07 Mar Worship Bulletin: 3/10/24
Welcome to Worship at the McPherson Church of the Brethren
We invite your active participation in the life of this congregation, as together we continue to grow in grace and seek justice for God’s creation.
Sunday, March 10, 2024 @ 10:15 a.m. – Fourth Sunday in Lent
Gathering Music | “There is a Redeemer” with “What Wondrous Love is This” | arr. Cindy Berry
Ellen Gilbert, piano
Video Welcome
Sharing Time | Joys & Concerns | Ann Stover
Moment in Mission – South Sudan; Lela Beam, Karen Loganbill, Larry Loganbill
♫Centering Music | “If Thou Art Near” | J.S. Bach
Ellen Gilbert, organ
Opening Scripture | Numbers 21:4-9 | The Bronze Snake
4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom.
But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said,
“Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?
There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.
7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you.
Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.”
So Moses prayed for the people. 8 The Lord said to Moses,
“Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.”
9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole.
Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
Unison Prayer of Confession | Inspired by Numbers 21:4-9 and John 3:14-21 | Rev. Dr. Ginny Brown Daniel & Amy Loving (combined and adapted)
O God of Comfort and God of Challenge, we come before you the way the Israelites did;
full of complaints and dissatisfaction. Nothing is enough.
We do not recognize your blessings at work in our day to day lives; we are impatient and selfish.
When you offer us the promise of a new future, we complain that you don’t get there fast enough.
When you provide for our needs, we complain that it isn’t enough.
And when our bad attitudes and negative outlooks cause us to stumble, we blame you.
Forgive us when we become so comfortable that we moan and groan about the most insignificant details of our lives.
In our complaints, challenge us as you did the Israelites, to consider the bigger picture of oppression, injustice, and inequality all around us.
Teach us to be patient. Instruct us to be grateful. Guide us to be responsible and humble.
We pray to experience your grace and your gift of new life. AMEN
♫Opening Song | “Amazing Grace” (verses 1 – 3) | #143
Story for the Children | Cara Hudson
Video Invitation to Give
Give online or send a check made payable to “McPherson Church of the Brethren,” 200 N. Carrie, McPherson, KS 67460
♫Musical Offering | “Romanza” from Konzurt Nr. 4 Es dur | Mozart/Kling
Kyle Hopkins, horn; Ellen Gilbert, piano
Scripture Focus | John 3:14-21
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
16 For God so loved the world that God gave this one and only Son, that whoever believes in Jesus shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send Jesus into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world.
18 Whoever believes in Jesus is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already
because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
19 This is the verdict:
the Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of the Light because their deeds were evil.
20 Everyone who does evil hates the the Light, and will not come into the the Light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the the Light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done
has been done in the sight of God.
♫Scripture Song | “Healer of our Every Ill” | #377
Message | “Snakes get a Bad Rap” | Jerry Bowen
Sending Song | “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need” | #589
Sending Words
♫Sending Music | “Glorious Light” | Keith and Kristyn Getty and Ian Hannah
Ellen Gilbert, piano
Long has the world fought the song of the angels; heavenly music is drowned by a warring world.
Yet hope turns a light that shelters the night; turn your heart to the call of glory.
Videography and Editing: Eric Goering
Music Coordinator: Ellen Gilbert
Choir Director: Becky Snell
Technical Crew: Eric Goering, Ryan Goering, Shane Kirchner, Steve Lolling & Chris Whitacre
Chancel Decoration Team: Jill Brax, Colleen Gustafson, Michele Johnson, Shane Kirchner & Lara Schoming