Service of Worship
Prelude – Hani
We Now Implore the Holy Ghost
Dietrich Buxtehude
© Public Domain
Welcome and Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
We’ve come to worship,
to sing and pray and hear God’s Word, because:
God’s love lasts forever!
Even when God seems far away, we know:
God’s love lasts forever!
Even when nothing is going right, and we’re ready to give up, we know:
God’s love lasts forever!
When people treat us badly, we know:
God’s love lasts forever!
When we’re all alone,
and we feel like no one loves us, we know:
God’s love lasts forever!
Let’s worship God together
Opening Hymn — #98 To God Be the Glory
1. To God be the glory great things He has done
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin
And opened the life gate that all may go in
Refrain
Praise the Lord praise the Lord
Let the earth hear His voice
Praise the Lord praise the Lord
Let the people rejoice
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son
And give Him the glory great things He has done
2. O perfect redemption the purchase of blood
To every believer the promise of God
The vilest offender who truly believes
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives
Refrain
To God Be The Glory
Fanny Jane Crosby | William Howard Doane
© Public Domain
Children’s Time with Ms Becky
Joys and Concerns — Pastoral Prayer
Pastoral Prayer
Credit: Rev. Ian McLean
Heavenly Father, we are not altogether convinced that darkness is a thing of the past. Many people in this world of ours feel their world is one of darkness and gloom. Pressures crowd in upon us and get us down.
The causes are varied: bereavement, illness, money, worries about family, trouble at work or not having work, drugs, drink, boredom, doubt, weariness, futility.
Then there are the world issues: war, poverty, climate change, disease, unfair trade and so on. It does not help when we feel that as Christians we should be doing so much better than we are. Gracious and loving God, we rejoice that you are with us in our troubles, you know us and you love us – always.
Even though we have made a mess of things personally and collectively you remain faithful. We rejoice that your Son came not to a perfect world, but to a broken world, our world. To bring light to the darkness, our darkness.
We pray for our dark and dreary world, a world in need – in need not just of a technical fix, but in need of love and grace, forgiveness and new life, hope, peace and fellowship, in need of renewal, in need of YOU.
We pray that you would come alongside us and all those for whom we pray, that you would show us Jesus, the light of the world, the one who came (and who comes) to rid us of sin, to give us life and health and peace, peace that passes all understanding – not a temporary respite from trouble but the strength to overcome it and ultimately to receive life eternal.
You don’t wave a magic wand for everything to sorted instantly – you require us to exercise our faith and to respond to your call to preach the gospel and to seek to live it out, to look to you for the strength that we need to share your love and grace. Help us to share the good news in word and action – the same good news that the fishermen were called to proclaim that there is a Savior, a merciful king who loves us and whom we can love and adore.
We have been set free. Enable us to use our freedom to share in bringing in the kingdom. In the light of this we have something to celebrate, something to shout about – for even in our trouble and pain, even in our loss, we know that Jesus is with us.
Hear us as in a moment of silence we pray for those in darkness (of whatever kind) – let us pray that they may see and know the light of Christ:
The Lord is my light and my salvation. Hear our prayers, Lord, spoken and unspoken and answer them for Jesus’ sake. Amen
Offertory – Antone
Deep River
Henry T. Burleigh
© Public Domain
Offering Our Gifts to the Lord
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.
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
Gracious God, your hospitality has surrounded us and welcomed us, even when we only grudgingly extended hospitality to sisters and brothers who are also your children. May we grow each day in our willingness to be welcoming disciples, not just to those who look like us, talk like us, or think like us. May our offering this morning be received not just in gratitude for your hospitality, but as our way to extend comfort and welcome to those for whom your love is a mystery. We pray in Christ’s holy name. Amen.
Scripture Reading – Esther 4:1-17 (NRSV)
1 When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went through the city, wailing with a loud and bitter cry; 2 he went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one might enter the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. 3 In every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and most of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4 When Esther’s maids and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed; she sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth; but he would not accept them. 5 Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what was happening and why. 6 Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate, 7 and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. 8 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther, explain it to her, and charge her to go to the king to make supplication to him and entreat him for her people.
9 Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and gave him a message for Mordecai, saying, 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—all alike are to be put to death. Only if the king holds out the golden scepter to someone, may that person live. I myself have not been called to come in to the king for thirty days.” 12 When they told Mordecai what Esther had said, 13 Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.” 15 Then Esther said in reply to Mordecai, 16 “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.” 17 Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.
Sermon – Pastor Stacy Dickson
Celebrating Our Heroes
Special Music – Heidi
All Creatures of Our God and King
St. Francis of Assisi | William Henry Draper | Ralph Vaughan Williams
© 1989 The United Methodist Publishing House
CCLI License # 656051
Benediction
Once again, we’ve heard God’s story—
a story of love and faithfulness,
of mercy and compassion.
As God’s people, we are called to bring this story to the world,
to tell and re-tell it by our words and our actions,
so that others may hear and join the story, too.
So go from here with joy and courage,
strengthened and sustained in your storytelling
by the grace of God,
the love of Jesus Christ,
and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Postlude – Hani
Voluntary in A Fugue
William Selby