​ 
April 2, 2023
PALM PASSION SUNDAY
 
Gathering
 
MUSICAL OFFERING
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Today we receive One Great Hour of Sharing Offering.
Wednesday Morning Bible Study continues from 9-10 thru May 24.
Join the community Cross Walk leaving Christ Episcopal at 11:30 am and/or Stations of the Cross at St. Boniface beginning at noon on Good Friday
Come celebrate Easter and Communion here next Sunday with Pastor Joyce.
Session will meet Tuesday, April 11, 9:30 am.
 
PRAYER REQUESTS
*JoAnn Grimm who  is struggling with health issues. 
* Richard Lewis continuing recovery at home.
* Members who are on hospice: Joan Pinkston and Maxine Wagner.
*  Arlene Pawlik continuing recovery. 
* The people of Ukraine in their continued war and suffering.
* Other areas of violence and oppression.
* Areas recovering from natural disasters.
* All who are struggling with health concerns.
 
PRELUDE
 
*CALL TO WORSHIP             Psalm 118:1,19-29, NLT
 
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
19 Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,
    and I will go in and thank the Lord.
20 These gates lead to the presence of the Lord, and the godly enter there.
21 I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory!
22 The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.
24 This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Please, Lord, please save us. Please, Lord, please give us success.
26 Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
    We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God, shining upon us.
    Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise you! You are my God, and I will exalt you!
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.
 
*OPENING PRAYER
                  
God of mercy and grace, we bless you and praise you for your faithful love and for the gift of your Son, Jesus the Christ. We celebrate his entrance into Jerusalem and remembering those days we wave our own palm branches to honor him. We recall his story through the days that followed and we mourn with his friends as he was crucified. God, as we recall these storied today, fill us with understanding, but also with hope, for unlike his disciples that week, we already know the next chapter. Thanks be to God!
 
*PALM SUNDAY
                    Matthew 21:1-11, NCV
As Jesus and his followers were coming closer to Jerusalem, they stopped at Bethphage at the hill called the Mount of Olives. From there Jesus sent two of his followers 2 and said to them, “Go to the town you can see there. When you enter it, you will quickly find a donkey tied there with its colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks you why you are taking the donkeys, say that the Master needs them, and he will send them at once.”
 
4 This was to bring about what the prophet had said:
 
5 “Tell the people of Jerusalem,
    ‘Your king is coming to you.
He is gentle and riding on a donkey,
    on the colt of a donkey.’” Isaiah 62:11; Zechariah 9:9
 
6 The followers went and did what Jesus told them to do. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt to Jesus and laid their coats on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8 Many people spread their coats on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The people were walking ahead of Jesus and behind him, shouting,
 
“Praise to the Son of David!
God bless the One who comes in the name of the Lord! Psalm 118:26
Praise to God in heaven!”
 
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, all the city was filled with excitement. The people asked, “Who is this man?”
 
11 The crowd said, “This man is Jesus, the prophet from the town of Nazareth in Galilee.”
 
*HYMN       Hosanna, Loud Hosanna!      #89
                    (You may be seated.)
 
CALL TO PRAYER                 Psalm 31:9-16, GNT
 
9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in trouble;
my eyes are tired from so much crying; I am completely worn out.
10 I am exhausted by sorrow, and weeping has shortened my life.
I am weak from all my troubles; even my bones are wasting away.
 
          (Silent prayers for our own needs.)
 
11 All my enemies, and especially my neighbors, treat me with contempt.
Those who know me are afraid of me;
    when they see me in the street, they run away.
12 Everyone has forgotten me, as though I were dead;
    I am like something thrown away.
13 I hear many enemies whispering;
    terror is all around me.
They are making plans against me,
    plotting to kill me.
 
          (Silent and pastoral prayers for the world.)
 
14 But my trust is in you, O Lord; you are my God.
15 I am always in your care; save me from my enemies,
    from those who persecute me.
16 Look on your servant with kindness; save me in your constant love.
 
Almighty God, grant us courage and faith to fully put our trust in you and your constant love. May we reflect that kindness to your world all around us. Amen.
 
THE BETRAYAL           Matthew 26:14-16, NLT
 
14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests 15 and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
 
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION
 
Judas’ sin was greed and betrayal. Let us confess our own sins to the Lord.
 
Lord Jesus, we confess the times we too have betrayed you by our thoughts, our actions, or our words. We are sorry for the times we have failed to stand up for you, for the times we have ignored a sacred nudge to help someone in need, for the times we have followed our own agenda instead of your will, for the times we have ignored the demands of justice or the needs of the earth and its creatures, for the times we have judged others without being honest about our own flaws, for the times we have been unwilling to recognize the equality of all humankind or back that recognition with action. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
 
We remember this day how far Jesus went to show us that we are forgiven and loved. Through Christ we are forgiven. Thanks be to God.
 
SONG OF PRAISE       Gloria Patri #579
 
PASSING THE PEACE
 
May the peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
 
The Last Supper              Matthew 26:17- 30, NLT
 
17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”
 
18 “As you go into the city,” he told them, “you will see a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there.
 
20 When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the Twelve. 21 While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”
 
22 Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”
 
23 He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. 24 For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”
 
25 Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?”
 
And Jesus told him, “You have said it.”
 
26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”
 
27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. 29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
 
30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
 
HYMN         An Upper Room Did Our Lord Prepare    #94, v. 1-2, 4
 
JESUS’ PREDICTION            Matthew 26:31-35, NLT
 
31 On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say,
‘God will strike the Shepherd,
    and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32 But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”
 
33 Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”
 
34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
 
35 “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.
 
HYMN         Go To Dark Gethsemane       #97, v. 1
 
GETHSEMANE             Matthew 26:36-46, NLT
 
36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
 
39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
 
40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
 
42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.
 
44 So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”
 
 
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.
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, now and forever. Amen.
 
THE ARREST                Matthew 26:47 - 56
 
47 And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. 48 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” 49 So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.
 
50 Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.”
 
Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51 But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.
 
52 “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. 53 Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? 54 But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”
 
55 Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. 56 But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.
 
HYMN         Go To Dark Gethsemane       #97, v. 2
 
JUDGEMENT                Matthew 26:57-68, NLT
 
57 Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. 58 Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.
 
59 Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. 60 But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward 61 who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
 
62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
 
64 Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
 
65 Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your verdict?”
 
“Guilty!” they shouted. “He deserves to die!”
 
67 Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him, 68 jeering, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?”
 
INTERLUDE
 
PETER’S DENIAL                  Matthew 26:69-76, NLT
 
69 Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”
 
70 But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
 
71 Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
 
72 Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.
 
73 A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.”
 
74 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.
 
75 Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.
 
MEDITATION                                             I Wonder
 
As I share my ponderings roused by these scripture readings from Jesus’ triumphal entry to his passion and burial, I will pause often for you to begin to ponder your own answers.
 
I wonder what it was like for the disciples as they went to ask a stranger for that donkey.
Were they surprised the owner agreed so easily when they said the Teacher needed it?
Why am I still surprised each time Jesus meets my needs?
 
I wonder what it was like for them to see the crowds waving palm branches and hear the hosannas as Jesus rode the donkey into Jerusalem. Did they remember stories of David riding a donkey into Jerusalem when he became king? If I had been there would I have danced by the roadside and shouted with them? Why is it I don’t often celebrate with Jesus beyond our worship time together?
 
I wonder if it was easier to ask a friend if they could use his upper room to prepare the Passover. Did they feel the excitement of preparing for this annual celebration of a sacred meal? Did they think about the stories it told as they prepared each food and about God setting the Hebrews free from enslavement in Egypt? When I take communion, do I pause to give thanks for all the ways God has set me free? Do I ask Jesus to free those who are enslaved to poverty or addiction or depression or whatever else in our world today?
 
