Payette United Methodist Church
April 17, 2022
Easter Sunday (as recorded at Fruitland United Methodist Church)

Prelude “Easter Fantasy” Arranged by Clarence Kuhlmann

Welcome
The lighting of the candles and welcoming the neighborhood to worship.

Interlude “Low in the Grave He lay”  By Robert Lowery

*Call to Worship
 He Is Risen! He is risen indeed!

Calling Song: “Easter People, Raise Your Voices” UMH #304
Easter people, raise your voices 
Sounds of heaven in earth should ring.
Christ has brought us heaven’s choices; 
Heavenly music, let it ring. 
Al-le-lu-ia  Al-le-lu-ia Easter people, let us sing.

Fear of death can no more stop us 
from our pressing here below. 
For our Lord empowered us 
to triumph over every foe. 
Alleluia! Alleluia! On to victory now we go.

Every day to us is Easter, 
with its resurrection song. 
When in trouble move the faster 
to our God who rights the wrong. 
Alleluia! Alleluia! See the power of heavenly throngs.

Responsive Reading from Psalm 118
Leader: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;  his love endures forever.
People: The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
Leader: The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in  our eyes.
All: The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice and be glad!

Unison Invocation UMH #320
Almighty God, through Jesus Christ you overcame death and opened to us the gate of eternal life. Grant that we, who celebrate the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may, by the renewing of your Spirit arise from the death of sin to the life of righteousness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen. 

Hymn “Christ Has Risen” TFWS #2115
Christ has risen while earth slumbers,   
Christ has risen where hope died,   
as he said and as he promised,   
as we doubted and denied.   
Let the moon embrace the blessing;   
let the sun sustain the cheer;  
let the world confirm the rumour.   
Christ is risen, God is here!  

Christ has risen for the people     
whom he loved and died to save;     
Christ has risen for the women     
bringing flowers to grace his grave     
Christ has risen for disciples     
huddled in an upstairs room.     
He whose word inspired creation     
is not silenced by the tomb.  

Choir “The Easter Song”

New Testament Reading Acts 10: 34-43
Gospel Reading Luke 24: 1-12
God’s Word for God’s People. Thanks Be To God

Young People’s Moment

Hymn “Christ Is Risen” UMH #307
Christ is risen!
Shout Hosanna!
Celebrate this day of days.
Christ is risen!
Hush in wonder;
all creation is amazed.
In the desert
all-surrounding,
see, a spreading tree has grown.
Healing leaves of
grace abounding
bring a taste of love unknown.

Christ is risen!
Raise your spirits
from the caverns of despair.
Walk with gladness
in the morning.
See what love can do and dare.
Drink the wine of
resurrection,
not a servant, but a friend;
Jesus is our
strong companion.
Joy and peace shall never end.

Christ is risen!
Earth and heaven
nevermore shall be the same.
Break the bread of
new creation
where the world is still in pain.
Tell its grim,
demonic chorus:
"Christ is risen! Get you gone!"
God the First
and Last is with us.
Sing Hosanna everyone!

Message “Tell Peter” Mark 14: 27-31 and 14: 66-72

Offering Doxology “Glory Be to the Father” UMH #70
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen.

Resurrection Hymn “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” UMH #302
Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!
 
Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where’s thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!

Unison Benediction
And now, may the God of peace,
who brought back again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
equip you with all you need for doing his will.
May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ,
all this is pleasing to him.
To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Postlude “Thine is the Glory”  Judas Maccabeus tune
Thank you for Worshiping with us today!

(CCLI License #1552544)​ ​

Jesus is Alive – Life Wins!
Written by Jim Hardenbrook

"For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living." Psalm 116:8-9

This week, the one we call Holy, is filled with death, tears, and stumbling. Just read any gospel account of Jesus’s last week on earth and you will see what I mean.

      Jesus becomes indignant about the misuse of the temple.

      He cries when considering the future of Jerusalem.

      He agonizes over his betrayal and crucifixion.

      He stumbles while carrying his cross to Golgotha.

      He dies.

But this is only part of the story. It is only the story until Sunday morning. Sunday morning is when Jesus walked again – in the land of the living! The land of the living isn’t necessarily a place of peace but it is a place where life wins over death.

As Eugene Peterson wrote:
​That’s where we Christians are stationed to affirm the primacy of life over death, to give a witness to the connectedness and preciousness of all life, to engage in the practice of resurrection.

