Laetare ~ Rejoice! Day of Refreshment Rejoice, Always Rejoice

Fourth Sunday in Lent Laetare ~ Rejoice! Day of Refreshment Rejoice, Always Rejoice

The Prologue Fourth Sunday in Lent Laetare ~ Rejoice! Day of Refreshment Rejoice, Always Rejoice Ten O'clock in the Morning The Worship of God THE SERVICE OF PREPARATION Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of the conscience by God's holiness; the nourishment of the mind with God's truth; the purifying of the imagination by God's beauty; the opening of the heart to God's love; the surrender of the will to God's purpose and all of this gathered up in adoration. ~ William Temple It is an irony indeed. On this day of refreshment, this fourth Sunday in Lent dedicated to a lighter temperament calling for much rejoicing Laetare the Witness from the Gospels in John forces us to examine the nature of sin in relationship to the existence of evil and suffering in the world. The prevailing view in the ancient world was that personal or communal suffering was the direct result to actions and/or attitudes, specifically the sinfulness of the individual or community. This idea was certainly prevalent in the Hebrew scriptures and early Jewish theology, so much so, that a book, Job, was written to address it. Where is God in the axis, the equation of evil and suffering compared and contrasted with goodness, mercy, and grace? Through the ages, people of faith have tried to answer the age-old question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Inquiring minds want to know! Today, Jesus answers at least a part of that agonizing and important question. Rejoice, always rejoice! Gathering Music The Call to Worship and Welcome The Spirit of the still speaking God be with you! And also with you. The Music for Organ Prelude on DOMINUS REGIT ME Malcolm Archer The Lighting of the Altar Candles The Opening of the Lectern Bible The Gathering All who have experienced darkness, come, rejoice in the One whose light shines upon us, whose goodness and mercy passionately follows us, shadowing our every step. As beloved faith community, we have gathered here to be refreshed, giving glory to the One who opens our eyes to see the wonders of God! Awaken this day to all that is good, to all of the wonderful gifts of God! A table has been prepared before us; let us worship the One who leaves us wanting for nothing! Let us worship God!

The Choral Introit I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light arr. Mark Hayes Chancel Choir I want to walk as a child of the light. I want to follow Jesus. God set the stars to give light to the world. The star of my life is Jesus. In Him there is no darkness at all. The night and the day are both alike. For He is the light of the city of God. Come now to worship Jesus. The Collect Refreshing God, we have gathered in this sacred time and space to worship You, to rejoice in the One whose light shines in the darkness, making all of us children of light; we have come to receive Your good gifts on this high and holy festival day, this day of refreshment; Laetare, rejoice one and all in praise to God; we long for Your Spirit to be upon us, O God, even as we give glory to You for all of Your overflowing goodness; open our eyes when they are closed, that we may see to do all that is good and right and true; all this we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the holy and still speaking Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. THE SERVICE OF PRAISE t The Processional Hymn I Sing the Mighty Power of God 2 ELLACOMBE

t The Litany of Praise In the care of our Shepherd God, we want for nothing as the sheep of God's pasture! The Holy One makes us lie down in green pastures, leading us beside still waters restoring our souls! It is God who leads us in right paths in the name of the Holy One, walking with us even through the valley of darkest evil, removing all of our fear! God's rod and staff give comfort; the Holy One prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies, anointing our heads with oil! The Holy One fills our cups to overflowing; God's goodness and mercy shall surely follow us for all of the days of our lives! In the house of the Holy One we shall dwell for our whole life long! Praise the Lord! t The Gloria GREATOREX THE SERVICE OF CONFESSION The Call to Confession 1 With our limited insight, we often misjudge people and situations. Our view of things may be quite different from the way God sees the circumstances of our lives and our relationships. Individually and corporately, we often fall short of God's expectations. Let us admit our need for forgiveness. In the silence and stillness of these moments, let us confess before the Holy. The Silent Confession The Corporate Confession 2 Let us pray to the Lord: Great Shepherd of goodness and mercy, we thank You for finding us and bringing us to this time of prayer. Sometimes, we wander far from the paths of integrity, justice, and peace that You have set before us. We are ashamed 3

