(Image: “Christ at the Well”, Kownig, Peter, UK 20th Cent.)
©Order of Worship for Sunday March 12, 2023
Third Sunday in Lent
Women’s History Month
Holy Communion
For the Avent Ferry UMC Worship Video Click Here (Link opens in a new window)
The worship video will be available live at 11:00 am.
Text for hymns are found below each hymn. Click on the hymn highlighted text for music if shown.
Prelude: “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” Words based on a
Medieval Latin Poem, Music by Johann Sebastian Bach …Greg D.
Coming of the Light:……………………………….
Greetings:…………………………………………….Pastor Steven
Opening Prayer:……………………………………….Melanie B
Opening Hymns:“Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken” #731 UMH
Words:John Newton, 1779 Music: Croatian folk song; arr.
by Franz Joseph Haydin, 1797
1. Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city
of our God; God, whose word cannot be broken,
formed thee for his own abode. On the Rock of Ages
founded, what can shake thy sure repose? With
Salvation’s walls surrounded, thou mayst smile
at all thy foes.
2. See, the streams of living waters, springing from
eternal love, well supply thy sons and daughters,
and all fear of want remove. Who can faint while such
a river ever will their thirst assuage? Grace which like
the Lord, the giver, never fails from age to age.
3. Round each habitation hovering, see the cloud and
fire appear for a glory and a covering, showing that
the Lord is near! Thus deriving from our banner light
by night and shade by day, safe we feed upon the
manna which God gives us when we pray.
4. Blest inhabitants of Zion, washed in our Redeemer’s
blood; Jesus, whom our souls rely on, makes us monarchs,
priests to God. Us, by his great love, he raises, rulers
over self to reign, and as priests his solemn praises we
for thankful offering bring.
“Father, I Adore You” #2038 TFWS
Words and music: Terrye Coehlo © 1972 Maranatha! Music, Inc.
admin. by the Copyright Co.
1. Father, I adore you, lay my life before you;
how I love you.
2. Jesus, I adore you….
3. Spirit, I adore you…
Announcements:……………………………………………Lori B.
Giving of our tithes and offerings …………………
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Offertory: ….. “The Old Rugged Cross” Words and Music by
George Bennard (Public domain)……………arr. by Greg D.
Offertory Response:… “The Doxology” #95
Words: Thomas Ken, 1674 Music: Attr. to Louis Bourgeois, 1551
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise him,
all creatures here below; praise him above, ye heavenly
host; praise Father, son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Prayer After Receiving:………………………….Pastor Steven
Prayers of the People:……………………………Pastor Steven
Hymn of Preparation:.“Woman in the Night” #274 UMH
Words: Brian Wren, 1982 Music: Charles H Webb, 1987
Words © 1983 Hope Publishing Co. Music: © The United
Methodist Publishing House
1. Woman in the night, spent from giving birth,
Guard our precious light; peace is on the earth!
Come and join the song, women, children, men;
Jesus makes us free to live again!
2. Woman in the crowd, creeping up behind,
touching is allowed; seek and you will find!
Come and join the song, women, children, men;
Jesus makes us free to live again!
3. Woman at the well, question the Messiah;
find your friends and tell; drink your heart’s desire!
Come and join the song, women, children, men;
Jesus makes us free to live again!
4. Woman at the feast, let the righteous stare;
come and go in peace; love him with your hair!
Come and join the song, women, children, men;
Jesus makes us free to live again!
5. Woman in the house, nurtured to be meek,
Leave your second place; listen, think, and speak!
Come and join the song, women, children, men;
Jesus makes us free to live again!
6. Women on the road, welcomed and restored,
Travel far and wide; witness to the Lord!
Come and join the song, women, children, men;
Jesus makes us free to live again!
.
Gospel Lesson:…………..“John 4:5-26” .……..Melanie B.
So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.)
The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?”
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.” Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!”
The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.”
Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.”
Sermon…..….“See Who She Is”……………Pastor Steven
Holy Communion:………………………………Pastor Steven
Communion Hymn: “You Who Are Thirsty” #2132 TFWS
Words and Music: Barbara Ross © Palm Branch Music, Inc.
You who are thirsty, come to the well and drink from
waters flowing. You who are hungry, come to the
bread and eat of his holiness. You who are tired,
find rest. You who are weak, find strength. You
who are thirsty, come to the well and drink.
You who are thirsty, come to the well and drink from
waters flowing. You who are hungry, come to the
bread and eat of his holiness. You who are tired,
find rest. You who are weak, find strength. You
who are thirsty, come to the well and drink.
He will freely feed all of them who are weak. He will
quench the righteous thirst of all who humbly seek.
He will freely feed all of them who are weak. He will
quench the righteous thirst of all who humbly seek.
Closing Hymn:“And Can It Be that I Should Gain” #363 UMH
Words: Charles Wesley, 1739, Music: Thomas Campbell, 1835
1. And can it be that I should gain an interest in the
Savior’s blood! Died he for me? Who caused his pain!
For me? Who him to death pursued? Amazing love!
How can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for
me? Amazing love! How can it be that thou, my
God, shouldst die for me?
2. ‘Tis mystery all: th’ Immortal dies! Who can explore
his strange design? In vain the firstborn seraph tries
to sound the depths of love divine. ‘Tis mercy all!
Let earth adore; let angel minds inquire no more.
‘Tis mercy all! Let earth adore; let angel minds
inquire no more.
Dismissal with Blessing:……………………………..Pastor Steven
Postlude: “Lift High the Cross” Words by George Kitchin,
Music by Sydney Nicholson © 1974 Hope Publishing Co...Greg D.
CONFESSION & PARDON
Pastor Steven: Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy. Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
All pray in silence.
Pastor Steven: Hear the good news:
Christ died for us while we were yet sinners; that proves God’s love toward us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
All: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
All: Glory to God. Amen.
THE PEACE
Let us offer one another signs of reconciliation and love.
All, including the pastor, exchange signs and words of God’s peace by crossing hands, wave to one another due to social distancing guidelines.
Pastor Steven: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you.
Pastor Steven: Lift up your hearts. The pastor may lift hands and keep them raised.
All: We lift them up to the Lord.
Pastor Steven: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Pastor Steven: And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
All: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Pastor Steven: In union with Christ’s offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
All: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
Pastor Steven: All honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and forever.
All: Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
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Sunday March 12th Worship Service, In Person or Online