We do this by gathering in congregations and regular worship before our life-giving God and our death-defeating Christ and our life-abounding Holy Spirit. We do it by reading, pondering, teaching, and preaching the Word of Life as it is revealed in our Scriptures. We do it by baptizing men, women, and children in the name of the Trinity, nurturing them into a resurrection life. We do it by eating the life of Jesus in the bread and wine of the Eucharist. We do it by visiting prisoners, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, healing the sick, working for justice, loving our enemies, raising our children, doing our everyday work to the glory of God.

This Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, will be such a time: a time to challenge the forces of death and destruction with the incredibly powerful news that Jesus is alive. Life wins!

You, Lord Jesus, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling. May I may walk before you in the land of the living to your eternal praise and glory. Amen.  

Be Courageous!
by Jean Hershey

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

I’ve always loved the word courageous. It means, “not deterred by danger or pain; brave.” When you hear someone say, Be Courageous! It sounds simple, yes. But its not so easy really, is it.

By definition, courageous people believe in themselves. They know who they are and what they stand for. They have strong values, recognize their personal capabilities, and are confident in meeting the challenges that lie before them. Courageous people are passionate and purposeful.

The Bible teaches that we are to take courage from the fact that He never leaves us or forsakes us. ... Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” With God, you can face your fear. You are not alone.

I will say here that being courageous doesn’t mean that you won’t be afraid. That is not always realistic. Instead, being courageous means to press through the fear when you feel afraid. In fact, sometimes your knees will shake or your anxiety will rise. Your mind may even start racing away with all kinds of “what if” thoughts.

About the time this happens, that’s when you have to kick into overdrive and let the Word of God take over. That’s when you have to plunge through your fear and trust in Him. You have to trust God beyond your fears.

God laid out a plan if you read a little bit before verse 9 in Joshua, "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it."

I know it is not an easy thing to be brave and courageous as we face all kinds of fears in life. I have been there too many times and know that this can be tough. Personally, when things have looked dark, scary, or intimidating in my life, I’ve had to trust God beyond my fears. And it hasn’t been easy. However, that’s when the Lord would remind me, “Be strong and courageous, I am with you.” And I would have to repeat those words over and over again, and then walk in His strength and courage.

We, as Christians, know the plan, we have the tools! We are armed with the Word and God’s promise that he is with us, always. He even sent Jesus to seal the deal. We know the ending too, we win! So Be Courageous! Always!

Lord, help me to always remember that you walk with me every step of the way. I never have to face any fear alone, you are always there. Your Word strengthens me. With that faith help me to be courageous and live without fear. Amen,

Payette United Methodist Church
April 10, 2022
Palm Sunday (as recorded at Fruitland United Methodist Church)

Prelude “Ride on, Ride on in Majesty" Arranged by Lani Smith

Welcome
The lighting of the candles and welcoming the neighborhood to worship.

Interlude “Dona Nobis Pacem” Arranged by Ellen Foncannon

*Call to Worship
The story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, tells us that after his celebrated arrival. He went into the Temple and looked around at everything. 

As we gather here for worship today may it be with a sense that Jesus has walked in too, and is looking around. 

May our eyes be open to see Him, may our hearts be ready to be seen by Him, may our worship be worthy of His presence, and may we be transformed so that we see the world through his eyes. Amen. 

Children’s Processional with Congregational Singing
 “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna” UMH #278
1 Hosanna, loud hosanna
the little children sang;
through pillared court and temple
the lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them,
close folded to his breast,
the children sang their praises,
the simplest and the best.

2 From Olivet they followed
mid an exultant crowd,
the victory palm branch waving,
and chanting clear and loud.
The Lord of earth and heaven
rode on in lowly state,
nor scorned that little children
should on his bidding wait.

3 "Hosanna in the highest!"
That ancient song we sing,
for Christ is our Redeemer,
the Lord of heaven, our King.
O may we ever praise him
with heart and life and voice,
and in his blissful presence
eternally rejoice.

Responsive Reading based on Isaiah 6: 3
One: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.
All: The Lord of hosts is with us.
One: Let us lift up our hearts!
All: We lift them up to the Lord!
One: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God!
All: It is a good and joyful thing to give God thanks and praise!

