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February 2, 2025 COMMUNION SUNDAY 10:00 AM

RECEPTION OF NEW MEMBERS

GATHERING FOR WORSHIP

As the bell sounds, may we quiet ourselves and allow the music of the prelude to lead us into a worshipful place in our hearts and minds.

Prelude O God, Beyond All Praising

Gustav Holst, arr. Anna Laura Page

Welcome and Announcements

Choral Introit

Call to Worship

Leader: God comes into a world filled with uncertainties and darkness.

People: God seeks out the voids of belief and conviction.

Leader: God embraces the wounded and broken.

People: God knocks down the walls of division and strife.

Leader: God is the candle shining in the darkness of our days.

People: God is the light of our lives.

Leader: God is the one who makes all things new.

People: Praise be to God, now and forevermore!

*Opening Hymn I Love Your Church, O God

Unison Prayer of Confession

Merciful God, we celebrate the way that you chose to bring unity and peace to people—through the gift of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. He broke down longstanding walls of prejudice and hostility between Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave and free. Walls of prejudice still exist and barriers of racism still hold people back from reaching their true potential. As we hear the great message of Jesus reconciling people to you, O God, and to one another, help us to look within and realize Jesus has made us members of the household of God and he holds us together through the power of his Spirit.

Silent Confession

Words of Assurance

"In him we have been reconciled to God through the cross, made citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” Hear then, the good news that in Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

*Gloria Patri

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.

RECEPTION OF NEW MEMBERS

Profession of Faith and Service

*Welcome to the Church (unison)

We, then, the members and friends of this congregation, gladly welcome you to take part with us in the hopes and the labors, and to share in the joys of this United Church of Christ. We promise to walk with you in Christian love and sympathy, and to promote, as far as in us lies, your growth in the Christian life.

*HYMN: 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&#39;s throne we pour our ardent prayers; our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares.

3. We share our mutual woes, our mutual burdens bear,

and often for each other flows the sympathizing tear.

SHARING GOD’S WORD

Scripture Reading Mark 1:21-28

Leader: This is the Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

Musical Interlude

THE COMMUNITY AT PRAYER

Sharing of Joys and Concerns

Call to Prayer Lead Me, Lord

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.

Pastoral Prayer

*Hymn of Preparation Tis the Gift to Be Simple

Sermon Who’s in Charge? Rev. Ritts

THE SERVICE OF OFFERING

Offertory

*The Doxology (#46)

*Prayer of Dedication (unison)

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation; through your goodness we have this money to offer, the fruit of our labor and of the skills you have given us. Take us and our possessions to do your work in the world. Blessed be God forever. Amen.

THE SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION

*Communion Hymn Let Us Break Bread Together

The Invitation

The Prayer of Consecration

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. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.

Sharing the Bread and the Cup

Prayer of Thanksgiving (unison)

We thank you, God, for inviting us to this table where we have witnessed the light, have known the presence, and have received the gifts of Christ our Lord.  On this new member Sunday, within this Body of Christ, strengthen our faith, increase our love for one another, and enable us to show forth your light in our lives; through Jesus Christ our savior.  Amen

WE GO FORTH TO SERVE

*Hymn of Parting        Jesus Calls Us O’er the Tumult

*Benediction

May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of Christ Jesus our risen Savior.

And the blessing of God Almighty, Creator, Redeemer and Comforter, be among you and remain with you always.

We go in peace to love and serve the Lord, In the name of Christ. Amen.

Congregational Response      Go Now in Peace

Go now in peace. Never be afraid, God will go with you each hour of every day. Go now in faith, steadfast, strong and true. Know He will guide you in all you do. Go now in love, and show you believe. Reach out to others so all the world can see. God will be there, watching from above. Go now in peace, in faith, and in love.

POSTLUDE                    A New Name in Glory

C. Austin Miles, arr. Lyndell Leatherman

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WHO'S IN CHARGE?

The GPS technology (Global Positioning System) still amazes Judy & I.  Actually one of the few on-going disagreements we have: She likes “Waze” and I prefer Apple Maps. We watch our little car/arrow proceed along a scrolling map of the immediate area.  It's so accurate it can pinpoint our position within 15 feet.

Amazing - showing us where we've been, where we are, our chosen destination and our ETA, often to the exact minute.  An authority figure riding right along with us in our cars.  And, even more frightening, they’re now testing self-driving cars guided by the same technology!

Who’s in charge here?!

Authority “issues" are  ever present in our everyday lives.  The “who's in charge?" question.

We ask, “what do the authorities say?"

To our children: “Who gave you permission to do that?"

To our doctors: “I'd like to get a second opinion."

When we want to go to a higher authority: “Could you tell the manager I'd like to speak to her."

And there are those ever elusive “they" who have authority - “they say . . .” or “they think they're always right".

Authority is an issue on many levels - from personal to corporate, from local to international, from earthly to heavenly.

The sources of the various authorities in our lives are ever changing, often confusing and sometimes conflicting.  Sorting them out, discerning their authenticity and reliability and deciding who to listen to is a constant and often daunting task.

We can study the origin or source of these various authorities: intrinsic or extrinsic.

They may come from Outside ourselves: books and media of all sorts, family, friends, rules. guidelines, protocol, convention

Or from Inside ourselves: experience, knowledge, hunches, intuition; feelings often controlling our behaviors, often unawares: guilt, joy, sadness, embarrassment, shyness.

We can study the development of authority.

What does it take to “have authority?"

Is one given authority or does one take it?

Is it earned or acquired?

Authority is a part of our lives, we are controlled by it, one way or another.

Jesus came preaching to the towns and villages around Judea and Galilee.  It soon became apparent that he was one who manifested authority.

“They were astounded at his teachings for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”

We apply our questions:

From whence does Jesus derive his authority?  His listeners and eye-witnesses to his miracles made constant assumptions.

How does Jesus experience this authority?

Externally in the power over healing and motivating others to action - for and against the cause!

Internally - ah, now there's the question; there's the key.  What was Jesus following?  How was he “getting" the message?

Not being Jesus, we can't say with any ultimate “authority."  But being at least human like Jesus we can begin to explore some possibilities.

As we say in the religious trade, it's all about Discernment.  Discerning the will of God.  Consciously choosing God as our final authority, placing “God’s Positioning System,” as the GPS on our dashboards of life.

God is the answer to the question, who's in charge, which calls into play certain signs along the way.

It's really quite simple, it's all about the results: forgiveness, healing, feelings of peace, joy, connection, the flow of love.  Whenever the choice comes, the by-products of the decision must include those attributes presented to us in the Bible.

Following the authority that is of God will always contribute to the betterment of God's creation and bring the kingdom ever closer to fruition.

Practice, slowly at first, taking time out when we can, for prayer and study; will eventually lead us to increasing levels of competency in knowing, choosing and following the One in charge.  Our accuracy and reaction time will improve.

We will discover who the “scribes" and “pharisees” are, those who simply exercise authority for the power trip of it all and, conversely, who the “saints" are as we sense the source of their power as beyond this dimension.

Let us all begin by examining our behaviors: asking and honestly answering the question, who's in charge?  Then reflect on the godly ones and discern where and how we can clarify what to do.

Listen, pray, study Scripture and wisdom literature, reflect, discuss and choose - we can only improve our scores!

In closing, I would have us reflect on these final thoughts:

Perhaps it's not a bad idea to share in this special meal together before we step out to practice what he preached (if we’re on board!).  Perhaps this real and concrete sacrament will remind us of who's really in charge, the final authority in life and in death.

Let us ask ourselves, on a regular basis: who's in charge in my life?  What would other's, observing us, conclude?