Bread and More Soup Kitchen continues to serve a free to-go meal every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30-6:15.
We are an open and affirming member of the United Church of Christ and no matter who you are or where you are in life's journey, you are welcome here. Contact the Pastor, the Rev. Dr. Murray at 631-727-2621 for more information.
Announcements:
Lenten Schedule: Midweek Lenten Services will be held at 7pm each Wednesday.
Below is the schedule:
March 26: Old Steeple
April 2: FCCR
April 9: Salvation Army
Church services are held at 10:00 am usually followed by a coffee hour. Please join us.
Ash Wednesday Services will be held in our sanctuary on Wednesday, March 5 at 7:00. All are welcome.
Alley Cat Thrift Shop: Donations of adult clothing , shoes and small household items are accepted Tuesday and Thursday from 10-2 and Saturday 9-1 only. No furniture or children's items accepted.
Sunday School: Please call our church office if you would like your child to join. Sunday School is held during church services.
If you would like to join us on Zoom , please follow the link
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86897065711?
pwd=a0FZcDg5MnRqKz-JMQXRLVzIBTGZFQT09 to start or join a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Meeting ID: 850 1493 9172
Passcode: 7272621
Third Sunday in Lent
A Service of the Word
March 23, 2025 ✦ 10am
OPENING WORDS:
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE: Intermezzo Kim
(Once the music begins we ask that you would please maintain respectful silence)
*CHORAL INTROIT:
We are here this day to share God's love;
We have come with burdens and cares,
For within this place, we are bound as one
In this fellowship, we share.
*CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters.
You who have no money, come, buy, and eat!
Many: Our souls thirst for God in a dry and weary land.
We seek God’s presence in all our days.
One: Listen carefully to God and eat what is good;
delight yourselves in the rich good God provides.
Many: Here our souls are satisfied as with a rich feast.
Together our mouths praise God with joyful lips.
One: God offers us steadfast love and a covenant relationship.
We are called to be faithful followers of our loving God.
ALL: We have come to meditate on the living God.
We seek inspiration and empowerment to do what God asks.
*HYMN: What a Friend We Have in Jesus No. 506
WELCOME
PRAYER OF INVOCATION:
We come before you, gracious God, seeking what money cannot buy. Only you can provide nourishment for our souls. There is no other source of meaning in our mixed-up world. We can find no fountain of strength or sustenance apart from you. Surely you can be found where two or three are gathered together. As a community of faith, we call on you, believing that you are nearer than our next breath, more available to us than we can think, more caring than we ever dare to imagine. Uphold us now that we may worship on wings of joy. Amen.
CHILDREN’S TIME
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS
Lenten Schedule: Midweek Lenten Services will be held at 7pm each Wednesday: Below is the schedule:
March 26: Old Steeple
April 2: FCCR
April 9: Salvation Army
A TIME OF PRAYER:
❖ Pastoral Prayer
Eternal God, whose call comes to us through the scriptures, in the remembrance of our baptism and in our shared life in the church, feed us now with your Word, that we may bear fruit. Confront us with your truth and keep us from being tempted beyond our strength, for we seek to be faithful in our covenant with you and responsible in our relationships with one another. May we together witness to your steadfast love in ways that transform evil into good….
❖ Silent Prayer
❖ 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 debts as we forgive our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory,
now and forever. Amen.
MISSION MOMENT: One Great Hour of Sharing
OFFERING & OFFERTORY: O Love Hagenbers
*DOXOLOGY AND BLESSING OF GIFTS:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, you heavenly host:
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
❖ Isaiah 55:1-9 OT page 645
❖ Psalm 63:1-8 Hymnal Page 660
❖ 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 NT Page 151
❖ Luke 13:1-9 NT Page 66
SERMON: “Help with the Test”
Despite Isaiah’s invitation to the free feast by the riverside, it wasn’t the good eats or drink that stood out to me as I considered the readings. Rather, the line that spoke to me was the last verse from our second reading from 1 Corinthians:
No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.
