Order of Worship
February 23rd, 2025
(The Seventh Sunday after Epiphany)
*If you are able, please stand.
Prelude: “Fairest Lord Jesus” Gregory Hamilton
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:
MISSION STATEMENT: (Let us say our Mission Statement together)
“To welcome and inspire All through faith, love, and fellowship according to Christ’s example.”
Introit: “No, Not One!” Johnson Oatman, Jr/George Hugg
*Call to Worship (Responsive)
Leader: Come and learn the ways of life.
People: We have come to follow Jesus.
Leader: Love your enemies, and do good to those who hate you.
People: We have come to follow Jesus.
Leader: Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who persecute you.
People: We have come to follow Jesus.
Leader: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
All: We have come to follow Jesus. Come and learn the ways of life as Jesus commanded us to act.
*GATHERING HYMN: “Wind upon the Waters” #247
PRAYER OF INVOCATION: Infinite source of love and life, be with us in our time of worship as we seek the love it takes to walk in the ways of your Beloved Child, Jesus Christ. Help us love our enemies and bless those who wrong us, for we cannot do so alone. Teach us the joy of treating others with all the same respect and goodness we hope to be treated. May our every word and deed make known that we are your beloved children and vessels of your love. Amen.
Let us pray as Christ taught us to pray. 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
STATEMENT OF FAITH: We believe in God known to us in three persons: Creator of all, resurrected Christ, and the Holy Spirit, who guides and brings about the creative and redemptive work of God’s love in the world.
We believe that each person is unique and valuable.
We believe that we are called to welcome each person who is on a
Spiritual journey, no matter who they are or where they are on that
Journey.
We believe that the persistent search for God produces an authentic
relationship with God, one that engenders love, strengthens faith,
dissolves guilt, and gives life purpose and direction.
We believe we are a people of possibility.
We believe we have the breathing room to explore and to hear our call. We believe that God is still speaking…
*SERMON HYMN: “O God of Earth and Altar” #724
WORD OF GOD: Luke 6: 17-38
17 He came down with them and stood on a level place with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21
“Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven, for that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
24
“But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
25
“Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
27 “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; 28 bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and if anyone takes away what is yours, do not ask for it back again. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive payment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap, for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
Sermon Title: Blessedness 2.0 Rev. Norman Michaud
JOYS AND CONCERNS OF THE PEOPLE: (Please share by phone, text, or email at [email protected] or 603-812-1161 before the service if you like.)
CALL TO PRAYER:
Pastor: May God be with you.
People: And also with you.
Silent Prayer
Pastoral Prayer:
Jesus teaches us how to live and forgive in this world. His teachings are easy to read, but hard to live out. We pray that Luke’s Sermon on the Plain takes over our lives. Renew our hearts and minds so that we do not judge or condemn others. Let us in dwell in thoughts of love and kindness. Please help us to be forgiving without hesitation. We have heard your words and want to fulfill your teachings. When life causes us to doubt when we experience situations that call us to anger, let the Holy Spirit redirect those feelings that make us angry and anxious. Let the Spirit call us to better follow you.
We recognize our strife and weaknesses. Let us turn them over to your abundant love. Let us know the limits of what we can change, which is only ourselves. Give us the boundless generosity that you command of us, and let our love be kind to All. Renew our minds, hearts, and souls. As followers of Christ, let us bend our lives to become more like Christ and turn from our divided and angry world.
In Jesus Name, We Pray, Amen
Choral Response: “Hear Our Prayer, O Lord” Psalm 143:1
CALL TO GIVING: God provides compassion and care, calls us to serve, and to share our talents and treasures for the good of God’s realm. No matter how we have fallen short in the past, God’s grace assures us of the gifts we may contribute to your realm. God calls us to share today what gifts we may give to this church and our neighbors in need.
Offertory Music for Inspiration: “Give Me Jesus” African American Spiritual Arr. Patti Drenna
Doxology: (Tune: Old Hundredth)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Christ the Word in flesh born low;
Praise Holy Spirit evermore;
One God, Triune, whom we adore.
*Prayer of Dedication: (Unison): Loving God, we bring our offerings of to advance your work of mercy. We willingly and joyfully celebrate your generosity, by sharing our abundance with the church, our community, and the world. Bless these gifts, as they go forth to do good in your world without judgment or prejudice. Amen.
*HYMN OF DEPARTURE: “Purer in Heart, O God” #573
Benediction: Go from this place as those who are blessed. Live in God’s love. Christ’s mercy touches you. Go from this place to bear the fruits of justice. Share God’s love with all you encounter. Pray that you may share the Spirit’s strength with everyone we meet, O Triune God.
Postlude: “Word of God Come Down on Earth” Frederick Frahm