First Sunday of Lent
Prelude Prelude in D major Sergey Rachmaninov
Welcome, Welcome Back
Call to Worship
*Opening Hymn No. 87 The Glory of These Forty Days
*Prayer of Invocation and Hope
One voice: Listen to the faith of the psalmist in Psalm 91: “You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to God, ‘My refuge and my fortress; my God in whom I trust’… and God will command the angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” Let us pray together for refuge and safety for all people today.
All: We have come a long way in two years, O God, and now we are starting another journey for forty days. Be with us. For we are tired and we are tried, we are faithful and we are flawed, we are here to pray that you sustain us throughout Lent and throughout life. Grant us the Spirit that empowers us, the honesty that liberates us and the community that strengthens us for mission, ministry and for lives of meaning in Jesus’path. Grant us open minds in worship, open hearts to love and open arms both to receive and to release grace and healing and vision in Jesus’ way, Amen.
The Gospel Reading Luke 4: 1-13
The Choral Anthem A Prayer of St. Columba Cecila McDowall (b. 1951)
The Epistle Reading Romans 10: 8b-13
The Morning Meditation Kenneth Baily
*Hymn No. 505 Be Known to Us
Celebration of Holy Communion
All: For this table is spread for you and for me that we might know that God has come to us and shared our common lot and invited us to receive life anew. Indeed, God has triumphed even over death. So we come to this table for thanksgiving, for grace, for God’s presence, for peace.
Leader: Let us unite our voices in preparation. God be with you.
All: And also with you.
Leader: Lift up your hearts. All: We lift them up to God!
Leader: Let us praise God, singing together:
All: And God will raise you up on eagle’s wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of God’s hands.
Sharing of Communion Elements, Offering of Candles
Piano Meditation Fantasy on Ukrainian folk song
Prayer of Thanksgiving
*Hymn (insert) God Loved the World
*Benediction
Postlude Sonata in f minor, 1st movement Ludwig van Beethoven
* Those who are able please stand
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are welcome to lift up communion elements that you have brought,
or to request them in your pew, or to come forward to the table. You are invited
to light a candle and say a silent prayer for Lent and for our world, as you wish.
During this time of covid caution we welcome all to safe, cautious congregational assembly. It is good to worship together. To care for one another we wear masks
(except for worship leaders at times) and our leaders are vaccinated.
We have a touch-free offering today. You may leave a gift in the basket, deliver an envelope after worship, go online, or any touch-free method you wish.
Thanks to worship leaders Kenneth Baily, Lynd Matt,
Yevgenia Semeina, Carol Jensen, Melissa Dietrich, Jeff Small & Tony Rudié
NHCC is an Open and Affirming, Still Speaking congregation where all are welcome regardless of the divisions or separations that some in society would impose: whoever you are you are welcome in God’s house. “In Christ we are a new creation,” so we are blessed to be together in Christ’s name.
Newton Highlands Congregational Church, UCC
54 Lincoln Street, Newton, MA
www.nhcc.net 617 527 3898