integrity, justice, and peace that You have set before us. We are ashamed when we are less than who you created us to be, hoping that we will not be found out by our neighbors. We tend to be quick to judge others and to excuse ourselves, wanting to decide who is acceptable to You and who is not. Surely, we delude ourselves when we persuade ourselves otherwise. We would like to believe that You prefer people like us and not those who appear, believe, or act differently. Even as we say these words, we know we are not always in tune with Your way. Forgive us, we pray, and help us to change. The Kyrie Lord, Have Mercy arr. David N. Johnson The Assurance of Pardon 3 Beloved faith community, hear the good news of Lent. The goodness and mercy of God are always available to us. When we let God touch our unseeing eyes, we gain new insights and can begin to view others with the compassion of Christ. Let us accept with joy the healing we are offered right here, right now. Be refreshed in these sacred moments. Laetare! Thanks be to God! THE SERVICE OF THE WORD The Witness from the Hebrew Scriptures I SAMUEL 16:1-13 The Lord said to Samuel, How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for Myself a king among his sons. Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take a heifer with you, and say, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one whom I name to you. Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Do you come peaceably? He said, Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, Surely the Lord s anointed is now before the Lord. But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see 'as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one. Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one. Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not chosen any of these. * Samuel said to Jesse, Are all your sons here? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here. He sent and brought him in. 4

him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, Rise and anoint him; for this is the one. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah. Listen to what the Spirit of the still speaking God is saying. Thanks be to God! * Edited for today's service. The Response, PSALM 23 My Shepherd Will Supply My Need The Witness from the Epistles RESIGNATION EPHESIANS 5:8-14 For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Listen to what the Spirit of the still speaking God is saying. Thanks be to God! 5

t The Sequence Hymn LEONI A Man Who Could Not See * There will be a break between the first and second verses for the reading of the Gospel. t The Witness from the Gospels JOHN 9:1-41 * As Jesus walked along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God s works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of the One who sent Me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When Jesus had said this, He spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man s eyes, saying to him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which means Sent). Then the man went and washed and came back able to see. 'The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, Is this not the man who used to sit and beg? Some were saying, It is he. Others were saying, No, but it is someone like him. He kept saying, I am the man. But they kept asking him, Then how were your eyes opened? He answered, The Man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, Go to Siloam and wash. Then I went and washed and received my sight. They said to him, Where is He? He 'said, I do not know. They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened the man's eyes. Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see. Some of the Pharisees said, This Man is not from God, for He does not observe the Sabbath. But others said, How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs? And they were divided. So they said again to the blind man, What do you say about Him? It was your eyes He opened. He said, He is a prophet. The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see? His parents answered, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself. His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, He is of age; ask him. So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, Give glory to God! We know that this Man is a sinner. ' He answered, I do not know whether He is a sinner. 6

not know whether He is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see. They said to him, What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes? He answered them, I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples? Then they reviled him, saying, You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this Man, we do not know where He comes from. The man answered, Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where He comes from, and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but God does listen to one who worships God and obeys God's will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing. They answered him, You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us? And they drove him out. Jesus heard that they had driven the man out, and when Jesus found him, He said, Do you believe in the Son of Man? He answered, And who is He, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in Him. Jesus said to him, You have seen Him, and the One speaking with you is He. He said, Lord, I believe. And the man worshiped Jesus. Jesus said, I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind. Some of the Pharisees near Him heard this and said to Him, Surely we are not blind, are we? Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, We see, your sin remains. * Edited for today's service. The Gospel of the Lord. Thanks be to God! The Sermon Seeing Ain't Believing! Timothy W. Shirley THE SERVICE OF COMMITMENT t The Hymn of Commitment Be Thou My Vision SLANE t The Peace The peace of Christ always be with you. And also with you. 7

