Today, Tomorrow, and the Next Day

WESTPORT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE
SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
March 16, 2025

PRELUDE:   Lord, to You I Make Confession                    Johann Crüger; setting by Matthew Machemer
CALL TO WORSHIP: (Psalm 27:1)
One:         The Lord is my light and my salvation;
      All:           Whom shall I fear?
      One:         The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
      All:           Of whom shall I be afraid?
      One:         Come, seek God in this time of worship.
OPENING HYMN: Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation   GTG#394
UNISON CONFESSION OF OUR NEED OF GOD: 

All:           Eternal God, as challenges mount and fear grows large, our reaching for you feels like absence  and we come to believe you are hidden and concealed. Forgive our doubt, impatience, and lack of imagination. Forgive us when we make our faith all about what you might do rather than how we might serve you as friends and co-creators of a new world. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF GOD’S GRACE: 

One:         God does not forsake us in times of trial. Our God is a gracious God, abounding in steadfast love.  Know that in Jesus Christ, you are forgiven and be at peace.
All:           Thanks be to God! 

SUNG RESPONSE: Wait for the Lord   GTG#90
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:Psalm 27      Luke 13:31-35
One:         May God bless the reading of Holy Scripture.
      All:           Thanks be to God.
CHORAL ANTHEM:   Down Galilee’s Slow Roadways                               Michael Burkhardt
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION:

One:          Merciful God, open us to your Word and your way. Help us to seek you, welcoming the message you intend for us today.
All:           Amen.

MESSAGE:   Today, Tomorrow, and the Next Day                                             Rev. Jeff Clayton
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN:  Lord, the Light of Your Love Is Shining   GTG#192
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 calls us to lives of grateful generosity.   Let us praise the giver of all good gifts through our offering today. 

OFFERTORY SOLO:   Fix Me, Jesus                            spiritual                  Sarah Baxter, mezzo soprano
PRAYER OF DEDICATION: 

One:          God of grace, you provide for us in amazing ways.  May our offerings provide for others  now be used to further Christ’s ministry and mission.
All:           Amen.

CLOSING HYMN:  Steal Away    GTG#358
CHARGE AND BLESSING
POSTLUDE:   The Night Will Soon Be Ending Welsh tune; setting by Matthew Machemer 

A WESTPORT WARM WELCOMING!

• We welcome Rev. Jeff Clayton who is leading our Worship Services this morning while Rev. Jared is on vacation. A graduate of Duke University and Yale Divinity School, Rev. Jeff Clayton was ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament in Greater Atlanta Presbytery in 1982.  In his first decade of ministry he served as the solo pastor of a town and country church, Presbyterian University Pastor at Clemson University, and Associate Pastor of a large suburban church in Atlanta.  In 1992, Jeff became the Pastor of Immanuel Presbyterian Church in the Northland of Kansas City, MO.  In 1999, he became the Pastor/Head of Staff of Southminster Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, KS.  After 23 long and fruitful years of ministry there, Jeff retired in 2022.
• If you have pastoral needs this week, please reach out to the church office or one of the members of Session. Rev. Jared Witt will return Sunday, March 23.
• We also welcome JEFF JASPERSON as a guest musician, who is subbing for Nico in the choir today!
• 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.

OTHER UPCOMING NEWS AND Events:

• CHUCK GILLAM LECTURE ON EARTHKEEPING – A Call to Arms: Protecting Children from Chemicals Causing Disease. Keynoted by Investigative Journalist & Author Carey Gillam.
  Panel Discussion follows the Keynote Address. Saturday March 29, 8:30 am-noon
  Village Presbyterian Church, Friendship Hall, South Parking lot, 6641 Mission Rd, Prairie Village, KS 66208
• This year Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church (GCPC) in Overland Park, Kansas, is celebrating their 40th Anniversary!  On Saturday, March 29, from 9am-2pm, our 40th Anniversary Committee is holding a Craft Fair in our concourse and fellowship hall. We would love to invite your church family to attend and enjoy this spring morning of crafts and fellowship. 

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

Monday, Mar. 17               6:30 p.m.         Men’s AA Meeting (Storefront)
7:30 p.m.         Boy Scout Troop 60 (Westport Rising Room)
     Tuesday, Mar. 18               4:30 p.m.         Centering Prayer and Silence – 20 min (Chapel)
Wednesday, Mar. 19          10:00 a.m.       Resource Center Open (Storefront)
11:00 a.m.       Sack Lunches Distributed (Storefront)
1:00 p.m.         Jane McClain Art Show Setup (Chapel)
     Thursday, Mar. 20             5:30 p.m.         Westport Showers – For Women, Trans, & Gender Non-conforming people (Basement)
Friday, Mar. 21                  12:00 p.m.       Westport Center for the Arts Brown Bag Concert Series: St. Petersburg String Quartet (Sanctuary)
Saturday, Mar. 22              8:30 a.m.         Living Integrated (Men’s Support Group) (Storefront)
     Sunday, Mar. 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)

LOOKING AHEAD: 

Wednesday, Mar. 26          7:00 p.m.         Stewardship Committee Meeting (Online)
8:00 p.m.         Mission & Outreach Committee Meeting (Zoom)
Saturday, Mar. 29              10:00 a.m.       Private Space Rental: Batmitzvah (Santuary & Fellowship Room)

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.

KCMO SCHOOL BOND ISSUE:

• On November 20, 2024, the Kansas City Public Schools Board of Directors unanimously approved Bond Ballot Language and 10-Year Capital Plan recommendations. This General Obligation (GO) Bond will go to voters on April 8, 2025 and aims to transform school facilities district-wide. The recommendations for facility improvements are grounded in feedback from students, families, staff, and community members gathered through a comprehensive facilities assessment and engagement process. This proposal reflects KCPS’s commitment to creating equitable, safe, and high-quality learning spaces for all students while aligning with the district’s long–term strategic Blueprint 2030 plan.Over the past 3 years KCPS have maintained their accreditation. Enrollment is increasing and the graduation rate is around 90%. Yearly needed capital is around $77million. Unfortunately, for the past several years the schools have only been able to spend about 7-15 million a year on improvements and repairs so schools are behind in their maintenance and upkeep. The bond will be spent on renovations, some new construction and co-location, addressing inefficiencies in the number of buildings being used. New construction will be more environmentally friendly and energy efficient and will include improvements in landscape and outside areas like playgrounds and parking lots. It will also bring investment to the communities via jobs with about a $600 million positive impact on the local economy.Every KCPS school will receive bond funds to address its most critical facility needs. Project recommendations for each school have been identified based on facility studies and stakeholder feedback. KCPS has prioritized addressing:
  • Deferred Maintenance: life safety systems, HVAC, electrical, roofs, windows, bathroom, plumbing;
  • Improved Learning Environment/Classrooms: collaboration spaces, STEAM labs, instrumental music spaces, gym and athletic facilities, outdoor classrooms/outdoor play areas, secure entry points; and
  • Transition to 6-8th grade middle schools

This is the first bond Measure since 1967
The only school district in the region without bond funding
Over $1 billion in deferred maintenance and renovation needs
Improve over 40 schools to address deferred maintenance and urgent facility needs
Enhance security for a safer environment
Enhance spaces for better learning, including special education spaces
More science labs + tools to expand opportunities
Improved facilities and classrooms to support learning and safety
Promoting the health of our children