discussion Group
  10:00 a.m. Children’s Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)
  11:00 a.m. Service of the Lord’s Day (Sanctuary)
  Nursery Care (Upstairs Children’s Room)
  12:15 p.m. Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)

LOOKING AHEAD:

• Monday, Mar. 9 6:30 p.m. MO Workers Center: Food Service Workers’ Town Hall (Sanctuary)
• Tuesday, Mar. 10 5:15 p.m. Session Meeting (Fellowship Room)
• Friday, Feb. 20 12:00 p.m. Westport Center for the Arts – Brown Bag Concert Series: The Wires, alternative strings (Sanctuary)
• Sunday, Mar. 22 5:00 p.m. Chili/Soup Dinner (Fellowship Room)
  6:00 p.m. Taizé Service (Sanctuary)

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

Bills being moving through the Legislative Process

• SB 985: requires Secretary of State to publish a voter registration list on their website containing unique voter identification numbers, voters’ names, year of birth, addresses, townships or wards, and precincts
• HCR 23: resolution that would encourage Missouri’s congressional delegation to reject federal control of elections.
• HB 1802: allow watchers and challengers during no-excuse absentee voting period, in addition to Election Day.
  Firearms
• HB 2504: adds other school personnel that a school district can designate as a school protection officer; gives them authority to carry a weapon on school grounds (must have concealed carry license and professional training); includes teachers, administrators and other staff.
  https://everytownresearch.org/report/unpacking-arming-teachers-laws/
• SB 1078: allows concealed carry license holders to carry guns on public transportation. https://mopublictransit.org/2025/01/15/guns-on-buses-bills-emerge-as-mo-legislative-session-gets-underway-weigh-in-today/
• SB 1055: cannot remove guns from a person without a fully contested adjudication (anti-red-flag law); bans Missouri agencies/local law enforcement from enforcing a red flag law (including Federal orders); $50,000 civil penalty per violation against agencies and officers that help enforce a red flag law. Includes “all retail sales of firearms and ammunition” to Missouri’s August “back to school” sales tax exemption holiday(guns and ammo tax free); automatically assumes the self-defense belief of a defendant that the need for force was reasonable. https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2026-01-29/missouri-house-path-to-pass-anti-red-flag-gun-law-loosen-other
• HB 3105: Second Amendment Preservation Act (SAPA) gives firearms and gun owners unique legal treatment that no other constitutional right enjoys; prioritizing gun rights above other public safety responsibilities; police chiefs, prosecutors, warn that SAPA style laws are murky for officers in how they can help federal partners; can chill routine cooperation on gun trafficking and violent crime casesUtilities
• HB 2122: allows electrical corporations to charge for services based on the costs of certain construction work in progress; utilities can raise rates before power plants are built; shifts financial risk from corporations onto Missouri families; Missouri voters already voted against Construction Work in Progress https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/10/missourians-shouldnt-pay-utilities-before-the-lights-turn-on/

To reach out to your legislators, go to senate.mo.gov (the MO senate home page), scroll down right side of page until Legislator Lookup. Click on this, fill out your address and it will show you your elected officials for your area.

RAMADAN FAST BREAKING DINNER:
Join us along with our friends from the Dialogue Institute – RSVP through Eventbrite using the QR link above, or use the sign-up sheet at the back of the sanctuary and we will register you.