He was speaking of the temple of his body . John 2:21 (RSV)
View or Print the Bulletin with Song Sheet:
2021-03-07 3rd Sunday in Lent
Lectionary Theme: Spiritual Exploration
Hearing God’s Word speak to us through the Bible readings each week
WAYS TO CONNECT
BY PHONE OR COMPUTER
To participate by phone only:
Call any one of these numbers:
929-205-6099 or 253-215-8782,
301-715-8592 or 669-900-6833
When prompted, enter the
Meeting ID: 377 073 712
Passcode: 522606
Online meeting opens 15 minutes ahead of time so we can greet each other as we gather.
WELCOME
BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
March 6-12
Birthdays
Lucille Fulks
Clay Wyatt
Charlotte Hanson
Anniversaries
ANNOUNCEMENTS
-
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- Wednesday Bible Study, 6:30 pm
- Revelation 3
- Online Interactive Worship
- 5 pm Saturday
- 11 am Sunday
- In-Person
- 11 am Sunday
- Wednesday Bible Study, 6:30 pm
-
The host will mute everyone except the leader during hymns and longer unison prayers so we can all sing and speak together without the distraction of various lag times. Otherwise, sound will be on for all participants so we can interact freely throughout the service (exception: disruptive background noises).
INVOCATION
HYMN OF PRAISE
“Sanctuary”
Lord prepare me
To be a sanctuary
Pure and holy
Tried and true
With thanksgiving
I’ll be a living
Sanctuary for You
CCLI Song # 24140 CCLI License # 3194034
John W. Thompson | Randy Scruggs
© 1982 Full Armor Publishing Company
PRAISE AND TESTIMONIES
Briefly share your recent God-Sightings, joys, thankfulness, and good thoughts so the rest of us can rejoice with you.
PRAYER CONCERNS
We remain in solidarity with suffering children, immigrants, victims of war and storms, and everyone affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additions from Last Week
Kelly Walker, Shelby Weaver, Jerry Womack, Sissy Womack, Ryan Hodges,
Ryan Blackwell, Colleen Blackwell, Linda, Dianne Stallion,
Families of Gary Williams, Mildred Sirls, Melvin Mann
Health Care Workers
Ron Fowler, Melissa Milam, Donna Smith, Greer Waldrop, Joy Crook, Susie Schumann, Michelle Adcock, Elizabeth Uys
Homebound
Freda & Dan Wyatt, Mary Lou Anderson, Betty Travis,
Carl Hamilton, Ruth Purvis
Military Families
Ron Fowler, Dylan Field, Kale Merrick, Matthew Petway, Sarah Petway, Randy Bagwell, Christopher Telle, Brittany Jones, Bryar Fortner
Ecumenical Prayer Cycle for March 7-13:
Ireland; United Kingdom: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
From St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Fayetteville AR, Worship Bulletin
Loving God, you have called us to pursue societies of faithfulness and justice: Hear our prayers for the whole of creation, that by your inspiration we may become your willing servants, as we pray:
Let the words of our mouths and the mediation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our strength and our redeemer.
Let the message of the cross destroy the wisdom of the wise and thwart the discernment of the discerning, that the nations of the world may abandon their idolatries of power and wealth in order to participate in your divine justice and compassion .
Let the words of our mouths and the mediation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our strength and our redeemer.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
AND RECONCILIATION
God of grace and glory,
we thank you that you judge us not
by the perfection of our actions,
but by our readiness
to live boldly by faith.
Help us, as individuals
and as a congregation,
to trust you
and follow where you lead,
that in Christ
your name may be glorified
in all the earth. Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE
Leader to people:
Hear the good news:
Christ died for us
while we were yet sinners;
that proves God’s love toward us.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
you are forgiven!
All to each other:
In the name of Jesus Christ,
you are forgiven!
Glory to God. Amen.
PASTORAL PRAYER
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
United Methodist Discipleship Ministries
God of grace and mercy, you are the source of the true healing that can make us whole. We remember this morning that Jesus’ ministry was deeply involved in both healing of people’s bodies and healing of relationships. As we take time now in worship to offer our spiritual gifts to you, we pray that they might be used to bring healing – of body, of spirit, of broken relationships – to people who are in desperate need. We pray this in the holy Jesus’ name. Amen.
OFFERTORY
www.Briensburg.org/donate
We give thanks for those who are continuing their financial support of our ministries with online, mail-in, in-person, or drop-off tithes and offerings.
We offer to the Lord our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness, together with the elements each brings to their table for consecration to be for each of us the body and blood of Christ.
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
Praise God all creatures here below!
Praise God above, ye Heavenly host!
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
CCLI Song # 56204 CCLI License # 3194034
Louis Bourgeois | Thomas Ken
© Words: Public Domain Music: Public Domain
THE EPISTLE READING
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
THE GOSPEL READING
John 2:13-22
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
CONVERSATIONAL SERMON
Theme: Spiritual Exploration
“Cleansing the Temple”
Everyone is invited to share as the Pastor leads a discussion of these sermon points.
What Stays and What Goes
Get these things out of here. Don’t turn my Father’s House into a market! Vs 16 (TLB)
All Consuming
My devotion to your house, O God, burns in me like a fire. [Psalm 69:9] Vs 17 (GNT)
The Sign
Destroy this sanctuary and in three days I will raise it up! Vs 19 (TLB)
True Temple
But Jesus was talking about his body as the Temple. John 2:21 (GNT)
New Understandings
They then put two and two together and believed both what was written in Scripture and what Jesus had said. Vs 22 (MSG)
HYMN OF CELEBRATION
“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”
Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heav’n, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art.
