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Phones: 253-7698 • Phone/Fax: 253-8668 Email: chccucc@myfairpoint.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........ |
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This Week in Our Church Family
Boldface = Church-sponsored events
Sunday (3/7) 10:00 am Worship and
11:00 am Fellowship and Refreshments in Gilpatric Hall
Monday (3/8) 8:00 & 9:00 am T’ai Chi
8:30 am Boot Camp (Mon.-Fri.)
Tuesday (3/9) 7:30 am Spirituality
5:30-6:30 pm
Wed. (3/10) 7:30 pm Trustees
Thursday (3/11) 6:00 pm T’ai Chi
Friday (3/12)
Saturday (3/13) 8:00 am Al-Anon
Daylight Saving Time Begins
Sunday (3/14) 8:30 am BOCE
10:00 am Worship and
11:00 am Fellowship and Refreshments in Gilpatric Hall
11:23 am Missions
Thank You to Today’s Volunteers
Ushers: | Rachel Smith & Laurie Burke | Nursery Care: | |
Liturgist: | Peter Michaud | Greeters: | Pam & Joe Hulkow |
Acolytes: | Travis Manville & Ben Crosby | Fellowship Hosts: | Patte Morrow & Robin Michaud |
March 7, 2010 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 “Now The Silence” Pelz
(Children will leave to go to their classes at this time; they will return for Communion.)
IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH (announcements)
PREPARING THE WAY
Entering into Worship
CHORAL INTROIT
RESPONSIVE CALL TO WORSHIP
L: God calls us away from the tumult of the world, that we may focus our thoughts on things that are lasting.
P: In God’s presence we see our lives more clearly; the broken pieces are put back together.
L: God calls us out of loneliness into a life of community.
P: Worshipping together, caring about one another, we find out what it means to be truly human.
L: But God will send us back into the world’s confusion and busyness, its brokenness and isolation.
P: We will go with joy and serenity, strengthened to be God’s servants, graced by God’s forgiveness.
*OPENING HYMN “Where He Leads Me” Hymn #346
*GATHERING PRAYER (in unison)
God most compassionate and merciful, we thank you that you have come to us in Jesus the Servant-Christ, whose disciples we are. Make us strong in your strength; make us wise in your wisdom; and make us gentle in your compassion. May we be signs of the human unity you seek to accomplish through the cross of Jesus Christ, that your name may be glorified in all the earth. We pray as Jesus taught us, saying: “Our Father…”
*LORD’S PRAYER (using “debts”)
*GLORIA PATRI (sung by the people) #35
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. Amen.
A Time of Sharing
PRAYER JOYS AND CONCERNS
When praying, it’s better to have a heart without the words than to have the words without a heart. (John Bunyan)
ANTHEM “At The Table Of Our 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 “We Meet You O Christ” Beach
*Doxology (sung by the people)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise God, all creatures here below,
Praise God, above, ye heavenly host,
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost. Amen
*Prayer of Dedication
Reflecting on God’s Word
SCRIPTURE Matthew 16: 21-26 (p. 18 NT) John 11: 1-16 (p. 104 NT)
SERMON “Listen to OUR Plan for You, Jesus”
A TIME OF REFLECTION (on insert)
UNISON PRAYER (on insert)
Sharing God’s Gift to Us
PRESENTATION OF GOD’S GIFTS
INVITATION
SHARING OF THE BREAD AND CUP
All believers are invited to share in these Communion blessings
Sending
*CLOSING HYMN “Have Thine Own Way, Lord” Hymn #588
*BENEDICTION
ORGAN POSTLUDE “O Thou Of God The Father” Bach
No Other Plan
A fable is told of a day when God stood in heaven looking down upon the earth and his creation. So the story goes, the angel Gabriel approached God. And Gabriel said, “God, what was your plan for this creation you produced?
And God said, “I created humanity in deepest love. I placed my children in a garden where they might grow in faith and devotion.” “What happened to your plan?’ Gabriel asked. God said, “Satan came. Man and woman in their desire to be like me fell into sin, and lost my dream.”
