PRELUDE
Prelude and Fugue in e minor, J.S. Bach
Prelude on "Rhosymedre", R. Vaughan-Williams
SALUTATION AND WELCOME
* CELEBRATION OF FRIENDSHIP
* SANCTUS (pew card)
* CALL TO WORSHIP, Sarah White
Leader: Come among us, living Lord.
People: We come to hear your living Word.
Leader: We meet together in the name of Christ
People: To share your mission and your sacrifice; To receive the power that only you can give, that we might live!
Leader: We gather to worship and proclaim your saving grace;
People: To be drawn into your world of beauty and justice.
Leader: Let us worship in spirit and in truth.
* HYMN No. 50: Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above
* PRAYER OF CONFESSION (unison)
Gracious Father, the God of life, teach us ever more to respect and love all the lives you create. Forgive us our lack of concern and love for those who are hungry and thirsty. Teach us to open our hearts to all your children. Forgive us when we are negligent and uncaring for those who suffer from a careless society, for those imprisoned, and for those who find themselves in a new and strange land. Teach us to open our homes and churches, to visit the lonely and forgotten, and to bring your love into their lives on this earth. Amen.
* KYRIE (pew card)
* ASSURANCE OF PARDON
* SUMMARY OF THE LAW
* Gloria Patri (pew card)
JUNIOR SERMON
ANTHEM: from The Crucifixion, John Stainer
God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that who-so believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that tthe world through Him might be saved.
MORNING PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER, Maureen Saepia-Chen
Lord’s Prayer (pew card)
Prayer Response, George Whelpton
Hear our prayer, O Lord; incline thine ear to us, and grant us thy peace.
* HYMN No. 742: Tell All the World of Jesus
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Psalm 97, Pew Bible, page 480
The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him, and consumes his adversaries on every side.
His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory.
All worshipers of images are put to shame, those who make their boast in worthless idols; all gods bow down before him.
Zion hears and is glad, and the towns of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O God.
For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.
The Lord loves those who hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful; he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!
Matthew 25:31-46, Pew Bible, page 807
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
THE SERMON: A Faith that Loves, Rev. Blaine Crawford
WORSHIP OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS, Jeanne Sarran
Offering
Offertory: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, arr. Gilbert M.Martin
When I survey the wondrous cross, On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ, my God! All the vain things that charm me most I sacrifice them to his blood. See from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown? Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small. Love, so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all! Amen.
* The Doxology (pew card)
* Prayer of Dedication
* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH: Based on the Belhar Confession, Section 4
We believe that God supports the downtrodden, protects the stranger, helps orphans and widows and blocks the path of the ungodly.
We believe that for God, pure and undefiled religion is to visit the orphans and the widows in their suffering.
We believe that the church must stand by people in any form of suffering and need and must witness against and strive against any form of injustice, so that justice may roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
* HYMN No. 231: Ah, Holy Jesus
* BENEDICTION
Response: Théodore Dubois
Thee we adore, O Saviour, bless Thee and praise Thee for ever, for on Thy holy cross Thou has the world from sin redeemed.
POSTLUDE: Prelude on "Hyfrydol", R. Vaughan-Williams
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LENTEN BIBLE STUDY: Every Wednesday during Lent, Pastor Blaine and Elder Sally Ann Castle will lead a book study on Forgiveness: A Lenten Study by Marjorie Thompson. They will meet in the Folensbee Lounge at 7:30 P.M. If you are interested, speak to the Pastor or Sally Ann Castle.
LENTEN ENVELOPES: Your special offering during Lent will be placed in the Deacons Fund. Please use the envelope in the bulletin. Thank you.
COMMUNION TO SHUT-INS: Pastor Blaine and an elder will be making communion visits to our shut-ins during Lent. Please contact the Pastor or the church office if you know someone who would like to be visited.
OUR APPRECIATION FOR TODAY’S VOLUNTEERS:
Van Drivers: Jorge Alamilla
Greeter: Irma Shubert
Ushers: Irma Karle, Judie Kellaway, Debra Rossi, Sally Ann Castle
Children and Worship: Sharon Rivilli, Wai Chu
VAN MINISTRY: Volunteers are desparately needed to assist with driving members to worship services. If you can help, speak with Gerry Mendler after church or call (917) 362-6284 (day) or (718) 464-3464 (evening).
Also, if you need a ride to church on Sunday, speak with Gerry Mendler.
COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – Please pick a date on the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in Gessner Hall or speak with Rhoda Jabbour.
PRAYER REQUESTS: Jorel Andaluz, Grace Attanasio, Helga Brenner-Khan, Marilyn Cooney, Letty Delgardo, Allegra DeMelo, Ed Diercks, Dombrowski Family, Edythe Durney, Jackie Fraser, Elaine Good, Jenny Hampton, Richard Holm, Robert Keller, Karen Krieg, Fritz Kunisch, Ann McCaffrey-Amalfitano, Rev. John H. Meyer, John Molino, Keith Pearson, Josephine Rivera, Matthew Schulman, Janice Serra, Emily Testu