 Don’t Give Up Hope
by Anne DeBord "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever." Psalm118:1 When my oldest son was about ten years old, he took on the summer job of caring for the neighbors’ yard while they were on vacation. With extra effort and for a little surprise for them, he was arranging medium sized rocks around the outside edge of the pond. All was going well when he accidently dropped a rock on his right index finger and thumb causing blood to flow, pain to start and a short run home to Mom for a look. It looked bad enough for a trip to the doctor, and it was close enough to quitting time for Dad to come home and help out with the crisis trip. Dad could drive and Mom could soothe a scared child. Causing more problems was the fact that my son was planning a trip with his grandparents to Spokane for the World’s Fair in just a few days. The doctor analyzed the situation, found the thumbnail broken as well as the finger and thumb and it required splinting. We were sure the trip would have to be cancelled, but to our surprise, the doctor said, “You can heal traveling as well as sitting around being depressed.” “Thank God,” I said. Our son’s accident didn’t ruin a blessed chance to go have fun with his grandparents. Praying in the crisis, along with us parents adding our layer of soothing, led to a very positive result. In simple daily life, we pray for a clear view in moving forward in hope for a good future. Amen.
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 Payette United Methodist Church Palm Sunday March 28, 2021 – 11:00 AM in the Church Parking Lot, Broadcast Live! Prelude - What a Friend We Have in Jesus Welcome and Announcements Call to Worship Calling Song Responsive Reading from Psalm 118:19-26 Leader: Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord. People: This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. Leader: I will give thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! People: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! From the house of the Lord we bless you. All: With boughs in hand, join in the procession! Unison Invocation Lord God, we give you thanks that no building can house you and no place of worship can contain your majesty. We humbly ask to be like those folks who welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem so many years ago – focused on him and not ourselves. May you inhabit our praise. To you be the glory in the name of Jesus. Amen. Hymn Old Testament Reading - Isaiah 50:4-9 New Testament Reading - Philippians 2:5-11 God’s Word for God’s People. Thanks be to God! Prayers of the People Hymn of Reflection Message “For Crying Out Loud!” Luke 19:37-40 Commitment Hymn “Take My Life and Let It Be” UMH #399 Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee. Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise. Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Your love. Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for thee. Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King. Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from thee. Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold. Take my intellect, and use every power as You shall choose. Take my will, and make it Yours; it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is Your own; it shall be Your royal throne. Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Your feet its treasure store. Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for thee. Benediction: May the peace of the Lord Jesus go with you wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors. Thank you for Worshiping with us Today! Note: All vocals have been pre-recorded and are covered by CCLI License #1552544. Please continue to support our ongoing grocery gift card mission if you can. People are being blessed and we are feeding hungry people. For the time being continue to send your offerings to the church since we won’t be collecting the offering just yet, or you can make your Tithes and Offerings online by clicking on the button below. You do not have to have a PayPal Account to use this, and it is safe and secure! Make a one-time donation, or set up recurring Tithe.   Playing by God’s Rules
by Chase Van Weerdhuizen Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “how long shall this fellow be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God; do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?” Exodus 10:7 It’s hard to lose at the game. Pharaoh was part of a tradition of winners. The kings and queens of Egypt never lost at anything. They were a global superpower at the time and had stayed that way for thousands of years by being the best at what they did. They had a highly skilled army. They were the best representational artists on the planet. And don’t get me started on how good they were at stacking rocks on top of each other! They had to be good at everything. They were surviving on a temperamental river system at the east of the Sahara. There was no room for losers. Of course in order to be a winner, someone has to be a loser. In the case of Egypt, it was the slaves needed to maintain their infrastructure. At this point in the story, God had started letting Egypt know that he wasn’t happy about the whole slavery thing. But Pharaoh continued to hold out, causing his own team to suffer. Pharaoh’s officials were reminding him of his duty to his entire kingdom. Why wasn’t he worried about how their livestock had keeled over? Or how the Deben was going down in value? Or that everyone was still trying to sweep frogs out