We are an open and affirming member of the United Church of Christ and no matter who you are or where you are in life's journey, you are welcome here. Contact the Pastor, the Rev. Dr. Murray at 631-727-2621 for more information.
Announcements:
We are pleased to announce that Sunday School is available for children on Sundays at 10:00 AM. Please call the church at 631-727-2621 for more information.
Please join us for a special Palm Sunday Service complete with donkeys. We begin our service in the front of the church with the distribution of palms.
Holy Week Services (with our sister UCC congregations)
March 28, Maundy Thursday, Old Steeple 7:00
March 29, Good Friday, Baiting Hollow 7:00
Easter Sunday, March 31
7:00 am Sunrise Service at Grangebel Park
10:00 am Sanctuary service with "Breads of the World" to follow
The Alley Cat Thrift Shop is open Tuesdays and Thursdays 10-2 and Saturdays 9- Donations only accepted when the shop is open. Volunteers always welcome.
The March 2024 edition of the Beacon Light is available on our website. If you would like a paper copy, please call the church office at 631-727-2621.
If you would like to join us on Zoom , please follow the link
Weekly: https://us02web.zoom.us/
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Join Zoom Meeting:
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Palm Sunday
A Service of the Word
March 24, 2024 10am
OUR PALM SUNDAY START:
<We gather at the front of the church>
“The Messiah is coming. Spread the word!”
“The Messiah is coming. Spread the word!”
<The people gather palms and will line the way and follow Jesus
and the donkeys, chanting:>
“Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.”
<We enter into the sanctuary, and begin our worship inside>
*CHORAL INTROIT:
We are here this day to share God's love;
We have come with burdens and cares,
For within this place, we are bound as one
In this fellowship, we share.
BLESSINGS OF THE PALMS
*OPENING HYM: Hosanna, Loud Hosanna
https://youtu.be/L8VgZTC0FSo
WELCOME
PRAYER OF INVOCATION:
…This is your day, holy God. Every day belongs to you. We would empty ourselves before you so there will be room for your entrance into minds and hearts. Our times are in your hands. This precious gift of life is ours, in trust, from you. We give thanks, for your steadfast love endures forever. That love, expressed in the life of Jesus, dared to challenge those centers of power that lived by other standards. We come to declare that love today. Reign among us, we pray. Amen.
CHILDREN’S TIME
PASSING OF THE PEACE
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS:
Holy Week Services: With our sister UCC congregations--
-March 28, Maundy Thursday, Old Steeple, 7:00pm
-March 29, Good Friday, Baiting Hollow, 7:00pm
Easter, March 31:
-Sunrise, Grangebel Park, 7:00 am
-Sanctuary, 10:00am, Breads of the World to follow worship.
A TIME OF PRAYER:
Pastoral Prayer:
…Loving God, whose gift of salvation in Jesus Christ is so often ridiculed and rejected, we are ready to offer out coats and gathered branches to prepare the way today. We will join in offering praise and will even dare to shout hosanna if others do. Free us, we pray, to enter fully into the joy and gladness of welcoming the One who comes in your name, for we know you have called us to carry good news to a waiting world, that every tongue might confess Christ’s reign, to your glory…..
Silent Prayer
Lord's Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory, now and forever. Amen.
OFFERING & OFFERTORY: Entry Into Jerusalem
*DOXOLOGY AND BLESSING OF GIFTS:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, you heavenly host:
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
Isaiah 50:4-9(a) OT Page 640
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 HYMNAL Page 700
Philippians 2:5-11 NT Page 174
Mark 11:1-11 NT Page 41
SERMON: “The Uncloaking”
As Jesus made his way to Jerusalem, we imagine that there were several who thought they had him figured out. He was the Messiah, the Savior of the Jews. He was going to restore the right powers of the kingdom, overthrow the Romans with Divine powers and establish the promised land of old as the holy land.
As it turns out, they had some of that right but as the events of the weeks evidence, none seem to have nailed it. And of course, the cross would really stump them. The final uncloaking would have to wait.
