The Bulletin is at: 03-11-2018 – Bulletin
The Service in PDF format is at: 03-11-2018 – Service
or the service is as follows:
FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT
March 11, 2018
THEME: If you were to conduct a survey of our member’s favorite Bible passages, both today’s Epistle and Gospel would likely end up among the most loved, and rightly so. Both of these sets of verses get to the heart of what the faith is all about. They get to the heart of what it is that makes Christianity different from all other world religions. Today we receive a clear picture of grace, love and perfect sacrifice!
RINGING OF THE BELL…After the ringing of the bell, we prepare our hearts in silence for today’s worship.
A WORD ABOUT OUR WORSHIP TODAY Psalm 27
P: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
C: The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
P: One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after:
C: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
P: Make me to know Your ways, O Lord.
C: Teach me Your paths.
CONFESSING TO GOD
P: The paths of God begin with an honest evaluation of ourselves. God is our light, but often it has been the dark paths of sin that we have chosen to travel. During this moment of silence, we reflect upon our need for God’s help.
Silent Reflection
SONG OF CONFESSION: “White as Snow”
White as snow, white as snow,
Though my sins were as scarlet
Lord, I know,
That I’m clean and forgiven.
Through the power of Your blood,
Through the wonder of Your love,
Through faith in You
I know that I can be white as snow.
White as snow
P: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
Son.” God is rich in mercy and is always generous with forgiveness. Receive God’s light today through the forgiveness of your sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by Jesus’ authority, I declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: We pray…
C: Heavenly Father, by your power to heal and to forgive, graciously cleanse us from all sin and make us strong to serve You in willing obedience; through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
HEARING FROM GOD’S WORD
Old Testament Reading: Numbers 21:4-9
Moses and the bronze serpent
From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
New Testament Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10
God raise us up with Christ.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
CHOIR ANTHEM: “Shepherd Psalm”
Don and Jaree Hall
Gentle Shepherd, Lord of all, In Your care I’ll never want.
Lay me down in pastures green: Guide, protect, supply my need;
By the water, still and pure, Cleanse and keep my soul secure. For Your Name, my way protect, Led in paths of righteousness.
Tho’ the vale of death be near, Shadows dark, I need not fear. Care and comfort You provide, Keep in safety by Your side.
Goodness, mercy follow me, ‘Til the day I dwell with Thee, In Your house forevermore, Safely home on heaven’s shore!
Life below, I leave behind; Son of God forever shine! When my time on earth is done, I’ll awake to heaven’s Sun.
Gentle Shepherd, Lord of all, In Your care, I’ll never want.
Lay me down in pastures green: Guide, protect, supply my need!
The Son of Man must be lifted up.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God So Loved the World “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
SERMON SONG: “Shine, Jesus, Shine”
- Lord, the Light of Your love is shining
In the midst of the darkness shining;
Jesus, Light of the World, shine upon us.
Set us free by the truth You now bring us.
Shine on me, shine on me. – Refrain
Refrain: Shine, Jesus, shine,
Fill this land with the Father’s glory;
Blaze, Spirit, blaze,
Set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river flow,
Flood the nations with grace and mercy.
Send forth Your Word, Lord, and let there be light.
- Lord, I come to Your awesome presence,
From the shadows into Your radiance;
By the blood I may enter Your brightness,
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness,
Shine on me, shine on me. – Refrain
- As we gaze on Your kingly brightness,
So our faces display Your likeness;
Ever changing from glory to glory,
Mirror’d here may our lives tell Your story,
Shine on me, shine on me. – Refrain
C: I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
And born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
And is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy Christian Church,
The communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body,
And the life everlasting. Amen.
We give our offerings as a sign of our lives offered to God.
MITE BOX COLLECTION
P: Almighty Creator, You give new life to Your people. We pray today that You would renew us this Lenten season. We acknowledge that apart from Christ, we are dead in our trespasses and sins. Receiving Christ today, we desire to now live as Your workmanship as we live our lives. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: Hear our prayer.
P: Almighty Creator, You provide our daily bread. We pray for a heart of contentment and thanksgiving. Keep us from grumbling, complaining and being impatient. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, give us hearts to care for the people You have placed in our lives. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: Hear our prayer.
P: Almighty Creator, Your people Israel humbled themselves by looking to the snake on a pole when they realized that they had sinned. We ask that You would do the same for us. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, help us to see our frailty and faults so that we can then look to Jesus for health and restoration. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: Hear our prayer.
P: Almighty Creator and Preserver, we uplift those who are sick, sorrowing and struggling from the challenges that come in life, (including…). Give them certainty today that You so loved the world that You gave Your only Son. Bring them peace and patience. And we do pray that you would, at the right time in the way You know best, deliver them from their suffering. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: Hear our prayer.
P: Gracious Father, You are rich in mercy, so we place ourselves and all those for whom we pray into Your loving hands; through Jesus, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
A CLOSING BLESSING
P: Go with us today, O Lord, and in Your great mercy defend us from the dangers that may come this week. Open our eyes to Your work done in and around us this week.
C: Amen.
CLOSING SONG: “On Our Way Rejoicing” LBW 260
On our way rejoicing……..Gladly let us go.
Christ our Lord has conquered; Vanquished is the foe.
Christ without, our safety; Christ within, our joy;
Who, if we be faithful……….Can our hope destroy?
On our way rejoicing; as we forward move,
Hearken to our praises, O blest God of love!
Unto God the Father…….Joyful songs we sing;
Unto God the Savior…….Thankful hearts we bring;
Unto God the Spirit………Bow we and adore,
On our way rejoicing…….Now and evermore.
On our way rejoicing; as we forward move,
Hearken to our praises, O blest God of love!
PRESENTATION: Philomath Rotary: Benton County Sheriff Don Rogers
DISMISSAL
P: Go in Peace. Serve the Lord!
C: Thanks be to God!