Testing. What is it that tests us? Mind you, I’m pretty certain Paul does not have any algebra or other schooling in mind other than the bigger school of life. The tests of life. Now although kids, pets, or ever adults will sometimes test our patience, I don’t know them to be the real tests of life. That which truly tests us is bigger: it is the times of crisis, loss and fear that test us. It’s the diagnosis, the bad break, the times of illness; it’s the setback, the financial peril, the institutional screw-ups; it’s the crime, the violence, and all that attendant anxiety and depression; those are the things that really test us.
I take a little bit of issue with Paul’s read, even in this part. He asserts that no testing comes our way that “is not common to everyone.” I’m pretty certain that which has and does still test us isn’t common to everyone. Each of us has our own unique tests. For some the back will go out, just as the tooth ache accelerates and then the rash comes on… or some such combination, as the old adage of bad things happening in threes is again proven true. And even if it’s just one big thing, such as a raging flood waters or blazing fires, the testing, the loss, is hardly “common to everyone.”
I’m sure you know what I’m talking about as rough times come our way and then seem to be compounded by the next challenge or an attendant crisis. We can get to a point of, “Really God?” But then I can check myself and know that it’s really not God who brings the trouble but just life. It’s God who comes to the rescue.
That’s another problem with that reading from 1 Corinthians. The more unfortunate part of Paul’s teaching is the serious overtones of what I call the "God-is-going-to-get-you" theology. Some of you might be familiar with such. It's, rather unfortunately, what Pastor Jonathan Edwards is most remembered for. He's the one who wrote and preached the sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." (Snappy title, right?) In it, Edwards assures the audience that God is gonna' get them and cast them straight into hell if they don't straighten up and fly right. It's something that doesn't appear to me to be a particularly endearing approach. Wouldn't we rather run into the arms of God who loves us profoundly rather than try to get on the good side of an angry God who could smite us at any moment? On the bright side, Paul isn't quite so scary. He does however offer a do-not list and suggests disastrous consequences if we do; such is the thinking that stems from ancient Jewish theology which proports bad things happen because we’ve managed to anger God. Anyway, here's the list that Paul offers: “Do not become idolaters, do not indulge in sexual immorality, do not put Christ to the test, and do not complain.” All of these instructions are set within the bounds of an argument centered on worshiping false gods and eating food offered to idols. The behavior that Paul hopes the people will avoid is behavior detrimental to their own well-being and to the well-being of those around them. And he knows such behavior is also detrimental to their relationship with God.
The God's-gonna'-get-you theology also figures into our Gospel lesson, but there too is good news. Jesus mentions a disaster, a tower that fell in Siloam, killing 18 people. Was the suffering of these people due to their sin? No, says Jesus. But unless you repent, there will be consequences; you'll meet a similar end. And sure enough, one day our time here is going to be up. There is a strong element of warning, a strong measure of judgment in Jesus' teaching. But there is also the unmistakable message of grace. Bad things happen, but God does not send tragedy because of our sin. And for the worthless fig tree, once help comes from God at work through the gardener, the verdict is: "Give it another year. Give it another chance."
Dr. Martin Luther King is credited for saying “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” For Dr. King, and for us, the where we stand must be with God and others. For there is help on the test. And as Psalm 121 reminds us, that help comes from God who made heaven and earth.
Life, unfortunately, is full of tests. Perseverance is long needed. And as Walter Elliot reminds us “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” (And I will add, at least we hope they’re short.) No matter what life throws at us, we do well to remind the strength and help of God. In this regard, Paul’s teaching is exceptionally solid as, with the closing affirmations, he does recover well from the earlier stuff: “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.”
Help with the test. No matter the struggle, the conflict, the loss, there is help to be had. Our God who is faithful and just, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, is in it all. And others, who have struggled in similar ways, can help us, too. We’re told to “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.” Know that God can always be found and is always near, for there is always help with the test.
*HYMN: God’s Eye Is on the Sparrow No. 475
https://youtu.be/Ei84uOUI2SY
*BENEDICTION
CHORAL BENEDICTION:
May the light of God shine on us today.
May the light of God shine on us today.
May it show us where to travel.
Lead us back if we should stray.
