Worship - March 21, 2004

Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
March 21, 2004
Worship 10:00 am Sunday School for all ages 11:15 am

Fourth Sunday of Lent

And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter (Petros - rock), and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:17-18)

Morning Praise (9:45 am)
Announcements
Prelude

*Invocation and Unison Prayer (back of bulletin)

*Hymn "Crown him with many crowns" 116
(vs. 3 - a capella)

Scripture Matthew 14:22-33

For Children "Being afraid"
(Pre-schoolers leave for playful worship)

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

Hymn (vs. 1-3) "Just as I am, without one plea" 516

Pastoral Prayer

Hymn (vs. 6) "Just as I am, without one plea" 516

Witness Easter Project

Returning our Tithes and Offerings Matthew 26:69-75

Offertory

Anthem "The Old Rugged Cross" Bennard
Shalom!

Scripture Matthew 16:13-23

Message "the stone of fear"
Fragile, living stones - a "Passion" series based upon 1 Peter 2:4-10

*Hymn "Strong, righteous man of Galilee" 540

*Benediction

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Invocation and Unison Prayer
Refresh Our Faith This Day

Invocation

      All: We seek you, O God,
            We want to know Christ.
            Come, Holy Spirit!

One: Even through suffering�especially in pain
Always in joy

      All: We seek you, O God,
            We want to know Christ.
            Come, Holy Spirit!

One: Lost and forsaken�hopeful and praising
Life in fullness and faith

      All: We seek you, O God,
            We want to know Christ.
            Come, Holy Spirit!

Unison Prayer

      In the faces of faith that surround us this day,
      From that great cloud of witnesses who have gone before,
      Renew our quest to know you, God.
      Refresh our faith, this day.
      Inspire our hearts, our goal in Christ,
      That your love may reign, we pray.
      Amen.

by Tara Hornbacker
Assistant Professor of Ministry Formation
Bethany Theological Seminary
Richmond, Indiana
Church of the Brethren Living Word Bulletin
Anchor/Wallace, Sleepy Eye MN 56085, "The Living Word Series"

For Children
"Being afraid"
(based upon Matthew 14:22-33)

When I was young, my family lived just a couple blocks from a YMCA, to which we belonged. There was a pool there, and I went to all sorts of swimming classes. I don�t remember all the various levels that I went through learning how to swim, but I think that after I finished my first set of lessons, I became what they called a "minnow." A "minnow" is a little fish. As I grew, learning more and more how to swim, I became other fish - the YMCA�s form of badges.

In the summer I went to YMCA camp, a place called "Camp Letts," where I learned even more about swimming, along with a lot of other things. I remember one year in particular, when my swimming class involved learning how to dive off of a diving board. Now, diving off of a diving board can be fun, but there was one kind of dive that really scared me. Can anyone guess what dive I might have been afraid of doing? It was a back dive.

Something about falling backward, when you can�t see where you�re going, really scared me. I was so afraid of it, that on the day when we were going to learn how to do a back dive, I played hooky. I didn�t go. I hid. Where I went or how I did it, I don�t remember. I do recall, though, being very afraid that the teacher would be mad at me. But I guess I was more afraid of doing a back dive than I was of the teacher.

Anyway, later that day the teacher found me and talked with me. He wasn�t mad at all. He listened to my fears, and suggested that we work on it together at the pool, away from all the other kids who might have laughed at me being afraid. He helped me learn how to do a back dive. Actually, it wasn�t as scary as I thought it would be. I earned my next YMCA badge, "Shark" - I think it was.

In the Bible story Mr. Richard just read, Jesus invited the disciple Peter to step out of a boat onto the water. Now, I know that it was a boat and not a diving board, and that Jesus was calling Peter to walk on the water over to him rather than do a back dive into it. But Peter was afraid, also. It wasn�t stepping out of the boat onto the water that was scary for him. He became afraid when he took his eyes off Jesus and started to sink into the water. "Save me," he cried. Jesus reached out to him and caught him, and together they walked on the water back to the boat.

Jesus later helped Peter do a lot more scary things than stepping out of a boat onto the water. With Jesus, Peter faced into the things he was afraid of, and he learned how to walk by faith. For instance Jesus helped this simple fisherman "dive" into being a big leader of the church. He helped him preach in front of huge crowds of people. He helped him reach out to people he was afraid of. He helped him leave his home and journey to far places sharing good news. When the time came, Jesus even helped him when he died. I imagine it was like that day out on the sea when Jesus called Peter out of the boat, and then reached out and caught him when he started to go under. Together, they walked home... Pray with me.

Thank you, God, for being there when we are afraid, and helping us to do things that might scare us. Bless each of these children, and help them grow and learn how to do amazing things ... for you. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer

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

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

Are there moments in your life which, when you remember them, still cause you embarrassment? The following story is a familiar one from the Bible - the recollection of just such a moment in the life of the disciple Peter. Usually, we try to hide such things from our past, to pretend they didn�t happen. This story, however, is deeply ingrained in the story of Jesus� passion for a reason. Listen, and as you return your offering afterward, ponder why this episode has become part of the scripture story passed on to us. What does it say about your own experience?

Read Matthew 26:69-75

Pray with me.

Lord, we are not immune to denying you, ourselves. In fact, we often do so on a daily basis, without even realizing it. There are moments in our past, though, which still serve to humble each of us, times when we really blew it, when we heard our own equivalent of the rooster�s crow and knew we�d messed up. We offer our memories of these moments to you, not to keep kicking ourselves for them, but that through them you might grow us - like you grew Peter - into becoming better people. Receive our other offerings, God, and help us to use them wisely in the work to which you have called us as a church. As the body of Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Ushers, you�ve got a job to do... O yes, as the plates are passed, please also fill out and pass the attendance pads found at the center of each pew. Thanks.

Benediction

As you head out into your week, stone in hand, remember what God said through the prophet Isaiah:

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior..." (Isaiah 43:1-3)