Sunday, January 24, 2021
Mantua Center Christian Church
MCCC Remote Worship
WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS - Sarah
Good Morning everyone!
Welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church. We are a community seeking to have open minds, open hearts, and open arms. We gather not as perfect people, but people on a journey accompanied, known, and loved by God.
Today in worship we will be hearing from the gospel of Luke and thinking about what it means to be a biblical evangelical. Hang with me as we take a dive into the text this week. We are thankful for MaryEllen for reading scripture for us and serving as our elder this week. Pastor Chad will close us with some words from Henri Nouen. We are eternally grateful for Carol Magyarics, Jan Green, and Pam Auble who do so much behind the scenes work to keep us running.
To open our service this morning, I found this quote from Peter Maurin, beloved friend of Dorothy Day and co-founder of the Catholic Worker:
“The world would be better off if people tried to become better, and people would become better if they stopped trying to become better off.
For when everyone tries to become better off nobody is better off.
But when everyone tries to become better everybody is better off.
Everyone would be rich if nobody tried to become richer, and nobody would be poor if everybody tried to be the poorest.
And everybody would be what he ought to be if everybody tried to be what he wants the other fellow to be.”
As we prepare to open our minds and hearts for worship, let’s take a deep breath and Light a Candle.
Together we have set this time and space aside for the worship of God. Let’s give to God our joys, worries, and sorrows and open ourselves up to what God has to say to us today. Let us worship the Lord...
SONG - Weave (Pam and Beth)
Weave, weave, weave us together. Weave us together in unity and love.
Weave, weave, weave us together. Weave us together, together in love.
SCRIPTURE READING - Psalm 90:14-17 MaryEllen
OPENING HYMN Savior Like a Shepherd (Chalice)
CHILDREN’S MOMENT - Ally Hurd
PASTORAL PRAYER - Sarah Smith
SONG RESPONSE Open My Eyes, Lord (Pam and Beth)
Open our eyes Lord. We want to see Jesus.
To reach out and touch Him. And say that we love Him.
Open our ears Lord. And help us to listen.
Open our eyes Lord. We want to see Jesus.
SCRIPTURE READING Luke 5:1-11
SERMON - Feeding the Fishermen First - Sarah Smith
HOLY COMMUNION -
Communion Song - Softly and Tenderly (Chalice)
Meditation - MaryEllen
Communion Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
Words of Institution
As we gather around Christ’s Table we remember that on the night that Jesus was betrayed, he took the bread and broke it, gave thanks and said to his Disciples, “This is my body which is give for you, eat of it all of you in remembrance of me.” In like manner he took the cup and blessed it saying, “This is the cup of the new covenant in me, as often as you drink of it do so in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s life, death, and resurrection until he comes again. Remember, all...ALL are welcome at the Lord’s Table.
(Share in the Bread and Cup together)
CLOSING SONG The Church’s One Foundation (Chalice)
BENEDICTION - Chad Delaney
What a blessing it has been to be with you in worship today. If you would like to see any of our previous worship services go to our Mantua Center Christian Church YouTube page. On there also, is a short weekly devotional with scripture, reflection, and prayer if you need a little spiritual boost during the week.
Today it has been a gift to hear from our student pastor, Sarah and the word she brought to us today. In every time and place, the church is challenged to meet the world right where it is, to address the deepest hurts, and to be the hands and feet of Christ.
The great Henri Nouwen said:
Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.
Family of God, Go into the world living in the likeness of Jesus. Be people of compassion, light, and joy meeting the needs of the world and share the love and grace of God. In your community, among your friends, in your household may you be blessed and be a blessing to others.
May God bless you and keep you, the Holy Spirit surround you and astound you, the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ embolden and strengthen you this week and evermore...Amen.