United |
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Phones: 253-7698 • Phone/Fax: 253-8668 Email: chccucc@verizon.net • Website: www.chccucc.org | |
Pastor..................................................... Reverend Carol Asher Home Phone: 744-7864 E-mail: clsasher2@aol.com Ministers.............................................................. All Members Director of Music............................................ Secretary............................................................. Diane Lamper Ukama/Partner........ |
Word of the Week: “Reflexive Emotions”
Any of us who struggled through High School foreign language classes, especially French or Spanish, might remember that most actions having to do with emotions were reflexive verbs—that is the action was expressed in a way that it was directed back at the speaker. It’s interesting to see that “You make me angry” is expressed “I make myself angry with you.” And “This class bores me” is expressed “I make myself bored in this class.” God gave us wonderful emotions and then really wants us to take responsibility to express them carefully and appropriately.
This Week in Our Church Family
Boldface = Church-sponsored events
Sunday (2/24) 10:00 am Worship and
11:00 am Fellowship and Refreshments in Gilpatric Hall
11:30 am Lenten discussion about our angry hands
4:00 pm Dinner
Monday (2/25) 9:00 am T’ai Chi
Tuesday (2/26) 7:30 am Spirituality
Thursday (2/28) 6:30 pm T’ai Chi
Friday (2/29) 6:00 pm Gobledales Pot Luck Supper
Sunday (3/2) 10:00 am Worship and
11:00 am Fellowship and Refreshments in Gilpatric Hall
11:30 am Lenten discussion about our estranged hands
3:00 pm End of Life Series
Thank You to Today’s Volunteers
Ushers: | Steve and Ellen Weeks | Nursery Care: | Ask an usher |
Liturgist: | Greeters: | The O’Hearns | |
Acolytes: | Kendall Donohoe and Madison Smith | Fellowship Hosts: | Steve and Ellen Weeks |
February 24, 2008 10:00 a.m.
Morning Worship for the Third Sunday in Lent
Large print bulletins available—please ask an usher.
An asterisk (*) indicates “Please stand if you are able.”
Gathering for Worship
PRELUDE
IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH (announcements)
PREPARING THE WAY
Entering into Worship
CHORAL INTROIT
RESPONSIVE CALL TO WORSHIP
L: This is the season of Lent, a season to remember the sufferings of Jesus Christ.
P: A season to remember that to follow Christ is to take up our crosses and to be servants of all.
L: A season to remember Jesus' question, "Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?"
P: A season to ask ourselves how we, like the
L: A season to ask ourselves how we, like Pilate and Caiaphas and the crowd, continue to nail Christ to a cross.
P: A season to ask ourselves how we, like Peter, are afraid and turn away.
L: A season to ask ourselves what we, like the woman with the fine ointment, have to offer.
P: A season to open ourselves to obedient and faithful care of God's resources and gifts.
L: A season to watch and wait with Christ, that we may have courage in the hour of testing.
P: A season to proclaim with Mary Magdalene that Christ is not dead but alive!
*OPENING HYMN “Community of Christ” Hymn #655
*GATHERING PRAYER (in unison)
We gather this day to worship our God, whose words and ways challenge us. God invites us to lose our selfishness to find ourselves. God calls us to be fools in the world to show forth the wisdom of Christ. God urges us to empty ourselves to discover life's fullness. God bids us to be obedient to a divine will so we might know true freedom. We come to worship our Creator, seeking to have our faith challenged into growth. We root our faith in worship seeking to find nourishment for our spirits in this growing season of Lent. We pray together as Jesus taught us:
*LORD’S PRAYER (using “debts”)
CHILDREN’S STORY “Two Kinds of Muscles”
*PASSING OF THE PEACE
(Children will leave to go to their classes at the beginning of this greeting time.)
*HYMN “All My Hope on God is Founded” Hymn #88
A Time of Sharing
PRAYER JOYS AND CONCERNS
God's answers are wiser than our prayers
ANTHEM “I Sing Of My Lord”
CALL TO PRAYER
"Lord, listen to your children praying; Lord, send your Spirit in this place.
