Cause and Effect

February 27, 2022
Pastor Stacy Dickson
Worship

Save

Service of Worship

Come, Sweet Peace of God
Edward Broughton
© 2000 Lorenz Publishing Company
Used by Permission. ONE LICENSE # M-401420

Welcome and Opening Prayer

Opening Prayer

Loving and Gracious God—Holy one of Israel—tender one to all who call upon you with repentant and believing hearts: bless us, we pray, with your presence this day. Teach the little ones who have gathered to learn your ways, inspire those who seek your wisdom, energize those who are exhausted, comfort those who grieve, and strengthen those who are weak. Indeed, O God, fill all of our hearts with your praise and lead us in holiness and righteousness in this hour and in the hours to come. We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Richard Fairchild

Opening Hymn — #369 Blessed Assurance

1. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of his Spirit, washed in His blood.

Refrain
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.

2. Perfect submission, perfect delight,
visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
angels descending bring from above
echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Refrain

3. Perfect submission, all is at rest;
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with his goodness, lost in his love.

Refrain

Blessed Assurance
Fanny Jane Crosby | Phoebe Palmer Knapp
Public Domain

Scripture Reading — Exodus 1:1-14 (NRSV)

1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 The total number of people born to Jacob was seventy. Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers, and that whole generation. 7 But the Israelites were fruitful and prolific; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. 13 The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.

Joys and Concerns, Pastoral Prayer

Pastoral Prayer

Holy and Gracious God, we give you thanks for family, friends, life, love—for all the blessings you have bestowed upon us.
In Your mercy, hear our prayer.

God of our Mothers and Fathers, your desire for us leads the way, may we have the ears to hear the cries of this world – responding with Your hope.
In Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Compassionate One, fill us with your love that we may see deeply into all the needs around us, Help us to care with Your heart.
In Your mercy, hear our prayer.

May Your love, Your grace, Your compassion, Your mercy, carry us away, this day and lead us with love to be Your hands and heart in the world.
Amen.

Terri on RevGalPals.com

For those who are called and able, gifts and tithes can still be made through online giving, by mailing them in, and by dropping them off to the office through the secure mail slot to the left of the double door entry to the church hallway.

Offertory — Jonathan

Unknown

Doxology

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.

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow (Old 100th)
Louis Bourgeois | Thomas Ken
© Public Domain

Offertory Prayer

Transforming God, we come to your altar this morning, knowing that in our giving and in our living, we have often put “just enough” into living our faith so as not to impact our lifestyle or cause too much discomfort. We have been reluctant to let go of our affinity for the things of this world; and in our attachments, we have often missed the opportunity for the transformed lives you desire for us. May our offering this morning be an invitation to living a life radically transformed by your power, love, and grace. We pray this in the mighty love of Jesus. Amen.

Sermon — Pastor Stacy Dickson
Cause and Effect

Closing Hymn — #140 Great Is Thy Faithfulness

1. Great is thy faithfulness,
O God my Father;
there is no shadow
of turning with thee;
thou changest not,
thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been,
thou forever wilt be.

Refrain
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning
new mercies I see;
all I have needed
thy hand hath provided;
great is thy faithfulness,
Lord, unto me!

2. Summer and winter
and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars
in their courses above
join with all nature
in manifold witness
to Thy great faithfulness,
mercy and love.

Refrain

3. Pardon for sin
and a peace that endureth,
thy own dear presence
to cheer and to guide;
strength for today
and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine,
with ten thousand beside!

Refrain

Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Thomas Obediah Chisholm | William Marion Runyan
Public Domain

Benediction

Go out into the world to join God in the work of love, of peace, of justice. Take in the breath of life. Take off your shoes. Know that you are ever in the presence of the Holy and Living God. Go in peace. Amen.

Joanna Harader

Postlude – Hani