Sunday, March 6, 2022 - Scarcity vs. Abundance
“How often have you ever felt like you don’t have enough of something, like you aren’t enough, not enough time, not enough resources, not enough help, not enough knowledge, not enough hands, or if you just had….. Then all would be right?”
Theme: How did Jesus live through….. Scarcity vs. Abundance
Hymn The Trumpets Sound, the Angels Sing (In Person Only)
Welcome
Awakening to God’s Presence (In Person Only)
Hymn Open My Eyes, that I May See (In Person Only)
Prayer for God’s Guidance
Matthew 3:13-17 Common English Bible Translation
At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River so that John would baptize him. John tried to stop him and said, “I need to be baptized by you, yet you come to me?” Jesus answered, “Allow me to be baptized now. This is necessary to fulfill all righteousness.” So John agreed to baptize Jesus. When Jesus was baptized, he immediately came up out of the water. Heaven was opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and resting on him. A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son whom I dearly love; I find happiness in him.” (Question: When have you felt an abundance of love?)
Luke 4:1-4
Jesus returned from the Jordan River full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. There he was tempted for forty days by the devil. He ate nothing during those days and afterward Jesus was starving. The devil said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus replied, “It’s written, People won’t live only by bread.” (Question: When have you felt empty in life?)
Hymn The glory of These Forty Days (In Person Only)
Luke 4:5-8
Next the devil led him to a high place and showed him in a single instant all the kingdoms of the world. The devil said, “I will give you this whole domain and the glory of all these kingdoms. It’s been entrusted to me and I can give it to anyone I want. Therefore, if you will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It’s written, You will worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” (Question: When do you feel like you don’t have enough?)
Luke 4:9-13
The devil brought him to Jerusalem and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down from here; for it’s written: He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone.” Jesus answered, “It’s been said, Don’t test the Lord your God.” After finishing every temptation, the devil departed from him until the next opportunity. (Question: When have you felt most alone?)
Hymn What a Friend We Have in Jesus (In Person Only)
Luke 4:14-15
Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. (Question: How have you used your experiences to help others?)
Reflection Together (In Person Only)
Offering Ourselves to God
During this time let us reflect upon the words from the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, in his book Tokens of Trust.
“Because of Jesus we can now see that what God has always meant to happen is – to pick up two centrally important words in the Letter to the Ephesians – peace and praise. This and this alone is God’s ‘agenda’: the world he has made is designed to become a reconciled world, a world in which diverse human communities come to share a life together because they share the conviction that God has acted to set them free from fear and guilt. And this in turn is only one facet of a reconciliation that somehow affects the whole cosmos, that draws the diversity of the created world itself together so that it works harmoniously.”
Hymn I Was There to Hear your Borning Cry (In Person Only)
The Lord’s Supper
Invitation
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Words of Institution
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom and the power
and the glory, forever. Amen
Benediction
Closing Hymn Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (In Person Only)
Hymn List
165 The Glory of These Forty Days
451 Open My Eyes, That I May See
465 What a Friend We Have in Jesus
488 I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry
505 The Trumpets Sound, the Angels Sing
611 Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
Lent Sermon Series: How did Jesus live through…
March 13th – Rejection vs. Acceptance
March 20th – Despair vs. Hope
March 27th – Frustration vs. Peace
April 3rd – Fear vs. Courage
April 10th – Domination vs. Liberation