Bulletin for Sunday, 3/26/23



The Service for the Lord’s Day
5th Sunday in Lent
March 26, 2023


*When people are prompted to stand, those for whom standing is difficult may remain seated.

Pastor: Rev. Rebecca Gillespie

Director of Youth & Families Grant Hartsell

Church Admin: Tara Melton-Miller

Organist: Mary Warner

Music Director: Katie Aufenthie

Sexton: Rick Will

Liturgist: Chris Morris

Nursery: Keegan McQuillan


Order of Worship

During the Prelude, silence or turn off cell phones and other electronic devices and enter a period of silent meditation. You may view our 10:00 a.m. service live via the web at Facebook Live or fvpc.sermon.net.

Prelude
Bless the Lord, O My Soul
Hayes

Call to Worship (Standing*)
Leader: The Lord is my shepherd. There is nothing I lack.
All: God guides me in proper paths for the sake of God’s good name.
Leader: God bathes my head in oil; my cup is so full it spills over.
All: Yes, God’s goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life.

Peace (Standing*/Unison)
May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
All:  And also with you.
The people may exchange with one another signs of peace and reconciliation.

Hymn
Here I Am to Worship
Pg. 130

Call to Confession
Happy are those who no longer suffer in silence but name their sin and seek God’s grace.

Prayer of Confession (Unison)
Gracious God, we are people who still love darkness rather than light. We see ourselves as blameless, but pass judgement on others. We do not stand firmly with those who are vulnerable, but step back, protecting ourselves. Forgive us and bring us into your light that we may see ourselves and others as love. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon
Happy are those whose sin is forgiven.

All: Thanks be to God!

Gloria Patri
Glory to God, whose goodness shines on me, and to the Son, whose grace has pardoned me, and to the Spirit, whose love has set me free.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. Amen.

Affirmation of Faith

Confession of 1967 (Standing*/Unison) To be reconciled with God is to be sent into the world as his reconciling community. This community, the church universal, is entrusted with God’s message of reconciliation and shares his labor of healing the enmities which separate mankind from God and from each other. Christ has called the church to this mission and given it the gift of the Holy Spirit…The life, death, resurrection and promised coming of Jesus Christ has set the pattern for the church’s mission. His life as a person involves the church in the common life of all people. His service to people commits the church to work for every form of human well-being.  His suffering makes the church sensitive to all the sufferings of humanity so that it sees the face of Christ in the faces of people in every kind of need. His crucifixion discloses to the church God’s judgement on our inhumanity to humans and the awful consequences of its own complicity in injustice. The power of the risen Christ and the hope of his coming, the church sees the promise of God’s renewal of man’s life in society and of God’s victory over all wrong. Amen.

Conversation with Young Disciples
As the children come forward, please join the choir in singing “Jesus Loves Me.” (Hymn #652)

Presentation of Tithes and Offerings

Offertory
The Lord’s My Shepherd
Shackley

Doxology
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow. Praise God, all creatures high and low. Alleluia, alleluia! Praise God, in Jesus fully known:  Creator, Word, and Spirit one. Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Prayer of Dedication (Standing*/Unison)
Lord, our lives overflow with your goodness. We bring our tithes and offerings with gladness and gratitude. May it be pleasing to you and bear the fruit of the light through Jesus Christ, our shepherd and our rescuer, even from the darkest valley. In his name we pray. Amen.

Special Music
Every Time I Feel the Spirit
Schrader

Sharing of Joys and Concerns/Prayers of the People/Lord’s Prayer

Proclamation of the Word

First Reading
Isaiah 40:6-11
Pg. 582
Second Reading
John 10:11-18
Pg. 872

The Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.

Sermon
“Can I Have My Dog Back?”
Rev. Rebecca Gillespie

Hymn
In the Garden
Pg. 476

Charge and Benediction

Postlude
We Are Called
Hayes

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,
the power, and the glory,
forever and ever.
Amen