I wonder if that night the disciples thought about all that had happened in the past three days, clearing the Temple of the money changers, and declaring it a place of prayer, hearing Jesus continue to teach whoever came to listen. Were they aware of the animosity building among the Sanhedrin? Were they as afraid of the tensions building in Jerusalem that week as I am of the tensions building around the world in 2023?
 
I wonder how they felt when they came to eat that night. Were they as eager as Jesus to share this meal or were they just squabbling over who would sit where? Were the others just as flustered as Peter when Jesus washed their feet? Did anyone notice Judas’ anxiety that night or suspect why he was nervous? Were they shocked when Jesus let Judas leave? Sometimes I get so caught up in what’s going on in my own head that I don’t pay much attention to what’s going on around me or I fail to see what Jesus might be doing in my world.
 
I wonder if the disciples understood what Jesus meant about the bread and cup being his body and blood. Do we consider and understand the spiritual significance of that meal?
 
I wonder if they were surprised when Jesus said they would all leave him. Did they deny it in their own minds? How about Peter, denying then that he would deny even knowing Jesus before morning? I know I will make lots of mistakes and I will make bad choices, sometimes even when I’m aware that what I’m doing might be displeasing to God. But somehow I always want to think of myself as doing my best anyway. Am I like those disciples?
 
I wonder how the disciples found the strength to sing hymns as they walked to Gethsemane. I would have had too much on my mind to sing. It takes courage and intention to sing and offer praise on a gloomy day.
 
I wonder how disappointed Jesus must have been each time he found the disciples asleep and unable to pray. Were they also disappointed in themselves each time they woke up? Sometimes I fall asleep as I pray, but sometimes I forget to pray. In what other ways have I disappointed Jesus?
 
I wonder how Judas felt as he kissed Jesus on the cheek. With a simple greeting he identified Jesus who was then arrested. Was Judas embarrassed he had turned Jesus in, especially doing so in front of those he had been with the past three years? Was he able to look Jesus in the eye or did he turn away? When have I turned a blind eye to my own bad choices or ignored the love in Jesus’ gaze in spite of my mistakes?
 
I wonder if any of the guards arresting Jesus thought this was wrong or if any of the Sanhedrin doubted the intentions and advice of the High Priest. Did they just go along with it doing what was expected? What went through Nicodemus’ mind at that point? Jesus became the scapegoat not just symbolizing the taking away of sins as the High Priest would send them away on the Day of Atonement, but also as a political sacrifice for leadership who didn’t want to lose power. That’s a far less noble reality. How often does someone have to be that kind of scapegoat in our world today? Have I done that to anyone?
 
I wonder how Peter found the courage to follow Jesus but not the courage to acknowledge knowing Jesus. He came so far yet fell so far, but not too far from grace. Did Peter know as the cock crowed not only that he had failed Jesus, but also that Jesus would still forgive him and use him to build a community for those who believe? I think of the ways God has used me in spite of all my mistakes.
 
I wonder if those who chose to buy Potter’s Field with Judas’ returned “blood money” ever stopped to reflect on their own sin as Judas did. I’m sad that he chose suicide to deal with his guilt rather than understanding Jesus’ intentions to forgive all our sin. Are there ways I choose to punish myself rather than accept Jesus’ forgiveness?
 
I wonder if Pontius Pilate regretted his assignment to Jerusalem as the crowds shouted for Barabbas and to crucify Jesus. Can you imagine the conversation with his wife later when she had tried to stop him, but he proceeded to give in to the crowd’s demands? He felt caught in the middle but didn’t stand up for what he believed, that Jesus was innocent. How often do I give in to what society says rather than stand up for what I believe to be right?
 
I wonder what went through the soldier’s minds as they mocked and flogged Jesus or gambled for his clothes. What was Simon of Cyrene thinking as he was drafted to carry Jesus’ cross? Did the crowds have a clue what they were doing or that Jesus was innocent? What finally triggered the Centurion’s recognition that Jesus was indeed the Son of God? What does it take for me to recognize when the crowd is wrong, when leaders are steering us the wrong direction? Am I willing to speak up or do anything about it?
 
I wonder if anyone else noticed the women watching in horror as Jesus hung on the cross and died or that only one of the disciples stood with them. I am amazed and grateful that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea found the courage to try to give Jesus a proper burial. Did they no longer care what their friends or colleagues thought? The women watched so they could come back and honor Jesus with their final ministrations of love. Did Joseph or Nicodemus notice them and understand? Would I have stood with them if I were there then? What have I done to show my love or support for Jesus in my lifetime?
 
In the days ahead, I invite you to also ponder these things – what happened then and how you react and respond to the needs of Christ’s mission in our own day.
 
 
JUDAS                 Matthew 27:1-10, NLT
 
27:1 Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders of the people met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. 2 Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
 
3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.”
 
“What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”
 
5 Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.
 
6 The leading priests picked up the coins. “It wouldn’t be right to put this money in the Temple treasury,” they said, “since it was payment for murder.” 7 After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter’s field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. 8 That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood. 9 This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says,
 
“They took the thirty pieces of silver--
    the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel,
10 and purchased the potter’s field,
    as the Lord directed.”
 
OFFERING OURSELVES TO GOD
 
God of Mercy and Grace, Judas failed to receive that give from you and punished himself for his crime. But rather than going the way of Judas, we choose to freely offer our lives and resources to serve you as best we can. We are able to do so only because we indeed live in your mercy and grace. Amen.
 
OFFERING
 
DOXOLOGY        Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow          #592
 
TRIAL                   Matthew 27:11-26, NLT
 
11 Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. “Are you the king of the Jews?” the governor asked him.
 
Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
 
 
12 But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. 13 “Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded. 14 But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise.
 
15 Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted. 16 This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas. 17 As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 (He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)
 
19 Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.”
 
20 Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death. 21 So the governor asked again, “Which of these two do you want me to release to you?”
 
The crowd shouted back, “Barabbas!”
 
22 Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”
 
They shouted back, “Crucify him!”
 
23 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”
 
But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”
 
24 Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”
 
25 And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!”
 
26 So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.
 
HYMN         Go To Dark Gethsemane       #97, v. 3
 
THE CROSS                  Matthew 27:27-44, NLT
 
27 Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. 29 They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. 31 When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.
 
32 Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. 33 And they went out to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). 34 The soldiers gave Jesus wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it.
 
35 After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. 36 Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there. 37 A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
 
39 The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. 40 “Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!”
 
41 The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. 42 “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! 43 He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way.
 
*HYMN       When I Survey the Wondrous Cross        #101
                    (You may be seated.)
 
JESUS’ DEATH            Matthew 27:45-56, NLT
 
45 At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 46 At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
 
47 Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. 48 One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. 49 But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”
 
50 Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, 52 and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and
women who had died were raised from the dead. 53 They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
 
54 The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
 
55 And many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee.
 
Affirmation of Faith               Philippians 2:1-11, NCV
 
5 In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus.
 
6 Christ himself was like God in everything.
    But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be used for his own benefit.
7 But he gave up his place with God and made himself nothing.
    He was born as a man
    and became like a servant.
8 And when he was living as a man,
    he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God,
    even when that caused his death—death on a cross.
9 So God raised him to the highest place.
    God made his name greater than every other name
10 so that every knee will bow to the name of Jesus--
    everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.
11 And everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
    and bring glory to God the Father.
 
THE BURIAL                 Matthew 27:57-66, NLT
 
57 As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, 58 went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. 59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. 60 He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. 61 Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.
 
The Guard at the Tomb
62 The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. 63 They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ 64 So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”
 
65 Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.” 66 So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.
 
PLACING THE PALL
 
CHARGE AND BLESSING
 
POSTLUDE
 
EXIT IN SILENCE
                    
 
* Sections of the service preceded with * are times to stand if you are able to do so.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation.