Unison Invocation
On this day, your Son Jesus Christ entered the holy city of Jerusalem and was proclaimed King by those who spread their garments and palm branches along his way. Let those branches be for us signs of his victory, and grant that we who bear them in his name may ever hail him as our Lord, and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life. In his name we pray. Amen

Choir “Ride On, King Jesus”

Old Testament Reading Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29
Gospel Reading Luke 19 28-40
God’s Word for God’s People. Thanks Be To God!

Hymn “All Glory, Laud, and Honor” UMH #280
All glory, laud and honor,
To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
Thou art the King of Israel,
Thou David’s royal Son,
Who in the Lord’s 
Name comes,
The King and Blessèd One.

All glory, laud and honor,
To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
The company of angels
Are praising Thee on High,
And we with all creation 
in chorus make reply.

All glory, laud and honor,
To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
The people of the Hebrews
With palms before 
Thee went;
Our prayer and praise and anthems
Before Thee we present.

All glory, laud and honor,
To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
To thee, before thy passion, 
they sang their hymns 
of praise; to thee, 
now high exalted, 
our melody we raise.

Children’s Moment

Prayers of the People and The Lord’s Prayer

Offering Doxology “Glory Be to the Father” UMH #70
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen.

Message

Commitment Song “Are Ye Able” UMH #530
1 "Are ye able," said the Master,
"To be crucified with me?"
"Yea," the sturdy dreamers answered,
"To the death we follow Thee."

Refrain:
Lord, we are able.
Our spirits are Thine.
Remold them, make us,
Like Thee, divine.
Thy guiding radiance
Above us shall be
A beacon to God,
To love, and loyalty.

2 Are ye able to remember,
When a thief lifts up his eyes,
That his pardoned soul is worthy
Of a place in paradise? [Refrain]

3 Are ye able when the shadows
Close around you with the sod,
To believe that spirit triumphs,
To commend your soul to God? [Refrain]

4 "Are ye able?" Still the Master
Whispers down eternity,
And heroic spirits answer
Now, as then, in Galilee. [Refrain]

Unison Benediction*
May you know hope in the midst of doubts,
Assurance in times of questioning
And peace in the presence of conflict.
May your journey through Lent
Lead you ever closer to the heart of God,
And may God walk with you all your days.

Closing Hymn “God Be with You, Till We Meet Again” UMH #672

Postlude “All Glory, Laud and Honor”  St. Theodulph tune
Thank you for Worshiping with us today!

(CCLI License #1552544)​ 

​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.

​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.

Sally
by Pam Hardenbrook   
​
"Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it."  Hebrews 13:2

Sally was making a trip from Idaho to Georgia to see her son receive an honor for his Marine Corps service. It was in the mid-1960s and she had never traveled in the southeast—and she had never met a black person.

It was the second or third day of the trip when a young, very pregnant black woman and two small boys boarded, and it was all the young mother could do to manage the children and their belongings. Having been in similar circumstances when her own brood was young, Sally jumped in to help and got them settled near herself.

Sally chatted with the woman, helped entertain the children, and shared her snacks. Near lunchtime, the train stopped for awhile for some passengers to transfer to another train. Sally helped her new friends disembark and fetched their food from the depot lunch counter. The young family was taking another train from there, so Sally hugged them, and said good-bye. She never saw them again.

When Sally re-boarded, the atmosphere was changed. Other passengers, all of them white, were aloof, if not rude to her. But the train employees, who were black, treated her with extra kindness. Later, Sally went to the dining car. Careful not to overspend, she ordered a sandwich and coffee. When her meal arrived, it included much more than she ordered, plus a piece of pie. “Compliments,” said the dark-skinned waiter.

When Sally arrived at her destination, a porter gathered her bags and escorted her off the train to her waiting son. He simply said, “All of us thanks you for your kindness to that family. God bless you, Ma’am.”

Jesus’s parents took at least two long trips—once while expecting and once with the young Child. I wonder if there was someone like Sally to help them. I wonder if that person had any idea who the family was.

Heavenly Father, at this Lenten Season, open my eyes to those whom I can touch with kindness, grace, and love. Amen. 

Jesus Seeds
by Letha Essinger

"Then [Jesus] told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” Matthew 13:3-9

Growing up in Kansas on a dry-land farm I looked forward each year to the coming of spring, with all the newness of life that it brought. Baby chicks arrived in the back seat of the rural mail carrier's car, and baby piglets and new calves were born. Weeds and perennial flowers sprung up and bushes promised delicious berries in summer. My father prepared the soil in our gardens and our fields for planting. I loved planting the seeds, imagining the good food that would be harvested in summer and the beautiful flowers to enjoy.

