The Path of Perplexity

WESTPORT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE
SEASON OF EPIPHANY
February 16, 2025, 11am

PRELUDE:   Melody in E-Flat                                                                                            Florence Price
CALL TO WORSHIP: (based on Psalm 1) 

One:         Like trees planted by streams of water
All:           Let us trust in the Lord
One:         and meditate on God’s Word
All:           so we can yield good and bountiful fruit.

OPENING HYMN: I Want Jesus to Walk with Me   GTG#775
UNISON CONFESSION OF OUR NEED OF GOD: 

All:           Sustaining God, you lead us through parched wilderness to streams of living water, but we do not root ourselves in health and wholeness. We ignore your rich provisions, choosing short cuts and shallow self-help. We distrust the spiritual life and ignore the deeper needs of our souls. Merciful God, forgive our lack of hope and our self-absorbed complaints. Remind us of our spiritual needs and the many ways you are here to provide.      Amen. 

ASSURANCE OF GOD’S GRACE: (from Jeremiah 17:8) 

One:         Blessed are those who trust the Lord. When heat comes, our leaves will stay green. In a year of drought, we will not cease to bear fruit. Know that you are forgiven and be at peace.
All:           Thanks be to God!

SUNG RESPONSE: Halle, Halle, Hallelujah!   GTG#591
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:   Jeremiah 17:5-10         1 Corinthians 15:12-20

One:         May God bless the reading of Holy Scripture.
All:           Thanks be to God.

CHORAL ANTHEM:   Guide My Feet                                                                               John Carter
      Today we welcome tenor Jeff Jasperson, who is subbing for Nico Caruso.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION: 

One:          The Lord tests the mind and searches the heart.  In this moment of proclamation, O God, may our hearts and minds be receptive to you and your way.
All:           Amen.

MESSAGE:   The Path of Perplexity
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN: We’ve come This Far By Faith   GTG#656
WELCOME: News In, Around, and Beyond the Community
SUNG PREPARATION FOR PRAYER:      Come, Bring Your Burdens to God   GTG#851
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:          God has provided for us. Let us return to God a portion of all that we have been given.

OFFERTORY SOLO:      An Instrument of Thy Peace—prayer of St. Francis                   music by Gwyneth Walker      Sarah Baxter, alto
PRAYER OF DEDICATION: 

One:          Holy God, you have sustained us in lean times  and led us to sources of living water.   Take these gifts and multiply their blessings for those who are hungry, hurting and in need of your strength.
All:           Amen.

CLOSING HYMN:     Siyahamba    GTG#853
CHARGE AND BLESSING
POSTLUDE:   Siyahamba                                                                                          arr. Marianne Kim

 

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:

• WINTER WEATHER CLOTHING DRIVE: Westport Showers is collecting coats, hats, gloves, warm socks, and boots. Look through your closets and see if you have any extra items you can donate.
• 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 The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell.

 

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

• Monday, Feb. 17                                        PRESIDENT’S DAY (Church Office Closed)
  • • • 6:30 p.m.         Men’s AA Meeting (Storefront)
      • 7:30 p.m.         Boy Scout Troop 60 (Westport Rising Room)
• Tuesday, Feb. 18                4:30 p.m.         Centering Prayer and Silence – 20 min (Chapel)
• Wednesday, Feb. 19           10:00 a.m.       Resource Center Open (Storefront)
  • • • 11:00 a.m.       Sack Lunches Distributed (Storefront)
      • HouseKC Meeting
• Thursday, Feb. 20              5:30 p.m.         Westport Showers – For Women, Trans, & Gender Non-conforming people (Basement)
• Friday, Feb. 21                   12 noon           Westport Center for the Arts’ Brown Bag Concert Series: The Lyric Duo – Eva Peng, lyric soprano & Anthony Olson, pianist  “Harmony of the East: A Journey through Chinese Folksongs and Their Stories” (Sanctuary)
• Saturday, Feb. 22               8:30 a.m.         Living Integrated (Men’s Support Group) (Storefront)
  • • • 10 a.m.            Cub Scouts (Westport Rising Room)
      • 10 a.m.            Westport Center for the Arts Board Meeting (Fellowship Room)
•      Sunday, Feb. 23                  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)
      •   5-7 p.m.           Cub Scouts Blue & Gold Banquet (Fellowship Room)

LOOKING AHEAD:

•  Wednesday, Feb. 26           7:00 p.m.         Stewardship Committee Meeting (Online)
  • • • 8:00 p.m.         Mission & Outreach Committee Meeting (Zoom)

MISSOURI LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:   League of Women Voters

• There will be weekly information on bills moving through the legislative system. 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 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.
• SB147: Unless the private property owner has posted multiple signage prohibiting firearms, the proposed law would allow a CCL holder to carry a gun into:
  • Any polling place on any election day.
  • Any church or other place of religious worship.
  • Any form of public transportation.
  • Any meeting of the governing body of a unit of local government or General Assembly.
  • Any establishment that serves intoxicating liquors.
  • Any higher education institution.
  • Any portion of a building that has a childcare facility.
  • Any riverboat gambling facility.
  • Any gated amusement park.
  • Any hospital accessible to the public.ONLY private property owners can prohibit firearms; places listed above that receive public funding must allow CCL holders to carry a gun within. It loosens the requirements for a stand your ground defense. Take away most burden of proof requirements upon the person pulling the trigger.
• SB74:  takes away the ability of a municipality to regulate the criteria for open carry (some municipalities require a concealed carry permit before you can open carry.
• SB 182: makes it an offense for tampering with an election official. Good Bill.
• HB100: advocates for a flat 4% income tax rate; a single tax rate for all is regressive, costing lower income citizens more of their income than the wealthy. There is also no provision to make up this loss, most likely resulting in social services being cut.
• SB74:  limits gender to male and female. This will carry over into other now non-discriminatory areas such as housing, employment etc.