Visit us with thy salvation;
enter ev’ry trembling heart.
Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit
into ev’ry troubled breast.
Let us all in thee inherit,
let us find the promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be.
End of faith, as its beginning,
set our hearts at liberty.
Come, Almighty, to deliver,
let us all thy life receive.
Suddenly return, and never,
nevermore they temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
Finish, then, thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee.
Changed from glory into glory,
till in heav’n we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love and praise.
Charles Wesley
© Words: Public Domain Music: Public Domain
PASSING THE PEACE
May the peace of Christ be with you all!
And also with you!
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
for the Season after Pentecost
The United Methodist Book of Worship
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing,
always and everywhere
to give thanks to you,
Almighty God,
creator of heaven and earth.
You brought all things into being and called them good.
From the dust of the earth you formed us into your image
and breathed into us the breath of life.
When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast.
When rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights,
you bore up the ark on the waters, saved Noah and his family,
and made covenant with every living creature on earth.
When you led your people to Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights,
you gave us your commandments and made us your covenant people.
When your people forsook your covenant,
your prophet Elijah fasted for forty days and forty nights;
and on your holy mountain, he heard your still small voice.
And so, with your people on earth
and all the company of heaven
we praise your name
and join their unending hymn:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he
who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ.
When you gave him to save us from our sin,
your Spirit led him into the wilderness,
where he fasted forty days and forty nights to prepare for his ministry.
When he suffered and died on a cross for our sin, you raised him to life,
presented him alive to the apostles during forty days,
and exalted him at your right hand.
By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection
you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death,
and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.
Now, when we your people prepare for the yearly feast of Easter,
you lead us to repentance for sin and the cleansing of our hearts,
that during these forty days of Lent we may be gifted and graced
to reaffirm the covenant you made with us through Christ.
On the night in which
he gave himself up for us,
he took bread, gave thanks to you,
broke the bread,
gave it to his disciples, and said:
“Take, eat;
this is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
When the supper was over he took the cup,
gave thanks to you,
gave it to his disciples, and said:
“Drink from this, all of you;
this is my blood of the new covenant,
poured out for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of me.”
And so, in remembrance of these
your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves
in praise and thanksgiving
as a holy and living sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Christ has died;
Christ is risen;
Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy Spirit
on each and every one of us
gathered here out of love for you,
and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us
the body and blood of Christ,
that we may be for the world
the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.
enew our communion with all your saints,
especially those whom we name before you—
Name(s)—(in our hearts ).
Silence may be kept for the remembrance of names.
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
strengthen us to run with perseverance the race that is set before us,
looking to Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ,
one with each other,
and one in ministry to all the world,
until Christ comes in final victory,
and we feast at his heavenly banquet.
Through your Son Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church,
all honor and glory is yours,
almighty Father,
now and for ever.
Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done in earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the glory,
for ever. Amen.
BREAKING THE BREAD
Because there is one loaf,
we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
The bread which we break is a sharing in the body of Christ.
The cup over which we give thanks is a sharing in the blood of Christ.
SHARING THE BREAD AND CUP
The body of Christ, given for you. Amen.
The blood of Christ, given for you. Amen.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
“A Eucharistic Prayer for the Global Pandemic“
by Rev. Lane Cotton Winn and Rev. Juan Huertas
Louisiana Conference
of The United Methodist Church
Day after day after day
you give yourself to us:
in two or three gathered in your name,
in connection across the miles,
and in bread and wine.
As we go from this gathering
around your table,
may we feel restored to your body,
companioned by your people,
and sustained
by the power of your Spirit
as we witness to your healing
and reconciling work.
Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
HYMN OF DEDICATION
“I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord”
I love Thy kingdom Lord
The house of Thine abode
The church our blest Redeemer saved
With His own precious blood
I love Thy church O God
Her walls before Thee stand
Dear as the apple of Thine eye
And graven on Thy hand
For her my tears shall fall
For her my prayers ascend
To her my cares and toils be giv’n
Till toils and cares shall end
Beyond my highest joy
I prize her heavenly ways
Her sweet communion solemn vows
Her hymns of love and praise
Sure as Thy truth shall last
To Zion shall be given
The brightest glories earth can give
And brighter bliss of heaven
Jesus Thou Friend divine
To Zion shall be given
Thy hand from every snare and foe
Shall great deliv’rance bring
I love Your church O God
The people You have called
The church our blest Redeemer
Saved with His own precious blood
CCLI Song # 1402912 CCLI License # 3194034
Lowell Mason | Timothy Dwight
© Words: Public Domain Music: Public Domain
“Go ye into all the world,
and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Jesus, Mark 16:15
INVITATION TO CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP
We invite you, your friends, and your family to a relationship with God in Jesus Christ, and to full participation and membership in our congregation.
GOING FORTH TO LOVE OTHERS
AS CHRIST LOVES US
CHORAL BENEDICTION
“Beloved, Let Us Love One Another”
Beloved let us love one another
For love is of God and ev’ryone that loveth
Is born of God and knoweth God
He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love
Beloved let us love one another
First John four seven and eight
CCLI Song # 26344; CCLI License # 3194034
Dennis Ryder
© 1974 Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Publishing (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.)