I remember one summer I took a few dried peas and beans from Mom's pantry and made a secret little garden in the draw behind our house. I was delighted to see them actually grow.

I'm told that “you can take the girl out of Kansas, but you can't take Kansas out of the girl.” I still delight in playing in the dirt. The winter chores had better be finished before mid-March, or they will have to wait until fall. You will find me all spring, summer, and into fall in my garden.

Our youngest daughter inherited the “dirt-under-the-fingernails” gene. She plans her spring breaks from the university (where she works) to come play in the dirt with her mom.

I'm wondering – who planted the Jesus seeds in your life? Who was it that loved Jesus and wanted you to love him too?
We had Sunday school in our little one-room schoolhouse. One of my seed planter/saints was Sadie Intermill. She was the organizer that made sure Sunday school happened. The main thing I remember is singing with Mrs. Intermill playing every key on the piano, with exuberance, for us to sing “Jesus Loves Me,” “Brighten The Corner Where You Are,” or “Heavenly Sunshine.” We memorized Bible verses and little poems to recite. When I grew up, I wanted to be just like Sadie Intermill.

As a layperson, and later as a pastor, I pray that I planted some Jesus seeds in many lives. No matter that I could never play the piano. I still love to sing! Hymn of Promise, composed by Natalie Sleeth, captures the idea of how “Jesus seeds” grow and produce fruit.

In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree;
in cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter there's a spring that waits to be,
​unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

Our loving heavenly Father, thank you for those who planted “Jesus seeds” in my life. Grant me grace to share seeds of love, hope, and faith in the lives of others. 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

​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.

Payette United Methodist Church
April 3, 2022

Prelude “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” By Ludwig Van Beethoven, arranged by John Innes

Welcome
The lighting of the candles and welcoming the neighborhood to worship.

Interlude “How Majestic is Your Name”  By Michael W Smith, arranged by Lani Smith

*Call to Worship
 Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Calling Song “Great Is the Lord” TFWS #2022
Great is the Lord
He is holy and just
By His power we trust
In His love
Great is the Lord
He is faithful and true
By His mercy He proves
He is love

Great is the Lord
And worthy of glory
Great is the Lord
And worthy of praise
Great is the Lord
Now lift up your voice
Now lift up your voice
Great is the Lord
Great is the Lord

Great is the Lord,
He is holy and just
By His power we trust
In His love
Great is the Lord
He is faithful, and true
By His mercy He proves
He is love

Great is the Lord
And worthy of glory
Great is the Lord
And worthy of praise
Great is the Lord
Now lift up your voice
Now lift up your voice
Great is the Lord
Great is the Lord

Great are you Lord
And worthy of glory
Great are you Lord
And worthy of praise
Great are you Lord
I lift up my voice
I lift up my voice
Great are you Lord
Great are you Lord

Responsive Reading
One: Lent is a coming home,
All: Home from weary years,
One: Home to calm our fears,
All: Home to dry our tears.
One: Lent is a coming home,
All: Home to remember our name,
One: Home to a warm embrace,
All: Home to a hopeful place,
One: Home to God's own heart,
All: Home to a renewal of joy and a song of love.

Unison Invocation
Loving God, patient Friend, walk with us this Lent and help us see our desire to be known, praised, admired for what it is. Help us see how we have bought into believing that our worth comes from what we do and how we are noticed.
Remind us that faithfulness is often hidden, humble and simple. Give us a generous dose of self-confidence mixed with humility. And when we get confused and out of balance, bring us home to our true selves and set our eyes upon Jesus, our companion and guide. Amen.

Choir “Give Me Jesus”

Old Testament Reading Isaiah 43:18-21
Gospel Reading John 12:1-8
God’s Word for God’s People. Thanks Be To God

Hymn “More Like You” TFWS #2167
More like You Jesus
More like You
Fill my heart with Your desire
To make me more like You
More like You Jesus
More like You
Touch my lips with holy fire
And make me more like You

Lord You are my mercy
Lord You are my grace
All my deepest sins
Have forever been erased
Draw me in Your presence
Lead me in Your ways
I long to bring You glory
In righteousness and praise

Children’s Moment

Offering Doxology “The Gift of Love” UMH #408
Though I may speak with bravest fire,
and have the gift to all inspire,
and have not love, my words are vain,
as sounding brass, and hopeless gain.

