Worship Service – March 21, 2021

The Building is Closed and the Church is Open

While we have restricted access to the building, Peace Church is very much open to ministry—working to respond to our own congregation, as well as the needs of our neighbors and community.  Please consider giving either to Peace Church general fund or the Gabriel Fund – which is used to meet the needs in the community.

We recognize that in this time, people’s financial situations may have changed. We ask you to prayerfully consider what you can give.  If you use electronic giving, we thank you for your constancy of support.  If you would like to give through our online form, we would be grateful. For all the contributions from our members and friends—whether financial, time, or prayer—we ask God’s blessings on those gifts that Peace Church may be healing balm in this time when we are living in our own Gilead.

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March 21, 2020  ⁂  10:30am

Liturgists
The People of Peace Church
Maggie Fink, ASL Interpreter
John Pokrzywinski, Lay Reader
Jim Pospisil, Music Director
Nathan Holst, Faith Formation Minister
Rev. Greg Briggs, Interim Minister

Prelude

Announcements and Ringing of the Peace Bells

God is Revealed as We Gather

*Responsive Call to Worship

Turn from your desires in this world,
Turn your hearts upon Jesus.
Turn your thoughts from envy and pride,
Turn your minds upon Jesus.
Turn from your actions of self-preservation,
Turn to living as Jesus did, becoming last of all and servant of all.
Turn! Turn! Turn from the things that are temporary and fleeting;
Turn your lives to the ways of Jesus.
In this time of worship,
may we be challenged, may we be convicted, and may we turn to Jesus and his love for us. Amen.

Opening Hymn   “Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness”    (#286)

Unison Prayer of Confession

Loving One, we confess that we get caught up in the day-to-day struggles of life and forget there is so much more. We are tired, exhausted even, and sometimes just want to focus on ourselves. Forgive us for our privilege that at times offers us an escape to ignore the plight of others. Forgive us for failing to recognize the interconnected world we are in. Forgive us for the times we exaggerate our own struggles at the cost of meeting the needs of others. Forgive us for laying burdens upon ourselves that make it difficult to live into Your ways. Call us into Your way of love. Help us to let go of the burdens we have taken on unnecessarily. Help us to reach out to ask for help when we need it, and to offer help when we can. Remind us that You called us to be a people of covenant with You, but also with one another, and that we need each other. Hold us to the promise to carry one another’s burdens. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Story for All Ages by Greg Briggs

God is Revealed in the Word

God’s Word in the Gospel:   John 12:20-33

Special Music by Ian Connell

Sermon by Nathan Holst

Hymn   “I Will Lift You Up”   (#7 in P&W Songbook))

We Respond to God’s Presence

Sharing Our Prayer Concerns, Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer
by Nathan Holst, Prayer of Our Savior (retranslation from the Aramaic by unknown)

O Breathing Life, your Name shines everywhere!
Release a space to plant your Presence here.
Imagine your possibilities now.
Embody your desire in every light and form.
Grow through us this moment’s bread and wisdom.
Untie the knots of failure binding us, as we release the strands we hold of others’ faults.
Help us not forget our Source, yet free us from not being in the Present.
From you arises every Vision, Power and Song from gathering to gathering.
Amen! May our future actions grow from here!

Choral Amen

Sharing our Offerings

Offertory

*The Thanksgiving   (Doxology)

*Prayer of Dedication

Wherever we are, however we can, may the gifts we offer in these days bring hope to those who hunger for justice, bring healing to the grieving, bring community to those so alone in these moments. In Jesus’ name, we pray.   Amen.

Closing Song    “Be Now My Vision”    (#451)

Benediction

Postlude

Worship Resources are from Rev. Mindi Welton Mitchell, http://rev-o-lution.org/