Bread and More Soup Kitchen continues to serve a free to-go meal every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30-6:15.
March 2026
Midweek Lenten Services:
March 18: Salvation Army
March 25: Location TBD
Sunday School: Please call our church office at 631-727-2621 if you would like your child to join. Sunday School is held during church services at 10:00.
Bible Study: Bible Study will begin in February. Call the church office for the date. 631-727-2621 Please join us from 10:00-11:00 am in the Fellowship Hall. All are welcome.
Thrift Shop: The thrift shop hours are Tuesday and Thursday 10-2 and Saturday 9-1. Clothing, knickknacks, and other small household items are accepted. No furniture or children's clothing. Please bring your donations only when we are open. Thank you for your support.
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: 727262
First Congregational Church of Riverhead
103 First Street, Riverhead, NY 11901
Third Sunday in Lent
A Service of the Word
March 8, 2026 ✦ 10am
OPENING WORDS:
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE
(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, let us sing a new song to our God.
Make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Many: Let us enter God’s presence with thanksgiving.
Make a joyful noise with songs of praise!
One: God is a great ruler, above all other gods.
The depths of the earth are in God’s hands.
Many: The highest mountains belong to God.
The farthest reaches of the universe are God’s own.
One: O come, let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before God our Maker.
ALL: We are the people of God’s pasture.
Today we will listen to God with open hearts.
*HYMN: I Sing the Mighty Power of God No. 12
WELCOME
PRAYER OF INVOCATION:
We come to you, God, because we are thirsty. Our spirits need the refreshing water of your word, just as our bodies need the refreshment of a cool drink. We worship you with joy, for we can already feel the gift of your presence all around us. Now open our ears that we may hear all that you expect of us. Open our lives to your truth and prepare us to follow Jesus in accepting the unacceptable, challenging the conventional, and joining together in a harvest for your realm. Amen.
PASSING OF THE PEACE
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS:
Midweek Lenten Services, Wednesdays, 11:00am:
March 18: Salvation Army
March 25: Old Steeple
A TIME OF PRAYER:
❖ Pastoral Prayer:
God of all worlds, whose care for us includes concern for neighbors who differ from us, and whose love embraces all of humanity without distinction, we reach out for the water of life that you offer. Fill us with your Spirit that we may live your truth, share the story of Jesus, and lead others into discipleship, that your realm may be realized among us… .
❖ 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.
CHILDREN’S TIME
OFFERING
*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.
LITANY OF HEALING:
Let us offer our prayers for God’s healing:
Holy God, source of health and salvation, and wellspring of
abundant life, visit us afresh this day.
Holy Immortal one, protector of the faithful and source of all
wholeness, visit us afresh this day.
Loving Lord, grant your grace to heal those who are sick; give courage
and faith to all who are disabled through injury or illness, we pray.
Comfort, relieve, and heal all sick children;
give courage to all who await surgery, we pray.
Support and encourage those who live with chronic illness;
strengthen those who endure continual pain, and give them hope.
Grant the refreshment of peaceful sleep to all who suffer;
befriend all who are anxious, lonely, despondent, or afraid.
Restore those with mental illness to clarity of mind and hopefulness
of heart, we pray.
Give rest to the weary and hold the dying in your loving arms;
help us to prepare for death with confident expectation and
hope of Easter joy, we pray.
O God, give your wisdom and compassion to health care workers,
that they may minister to the sick and dying with knowledge, skill,
and kindness.
Uphold those who keep watch with the sick, and guide those
who search for the causes and cures of sickness and disease.
Jesus, redeemer of the world, through acts of healing, you were
revealed as the true source of health and salvation.
Have mercy on us, make us whole, and bring us at last into the
fullness of your eternal life.
May the God who goes before you through desert places by
night and by day be your companion and guide; may your
journey be with the saints; may the Holy Spirit be your
strength, and Christ your clothing of light, in whose name we
pray. Amen.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
❖ Exodus 17:1-7 OT Page 59
❖ Psalm 95 HYMNAL Page 683
❖ Romans 5:1-11 NT Page 135
❖ John 4:5-14 NT Page 82
SERMON: “The Vital”
The people of Israel traveling with Moses through the wilderness hit another snag: There’s no water. Moses views it as a crisis of faith. In Moses’ eyes, if the people had genuine faith, such complaints would never arise, for they would continue to trust to the Lord to provide for them.