​ 
​March 19, 2023
FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT
 
Gathering
 
MUSICAL OFFERING
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
      April 2 we return to the Sanctuary as we begin Holy Week. Pastor Kolleen will lead us
t  hrough Palm/Passion Sunday meditations. One Great Hour of Sharing Offering will  be taken that Sunday supporting disaster relief.
  Don’t forget our community Good Friday events; see the back page for details.
  Worship with Pastor Joyce on Easter Sunday, April 9!
  Pastor Joyce plans to be in Clinton on  Tuesday, March 28. Friday April 7 and Monday       April 10.
 
PRAYER REQUESTS:  Please hold the following in your prayers.
Betty Farwell and JoAnn Grimm who struggle with health problems
Richard Lewis who broke a hip and is recovering at the Alverno.
Arlene Pawlik who is recovering from a broken leg.
Those who are on hospice:  Joan Pinkston & Maxine Wagner.
Jon Harper who is recovering after a recent hospitalization.
The people of Ukraine in their continued war and suffering.
The people of Turkey and Syria and the many aid workers who work to assist.
All who struggle and weep.
 
PRELUDE
 
CALL TO WORSHIP    Psalm 145:8-10, NLT
 
The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
 
The Lord is good to everyone and showers compassion on all of creation.
 
All of your works will thank you, Lord,
 
and your faithful followers will praise you.
 
GATHERING PRAYER
 
Holy God, our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, as we gather to worship may we sing your praise and offer prayers of thanksgiving. May we know your mercy and compassion even when we have failed. May we be filled to overflowing with your unfailing love, so that going forward we too can be good to others and shower blessings on creation.
 
HYMN  Christ Whose Glory Fills the Skies  #462
 
CALL TO CONFESSION    Ephesians 5:8-14, NIV
 
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
 
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
 
When we live in the darkness, Lord forgive us. When we judge others through the eyes of the world rather than your eyes of compassion, Lord forgive us. When we fear the world around us because we lack eyes of faith, Lord forgive us. When we try to hide our flaws and weaknesses rather than bring them to light for healing, Lord forgive us. When we choose to ignore what needs to change, Lord forgive us. Grant us eyes of mercy and faith that we may live in your light and your love. Amen.
 
WORDS OF ASSURANCE    Romans 5:1, GNT
 
Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Christ we are forgiven.  Thanks be to God!
 
SONG OF PRAISE  Gloria Patri  #579
 
PASSING THE PEACE  (Please greet those around you with these words.)
 
May the peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
 
INTERLUDE
Word
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
 
SCRIPTURE LESSONS    1 Samuel 16:1-13, NET
 
The Lord said to Samuel, “How long do you intend to mourn for Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your horn with olive oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem, for I have selected a king for myself from among his sons.”
 
2 Samuel replied, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you should do. You will anoint for me the one I point out to you.”
 
4 Samuel did what the Lord told him. When he arrived in Bethlehem, the elders of the city were afraid to meet him. They said, “Do you come in peace?” 5 He replied, “Yes, in peace. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” So he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.6 When they arrived, Samuel noticed Eliab and said to himself, “Surely, here before the Lord stands his chosen king.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t be impressed by his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way people do. People look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 Then Jesse presented Shammah. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 10 Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” 11 Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Is that all the young men?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest one, but he’s taking care of the flock.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we cannot turn our attention to other things until he comes here.”
 
12 So Jesse had him brought in. Now he was ruddy, with attractive eyes and a handsome appearance. The Lord said, “Go and anoint him. This is the one.” 13 So Samuel took the horn full of olive oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day onward. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.
 
      John 9:1-41, NLT
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”
 
3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. 4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. 5 But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”
 
6 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. 7 He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!
 
8 His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!”
 
But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!”
 
10 They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?”
 
11 He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!”
 
12 “Where is he now?” they asked.  “I don’t know,” he replied.
 
13 Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, 14 because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. 15 The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!”
 
16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them.
 
17 Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?”
 
The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.”
 
18 The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. 19 They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?”
 
20 His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, 21 but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. 23 That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”
 
24 So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.”
 
25 “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”
 
26 “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?”
 
27 “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
 
28 Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! 29 We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”
 
30 “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? 31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. 32 Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.”
 
34 “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.
 
35 When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
 
36 The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.”
​37 “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!”
 
38 “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.
 
39 Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”
 
40 Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?”
 
41 “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.
 
SERMON  What Do You See?
 
HYMN  Open My Eyes  #324
 
PASTORAL PRAYER
 
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. 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.
 
OFFERING OUR LIVES
 
Amazing God, we offer ourselves to have our eyes opened that we might learn to see as you see, to follow in your path as you lead us, to be your disciples, and to give you our praise. May we be a blessing to others, even as you have blessed us.
 
DOXOLOGY  Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow  #592
 
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH    Psalm 23, NJKV
 
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
 
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
 
HYMN  Be Thou My Vision                                     #339
 
Sending Forth
 
CHARGE & BLESSING  
 
POSTLUDE
 
We will remain seated throughout the service.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation.
 

​ 
March 12, 2023
Gathering
 
MUSICAL OFFERING ANNOUNCEMENTS
All PULSE articles are due on March 15th.
PRAYER REQUESTS Please hold the following in your prayers.
· Jon who has been in the hospital.
· Betty Farwell and JoAnn Grimm who struggle with health problems.
· Richard Lewis who broke a hip and is recovering at the Alverno.
· Arlene Pawlik who is recovering from a broken leg.
· Those who are on hospice: Joan Pinkston & Maxine Wagner.
PRELUDE
​
CALL TO WORSHIP (Psalm 95: 1-3)
 
L: O Come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
 
P: Let us come into God’s presence with thanksgiving.
 
L: Let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
 
P: For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
 
L: Today we come to listen to his voice.
 
P: Today we come to hear his call and know his presence.
 
L: Let us worship our God.
 
 
GATHERING PRAYER
 
From the wilderness of sin we come to worship you, Eternal Lord. You gave drink to your thirsty people in the wilderness and living water to the woman at the well, so we hold our parched and thirsty lives to you. May we worship you in spirit and in truth and know ourselves held in your care. Amen
 
HYMN From All That Dwell Below the Skies #229
 
 
CALL TO CONFESSION
 
Beside a well in Samaria Jesus offered the woman a gift of life. Let us begin to claim for ourselves that spring of water gushing up to eternal life. Let us lay bare our soul before our Savior in order to receive this gift. Please join me in our prayer of confession.
 
 
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
 
How often, Loving Lord, do we doubt your presence and care? We cry out in anger or despair while failing to notice your blessings showered upon us. We turn away from your word, and bargain with ourselves, justifying actions that we know are wrong. Lord, we need this living water that only you can offer. Help us to open our hearts to you, our Savior. May we, too, worship you in spirit and in truth.
Amen
 
 
WORDS OF ASSURANCE
 
God has proven his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. We were reconciled to God through the death of his Son. Believe this good news: In Christ Jesus we are able to stand before our Lord.
 
 
 
SONG OF PRAISE Gloria Patri #579
 
PASSING THE PEACE
(Please greet those around you with these words.)
 
