Sunday, February 21, 2021
10:00 a.m.
First Sunday in Lent
Moments for Preparing Our Hearts – Dean Shinn
CCS WorshipCast License #12794; CCLI License #11363160
Welcome and Announcements – Rev. Kerry Greenhill
Prelude – Dean Shinn
CCS WorshipCast License #12794; CCLI License #11363160
Centering Words – Rev. Kerry Greenhill
I offer my life to you, God,
for I know that you love me dearly and faithfully.
I offer my life to you, God.
Teach me your paths.
Call to Worship (responsive) – Rev. Candee Martin
Welcome to the time of covenant renewal.
The God of our salvation greets us here.
We are reminded of God’s promises to us;
We remember the promises we have made.
Sense the Spirit descending on us now.
Hear God’s welcoming voice.
Surely God is with us.
We can hear God calling our names.
See the rainbow in the sky.
Wonder at God’s steadfast love.
All creation proclaims the wonders of God.
We come together to learn what God has to teach us.
Hymn: Lift Every Voice and Sing – Dean Shinn
UMH No. 519
WORDS: James Weldon Johnson, 1921; MUSIC: J. Rosamond Johnson, 1921; © 1921 Edward B. Marks Music Co.; Renewed; CCLI License #11363160
1. Lift every voice and sing, till earth and heaven ring,
ring with the harmonies of liberty;
let our rejoicing rise high as the listening skies,
let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us;
sing a song full of hope that the present has brought us;
facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
let us march on till victory is won.
2. Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod,
felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet
come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered;
we have come, treading our path thru the blood of the slaughtered,
out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last
where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
3. God of our weary years, God of our silent tears,
thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;
thou who hast by thy might led us into the light,
keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee;
lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee;
shadowed beneath thy hand, may we forever stand,
true to our God, true to our native land.
Lenten Journey from Light to Darkness – Rev. Candee Martin
There are many temptations we face in our lives together. We face the temptation of putting our wants above another’s needs. We face the temptation of ignoring problems such as hunger, poverty, war, and disease, with the false hope that they will go away without our intervention. We face the temptations of wealth and consumerism. We face many temptations to stray from the path of our faith. As a symbol of our hope in Jesus Christ, teach us again how to love, how to break down walls and to build bridges.
Prayer: Lord, help us to keep our feet moving, our hands outstretched, and our hearts open to you. As we journey towards the cross this Lenten season, keep us from temptation and help us to do your work in our world. Amen.
[Extinguish first candle]
Sung Response of the Congregation
Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. (sing twice)
Gospel Lesson: Mark 1:9-15 (CEB) – Rev. Kerry Greenhill
Jesus is baptized and tempted
9 About that time, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. 10 While he was coming up out of the water, Jesus saw heaven splitting open and the Spirit, like a dove, coming down on him. 11 And there was a voice from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness.”
12 At once the Spirit forced Jesus out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among the wild animals, and the angels took care of him.
Jesus’ message
14 After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee announcing God’s good news, 15 saying, “Now is the time! Here comes God’s kingdom! Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!”
The Word of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
Children's Message – Rev. Kerry Greenhill
Pastoral Prayer – Rev. Kerry Greenhill
The Lord’s Prayer (spoken in unison)
Our 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 trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory forever. Amen.
Hymn: Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley – Dean Shinn
TFWS No. 2112
WORDS/ MUSIC: American folk hymn; © Public Doman; CCLI License #11363160
1. Jesus walked this lonesome valley;
he had to walk it by himself.
Oh, nobody else could walk it for him;
he had to walk it by himself.
2. We must walk this lonesome valley;
we have to walk it by ourselves.
oh, nobody else can walk it for us;
we have to walk it by ourselves.
3. You must go and stand your trial;
you have to stand it by yourself.
Oh, nobody else can stand it for you;
you have to stand it by yourself.
Sermon: In Wilderness Times – Rev. Candee Martin
Music for Meditation – Dean Shinn
CCS WorshipCast License #12794; CCLI License #11363160
Prayer of Confession (unison) – Rev. Candee Martin
God of faithful love and powerful purpose,
there are times when we are open to your leading--
times when we walk the path of Jesus
with courage and hope,
even when doing so is fearful.
At other times, we close ourselves off,
hoping that you won’t tear open the skies
and disrupt our lives completely.
Following Jesus can be pretty risky.
Your compassion and faithful love claims us forever,
as they claimed Jesus when he entered the Jordan
and made a bold decision to follow you
on a new and uncertain path. Amen.
Words of Assurance – Rev. Candee Martin
Yes, God's compassion and love are forever!
What God said of Jesus at his baptism,
God says to us today:
You are my dearly loved children,
whom I love deeply.
God forgives us and loves us dearly,
now and forevermore.
Hymn: Wade in the Water – Dean Shinn
TFWS No. 2107
WORDS: African American spiritual; SCRIPT: JOHN 5:2-9;MUSIC: African American spiritual; Arr. © 1992 Carl Haywood; Words/Music: © Public Domain; CCLI License #11363160
Refrain
Wade in the water, wade in the water, children,
wade in the water, God's a'gonna trouble the water.
1. See that host all dressed in white,
God's a'gonna trouble the water.
The leader looks like the Israelite,
God's a'gonna trouble the water.
[Refrain]
2. See that band all dressed in red,
God's a'gonna trouble the water.
Looks like the band that Moses led,
God's a'gonna trouble the water.
[Refrain]
3. Look over yonder, what do I see?
God's a'gonna trouble the water.
The Holy Ghost a'coming on me,
God's a'gonna trouble the water.
[Refrain]
4. If you don't believe I've been redeemed,
God's a'gonna trouble the water.
Just follow me down to Jordan's stream,
God's a'gonna trouble the water.
[Refrain]
Benediction – Rev. Candee Martin
God continues to tear open the heavens of our world
and our lives, calling out with a voice of love:
“You are my beloved children,
whom I love deeply.”
God continues to tear open the heavens of our world
and our lives, sending us onto new paths and missions.
God changes our hearts and lives,
and the Spirit pushes us in new directions.
“Now is the time! Here comes God’s kingdom!”
We are Jesus people.
We are kingdom people.
Now is the time! Amen.
Postlude – Dean Shinn
CCS WorshipCast License #12794; CCLI License #11363160
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Centering Words, Prayer of Confession, Words of Assurance, Benediction -- Rebecca J. Kruger Gaudino, The Abingdon Worship Annual 2021 (2020, Abingdon Press)
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Call to Worship, Lead By Love, Worship Resources for Year B -- Lavon Balyer (United Church Press, Cleveland, Ohio, 1996)
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Lenten Journey from Light to Darkness [adapted] By Reverend Mindi Welton-Mitchell. Reprinted with permission.
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Bulletin cover page photo obtained from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/749427194224540768/