The Gospel lesson is also a water lesson, and focuses on the Samaritan woman at the well and a thirsty Jesus. The woman is on a daily chore of getting water for her household’s use. She is initially baffled because Jesus, a Jew, not only converses with her but asks her for a drink. And then he turns things around by speaking about living water, a metaphor for the Holy Spirit, which totally confuses her. She knows the importance of water – for drinking and cleaning -- and getting it daily out of the well is a pain. Consequently, she responds, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”
The old Christian hymn phrases it: “Like the woman at the well the well, I was seeking for thing that could NOT satisfy.” Yet it’s not quite right. She was seeking that which could satisfy: Water. Like air itself, water is absolutely vital to life.
Vital. The word "vital" originates from the Latin vītālis("of or belonging to life"), derived from vīta ("life") and the verb vīvere ("to live"). Entering Middle English in the late 14th century via Old French, it initially pertained to the "animating principle" of life before evolving to mean essential, crucial, or necessary. The “animating principle of life” is at its very root “water” as all life begins from it.
Today “vital” primarily means absolutely necessary or essential for something's existence or success. It also refers to things that are directly related to life and physical health, such as when used for our “vital signs” or “vital organs.”
According to the Oxford Learner's Dictionary, while "vital" and "essential" are often interchangeable, vital is frequently used when there is a sense of urgency or a need to persuade others of importance.
My musing led to me to consider that which we consider vital. Food, water, air, shelter, would all clearly be on the list. Without those things, death will follow. Yet those things we have and yet we often take such for granted. But because we’re acutely aware of their importance, we as a community and society work to ensure that all have them. Hunger-action programs and shelter programs, particularly in the harsh weather we’ve had, are vital to some people’s existence around us. The texts can work well to get us to consider how, or even if, we’re working to provide the vital needs for others. But as Biblical texts, the vital extends beyond the physical realm and into the spiritual.
Both accounts have to do with a vital need, yet the lessons teach that the need is greater than water. Although Moses genuinely had faith in a loving, protecting and guiding God, and knew they wouldn’t die in the wilderness, the people didn’t have this concept down. And if the people are dying of thirst, all the preaching in the world isn’t going to bring them closer to seeing God. The blinders have to come off first. Faith is a real need they have; Moses knows this. Yet their primary physical need must first be provided and then, and only then can they be lead to faith. But the tricky part that God works out is how to provide both the water and increase the faith of the people. Rain wouldn’t do it. There would have been some who said, “Yeah. That’s called rain. It’s what nature does.” Then no one gets credit. Not Moses, not God, not even prayer. Instead, God uses the thirst in the desert as a real teachable moment.
As the story stands, the people are again reminded to trust Moses as an instrument of God and to trust God as one who comes to the rescue, and Moses learns to better lead with the God of All Creation leading him.
As for the woman at the well, water is a vital need for her but Jesus knew that there was more than that which is vital to existence. Jesus the moment to dive into a deeper conversation about the Holy Spirit, the living water, and ultimately into the correct read of the spiritually vital need that the woman had.
By the end of the account, which if you’re interested runs through verse 42 of this chapter of John, the conversation that Jesus had with this Samaritan woman, that is an outsider with whom we’re told Jews don’t share, leads to a larger encounter with Samaritans after the woman told her neighbors about him, and then even a two-day stay with them. The account concludes with the woman’s neighbors telling her: "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world." It’s a huge affirmation of faith and one that would take years for many Jews to reach.
That spiritually vital need in that Gospel lesson was certainly not readily apparent. Although the woman would have liked living water for the sake of convenience, she really didn’t have any urgent need for it, nor could Jesus have been all that thirsty. The need was one of connection, conversation, and ultimately the need for God of the Spirit who sustains all life, and ultimately is that vital part of life that gets filled because of the connection.
Sandwiched in between these reading is a lesson from Paul's letter to the church in Rome. Here Paul responds to a fledgling and beleaguered Christian community by addressing the question of suffering. Here the suffering is not limited to thirst in the desert, or the onerous task of having to get water from the well, but covers the evil of their days.
