Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 20, 2022 | 10:00am
The Rev. Alexander Arthurs, Pastor | Larry J. Carey, Director of Music
Thought for Worship: "Blessed are you," he says. You can see them looking back at him. They're not what you'd call a high-class crowd; peasants and fisherfolk for the most part, on the shabby side, not all that bright. It doesn't look as if there's a hero among them. They have their jaws set. Their brows are furrowed with concentration. They are blessed when they are worked over and cursed out on his account he tells them. It is not his hard times to come but theirs he is concerned with, speaking out of his own meekness and mercy, the purity of his own heart. | Frederick Buechner
GATHERING
Prelude: I Lift My Eyes to the Hills | Wood
Welcome
Call to Worship
Votum
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Amen
Opening Sentences
The Lord be with you
And also with you.
In this sacred space, trust in the Holy Spirit.
On this sabbath day, take delight in Jesus Christ.
Among the faithful, commit your way to the Lord.
Worship the triune God with gladness!
Salutation
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
Amen.
*Hymn of Praise: It is Good to Sing Your Praises
Call to Confession
Prayer of Confession
O Christ,
the economy of your love is beautiful,
expending goodness and extending lines of forgiveness beyond our imagining.
The economy of our love is stingy and crooked.
We invest love where it can be repaid.
We spend mercy where it yields gain.
We advance blessing we can bank on.
We hold grudges with interest.
We do all of this with no recognition
of how deeply indebted we are to you.
Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,
we pray with our whole hearts.
Silent Confession
Assurance of Pardon
When you were dead in trespasses,
in the uncircumcision of your flesh,
God made you alive together with Christ,
when he forgave all your trespasses,
erasing the record that stood against you with its legal demands.
He set this aside, nailing it to the cross!
In Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
Thanks be to God!
The Law of God: Ephesians 5:8-13
*Gloria Patri | #579
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.
*Commitment to Peace Keeping and Peace Seeking
One: May the peace of Christ be with you!
All: And also with you!
Share a sign of peace with one another. After sharing the peace, let us all sing together:
Together, by grace, we witness and work, remembering Jesus, in whom we grow strong. Together we serve in Spirit and truth, remembering love is the strength of our song.
THE WORD OF GOD
Anthem: Make Me a Channel of Your Peace | Temple
Prayer for Illumination
Living God, help us to hear your holy Word with open hearts so that we may truly understand; and understanding, that we may believe; and believing, that we may follow in all faithfulness and obedience, seeking your honor and glory in all that we do. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
First Reading: Psalm 37:1-12; 41-42
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Hymn: Celtic Alleluia
Second Reading: Luke 6:27-38
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Sermon: The Sermon on the Plain (Part 2) | Pastor Alex
Silent Reflection
THE RESPONSE TO GOD
*Affirmation of Faith
What do you believe about the work of God?
We believe that God—
who is perfectly merciful
and also very just—
sent his Son to assume the nature
in which the disobedience had been committed,
in order to bear in it the punishment of sin
by his most bitter passion and death.
What do you believe about the work of Jesus Christ?
We believe that Jesus Christ presented himself
in our name before the Father,
to appease his wrath
with full satisfaction
by offering himself
on the tree of the cross
and pouring out his precious blood
for the cleansing of our sins,
as the prophets had predicted.
Why did he endure all of this?
He endured all of this for the forgiveness of our sins.
What comfort does this give you?
We find all comfort in his wounds
and have no need to seek or invent any other means
to reconcile ourselves with God
than this one and only sacrifice,
once made, which renders believers perfect forever. Taken from Belgic Confession Articles 20-21
Offering Sanctus | Ray
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession (ending with Lord’s Prayer)
Joining our hearts and minds in prayer, let us call on the name of the Lord, saying O God of grace, bless us with peace.
We pray for the church . . . Let all that we say and do be done for the sake of the gospel, sharing the blessing and joy of salvation. O God of grace, bless us with peace.
We pray for the world . . . Lift up the downtrodden, gather up the outcast, rebuild ruined cities, and heal this wounded planet, so that all people and creatures may praise you. O God of grace, bless us with peace.
We pray for this community . . . Show us how to help the neighbors who are gathered around our door, welcoming them with the love of Jesus. O God of grace, bless us with peace.
We pray for loved ones . . . Reach out to those who are sick or hurting. By your healing touch, lift them up so that they may live to serve you. (names read) O God of grace, bless us with peace.
Mighty God, strengthen your people so that we may live in the world as those you have chosen and called; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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, the Power, and the Glory forever. Amen.
SENDING
Hymn: Christ is Alive
Benediction
Postlude: I’ve Got the Joy | arr. Choplin
DEAR FRIENDS
Welcome to worship here at Peapack Reformed Church! If you are visiting with us, welcome! If you are a member, welcome back! Our mission is to be a congregation called by God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and committed to being the very presence of Jesus Christ in the world. This mission is the catalyst for all that we do, and is our aim for who we want to be.
If you are visiting with us via Facebook Live and would like more information about our church, send us a message on Facebook or email office@peapackreformed.org and we will be in touch with you. Even under these odd and anxious circumstances, we would love to be your church home. Our virtual doors are always open wide and our hearts are always ready to welcome new faces into our fellowship.
FOOD PANTRY NEWS
Many thanks for all those who have shared their abundance with neighbors in need.
Our church refrigerators have plenty of space to hold even more!
Mark your calendars now to pick up these important items
and bring to church by the dates listed:
Sunday, February 20 - Gallon(s) whole milk
Sunday, February 27 - eggs
Sunday, March 6 - Gallon(s) whole milk
We are changing our Online Giving System to a more efficient and church-friendly platform. If you would like to continue giving online or would like to set up online payments, please click the “Give Now” button below to set up your online gifts. If you have any questions or need help setting up payments, please contact the church office. We are so grateful for your flexibility as we make this change. Your generosity drives our mission forward!
• Email: office@peapackreformed.org • phone: (908) 234-2733 •
Peapack Reformed Church is a congregation called by God, empowered by the Holy Spirit and committed to being the very presence of Jesus Christ in the world.
CALLED • EMPOWERED • COMMITTED
