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
9th, 2014-1st Sunday of Lent
Sacrament
of Communion
A thought around which to gather as we
worship--
Matthew 4:1–11
As part of Jesus’ – and our own individual –
spiritual journey, Jesus goes into the Spirit wilderness, where he’s
tested. It’s during this time that Jesus chooses who he will be and
whose he will be with his responses to the tempter’s
suggestions. The decisions we face about how we live our lives today
are no different. The choices we make about what will feed us and
sustain us physically and spiritually can reflect God’s love in our
lives.
This week – As you start your Lenten
journey, choose a “wilderness” area in your life – perhaps a
dark place where temptations (physical or spiritual) seem to creep up
on you. Invite God into this wilderness and depend on God when you
are tempted.
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.
*Placement
of Lenten Symbol—A Stone
*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.
*Call
to Worship
One:
Celebrate God today.
All:
Steadfast love surrounds those who trust in God.
One:
Celebrate God today.
All:
We are glad in God and rejoice together.
One:
Celebrate God today.
All: God
gives us a new start and shows us the way to go.
* Hymn Because
He Lives Printed
Lenten
Triad Candle Extinguishing (Tenebrae)
(Five
purple candles, pink candle and Christ candle are lit prior to
worship.)
Following
the extinguishing of one candle
Let
us pray:
All:
Creator God, we come before you
as
creatures within your creation.
We
confess that we have fallen into the way of ease,
and
lack of concern for future generations.
We
have not been good stewards of your world.
Gracious
God, forgive our weakness.
Strengthen
and encourage us
during
this Lenten Season. Amen.
Sung
Assurance:
Throughout
These Lenten Days and Nights,
verse 1 VU 108
WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD
Genesis
2:15-17, 3:1-7 Temptation in the Garden of Eden.
This
is the witness of the Hebrew people. All: Thanks be
to God.
Psalm 32 Joy of
forgiveness. VU 759
*Hymn Small
Things Count VU 361
Opening
the Word
Matthew
4:1-11 Temptation of Jesus.
This
is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
WE RESPOND IN FAITH
Minute
for Mission
Offering
Our Gifts to God
*
Offering Prayer
One:
Generous God, we bring these gifts
of money and food, and choose life for others as well as for
ourselves.
All:
Bless these gifts to restore hope and renew trust in your love we
pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
*
Communion Hymn As We Gather at Your Table VU 457
*A
Responsive Reading from A
Song of Faith
Because
his witness to love was threatening,
those
exercising power sought to silence Jesus.
He
suffered abandonment and betrayal,
state-sanctioned
torture and execution.
He
was crucified.
But
death was not the last word.
God
raised Jesus from death,
turning
sorrow into joy,
despair
into hope.
We
sing of Jesus raised from the dead.
We
sing hallelujah.
By
becoming flesh in Jesus,
God
makes all things new.
In
Jesus’ life, teaching, and self-offering,
God
empowers us to live in love.
In
Jesus’ crucifixion,
God
bears the sin, grief, and suffering of the world.
In
Jesus’ resurrection,
God
overcomes death.
Nothing
separates us from the love of God.
The
Risen Christ lives today,
present
to us and the source of our hope.
In
response to who Jesus was
and
to all he did and taught,
to
his life, death, and resurrection,
and
to his continuing presence with us through the Spirit,
we
celebrate him
as
the Word made flesh,
the
one in whom God and humanity are perfectly joined,
the
transformation of our lives,
the
Christ.
Sacrament
of Communion Communion Insert, cover of VU
Distribution Hymn Gather
us Together (Refrain) Printed
WE GO TO SERVE GOD
* Hymn On Eagle’s Wings VU
808
*
Commissioning and Blessing
One:
As
we travel on this Lenten journey,
All:
we know that God leads and guides us.
One:
As
we travel on this Lenten journey,
All:
we hear the words of Jesus making choices for life.
One:
As
we travel on this Lenten journey,
All:
we dream and work with the Spirit for a world where peace and harmony
are restored. We leave this place in peace, going in the love of God.
*
Choral Amen