When we suffer it is hard for us to see beyond our suffering, to consider another in the picture, to ask how we might, even in our current conflicts, be of help to God and neighbor. We complain, we demand, we climb inside our own lives and focus on self and the current struggle. It is easy for us to become the bad and impatient patient. Rather than view any suffering as an opportunity for growth, for enhanced appreciation and faithfulness, as an opportunity to count one’s blessing in thankfulness for those who care for and reach out to us, many are led to complaint, bitterness and selfishness. "You don't know what I'm going through.” The water alone doesn't suffice.
The vital beyond the physical is God alone for life continues beyond the physical. We’re reminded that even as we eat and drink and enjoy the air we breathe, we’re to spend time with Jesus who’ll make his home with you. You’re reminded that we can be assured that no matter how much of an outsider you feel like you are, as was the case of the Samaritan, God counts you in. We’re all called to draw nearer to God, and to discover that God will draw nearer to us. For only God can truly supply the vital.
*HYMN: Fill My Cup, Lord
*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
Second Sunday of Lent
Service of Word and Sacrament
March 1, 2026✦ 10am
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE: Largo from BWV J.S. Bach
*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: People of God, where do we put our trust?
Where do we find wholeness and meaning?
Many: We lift up our eyes to the hills.
Our help comes from the Creator of heaven and earth.
One: We are sons and daughters of Abraham and Sarah.
We trust in God, who neither slumbers nor sleeps.
Many: We are followers of Jesus, who proclaimed God’s realm.
We are born of the Spirit, born from above.
One: Our lives are a gift from God, who loves us.
By the grace of God, we are born anew each day.
ALL: God loved the world in the gift of Jesus Christ.
Through faith in Christ, we receive eternal life.
*HYMN: Praise the Source of Faith and Learning No.411
https://youtu.be/MwhA53Mlnk0
WELCOME
PRAYER OF INVOCATION
Let the winds of the Spirit blow in our midst today, loving God. Let us hear the sound and feel the power. Open our hearts in new ways to the promise of your healing grace so we may be a blessing to one another and to your world. We need courage to face the challenges and struggles of life. We seek reassurance that you will be with us in our going out and our coming in. Strengthen our faith to withstand the trials and temptations that lead us away from a faithful journey with Christ. Amen.
PASSING OF THE PEACE
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS
Midweek Lenten Services:
March 11: First Congregational Church
March 18: Salvation Army
March 25: Old Steeple
A TIME OF PRAYER:
❖ Pastoral Prayer
…Renewing Spirit, present in the waters of baptism, in the gentle breeze, and in the roaring winds, speak to us where we are and expand our vision beyond the immediate scene, that we may be equipped to follow where Christ leads, bearing witness to our faith and serving with joy wherever you send us….
❖ 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.
CHILDREN’S TIME
OFFERING & OFFERTORY ANTHEM: The Twenty-third Psalm arr. Jay 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 12:1-4a OT Page 9
❖ Psalm 121 Hymnal Page 704
❖ Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 NT Pag 135
❖ John 3:1-17 NT Page 80
*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: “The Trust Exercise”
It was in Junior High School gym class, just a few years ago, (okay, more than a “few”) when we first were taught the trust exercise. Many of us, either in school or at parties, learned the game. It’s a matter of standing with your back directly in front of another, arms at your side, and then fall straight back into the arms of the one behind you. Because you can’t see that where you’re falling, it’s a bit nervous-making and your body will likely first refuse to do it. But overcoming the fear, you fall and, lo, and behold, the other catches you and sets you upright again. Trust.
As I continue to make my way through life, it occurs it me that pretty much all of it is one big trust exercise. The challenges of that future-yet-unknown come at it and pretty much all we can do is fall back into the arms of God, trusting that God will catch us.
Abraham, aka Abram, is lauded by Paul because of his faith. But the faith of Abraham was beyond merely believing in a preexistent life source; it was more than an acknowledgement that God is, that God exists. That basic kind of faith, believing in a source of life that long has been, even a “higher power” is rather common. Abraham’s faith was more than that. Abraham fully trusted God. He trusted God as a benevolent One who’s instructions should be heeded. He trusted the Holy One who would lead him to where he needed to be and he allowed himself to fall blindly into the arms of God. It was that deep faith anchored in trust that saved him and led him to become the father of nations.
There’s an interesting history about the word Faith: According to The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, the word wasn’t adopted into Middle English until about 1250. It was originally spelled “feth” or “feith” and was borrowed, as many words were in those days, from Old French (feit or feid), which ultimately got it from the Latin fides: trust. So faith itself, at the very root is all about trust.
