Worship - March 11, 2006

Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
March 11, 2007
Worship 10:00 am, Sunday School 11:10 am

The Third Sunday of Lent

"God the Father has his eye on each of you, and has determined by the work of the Spirit to keep you obedient through the sacrifice of Jesus. May everything good from God be yours.."
(1 Peter 1:2 from The Message)

Servanthood as Obedience

Morning Praise (9:45 am)
Announcements
Prelude

*Call to Worship "Awake, arise, O sing a new song" 56

*Unison Prayer 686

*Hymn "Great is the Lord" 87

Scripture on "Obedience"

Hymn (vs. 1) "I am thine, O Lord" 505

More Scripture on "Obedience"

Hymn (Refrain only) "I am thine, O Lord" 505

For Children "If you don�t listen, you�ll have to feel" Ed Lewis

More Scripture on "Obedience"

Hymn (Refrain only) "I am thine, O Lord" 505

More Scripture on "Obedience"

Hymn "Obey my voice" 163

Sharing a joy, a concern, a word of testimony or praise

Hymn (vs. 2) "I am thine, O Lord" 505
(Our younger children leave for bell practice & Sunday School)

Pastoral Prayer

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

Offertory (Please sign the attendance pad and pass it on)

*Response (chorus to) "I am a Servant" (see insert)

*Dedication

Scripture in Song "Isaiah 55"

Message "Recognizing a higher way"

*Hymn "When we walk with the Lord" 544

*Benediction

*Postlude

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Unison Prayer

O God, you are my God.
I seek you, my soul thirsts for you;
     my flesh faints for you
     as in a dry and weary land
     where there is no water.
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
  beholding your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
  my lips will praise you.
So will I bless you as long as I live;
   I will lift up my hands and call on your name. AMEN

Hymnal #686
Psalm 63:1-4, adapted from NRSV

Scripture on "Obedience"

When Moses went up to God (on Mt. Sinai), the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying,
	"Thus you shall...tell the Israelites: �You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.�" (Exodus 19:3-6)
Jesus once said,
	"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock." (Matthew 7:24-25)
The apostle Paul had this to say about Adam, the first man, and Jesus, the Son of man:
	"Just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man�s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man�s obedience the many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:18�19)
Hymn - (vs. 1) "I am thine, O Lord" - 505

More Scripture on "Obedience"

The author of Hebrews wrote this about our Lord:
	"In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him..." (Hebrews 5:7-9)
Listen to these words from an early Christian hymn, quoted by Paul in his letter to the Philippians
	"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:5-8)
Hymn - (Refrain only) "I am thine, O Lord" - 505

For Children
"If you don�t listen, you�ll have to feel"

Children's storyteller, Ed Lewis, writes: "My grandmother used to say to me, "if you don't listen, you'll have to feel." It had to deal with obeying what my grandmother would warn and the consequences if we did not heed. I'll relate several things in my childhood and from scripture to this."

More Scripture on "Obedience"

	"My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27)
So said Jesus, our Lord. He also promised this:
	"I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you." (John 14:25�26)
Inspired by this Spirit, the apostle Paul taught this about obedience to the believers in Rome:
	"Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient servants, you are servants of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that you, having once been servants of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, and that you, having been set free from sin, have become servants of righteousness." (Romans 6:16-18)
Hymn - (Refrain only) "I am thine, O Lord" - 505

More Scripture on "Obedience"

Likewise inspired, the disciple Peter wrote these words:
	"Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience* to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart*." (1 Peter 1 :22)
Finally, listen to the Word of God through the prophet Jeremiah:
	"*Obey* my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk only in the way that I command you, so that it may be well with you." (Jeremiah 7:23)
Hymn - "Obey my voice" - 163

Pastoral Prayer

written closer to the time (if not at the moment)

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

A child hears the voice of her mother long before the two ever see one another. The same is true of our walk with God in Christ. God̓s Word is spoken, even though we cannot see his face. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart," scripture says, and step out in faith... Will the ushers please come forward to receive our tithes and offerings.

Dedication

The giving of these gifts, God, is an act of releasing them. We tend to hold on too tightly to our possessions. Forgive us, Lord. The harder we hold on, the more difficult it is to step out in faith, to become your servants. So ... here, God - these offerings belong to you. Just as we belong to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Benediction