May the peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
 
INTERLUDE
 
Word
 
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
 
Help us, O Lord, to be aware of our own deep yearning and thirst for your presence. Open our hearts that we might hear your words of life. Allow us to receive refreshment for our souls, reassurance for our worries and direction for our lives. By your Spirit, allow your word to give us these waters of eternal life. Amen
 
 
SCRIPTURE LESSONS
 
Exodus 17: 1-7
17 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.  “Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?”  3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”  4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”  5 The LORD answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
                                            
John 4: 5-42
5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.  7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”  17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” 27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” 28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people  29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him. 31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”  33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”  34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is rue. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.” 39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers. 42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
 
SERMON                Washing Away the IF
Don’t you have to wonder about those ex-slaves in the wilderness?  They’d seen the power of God.   They had watched on the sidelines, giggling, I imagine as God smited the  Egyptians.  Moses had struck the Nile and it turned to blood.  Can you imagine?  I hope everyone had gathered water to drink before that happened!  We don’t know that the Hebrew people had, but I’m going to assume that Moses had given them a heads up.  And all those other plagues.  My favorite is frogs.  I can just imagine grabbing for a bowl a cereal and having frogs jump out of the cabinet!  Gnats, flies, locusts, boils, hail,  darkness, livestock disease, and then the big one.  The death of the first born, but those slaves were safely tucked away in their houses, the blood of the lamb guarding the doorposts.  And then they were off—on their way to freedom.  Their Egyptian overlords had even pressed gold and silver in their hand to launch them—Just get out of Dodge!
But that wasn’t the end of the matter.  When Pharaoh had second thoughts, here came the army trapping the people between approaching disaster and the Red Sea.  Once again God saved the day.  Now Moses struck the waters and a pathway opened up.  Across they went and when Pharaoh’s troops tried to follow the waters closed over top of them.  Finally freedom.
Hadn’t God taken care of them?  Even in the wilderness God had provided sweet water when all they could find was undrinkable, bitter drink.  He had rained manna upon them.  He even sent quails for meat, but here they were once again grumbling and building themselves into a fit, threatening to stone Moses, moaning about the food back home.  Why did God bring them out into the wilderness in the first place.  Was it so they could die of thirst?
No confidence at all.  They’d seen all of this, why couldn’t they trust?  Maybe it’s because that’s just not the nature of us humans.  Don’t we want to control our destiny?   We want to know what’s up ahead and how we are going to get there.  We NEED to plan and make preparation, to bargain if needed and explore options.  We form committees to find answers.  That’s just who we are, and we get frustrated when those things are taken from us.
And another thing that we might consider about those ex-slaves is that for their whole lives they had been taken care of in predictable, even if hostile, ways.  Now they needed to trust in God, but it wasn’t predictable, and God didn’t give out an itinerary for how things were going to go. 
It was a completely different system, and doesn’t that throw us off track?  Even something as minor as the beginning of Daylight Savings time.  I bet several of us plan a nap this afternoon, and we’ll be out of sync for a few days, to boot.
So maybe we shouldn’t shake our finger too hard.  And then there is this, that I think compounds the uncertainty.   It was after God had provided drinkable water after they had first crossed the Red Sea.  God had said, “IF you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all of his statues, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”  That’s a conditional phrase and there are four big Ifs.  A lot of conditions to meet, even if we might argue that they boil down to one big one.  So maybe under those conditions we might be a little less assured of God’s continued care, too. 
Isn’t that why God sent his Son into our world—to eliminate a lot of those Ifs?  And the story of the Samaritan woman’s encounter with our Lord is a perfect example.
To begin with, it was just the two of them.  Jesus was on his own.  His disciples had gone to find food.  The woman was alone, as well.  The busy time at the well would be in the morning.  We don’t know why she was late.  Perhaps she’d been there earlier, as well and now needed more water.  Maybe she was avoiding the busy time, or avoiding the other women.  We don’t know.
How surprised she must have been to see a Jewish man loitering by the well, and when he spoke to her that was a surprise, too.  Men didn’t regularly engage in conversation with unknown women.  But here he is asking her for a drink, and she noted his uncustomary request. 
Do you notice how Jesus sort of ignores the point of her question and offers the heart of the matter?   He tells her that if she just knew who was asking she would request that he give her “living water.”  (Living water is running water as from a brook or a spring, even a river.  It was considered a higher quality water.)
The woman takes offense, assuming that he is insulting the well which was rather famous, from the time of Jacob.  “Sir, you don’t have a bucket and this well is deep.  (In other words, you’re not fooling me!)  And Hey do you think you’re better than our ancestor Jacob?  Do you hear the way she’s bristling against this arrogant Jew?
Jesus tries to explain.  “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again.  But those who drink of the water that I will give will never grow thirsty.  The water that I give will become in them a spring gushing up to eternal life.”
Now he has her attention.  Now she’s willing to ask the question.  “OK, give me this water so I won’t be thirsty and won’t have to keep coming here to draw water.” 
But there is a price.  And now Jesus get to that. “Go and get your husband and bring him back.”  That would be fine except the woman has to admit she doesn’t have a husband.  Now she’s beginning to come clean.
Jesus tells her what he already knows.  Not only does she not have a husband now, she’s had five husbands and her living arrangement is with a man to whom she’s not married.  Now that might mean she’s broken one of those commandments God sent down the mountain.  “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”  But there are other scenarios that might also be true.  Living with another male relative or being a servant or a slave with a household.  Regardless, she would really like to change the topic, so she turns the classic dispute between Jews and Samaritans—Where is the proper place to worship God?  Is it in Jerusalem as the Jews claim or on Mount Gerizim as the Samaritans assert.
Jesus replies that the time is coming when neither place will be an option for worship.  He slides in that salvation is from the Jews, but the important piece is worshipping God in spirit and truth.
When the woman comments that she knows that the Messiah is coming, Jesus tells her “I am he, the one speaking to you.” 
And with that hanging in the air, his disciples return.  How surprised they are that he is speaking with this Samaritan woman.  She has three strikes against her.  Samaritan, female and of questionable reputation.  Even if her current living arrangement were acceptable, five husbands is a LOT.
Do you notice that Jesus doesn’t put any IFS on this woman?  There is no condition except that she make the request for her to receive this living water, this eternal life, this presence of God to walk with her along the way.
Later we discover that the woman has accepted Jesus offer.  She has told her whole community about him and they, too, have come to believe.
Suddenly we get it.  Jesus accepts us BEFORE we can get all our IFS in order.  God bends low and gives us this gift of living water.  It’s an assurance that God’s love and forgiveness are ours for the asking.  We get to be agents of light and hope in Jesus’ name.  We can let go of our fear and anxiety. We can be patient in waiting for God because we know that it will be OK.  We can see life’s difficulties, not as obstacles, but as stair steps to grow closer to God.
All of us have things that we wish we’d done differently.  We wish we’d been smarter and more sensitive about how we handled something.  We wish we’d avoided doing or saying that thing that hurt our brother or sister.  We wish we’d spent more time showing forth God’s love.  I bet the Samaritan woman had some of those same wishes.  But ultimately she could let them go because Jesus had offered her living water and she’d drunk deep into eternal life.
 
He offers it to us, as well.  Regardless of our “I wish I didn’t have this in my history”  living water that gushes up to offer us eternal life is as close as our “Yes, please, Lord.”  It’s sweet and refreshing.; it keeps us hydrated in ways that are sweet and hopeful.  It carries us through stress and crises.  It reminds us that God is present.  God is providing that which we need.
Those Hebrew slaves will come to understand these things, and at times they will fall back to doubting.  But Jesus comes to us with an invitation and a pitcher of cold, refreshing, life giving water.  Let’s drink and know the sweetness that carries us forward into God’s eternal grace.  Amen.
 
 
HYMN Amazing Grace #280 PASTORAL PRAYER
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.
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, now and forever. Amen.
 
OFFERING OUR LIVES
 
DOXOLOGY Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #592
 
Eucharist
 
 
INVITATION TO THE LORD’S TABLE
 
 
THE PRAYER OF GREAT THANKSGIVING
 
God who offers us life and hope and forgiveness, we praise you, Lord.
We offer our joyful thanks for your gift of life. You, O Christ, were obedient unto death for us. Help us to remember that we can’t do it ourselves. We need you.
 
We need your strength and your wisdom, your love and your guidance, your salvation and your unending grace.
You offer all these things to your people. You call us just as you called
disciples long ago.
 
