ORDER FOR WORSHIP
PRELUDE "Nimrod" Elgar
SALUTATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
* PASSING OF THE PEACE
* GLORIA PATRI (pew card)
* CALL TO WORSHIP Emerson Chen
When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
Our mouths were filled with laughter and our tongues with shouts of joy.
Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced!
* HYMN No. 213 When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
JUNIOR SERMON
(After the Junior Sermon, children ages 3-8 are dismissed to Children & Worship. Children & Worship meets in Room 2D. Children can be picked up there after the service.)
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Almighty God, our Redeemer,
in our weakness we have failed
to be your messengers of forgiveness and hope.
Renew us by your Holy Spirit,
that we may follow your commands
and proclaim your reign of love.
(Prayers of Silent Confession)
Kyrie (sung): Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON/WISDOM FOR LIFE
Whatever gains I had, I have come to regard these as loss because of Christ.
I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
We have been found, not having a righteousness of our own,
But one that comes through faith in Christ.
Therefore, let us forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead.
We will press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
ANTHEM: O Saviour of the World John Goss
O Saviour of the world, O Saviour of the world,
Who by Thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us,
Save us, and help us, O Saviour of the world,
We humbly beseech Thee, O Lord. Amen.
LENTEN MISSION
Rita Zimmer, Executive Director, HousingPlus
Prayer of Illumination
All-knowing and all-caring God,
we gather this day drained by another week.
We are like a parched desert, empty and in need of replenishment.
Visit us with your presence, saturate us with your Spirit,
and bathe us in your streams of living water,
that our lives might acknowledge and worship you. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READINGS:
Isaiah 43:18-21 p. 586
John 12:1-8 p. 874
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
SERMON Senseless Acts Rev. Blaine Crawford
* CONFESSION OF FAITH:
The Apostles’ Creed
OFFERING OURSELVES AND OUR GIFTS
Offertory: Prayer to Jesus John Ness Beck
Lord Jesus, think on me
and purge away my sin;
From selfish passions set me free
and make me pure within.
Lord Jesus, think on me
By anxious thoughts oppressed;
Let me your loving servant be
and taste your promised rest.
Lord Jesus, think on me
Nor let me go astray;
Through darkness and perplexity
Point out the way.
Lord Jesus, think on me
That when this life is past,
I may the eternal brightness see,
And share Thy joy at last.
Amen.
* The Doxology (pew card)
* Prayer of Dedication
SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION
*Communion Hymn (pew card)
Remembering with Love and Hope
Invitation
Communion Prayer
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Sanctus (pew card)
Mystery of the Faith:
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Words of Institution
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Lord’s Prayer (pew card)
Response: Cast Thy Burden Upon the Lord
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee;
He never will suffer the righteous to fall: He is at thy right hand.
Thy mercy Lord, is great and far above the heavens:
let none be made ashamed that wait upon thee.
* HYMN No. 689 The Church's One Foundation
* BENEDICTION
Response Savior, Again to Your Dear Name
Grant us your peace throughout our earthly life:
comfort in sorrow, courage in the strife;
then, when your voice shall make our conflict cease,
call us, O Lord, to your eternal peace.
POSTLUDE Fantasy in G minor Bach
All are invited to join us in Gessner Hall for coffee hour.
Announcements
Flowers today were donated by Betty Gessner and family in memory of Arnold Gessner on the anniversary of his birth.
Lenten Mission
This year’s focus for the Lenten Mission is homelessness and affordable housing in NYC. Our church is already committed to serving individuals in need of housing through our Women’s Shelter. Our Lenten Mission will invite us to deepen our commitment in several ways:
1) Almsgiving: Church on the Hill will collect monetary donations and other items that can be distributed to individuals experiencing homelessness.
2) Education: Volunteers from the Women’s Shelter will share their experiences serving. Guests will share about homelessness and affordable housing in NYC.
3) Prayer: We will pray for individuals experiencing homelessness here in NYC, especially the women we serve in our Women’s Shelter on Friday evenings.
4) Hospitality: We invite you to serve in our Women’s Shelter in a variety of capacities, including preparing meals for them and staying overnight at the shelter.
Music in a Sacred Space Concert
The next concert in our Music in a Sacred Space series will take place on Saturday, April 27 at 7:30 pm. Clarinetist Pascal Archer, cellist Caleb van der Swaagh, and pianist Adam Kent team up in a program of chamber music classics, including Beethoven’s Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 5, Poulenc’s Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, and Brahms’s Trio for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano. From the furious counterpoint of late Beethoven, to the playfully French insouciance of Poulenc and the autumnal ruminations of Brahms, the concert promises to reveal the widest range of human emotion in the most intimate of musical forms.
Ushers Needed
Would you be willing to serve as an usher during worship services distributing bulletins, assisting congregants to their seats if needed, and collecting the offering? Serving as an usher provides a great opportunity to meet new people in the church and to help create an atmosphere of hospitality. If interested, please contact the church office.
Youth & Children Ministries
Sunday School for youths aged 9-13 will meet at 9:45 a.m. in the sanctuary, before moving to room 2C. The class finishes around 10:40 a.m. Jeanne Sarran teaches this class.
Children & Worship children aged 3-8 will be dismissed from the worship service following the Junior Sermon and will meet in room 2D with Molly Mahowald. Children can be picked up after the worship service.
Looking Ahead – Mark your calendars!
· Tues. Apr. 9 7:30 PM Adult Bible Study
· Wed. Apr. 10 7:30 PM Indoor Yoga Class
· Thurs. Apr. 11 10:00 AM Bargain Boutique
5:45 PM Queens Children Comm. Choir
6:00 PM Prayer Group
7:30 PM Choir Rehearsal
· Sat. Apr. 13 10:00 AM Bargain Boutique
· Sun. April 14 9:45 AM Sunday School classes
11:00 AM Palm Sunday Service
11:10 AM Children and Worship
· Thurs. Apr. 18 6:45 PM Maundy Thursday Potluck
7:15 PM Communion Service
· Fri. Apr. 19 8:00 PM Good Friday Service
· Sun. Apr. 21 7:00 AM Easter Sunrise Service-Bowne Park
11:00 AM Easter Service
PRAYER REQUESTS
Remember the following individuals in your daily prayer:
Diane Blagburn, Michael Breazzano, David Cerqueira, Jessica Costagliola, Allegra DeMelo, Jolie Dunham, Lucas Ditta, Dorothy & Abel, Joan Dwyer, Matt Field, Amy Freedman, Frocione family, Jose Gracinda, Bernice Herbert, Hotchkiss Family, Ken Hoey, Jason Knese, Jane Lynch, Jorge and Tiffany Martinez, Larry Murray, Joan Pearson, Kook Ryo, Ivanette and Harold Shinsato, Kane Shinsato, Kathy Shinsato, Donna Smith, Janet Stillwagon, Alison Venable, Mel Werbel, Janet Willemain and Dennis Wink