May the light of God shine on us today.
POSTLUDE: Trumpet Tune Purcell
Second Sunday in Lent
A Service of the Word
March 16, 2025 ✦ 10am
OPENING WORDS:
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE: Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain Kim
(Once the music begins we ask that you would please maintain respectful silence)
*CHORAL INTROIT:
We are here this day to share God's love;
We have come with burdens and cares,
For within this place, we are bound as one
In this fellowship, we share.
*CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: Put away your hesitation to come before God;
quiet your fears and anxieties, for God welcomes us.
Many: God is our light and our salvation;
whom shall I fear?
One: Look to the heavens for inspiration and assurance;
look around you, for God’s presence is everywhere.
Many: God is the stronghold of our lives;
we are upheld and blessed.
One: Let us watch and wait with our Creator;
let us trust in the one who gives life and hope.
ALL: Teach us your ways, O God,
and lead us on a level path.
*HYMN: O God, Our Help in Ages Past No. 25
WELCOME
PRAYER OF INVOCATION:
In this place, our hearts take courage. Your goodness is all around us. The trials and cares of life are stilled before you. Show us your face, O God; let your love be known to us. We need this hour to remember who we are, or let you gather us under your wings. We need this time to feel close to one another, to recognize ourselves as brothers and sisters. We need reminders of the humanity and glory of Jesus Christ that empower our discipleship. Hear our cries and help us. Amen.
CHILDREN’S TIME
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS
Lenten Schedule: Midweek Lenten Services will be held at 7pm each Wednesday.
Below is the schedule:
March 19: Riverhead United Methodist Church
March 26: Old Steeple
April 2: FCCR
April 9: Salvation Army
A TIME OF PRAYER:
❖ Pastoral Prayer
Self-revealing God, whom we meet in quiet retreats and on busy streets, take us now to the mountaintop. Be to us an overshadowing presence that gathers us into community so we may hear your voice and receive your Word. So empower us that we may be authentic witnesses for Jesus Christ wherever you send us. Amen.
❖ Silent Prayer
❖ 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 debts as we forgive our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory,
now and forever. Amen.
OFFERING & OFFERTORY: 23rd Psalm Althouse
*DOXOLOGY AND BLESSING OF GIFTS:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, you heavenly host:
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
❖ Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 OT page 11
❖ Psalm 27 Hymnal Page 637
❖ Philippians 3:17-4:1 NT Page 175
❖ Luke 13:31-35 NT Page 66
SERMON: “Standing Strong”
Paul writes to the beleaguered Philippians that they should “stand firm in the Lord.” That jumped out at me a bit. We don’t hear “stand firm” much; in my hearing, it’s “stand strong.” Such are the words of advice to the defensive line in football, soccer, or hockey for that matter. Stand strong against the attack.
Yet rather than a sports illustration for the theme today, a better one for me is that of the weatherman (or woman) on TV who got the field assignment rather than the studio. They’ve been asked to cover that fierce storm that’s pounding some town. We used to see those shots a lot: It’s the struggling reporter who can barely hold on an umbrella and is trying to report on a storm while being pounded by the rain and almost blown off the screen. Now that’s a place to stand strong.
The storms of life. There are certainly plenty of things that can shake us up and challenge us to stand strong: events and circumstances come our way that challenge our core understanding of God, the world and ourselves. There is social injustice and the suffering of innocents, war, terrorism as well as illness, personal tragedy, and the premature death of loved ones. Things happen and reports come our way drive us to look to God for answers as even we wrestle with ourselves, our core beliefs, and struggle to hold on to our faith and keep our heads above the water. Few of us are unflappable. Confusion and anxiety, fear and doubt come at us and penetrate our armor of faith; they can cause us to forget who God is and who we are as gifted children of God.
