Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship, Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd. There is nothing I lack.
God guides me in proper paths for the sake of God’s good name.
God bathes my head in oil; my cup is so full it spills over!
Yes, God’s goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life.
LET US WORSHIP GOD!
Hymn, The King of Love My Shepherd Is, 802
Prayer of the Day
Prayer of Confession
Gracious God, we are people who still love darkness rather than light. We keep shameful deeds secret, but flaunt our occasional acts of virtue. We see ourselves as blameless, but pass judgments on others. We do not stand firmly enough with those who are vulnerable, but step back, protecting ourselves. Forgive us, we pray. Bring us into Your light that we may see ourselves rightly. Bring us into Your light that we may know ourselves loved. Bring us into Your light that we may live more fruitful lives. Keep raising us, we pray, from the deadness of sin, and shine upon us with Your grace. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the light of the world.
Assurance of Pardon
Time for Children
Prayer for Illumination
Gracious God, illumine our hearts and minds as the Scripture are read and proclaimed, so that by the power of Your Holy Spirit we may see what is good and right and true. And seeing, help us to do what is pleasing to You, so that Your glory becomes visible in our words and deeds. AMEN.
Hebrew Reading, Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;[a]
3 he restores my soul.[b]
He leads me in right paths[c]
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[d]
I fear no evil;
for
you are with me;
your rod and your staff—
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you
anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely[e] goodness
and mercy[f] shall
follow me
all the days of my life,
and
I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long.[g]
Epistle Reading, Philippians 1:3-7
3 I thank my God every time I remember you, 4 constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, 5 because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart,[a] for all of you share in God’s grace[b] with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
Sermon, “Social Distancing,” Rev. Vincent Kolb
Hymn, Healer of Our Every Ill, 795
Affirmation of Faith, Confession of 1967, 9.31
To be reconciled to God is to be sent into the world, as God’s reconciling community. This community, the church universal, is entrusted with God’s message of reconciliation and shares God’s labor of healing the enmities which separate people from God and from each other. Christ has called us the church to this mission and given it the gift of the Holy Spirit. The church maintains continuity with the apostles and with Israel by faithful obedience to God’s call.
Pastoral Prayer
Lord’s Prayer, 2019 Vatican Update
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;
do not let us fall into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power
and the glory forever. Amen.
Anthem, The Lord Is My Shepherd, John Rutter
The Cambridge Singers, John Rutter and Thomas Barber
The Lord is my shepherd; therefore can I lack nothing.
He shall feed me in a green pasture, and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.
He shall convert my soul and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness, for his Name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
For thou art with me: Thy rod and thy staff comfort me.
Thou shalt prepare a table for me against them that trouble me:
Thou hast anointed my head with oil and my cup shall be full.
But thy loving kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 24
Hymn, I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light, 377
Benediction
Announcements
* The Session has closed the building through Sunday, March 29, to observe the governmental restrictions of social distancing.
* Many thanks to Mary Radcliffe for being our liturgist this week!
* Want to join Pastor Vincent’s Wednesday morning Bible study on the lectionary texts? Contact the office to get on the email list for connection to the Zoom meeting.
* Zoom confused? Set up a call with Amy, and we’ll work through it together.
* The Session will be having its stated meeting via Zoom, Wednesday, March 25, 7 pm.
* It’s not the same as the thrill of putting the envelope in the plate, but you can still pay on your pledges either through eGive (click here!) or by mailing your check to the church. We continue to need your support in this challenging time!
* Weekly Sunday school lessons and other resources will be posted on Jenny’s Children and Youth blog (click here!)
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