But Jesus’ “triumphant” entry into Jerusalem, many thought, would be the uncloaking. It was going to be then, as he entered the grand capital city, that he’d reveal himself as the mighty, the Almighty, conquering One of the Lord Most High.
And so cloaks were spread out and palms were gathered and waved as to greet royalty in a time-honored fashion. Joyous chants were offered. The Messiah was welcomed in. And it’s that exuberant hope that we echo this day.
The first big takeaway from the day is to be courageous enough to place your hopes and expectations on Jesus and do it in a big way. The buoyancy of that hope may well prove to have ripples from which others will benefit, too.
But then came the entry in Jerusalem. Jesus wasn’t in a chariot of a king or a soldier. Jesus didn’t come mounted on a royal steed. There was no show of power, prestige, or apparent Divinity, at least in the way that many had in mind. And when Jesus did arrive to the temple, there was no revolution. He had a look around and retired to Bethony with the twelve.
The uncloaking of the second takeaway is to be flexible enough to allow your hopes and prayers to be answered in an unexpected way. We’re reminded anew that “God moves in a mysterious way; his wonders to perform.” It didn’t go at all the way many thought it would. The crowds dispersed. Many must have just shook their heads and uttered things like, “Now that was disappointing.” Some thought that what was revealed was that Jesus wasn’t the promised one. They drifted away.
Of course, the revolution would come. The enthronement, exaltation, of Jesus would come. And not only the Jesus nation but also the whole world would be forever changed.
But there were more problems that were yet to come. The Jerusalem account was not yet over. Jesus would soon be arrested, interrogated, beaten, and eventually crucified on a cross. And there would be more fallout. For even those closest to Jesus disappear from the scene.
As next Sunday and the following days of post-resurrection time recount, those who thought the uncloaking, the revealing, of Jesus as a Messianic pretender were wrong. Victory would come and come in yet more surprising ways.
For us the uncloaking should yield yet another lesson: We need to remain patient and wait for the coming days when the victory of God and answered prayers come.
As Jesus hung on the cross, the crowd of disciples were gone. The shouts of acclamation were muted. And hope seems to have disappeared under the cloud of disappointment and wonder about where the mighty hand of God might be.
There will, however, be a faithful remnant. There will be those who remain despite things not going at all the way that they were pictured. There will be those who keep the faith, even with faith seems hopeless. But such is faith: believing even through dark days of disappointment and fear, even through the picture of otherness that seems to defy the vision of hope that was.
Hold on to your hope and celebrate even when hope appears to be but barely seen. God may well surprise you. Remain flexible and let God be God and work in ways that you might not even deem Divine for our God is not limited to the thinking or doing of humankind. And remain patient with deep and lasting faith that reaches beyond the any days of disappointment and gloom.
*HYMN: Ride On! Ride On in Majesty
https://youtu.be/uHeIX8xTpYs
*BENEDICTION
CHORAL BENEDICTION:
May the light of God shine on us today.
May the light of God shine on us today.
May it show us where to travel.
Lead us back if we should stray.
May the light of God shine on us today.
Fifth Sunday in Lent
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
A Service of the Word
March 17, 2024 10am
OPENING WORDS:
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE: Aria Peeters
(Once the music begins we ask that you would please maintain respectful silence)
*CHORAL INTROIT:
We are here this day to share God's love;
We have come with burdens and cares,
For within this place, we are bound as one
In this fellowship, we share.
*CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: The days are surely coming, says our God;
The day is here to affirm a new covenant.
Many: We call on God’s steadfast love and mercy.
We seek a strong and vital relationship with our God.
One: God’s law will be written in our hearts.
Our creator claims us and forgives our faithlessness.
Many: We are eager to know the God who loves us.
We are ready to learn God’s intention for us.
One: The teacher continues to instruct us.
God’s written word brings nourishment to our souls.
ALL: We have been blessed with the ears of disciples.
Let us listen and learn, live and love.