Gabriel spoke: “Did you give up at that point?” God replied, “No. I changed my plan to fit their new life, and gave them freedom in most of creation. They were taught to till the ground and live together in love and compassion.” “Did humanity follow your plan?” Gabriel asked. “No,” God replied. They rejected compassion for the thrill of battle. They distorted my reality with idols and corruption. They perverted my plan with false worship.” “Did you give up, God?” Gabriel wondered. “No. I didn’t give up. My creation had moved so far from my intention, that I created a flood and began again. But I didn’t give up.”
As they stood looking at God’s universe, Gabriel queried, “Did your new beginning work, Father?’ “No.” God sadly replied. “My children still drifted and wandered away from my plan.”
Gabriel shook his head. “Were you discouraged?” “Yes,” God responded. “But I didn’t give up. I sent leaders like Abraham and Moses to show my plan. But the people didn’t follow. Oh, they meant to be faithful. But some new philosophy or false god would arise, and they would wander down paths far from my dreams.”
“Was that enough to make you stop?” Gabriel asked. “No,” was the reply. “I kept trying. I sent prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah to tell my desire, and make clear my plan.” “What happened,” Gabriel wondered, “to the prophets and your message?” “They rejected my message,” God respond. “They stoned my prophets, killed my messengers. They wouldn’t believe or listen.”
As the story goes, Gabriel again asked, “Did you give up on your creation?” And God again said, “No. I sent my son, my very being to be born in a stable. Once and for all I gave to man and woman the understanding of my love and my plan for faithfulness. He lived his life as an example to lead creation into my presence.”
What happened,” Gabriel asked, “to your plan?” “Some followed him, but they didn’t understand. Others rejected my son—they spit upon him, shoved a crown of thorns on his head and a rough beam on his shoulders. They crucified him on a cross and laughed as my son, their savior, died.”
“At that point Lord, did you give up?” Gabriel questioned. “Have you rejected your creation?” And God said, “No. They are still my children and I still love them.” “What will you do now?” Gabriel asked. “What’s your plan to bring these you love back to you?”
God looked down at his creation. He saw the men and women he loved. He remembered all the centuries of his efforts. He observed an empty cross and deserted tomb.
Slowly he turned to Gabriel. In a still, small voice, the God of the universe, the creator of all creation replied, “I have no other plan...”
Christ the Lion
In C. S. Lewis’ children’s story, THE SILVER CHAIR, Jill, a little girl from our world, accidentally stumbles into the world of Narnia. She is extremely thirsty and comes upon a stream. A Lion, Aslan, is sitting by the stream. She is terrified. Aslan says to her, “If you are thirsty, you may drink.” She doesn’t move. “Are you not thirsty?” said the Lion.
“I’m dying of thirst,” said Jill.
“Then drink, said the Lion.
“May I—could I—would you mind going away while I do?” said Jill.
The Lion answered this with only a look and a very low growl. As Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked a whole mountain to move aside for her convenience. The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.
“Will you promise not to do anything to me, if I do come?” said Jill.
“I make no promise.”
Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer. “Do you eat little girls?” she asked.
“I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms,” said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.
“I dare not come and drink,” said Jill.
“Then you will die of thirst,” said the Lion.
“Oh dear!” said Jill, coming another step nearer. “I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.”
“There is no other stream,” said the Lion.
It never occurred to Jill to disbelieve the Lion—no one who had seen his stern face could do that—and her mind suddenly made itself up. It was the worst thing she had ever had to do, but she went forward to the stream, knelt down, and began scooping water in her hand. It was the coldest, most refreshing water that she had ever tasted. One didn’t need to drink much of it, for it quenched one’s thirst at once. Before she tasted it she had been intending to make a dash away from the Lion the moment she finished. Now she realized that this would be, on the whole, the most dangerous thing of all. She got up and stood there.