Many of the ancestors of our faith knew this human dilemma well, and found themselves struggling with their own fear and anxiety even in the face of God and their faith. Scripture tells us that Abram, before he became Abraham the father of many, was childless and in his 90s and worried that Eliezer, his chief servant, would inherit his household. So Abram opened his heart in faith to God and is treated to a vision. "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." That may be, thought Abram, but what about kids? And Abram is told to look to the heavens and count the stars for that is as numerous as his offspring will be. This word is even complete with another vision of covenant making, in which Abram knows the deal has been cut. “And he believed the LORD; and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness.” Ultimately, even in spite of his own weaknesses and anxiety, Abram stood strong in his faith.
The nay-sayers and corrupt forces in Jesus’ day were abundant. They made him out to be a messianic pretender and threat to the status quo and powerful structure of the empire. His classic antagonists, the Pharisees, are always pictured as trying to chase Jesus away and have him forget his call, his ministry, his place in the loving workings of God’s realm. Here they tell Jesus that Herod is after him. As if to say, “they’re going to get you, so git.” But Jesus stood strong, and took stock in the power of God already at work within him. Like the stalwart weatherman, Jesus stood, asserting that there was still more for him to do, and that he was truly gifted by God. 'Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work.”
Over the years there has always been efforts to chase people away and silence them. Of course, as tomorrow is St. Patty’s Day, it makes sense to talk about the Irish. After the Potato Famine, Irish immigrants arrived in great number here. That lead to anti-Catholic, anti-Irish mobs in various places, including in Philadelphia where houses were destroyed and churches torches.in the deadly Bible Riots of 1844. New York Archbishop John Hughes responded by building a wall of his own around Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in order to protect it from the native-born population, and he stationed musket-wielding members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians to guard the city’s churches. Wild conspiracy theories took root that women were held against their will in Catholic convents and that priests systematically raped nuns and then strangled any children born as a result of their union. The “No Irish Need Apply” signs were a common sight. Yet the Irish stood strong, and of course. now they’re much celebrated this time of year.
Unfortunately, the Irish are but one group of many who have suffered through the prejudice of the American public. There were the Germans and the Japanese who were so mistrusted in the WWII era that they got rounded up and set into internment camps. And God knows, the Jews have long suffered and still suffer today from the prejudice of neighbors. You can pretty much name any minority: Italians, people of color, or the GLBTQ crowd among them, and know that so many have suffered the waves of injustice and unfair treatment. The challenge to stand strong continues, as does our challenge to stand with them.
Stand strong. Whether it’s in the fear and doubt of Abram, or the current waves of prejudice of our days, we’re called to stand strong in faith. The storms of life do come our way, financial, medical, physical and mental among them, and we’re reminded of the victory of faith of our ancestors. Like the intrepid weatherman, we’re to stand strong and know that God stands with us. Life has never been without it challenges, but thanks be to God, it’s never been without help either.
As our Psalm today reminds us:
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Yet perhaps the best Psalm to hold on to while standing strong is this one:
Psalm 121:
I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.
*HYMN: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God No. 439
https://youtu.be/8XUYZoguhEQ
*BENEDICTION
CHORAL BENEDICTION:
May the light of God shine on us today.
May the light of God shine on us today.
May it show us where to travel.
Lead us back if we should stray.
May the light of God shine on us today.
POSTLUDE: “Maccabeus” Payne
Transfiguration Sunday
Service of Word and Sacrament
March 2, 2025✦ 10am
OPENING WORDS
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE: Prire a Notre Damn Boeelmann
*CHORAL INTROIT:
We are here this day to share God's love.
We have come with burdens and cares,
For within this place, we are bound as one
In this fellowship we share.
*CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: We come together, a community of faith.
We have gathered to talk and listen to our God.
Many: May our faces shine in anticipation.
Our God has invited us to this moment of meeting.
One: We share in a new covenant of promise and hope.
Our spirits have been set free for worship and praise.
Many: We come with boldness to encounter our Creator.
We assemble here, eager to be changed by God.
One: Our fears melt into awe and wonder before God.
Our failures become opportunities for learning.
ALL: Let us praise God’s holy name in chorus.
Let us share in the glory of life. What a gift!