of their houses? Oh let’s not forget how the sky had been streaked with fire and ice just the day before. Or that beyond their borders they had to deal with enemy states like the Mitanni and the Libyans who were ready to pounce at any moment. Because it wasn’t just God who wasn’t happy with them, it was all their neighbors too. Maybe if they’d been just a bit nicer before… Pharaoh was willing to give up everything to win in a contest of spite against his adopted brother and his brother’s God. Often we are tempted to do the same, whether it is for our pride, hate, or even grief. God calls on us to be better sportspersons. Not only do we follow Christ’s example so that we might truly enjoy the game being played, but I’m pretty sure he’s willing to pay for an ice cream cone at the drive-in on the way home. Dear God, help me to play by your rules when it’s so easy to follow my own. As we approach the darkest days of Lent, let Christ be our example of how to win the game against death. Amen.  Prayer Vigil
by Larry Haley "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20 KJV Several years ago our pastor announced his intention to retire. We were a small church congregation and our pastor served us part-time which was just what we needed. We were concerned about who could provide this limited but important role for us. Part-time pastors are hard to find. Would a new pastor be serving multiple churches? Would our worship time need to change? Our retiring pastor suggested we start a prayer vigil focused on a new pastor and what we needed. We decided that for the months of February and March, the time before new pastors are assigned, that we would have Prayer Tuesdays. The plan was to have one hour prayer times in the church sanctuary that individuals could reserve and come and pray. The times were from 6am to 9pm. Immediately folks signed up and we filled most of the slots. And so on the first Tuesday in February the prayer vigil began and continued for the two months. Sometime in April we were contacted that our new pastor had been selected and he was brought to our church by our DS and introduced. He was a retired pastor/DS who lived 15 minutes away. He wanted part-time at one church. And then he said “I decided I wanted to return to preaching and on the first Tuesday in February I called the DS to see if there was a possibility.” The day we started our prayer vigil! We prayed for two months not knowing that God had already answered our prayers. In reflection, I’ve thought of the verse of being gathered in God’s name and I now believe it not only refers to physical gathering but also to spiritual gathering. Prayer: Lord, you know what we need before we do. Help us to listen to you and to accept what you provide. Amen  Payette United Methodist Church Fifth Sunday of Lent March 21, 2021 Prelude: Grace Greater than Our Sin Welcome, Today's Worship Leaders: Macy Steckley, Dianne Kinney, Jeff and Leslie Ward, Jim and Pam Hardenbrook Interlude: Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart Welcoming the neighborhood to worship Call To Worship Calling Song "Praise God" UMH #95 Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise him, all creatures here below; Praise him above ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen! Responsive Reading from Psalm 51 Leader: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love: according to your abundant mercy blot out my sins. People: Wash me completely from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Leader: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. People: Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. All: Restore unto me the joy of your salvation. And renew a right spirit within me. Unison Invocation Heavenly Father, use this worship service to mold and form us into the kind of people you want us to be. Thank you for being hopefully patient with us this week. Thank you for catching us in your arms of grace. Renew us. Revive us. We pray in the strong name of Jesus. Amen. Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34 New Testament Reading: Hebrews 5:1-4 and 7-8 God’s Word for God’s people, Thanks be to God! Hymn "How Great Thou Art" O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds thy hands have made, I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, thy power throughout the universe displayed. Refrain Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee; How great thou art, how great thou art! Then sings my soul, my Savior God to three; How great thou art, how great thou art! And when I think that God, his Son not sparing, sent him to die, I scarce can take it in. That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, he bled and died to take away my sin. Refrain Prayers of the People Message “This Is the Verdict” John 3:14-21 Commitment Hymn "This Little Light of Mine" UMH #585 This little light of mine, I’m goin’a let it shine, This little light of mine, I’m goin’a let it shine; Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Everywhere I go… All through the night… Benediction May the peace of the Lord Jesus go with you wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors. Postlude: God be with You ‘til We Meet Again Announcements and Closing Thank you for Worshiping with us today! Note: All vocals have been pre-recorded and are covered by CCLI License #1552544. You can now make your Tithes and Offerings online by clicking on the button below. You do not have to have a PayPal Account to use this, and it is safe and secure! Make a one-time donation, or set up recurring Tithe.
