The
Congregations of St. Mark’s and St. David’s
United
Church of Canada
Port
Hawkesbury/Port Hastings, NS
Office:
625-2229, Fax 625-3597, e-mail: stmarks1@eastlink.ca
Blog:
http://ourcontactonline.blogspot.com/
Minister: Nan Corrigan D. M.
Minister
of Music: Al Fougere
March
16th, 2014-2nd Sunday of Lent
* please stand as able
A
thought around which to gather as we worship--
John 3:1–17
As
our Lenten journey continues, we see in Nicodemus the parts of
ourselves that struggle with the truth Jesus teaches about living in
God’s ways. Nicodemus only sees the impossibilities in what Jesus
is teaching and does not hear the spiritual truths. How many times
do we look at things only through our own personal experience
without understanding other, deeper meanings? Trusting God and
trusting the Spirit will help us see beyond the promises of this
world and experience the fullness of God’s love.
ourselves that struggle with the truth Jesus teaches about living in
God’s ways. Nicodemus only sees the impossibilities in what Jesus
is teaching and does not hear the spiritual truths. How many times
do we look at things only through our own personal experience
without understanding other, deeper meanings? Trusting God and
trusting the Spirit will help us see beyond the promises of this
world and experience the fullness of God’s love.
This
week –
spend at least 30 minutes outside that is dedicated to listening and
feeling the wind blow and move around you. Listen for the movement of
the Spirit.
Copyright © Woodlake
Publishing Inc. 2013, Seasons
of the Spirit SeasonsFUSION Lent-Easter 2014, p. 13
Announcements The Work of Church and
Community
WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD
Greeting
One: The peace of Christ
be with you. All: And with your spirit.
* Introit
Hold Us in Your Grace
Hold us in your
grace, O God, hold us in your grace.
Hold us in your
grace, O God, hold us in your grace.
Hold us, hold us
in your grace. Hold us, hold us in your grace.
Words:
Keri K. Wehlander. Music: BruceHarding and Keri K. Wehlander.
Words
copyright
2007 Keri K. Wehlander, www.creativeworship.ca.
Music copyright
2007 Keri K. Wehlander and Bruce Harding. All rights reserved.
Evensong Worship Resources, www.evensong.ca.
Used by permission.
Opening
Prayer
God
of Jesus, who shared our humanity, keep us company on this Lenten
journey so that we may find the path to life. Amen.
Placement
of Lenten Symbol—A Pinwheel
Call to Worship
One:
Sometimes we are sure of our call,
but unsure of our
destination.
All:
Friends who travel with us, come – journey to God’s place. One:
Sometimes we run out of energy and fear the future.
All:
Friends who look with us for help,
come – seek God’s
strength for life.
One:
Sometimes we think we are people of faith, but have more
questions than answers.
All:
Friends who long for deeper understanding,
come – find new
life in the Spirit. One:
And so we come as we are.
* Hymn
Faith
of Our Fathers VU
580
Lenten
Triad Candle Extinguishing (Tenebrae)
(Four
purple candles, pink candle and Christ candle are lit prior to
worship.)
(2nd
candle is extinguished.)
Let
us pray:
All:
O God, we confess
that
we have put our hope in many things—
our
families, our jobs, our friends, our possessions.
Help
us to put our trust in you.
May
your constant love be with us
and
fill our lives with healing laughter. Amen.
Sung
Assurance:
Throughout
These Lenten Days and Nights,
verse 2 VU 108
WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD
Genesis 12:1–4a Call
of Abram.
This is the witness
of the Hebrew people. All: Thanks be to God.
Psalm 121 Yahweh will not let you
stumble. VU 844
*Hymn Jesus Loves Me VU 365
Opening
the Word & The Lord’s Prayer
Gospel Acclamation
John
3:1–17 Nicodemus
visits Jesus.
This is the
gospel of Jesus Christ.
All: Praise to you,
Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflection
WE RESPOND IN FAITH
* Hymn Lift High the
Cross VU 151
*A
Responsive Reading from A
Song of Faith
We
sing of a church
seeking
to continue the story of Jesus
by
embodying Christ’s presence in the world.
We
are called together by Christ
as
a community of broken but hopeful believers,
loving
what he loved,
living
what he taught,
striving
to be faithful servants of God
in
our time and place.
Our
ancestors in faith
bequeath
to us experiences of their faithful living;
upon
their lives our lives are built.
Our
living of the gospel makes us a part of this communion of saints,
experiencing the fulfillment of God’s reign
even
as we actively anticipate a new heaven and a new earth.
The
church has not always lived up to its vision.
It
requires the Spirit to reorient it,
helping
it to live an emerging faith while honouring tradition,
challenging
it to live by grace rather than entitlement,
for
we are called to be a blessing to the earth.
We
sing of God’s good news lived out,
a
church with purpose:
faith
nurtured and hearts comforted,
gifts
shared for the good of all,
resistance
to the forces that exploit and marginalize,
fierce
love in the face of violence,
human
dignity defended,
members
of a community held and inspired by God,
corrected
and comforted,
instrument
of the loving Spirit of Christ,
creation’s
mending.
We
sing of God’s mission.
Responsive
Reading excerpted from A Song of Faith:
A
Statement of Faith of the United Church of Canada
Minute
for Mission
Offering
Our Gifts to God
*
Offering Prayer
All:
Accept these gifts and our lives, the work of care that they
represent and our hope for a fuller life for others that all may know
the reality of your great love for us. Amen.
Prayers of Thanksgiving and
Intercession
WE GO TO SERVE GOD
*
Hymn Blessed
Assurance VU 337
*
Commissioning and Blessing
One: God calls
you to continue on life’s journey in faith:
All:
we go, trusting in God.
One: God loves
the world more than we can ever understand:
All:
we go, trusting in Jesus the Christ.
One: God is at
work among us bringing new possibilities:
All: we go, trusting the Spirit.
Bless our going out and our coming in, now and forever. Amen.
*
Choral Amen