With those disciples you sat to share this sacred meal. You offered to them, and to all of us, participation in your life and in your death. You took the bread and broke it,
Calling for us to remember not only the unleavened bread that the Hebrew slaves ate as they fled from Egypt,
 
But also you, our Bread of life,
Your body broken on a cross for us.
 
You poured out the cup
Calling for us to share in the drinking of it.
 
It is salvation, release from the bondage of sin and death.
But it is also the power in your blood that offers to us the new covenant by which God writes his laws upon our hearts.
 
As we eat at this table, sharing your body broken, your life-blood poured out, we know ourselves to be the children of the living God.
May we be lifted to you by the power of your Holy Spirit.
 
Thank you, Lord Jesus. Be our host in this banquet of life.
Come Lord Jesus into our hearts and into our lives. Amen
 
 
RECEIVING THE BREAD AND CUP COMMUNION PRAYER
HYMN Come Sing, O Church in Joy! #430
 
Sending Forth
 
CHARGE & BLESSING POSTLUDE
We will remain seated throughout the service.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation.

 
​March 5, 2023
SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT
 
Gathering
 
MUSICAL OFFERING
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
The Ladies Lunch Bunch will gather at Yen Ching’s on March 8.  All the women of the church (and guests) are invited.  Please RSVP on the sheet outside the Administration Office.
 
Session meets on March 12th.
 
Turn your clocks ahead on March 12th.
 
All PULSE articles are due on March 15th.
 
PRAYER REQUESTSREQUESTS  Please hold the following in your prayers.
 
·    Jon who has been in the hospital.
· Betty Farwell and JoAnn Grimm who struggle with health problems
· Richard Lewis who broke a hip and is recovering at the Alverno.
· Arlene Pawlik who is recovering from a broken leg.
· Those who are on hospice:  Joan Pinkston & Maxine Wagner.
 
PRELUDE
 
PSALTER                                                                       Psalm 121, NIV
 
Leader: I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from?
 
People: My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
 
Leader: He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber;
 
People: indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
 
Leader: The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
 
People: the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
 
Leader: The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life;
 
People: the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
  
GATHERING PRAYER
 
Gracious God, Almighty Savior, you are our strength and our protection, our guide and our friend. You have been our help, and you have seen us through the night. You watch over us as we sleep and when we rise. May we this day, therefore, serve you, praise you, draw near to you, and adore you, for that is our privilege and our calling.
  
HYMN                       Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee                     #464
 
CALL TO CONFESSION
 
We sing and rejoice in God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, and yet we are sometimes guilty of holding back, of wearing blinders, of trying to limit God’s activity, or of refusing to accept the broad magnitude of God’s love and grace. God is and does and loves so much more than we are willing to accept. Let us confess our sometimes narrow-minded faith to our God who is infinitely more than we can imagine.
 
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
 
We admit to you, O God, the times that we define you as the world around us defines you, and that often means we stuff you in a box that is too small for your awesome wisdom and might. You are the Creator of the universe, yet we try to reduce you to something much smaller, something we can not only understand but control. Yet heavenly Holy One, you are the Divine Mystery. You will not be contained by our humble attempts; still you choose to be intimately involved in our lives if we welcome you. May we learn to be more mindful of your magnificence and still give thanks for your beneficence. May your Spirit guide us toward truth, and by your compassion may we be forgiven for the truth about our own efforts to limit or manipulate you. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
 
WORDS OF ASSURANCE                                          John 3:17, NET
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him.
 
Through Christ we are forgiven.  Thanks be to God!
 
SONG OF PRAISE                 Gloria Patri                                                        #579
 
PASSING THE PEACE
    (Please greet those around you with these words. But let’s refrain from touch.)
May the peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
 
INTERLUDE
 
 
Word
 
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
 
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God of us all, may we hear your Word through scripture and proclamation in a way that gives us new life. Amen.
 
SCRIPTURE LESSONS                
Genesis 12:1-4a, GNT
12 The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's home, and go to a land that I am going to show you. 2 I will give you many descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will bless you and make your name famous, so that you will be a blessing.
 
3 I will bless those who bless you,
But I will curse those who curse you.
And through you I will bless all the nations.”
 
4 When Abram was seventy-five years old, he started out from Haran, as the Lord had told him to do; and Lot went with him.
 
Romans 4:1-5, GNT
What shall we say, then, of Abraham, the father of our race? What was his experience? 2 If he was put right with God by the things he did, he would have something to boast about—but not in God's sight. 3 The scripture says, “Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.” 4 A person who works is paid wages, but they are not regarded as a gift; they are something that has been earned. 5 But those who depend on faith, not on deeds, and who believe in the God who declares the guilty to be innocent, it is this faith that God takes into account in order to put them right with himself.
 
John 3:1-17, NET
Now a certain man, a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council, 2 came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time, can he?”
 
5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus replied, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I tell you the solemn truth, we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. 12 If I have told you people about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
 
16 For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him.
 
SERMON                                    By Faith                                                          
 
HYMN                         O For A Thousand Tongues                       #466
 
PASTORAL PRAYER
 
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.
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, now and forever. Amen.
 
OFFERING OUR LIVES
 
All powerful God, may we give freely of ourselves to you, as you have so freely given yourself to us. May our passion for your world and our compassion for one another not be limited by our experience or vision, but may we truly hear and see what you would show us and live accordingly. Amen.
 
DOXOLOGY Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow                                   #592
 
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH A Brief Statement of Faith  inside back of hymnal
 
HYMN                      Go With Us Lord (Tallis Canon)                    #535
 
Sending Forth
 
CHARGE & BLESSING                                                                        
 
POSTLUDE
 
We will remain seated throughout the service.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation.

​ 
February 26, 2023
 
Gathering
MUSICAL OFFERING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
A Congregational meeting will follow immediately after our worship this morning to elect a Pastor Nominating Committee to call our next pastor.  We hope all members will stay so we have quorum.
Pastor Joyce will present photos from her trip to Iceland this morning and then we will enjoy a free fellowship lunch.  All are invited to stay.
The Ladies Lunch Bunch will gather at Yen Ching’s on March 8.  All the women of the church (and guests) are invited.  Please RSVP on the sheet outside the Administration Office.
 
PRAYER REQUESTS  Please hold the following in your prayers.
Betty Farwell and JoAnn Grimm who struggle with health problems
Richard Lewis who broke a hip and is recovering at the Alverno.
Arlene Pawlik who is recovering from a broken leg.
Those who are on hospice:  Joan Pinkston & Maxine Wagner.
 
PRELUDE
 
CALL TO WORSHIP   (Adapted from Psalm 32)
 
L:  Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven!
 
P:  Happy are those made right in the Lord!
 
L:  We could not hide our transgressions, so laid bare our hearts before the Lord.
 
P:  And God Almighty forgave the guilt of our sins.
 
L:  Therefore, we come to offer prayer to you, O Lord.
 
P:  May you be the hiding place for us, instructing us,
 
L:   teaching us the way to go.
 
P:  We rejoice in the Lord and shout for joy. 
 
L:  People of God, sing praise to our Redeemer.  Amen.
  
GATHERING PRAYER
 
Lord God.  We live in the wilderness of temptation, and despair.  So we come, this day, to breathe in the presence of your Spirit.  May we be guided around the pits of our own temptations and shown the path to your grace and hope.  We praise you, Loving Savior.  Amen.
                                                                     
HYMN                                         Come Thou Almighty King                                                                                      #139
 
CALL TO CONFESSION
 
Sin came into God’s perfect world, and with it death  But in God’s love, his Son was sent to bring us the gift of God’s grace.  Let us claim this gift.  Let us confess our sins before the Lord.
 