The Concerns of the Church Jo Prater The Pastoral Prayer The 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 sins as we forgive those who sin against us. 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 Receiving of Our Gifts The Offertory Anthem Brother James's Air Chancel Choir arr. Mack Wilberg The Lord s my Shepherd, I ll not want, He makes me down to lie in pastures green: He leadeth me the quiet waters by. My soul He doth restore again, and me to walk doth make within the paths of blessedness, e en for His own name s sake. Yea, though I pass through shadowed vale, yet will I fear no ill: for Thou art with me, and Thy rod and staff me comfort still. My table Thou hast furnished in presence of my foes; my head with oil Thou dost anoint, and my cup overflows. Goodness and mercy all my days will surely follow me; and in my Father s heart alway my dwelling place shall be. t The Doxology Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow OLD HUNDREDTH t The Presentation of Our Gifts t The Prayer of Thanksgiving 8

THE SERVICE OF DISCIPLESHIP t The Processional Hymn Come! Live in the Light t The Benediction Solemn March The Music for Organ The Closing of the Lectern Bible The Extinguishing of the Altar Candles t Those who are able are invited to stand. WE ARE CALLED John Marsh The color for the Sundays in Lent is Purple, symbolizing the penitential nature of this holy season. The color for the Fourth Sunday in Lent is Rose, symbolizing the celebratory nature of the day, and a reminder that we are more than halfway through the Lenten discipline. Reflecting a lighter mood, the liturgical name for this day is Laetare, meaning Rejoice. Called Mothering Sunday in the United Kingdom, the name Laetare is taken from the first words of the Latin Entrance Antiphon: Rejoice Jerusalem! The custom of using Rose paraments and vestments on Refreshment Sunday developed because the color was used for the blessing of the golden rose by the Pope on this Sunday in recognition of outstanding service to the Church. Worship Notes: The theme for today's worship service is Rejoice, always rejoice! The symbols on the banners for today's worship service are the Chi Rho, which includes the Greek letters for Christ, as well as the Alpha and Omega, Greek letters symbolizing beginning and end; the three variations of the cross represent the three persons of the Trinity, the cross at the top is the Cross Crosslet, which consists of four Latin crosses joined at their bases; the middle cross is the Trinitarian cross, I

four Latin crosses joined at their bases; the middle cross is the Trinitarian cross, represented by the triangle; the cross at the bottom is the Cross Trefflée, formed with trefoils at each end. It is also known as the Cross Botonnée; the monogram "IHS" is Greek for Jesus. Contrary to popular opinion, the "IHS" is not English thought to be symbolic for "in His service;" the rose banner reflects the color for Refreshment Sunday; the word Laetare is Latin meaning rejoice. 1-3 Reprinted by permission United Church Press from Taught by Love: Worship Resources for Year A, by Lavon Bayler. Copyright 2002 by the Pilgrim Press. Scripture readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) unless otherwise noted. Music Copyright Information: I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light, 1970, 1975, Celebration. Lord, have mercy upon us, 1972, Presbyterian Publishing/Westminster John Knox/Geneva Press. A Man Who Could Not See, Text 2011, Carolyn Gillette. Used by permission. Come, Live in the Light, 1998, GIA Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. OneLicense.net License #A-725722. An Invitation to Our Guests: Please join us for refreshments at Coffee Hour in Hospitality Hall following Morning Worship. SUNDAY ~ MARCH 26, 2017 LITURGIST ~ David Lickfeldt LECTOR ~ Paula Lickfeldt GOSPELER ~ Timothy W. Shirley ORGANIST ~ Ryan Hebert HOSTS ~ Betsy Hinderliter, Coordinator Patty Brandt Karl Buffington Jeanne Domonkos Carolyn Gordon Dick Hardy Sarah Hardy Larry Piechoski Lisa Ushman USHERS ~ Jeff Williams, Captain Patty Brandt Carolyn Gordon Don Hinderliter Jan Kopischkie Warren Murray Bob Wicklund SOUND AND LIGHTING ~ Patrick Czeck MONDAY ~ March 27, 2017 WEEKLY CALENDAR WEDNESDAY ~ March 29, 2017 8:30 a.m. ~ Sunshine Ladies Breakfast.. Fiore's Café 9:00 a.m. ~ AARP Taxes...... Richardson RM 9:00 a.m. ~ AARP Taxes...... Richardson RM 9:00 a.m. ~ Prayer Group.......... Chapel 7:00 p.m. ~ SS Band Rehearsal... Hospitality Hall 7:30 p.m. ~ SSSO Rehearsal......... Chapel TUESDAY ~ March 28, 2017 THURSDAY ~ March 30, 2017 8:00 a.m. ~ The Men's Breakfast.... Fiore's Café 9:00 a.m. ~ AARP Taxes...... Richardson RM 8:00 a.m. ~ Their Wives' Breakfast.. Fiore's Café 9:30 a.m. ~ Missions MTG........ Robing RM 9:00 a.m. ~ AARP Taxes...... Richardson RM 10:00 a.m. ~ Emmaus Road Study Group... Chapel 3:00 p.m. ~ Council MTG........ Robing RM 10:00 a.m. ~ Life Concerns....... Music Office I I

