We held virtual worship on Sunday, March 7, 2021 at 10AM! You can watch a recording on Facebook by clicking here, or you may watch below.
WELCOME Jessica, Jeff, and Julia
CALL TO WORSHIP
Again and again,
We come to this space.
Again and again,
We gather as a community.
Again and again,
We move closer to God.
And again and again,
God is here.
We are met.
We are heard.
We are shown the way.
So again and again,
Let us worship our holy God.
CALL TO CONFESSION
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
God of Justice, We are guilty of building tables.
We have built tables that oppression dines on, sexism thrives on, and racism lives on.
God of Justice, We are guilty of forgetting where we are,
Of turning faith into a negotiation tool and the church into a place for insiders.
God of Justice, We are guilty of ignoring the point;
For you taught that the temple was for worship and your message was for all.
God of our hearts,
Be in our decision making.
Draw near to our choices.
Forgive our mistakes.
And as you do,
Flip every table, habit, belief, or point of view that needs adjusting.
With hope we pray for a better day. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS
Siblings in Christ, Family of faith,
The good news is that God took on flesh and walked this earth to show us the way.
God took on flesh so that we could see what it looks like
to disrupt and overturn systems of corruption.
God took on flesh to teach us another way.
God took on flesh to point us to restoration.
God took on flesh so that we might be forgiven.
Friends, we are held, loved, and forgiven by a just and merciful God.
Thanks be to God for a love like that.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
GOSPEL John 2:13-22 Alison Guile
The Jewish Passover was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a drover’s whip of braided cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also scattered the coins of the money changers and knocked over their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!”
His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Temple authorities then said to him, “What signs can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.” They retorted, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking of the sanctuary of his body. Thus, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and this saying that Jesus had uttered.
REFLECTION Whip It Good Barb & Mitchell
AGAIN & AGAIN: We Are Shown the Way Elissa Johnsen
MUSIC How Deep the Father’s Love For Us Music & photos by Kathryn Parker
PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
We give thanks, O God, that you don’t just watch “from a distance,”
that you are a God who knows fierce love and caring anger,
A God who stands with the underdog,
Who passionately protects the suffering,
And who overturns systems of corruption.
We give thanks that you are a God who leads by example—
Feeding the hungry,
Welcoming the children,
Offering water to the Samaritan,
Eating with the tax collector,
Healing the sick,
Preaching from the mountaintop,
And offering second chances.
We give thanks that you are a God who knew that we would lose our way,
And still said, “This is my body broken for you,”
A God who knew our capacity for mistakes,
And still said, “I’m going to prepare a place for you.”
And because of this love,
We know that You show us the way,
Again and again and again.
SHARING PRAYERS & LORD’S PRAYER
COMMUNION
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LENT BENEDICTION
As you leave this space,
May your mouth speak of God’s goodness.
May your arms hold those in need.
May your feet walk toward justice.
May your heart trust its worth.
May your soul dance in God’s grace.
And may this be your rhythm—
Again and again and again,
Until God’s promised day.
In the name of the Lover, the Beloved, and Love itself,
Go with courage, go with heart, go in peace.
POSTLUDE Introduction and Fughetta music & photos
by Kathryn Parker
Liturgy by Sarah Are | A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org