*HYMN: We Have Come at Christ’s Own Bidding No. 182
https://youtu.be/xP_V2Edi7m8
WELCOME & PRAYER OF INVOCATION:
Holy are you, O God of all time and space. Before the vastness of your creation, the earth is as nothing. Yet you have lavished your energies upon it, shaping interdependent systems within systems. The mysterious gift of life is ours to handle with care. You have revealed yourself to us. You have created us for justice and equity. You have drawn us to the mountaintop to commune with you. O God, we are here, waiting for your further revelation. Come to enlighten and empower. Amen.
PASSING OF THE PEACE
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS
A TIME OF PRAYER:
❖ Pastoral Prayer
Transforming Spirit, who awakened Jesus’ disciples on the mountaintop, awaken us here that we may discern the vision you place before us. We listen for the Word Christ has for us amid the perils of our day. We dare to question our call and examine ourselves, for we want to share your truth, not our own biases and manipulations, with the world.
❖ Silent Prayer
❖ 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 debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory, now and forever. Amen.
OFFERING and OFFERTORY Soloist Scott O’Hare
*DOXOLOGY AND BLESSING OF GIFTS:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above you heavenly host:
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
❖ Exodus 34:29-35 OT Page 76
❖ Psalm 99 Hymnal Page 687
❖ 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 NT Page 158
❖ Luke 9:28-36 NT Page 60
*GLORIA:
Glory to the Creator, the Christ, the Holy Spirit,
Three -in-one; as it was in the beginning
Is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen. Amen.
SERMON: “Awed!”
I mentioned to a friend that I was preaching on “awed, as in awestruck and awesome.” Her response was, “Thank God it’s not awful.” It made me laugh and I told her, “I’m using that!” Mind you, my friend, Liz, lives in Australia, which is just about exactly the other side of the world from New York, and she gets a mention here in today’s sermon. I’m thinking that’s pretty awesome.
The notion of awed, as inspired by our readings about Moses and his shining face and Jesus on the mountain top who is “transfigured” – surrounded and fully ignited by light, provided me with a fine platform for contemplation, mediation and even discussion this week.
It occurred to me that we don’t often use or even hear “awed.” The synonyms are likewise rather rare: awestruck, dumbstruck, wonderstruck or bedazzled for that matter. It also occurred to me that despite speaking Spanish some 50 year now, I wasn’t sure how to translate it. That led to an interesting conversation with Miguel, as despite his 30-plus years of living in the States, the word awed wasn’t familiar to him. As it turns out, it’s a rather difficult concept to translate literally, we named some that came close: asombrado, but that suggests more of a surprise and amazement than it does awed, and atemorizado, but that carries with it a sense of fear. We finally landed on emotionado which people do say somewhat frequently, but that’s because it really means to filled with emotion as in being deeply touched. The best Spanish word for awed is anonadado, but according to Miguel, it’s a word that is only used by those with good vocabularies and often reserved for use in literature.
A large part of the lack of usage of “awed” or “awestruck” is that we’re simply not often awed. We know we can be, and have been, but it’s a rare event in our days. As Miguel and I talked, we came up with a few examples of being awed. Flying over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter was likely the closest experience we had to being awed in the last few years, yet watching a huge bald eagle closely swoop by me in Alaska has to be close second. But I’ve been fortunate, as I have experienced quite a bit of awe in my days. Living in National Parks had much to do with that, but as did travelling through Europe.
I think awe is a state that leads us closest to God. The people of Moses’ day were awed by his shining face. They knew that Moses had had a mystical experience, and so were more ready and able to receive the words of Moses – the ten commandments and the law – as mandates of God. The vision of Jesus which Peter, James and John took in -- that of Jesus being enveloped in the bright light of God so that his very being glowed with a dazzling white light, and he's transfigured by the glory within him that outshines the humanity of his shell, and the heavenly declaration, "This is my Son... listen to him" -- did much to fuel their faith and zeal as followers of Jesus -- the savior, the chosen one, the Messiah. Such would surely be needed in the days to come.
Your presence here in church today signals to me that all of you have had encounters with God. But how have those wow moments – those moments of awe, of illumination and transformation when the existence of God became so real for you that it was and is utterly deniable – how have they transformed your way of being in the world... or have they?