FRIDAY ~ March 31, 2017 SUNDAY ~ April 2, 2017 9:00 a.m. ~ AARP Taxes...... Richardson RM Fifth Sunday in Lent Timothy W. Shirley Preaching SATURDAY ~ April 1, 2017 8:30 a.m. ~ Chapel Communion....... Chapel 9:00 a.m. ~ Chancel Choir......... Chancel 10:00 a.m. ~ Morning Worship...... Sanctuary 12:30 p.m. ~ SSSO Rehearsal........ Chancel 2:00 p.m. ~ SSSO Concert........ Sanctuary APRIL 2, 2017 LECTIONS: EZEKIEL 37:1-14 PSALM 130 ROMANS 8:6-11 JOHN 11:1-45 MARCH 12 ATTENDANCE 148 FAITH GIVING $4,634 ALTAR FLOWERS WERE GIVEN BY Given by Elsie Shirley in Honor of Her Husband, Art's 90 th Birthday. HOSPITAL LIST As of March 22, 2017 SOUTHBAY: Loys Rafferty MEMORIALS GENERAL FUND: Given by Rhoda Curtiss and Sally Morse in Memory of Ruth Buffington MUSIC MEMORIAL FUND: Given by James & Lelynna Langdoc in Memory of Ruth Buffington WE REMEMBER Word was received that former members, Herrald (Harry) Schunk (March 10), and Dorothy Casey (March 22), recently passed into eternal life. Condolences may be sent to Herrald's wife, Peggy Schunk at the Orender Family Home for Funerals' website: www.orenderfamilyhome.com. A Service for Herrald was held on March 24, 2017, at the Manasquan Presbyterian Church, Manasquan, NJ. For Dorothy, please send condolences to her family in care of her son, Lawrence Casey at 905 Middle Drive, FT Walton Beach, FL 32547. A service for Dorothy will take place at Sun Towers on Tuesday, March 28 at 2:00 p.m. in their Chapel. Dr. Timothy W. Shirley will officiate. Rev. Dr. Timothy W. Shirley, Senior Minister Mr. Tom Lippert, Associate Minister Dr. Ryan Hebert, Organist Mrs. Jo Prater, Moderator Dr. Jo-Anne Winslow, Administrative Secretary 1501 La Jolla Avenue ~ Sun City Center, Florida 33573-5329 Phone: (813) 634-1304 Fax: (813) 633-9033 Dr. Shirley Email: timwshirley@gmail.com Mr. Lippert Email: tlippert@me.com Mrs. Prater Email: southshoreucc@aol.com Church Email: uccscc1@gmail.com Church Website: www.uccsuncitycenter.org. Church College Email: communitychurchcollege@gmail.com. Church College Website: www.4lifelearning.org March 26, 2017