This is the Day that the Lord has Made! Let us Rejoice!
Gathering Music - "Pass Me Not" by Todd Kendall (tune by William H. Doane), organ Jan Green
Welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church
- We are a community seeking to have open minds, open hearts, and open arms, building community in a fragmented world.
- We want to welcome everyone who is in the house today and everyone online. We are grateful for all the many ways you can join us for worship on this Lord’s Day.
- REMINDER: Masks optional
- In worship today…we will continue our work with the Fruits of the Spirit. The Fruits of the Spirit are “Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control…”
- Today we are contemplating together what it means to respond to the world with more gentleness and peace in our words and actions.
- Let’s prepare our hearts and minds for worship with our Opening Scripture Reading...let’s stand together!
Opening Scripture read by Rev. Chad Delaney
Philippians 4:4-5
4 Rejoice* in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.*
5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.
*Response - Weave
Weave, weave, weave us together,
Weave us together, in unity and love.
Weave, weave, weave us together,
weave us together, together in love.
*Call to Worship
ONE: Living God, we gather to give you thanks and praise
ALL: for you are a God of gentle mystery!
ONE: Generations have praised you for your might and power
ALL: Yet, you revealed yourself in gentleness,
ONE: in compassion and in love—in the forgiving glance,
ALL: in the care of little children, in the warm affection of the breaking of the bread.
ONE: In Christ, you show us who you are
ALL: We worship you with glad and grateful hearts!
~ written by John Hammond in Winter’s Coming Home
*Opening Hymn Softly and Tenderly #340
Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
calling for you and for me;
patient and loving, he's waiting and watching,
watching for you and for me.
[Refrain:]
Come home, (Come home,) come home, (come home,)
ye who are weary, come home;
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, "O sinner, come home!"
Offering of Praise - Sarah Smith
Children’s Moment - Ally Bozeka
Pastoral Prayer - Sarah Smith
SPECIAL MUSIC - “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” By Anna Page (tune: SHOWALTER), organ by Jan Green
Communion
Meditation - Nora Brant
Communion Hymn - Just a Closer Walk with Thee #557
I am weak, but thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
as I walk, let me walk close to thee.
[Refrain:]
Just a closer walk with thee,
grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
daily walking close to thee:
let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Prayer & Lord’s Prayer Nora Brant
Words of Institution - Chad Delaney
Distribution of Communion Elements
Scripture Reading: James 3:13-18
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth.
15 Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for[a] those who make peace.
Sermon - Gentleness Rev. Chad Delaney
Closing Hymn What a Friend We Have in Jesus #585
What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
oh, what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.
*Benediction Sarah Smith
Departing Music - The Solid Rock by Mark Hayes (based on tune by William B. Bradbury) , organ by Jan Green