Lord, listen to your children praying. Send us love, send us power, send us grace."
PASTORAL PRAYER
CHORAL RESPONSE
MOMENT FOR
OFFERING
Organ Offertory
*Doxology (sung by the people) #379
Accept, O God, the gifts we bring of spirit and of clay,
Transform them into blessings on those we serve today.
Rekindle deep within us all a passion to fulfill
The ministry disciples have, empower'd to do your will.
*Prayer of Dedication
Reflecting on God’s Word
SCRIPTURE Matthew 27: 27-44 p. 32 NT
SERMON “Level Headed, Level Hearted”
Sending
*CLOSING HYMN “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” Hymn #628
*BENEDICTION
ORGAN POSTLUDE
Looking Toward
by Ann Weems in "Kneeling in
The journey to
I was content kneeling there, where there was an aura of angels
and the ever-present procession of shepherds and of kings
who had come to kneel to the Newborn in whom we are newly born.
I wanted to linger there in
knowing that once I set my feet toward
the Child would grow, and I would be asked to follow.
The time of Light and Angels has drawn to a close.
Just when I had settled contentedly into the quiet wonder of
Star and Child,
He bids me to leave that place and follow Him.
How can I be expected to go back into the terrifying darkness
after sitting mangerside bathed in such Light?
It's hard to get away this time of year; I don't know how I will manage.
It's not just the time. . .
the conversation along the way turns from Birth to Death.
I'm not sure I can stand the stress and pain;
I've had enough of those already,
Besides, I've found the lighting on the road to
And this time around, there is no star to guide me.
The shepherds have left;
they have returned to the hillsides and to their sheep.
The magi, too, have gone, having been warned in a dream,
as was Joseph, who packed up his family and fled.
If I stay in
God has gone on toward
Daughters of Hope
Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.
Darts
A young lady named Sally, relates an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.
One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day. On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture.
Sally's girlfriend drew a picture of a girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased with the overall effect she had achieved.
The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats.
As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target, Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall. Underneath the Target was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced.
Dr. Smith said only these words..."In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me." Matthew 25:40.
No other words were necessary; the tear-filled eyes of the students focused only on the picture of Christ.
Announcements
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Welcome
“The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him” (Psalm 11:4) Before the service, be still and know that God is God. During the service sing heartily, pray sincerely, listen intently for God’s word. After the service, stay to meet friends, old and new.
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Welcome Mary Ruth Scott
We are grateful for Mary Ruth’s gift of music as she plays the organ and leads the choir this morning (
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Lenten Discussion
Please plan to stay after fellowship for our Lenten discussion about angry hands.
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Dinner Bell
It is our turn to serve at Dinner Bell in
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Gobledales
Our UCC missionaries, Ana and Tod Gobledale, will be with us on Friday, Feb 29th. We’ll gather for a Pot-Luck Supper at 6:00 and then hear about global missions and part of the Gobledales’ story.
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Game Night
Bring a pot-luck dessert and your favorite game on Friday, March 7th at 6:30 for an evening of fun competition and laughter
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March Newsletters
Your March newsletter is ready and waiting for you in the box in Gilpatric Hall. Please pick yours up and save the postage.
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Easter Memorial Flowers
Use the enclosed form to order your memorial flowers to beautify our sanctuary for Easter. Note that you can also place a memorial by donating to the Deacons Fund.
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End of Life Series
Next Sunday, our series continues and explores “A Different Kind of Care”.
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Daffodils
Today is the last day to order! As a cheerful way to welcome Spring and raise spirits while supporting the efforts of American Cancer Society, you may order these bright golden blossoms at $10 a bunch. Lynne Sias will take orders and accept checks (made out to the American Cancer Society) flowers will be delivered the week before Easter, March 17-21. Please call Lynne at 279-4553 if you have any questions.