sunday, march 6, 2022

Fruitland United Methodist Church
March 6, 2022
First Sunday of Lent
Communion Sunday

Prelude “God So Loved the World” by John Stainer

Welcome
The lighting of the candles and welcoming the neighborhood to worship.
​
Interlude “O Master Let Me Walk With Thee” by H. Percy Smith.

*Call to Worship
 Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Calling Song “You Are My Hiding Place” TFWS #2055
You are my hiding place
You always fill my heart
With songs of deliverance
Whenever I am afraid
I will trust in You
I will trust in You
Let the weak say
I am strong
In the strength of the Lord

Responsive Reading from Psalm 91
Leader: Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest  in the shadow of the Almighty.
People: They say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my  God, in whom I trust.”
Leader: “Because they love me,” says the Lord, “I will protect them,  for they acknowledge my name. They will call on me, and I  will answer them”
All: He will be with us when trouble comes.

Unison Invocation
“Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid…”
Let us be honest with ourselves and you.
Save us from believing we can live without you.
Enable us to name our hopes and joys, guilt and fears.
“That we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify your holy name.”
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, we pray. Amen

Hymn “Bring Forth The Kingdom” TFWS #2190
You are salt for the earth, O people:
Salt for the Kingdom of God!
Share the flavor of life, O people:
Life in the Kingdom of God!
Bring forth the Kingdom of mercy, Bring forth the Kingdom of peace;
Bring forth the Kingdom of justice, Bring forth the City of God!

Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Gospel Reading Luke 4:1-13
God’s Word for God’s People. Thanks Be To God

Children’s Moment

Offering Doxology “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” UMH#95
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.

Message “First Love” Revelation 2: 1-7
Sermon notes:
Toward the end of the First Century (AD) John the Apostle was imprisoned at
the penal colony on Patmos, an island in the Aegean Sea between Greece and
what is now Turkey. It was there that John wrote the Book of Revelation (the
last book in the Bible).

At the time of his imprisonment and the writing of this book, John was
probably in his late 90s and the only living original apostles that Jesus chose.
When called to follow Jesus he and his brother James were commercial
fishermen who fished the Sea of Galilee.

He is the Spirit-inspired author of the Gospel of John, the letters of First,
Second, and Third John, and the Revelation of John.

One Sunday morning John was “in the Spirt” (Revelation1:10) and experienced
a visit from “the First and the Last,” (Revelation 1:17) and was commanded to
write down what he was to see. John did just that. His first assignment was to
write letters to seven churches that were in seven cities in the western part of
Turkey.

Today’s sermon takes it shape from the first of those letters. It was written to
the church which was in the city of Ephesus. You can read how the Ephesian
church came to exist by reading Acts 19. It’s quite a story! Paul wrote a letter
to this congregation. It was to become an important and influence church in
the early history of Christianity.

Now, toward the end of the First Century (AD) the congregation receives
another letter. This one came from Patmos claiming to be dictated to John
(their beloved Bishop) by none other than Jesus, the Resurrected Messiah.

The Communion Service
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

Communion Hymn “My Jesus, I Love Thee” UMH #172
My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine;
for thee all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

I love thee because thou hast first loved me,
and purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;
I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright;
I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

Our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another. Let us confess our sin before God and one another.

Prayer of Confession and Pardon
Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart
Our faith has been tested and we have stumbled.
Forgive us, we pray.
Our feet have strayed from the path of Christ and we have wandered from you.
Forgive us, we pray.
We have put our faith in the loud voices of this world, ignoring your whispers.
Forgive us, we pray.
We do want to follow Jesus, the Christ, in whose name we pray.
Amen.
​
Hear the good news;
Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. That proves God’s love for us.
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
Thanks be to God!

Bread and Cup

Please pray:
Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery
in which “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
Strengthen us in mind, body and soul for the days ahead.
May your Spirit fill us as we live and pray in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

Closing Hymn “Freely, Freely” UMH #389
God forgave my sin in Jesus' name
I've been born again in Jesus' name
And in Jesus' name I come to you
To share His love as He told me to

He said, "Freely, freely you have received
Freely, freely give
Go in my name, and because you believe
Others will know that I live"

All power is givin' in Jesus' name
In earth and Heaven in Jesus' name
And in Jesus' name I come to you
To share His power as He told me to

He said, "Freely, freely you have received
Freely, freely give
Go in my name, and because you believe
Others will know that I live"

Unison Benediction*
May the peace of the Lord Jesus go with you
wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness,
protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing
at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
                                             *from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals

Postlude “God Be With You Till We Meet Again” by William G. Tomer
Thank you for Worshiping with us today!

(CCLI License #1552544)​ 

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