United Church of Ludlow Weekly eNewsletter

United Church of Ludlow Weekly eNewsletter - March 14, 2021

3/12/2021

CHURCH SERVICES
at the
UNITED CHURCH of LUDLOW

are shared ELECTRONICALLY
Contact unitedchurch@tds.net
or call 802-228-4211
for more information.
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If you are comfortable attending in person, please join us.
The doors open at 9:45 am, and worship begins at 10:00 am.
We follow procedures to minimize the risk of exposure.
Please read and follow those procedures for the safety of all.

If you are not able to attend in person, a simultaneous Zoom stream is available.
Send an email to unitedchurch@tds.net to get Zoom access.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS

We wish to thank Rev.. Bruce Bishop for leading our worship service, this morning.
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     A Warm Welcome to All Visitors

If any member of the congregation may be of service to you, please contact the
  church office at 802-228-4211 or unitedchurch@tds.net.

Regarding Individuals in the Hospital or Sick at Home

  It would be greatly appreciated if you know of individuals or family members in
  the hospital or sick at home, to kindly inform the church office at 802-228-4211 or
  unitedchurch@tds.net.

Upcoming Meetings/Events

  Executive Board Meeting - Wednesday, March 24, 7:00 pm

Weekly Offerings

  Offerings and other cash receipts for the week ending on March 7 were $4540.
  The costs for each week are $1,320 (derived by dividing the annual budget by
  2 weeks).

  Please continue to mail your offerings to our Receiver of Offerings, Anne Oakes,
  at 145 Merrill Road, Ludlow, Vermont 05149.

Altar Guild

  Linda Alexander and Carol Wu provide our Altar Guild services.

Prayer Concerns

  We continue to keep the following in our prayers:

  James Almond, Terry DeYoung, Arthur Marin,
  Kathy Doyle, Rick Doyle, Mindy Doyle, Judy Edwards,
  Jean Eggleston, Carolyn Gauthier, Sheila Kafer, Susan Kneebone,
  Ginny Kottkamp, Anne Oakes, Evelyn Tucker, Herb Van Guilder,
  and Evelyn Verro.

Celebrations

  Lee and Sheila Kafer celebrate an anniversary on March 18th
  Dalene Behrens celebrates a birthday on March 22nd

ECCO Lenten Bible Study in March

  Diane Holme invites you to a Lenten Bible Study organized by the ECCO group,
  continuing for the following three Sundays at 12:30 pm. (March 14, 21, and 28)

Contact the Church Office for the Zoom Link for these meetings.
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March 14, 2021 10:00 A.M.

Service of Worship
FOURTH Sunday IN LENT

PRELUDE
(All are encouraged to use the prelude as a quiet time of meditation in
  preparation for the worship service which follows.)

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND GREETING

  The grace of our LORD Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion
  of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13: 13)

  And also with you.

CALL TO WORSHIP * (Please Stand.)

  It is good to give thanks to you, O God,
  To declare your steadfast love in the morning;
  For you have made us glad by your work;
  At the works of your hands, we sing for joy.

HYMN 57*                                                               O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing

OPENING PRAYER*

CONFESSION OF SIN

  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

  If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive our sins
  and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.   (I John 1: 8-9)

  Let us confess our sins before God and one another.

  God of everlasting mercy hear our prayer today, as we bring our lives before
  you. We come as people who dwell on the past. We want to face your new
  day with life and hope in our hearts, but many times the events of our own
  lives weigh us down. We forget to forgive one another. We dwell on our
  own past mistakes. We refuse to bury dead issues and worn-out memories.
  Free us, free us from ourselves, God, so that we might walk new pathways,
  alive with grace. . .

SILENCE        (observed for reflection and prayer)

ASSURANCE OF GOD’S LOVE AND FORGIVENESS

  The Good News in Christ is that God offers us life at every moment, forgiving us,
  and inviting us to the freshness of new beginnings. May God be praised for this
  gracious and loving gift.

READING OF SCRIPTURE                                     Isaiah 60: 1-3

PSALM 1                                                                   page 738, Response 2

GLORIA 70*

  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
  and to the Holy Ghost;
  as it was in the beginning,
  is now, and ever shall be,
  world without end. Amen. Amen.

THE GOSPEL LESSON                                            Luke 16: 19-31

SERMON                                                                  “True Belief”

HYMN 514*                                                            Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

JOYS AND CONCERNS

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

  The Lord be with you.
  And also with you.
  Let us pray.

LORD’S PRAYER (“trespasses”)

PRAYER RESPONSE                                   Hymnal, No. 473

  Lead me, Lord, lead me in thy righteousness;
  Make thy way plain before my face.
  For it is thou, Lord, thou, Lord only,
  That makest me dwell in safety.

OFFERTORY SENTENCE

OFFERTORY

DOXOLOGY

  At the Presentation, Hymn 95*             Old 100th
  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.

PRAYER OF DEDICATION*

HYMN 568*                                                             Christ for the World We Sing

BENEDICTION AND BLESSING*

BENEDICTION RESPONSE

DISMISSAL

  Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
  Thanks be to God.

POSTLUDE

* All who are able may stand.
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Lyrics to the Hymns and
Responsive Reading
for the March 7 Service

HYMN 57                 O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing

O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise,
the glories of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace!

My gracious Master and my God, assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad the honors of thy name.

Jesus! the name that charms our fears, that bids our sorrows cease;
'tis music in the sinner's ears, 'tis life, and health, and peace.

He breaks the power of canceled sin, he sets the prisoner free;
his blood can make the foulest clean; his blood availed for me.

He speaks, and listening to his voice, new life the dead receive;
the mournful, broken hearts rejoice, the humble poor believe.

Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb, your loosened tongues employ;
ye blind, behold your Savior come, and leap, ye lame, for joy.

In Christ, your head, you then shall know, shall feel your sins forgiven;
anticipate your heaven below, and own that love is heaven.

HYMN 514*                        Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross;
lift high his royal banner, it must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory his army shall he lead,
till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey;
forth to the mighty conflict, in this his glorious day.
Ye that are brave now serve him against unnumbered foes;
let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in his strength alone;
the arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer;
where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long;
this day the noise of battle, the next the victor's song.
To those who vanquish evil a crown of life shall be;
they with the King of Glory shall reign eternally.

HYMN 568*                        Christ for the World We Sing

Christ for the world we sing, the world to Christ we bring, with loving zeal;
the poor, and them that mourn, the faint and overborne, sin-sick and sorrow-worn,
whom Christ doth heal.

Christ for the world we sing, the world to Christ we bring, with fervent prayer;
the wayward and the lost, by restless passions tossed, redeemed at countless cost,
from dark despair.

Christ for the world we sing, the world to Christ we bring, with one accord;
with us the work to share, with us reproach to dare, with us the cross to bear,
for Christ our Lord.

Christ for the world we sing, the world to Christ we bring, with joyful song;
the newborn souls, whose days, reclaimed from error's ways, inspired with hope and praise,
to Christ belong.

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