Order of Service – Sunday 3 March 2024 – LENT 3

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CALL TO WORSHIP                                                                                

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you. And also with you.

The Lord strengthens those who are weak.

Even young will faint and be weary and will fall exhausted.

But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.

Our God is the Creator of the ends of the earth, and it is this God we come to worship and praise.

HYMN:       52       “Let Us Sing to the God of Salvation”

PSALTER  READING  (Responsively)         Psalm 19              Pages 541-542

LENT PRAYER

Let us seek the living God whose love is close at hand,
Let us pray to the One who waits patiently to be found.

May we abandon our dishonest ways,
and give up our unrighteous thoughts.

Let us come back to God with repentant hearts,
Let us come fasting and weeping, sorry for our sins.

God is merciful and kind to those who return,
God’s love is extravagant and forgiving to all who come near.

Let us change our lives and not our clothes,
Let us come back to the God who never leaves us.

Though our sins are like scarlet wounds,
they will be washed away and become white as snow.

(Pause to remind yourself of the places in which you have experienced God’s forgiveness & redemptive love)

Have mercy on us, O God,
Because of Your unfailing love.

Because of Your great compassion,
Blot out the sins that stain us.

Wash us clean from our guilt,
And purify our hearts from our sin.

Renew our inner spirit to become steadfast and unswerving,
so that we will be willing to obey You.

Do not turn us away from Your loving presence O God,
Restore the joy of Your salvation within us.

The sacrifice You desire is a penitent spirit,
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God

HYMN:       613       “Lord of All Hopefulness, Lord of All Joy”

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

God of mercy and grace, we confess that when temptation has come our way we have often failed to meet its challenge. We have strayed from what we know to be right. We have taken the easy way instead of the way that leads to life. We have sought our security in mere possessions, status, and wealth instead of placing our trust in You. Forgive us, we pray, in the name of Jesus. Amen!

WORDS OF ASSURANCE

God “does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us”. (Psalm 103:10-12)

Thanks be to God.

HYMN:       584(ii)        “Just as I am, Without One Plea”

BIBLE READING –                                                                Frank Knowles

1 Corinthians 1:18 – 2:5 (Pages 1128-1129)

MUSICAL REFLECTION

MESSAGE:   “Our Foolishness and God’s Wisdom” Krikor Youmshajekian

NOTICES –

  • Movie/ Pizza Nights – Tuesday 5 March 6:30 pm.
  • Lane Cove Music – Tuesday 12 March at 7:30 pm.
  • Elders’ & Council Meetings Wed 13 March 12:30 pm.
  • Bus Trip – Wentworth Falls Lake – Wed 20 March 9:00 am.

OFFERING  – “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15)

HYMN:       510       “My God, Your Table Now is Spread” (Tune 342)

THE LORD’S SUPPER

Blessed are You, Lord, God of all creation. Through Your goodness we have this bread to offer which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life.

Blessed be God forever.

Blessed are You. Lord, God of all creation. Through Your goodness we have this cup to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will become for us our spiritual drink.

Blessed be God forever.

INVOCATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Eternal God, let Your Spirit come upon Your holy people, and may He sanctify these gifts of bread and wine.

As we share these holy things, may we be nourished and grow in grace to Your honour and glory, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

MEMORIAL PRAYER

Holy God, with this bread and with this cup, we do as our Saviour has commanded; we celebrate the redemption He has won for us.

For as often as we eat this bread and drink from this cup we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

Receive our praise, God almighty, through Jesus Christ our Lord, with whom and in whom by the power of the Holy Spirit, we worship You in songs of never-ending praise:

Blessing, honour, glory and power are Yours forever and ever. Amen!

BREAKING THE BREAD and SERVING

The bread we break is a sharing of the body of Christ.

The cup we take is sharing in the blood of Christ.

Take in faith this Holy Sacrament of the body and the blood of Christ in remembrance that He died for you, and feed on Him in your hearts with thanksgiving.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

DISMISSAL

Loving God, we offer ourselves to You as a living sacrifice through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Send us out in the power of the Holy Spirit to live and work to Your praise and glory. Amen!

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To contact Krikor call 9453 0787 or 0418 417 411

Church Website:  http://www.longueville.unitingchurch.org.au

Church email: standrewsunite@tpg.com.au

Church Office phone: 9427 4740