*HYMN: God Reigns o’er All the Earth #21
https://youtu.be/wSGV5GWkViI
WELCOME
PRAYER OF INVOCATION:
…As Jesus offered up prayers and supplications to you, O God, we cry out to you today. You know our losses and our fears. You understand our suffering and pain. We wish to see Jesus, to know the healing touch felt by so many. We want to hear a reassuring voice. We long to see a new day when evil is overcome and wrong cannot prevail. Lift us up and draw us to yourself as we worship in this hour. Equip us for our daily living as we seek to be true to your covenant with us….
CHILDREN’S TIME
PASSING OF THE PEACE
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS:
Midweek Lenten Schedule: The Riverhead Clergy Council has just one more midweek service for Lent:
March 20, Old Steeple, Lt. Esther Togara, 7:00 pm
Palm Sunday, March 24:
Please join us in front of the church at the start of worship next week and we’ll process with palms and joyful praise behind the apostle with donkeys (!)
Holy Week Services: With our sister UCC congregations--
March 28, Maundy Thursday, Old Steeple, 7:00pm
March 29, Good Friday, Baiting Hollow, 7:00pm
Easter, March 31:
Sunrise, Grangebel Park, 7:00 am
Sanctuary, 10:00am, Breads of the World to follow worship.
A TIME OF PRAYER:
Pastoral Prayer
…Loving God, in whose service there is both risk and honor, we want to see Jesus, not to prove a theory, but to experience a presence; not to observe from a distance, but to become involved; not just to listen, but to follow and to serve. Lead us beyond a quest for personal security to a passion for the lifting up of all human life to the promises of eternity….
Silent Prayer
Lord's Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, now and forever. Amen.
OFFERING & OFFERTORY: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross McDonald
*DOXOLOGY AND BLESSING OF GIFTS:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, you heavenly host:
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
Jeremiah 31:31-34 OT Page 694
Psalm 51:1-12 HYMNAL Page 657
Hebrews 5:5-10 NT Page 194
John 12:20-33 NT Page 93
SERMON: “More than Lucky”
For as long as I can remember, St. Patrick’s Day has always been a big deal for those closest to me. My parents would always have a big celebration in our old neighborhood, and everyone decked out the green and enjoyed corned beef and cabbage, and typically had increasing loud conversation along with a glass or two of an adult beverage. As I got to forming a notion of what it meant to be Irish, storytelling, joke-telling, drinking, and going to Mass (for all were Catholic) were among the big telltales of the Irish within.
Consider the Irish jokes you’ve heard. There’s likely to be some drinking included. Here’s a oldie but goodie about Lent.
A man walks into a pub. The bartender asks him: “What’ll you have?”
The man says: “Give me three pints of beer please.”
So the bartender brings him three pints and the man proceeds to alternately sip one, then the other, then the third until they’re gone. He then orders three more.
The bartender says: “Sir, I know you like them cold. You don’t have to order three at a time. I can keep an eye on it and when you get low I’ll bring you a fresh cold one.”
The man says: “You don’t understand. I have two brothers, both living in different countries. We made a vow to each other that every Saturday night we’d still drink together. So right now, my brothers have three pints too, and we’re drinking together.”
The bartender thought that was a wonderful tradition. Every week the man came in and ordered three beers. And he became known as “the man who drinks three beers.” Then one week he came in and ordered only two. He drank them and then ordered two more.
The people all whispered, thinking that something tragic had happened. The bartender said to him: “I know what your tradition is, and I’d just like to say that I’m sorry that one of your brothers has passed.”
The man said: “Oh, my brothers are fine. It’s just I meeself who gave up drinking for Lent.”
Along with the buttons and tee-shirts that proclaimed, “Kiss me I’m Irish” and the like, I also long remember the expression “the luck of the Irish.” That always baffled me a bit. Luck was never something that I found to be especially pronounced in any Irish folk I knew. There were no big lottery winners, or anyone known for any regular victory or stroke of fortune. That, unfortunately, has largely been true for me, too. Miguel, of Cuban heredity, tends to hit any raffle or lottery far more often than I do, and yet I know there is no such “Luck of the Cubans” expression.
