Reconciliation

February 20, 2022
Pastor Stacy Dickson
Worship

Save

Service of Worship

Prelude in E flat
Arthur W. Marchant
Public Domain

Opening Prayer

God of our fathers and mothers—of all the generations who have come before us—holy is Your name. We gather in Your presence with praise and thanksgiving for the faithful love You have shown toward Your people, for the many blessings You have given to us. Your promises are eternal, and they are backed by the honor of Your name. Thank you for Your faithful presence among us, even when we are not fully aware of it. Continue to reveal Yourself to us. Open our eyes to see You here among us; open our ears to hear Your Word. For surely, You are with us in this place. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Opening Hymn — #170 O How I Love Jesus

1. There is a name I love to hear,
I love to sing its worth;
it sounds like music in my ear,
the sweetest name on earth.

Refrain
O how I love Jesus,
O how I love Jesus,
O how I love Jesus,
Because he first loved me.

2. It tells me of a Saviour’s love,
who died to set me free;
it tells me of his precious blood,
the sinner’s perfect plea.

Refrain

3. It tells of one whose loving heart
can feel my deepest woe;
who in each sorrow bears a part
that none can bear below.

Refrain

O How I Love Jesus (O HOW I LOVE JESUS)
Frederick Whitfield | 19th cent USA melody
Public Domain

Scripture Reading — Genesis 45:1-15 (NRSV)

1 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.

4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. 10 You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 I will provide for you there—since there are five more years of famine to come—so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.’ 12 And now your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you. 13 You must tell my father how greatly I am honored in Egypt, and all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.

Joys and Concerns, Pastoral Prayer

Pastoral Prayer

Loving God, Like Joseph, we don’t always understand why things happen the way they do; why our plans and dreams fail, and we find ourselves facing challenge after challenge, and disappointment after disappointment. Yet, like Joseph, we also believe that You are at work in our lives, and that You have a larger plan and purpose for each one of us. Give us faith to trust in You no matter what challenges we face. Give us courage to place our dreams and ambitions in Your hands, and then follow where You lead without hesitation, confident that Your loving presence goes with us. Amen.

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 — P.A.L.A. Men’s Quartet

There Are Some Things I May Not Know (Yes, God Is Real)
Kenneth Morris
© 1944 Unichappell Music, Inc.
Used by Permission. CCLI License # 656051

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

God, You’ve given each one of us unique gifts and abilities and have called us to unique settings—our homes, schools, neighborhoods and places of employment. Just as You used Joseph’s abilities to fulfil Your purposes in Egypt long ago, we pray that You would use us, too. Take our gifts, our time and our resources. Use them—and us—as You see fit so that, through us, Your Kingdom might come and Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Amen.

Sermon — Pastor Stacy Dickson
Reconciliation

Closing Hymn — #557 Blest Be the Tie that Binds

1. Blest be the tie that binds
our hearts in Christian love;
the fellowship of kindred minds
is like to that above.

2. Before our Father’s throne
we pour our ardent prayers;
our fears our hopes our aims are one
our comforts and our cares.

3. We share each other’s woes,
our mutual burdens bear;
and often for each other flows
the sympathizing tear.

4. When we asunder part,
it gives us inward pain;
but we shall still be joined in heart,
and hope to meet again.

Blest Be the Tie that Binds (DENNIS)
John Fawcett | Johann Hans Georg Nägeli | arr. Lowell Mason
Public Domain

Benediction

Go out and imitate God, living in love. Put your hope in God’s Word and let your own words be truthful and constructive. May sin rouse your anger, but never let anger cause you to sin. Don’t allow any room for evil. And may God always hear your voice. May Christ Jesus raise you to new life; and may the Holy Spirit nourish you for the life of love. We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
in the name of Christ. Amen.

Postlude – Hani

Dialogue sur les Grand Jeux
Luis-Nicolas Clerambault
Public Domain