You can watch a recording of today’s service here.
If you are watching our live stream this morning, you are invited to find a candle, so that we can all light candles at the same time.
CALL TO WORSHIP (written by Sarah Are for A Sanctified Art, LLC)
One: God meets us in the night—
All: Before the sun rises,
Before the wound heals,
Before there are answers,
Before there is closure.
One: God meets us in the light—
All: Where joy is effervescent,
Where laughter is contagious,
Where flowers bloom from cracks in the sidewalk,
And where people gather around the table.
One: God meets us at the threshold—
All: At the edge of the water,
At the beginning of the wilderness,
At the start of something new,
On the edge of faith.
One: And if God meets us in all those places,
Then surely God meets us in between—
All: Staying with us through the wilderness.
One: We are not alone. God is all around.
All: Let us worship the God of the here and now.
OPENING PRAYER (BOOK OF COMMON WORSHIP)
Almighty God, your Son fasted forty days in the wilderness, and was tempted as we are but did not sin. Give us grace to direct our lives in obedience to your Spirit, that as you know our weakness, so we may know your power to save; through Jesus Christ our redeemer, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
CALL TO CONFESSION (written by Sarah Are for A Sanctified Art, LLC)
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 join me in the prayer of confession, followed by a silent personal prayer.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION (written by Sarah Are for A Sanctified Art, LLC)
One: God, you meet us where we are—
There is nowhere we can go that you are not.
All: 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.”
One: 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.
All: 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.
One: How can we long for a deeper relationship with you
While living like you are nowhere to be found?
All: Forgive our self-centered ways.
Remind us that in every breath, in every step, you are there.
One: You are the God who meets us where we are.
All: Before and behind, above and below, within and
around. Amen.
Moment of silent prayer–people of God, what do you confess this week?
WORDS OF FORGIVENESS (written by Sarah Are for A Sanctified Art, LLC)
One: 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.
All: We are washed by the water.
We are called beloved.
Thanks be to God for a love like that.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION (written by Sarah Are for A Sanctified Art, LLC)
Holy God,
If I am honest, faith often feels like water in my hands.
No matter how hard I try to hold onto it, some of it always slips through—
Like droplets of truth running down my wrists, back toward my heart.
This human inability to hold onto you leaves me thirsty for more.
So as we prepare to read scripture,
I pray that once again, you would meet us here.
Meet us in our hope and our heartache.
Meet us in our fear and our joy,
Meet us in our cupped hands and clenched fists.
And even if the water keeps running,
And we do not have a sky-parting moment of clarity,
Or a tangible sense that you are near;
Even if we do not hear the words, “This is my beloved,”
Ringing in our ears,
We will trust that you are near,
Always and forever meeting us here,
Running toward our hearts.
Gratefully we pray,
Amen.
FIRST SCRIPTURE READING
MARK 1:9-15 (NRSV)
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’
And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’
Consider:
- Read Mark 1:9-15 slowly several times and imagine that you are part of this scene. Where are you in this story? What do you sense, see and smell? Imagine Jesus coming up out of water. Do you hear the voice from heaven? If so, what do you hear, and what emotions does it evoke?
- Ponder your own baptism and ask these questions: Who am I as a baptized child of God? What does my baptismal identity mean to me? Be specific.
- In the wilderness, Jesus “was with the wild beasts.” What do you think that looked like? What does it mean about how Jesus treated animals?
HYMN Our Lord, You Were Sent
Text: Copyright © 2000 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. All rights reserved.
Music from “Funk’s Genuine Church Music,” 1832
Used gratefully with permission of author
Our Lord, you were sent to a place wild and vast
To ponder your mission, to pray and to fast;
Then hungry and weary, you faced night and day
The subtle temptations to turn from God’s way.
How could it be wrong to want bread on the shelf?
To seek, in one’s serving, to first serve one’s self?
But by God’s own word you remained ever sure:
It’s only in God that our lives are secure.
How could it be wrong to step out and to dare,
To prove with great drama the depths of God’s care?