What, I wondered, is this luck of the Irish? And is it really luck or something more?
The expression, I learned, has roots in the old gold and silver mining days, as there were many Irishmen who took to that work in those days. As the hardworking Irish managed to find to big lodes, the “luck of the Irish” was first used in a disparaging way. The non-Irish who used the expression held that it wasn’t a matter of smarts or of hard work that yielded fortune but simply a matter of dumb luck. And so, “luck of the Irish” was said with a bit of the shake of the head and a sneer.
But with a rich tradition of leprechauns and rainbows, pots of gold, and four-leaf clover, luck in the good sense did take root in the heart of what it meant to be Irish, so that these days you’ll see expressions like, “If you lucky enough to be Irish, you’re lucky enough.”
The word "luck" itself is Middle Dutch in origin, according to Mental Floss. The word comes from ‘luc,’ a shortening of ‘gheluc,’ meaning “happiness, good fortune.” The word, it’s thought, was likely introduced into the English language in the 15th century as a gambling term.
As a long-believing Christian, I’ve always struggled a big with the luck concept. Although I think there’s largely luck that comes into play in card games and slot machines and the like, I always thought good fortune and happiness in life was considerably more than luck.
As we read our Bibles, the notion of luck isn’t strongly featured at all. The people of the covenant who had the law withing them, written by God on their hearts, those who all knew the Lord and were forgiven of all their iniquity, weren’t lucky, they were blessed. Those who have come to know Jesus as the source of their salvation, as the great high priest of heaven who cares for them, aren’t lucky, they’re blessed. Those in Jesus day who heard the voice of heaven weren’t lucky, they were blessed, as are those of us who still today hear the voice of heaven on our journeys.
Although I may sense that I’m not all that lucky, one thing I’m sure of, is that I’m more than lucky; I’m blessed. And as I think about the “lucky” Irish I have known, I can see, too, that it’s really more a matter of being blessed.
My father and his family before him were blessed by faith. That long was shown not just in church attendance, but in an attitude of genuine thankfulness. To this day, thanks to the lessons I learned growing up, no meal is enjoyed until a prayer of thanks to God is offered. An attitude of gratitude has long been a part of my luck of the Irish.
Having leaned, too, of the importance of giving, I realize that any notion of being blessed, Irish or not, is a spirit of benevolence. To be more than lucky is to embrace the opportunities to give to others. When we know that we have been, and continue to be, blessed, we share it. And in giving, we are blessed anew.
A third biggie of the Irish blessings I’ve come to know is a spirit of that embraces joy more readily than sadness. A blessed spirit invites the joy of the Lord to be one’s strength and song. Rather than a matter of happy-go-lucky, it’s happy-go-blessed. When we know that our God is with us, fueling us, providing for us, leading us, a deep holy joy can take hold of us hearts.
My prayer for you this day, is that you, Irish or not, know well that you’re more than lucky. You’re blessed. And may the blessing of our God long fuel your strength and enliven your steps.
*HYMN: Lift High the Cross
https://youtu.be/ephp3TVkPVY
*BENEDICTION:
May there always be work for your hands to do;
May your purse always hold a coin or two;
May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
May the hand of a friend always be near you;
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
CHORAL BENEDICTION:
May the light of God shine on us today.
May the light of God shine on us today.
May it show us where to travel.
Lead us back if we should stray.
May the light of God shine on us today.
POSTLUDE: The Heaven’s Declare Marcello
Fourth Sunday in Lent
A Service of the Word
March 10, 2024 10am
OPENING WORDS:
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE Give Me Jesus Wagner
(Once the music begins we ask that you would please maintain respectful silence)
*CHORAL INTROIT:
We are here this day to share God's love;
We have come with burdens and cares,
For within this place, we are bound as one
In this fellowship, we share.
*CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: Light has entered our world; rejoice!.
Light is God’s gift to each, and to all together.