Sociologist Morton Kelsey did a study in which the majority of people reported that they had had mystical experiences with God--brushes with the Holy. But a majority also reported that they had never told this to anyone because it was too hard to explain, and they were afraid no one would believe them.
The three principle disciples who were with Jesus -- Peter, and James and John -- were so awestruck, confounded and befuddled, that they keep silent about it, saying nothing about it to anyone. Yet obviously, as each gospel writer knew of the account, word did get out. It proves to be such a transitional moment that it needed to be shared. I'm guessing that didn't happen until after the resurrection, so that no one would think that they were losing their minds.
Memorable moments. We all have them. Unfortunately, as psychiatrists and psychologists know, rather than lifting up and celebrating the amazing ways that God has become known to us, way too many of us tend to take hold of the unfortunate memorable moments: The times of failures and disappointments, of hurt, anger, lament and despair. We take hold of the negative and it eats away at us as we replay the ugly in our heads, and because of the negative, love, forgiveness, compassion, charity, faith, all take a hike. This is clearly not what our God would intend. God teaches us we need to shed the nasty and the negative and take hold of the holy and good, take in the awesome.
Consider the truly pivotal moments of your journey of life. Let go of the negative, and consider instead when God has indeed taken hold of your hearts and gifted you with times when you knew God had enwrapped you in holy love, and truly blessed you. Perhaps they are of times you stood at the altar with your mate, so alive with emotion and possibility as you took your vows. Or when you first held your newborn in your arms, or walked into that house that you knew would long be home. Or came into that room filled with family and friends who were there to celebrate you and the gifts of life and love. Or perhaps it was simply a matter of being in church and taking in the holiness of that moment, of that day, of that communion service.
Take hold of the awe-filled moments of God who takes hold of you and transforms you, who as Paul writes, lifts the veil from your eyes so that you may see the hand of God at work.
The challenge is always to dig deep and remember the awesome: Remember God in your life who holds you tight and is leading you through. Be blessed by God's goodness and grace, blessed by God who is like no other, and from whom all genuine holy and awesome moments come. Remember God. God who is still speaking to you and through you, to transform you into the person God would have you be.
OUR ORDER OF COMMUNION
The Invitation and Time of Confession:
❖ Call to Confession
❖ Silent Confession
❖Unison Prayer of Confession:
We tremble before you, O God, for we have sinned. You already know what we have done and what we have failed to do. Hear us now as we recognize and admit our actions and inaction in violation of the trust you have placed in us. Enter into our excuses and our pretensions, Holy One, that we may be saved for ministry and mission. Amen.
❖ Words of Assurance.
Thanksgiving:
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Pastor: Let us give thanks to God Most High.
People: It is right to give God thanks and praise.
Pastor: We give you thanks, God of majesty and mercy,
for calling forth the creation and raising us from dust
by the breath of your being.
We bless you for the beauty and bounty of the earth and for the vision of the day when sharing by all will mean scarcity for none.
We remember the covenant you made with your people Israel, and we give you thanks for all our ancestors in faith.
We rejoice that you call us to reconciliation with you and all people everywhere and that you remain faithful to your covenant even when we are faithless.
We rejoice that you call the entire human family to this table of sacrifice and victory.
We come in remembrance and celebration of the gift of Jesus Christ, whom you sent, in the fullness of time, to be the good news.
Born of Mary, our sister in faith, Christ lived among us to reveal the mystery of your Word, to suffer and die on the cross for us, to be raised from death on the third day, and then to live in glory.
We bless you, gracious God, for the presence of your Holy Spirit in the church you have gathered. With your sons and daughters of faith in all places and times, we praise you with joy as we say together: All: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts,
Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory,
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Words of Institution and Communal Proclamation:
Pastor: We remember that on the night of betrayal and desertion, and on the eve of death, Jesus gathered the disciples for a shared meal of preparation.
Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying: “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way, he took the cup after supper.
Again he gave God thanks and praise and said:
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as
often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Therefore, we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
All: Christ’s death, O God we proclaim.
Christ’s resurrection we declare.
Christ’s coming, we await.
