First Sunday of Lent Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
March 6, 2022 | 10:00am
The Rev. Alexander Arthurs, Pastor Larry J. Carey, Director of Music
Thought for Worship: The secret of the easy yoke, then, is to learn from Christ how to live our total lives, how to invest all our time and our energies of mind and body as he did. – Dallas Willard
GATHERING
Prelude: A Mystical Moment | Young
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.
Remember the story of our faith.
We are the people God has delivered.
Rejoice in the hope of our faith.
God goes with us, step by step.
Cling to the promise of our faith.
Our God will not abandon us.
Salutation
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
Amen.
*Hymn of Praise": Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days
Call to Confession
Prayer of Confession
Most merciful God,
We confess that we have sinned against you
In thought, word, and deed,
By what we have done,
And by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us; that
We may delight in your will,
And walk in your ways,
To the glory of your Name. Amen. Amen.
To the glory of your Name. Amen. Amen.
Silent Confession
Assurance of Pardon
Walking this earth,
facing temptation,
defeating sin,
Jesus has done for us,
what we could never do for ourselves. This is good news! In Jesus Christ we are forgiven!
Thanks be to God!
The Law of God: Galatians 5:16-23
*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: Cast All Your Cares | arr. Cymbala
Prayer for Illumination
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us. Open our ears to hear your Word. Soften our spirits to receive your truth. Shape our hearts to love what you love. Speak, O Lord. Your servants are listening. Amen.
First Reading: Psalm 91:1-2; 9-16
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Hymn: On Eagle’s Wings
Second Reading: Matthew 11:28-30
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Sermon: The Secret of the Easy Yoke | Pastor Alex
Silent Reflection
THE RESPONSE TO GOD
*Affirmation of Faith (Apostles’ Creed)
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in
Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Offering Lord, I Was Blind | Rasbach
CELEBRATION OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
Communion Hymn: In Remembrance
Prayer of Great Thanksgiving
One: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you.
One: Lift up your hearts.
All: We lift them up to the Lord.
One: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
One: Holy and right it is and our joyful duty to give thanks to you at all times and in all places, O Lord our Creator, almighty and everlasting God!...
With your whole Church on earth and with all the company of heaven we worship and adore your glorious name.
Sanctus
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord
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!
Remembering the Work of Christ
One: Most righteous God, we remember in this Supper the perfect sacrifice offered once on the cross by our Lord Jesus Christ for the sin of the whole world. ... Together we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Memorial Acclamation
All: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Invocation of the Spirit
One: So send your Holy Spirit upon us we pray... Even so, come Lord Jesus we pray.
All: Amen
Holy Communion
Words of Institution
One: The bread which we break is our communion with the body of Christ. The body of Christ is broken for you.
One: The cup of blessing which we bless is the communion of the blood of Christ. The blood of Christ is shed for you.
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession (ending with Lord’s Prayer)
Let us have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus as we pray for the world he came to save, saying: Have mercy, O God; hear our prayer.
We pray for the church . . . Help us to confess with our lips, believe in our hearts, and show in our lives that Christ Jesus is our risen Lord. Have mercy, O God; hear our prayer.
We pray for the world . . . Let the milk and honey of your promised land flow in every nation of the earth, so that all may enjoy the fruit of salvation. Have mercy, O God; hear our prayer.
We pray for this community . . . Let us be angels of your mercy, surrounding all who are in danger and lifting up those who are falling. Have mercy, O God; hear our prayer.
We pray for loved ones . . . Deliver and protect them, be with them in their trouble, and satisfy them with long life. (names read) Have mercy, O God; hear our prayer.
As we pour out our hearts in prayer, O God, lead us to pour out our lives in service to you— ever seeking your will, ever following your way; all in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
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 for- ever. Amen.
SENDING
Hymn: Guide My Feet
Benediction
Postlude: Pageant of Praise | Wyrtzen
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, March 6 - Gallon(s) whole milk Sunday, March 13 - eggs
Sunday, March 20 - 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 to give online or would like to set up online payments, please visit our newly updated website, click “Give Now” in the top right corner of the home screen, and 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!
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