Though I may give all I possess,
and striving so my love profess,
but not be given by love within,
the profit soon turns strangely thin.

Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control,
our spirits long to be made whole.
Let inward love guide every deed;
by this we worship, and are freed.

Message “Love In the Name of Christ”

The Communion Service
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.

Communion Hymn “In Remembrance of Me” TFWS #2254

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. 
Forgive us, we pray.
Our feet have strayed from the path of Christ and we have wandered from you.
Forgive us, we pray.
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.

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.
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
Thanks be to God!

Bread and 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.

Unison Benediction*
May you know hope in the midst of doubts,
assurance in times of questioning
and peace in the presence of conflict.
May your journey through Lent
lead you ever closer to the heart of God,
and may God walk with you all your days.

Closing Hymn “The Trees of the Fields” TFWS #2279
You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace,
And the mountains and the hills will break forth before you.
There'll be shouts of joy and the trees of the fields
Will clap, will clap their hands.

And the trees of the fields will clap their hands,
And the trees of the fields will clap their hands,
And the trees of the fields will clap their hands,
While you go out with joy.

Postlude “Fanfare”  By Jean Joseph Mouret, arranged by Lani Smith
Thank you for Worshiping with us today!

(CCLI License #1552544)​ ​

Facing the Hard Truth
by Chase Van Weerdhuizen

"So the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shapan, and Asiah went to the prophetess Huldah…. She declared to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me, Thus says the Lord, I will indeed bring disaster on this place and on its inhabitants — all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read.”" 2 Kings 22:14-15

The prophetess Huldah gets nine verses in the Bible, but boy does she use them! According to Rabbinic thought, King Josiah likely sent his men to Huldah expecting that since she was a woman she would have kinder words for him about his kingdom than the doom and gloom of the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah wasn’t known for being a happy camper at the time. Unfortunately what Josiah got still wasn’t the best news. If you read the entire story, God lets King Josiah off the hook for his piety, but speaking on behalf of God, Huldah had a lot to say about his chosen people. 

Often in our lives we know the hard truths. We have to actually go out and pull those weeds or they’ll keep coming back. We should put our phones down before bed so that we can actually fall asleep. We even do a quick internet search that says, “Yes, you do need to pull them out” and “Yes, you do need to put your phone down before bed.” We ask our coworker and they concur. We ask our family and they say the same thing.

But there has to be a way to not face the hard truth, right? We take a weed whacker to those pesky goat heads! We buy special glasses that cut down on certain light frequencies so that we can still sit on our phones past bedtime! But unfortunately we still end up with weeds and we wake up tired.

There are certain messages we can expect from God over and over again. When there is injustice in his kingdom, he will bring peace. Where people are cast aside, he will lift them up! Where there is death, he will bring resurrection! And he wants us to be a part of the process.

It may be uncomfortable for us to face facts and join in the work. We may not want to listen to the answer we know we’ll hear, but God’s truth won’t change no matter which source we go to. 
​
Dear God, Today please open my ears to your messengers. Help me to tackle the hard challenges instead of the easy solutions. Amen.

God Will Take Care of You
by Leslie Olson
​
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1

An old hymn, found in our United Methodist Hymnal was written in 1904. The title is “God Will Take Care of You.” The second verse reads:

Through days of toil when heart doth fail, God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you.
God will take care of you, through every day, o’er all the way,
He will take care of you; God will take care of you.

My life has been blessed with good health, a loving family, nice Christian friends, and comfortable surroundings. I thank God each day for his many blessings. However, I likely tend to be complacent in realizing that God does take care of me, instead, feeling as if I am in control. Yet, I’m sure he has been with me and saved me from doing harm to others and to myself at different times in my life.

His presence was proved to me last month as I was driving on the freeway, coming home from Caldwell. I used very poor judgment and suddenly realized I was not in control of my car. I was within seconds of causing a very serious, multi-vehicle accident. Panic set in, and my reflexes seemed to freeze. There’s no doubt in my heart and mind that God was with me and took control of the situation, preventing my causing a very bad accident, which could have resulted in the fatality of others and myself. I think of that situation every day and thank God for reminding me that he does work in my life to care for me.

Lord, I praise you for being with us in our lives, especially in our times of need. I pray that I might always feel you working in my life throughout each day; please strengthen my faith in your loving presence. Amen.