Forest Hill United Church
'open doors, open hearts, open minds'
Fourth Sunday of Lent
March 6, 2016 at 10 am
In Lent, we remember the great truth: It's not all about me.
Each Lent I feel myself called back to community,both human and
divine, by that message.
Rev. Emily C. Heath, United Church of Christ
It's Not About Me: A Lenten Challenge
WELCOME to worship! It is good that you are here. As we journey
through this reflective Lenten time together, we will be exploring
the role of community. May you feel God's presence here. After
worship, please join us for coffee, tea, juice, cookies, and
conversation.
Forest Hill United Church is a safe place for all people to
gather regardless of race, creed, age, cultural background, or
sexual orientation. You are welcome here!
Our greeters this morning are Briand Cassidy and Libby
Cassidy,
our tellers are May Houston and Joan Mitchell,
our hospitality host is May Houston,
our Sunday School teachers are Mary Grant, Margie
Roxborough,
and Alexander Neville,
and our music is led by Deborah Park and the FHUC Choir.
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Gathering
At the **, you are asked to rise in body or in spirit.
Prelude:Agnus Dei from B Minor Mass by J. S. Bach
Extinguishing the Light
During Lent, we prepare for Jesus' death & resurrection. We
extinguish candles to remember how Jesus - the light of the world -
was rejected.
**Introit: #14 MV
Where two or three are gathered in my name,
I am there, I am there. [Repeat 3 times]
Welcome & Church News
Call to Worship:
One:In this time of Lent...
All:God calls us to worship.
One:God calls us to reflection.
All:God calls us to a devotional and prayerful life.
One:God calls us to the desert struggle of the Israelites...
All:into a wilderness journey with Jesus...
One:hither and yon with Paul.
All:God calls us to worship.
Adapted from David Sparks in Gathering L/E 2016
Gathering Prayer:(Spoken Together)
On our journey, God, we sometimes struggle.
How much should we share about our understandings of you?
When should we proclaim Jesus' message of your reign?
As we worship and pray, as we sing and celebrate,
give us voices and hands that live your Word. Amen.
By Richard Bott in Gathering L/E 2016
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**Opening Hymn:#579 VU The Church's Wherever
(with added verses)
The church is wherever God's people are praising,
singing God's goodness for joy on this day.
The church is wherever disciples of Jesus
remember his story and walk in his way.
The church is wherever God's people are rising,
meeting the new day with hope and delight.
The church is wherever our hearts fill with wonder,
amazed by creation both day and at night.
The church is wherever God's people are helping,
caring for neighbours in sickness and need.
The church is wherever God's people are sharing
the words of the Bible in gift and in deep.
The church is wherever God's people are travelling,
springs in our steps as we move through this life.
The church is wherever the faithful are praying;
never alone, not in darkness or strife.
Words to verses 2 & 4 by Ali Smith
Exploring
Story Time
**Lenten Hymn:#111 VU As the Sun with Longer Journey
After the first verse is sung, children, youth and teachers
are invited to go to Sunday School.
Words from Our World:Throughout this Winter Season
by William L. Wallace
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Words from Our Bible: William Hughes
Psalm 32Page 759 VU (with Refrain)
2 Corinthians 5:16-21A New Creation
One:This is the Word of God for our community.
All:Thanks be to God!
Special Music: Carry Your Candle by Chris Rice
Message:Community Quest: Road Trip Times
Responding
Minute for Mission May Houston
Presentation of Our Gifts
**Offering Verse: (Sung Together) #79 MV, Refrain
Spirit, open my heart to the joy and pain of living.
As you love may I love, in receiving and in giving,
Spirit open my heart.
Prayers of the People
Prayer of Jesus:(Spoken Together)
Our Father-Mother, who is in the heavens,
may your name be made holy,
may your dominion come,
may your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today the bread we need;
and forgive us our debts,
as we have forgiven our debtors;
and do not put us to the test, but rescue us from evil.
For yours is the dominion, and the power,
and the glory forever. Amen.
From United Church of Christ, 1995
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**Closing Hymn:#481 VU Sent Forth by God's Blessing
**Blessing
**Choral Response:(Sung Together) #216 MV, Refrain
Wherever you may go, I will follow,
and your people shall be my people too.
Wherever you may go, I will follow,
for I will be faithful, loyal and true.
Postlude: I Will Sing of Thy Great Mercies by F. Mendelssohn
OFFICE INFORMATION
(506) 455-0988 | foresthillunited.com
Administrative Assistant - Kris Yarych
Tuesdays & Thursdays from 12:45 - 3:45 pm
[email protected]
Minister - Rev. Ali Smith
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays from 9 am - Noon
[email protected] (506) 292-2369
Church News
COMING UP @ FHUC
Quilt GroupMondays 10 am Noon Upper Room
Choir PracticeWednesday at 7:00 pm in the Choir Room
Storm Policy Reminder: In the event of a serious storm on a
Sunday morning, a decision will be made by 8 a.m. as to whether a
cancellation is necessary. If a service is cancelled, a message
will be placed on the church answering machine, sent out via email,
and passed on to CBC radio.
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Videos are now online for the service of February 7, 2016 which
was prepared by the Affirm Working Group. The web link is
https://vimeo.com/album/3792745 and the password is fhuc (all lower
case and without the quotes). You can download these videos to your
computer but they are large files and this may take a long
time.
The InterchurchRefugeeCommittee is hoping to welcome two Syrian
families to Fredericton within the next month, although we are
still waiting for the processing to be complete and do not have
arrival dates. We are putting together a list of available
furniture, kitchen items, etc. so that when they do arrive we can
set up apartments as quickly as possible. If you have furniture,
etc. to donate, please letMargieRoxborough know and keep the items
at your house until we need them, as we have exhausted our storage
capabilities.
The Affirm Working Group is hosting an amazing event:
COMPLICATING THE STORY Talking about (homo)sexuality in the Bible
and in Church March 14th @ 7:00 pm in the Parlour at Forest Hill --
This is an event for everyone, we will be looking at how the Bible
and the Tradition of the church has treated sexuality and why...
there will be coffee and conversation. This is a step towards our
AFFIRMING CONGREGATION designation. We hope to see you there!
Potential Scripture Readers are invited to see the Date Chart
and to indicate their availability for any particular Sunday.
Please note the manner of indication given at the top of the Chart.
New Readers are most welcome. A copy of the New Revised Standard
Version of the Bible (which is the version of the Pulpit Bible) is
available to loan for practice, with helpful instructions included.
If you have questions, please talk with Patricia Powell
(455-8602).
Campbell Soup Labels: We are once again collecting Campbell Soup
Labels. Please slit the label near the seam on the can and put the
entire label in the appropriate drawer of the white unit on the
back windowsill. Unless someone else has something else to do with
them, they will be donated to Bliss Carman Middle School to buy
books for the library.
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