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
 
Today we stand looking into the Garden, Gracious God.  The folly of Adam and Eve is before us.  How they enjoyed the paradise you provided, until they decided they were smarter than you, and then they disobeyed.  We would not be so foolish, we tell ourselves.  But like them, we also want to be “like God.” We, too want to be in control of our world.  Forgive us, Lord for our arrogance and impatience.  Forgive us for trying to yank the reins out of your hands.  Forgive us for ignoring your commands.  Help us, Lord, to look to the cross that we might discover the way to life and happiness for ourselves and for our world.  Amen
 
WORDS OF ASSURANCE                                                                   
 
Just as Adam’s trespass led to condemnation for all, Jesus’ gift upon the cross leads to justification and life for all.  Believe the good news.  Grace abounds, and in that gift we are washed clean.  Thank you Lord.
 
SONG OF PRAISE                                Gloria Patri                                                                                                 #579
 
PASSING THE PEACE
  
L:  May the peace of Christ be with you.
P:  And also with you.
 
INTERLUDE
 
Word
 
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
 
From the Garden of Eden to the wilderness where Jesus is tested, we journey this day.  Come with us, Lord, and help us to see and claim your gift of grace and hope and salvation. Amen.
 
SCRIPTURE LESSONS
Genesis 2: 15-17
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
 
Matthew 4: 1-11 
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:” ‘He will command his angels concerning you,    and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
 
SERMON                    The Wilderness Becomes the Womb of Faith
Come for a walk with me!  It’s October, one of those days when the sun in hanging on to summer’s bliss.  The blueness of the sky is only interrupted occasionally by a puffy white cloud made of cotton candy that float lazily upon the earth.  The path we walk leads into a deep woods, and as soon as we enter, a secondary level of quiet descends, and we feel ourselves exhale, ridding our bodies of the stress and anxiety we carry these days.  The leaves, red and gold, bright orange and yellow rustle above us, and with the gust of a gentle breeze they rain down upon us, making the world a kaleidoscope of color.  A squirrel scampers up a tree and watches us with great intensity while munching on the acorn he has just carried up the tree.  We hear a hawk far above.  We can’t see it due to the arch of trees over our heads, but we can imagine it soaring over the area looking for its lunch.  Acorns crunch under or feet and every once in a while we spot the distinctive foot print of a raccoon in the mud on one of its nightly patrols.
 
It’s an inviting place, this wilderness.  It’s a place where we can breathe deep, where we can feel our shoulders relax and our minds clear.  We glimpse God’s remarkable gift of a good and beautiful world.
 
That’s one version of wilderness.  That’s the version I associate with the Garden of Eden, a place where the good and joyful abundance of God is known.  The word Garden might suggest that it’s not quite as wild, but who knows?
 
Why is it not surprising that Adam and Eve experienced this wilderness, this joyful paradise, but they couldn’t really appreciate how remarkable it was.  They wanted MORE.  It’s the human condition, it seems.  The serpent came along.  He represents the cunning of Satan, and he asked them, quite innocently, what God had told them.  When told that they could enjoy all of the garden except the tree in the middle, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, lest they eat of it and die, the serpent tells them that they won’t die!  He challenges them to disregard God’s instruction.  “When you eat of the fruit, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God. You will know good and evil.  Implied here is that they will be able to judge for themselves what is good and what is evil.  They will be able to choose their own course in the world.  They will no longer need to rely upon God.  To be in control.  To be able to do whatever they pleased.  Why not?  It’ll be OK.
 
So they ate.  And immediately their eyes were opened.  What they saw was not some remarkable, wisdom.  What they saw was their own nakedness.  They had lost their innocence.  Shame had come into their world, and that shame became their gift to all humankind—shame and sin and struggle.  Let the epic story of God’s call and our human response begin!
 
At some point our Bible tells about another adventure in the wilderness.  This was the experience of those ex-slaves who had escaped Egypt.  Their wilderness wasn’t so idyllic.  They had Moses, as God’s emissary.  They had the manna that fell from the heavens. And they were led to water as they needed it.  But this wilderness was also a scary--would they survive?  Would they ever come to the place promised by God?  Were they really God’s chosen people?  Could they live these laws that God had sent down the mountain?  Would it be OK?  Really?
 
For them the wilderness was a place of struggle and questioning.  It was a place and a time to learn again how to be God’s people, and it wasn’t an easy lesson.
 
There are many more wilderness stories in our Bible, but for today we will concentrate on these two plus the story of Jesus in the wilderness.  God had led Adam and Eve.  Moses led the Israelites, and now the Spirit of God led Jesus.  He’d just had an amazing experience. He’d gone into the baptismal waters of the Jordan, and upon his emergence he’d received the Spirit.  He’d heard the words from Heaven—God’s own words in God’s own voice.  “This is my Son, the Beloved with whom I am well pleased.”  In that moment he became, not Jesus from Nazareth, but Jesus Christ, the Son of God!
 
But what does it mean to be the Christ?  What does it mean to be God’s Son?  What was he to do?  How would he do it?  Where would he do it?  Who would accompany him along the way?  So many questions.  The first task was to get his head around all of this and to figure some things out.  So the Spirit led him into the wilderness.  It’s a place to be alone with God, to sort things out, to feel what we feel and ask our questions.
 
But, you know, at one level Jesus wasn’t alone.  Satan was there.  Whether we think of Satan as that supernatural agent of evil and sin or that dark part of ourselves that selfishly wants to promote ME, I leave that to you.
 
Satan has 3 tests for Jesus.  He offers 3 things that might call this Son of God to aim his ministry in a particular direction.  The first is as simple as food.  Jesus was hungry.  He as human with all the human needs that we experience.  You know the feeling when your body is screaming for nourishment.  There were a lot of people out in the world who were hungry.  Maybe his ministry would be about feeding people, about helping them to attain the things they needed for their bodily survival.  But is food the answer?
 
Jesus responded to the temptation with words from scripture.  “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  Those wandering Israelites in the desert were given bread (Manna) but that wasn’t enough.  They needed God.  Temptation #1 answered.
 
Then to the pinnacle of the temple.  The temple is a place of mystery and faith.  It’s a place where the people of God practiced their faith.  Satan tells Jesus he can throw himself down and the angels will catch him.  It’s perhaps a way of saying, “You can show them your high priestly standing.  You can become their religious leader.”  But Jesus responds, “It is written.  Do not put the Lord to the test.”  Jesus’ ministry is bigger than managing people’s religious practices.
Finally Satan pulls out all the stops.  He takes Jesus to the top of a mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world.  “Wouldn’t you like to have control over these?   Just think of how things can work if you’re the boss?  All you have to do is put me in the place of God.”  Jesus knows it’s not that simple. He knows that it’s one twisted idea.  He responds, “ It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God alone.”
 
Three temptations averted.  Aren’t these the exact temptations that the Hebrew people in the wilderness experienced?  To have what we need for our bodies, to manage our religious experiences, to have control of the world around us.  Aren’t these our temptations, too?
 
Jesus said “NO” to each of these.  He would be led by God. He would engage in all of these realms at one level or another, but not as a means to collect power and prestige unto himself.  Rather he offers blessing to all the world by helping us to get engaged in these things.  He helps us to show the world how to understand our place in society and how to partner with God.
 
Jesus comes to turn the wilderness that we experience back into a place where we can walk and talk with God and to know God’s goodness.
 
We all experience our own wildernesses.  Now I’m talking more metaphorically.  Wilderness is a place of struggle, of fear, of questioning and doubt.  We experience  wilderness when we unexpectedly get that pink slip at work and we haven’t any idea how we will manage that pile of bills on our dining room table or how to move forward.
We experience wilderness when the doctor tells us or our beloved that the biopsy shows cancer or some other life-threatening illness.
 
We experience wilderness when we get divorce papers delivered to our door by a police officer or when the door slam as our spouse with his or her suitcase is walking out in a huff—no word about when or if they will ever be back.
We experience wilderness when we stand at a newly dug grave and wonder how we can possibly survive without this special person in our lives.
 
