Liturgy & Sermon

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Blacknall Online Worship
March 15, 2020

Invocation
“Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken, but endures forever.
For as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people,
now and forever.” (Psalm 125:1-2)

We come before you, Faithful God, knowing that we are small and prone to fear.
May we hear Your voice of comfort and assurance –
as You say many times in Scripture, “Don’t be afraid.”
Help us to sing a new song, even praise unto our God! Amen.

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
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.

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.

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

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!

Words and Music by T.O. Chisholm and W. M. Runyan
© 1923, renewed 1951, Hope Publishing Company. CCLI #43066

Scripture Reading: Psalm 23
The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

“Be Thou My Vision”
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word,
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I in Thee one.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all!

Traditional Irish hymn, trans. Mary Byrne, 1905.

Prayers of Confession
Lord God Almighty, Your word proclaims that Your law is perfect, reviving the soul;
we confess that our souls are deadened, in need of reviving.
Your commandments are clear, enlightening the eyes;
we confess that our sight is dim and distorted;
we look to our desires, and look away from the needs of those around us.
Your ordinances are true and righteous;
we confess that we are quick to disregard Your will for us;
we are eager to believe what is false.
In Your mercy, O God, shine Your light, forgive our sin, revive our souls,
give us sight in place of our blindness, and lead us in the way of truth and right.
We pray through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon
Friends, it is true!
Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation – the old life has gone, a new life has begun.
In Jesus Christ, you are forgiven – thanks be to God!

Passing the Peace

Affirmation of Faith: Apostles Creed
We 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; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. We 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.

Proclamation of the Word: 1 Corinthians 10:23 – 11:1 Goodie Bell

23 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.
“I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.
24 No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.
25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,
26 for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”
27 If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go,
eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience.
28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it,
both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience.
29 I am referring to the other person’s conscience, not yours.
For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience?
30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness,
why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—
33 even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
11 1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

Song of Response: “In Christ Alone”
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine –
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand!

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Lord, none of what we experience, including the Coronavirus, surprises You.
You agreed to be limited because of love for us and You know what it is to suffer on behalf of the whole world.
You say, “In this world you will have trouble, but don’t be afraid. I have overcome the world.”
You say, “I am your keeper.”
You say, “I am with you always...”
Remind us that You are with us and Your heart goes out for the whole world.
Make this an opportunity for us to sit still and listen for the invitations You have for us...
Prompt us to contact those specific people we know who may feel isolated—next door or two states away.
Help us have the moral courage and love to abide by the limits to slow the spread,
and to make connections to help others.
Open our eyes to ways this affects people who are different than us.
We pray especially for those who are ill, for health care workers,
for folks who live day to day and who don’t have enough work.
As we act in Your will, surprising things can happen.
Help us be the ones who lead our neighborhoods into making connections.
You, Holy Spirit, are endlessly creative.
Help us to use our resources to empower the helpers and join them,
such as Rev. Belcher at St. John’s and the Walltown Food Pantry, Families Moving Forward, and others.
Pray for anyone in authority—mayor, governor, president, and international leaders—
give wisdom to all who make decisions for the good of all.
And Lord, we pray for Lucy and Evan, and the whole Dunderdale-Cate family
as they gather to grieve the death of Moses David.
We lament together for them and with them, just as You do.
Our hearts break that we can’t gather with them for a service.
Thank You for the life of Moses—he is intimately known by You, just as You know each of us.

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 and ever.
Amen.

“He Who Watches Over You”
He who watches over you will never slumber nor sleep;
He who watches over you will never slumber nor sleep.
O My child, lay your burdens down, lay them at My feet.
He who watches over you will never slumber nor sleep.