THE FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT FEBRUARY 18, 2018 Dorchester United Church
Wherever you are, whoever you are, Join us in our Journey!
WE GATHER TO PRAISE GOD
TO PONDER:
God initiates and continually restores relationship with creation and
humanity. We are called to give witness to the covenant God keeps with the
world.
MUSICAL PRELUDE
HYMN: "
Bless now, O God, the Journey" V.U. 633
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALL TO WORSHIP
The days are beginning to lengthen, but creation continues to be held in
winter's icy grip.
The God of Noah and of Jesus continues to remind us that new life is
not far off.
God makes promises and keeps them.
God has promised life in all its fullness. God's promise is coming
true.
We worship a Maker who cares about the lowest and the least of us.
OPENING PRAYER
As we prepare for our Lenten journey, O God, give us the courage to
venture into the challenging places of heart and spirit. Strengthen us
to search and grow as disciples of Jesus. May we search out the dark
forces of oppression and defeat them with the light of Jesus. When we
come to the end of our journey, show us how to stand at the foot of the
cross, look up and feel the power of Your love upon us. AMEN
THE LENTEN TRIAD LITURGY
[Focus on the environment - a Lenten Discipline]
The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world and they that
dwell therein. Psalm 24:1
LENT 1 - WATER Reader
: As we extinguish this candle, we acknowledge the injustice and poverty
caused by the greed and lust for power.
A PRAYER OF CONFESSION
We confess, God, that we have had abundant water in this country but
have been careless in protecting it. We have failed to heed the early
warning signs of our polluted water systems and the subsequent
depletion of our water supplies. We have been slow to understand the
injustices created by the privatization of fresh water. Forgive us and
teach us to treasure this natural resource even as we work to ensure
its fair and just accessibility to all who need it. AMEN
SUNG RESPONSE
"As the Sun With Longer Journey"
V.U. 111 (vs 2)
RESPONSE: V.U. 400
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Lord, send your Spirit in this place,
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Send us love, send us power, send us grace.
PASTORAL PRAYER
WE RESPOND TO GOD'S WORD IN FAITH AND ACTION
OFFERING INVITATION
OFFERTORY RESPONSE:
For food in a world where many walk in hunger, for friends in a world where
many walk alone, for faith in a world where many walk in fear, we give you
thanks, O God. V.U. 552
OFFERTORY PRAYER: We have come to offer ourselves in this Lenten
season. May we heed Your call to enter the lonely road that leads to
the cross. May we renounce all our pretensions and follow You in an act
of self-giving. AMEN