There are so many examples of wilderness when our life is turned upside down in unexpected ways and we question whether we don’t know what to do next.  We might shake our fist at God and ask, “What did I do to deserve this?”  It feels like such a betrayal.  (By the way, I think shaking one’s fist at God is perfectly acceptable at such times and even healthy.  It’s healthy because we are engaging God.  We’re laying it out before our Lord.)
 
Sometimes we stay in the wilderness, that questioning pain and confusion and anger for days—weeks—months—years.  But isn’t that the experience of the Israelites.  They wandered in the wilderness for 40 years!  If God is with us in that wilderness, God will lead us out when it is time.
 
He led the Hebrew slaves and he led Jesus.  Jesus was given what he needed to do this Messiah thing, and to become for us life and well-being, to help us reach out to others who need bread, to show them how to live in relationship to God, to think wisely and compassionately about how to organize our world for the benefit of all.
 
That woodland path in which we began our time.  It’s the other side of a wilderness,  At times, we begin our journey in the dark and frightening forest and find our way out through the tree lined path where squirrels play and colorful leaves rain gently down.  God engages us in these places, and God invites us to know his power and goodness, his love and mercy.
​
Let’s go for a walk.  Let’s take all of us to the wilderness to know the release of God’s abiding grace.  Amen.
 
HYMN                                Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley    #80                                                               
PASTORAL PRAYER
 
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.
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, now and forever. Amen.
 
OFFERING OUR LIVES
 
DOXOLOGY                Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow    #59
 
HYMN                                      Precious Lord, Take My Hand    #404                                                            
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH  From The Confession of 1967-- 9.08
 
In Jesus of Nazareth, true humanity was realized once for all.
He lived among his own people and shared their needs, temptations, joys and sorrows. He expressed the love of God in word and deed and became a brother to all kinds of sinful people. …Many rejected him and demanded his death.  In giving himself freely to them, he took upon himself the judgment under which all of us stand convicted.  God raised him from the dead, vindicating him as Messiah and Lord.  The victim of sin became victor, and won the victory over sin and death for all people.                                    
Sending Forth
CHARGE & BLESSING                                                                         
 
POSTLUDE
 
We will remain seated throughout the service.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation

 ​February 12, 2022
 
Gathering
 
MUSICAL OFFERING
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS  --- Session will meet after worship and fellowship time today.
               
 
Fellowship Time!  Mark your calendars.  Pastor Joyce will share a few photos and experiences from her trip to Iceland on Sunday, February 26, following worship.  A fellowship lunch will also be provided.  Invite a friend, and put in your RSVP on the sheet beside the Administrative Office.
                                                          
Funeral Lunches.  Please add your name to the list of people who can help serve, assuming you are available, for funeral lunches as the need arises in the future.
 
PRAYER REQUESTS  Please hold the following in your prayers.
 
Betty Farwell who struggles with health problems.
Arlene Pawlik who is recovering from a broken leg.
Those who are on hospice:  Joan Pinkston, Maxine Wagner. 
 
PRELUDE
 
CALL TO WORSHIP
 
L:  God sets before us life and prosperity, as well as death and adversity.
 
P:  Let us choose life, obeying the commands of the Lord our God.
 
L:  May we love the Lord.
 
P:  May we seek to walk in his ways and observe his commandments.
 
L:  We choose God.  We choose life--
 
P:   Not only for ourselves, but that we might bring God’s blessings to all the
       world.     Amen.
 
​GATHERING PRAYER
 
    We are the fields of God.  We are the building of our Lord.  We are the work of the Spirit who calls us to grow in God’s love. Help us Lord, God to sprout new leaves this morning, to set new cornerstones, to see new hope blooming in our relationship with you and with our brothers and sisters. Amen
 
                                                                     
HYMN                                             Morning Has Broken             #469
 
 
CALL TO CONFESSION
 
We are a people who see the world through eyes of “ME!”  God offers us a lens that expands that view, but before we can access such vision, we must recognize and claim our own failings.  Let us come together to name our shortcomings so we can be washed clean and know the grace of our God.
 
 
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
 
Gracious Lord.  You offer us life and healing, hope and possibilities, but too often we cling to a simplified gospel that requires very little of us.  We nurse feelings of anger and resentment that diminishes our neighbor.  We look upon others as the means to satisfy our own desires as we fail to consider what they might need.  We make promises in your name that are not fulfilled.  Forgive us these things and help us to be more loving and more filled with your grace.  Amen.
 
 
WORDS OF ASSURANCE
 
Happy are those who seek God with their whole heart.  God’s Spirit leads us on this quest and God’s Son gives us the tools for the journey.   In the love of Jesus Christ, we know ourselves forgiven and called forward to be a people of hope.
                                                                            
 
SONG OF PRAISE                                Gloria Patri                      #579
 
PASSING THE PEACE
    (Please greet those around you with these words. But let’s refrain from touch.)
L:  May the peace of Christ be with you.
P:  And also with you.
 
INTERLUDE
 
Word
 
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
 
We come, O Lord, seeking our own promised land.  We open hearts and minds hoping to hear your wisdom and love that will help us to make sense of our world.  May your word sink in and allow us to claim our place within your design.  Amen.
 
 
 
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:   
 
Deuteronomy 30: 15-20
15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
                            
Matthew 5: 21-37
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. 25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. 31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
                                                                       
                                                                       
 
SERMON:   Choosing Life!
 