But you knew God’s word, true since all time began:
It’s wrong to expect God to work by our plan.
Our Lord, in your struggle you chose to obey;
God’s word filled your heart and you trusted God’s way.
Now risen, you save us from sins that destroy;
You give us your Spirit, your peace and your joy.
SECOND SCRIPTURE READING
Genesis 9:8-17 (NRSV)
Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ‘As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.’ God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.’
You can listen to Pastor Leia’s sermon, “Again and Again, God Meets Us,” here.
HYMN Spirit of the Living God
words and music by Daniel Iverson
© 1935 Birdwing Music (admin. EMICMGPublishing.com)
Used by Permission. CCLI License #3456351
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE (ROGER GENCH, PRESBYTERIAN OUTLOOK)
Holy God, we pray that you would empower us with courage and faithfulness as we embark on this Lenten journey. We seek renewal and restoration during these 40 days. Help us to remember Jesus’ faithfulness in the wilderness, tempted by Satan. Be with us in our temptation. Let your grace follow us and go before us in each step of this journey. Enable us to accept spiritual disciplines for this journey. Let us pray daily and be especially attentive to the needs of others, and to our own needs.
God of the nations, we pray for peace with justice throughout the world, so that all your children may dwell secure, free of war and injustice. Move the hearts of leaders throughout the world to hear the cries of the poor and hungry, and to ensure a rightful share of the resources needed to sustain life.
And as we continue to grapple with overwhelming pandemic challenges, we pray that you would grant special measures of strength and endurance to healthcare workers and other essential workers who labor on the frontlines of this struggle. And we pray for all who are now facilitating vaccination and for those who are providing the vaccines. We pray for your comfort for all who are sick and for all who have lost loved ones. Grant us all wisdom and courage for the living of this hour.
We pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray saying…
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Our God Is Here
© 2001, 2004, Chris Muglia. Published by Spirit & Song, a division of OCP
Used by Permission. CCLI License #3456351
Here we are standing face to face.
Here in our hearts, here in our lives,
Our God is here.
Here for the broken, here for the strong,
Here in this temple we belong.
Here in our hearts, here in our lives,
Our God is here.
And we cry
We cry: “Holy! Holy! Holy and true!”
Amen, we do believe our God is here.
Our God is here.
Here where the wounded can be healed.
Here in our hearts, here in our lives,
Our God is here.
Here we become what we receive,
Here in this Eucharistic feast.
We are his body, living as one;
Our God is here.
And we cry
“Holy! Holy! Holy are you!”
We cry: “Holy! Holy! Holy and true!”
Amen, we do believe our God is here.
Our God is here.
INVITATION TO OFFERING (ROGER GENCH, PRESBYTERIAN OUTLOOK)
In Lent, we remember the gifts of nourishment that God gives us during our wilderness journey. Let us now share our gifts in joyful response to God’s sustaining grace.
MORNING OFFERING
If you are able to, please consider mailing your offerings to the church (210 Smith Street) or dropping them off in the mail slot. Alternatively, there is a link at the top of this page that will take you directly to a secure page where you can make a one-time donation. We appreciate your generosity as we seek to continue our mission and ministry throughout the community during this difficult time.
PRAYER OF DEDICATION (ROGER GENCH, PRESBYTERIAN OUTLOOK)
O God, giver of all good gifts, may the gifts we offer here today bear the fruits of peace, love, and justice in our community and our world.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (WRITTEN BY SARAH ARE FOR A SANCTIFIED ART, LLC)
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.
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION (ADAPTED FROM A BENEDICTION BY SARAH ARE FOR A SANCTIFIED ART, LLC)
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.
VIRTUAL COFFEE HOUR
If you are using this page to follow along with today’s worship service while it is being live streamed, please join us for virtual coffee hour! Turn on your video camera and join us after the benediction with THIS LINK. You could also join over the telephone by dialing (312) 626-6799 and entering the meeting code 146 874 134, followed by the password 075003. You can find other events throughout the week on our CALENDAR.