March 14, 2021 Order of Worship

 

First Presbyterian Church

March 14, 2021

10:00 AM

Order of Worship

  

CALL TO WORSHIP  (based on Psalm 107)

O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good; for God’s steadfast love endures forever.

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those God redeemed from trouble.

God gathers us from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

Let us thank the Lord for God’s steadfast love, for God’s wonderful works to humankind.

Let us worship the Living God.

 

Hymn of Praise: “When I Survey The Wondrous Cross”

1. When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died; my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.

2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ, my God; all the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood.

3. See, from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down. Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown.

4. Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.

      PRAYER OF CONFESSION (In Unison)

O God, you have set before us our greed, our hatred and self-hatred, our fear and our apathy. You have also shown us the injustice and tyrannies of our public life. We have succumbed to paralyzing anxiety in response to injustice. We have resisted the prompting of your Spirit who nudges us out of self-absorption. Empower us by your Spirit to be attentive and discerning partners in healing your creation. Amen

 *SILENT PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

God’s healing mercy abounds. God’s grace goes before us, after us, through us — sometimes even unbeknownst to us. Friends, hear the good of the gospel: We are forgiven and restored to right paths of justice and shalom. Thanks be to God!

*THE GLORIA PATRI

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

INVITATION: “Dear Lord, I need You, please come into my life today.  Amen”

LESSON: Numbers 21:4-9
21:4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way.  5 The people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food."  6 Then the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died.  7 The people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD to take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people.  8 And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live."  9 So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

LESSON: John 3: 14-21

14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

 SERMON:                    “Snakes…Why Did It Have To Be Snakes?”                      Rev. Peter Hofstra

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (from A Brief Statement of Faith)

We believe Christ gives us and demands of us personal lives that are centered in God and open to God’s reality and rule. Christ teaches us to put obedience to God above the interests of self, family, race, or nation; to offer God joyously our money, ability, and time. It is part of our daily discipline to observe a day of worship and rest, setting aside our own working to enjoy God’s work, celebrating with sisters and brothers the Lord’s goodness.

We need constantly to search out God’s way in Scripture, not expecting detailed directions for every decision, but relying on the Word to tell us who God is, to press God’s present claim on us, and to assure us of God’s grace and comfort. We are charged to pray for ourselves and others with gratitude, boldness, and persistence, confident that God hears and answers our prayers in ways best for us all. Life in God’s presence issues in life for others, for if we do not love sisters and brothers whom we see, we cannot love God whom we do not see.

PASSING OF THE PEACE

THE OFFERING OF OUR TITHES & GIFTS

The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it. God has given to us many good gifts, and calls us to respond. Let us now give in return.

*DOXOLOGY

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Amen.

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION

Gracious God, accept what we offer today in the hope that it reflects the offering of our lives as dedicated to you and your service. Bless all that we offer so that it might serve you in this church and in our world. Amen.

JOYS AND CONCERNS

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER

God of Lent, help us as we continue our journey to the cross and resurrection. Help us to discern the crosses that litter the landscape of our lives and your world. Enable us to see your resurrecting power always and already at work in the broken places of our lives and your world. Empower us to step into those places where we can participate in your work of bringing life out of the death-tending places of our world. And we pray for the world of nations, especially for those places where violence is wreaking havoc upon human lives and the life of your creation. We pray for countries dealing with devastation caused by the pandemic. We pray for those in our own country who have lost jobs, revenue, healthcare and loved ones during this relentless pandemic. Help us to serve as agents of your love and care to those who are suffering. And we pray for wise discernment by our nation’s leadership as they negotiate ways in which to aid those most afflicted. O God, you have called us to be church of Jesus Christ in this time and place. Keep us faithful to that calling. Help us love one another and, by so doing, to be a witness to our world of what it means to be disciples of Jesus. In polarized communities, enable us to hear Jesus’ commandment to love even those we perceive as enemies. Help us to refrain from seeing the other as “evil” and ourselves as “good.” Empower us by your love to see each other as y our beloved. Enable us also to see that we are all “sinners and saints” who are equal recipients of your magnificent love. We pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray saying,

 Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory forever.  Amen.

CLOSING HYMN: “To God Be The Glory”

1. To God be the glory, great things he hath done! So loved he the world that he gave us his Son, who yielded his life an atonement for sin, and opened the lifegate that all may go in.

Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son, and give him the glory, great things he hath done!

2. O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, to every believer the promise of God; the vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives. (Refrain)

3. Great things he hath taught us, great things he hath done, and great our rejoicing thru Jesus the Son; but purer, and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see. (Refrain)

 

*BENEDICTION

*THREE FOLD AMEN

Elements of Order of Worship drawn from The Presbyterian Outlook, written by Roger Gench.