Don’t we all want simple and easy solutions to our problems.  How often do we click on the article that says “Ten Easy Ways to Lose Weight Before Summer”, or “Sleep better Strategies that Work.”?   How about “How to Reduce the Risk of Dementia.”  or “Create a Wealth Plan to Carry You Through Retirement”?  Maybe “Steps to Strengthen Your Marriage.”  Just give us simple steps, or at least do-able strategies, and let us go.  And if we can use one or two of these to be healthy, secure and happy, what more can we hope for?
In many ways both of our scriptures for today offer these hoped for results.  It might not be as simple as “10 easy steps.”  Some of what is asked will not be simple at all,  and along the way there will be different variables to consider to keep us on track.  There will be some fear involved because some of the words that God sends to us might go against cultural norms or even what seems like good sense in the moment.  But we are assured that God will walk with us and help us.  If we can follow these commands, good things will rise up in our lives.   Sound good?  Let’s take a look.
Moses had led those ex-slaves through the wilderness.  They have been cared for like children who receive all they need, even if not all they want, from Mom and Dad.  Food and water, protection from enemies who inhabited the land through which they travelled.  They were protected from wild animals, even poisonous snakes. Their shoes had not worn out.  Imagine wearing the same shoes for 40 years, moving through rough terrain!
But now a new day is upon them.  Right over there, across that river is the land that God promised to Abraham.  It’s the land of milk and honey, the home they have dreamed of.  They will plant gardens and vineyards.  They will build houses and cities.  They will know the fullness of all that has been promised by God.
But in the midst of this joyful anticipation there’s a danger, one thing that will blow up the whole thing like a cherry bomb in a mail box.  They have to remember who their God is and what God has commanded of them.  They have to hold tight to God’s design for their lives and their communities.
That might sound like a no-brainer.  “Of course, of course,” they might say.  But God knew that once they entered this land, a place where the current residents worshipped other gods, gods who didn’t ask so much of them, gods who were carved out of wood or fashioned from metals, gods who could be manipulated and controlled, that such gods might seem like a better option.
So on this occasion, with the Promised Land in view, Moses gathered them together, and God laid out a path for them—2 paths, in fact.  One was the path towards life and wellness, towards peace and contentment.  The other was the path towards death and adversity, pain and conflict.  Now they were asked to choose.  Once they chose—hopefully the path of God, they would need to stay on that path—to diligently work the rules and decrees that God had handed down.
It’s not exactly as simple as 10 easy steps, but it offered to Israel a framework for decision making at each step along the way.  Unfortunately, they often lost sight of the path that God laid out for them.  They often forgot how to keep God’s word front and center and to obey the hard parts.  They too often chose easier paths or allowed their emotions and self-interest to lead them astray.  It was just more attractive, or in many cases they hadn’t even realized they were straying from God’s word.
Jesus stepped into the spotlight about 2,000 years later.  God sent his son as a refresher course.  God realized that many had gotten lost in the intervening years.  Jesus was going to try to bring them back to the path of God’s good design.
The people had lived a mixed bag.  Some good things were happening, some not-so-good.  Now Jesus would bring, not just a reminder of what had been asked of them so long ago, but new tools for living that path.  He came with a spotlight to shine on the path God had set before them.  He came to offer the gift of the Holy Spirit.  He came to take our sins upon himself so we could better walk in God’s design.
Already in Matthew’s gospel we’ve seen the light Jesus trained on them.  What does it mean to be blessed in God’s design?  How are we to be the agents of salt and light for a world in need?
Today’s scripture focuses yet a bit more tightly.  It takes in four scenarios of everyday relationships and invites us to see them through the eyes of God.
“You have heard it said….but I say.”  That’s the formula.  What we’ve been doing and the better plan.  Anger, lust, divorce and oaths are on the agenda. Let’s take a look.
We all know the prohibition against murder.  DON’T!  Just don’t and we all pat ourselves on the back because we’ve not fallen into THAT sin.  But Jesus wants us to consider one of the ways that can lead to the taking of a life—both literally, or in ways that we murder a person’s well-being and dignity and self-esteem.  Those are a different kind of murder.
 Anger is often the culprit.  He does something to hurt us.  She says something to disrespect us.  It’s so outrageous, so aimed to hurt or belittle or accuse, and we respond.  It’s almost a knee jerk reaction.  Of course that just escalates things and pretty soon even harsher words or actions—maybe even knives, guns, a vicious shove or fist that flies.  Someone is left lying on the floor or headed to the emergency room, or maybe just in tears from the emotional pain inflicted, and we all know that such wounds can also be mortal.
Anger leads to murder in many different ways.
Did you know that you CAN decide to NOT be angry?  You can.  What you tell yourself is the key.  So often our self- message is “How dare he!”  “She did that on purpose.”  He is trying to take advantage of me.”  “She obviously doesn’t care about me.”  All of that leads to anger and retaliation.
But what happens if our message to ourselves is “She didn’t mean it that way.”  Or he’s really having a bad day and I stepped in the middle of it.”?  What happens if we say to ourselves, “That was a misunderstanding!”  or even, “I don’t know what that was all about, but before I make assumptions, I’m going to talk with him or her about what just happened here.”  We might decide that WE had said or done something that they interpreted in a negative way.  Maybe we say, “I’m just plain going to let that one go. It’s not worth getting angry about.
We can choose NOT to be angry by how we view a situation, and very often we will discover that it was a mistake, a miscommunication, a human failing.
 The guy in that other car just cut me off.  Oh well, no one was hurt.
The shopkeeper didn’t come to wait on me.  Guess I’ll buy it someplace else.
A friend stood us up for lunch.  She’s so busy.  I hope she’s OK.
A bully just made a snide remark about you.  What goes around comes around, and people will see what’s happening here.  He’s his own worst enemy. (OK, maybe sometimes we will need to deal with a matter, but let’s don’t pour gas on the problem.  Let’s think through what is strategic and respond wisely.
Your spouse did or said something hurtful.  She’s obviously having a crummy day, or maybe I could have been more understanding about the way I listened to his story.
 
And the bonus is that if we give this other person the benefit of the doubt, we’re going to feel better about things and our relationship is much more likely to remain  positive.
Now let’s consider Jesus words about lust as compared to adultery.  Wasn’t it Jimmy Carter who got skewered for saying that he had committed adultery in his heart?  Well, haven’t we all?  But here’s the thing—how we view this other person has a lot to do with what comes next.  Do we see them as an object with which to satisfy our wants and needs?  Or do we see them as a fully human person with hopes and dreams and with needs and vulnerabilities?  If fully human, then their needs are just as important as ours.
Sometimes I read where someone will be commenting about an affair, “It just happened!  Are you kidding me?  There were lots of little decisions that led to that moment when the clothes come off.  We have a lot of opportunities to step away from that happening. You know what they are.  They move you away from the temptation and out of harm’s way.  There will always be attractions.  That’s not the issue.  The issue is how we handle those feelings.
On a side note, Jesus suggests that we pluck out an eye or cut off a hand if it causes us to sin.  But it’s not really the eye or the hand that’s the problem.  It’s the brain and our attitudes.  This is hyperbole.  It’s a way of saying something in such an exaggerated form that the point is made that what is being said is important.
Now divorce.  Over 50% of marriages in our country end in divorce.  It’s a sad reality in our society. But we need to understand where Jesus is coming from here.
In Deuteronomy 24 we read that if a man is unhappy with his wife, he can write a decree of divorce and put the woman out of his house. It’s not a God utterance.  It’s the way that Moses gave for the people to function.  The result was absolutely devastating for many of those women.  She had no legal rights, no ability to gain access to the goods of society.  Extreme poverty or maybe prostitution was very possibly her only options.  At times another man took her for his wife, but there were no guarantees.  Jesus says even then, she’s being forced into adultery in that new relationship.  The goal is to protect and provide for the woman who has no power.  In today’s world things are very different.  Women do have the ability to care for themselves and to manage their lives on their own.  I think God would like for all marriages to thrive, but when misery is the reality, I think God would invite us to leave that relationship to be happy and whole.
Finally, the uttering of oaths.  The problem is that to attach God’s name to something like that diminishes our Lord—especially if that promise is not fulfilled.  Just speak your promise and leave God out of it.  And by the way, leave out the earth or a place or any other of God’s good gifts.
One of the ways I hear this one being abused today is when people use God’s name as an exclamation point, “O God!” they say and I cringe.  There’s nothing holy or respectful to our Lord in that.  Why pull God into it?
Jesus invites us to think carefully about these things.  The essence of all these is to live together with respect and care, not only for God but for one another.  We need to find ways to honor one another and to give them space to move and breathe and be well, even on those days when things are going haywire.
Two paths stretch before us.  Life which offers us relationship, contentment, and peace, not only with God but with our brothers and sisters.  OR death, which is the slippery slope that allows some of our worst inclinations and responses and leads to pain and destruction.
Let’s choose life.  Let’s manage our own thoughts and responses, our behaviors and words.  God wants life for all of us, and he sent his Son to show us the way.  Amen.
 
  
 
HYMN                                                 Help Us Accept Each Other                                                  #358                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
 
OFFERING OUR LIVES
 
DOXOLOGY                Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow    #592
 
 
Eucharist
 
HYMN                            For the Bread Which You Have Broken    #508
 
INVITATION TO THE LORD’S TABLE
 
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
 
L:  You call us, Lord God to your table.
                                  
P:  Women and men, boys and girls—together we are the fields which you have planted, the building which you are constructing.
 
L:  It is here that we receive the nourishment to stand together against the ravages of our society.
 
P:  The bread which we will break is your body broken for us.
 
L:  The cup which we will drink is your blood poured out for us.
 
P:  May we eat and be empowered to live your hope for our world.
 
L:  May we drink to hold hands with our brothers and sisters and know the goodness of your love.
 
ALL:  We open our hearts to you, Lord of Life.  Amen 
 
 
RECEIVING THE BREAD AND CUP
 
COMMUNION PRAYER
 
 
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.
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, now and forever. Amen.
                                                                     
 
HYMN                                     There’s a Sweet, Sweet Spirit     #398
 
Sending Forth
 
CHARGE & BLESSING                                                                        
 
POSTLUDE
 
We will remain seated throughout the service.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation.