Participate Live Online this Sunday...Outline of Service Below
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- Join us live in Google Hangouts Meet for our worship service via video or by phone!
- Google Meet Sunday Church Meeting ID: meet.google.com/gwv-xqkb-hbu
- Join on the phone: Phone Number (US)+1 413-471-2126 and enter PIN: 780 647 324#
Feb 21, 2021 Worship Outline
Call to Worship
God meets us in the night--
Before the sun rises, before the wound heals, before there are answers, before there is closure.
God meets us in the light--
Where joy is effervescent, where laughter is contagious, where flowers bloom from cracks in the sidewalk, and where people gather around the table.
God meets us at the threshold--
At the edge of the water, at the beginning of the wilderness, at the start of something new, on the edge of faith.
And if God meets us in all those places, Then surely God meets us in between--
Staying with us through the wilderness.
We are not alone. God is all around.
Let us worship the God of the here and now.
Call to Confession
Again and again, God meets us where we are.
God’s love knows no bounds, which is hard for us to understand and easy for us to forget.
Therefore, in confession we remember together that we are not alone.
And in a unified voice, we once again ask for God’s grace in that holy reminder.
Family of faith, please pray with me.
Prayer of Confession
God who meets us where we are—There is nowhere we can go that you are not.
You were with Jesus at his baptism. You were with him in the wilderness,
And even in between, you were there, Saying aloud, “This is my beloved.”
We know that you are with us too— In the good, the bad, and everything in between— But so often we act like we are alone.
Instead of coming to you with our hurt, We hold it in or cast it onto others. Instead of coming to you with our joy, We credit ourselves and offer you nothing.
How can we long for a deeper relationship with you While living like you are nowhere to be found?
Forgive our self-centered ways. Remind us that in every breath, in every step, you are there.
You are the God who meets us where we are.
Before and behind, above and below, within and around. Amen.
Words of Forgiveness
Family of faith, if you hear nothing else today, hear this:
God is here. God sees you. God knows you. God meets you at the edge of every new beginning,
And God calls you beloved.
We are washed by the water.
We are called beloved.
Thanks be to God for a love like that
Song of Praise “I Will Sing the Wondrous Story” #219
Verse 1
I will sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ who died for me,
How He left His home in glory
For the cross of Calvary.
Chorus
Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ who died for me,
Sing it in the light of glory,
Sing it through eternity.
Verse 2
I was lost, but Jesus found me,
Found the sheep that went astray,
Threw His loving arms around me,
Drew me back into His way.
Verse 3
I was bruised, but Jesus healed me;
Faint was I from many a fall;
Sight was gone, and fears possessed me,
But He freed me from them all.
Verse 4
Days of darkness still come o’er me,
Sorrow’s paths I often tread,
But the Savior still is with me;
By His hand I’m safely led.
Passing of the Peace
Scripture: 1 Peter 3:13-22
Suffering for Doing Good
13 Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 17 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!
18 Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.
19 So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— 20 those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. 21 And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
22 Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.
Sermon Again and Again, God Meets Us so We Can have Hope
Prayers & Lord's Prayer
We believe in a God who is everywhere and right here,
Bigger than the sky and in the smallest details,
All at once and in every moment.
We believe that God meets us where we are--
In heartbreak and high hopes,
Around crowded tables and in quiet homes,
In joy and in suffering,
In loneliness and in connection,
In sanctuaries and in living rooms,
In marches and in waiting rooms.
We believe that nothing we do or leave undone
Can distance us from God’s love.
God is forever drawing us close and pulling us in.
Again and again, God meets us where we are
And invites us into wholeness.
Thanks be to God for a love like that.
Offering
Sending Song “Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go”
Verse 1
Oh love that will not let me go
I rest my weary soul in thee
I give thee back the life I owe
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be
Verse 2
Oh light that followest all my way
I yield my flickering torch to thee
My heart restores its borrowed ray
That in thy sunshine's blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be
Verse 3
Oh joy that seekest me through pain
I cannot close my heart to thee
I trace the rainbow through the rain
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be
Verse 4
Oh cross that liftest up my head
I dare not ask to fly from thee
I lay in dust's life's glory dead
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be
Benediction
As you leave this space, May your mouth speak of God’s goodness. May your arms hold those in need. May your feet walk toward justice. May your heart trust its worth. May your soul dance in God’s grace. And may this be your rhythm— Again and again and again, Until God’s promised day. In the name of the Lover, the Beloved, and Love itself, Go with courage, go with heart, go in peace. Amen.