Oddly enough, the word “trust” in English comes from a different source, that of the Old Norse traust which is particularly cited to mean: “Help, confidence, protection, support." Help. Confidence. Protection. Support. That’s deep. That’s trust.
Curiously enough, although Nicodemus (who in addition to Abram also makes an appearance in our readings) is a Pharisee and leader of the Jews, he apparently didn’t really trust his own group much, but he trusted Jesus. He comes to Jesus at night, so as not to be seen. He seeks out Jesus for help, help with insight and understanding. He seeks out Jesus with confidence, that Jesus “comes from God,” and can only do the signs (the wondrous miracles) apart from God’s presence. And Jesus honors Nicodemus’ trust by entrusting him with one of the biggest and most profound statements of faith we have of John 3 16 (and 17): "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. The often ignored 3:17 reads, "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.”
Nicodemos largely disappears from our Biblical text, but we have some hints on how that encounter changed him. The second mention of Nicodemus occurs when some of the chief priests and Pharisees of the Sanhedrin ask why the temple guards failed to bring Jesus to them. Nicodemus speaks in subtle defense of Jesus, saying that Jewish law requires that a person cannot be condemned without first being heard (John 7:50–51). Then after Jesus’ crucifixion, Nicodemus assists Joseph of Arimathea in laying Jesus’ body in a nearby tomb (John 19:39–42). He brings along a mixture of myrrh and aloes to anoint him for the entombment. Yet he's mentioned only in the John’s Gospel.
Apparently, the encounter changed Nicodemos some but perhaps not enough to get him to totally trust God. But then do we?
Although we don’t have to fear being seen going to church or even identifying ourselves as Christians, often our faith still falls short of being totally anchored in trust, (think again on the root of Help, Confidence, Protection, Support). Of the many things that people fear -- sharks, spiders, snakes or whatever -- the most common fear we have is that of the unknown. It’s that often-subtle fear of what’s to come. That fear becomes more pronounced when we’re facing something very much beyond our control such as surgery, or big life changes. In spite of our faith, there’s often and increasing anxiety in the face of the unknown, of what’s to come. And that anxiety doesn’t have to be limited to situation that we ourselves face, but it’s often every bit as pronounced when one we love faces a similar fate: When the child is in the hospital, or the partner is dealing with a major diagnosis.
If unchecked, the anxiety can become debilitating. It can disrupt our sleep, and our doing. It can take hold of our hearts so that we seem to be always proceeding in the midst of fear. The challenge of our faith is to return to the bedrock of trust in God.
Return again to Trust: Help, Confidence, Protection, Support. Ultimately, when we take faith in God, we are called to completely trust God and allow ourselves to blindly fall into God’s arms. We are to trust God to lead, to comfort, to heal and mend, to provide confidence of a new resolve even to suffering souls. We trust God to thwart the evil, to give strength of recovery, to make God’s spirit of power and love shine anew. For ultimately, no matter what comes our way, with the support of God, we can heal and again be made whole. Believe in God. Trust in God. And be blessed by the power of the Holy Spirit who saves us.
OUR ORDER OF COMMUNION
The Invitation and Time of Confession:
❖ Call to Confession
❖ Silent Confession
❖ Unison Prayer of Confession:
O God, we confess that we have been far more ready
to say “we believe” than to trust you to lead us to new
ventures of faithfulness. We are afraid of the evil that
surrounds us. We fear rejection, failure, and ridicule.
We admire Jesus, but it is difficult to follow in footsteps
that lead to a cross. In the midst of life as we know it here,
how can we catch glimpses of eternity? Save us, we pray,
from out timidity, and us our doubts as an entry to
deeper faith. 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.
Sharing the Bread and Cup:
Pastor: Praise the Lord! Christ our Passover is offered for us.
People:Therefore, let us keep the feast.
Pastor: The gifts of God for the people of God.
We celebrate the grace of God in our midst.
(Please wait until all have been served and we’ll ingest together)
Unison Prayer of Thanksgiving:
We give you thanks, Almighty God, that you have refreshed us at your table through the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Continue to heal us, we pray, and strengthen our faith. Increase our love for one another, and send us forth into the world in courage and peace, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit; we ask these things in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
*HYMN: If You But Trust in God to Guide You No. 410
https://youtu.be/xInffLZHZIk
*PASTORAL 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: Goldberg Variation 17 J.S. Bach
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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