Prelude                             Partita on “Built on the Rock”                                  Alfred Fedak
                                           Dr. John Allegar, organ                                            (b. 1953)

+ Welcome                                                                                             Rev. Karen L. Lang

Call to Worship                   There Is a Balm in Gilead                                             Spiritual
                                                Sanctuary Choir                                  arr. William L. Dawson
                                              Dr. Michelle Louer                                               (1899-1990)
                                        Director of Music and Fine Arts

There is a Balm in Gilead, to make the wounded whole,
There is a Balm in Gilead, to heal the sin-sick soul.

One: This time of worship is a time set apart,

All: to lay down our burdens, to set aside our fears, to quiet our distractions.

One: This time of worship is a time of renewal,

All: to breathe deeply, to listen carefully, to reflect prayerfully.

One: This time of worship is a time of commitment,

All: to trust the God who creates us, to follow the Christ who calls us, to obey the Spirit who leads us.

Prayer of Adoration

*+Processional Hymn #482         Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty        LOBE DEN HERREN

Call to Confession

Silent Confession

Prayer of Confession

One: Let us pray.

All: Almighty God, you love us, but we have not loved you.

One: We allow doubt’s permanence in our lives.

All: You call, but we have not listened.

One: We fail to trust in your goodness and the goodness of your creation.

All: We walk away from neighbors in need, wrapped in our own concerns.

One: We are complicit in evil, prejudice, violence, and greed.

All: We fail to speak peace to one another. We fail to see you in others. We sin in our empty words, broken promises, and silence.

One: God of grace, one who speaks peace,

All: Help us to admit our sin, so that as you come to us in mercy, calling us by name, we may repent, turn to you, and receive forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Amen.

Kyrie                       (from Symphony No. 9 “New World”)                              Antonín Dvořák

Assurance of Pardon

* Response of Praise                         Gloria Patri                                           (Hymn #579)

*+Passing of the Peace

Leader: The peace of Christ be with you.

People: And also with you.

* Hymn #326                   Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart                     MORECAMBE

Ritual of Friendship and the Concerns of the Church               Dr. John R. Koppitch (9:30)
                                                                                                     Thomas P. Markey (11:00)

Time with Children (11:00)

Prayer of Illumination                                                                            Jacob Stubbs (9:30)
                                                                                               Elder Mary Alice Hines (11:00)

First Lesson                                       Matthew 21:18-21                                        (p. 899)

Anthem                                         Even When God Is Silent                            Michael Horvit
                                                                                                                               (b.1932)

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining.
I believe in love even when feeling it not.
I believe in God even when God is silent.

Second Lesson                                     Exodus 17:1-7                                               (p. 63)

Response

Leader: This is the word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

Sermon                                                                                          Rev. Christopher A. Henry

* Affirmation of Faith                          The Apostles’ Creed                                 see sidebar

Prayers of the People and 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.

Offertory                                     I’ve Been in the Storm So Long                             Spiritual
                                                      David Smolokoff, tenor                          arr. H.T. Burleigh
                                                                                                                          (1866-1949)

I’ve been in the storm so long children;
Oh, give me little time to pray.

Oh, let me tell my mother how I come along,
With a hung down head and an aching heart.

Oh when I get to heaven, I’ll walk all about,
There’ll be nobody there to turn me out.

* Doxology and the Prayer of Thanksgiving                                                (Hymn #592)

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 Thanksgiving

* Closing Hymn #522                Lord, When I Came Into This Life               LAND OF REST

* Charge and Benediction

* Benediction Response             The Lord Bless You and Keep You            Peter C. Lutkin
                                                                                                                          (1858-1931)

The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord lift his countenance upon you,
            and give you peace.
The Lord make his face to shine upon you,
            and be gracious unto you.

* Postlude                              Thou Art the Rock (excerpt)                                Henri Mulet
                                                                                                                        (1878-1967)

From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Congregational Songs           Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the gloom of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day.

All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain, call us to rejoice in Thee.

Mortals, join the happy chorus which the morning stars began;
Love divine is reigning o’er us, joining all in heaven’s plan.
Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us sunward in the triumph song of life.

Centering Song                                It Is Good To Trust
 

Scripture Reading                                 Exodus 17:1-7

Reflection                                        The Shadow of Doubt

Musical Meditation                           Came To My Rescue

Sacrament of Communion

Closing Song                              My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less

Words of Blessing

As we go from here, may
     The love of God be a passion in your heart,
     The presence of God be a peace that overflows,
     And the Word of God brighten your life 
     and strengthen you when times are tough

A Word of Invitation for the Week to Come

When Hans Christian Anderson said “the good and the beautiful is not forgotten; it lives in legend and in song,” he spoke of the way in which fairy tales could transcend the world of fiction. In this Lenten season, we remember stories of God’s presence in our own lives. 

As you leave worship this evening with the stone, we invite you to set aside time each day this week to remember your experiences with God. Here’s a helpful strategy: on Monday, focus on your earliest memories of faith. On Tuesday, focus on your later childhood. Day by day, remember how you encountered God in each stage of your life, with Sunday focusing on present-day. Shadows of doubt fade away when we remember the promise and the presence God provides!