What a picture of the Christ we serve: a dangerous, uncaged Lion! We don’t bargain or negotiate with God. We surrender our lives.
The only difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones
is how we use them.
“Listen to Our Plan for You, Jesus”
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
1. How was it possible that the disciples did not understand Jesus’ agenda?
2. How do we rationalize our trying to fit God’s and Jesus’ agenda into our personal agendas, or into the agenda of our community of faith?
Focus for the Week
As you consult your calendar for your daily agenda, be reminded of Jesus’ agenda for you as his disciple.
Prayer
So many times we have said, “Let Thy will, not my will, be done.” But we confess, O God, that the words of our mouths may not be the meditation of our hearts.
We say to others, and to ourselves, that we are searching for your will.
Yet, while Jesus spent forty days in obedient discernment and testing, we find spending forty minutes a week in prayer difficult.
We focus our energy on redirecting someone else’s agenda.
We pursue our agenda for our own lives, assuming that what we want is what you want for us.
Forgive us, O God.
As we continue on this Lenten journey, call us into our own wilderness to reflect on your will.
Quiet our distractions so that we can listen to you.
Remind us daily of the agenda to which you have called us:
To love you with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength;
And to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Give us strength to pursue these commandments. Amen.
Going Deeper
1. Give examples of ways we may try to impose our agenda on family members, on friends, or within our church community. What are some ways to distinguish between exerting appropriate leadership or guidance, and inappropriately imposing our own agenda?
2. Read Mark 1:32-39 and 9:2-8. Speculate on the agendas behind Peter’s (Simon’s) actions or suggestions to Jesus in each of these stories.
3. What are some ways to challenge family members, church leaders, government officials, or business leaders about their agendas?
4. What can we learn from Jesus’ example about how to discern God’s agenda for our lives?
5. It has been suggested that the disciples had an agenda for a successful ministry that was different from the plan Jesus was pursuing. Compare and contrast Jesus’ ministry with the “successful” ministry the disciples seem to desire. Reflect on the agenda of your own church or of some broader group of Christian churches. What characterizes “success” or “successful” ministry in these churches?
6. Reread John 11:1-16. Identify the mistake the disciples made in assuming that Jesus meant his words literally. What other occasions can you identify or recall where the disciples and other listeners misunderstood Jesus’ metaphorical language?
Announcements
Welcome to all!
We are glad that you chose our church to mark the season of Lent. During this season, we are all together in need of divine forgiveness, in need of power to lead a more faithful Christian life. Acceptance and support await you in our church. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Those Who Follow Jesus
During Lent we will focus on the disciples whom Jesus called to follow Him—those long-ago disciples whose names are mentioned in scripture and those disciples who are called today. Those first disciples were the most unlikely candidates—even after three years of learning from Jesus, most of them didn’t “get it”. They made many mistakes during their on-the-job training program, yet Jesus put all His faith in them. We will look at those mistakes and try to learn from them. We will begin our reflection during the worship service in response to the sermon. There are guide questions to “go deeper” individually or as a group, if people want to gather after the fellowship time. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tuesday Morning Spirituality Group
During Lent, this group will be “going deeper” using the questions on the insert, reflecting on the previous Sunday’s sermon and theme. All are welcome to join this group as this new focus is begun. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Easter Memorial Flowers
Please use the enclosed form to order your memorial flowers (or donation) for Easter Sunday. All orders must be received by Monday, March 22nd.
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Holly Fair Crafts
Since hand made crafts are so popular, we will be starting early to hand make some unique and simple items. If you have any ideas, please let Ellen Weeks (476-8404) or Lynne Sias (279-4553) know. We need lots of suggestions. To get started, our first meeting will be
Tuesday, March 9th at 10:00 AM in Gilpatric Hall. We will be making angels from old quilts and other fabric articles.
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Clocks—SPRING forward!
Don’t forget to set your clocks next Saturday night, so you’ll be on time for your appointment to worship together.
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