The Order of Worship – March 30, 2025

This is the 89th Day of 2024.
There are 276 days remaining in 2024.

Filled with the Holy Spirit,
we are a people of prayer
committed to love one another
and equipped to share Christ’s love throughout the world.

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Prelude:

Welcome & Announcements:
This month’s mission focus is the Delta State Wesley Foundation
Bible Study is at afaithtalk.com
Five Loaves tonight.

Call to Worship: Holy Ground

Responsive Reading:   Psalm 32
Mercy embraces us

¹ Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
² Happy are those to whom
the LORD imputes no iniquity, 
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

³ While I kept silence, my body wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
⁴ For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; 
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

⁵ Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity; 
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” 
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

⁶ Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; 
at a time of distress,
the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.

⁷ You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble; 
you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.

⁸ I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; 
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

⁹ Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, 
whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, 
else it will not stay near you.

¹⁰ Many are the torments of the wicked, 
but steadfast love surrounds
those who trust in the LORD.

¹¹ Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous, 
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.

Praise The Lord 

Opening Hymn: This is the Day of New Beginnings…# 383 (D)

Verse 1

This is a day of new beginnings,
time to remember and move on,
time to believe what love is bringing,
laying to rest the pain that’s gone. 

Verse 2

For by the life and death of Jesus,
God’s mighty Spirit, now as then,
can make for us a world of difference,
as faith and hope are born again.

Verse 4

Christ is alive and goes before us
to show and share what love can do.
This is a day of new beginnings
our God is making all things new. 

Affirmation of Faith:
The Apostle’s Creed..No. 881

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
and 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,
dead,
and buried;
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge
the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Gloria Patri…Page 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.

Praise Song: His Eye is On The Sparrow…231 (C)

Why should I feel discouraged,
Why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely
And long for Heav’n and home,
When Jesus is my portion?

My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me.
I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,”
His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness,
I lose my doubts and fears;
Tho’ by the path He leadeth
But one step I may see:
His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me.
Whenever I am tempted, Whenever clouds a-rise,
When songs give place to sighing,
When hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him,
From care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches for me;
His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches for me.
I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me. 

Pastoral Prayer
Contact us here to add your concern to our prayer list.

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 trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever. Amen.

Anthem: Anthem: What Wondrous Love is This

Offertory

Doxology:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen

Children’s Moment
Children’s Song (Do Lord)

Verse 1

I’ve got a home in glory land that outshines the sun.
I’ve got a home in glory land that outshines the sun.
I’ve got a home in glory land that outshines the sun;
Way beyond the blue.

Chorus

Do, Lord, Oh do, Lord, Oh do you remember me?
Do, Lord, Oh do, Lord, Oh do you remember me?
Do, Lord, Oh do, Lord, Oh do you remember me
Way beyond the blue

Verse 2

I took Jesus as my Savior, you take him too.
I took Jesus as my Savior, you take him too.
I took Jesus as my Savior, you take him too;
Way beyond the blue.

Chorus

Do, Lord, Oh do, Lord, Oh do you remember me?
Do, Lord, Oh do, Lord, Oh do you remember me?
Do, Lord, Oh do, Lord, Oh do you remember me
Way beyond the blue

Prayer for Illumination
Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the Scriptures are read and your Word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.

Gospel Reading: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
The parable of the forgiving father

¹ Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. ² And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ So he told them this parable:

^11b “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. ¹³ A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.

¹⁴ When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶ He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸ I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.’”

²⁰ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. ²¹ Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²² But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe–the best one–and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; ²⁴ for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

²⁵ Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. ²⁷ He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’

²⁸ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’

³¹ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’” 

Leader: The Word of God for the people of God
All: Thanks be to God

New Testament Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
The mystery and ministry of reconciliation

¹⁶ From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. ¹⁷ So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. ²⁰ So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

Leader: The Word of God for the people of God
All: Thanks be to God

Sermon Text:  Joshua 5:9-12
Israel eats bread and grain

⁹ The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” And so that place is called Gilgal to this day.

¹⁰ While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal, they kept the Passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. ¹¹ On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and roasted grain. 

¹² The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

Leader: This is The Word of God for the people of God
People: Thanks be to God.

Sermon:  “A New Beginning”

Closing Hymn: The Church’s One Foundation… #545 (1&5) (Eb)

Verse 1

The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord;
she is his new creation by water and the Word;
from heaven he came and sought her to be His holy bride;
with His own blood he bought her, and for her life he died.

Verse 5

Yet she on earth has union with God the Three in One,
and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won.
Oh, happy ones, and holy! Lord, give us grace that we
like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with thee.

Filled Up and Poured Out

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