Third Sunday in Lent March 24, :00 a.m.

Transcription

1 VANCE MEMORIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 905 National Road, Wheeling, West Virginia Church Telephone: (304) Fax: (304) vancechurch.org Third Sunday in Lent March 24, :00 a.m. Lectionary Selections of Scripture for this Sunday: Isaiah 55:1-9 ~ Psalm 63:1-8 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 ~ Luke 13:1-9 The MISSION of Vance Memorial Presbyterian Church (USA) is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ with everyone through Worship, Prayer, Education, Fellowship, and Mission Outreach. 1

2 Gathering around God s Word PRELUDE CHIMES PREPARATION for WORSHIP Come Now to the Water, GtG 479 LITERAL GREETINGS and ANNOUNCEMENTS Please sign and pass the fellowship pad to the inside aisle. CALL to WORSHIP Leader: Everyone who thirsts: People: Come to the waters, seek the Lord, repent and return so that you may live. Leader: All who are hungry for righteousness: People: Come to the waters, seek the Lord, repent and return so that you may live. Leader: All who need the help of God: People: Come to the waters, seek the Lord, repent and return so that you may live. Leader: Let all who come worship God! OPENING PRAYER All: Your glory and power, O God, surround us in the sanctuary. We lift up our hands and call on your name. We are your people, thirsty for the living water you alone can give. When we consider how you have helped us, giving us a spring that gushes up to eternal life, we cling to you, singing praises with joyful lips; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. OPENING HYMN of PRAISE Hear the Good News of Salvation, GtG 441 CONFESSION and time of self-examination Leader: The Scriptures call us to turn from sinful ways and return to God, who offers mercy and pardon. Trusting in that mercy, let us call upon God who is near. All: Holy God, we confess that we have grown complacent in our response to you. You set before us a rich feast of blessing, but we are drawn to lesser things that cannot satisfy. You call us to attend to urgent needs in the world, but we indulge our own desires. Our ways are not your ways; our thoughts do not ascend to your thoughts. Forgive us when we fall short of your claim upon our lives. Disturb our complacency and quicken our 2

3 desire for a more fruitful life. Be patient, we pray, as we amend who we are, in the hope of becoming who you intend us to be. We ask this in the name of our Savior, your Son, Jesus Christ. SILENT PRAYER of CONFESSION SUNG RESPONSE Lord, Have Mercy upon Us, GtG 575 DECLARATION OF PARDON Leader: God s love is sure and steadfast, always providing a way out, a way through, a way back to God. Through the waters of baptism, we have died with Christ and are raised with him. With gratitude, in faith, we will walk the way of Christ. All: Thanks be to God. Amen. Encountering God s Word CHILDREN S MESSAGE Rev. Erica L. Harley The ANTHEM River in Judea Lyrics by Linda Marcus; Music by Jack Feldman Arranged by John Leavitt the river that freely flows is an allusion to the salvation found in Jesus Christ. It reminds the believer of being washed from sin and thus walking through life in the fullness of hope in Christ Oftentimes I dream of music, of the river that freely flows. And it sings a song sweeter than honey, one ev rybody knows. Late at night I hear it singing then again when I wake at dawn. And it fills me up with hope and goodwill, the will to go on, go on. REFRAIN: There is a river in Judea that I heard of long ago. And it s a singing, ringing river that my soul cries out to know. I believe it keeps on trav lin but it rests on the Sabbath day. And the time when it pauses in stillness, I almost hear it pray. When I m weary and downhearted, how I long for the song it sings, for the calm within its gentle blue, the peace that it brings, it brings. REFRAIN May the time not be too distant when we meet by the river, meet by the shore. Til then dream of that wonderful day as we sing once more, once more: REFRAIN 3

4 The SCRIPTURE HEBREW TESTAMENT READING: Isaiah 55:1-9 NEWER TESTAMENT READING: Luke13:1-9 The word of the Lord Thanks be to God! MORNING MESSAGE Jane Schockey, UOVP Candidate Responding to God s Word MEDITATION HYMN Just as I Am, without One Plea, GtG 442 INVITATION to the OFFERING Leader: Disciples of Jesus, children of God, we often spend our money on that which is not true bread, and labor toward things that will never satisfy. In our offering, we give to things that are of God: bread for the hungry, good news for those who are oppressed, the ministries of the church that welcome strangers and sons and daughters alike. We bring before God a portion of all that God has so freely given to us. The OFFERTORY They Who Wait upon the Lord Text from Isaiah 40: Music by Carl J. Nygard, Jr. They who wait upon the Lord, They shall rise up on wings like eagles. They who trust His mighty arm, He shall bestow His strength upon them. They shall walk and not grow weary, They shall run and not grow faint. PRAYER of DEDICATION All: God of wilderness and Promised Land, in days of want and in days of plenty you have been with us. By these gifts we now share, may others know of your providence and care. Send us not only our offerings, but our very selves to console and comfort, to lift up and reach out, to listen and sit beside your children everywhere at the one Table you have set; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 4

5 MORNING PRAYER & OUR LORD S PRAYER 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 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! Taking God s Word out, into our Worlds CLOSING HYMN Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound, GtG 649 LENTEN WREATH Tree of Life, third verse for the Third Sunday of Lent Living Water of salvation, Be the fountain of each soul; Springing up in new creation, Flow in us and make us whole. BENEDICTION BENEDICTION RESPONSE VANCE CHOIR POSTLUDE Please stand if able. GtG=Glory to God Hymnal Songs used with CCLI License # :00 a.m. Service of Worship regularly broadcast over WKWK-FM 97.3 Today s liturgy is reprinted by permission of Westminster John Knox Press from Feasting on the Word Worship Companion,

6 The PASTOR and CHURCH STAFF Rev. Erica L. Harley ~ Senior Pastor Jane Schockey ~ Church Administrator/C.E. Director Deborah Podolski Breiding ~ Director of Music Russ Brown ~ Head Custodian Jay Carenbauer ~ Custodian Keith Wilson ~ Sound, Video, and Media Coordinator Christina Kestner ~ Seminary Intern for Outreach & Community Service ~ MINISTERS of the CHURCH: ALL MEMBERS ~ MISSION PERSONNEL of OUR DIRECT CONCERN Caleb & Claire (Seabright) Bermudez SESSION Beth Ann Dague John Hargleroad Karen DiOrio Ted Owens Rowena Baker Michelle John Geri Sloane Jill Flanagan Bob Kanters Scott Winters Bettie Steele Drew Seabright COMMISSIONS Building and Property Christian Education Evangelism, Fellowship, & Membership Mission Outreach & Community Service Worship & Music COMMITTEES Nominating Personnel Stewardship, Finance & Memorial ELDER MEMBERS John Hargleroad, Ted Owens, Drew Seabright and Scott Winters Jill Flanagan, Drew Seabright, and Bettie Steele John Hargleroad, Michelle John, and Bob Kanters Rowena Baker, Beth Ann Dague and Karen DiOrio Bob Kanters, Geri Sloane, and Bettie Steele ELDER MEMBERS Geri Sloane & Scott Winters Beth Ann Dague Michelle John and Scott Winters DEACON LEADER IN CURRENT MONTH: Kathy Hannan O F F I C E R S Clerk of Session Church Treasurer DEACONS Ann Bopp Diane Crowl Kathy Hannan Marjorie Easton Russ Green Tom John Carol Myers Janet Hart Mark Kenamond Karen Seabright Joelle Oliver Joanne Winters Julie Squibb Paul Limbert 6