God meets us in the night--
Before the sun rises, before the wound heals, before there are answers, before there is closure.
God meets us in the light--
Where joy is effervescent, where laughter is contagious, where flowers bloom from cracks in the sidewalk, and where people gather around the table.
God meets us at the threshold--
At the edge of the water, at the beginning of the wilderness, at the start of something new, on the edge of faith.
And if God meets us in all those places, Then surely God meets us in between--
Staying with us through the wilderness.
We are not alone. God is all around.
Let us worship the God of the here and now.
Call to Confession
Again and again, God meets us where we are.
God’s love knows no bounds, which is hard for us to understand and easy for us to forget.
Therefore, in confession we remember together that we are not alone.
And in a unified voice, we once again ask for God’s grace in that holy reminder.
Family of faith, please pray with me.
Prayer of Confession
God who meets us where we are—There is nowhere we can go that you are not.
You were with Jesus at his baptism. You were with him in the wilderness,
And even in between, you were there, Saying aloud, “This is my beloved.”
We know that you are with us too— In the good, the bad, and everything in between— But so often we act like we are alone.
Instead of coming to you with our hurt, We hold it in or cast it onto others. Instead of coming to you with our joy, We credit ourselves and offer you nothing.
How can we long for a deeper relationship with you While living like you are nowhere to be found?
Forgive our self-centered ways. Remind us that in every breath, in every step, you are there.
You are the God who meets us where we are.
Before and behind, above and below, within and around. Amen.
Words of Forgiveness
Family of faith, if you hear nothing else today, hear this:
God is here. God sees you. God knows you. God meets you at the edge of every new beginning,
And God calls you beloved.
We are washed by the water.
We are called beloved.
Thanks be to God for a love like that
Song of Praise “I Will Sing the Wondrous Story” #219
Verse 1
I will sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ who died for me,
How He left His home in glory
For the cross of Calvary.
Chorus
Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ who died for me,
Sing it in the light of glory,
Sing it through eternity.
Verse 2
I was lost, but Jesus found me,
Found the sheep that went astray,
Threw His loving arms around me,
Drew me back into His way.
Verse 3
I was bruised, but Jesus healed me;
Faint was I from many a fall;
Sight was gone, and fears possessed me,
But He freed me from them all.
Verse 4
Days of darkness still come o’er me,
Sorrow’s paths I often tread,
But the Savior still is with me;
By His hand I’m safely led.
Passing of the Peace
Scripture: 1 Peter 3:13-22
Suffering for Doing Good
13 Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 17 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!
18 Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.
19 So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— 20 those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. 21 And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
22 Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.
Sermon Again and Again, God Meets Us so We Can have Hope
Prayers & Lord's Prayer
We believe in a God who is everywhere and right here,
Bigger than the sky and in the smallest details,
All at once and in every moment.
We believe that God meets us where we are--
In heartbreak and high hopes,
Around crowded tables and in quiet homes,
In joy and in suffering,
In loneliness and in connection,
In sanctuaries and in living rooms,
In marches and in waiting rooms.
We believe that nothing we do or leave undone
Can distance us from God’s love.
God is forever drawing us close and pulling us in.
Again and again, God meets us where we are
And invites us into wholeness.
Thanks be to God for a love like that.
Offering
Sending Song “Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go”
Verse 1
Oh love that will not let me go
I rest my weary soul in thee
I give thee back the life I owe
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be
Verse 2
Oh light that followest all my way
I yield my flickering torch to thee
My heart restores its borrowed ray
That in thy sunshine's blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be
Verse 3
Oh joy that seekest me through pain
I cannot close my heart to thee
I trace the rainbow through the rain
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be
Verse 4
Oh cross that liftest up my head
I dare not ask to fly from thee
I lay in dust's life's glory dead
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be
Benediction
As you leave this space, May your mouth speak of God’s goodness. May your arms hold those in need. May your feet walk toward justice. May your heart trust its worth. May your soul dance in God’s grace. And may this be your rhythm— Again and again and again, Until God’s promised day. In the name of the Lover, the Beloved, and Love itself, Go with courage, go with heart, go in peace. Amen.