Glory be to you, O God.
Prayers of Consecration:
Pastor: Eternal God, we unite in this covenant of faith, recalling Christ’s suffering and death, rejoicing in Christ’s resurrection, and awaiting Christ’s return in victory. We spread your table with these gifts of the earth and of our labor. We present to you our very lives, committed to your service on behalf of all people. We ask you to send your Holy Spirit upon this bread and wine, upon our gifts, and upon us. Strengthen your universal church that it may be the champion of peace and justice in all the world. Restore the earth with your grace that is able to make all things new.
All: Be present with us as we share this meal, and
throughout all our lives, that we may know you as
the Holy One, who with Christ and the Holy Spirit,
lives forever. Amen.
Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany
A Service of the Word
February 23, 2025 ✦ 10am
OPENING WORDS:
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE: It is Well with My Soul DeCou
(Once the music begins we ask that you would please maintain respectful silence)
*CHORAL INTROIT:
We are here this day to share God's love;
We have come with burdens and cares,
For within this place, we are bound as one
In this fellowship, we share.
*CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: Come near to one another and to our God.
Be still before the one who fulfills our hearts’ desires.
Many: This is a time for meeting and greeting.
This is the hour for quieting life’s stresses and worries.
One: Wait patiently, for God will be revealed to us.
God is our refuge in whom we trust.
Many: We believe God is here and will be known by us.
Our faith nourishes us as we rest in God’s care.
One: We are here to receive life in all its abundance.
God is providing for us and has a purpose for us.
ALL: God raises us up and sends us forth.
Surely God will help us wherever we go.
*HYMN: Lead on Eternal Sovereign No. 573
https://youtu.be/6pq65_JwIts
WELCOME
PRAYER OF INVOCATION:
…Loving God, you bring light to our days and hope to our hearts. We draw near to you as survivors of another week, grateful for your care. You have provided for us, preserved our lives, and invited us once more to this time of prayer. Now we would be still before you, leaving behind our distress and anger, entrusting our weaknesses to your empowering spirit. Raise us up to embrace your way of love…
CHILDREN’S TIME
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS
A TIME OF PRAYER:
❖ Pastoral Prayer:
…Merciful and loving God, whose clear direction to us includes loving actions toward all people, we pray for the insight and will to treat others as we wish to be treated. Lift us above the physical limitations we have accepted for ourselves so the image of dust may be replaced by the image of heaven. Help us to embody lasting values in all our relationships and to become a part of your transforming plans for our world….
❖ Silent Prayer
❖ 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 debts as we forgive our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory,
now and forever. Amen.
OFFERING & OFFERTORY: Let There be Peace on Earth Miller
Soloist: Dee Martin
*DOXOLOGY AND BLESSING OF GIFTS:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, you heavenly host:
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
❖ Genesis 45:3-11, 15 OT page 39
❖ Psalm 37 Hymnal Page 646
❖ 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50 NT Page 155
❖ Luke 6:27-38 NT Page 56
SERMON: “My, Oh, My Mercy Me”
So I opted for a bit of a fun title to go with some fun, and even challenging readings. The readings feature some surprises – the my, oh my’s – and lead us to consider mercy which seldom gets much attention because of our theocentric focus on grace.
Our first reading is likely familiar to many as it comes out of the first book of the Bible and is part of a larger and quite captivating account. It’s there we get the first big surprise – my, oh my – and a big embrace of love-filled mercy. To understand what’s happening, a little background is needed; a bit of refresher for us for whom it’s been a while since we read Genesis:
Joseph, as you may remember, was thrown into a well by his jealous brothers, and then sold to traders by them. The brothers also took his cloak, smeared it with blood, and told their father that Joseph had been mauled. Joseph is taken to Egypt by the traders, and by the grace of God, he manages to rise to power there.