Downloadable files of today's Worship Service are here in PDF or WORD format:
 We Have Been Set Free
by Jean Hershey “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 I found this story several years ago, and it brings tears to my eyes every time I read it. Let me share it with you today. As a man was passing the elephants at a circus, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at any time, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not. He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller, we used the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.” Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? It seems a common human response to failure. We are bound by the belief that we just can’t, and we don’t try. Failure is part of learning though; we should never give up the struggle in life. Especially when we have the strongest advocate ever, Jesus Christ, who lifts us up and strengthens us! Our bindings have been broken by the blood and sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross! We have been set free! Jesus, help me remember that I can do all things through you. You strengthen me and are with me with every step I take. Through you I am released from the bonds that hold me, the fears of failure, and I can make it through any conflict or trial if I but lean on your strength and keep my eyes on You! Amen.  Doing Lent
By Roxie Tolbert "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!" Matthew 20:18-19 Our daughter-in-law, Wendy, got a phone call, a few weeks before Easter, from our granddaughter Trisha, who was away at college. Trisha was very upset and told her mother that she had just found out that she wasn't doing Lent correctly. She said that she had just learned that she was supposed to give up meat for Lent and instead she had been giving up her favorite daily fancy coffee drink from Starbucks. Trisha was attending St. Mary's College, a private Catholic college, and part of the requirement was attending worship services. Apparently it was suggested in the service that it was appropriate to fast from meat. Wendy explained to Trisha that, as she didn't care one way or the other if she ate meat, it would not be a sacrifice for her; so to give up her precious coffee drink was, of course, the right way to fast during Lent for her. I've had several interesting conversations around doing Lent—everything from being told that, as a Methodist, I can't do Lent because it's only for Catholics (and, no, this bit of wisdom did not come from someone who was actually Catholic) to friends asking me if I do Lent, how I do Lent and if they should do Lent the way I do. My first reaction when someone asked about doing Lent instead of observing Lent was that Lent is a Christian season, not an activity. After giving it a little more thought, I realized that I couldn't be more incorrect. Lent is something you do. Lent is our time of spiritual preparation before Easter. Preparation, any kind of preparation, requires activity. Some suggested activities are fasting, spiritual discipline, repentance, moderation, and self-denial. Lent is the time when we make an extra effort to draw closer to God – to really think about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. It is a time to reflect on the sacrifice that was made for us—the gift that was given to us. The suggested activities provide both time and constant reminders for us during Lent—something to keep us centered during this special time. So, how do we do Lent? We do it in the way that is the most meaningful to each of us. We do it in the way that brings us closer to our amazing God who loves us so much that he gave his Son to us and for us. However you do lent, do Lent. Lord, we seek to come closer to you through our Lenten disciplines. May they be a gateway between You and each of us. Amen  Payette United Methodist Church Fourth Sunday of Lent March 14, 2021 Prelude: "Come into His Presence/Sacrifice of Praise" arr. Carl Seal Welcome: Today's Worship Leaders - Don and Letha Essinger, Macy Steckley, Jeff and Leslie Ward, Jim and Pam Hardenbrook Interlude: "Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me" arr. Larry Beebe Welcoming the neighborhood to worship Call to Worship Calling Song "Holy, Holy" TFWS #2039 Holy, holy, holy, holy, Holy, holy, Lord God Almighty; And we lift our hearts before you as a token of our love, Holy, holy, holy, holy. Hallelujah, hallelujah, Hallelujah, hallelujah; And we lift our hearts before you as a token of our love, Hallelujah, hallelujah. Responsive Reading from Psalm 107 Leader: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. People: Let the redeemed of the Lord say this – those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. Leader: Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. People: Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. All: Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds. Unison Invocation Lord, make it second nature for us to do what is right in your sight. May this time of worship help us be more concerned with your will than ours just as we see in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We pray in his name. Amen. Old Testament Reading - Numbers 21:4-9 Gospel Reading - John 12:20-33 God’s Word for God’s people, Thanks be to God! Hymn "Open My Eyes, That I May See" UMH #454 Open my eyes that I may see Glimpses of truth thou hast for me; Place in my hands the wonderful key That shall unclasp and set me free. (Refrain) Silently now I wait for thee, Ready, my God, thy will to see. Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine! Open my mouth, and let me bear Gladly the warm truth everywhere; Open my heart and let me prepare Love with thy children thus to share. (Refrain) Prayers of the People Message “The Divine Conjunction” Ephesians 2:1-10 Commitment Hymn "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" UMH #140 Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with thee; Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be. (Refrain) Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see, All I have needed thy hand hath provided; Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me! Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside! (Refrain) Benediction May the peace of the Lord Jesus go with you wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors. Postlude "Think about His Love" arr. Carl Seal Announcements and Closing Thank you for Worshiping with us today! Note: All vocals have been pre-recorded and are covered by CCLI License #1552544. You can now make your Tithes and Offerings online by clicking on the button below. You do not have to have a PayPal Account to use this, and it is safe and secure! Make a one-time donation, or set up recurring Tithe.  Downloadable files of today's Worship Service are here in PDF or WORD format:
 Payette United Methodist Church Third Sunday of Lent – Holy Communion March 7, 2021 Prelude: In the Cross of Christ I Glory, Rathbun tune arr. Larry Shackley Welcome: Today's Worship Leaders are Glenora Wright, Iran Trenkel, Jeff and Leslie Ward, and Jim and Pam Hardenbrook Welcoming the Light of Christ – please light a candle Interlude: The old Rugged Cross by George Bennard Inviting the neighborhood to worship Call to Worship: Calling Song I Come with Joy UMH #617 I come with joy to meet my Lord, forgiven, loved and free, in awe and wonder to recall his life laid down for me, his life laid down for me. And thus with joy we meet our Lord, His presence always near, is in such friendship better known; we see and praise him here, we see and praise him here. The Apostles Creed I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Unison Invocation O God our Father, who sent your Son to be King of kings and Lord of lords; we pray that all the kingdoms of this world may become His kingdom and learn from him the way of grace and truth. In His name we pray. Amen. Old Testament Reading: Exodus 20:1-17 New Testament Reading:1 Corinthians 1:18-25 Message “He Knew what was In them” John 2:13-25 The Communion Service Communion Hymn Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus O soul, are you weary and troubled; No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Savior And life more abundant and free. (Refrain) Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. Through death into life everlasting He passed and we follow him there. Over us sin no more has dominion For more than conquerors we are! (Refrain) Our Lord invites to his table all who love him, Who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another. Let us confess our sin before God and one another. Prayer of Confession and Pardon Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. Our faith has been tested and we have stumbled. Our feet have strayed from the path of Christ and we have wandered from you. We have put our faith in the loud voices of this world, ignoring your whispers. Forgive us, we pray. We do want to follow Jesus, the Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen. Leader: Hear the good news; Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. That proves God’s love for us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. People: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Thanks be to God! Bread and Cup Please take the bread. Please take the cup. Please pray: Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Strengthen us in mind, body and soul for the days ahead. May your Spirit fill us as we live and pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. Benediction May the peace of the Lord Jesus go with you wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors. Postlude: Ev'ry time I feel the Spirit, African- American spiritual, arr. by Dan Fox Announcements and Closing Thank you for Worshiping with us today! Note: All vocals have been pre-recorded and are covered by CCLI License #1552544. You can now make your Tithes and Offerings online by clicking on the button below. You do not have to have a PayPal Account to use this, and it is safe and secure! Make a one-time donation, or set up recurring Tithe.  Downloadable files of today's Worship Service are here in PDF or WORD format:
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