Season of Epiphanies! Realizations! Serendipities! Surprise Appearances and Sudden Awakenings!
February 13, 2022, 11:00 am
PRELUDE: Adoration—Florence Price
CALL TO RETURN TO OUR SOULS
Leader: You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve the world’s problems at once.
People: But don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.
Leader: Listen to your hopes instead of your fears— How this time, we decide to stop doubting and to start dreaming.
People: How this time we commit ourselves to building the world as it should be to serve our fellow human beings.
Leader: We need to repair our souls. Our souls are broken and we have lost our way.
People: We are all God’s children and there’s so much more that unites us than divides us. Amen.
—Michelle Obama
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN: Here in This Place (Gather Us In) GTG#401
UNISON CONFESSION of Our Graceless Hearts
O God, help me. I am slow to learn, prone to forget, and weak to climb; I am in the foothills when I should be on the heights; I am pained by my graceless heart, my prayerless days, my poverty of love, my lack of endurance in the heavenly race, my doubtful conscience, my wasted hours, my unspent opportunities. I am blind while the light shines around me.
grind to dust my heart of unbelief. Make it my highest joy to study You, meditate on You, gaze on You, sit like Mary at Your feet, lean like John on Your breast, appeal like Peter to Your love. I believe, Lord, help my unbelief. Amen.
BLESSED ASSURANCE of God’s active, dynamic grace: Stay with Me (sing twice) GTG#204
BIBLE READINGS: Psalm 138 Luke 6:17-26
SUNG RESPONSE: All Who Love and Serve Your City GTG#351
MESSAGE: The Sermon on the Mount Plain
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN: Lord, I Want to Be a Christian GTG#729
WELCOMING
CHORAL ANTHEM: The Handiwork of God — Mark A Miller
Matthew 25 Prayer, Lord’s Prayer, Sung Response: Be Not Afraid (sing twice) GTG#243
OFFERTORY SOLO: Wade in the Water– arr. Mark Hayes, Jennifer Weiman mezzo soprano
RESPONSIVE PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Leader: Let’s Practice seeing what we can’t see!
People: A tree’s roots underground.
Leader: Stars at 10:00 o’clock in the morning.
People: Planets in mid-afternoon.
Leader: A winter night—no evidence of the Moon.
People: A Galaxy other than our own.
Leader: Water stored in an aquifer’s ancient sandstone.
People: The owl in the woods you’ve only heard.
Leader: The unknowable journey of a few kind words.
People: Have you ever tried to find the place where the baby possum who comes to eat red berries in your yew bush every afternoon-Lives?
Leader: I seriously doubt you’ll succeed.
People: Still, seeing what you can’t see is a practice you definitely need!
Leader: God’s Good Realm, come closer gradually!—To thee! Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN: Guide My Feet(stanzas 1-5) GTG#741
BLESSING
SUNG RESPONSE: Guide My Feet(stanza 6) GTG#741
POSTLUDE: We’re Marching to Zion—Anna Laura Page
This 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)
0 Comments