We’ve Never Done it This Way Before

WESTPORT RISING WORSHIP SERVICE
SEASON OF EPIPHANY
January 28, 2024

(Video will be posted LIVE on the church’s FB page at 11am and then cross-posted here afterward.  If the video doesn’t load properly here, you should be able to click on the Watch on Facebook link and watch as a guest, even if you don’t have Facebook)

PRELUDE:   Theme and 3 Variations on “Ah, vous dirais-je, Maman”; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
                        Note: We know this tune by a different name, which loosely ties to Epiphany.  In honor of Mozart’s birthday.
RESPONSIVE CALL TO WORSHIP:   Psalm 62 (selected verses from The Message)
     Leader:     God, You are the one and only — I’ll wait as long as you say.
     People:    Everything I hope for, everything I need, comes from You, so why not?
     Leader:     God is a solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul.  So trust God absolutely, O people. Lay your lives on the line for God. God is a safe place to be.
     People:    Our God said this once and for all:   Strength comes straight from Me.
     All:           My help and glory are in You, God.  You are the one and only.  I’m set for life.  Love to you, Lord God!
OPENING HYMN:  I, the Lord of Sea and Sky (Here I Am, Lord)   GTG#69
UNISON PRAYER OF CONFESSION AND COMMITMENT:

Sometimes, we are learning that we have to hold hands, light one candle. Walk forward into the darkness, even when we don’t know what the next step will bring. Walking by faith is not easy, We are sometimes frightened, discouraged or just plain tired. But faith will take us places where we never thought we could go. No one knows just what we are becoming, But we know one thing for sure! There is no turning back for people who are following the one whom we name Light of the World!
–adapted from a reflection by Rev. William Barber, leader of Moral Mondays and the New Poor Peoples Campaign 

AFFIRMING OF HEALING, SAVING POWER OF GOD: Jesus, We Are Here (English and Shona stanzas)   GTG#392
PASSING OF PEACE:
     Pastor:      The grace, peace, love and joy of Jesus Christ be with you.
     People:    And also with you.
     Pastor:      Let us share the peace of Christ with each other.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION:
     Pastor:      Let the words of my mouth
     People:    And the meditations of our hearts
     Pastor:      Be acceptable to You,
     People:    O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READINGS:   Hebrew Bible: 1 Samuel 3:1-20,      New Testament:  Mark 1:14-28
CHORAL ANTHEM:   The Grace Divine;  William Roger Price
MESSAGE:   Who Me? We’ve Never Done it This Way Before
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN:  O Lord, You Called Disciples

 LANCASHIRE  7.6.7.6 D (“The Day of Resurrection”)
O Lord, you called disciples, proclaiming, “Come and see!”
And so an invitation began your ministry.
Then Andrew called his brother, and Peter came to you;
More men and women followed, and little children, too.

You met a busy woman out in the noon-day sun.
You shared God’s love, you listened; you told all she had done.
She called her friends and neighbors and brought them face to face
With you, the living water, the bearer of God’s grace.

O Christ, your invitation has reached from year to year!
Through some who heard you calling, a church was founded here.
As faithful people served you so many years ago,*
They soon invited others; your church began to grow.

God, by your Holy Spirit, now send us in your name
To serve the lost and outcast, the poor for whom you came.
Through gifts of hope and healing, through loving ministry,
May we reach out, inviting the world to “Come and see!”

Biblical References:   John 1:35-51; 4:1-45, Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:16-20, Luke 5:1-11; 8:1-3 and Matthew 25:31-46
Tune:  Henry Thomas Smart, 1835.   Text:  Copyright © 2002 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. USED WITH PERMISSION.
Email:  carolynshymns@gmail.com   Web Site:  www.carolynshymns.com 

WELCOMING, NEWS IN AROUND AND BEYOND THE COMMUNITY
SUNG PREPARATION FOR PRAYER:  Come, Bring Your Burdens to God   GTG#851
MORNING PRAYER, LORD’S PRAYER (Mother, Father God who art in heaven…)
CALL FOR THE OFFERING
                 Offering link
OFFERTORY:   If With All Your Hearts;  Felix Mendelssohn;    Sarah Baxter, alto
UNISON PRAYER OF DEDICATION: 

Here in the busy city, now let the church be seen, where lesser gods are worshipped In money and machine; where news is but sensation, the Good News hardly heard. Now let the church take action In living out the word! Here in the busy city God walks on every street In generous or greedy, the honest or the cheat, And daily we must offer The good that goes unpriced With vigor and with vision The lifestyle of the Christ.         –Shirley Erena Murray

CLOSING HYMN:  Jesus Calls Us   GTG#720
BENEDICTION – The Serenity Prayer:

God grant us the serenity to accept the things we can not change, The courage to change the things we can, And the wisdom to know the difference.

BENEDICTION RESPONSE:   Here I Am, Lord (REFRAIN)   GTG#69
CHARGE TO CONGREGATION
POSTLUDE:   Here I Am Lord          Mark Hayes

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 is back in action in the redesigned 2nd floor Children’s Space, Sunday mornings during the 1st half of worship, beginning at 11:00 am.
• 2024 PER CAPITA is $43.94 per member. This money helps support our denomination on the regional and national levels. The breakdown is: $9.80 to General Assembly, $3.15 to Synod, 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:

• Bread, Buns, Fruit, Water, Meat, Peanut Butter, Cheese are always needed for our INTERRUPT HUNGER work.
• WESTPORT SHOWERS happens on Sundays & Thursday nights. Men’s boxer brief underwear needed. Men’s and Women’s shoes. Backpacks! Coats, Sweatshirts, Warm Clothes for this cold weather!

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

     Monday, Jan. 29                4:30 p.m.         FREDitation – a centering prayer experience – 20 min (Chapel)
                                               6:30 p.m.         Men’s AA Meeting (Storefront)
                                               7:30 p.m.         Boy Scout Troop 60 (Westport Rising Room)
     Tuesday, Jan. 30                 6:00 p.m.         Irish Dance (Westport Rising Room)
     Wednesday, Jan. 31           6:00 p.m.         Stewardship Meeting (Fellowship Room)
                                               7:00 p.m.         Zoom Bible Study – contact church office for link (Online)    *meets every other week*
     Thursday, Feb. 1                5:30 p.m.         Westport Showers – For Women, Trans, & Gender Non-conforming people (Basement)
     Friday, Feb. 2                     10 a.m.            Children’s Mercy Healthy Families Meeting (Fellowship Room)
     Saturday, Feb. 3                 8:30 a.m.         Living Integrated (Men’s Support Group) (Storefront)
                                               10-11:30 a.m.  Cub Scouts (Westport Rising Room)
     Sunday, Feb. 4                    8-9:30 a.m.      Westport Showers (Fellowship Room & Basement)
                                               11:00 a.m.       Service of the Lord’s Day (Sanctuary)
Children’s Sunday School (Upstairs Children’s Room)
                                                12:15 p.m.       Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)

 LOOKING AHEAD: 

     Tuesday, Feb. 13                7:00 p.m.         Session Meeting (Fellowship Room)
     Wednesday, Feb. 14                                   ASH WEDNESDAY (Lent Begins)