MARCH 10, 2024

Hymn Sing     Gray Psalter Hymnal

     # 475     Praise, My Soul, The King of Heaven, vs 1, 2, 4

     # 432     For the Beauty of the Earth, vs 1, 3, 4

     Insert     There Is a Fountain, vs 1, 2, 4

Call to Worship 

Hymn     # 501     Oh, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing          (Gray Psalter Hymnal)

Confession of Sin and Assurance of Pardon

“The Lord, the Lord, is a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.”

— Exodus 34:6-7a

Psalter     Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22     (NRSVUE)          John Young

1O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

2Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from trouble

3and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

17Some were sick through their sinful ways and because of their iniquities endured affliction;

18they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death.

19Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress;

20he sent out his word and healed them and delivered them from destruction.

21Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.

22And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices and tell of his deeds with songs of joy.

Prayer for Illumination                                                       

Old Testament Reading     Isaiah 55

       55 Hear, everyone who thirsts; come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your earnings for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. 4See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. 5Now you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.

       6Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; 7let the wicked forsake their way and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

       10For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

       12For you shall go out in joy and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle,

and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.

Congregation: Thanks be to God for His Word.

Choral Anthem     O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

O love that will not let me go

I rest my weary soul in thee

I give thee back the life I owe

That in thine ocean depths its flow

May richer, fuller be

O light that foll’west all my way

I yield my flickr’ing torch to thee

My heart restores its borrowed ray

That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day

May brighter, fairer be

O joy that seekest me through pain

I cannot close my heart to thee

I trace the rainbow through the rain

And feel the promise is not vain, the promise is not vain

That morn shall ever tearless be

O cross that liftest up my head

I dare not hide from thee

I lay in dust, life’s glory dead

And from the ground there blossoms red

Life that shall endless be

O love that will not let me go

I rest my weary soul in thee

Children’s Sermon

Hymn     # 482     Man of Sorrows          (Gray Psalter Hymnal)

New Testament Reading     John 6:60-71

       60When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” 61But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? 62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who were the ones who did not believe and who was the one who would betray him. 65And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.”

       66Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. 67So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” 68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” 70Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? Yet one of you is a devil.” 71He was speaking of Judas son of Simon Iscariot, for he, though one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

Sermon          Pastor Andrew Winter