Sunday, March 6, 2022

Payette United Methodist Church
March 6, 2022
First Sunday of Lent
Communion Sunday

Prelude 

Welcome and Announcements
 
*Call to Worship
“The Family of God”
I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God
I've been washed in the fountain
Cleansed by His blood
Joint heirs with Jesus
As we travel this sod
For I'm part of the family
The family of God

Hymn: “We Gather Together”  UMH#131 all vs.        
We gather together
to ask the Lord's blessing;
he chastens and hastens
his will to make known.
The wicked oppressing
now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to his name;
he forgets not his own.

Beside us to guide us,
our God with us joining,
ordaining, maintaining
his kingdom divine;
so from the beginning
the fight we were winning;
thou, Lord, wast at our side,
all glory be thine!

We all do extol thee,
thou leader triumphant,
and pray that thou still
our defender wilt be.
Let thy congregation
escape tribulation;
thy name be ever praised!
O Lord, make us free!

Responsive Reading from Psalm 91
Leader: Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest  in the shadow of the Almighty.
People: They say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my  God, in whom I trust.”
Leader: “Because they love me,” says the Lord, “I will protect them,  for they acknowledge my name. They will call on me, and I  will answer them”
All: He will be with us when trouble comes.

Unison Invocation
“Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid…”
Let us be honest with ourselves and you. 
Save us from believing we can live without you.
Enable us to name our hopes and joys, guilt and fears.
“That we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify your holy name.”
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, we pray. Amen

Hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”    UMH#140  vs. 1,3
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

Offering Prayer

Old Testament Reading - Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Gospel Reading - Luke 4:1-13
God’s Word for God’s People. Thanks Be To God

Message “First Love” Revelation 2: 1-7
Sermon Notes:
Toward the end of the First Century (AD) John the Apostle was imprisoned at
the penal colony on Patmos, an island in the Aegean Sea between Greece
and what is now Turkey. It was there that John wrote the Book of Revelation
(the last book in the Bible).

At the time of his imprisonment and the writing of this book, John was
probably in his late 90s and the only living original apostles that Jesus chose.
When called to follow Jesus he and his brother James were commercial
fishermen who fished the Sea of Galilee.

He is the Spirit-inspired author of the Gospel of John, the letters of First,
Second, and Third John, and the Revelation of John.

One Sunday morning John was “in the Spirt” (Revelation1:10) and
experienced a visit from “the First and the Last,” (Revelation 1:17) and was
commanded to write down what he was to see. John did just that. His first
assignment was to write letters to seven churches that were in seven cities in
the western part of Turkey.

Today’s sermon takes it shape from the first of those letters. It was written to
the church which was in the city of Ephesus. You can read how the Ephesian
church came to exist by reading Acts 19. It’s quite a story! Paul wrote a letter
to this congregation. It was to become an important and influence church in
the early history of Christianity.
​
Now, toward the end of the First Century (AD) the congregation receives
another letter. This one came from Patmos claiming to be dictated to John
(their beloved Bishop) by none other than Jesus, the Resurrected Messiah.

Communion Hymn: “Eat This Bread”   UMH#628 2x     
Eat this bread, Drink this cup
Come to him and never be hungry.
Eat this bread, Drink this cup,
Trust in him and you will not thirst.

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.

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.

Commitment Hymn: "He Leadeth Me" UMH #128 vs 1, 3
He leadeth me: O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate'er I do, where'er I be,
still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.

Refrain:
He leadeth me, he leadeth me;
by his own hand he leadeth me:
his faithful follower I would be,
for by his hand he leadeth me.

Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine,
nor ever murmur nor repine;
content, whatever lot I see,
since 'tis my God that leadeth me. Refrain

Unison 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.
                                                  *from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals

Postlude
Thank you for Worshiping with us today!

(CCLI License #1552544)​ 

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