Veradale United Church of Christ
An Open & Affirming Congregation
Worshiping God in Christ – Welcoming All – Working for Justice & Peace
“No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here!”
March 17, 2024 • 10:30 a.m.
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Worship Leaders
Wayne Shull, Music Director (vacationing)
Tom Cuilla, Usher
Jerry Brines, Usher
Diane Smith, Scripture reader
______, Candle lighter
Scotty Patton, Zoom Monitor
________, Fellowship Set-Up
__________, Fellowship Clean-up
Rev. Genavieve Heywood, Pastor
Gathering and Prelude
Recording of Blowin’ in the Wind
10:30am Land Acknowledgement
We worship on the unceded traditional territory of the Spokane, Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla, Coeur d’Alene, and other tribes. We acknowledge the history of indigenous genocide, removal, and erasure that continues to this day. We recognize the role that Christian communities played in these injustices, and we recommit ourselves to seeking more peaceful, just, and neighborly ways of sharing this land with all who call it home.
Worship Begins
God seeks our healing . . . all the time!
All the time . . . God seeks our healing!
Service and Fellowship Opportunities
String-A-Lings practice Monday 6pm
Bible Study Monday at 7pm
Silent Prayer, Tuesday 9:00 to 9:30am
Sing-A-Lings (a.k.a.Choir) practice Wednesday 6:30pm
Community giving this month: Mardi-Bras
One Great Hour of Sharing – donating to global helping ministries.
*Welcoming the Light of Christ
We bring forward rocks that symbolize the barriers and burdens that keep us from embracing God’s steadfast love.
Hymn: Praise the Lord, My Soul
Praise the Lord, my soul, let fire and rain give praise to God, give praise to God who is merciful, slow to judge. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Bless the Lord, my soul, let all I am give praise to God, and not forget God is king, God forgives our sins. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Merciful and kind, God knows that we are made of dust, and like the flowers that flourish, we soon must die. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Glory to our God, let all that is give praise to God, give praise to God, all you creatures who live God’s love. Bless the Lord, O my soul, bless the Lord, O my soul.
Call to Confession
One: Seek God; call upon God; God is here. Trusting in the compassion and mercy of God, we pray:
Prayer of Confession
From the Presbyterian Church USA
Forgive us, God, for the many ways that we fail to trust your promise.
Too often we count the trespasses of others, as though we were the ones to judge. Too often we fail to believe that your gifts are freely given. Too often we spend our money for that which is not bread, and our labor for that which does not satisfy. Help us, loving God. Forgive us when we operate out of scarcity and fear rather than out of your abundant, good gifts. Help us to live as your trusting, sharing, reconciling people.
Silent Confessions with God
Assurance of Pardon
(from 2 Corinthians 5)
One: Beloved in Christ: God was in Christ reconciling the world, not counting our wrongs against us, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, anyone in Christ is a new creation! The past is gone; everything has become fresh and new. Hear and believe the good news of the Gospel: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
All: Thanks be to God! Amen.
Community Prayer
Taize chant: Where love and caring are there is God. (Repeat)
Prayers of Gratitude
Where love and caring are there is God. (Repeat)
Prayers of Concern
Where love and caring are there is God. (Repeat)
Silent Prayer
Where love and caring are there is God. (Repeat)
The Lord’s Prayer
A version of The Lord’s Prayer from The New Zealand Prayer BookEternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver, Source of all that is and that shall be, Father and Mother of us all, Loving God, in whom is heaven: The hallowing of your name echo through the universe! The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world! Your heavenly will be done by all created beings! Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth. With the bread we need for today, feed us. In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us. In times of temptation and testing, strengthen us. From trials too great to endure, spare us. From the grip of all that is evil, free us. For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and for ever. Amen.
Response: 812 (NCH) Amen. Amen. Amen.
A Time of Offering
An Invitation to Share
*Offering Acclamation: Taizé Chant: Lord Jesus Christ your light shines within us, let not my doubt nor my darkness speak to me. Lord Jesus Christ your light shines within us. Let my heart always welcome your love.
Dedication prayer: Give of light and love, pour out your Spirit on these offerings of our time, talent, and treasure. Multiply our giving that this little church may be an embassy of your realm of compassion and justice. We ask as we serve our Lord Jesus. Amen
Ask the Pastor
Listening for God
First a little about the Rod and Snake of Healing
Numbers 21:4-9 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom, but the people became discouraged on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” So Moses made a serpent of bronze and put it upon a pole, and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.
John 3:14-21 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned, but those who do not believe are condemned already because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”
Message: Jesus, the Healer of the World
Meditation in Music: Peace Prayer verses 1-3
Lord, make me a means of your peace. Where there’s hatred grown, let me sow your love. Where there’s injury, Lord, let forgiveness be my sword. Lord, make me a means of your peace.
Lord, make me a means of your peace. Where there’s doubt and fear, let me sow your faith. In this world’s despair, give me hope in you to share. Lord, make me a means of your peace.
Lord, make me a means of your peace.
When there’s sadness here, let me sow your joy. When the darkness nears, may your light dispel our fears. Lord, make me a means of your peace.
Our Light moves into the World God Loves
Closing Hymn: Peace Prayer verses 4-6
Lord, grant me to seek and to share. Less to be consoled than to help console, less be understood than to understand your good. Lord, make me a means of your peace.
Lord, grant me to seek and to share. To receive love less than to give love free, just to give in Thee, just receiving from your tree. Lord, make me a means of your peace.
Lord, grant me to seek and to share. To forgive in Thee, you’ve forgiven me. For to die in Thee is eternal life to me. Lord, make me a means of your peace.
Benediction and Blessing
(St. Patrick’s Prayer)
May the strength of God pilot us. May the power of God preserve us. May the wisdom of God instruct us. May the hand of God protect us. May the Way of God direct us. May the shield of God defend us. May the host of God guard us against the snares of the evil ones, against temptations of the world. May Christ be with us! May Christ be before us! May Christ be in us, Christ overall. May your salvation, Lord, always be ours, this day, O Lord, and forever more. Amen
Be Yourself.
Grow in Christ.
Live with Compassion.