Many: Give thanks to God for days of watchful care.
The steadfast love of God endures forever.
One: Let those whom God has redeemed rejoice!
Let them tell the world of God’s good news!
Many: We will thank God for wonderful works.
We will rejoice in God’s love for all humankind.
One: By God’s word, we are delivered from destruction.
By God’s mercy, we are healed and made whole.
ALL: Our voices will join in songs of joy.
Our lives will offer sacrifices and thanksgiving.
*HYMN: O My Soul, Bless Your Creator #13
https://youtu.be/_i8ZrjmFlSo
WELCOME
PRAYER OF INVOCATION
…God of infinite patience, we call on you once more, knowing that you have every reason to question our coming together. We have worshiped without expectation. We have gathered without diligent preparation, as if meeting you laid no requirements on us. Amid the complexities of our lives, we have forgotten to set aside times to be still before you. Sometimes we feel as if we are bitten by snakes all week long, so we assemble here for some relief and healing. O God, we pray that you will meet us here as we are….
CHILDREN’S TIME
PASSING OF THE PEACE
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS
Midweek Lenten Schedule:
The last two Riverhead Clergy Council midweek services this Lent
March 13, Salvation Army, Rev. Mary Cooper (7pm)
March 20, Old Steeple, Lt. Esther Togara (7pm)
Holy Week Services: With our sister UCC congregations--
March 28, Maundy Thursday, Old Steeple 7pm
March 29, Good Friday, Baiting Hollow 7pm
Easter, March 31:
Sunrise, Grangebel Park 7am
Sanctuary, 10am, Breads of the World to follow worship
A TIME OF PRAYER:
Pastoral Prayer
…Loving God, who sent Jesus to earth to share our common lot and bring eternal life into our midst, help us to believe and to trust. Show us the light of your revelation and help us to welcome its presence in the life of this congregation as we gather and when we scatter to our daily activities. May we consciously represent you in all our deeds so that the world may come to a saving knowledge of your grace….
Silent Prayer
Lord's Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive
us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory, now and forever. Amen.
OFFERING & OFFERTORY: Lenten Meditation Althouse
HEALING PRAYER
*DOXOLOGY AND BLESSING OF GIFTS:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, you heavenly host:
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
Numbers 21:4-9 OT Page 130
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 HYMNAL Page 693
Ephesians 2:1-10 NT Page 170
John 3:14-21 NT Page 81
SERMON: “Snakes of Life and Death”
It’s a little oddly disturbing, I think, that along with a couple of the most familiar and beloved verses in our tradition, namely John 3.16: “For God so loved the world…” and Ephesians 2.8: “By grace you have been saved,” we get the serpents in the wilderness. While the New Testament lessons are sources of genuine succor, relief and comfort, for many, I expect the OT lesson is a bit disturbing to most. But
despite its theological downfall – God who sends poisonous snakes among the people – it does have some good redeeming qualities that we can use as we strive for health and wholeness for all.
The quick review of that tough OT lesson from Numbers includes that “the people became impatient on the way.” That’s an important note. Out of their impatience comes their complaint, and that too is telling, for they say: “There is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food." It reminds me of the kid who stands in front of an open and full refrigerator who yells, “There’s nothing to eat in this house.”
But, the punishment certainly doesn’t fit the crime. Yes, they were impatient and complained, but sending deadly serpents seems more than a bit excessive and doesn’t fit at all with our notion of a loving, patient and forgiving God.
Yet the negative read of the punishing God is pernicious. It has even crept into our days. When it comes to natural disasters – massive floods tornadoes and the like – the insurance business and many of soul still classify such events as AOG: Acts of God. Even today, many people continue with the odd notion of a punishing God who inflicts hardship and suffering on the wicked in this life. Of course, there are several attendant problems with that thinking: Why do some of the wicked seem to prosper throughout life, and why do bad things happen to good people? After all, shouldn’t all the morally good and upright folk do well, and the evil ones suffer horribly? How is it that a leader can commit genocide against his own people and still remain in power with billions of dollars to plot other atrocities against humankind? Certainly, this is some kind of conundrum. And if the innocent suffer, don’t they have the right to complain, and to do so loudly? And how about us, who wait for mercy and justice?