Then comes a famine, and the father, Jacob, sends ten of the eleven remaining sons to buy grain, but he keeps Benjamin, the full brother of Joseph, at home. When the ten seek to buy grain, they are accused of spying, a plot Joseph set in action. Eventually, in order to secure their release, the young Benjamin, must appear before Joseph who still has gone unrecognized by this brothers. Then upon their final departure for home with the grain, Joseph has them arrested for stealing: he has had his silver cup placed in Benjamin's pack, where it is found, so Benjamin is detained, and Joseph says he’ll make him his slave. But brother Judah pleads for Benjamin's release, saying that he expects their father to die if Benjamin fails to return home. It’s there that our reading begun.
Standing, fearfully awaiting their fate, in front of Pharoah’s vizier, Joseph, the brothers were basically already a wreck. It’s then that Joseph reveals himself to them. Shock and awe. My, oh my. This is the one they had jumped and sold into slavery. They didn’t know what to expect.
But then comes the mercy. There is no ire, no revisiting old grudges, and no punishment, there’s nothing but loving kindness and mercy. Joseph will see that the brothers and their entire father’s household settle comfortably in Egypt.
Unlike the first reading, the second one only has a momentary “My, oh my.” That comes at the very beginning, and it seems to reveal some unnecessary rudeness by Paul. We get, But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" It seems a reasonable query. Yet, Paul’s response is, “Fool!” My, oh my, now that’s a bit harsh.
But then Paul takes the time to explain, and he uses the analogy of the seed to explain resurrection: which when sown appears dead, and when grown into a plant is entirely different that the seed. It’s a solid lesson, and one that even patiently ends with What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. There’s mercy in teaching the one called fool, and the embrace of considering them all to be brothers and sisters.
Now, Jesus, however, gives us more than a few my, oh my’s. The first is: “Bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you.” That in itself is hard enough, but then it gets more extreme with the advice to offer the other cheek and to toss in your shirt to the one who steals your coat. I mean seriously that does seem more than bit extreme. And then to top things off, you’re to lend with no expectation of every getting paid back. My, oh my.
Of course, the common explanation for such extreme teaching is that Jesus uses hyperbole to get the listeners’ attention. Such sayings shock them into listening, and as it turns out, the lessons are memorable as they are even recalled some forty years later by Gospel writers. But it is all just hyperbole?
The big point is that we’re to be exceptionally kind, for God himself is “kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.” And we told to be merciful, “just as your Father is merciful.”
Then mercy is explained in less generalized terms: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you.” That’s mercy in action.
As we take the lessons home with us, we’re to consider the “my, oh my” moments of our days, the shockers and disappointments, the challenges to love. And we’re to land solidly on mercy – a love of neighbor that is non-judgmental, uncondemning, forgiving and giving. It’s a tough calling, but such is ours as we strive to walk in the way that our Savior taught us. May Mercy be yours in abundance, and be blessed by God.
*HYMN: There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy No. 23
https://youtu.be/LfyZIJUHKpU
*BENEDICTION
CHORAL BENEDICTION:
May the light of God shine on us today.
May the light of God shine on us today.
May it show us where to travel.
Lead us back if we should stray.
May the light of God shine on us today.
POSTLUDE: A Joyous Acclimation Smith
We're biblical, traditional, yet progressive.
We honor and take pride in our
Congregational roots.
We covenant with one another and with God,
as revealed
in Jesus Christ through the illumination of
the Holy Spirit.
We endeavor to walk humbly with God and
strive for justice and peace.
My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people.
Isaiah 56.7
We are an open and affirming congregation in which all persons regardless of race, ethnic background, economic status, gender, age, or personal ability, are equally affirmed into membership, leadership and employment
and joyfully welcomed.
Our church office is open for phone calls at 631-727-2621. Pastor Sean will return your calls. Our secretary is in the office Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
Our church office is open for phone calls at 631-727-2621. Pastor Sean will return your calls. Our secretary is in the office Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
Worship on Sundays at 10:00am.
No matter who you are or where you are in life's journey, you are welcome here.
103 1st Street, Riverhead, New York 11901, United States
Open today | 09:00 am – 12:00 pm |
Our church office is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:00am-12:00. Church services are held on Sunday at 10:00am, and coffee hour in the fellowship hall following the worship service. Sunday School will be held at 10:00 am. (To run concurrent with our worship service)
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