It’s easy to dismay. Some say said "Christianity hasn't done much good. It's been in the world for nineteen hundred years and look at the mess we're in." But the wise answer is: "Soap has been in the world longer than that - and look at the dirt on your hands."
Returning to our account from Numbers, the big problem is that the people forget to be thankful for what they have (for there is food), they forget for how far they’ve come in safety with thanks to God, and they forget God’s provision even as they wander, as if they know better than God. All they can do is focus on their own “miserable lot” and gripe. And God smites them.
The story is told of three men who showed up at the gates of heaven one day. To their surprise there was a guard at the gate. They immediately asked what was going on - that they thought Saint Peter would be there to meet them. "Heaven has a new policy", replied the guard. "Before entering heaven everyone must pass a spelling test." "OK", said the first man. "If that is what God wants, that is what I will give him." "Spell the word GOD", the guard asked him. "G O D" replied the man. The gate opened and in he went. The second man stepped forward., a smile on his face. The guard glanced at his bright sunny face, and asked if he was ready. "Most certainly", replied the man, "I only hope that you will not be too hard on me." "No problem", replied the guard. Spell GOD " "G O D", replied the man and the gate opened and in he went. The third man watched all this with increasing irritation. "This is ridiculous", he said to the guard. "Who ever heard of something this stupid! Whoever dreamed it up is an idiot. I worked hard all my life - and I have to face this when coming to my rest. As soon as I get in, I'm going to register a complaint." "I'm sorry", said the guard, "but the rules are the rules. Are you ready to spell your word?" "Of course I am" the man snapped. "I've got nothing else to do with my time. Ask away." "Very well", said the guard, "spell Czechoslovakia"
But Psalm 108 tells us, “God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” It is no mystery that our words and our actions have consequences. Yet Scripture reminds us that God
does not judge the way we judge or act in the affairs of humankind in the way we would have God act, nor does God have plans that are always readily discernable to us. As Hemingway reminds us, “the world breaks all people, but some become stronger at the broken places.” God calls us to be patient and to give thanks in all things. And the good news is that even in spite of our miserable selves, selfish and unfaithful though we may be, there’s a gift for us, and true light and goodness of God that guides and saves.
Paul declares, “All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else.” However, there’s a big add: “But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which God loved us... raised us up with him. Yet that mercy and great love with which God loved us, is seldom immediate, but for the ages to come. Patience and trust are required, and along with them a heart of thankfulness for God’s great provision.
A really curious element in our serpent account is that God directs Moses to fashion a serpent and set it on a pole so that everyone who looks at it can live. You can imagine how odd that must have seemed to the fearful and dying people. Again, a big trust is demanded. And theologically it is sound for not only does God grace with the people with the means of salvation, but there comes a reminder that sometimes the serpents in the grass are of our own making and it’s only after solidly examining the serpent that bit us that we can experience healing. Sober alcoholics and clean drug addicts give us the prime example of such. It’s only after they examine the cause of their demise and repent, change their ways, that healing can come. Yet unfortunately, it’s never an instant fix for it takes time and effort.
Snakes of Life and Death offer us the lessons to trust God and be thankful for your journey thus far, to know that the gift of grace is yours, and even if still in darkness, for “by grace we have been saved.” And to hold tight to the knowledge that you God’s love brings strength and salvation for truly, “God so loved the world so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” It’s all rather amazing grace in action.
*HYMN: Amazing Grace #547 (vv. 1-3)
https://youtu.be/HsCp5LG_zNE
*BENEDICTION
CHORAL BENEDICTION:
May the light of God shine on us today.
May the light of God shine on us today.
May it show us where to travel.
Lead us back if we should stray.
May the light of God shine on us today.
POSTLUDE: I Sing the Mighty Power of God Wagner