Virtual Worship – February 7, 2021

The Service For The Lord’s Day THE 5TH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

FEBRUARY 7, 2021 WHENEVER “There are two things you can do with your head down – play golf and pray.”

…Lee Trevino

Gathering Together for “Virtual” Worship

PRELUDE VIDEO “Sing the Story” (John Bolin & the CBU Choir) WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION (Rev. Sellers) PRELUDE (Brandon Cook)

CALL TO WORSHIP (FROM PSALM 147) How good it is to sing praises to God: He is gracious and our songs of praise are fitting.

The Lord builds up Jerusalem and gathers in the outcasts. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up our wounds.

Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. He lifts up the downtrodden and takes pleasure in those who revere him.

Let us sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; and make melody to our God. Praise the Lord, O people of God! He strengthens the bars of our gates and grants us peace within our borders.

God fills us with the finest of bread, makes the wind blow and the water flow. We will praise him for all his blessings and hope in his steadfast love. Amen.

CHIMES OF THE HOLY TRINITY

* HYMN “Morning Has Broken”

PRAYER OF CONFESSION (unison prayer) O God, you are our creator, sustainer and redeemer; in you we have all we need. We say that you are everywhere, yet often wonder where you are. We confess our feelings of exile and alienation in these strange days we find ourselves in. We find ourselves fearing your absence when in fact you are most present to us. As you forgive our sins, Lord, restore in us a sense of your comfort and care. Remind us of your promise that you will always be right here with us. Renew our strength so that we might mount up with wings like eagles. Amen.

CHORAL RESPONSE # 572 “Kyrie” Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

* RESPONSE “Gloria Patri”

* SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST May the Peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.

(If you are worshiping with family this morning, share the peace of Christ with them; If this reminds you of someone you might need to reach out to, make a note to send them an email or text and share Christ’s peace that way.)

Proclaiming the Word PRAYER OF THE DAY FIRST READING: Isaiah 40: 21 -22; 28 – 31 ANTHEM (Brandon Cook) SECOND READING: Mark 1: 29 – 39

SERMON “The Quiet of the 17th Fairway” (Rev. Sellers)

Responding to the Word

* HYMN “Now Praise the Lord”

* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH “The Apostles’ Creed” (unison affirmation) I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

CONCERNS AND CELEBRATIONS; ANNOUNCEMENTS AND PLANS PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE 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. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

OFFERING OUR GIFTS AND OURSELVES TO GOD As you listen to the offertory, please take a moment or two to be intentional in your support of our churches. However you do it, remember that this is more than supporting staff or paying bills; this is accepting the opportunity of being a part of what God is doing in our world.

VIDEO OFFERTORY “My Dwelling Place” (Keith, Kristyn Getty w/ Phil Keaggy)

* RESPONSE # 592 “Doxology” 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 OF DEDICATION

Carrying the Word Into the World

* HYMN “Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life” (tune: O Waly Waly) * CHARGE AND BENEDICTION * POSTLUDE * VIDEO POSTLUDE “The Celtic Blessing” (Celtic Worship)

(Italic words are spoken by the leader; Bold words are spoken by everyone.)

Isaiah 40:21-31: 21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. 30 Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; 31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Mark 1:29-39: 29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. 32 That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. 35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37When they found him, they said to him, ‘Everyone is searching for you.’ 38He answered, ‘Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.’ 39And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: “Sooner or later, any golf writer worth his salt ends up waxing poetic about the mystical qualities of the game and its strange hold on those who play it. What golfer's heart doesn't beat a little faster as he remembers the time when, on a mere whim, he stopped at a golf shop along the highway in an unfamiliar city and found a $1,200 set of clubs he had long coveted in the pro shop of his own home course on sale for $699? Who hasn't gone to the first tee with a little extra spring in his step, even at 6:30 in the morning, thrilled by the knowledge that the guy who edged him out of a parking space right by the bag drop has left his lights on? And who can forget that sweet feeling of elation that comes over you as you discover that a member of that super-slow foursome in front of you that won't let you play through has left his sand wedge on the edge of the green, just a few short yards from the largest water hazard on the course? Yes, there is a spiritual side to the game of golf.”

… Henry Beard “It is probably difficult, if not impossible, to move from loneliness to solitude without any form of withdrawal from a distracting world, and therefore it is understandable that those who seriously try to develop their spiritual life are attracted to places and situations where they can be alone, sometimes for a limited period of time, sometimes more or less permanently. But the solitude that really counts is the solitude of the heart; it is an inner quality or attitude that does not depend on physical isolation. On occasion this isolation is necessary to develop the solitude of heart, but it would be sad if we considered this essential aspect of the spiritual life as a privilege of monks and hermits. It seems more important than ever to stress that solitude is one of the human capacities that can exist, be maintained and developed in the center of a big city, in the middle of a large crowd and in the context of a very active and productive life. A man or woman who has developed this solitude of heart is no longer pulled apart by the most divergent stimuli of the surrounding world but is able to perceive and understand this world from a quiet inner center.”

… Henri Nouwen

SERVICE NOTES: Today’s video prelude, “Sing the Story,” is another original anthem inspired by the reality of our current distanced world. In the midst of the COVID-19 quarantine of 2020, a portion of the California Baptist University Choir and Orchestra premiered this original new anthem co-written by John Bolin and CBU faculty member, Hector Gabriel. The song was arranged by John Bolin and orchestrated by Bradley Knight. Bolin is the worship pastor of Kingsland Baptist Church in Katy, Texas, Bradley Knight has received multiple GMA / Dove Awards for Music, and Hector Gabriel is both a teacher at California Baptist University and a worship leader in southern California. Today’s video offertory, “My Dwelling Place” is a song based on Psalm 91. Written and performed by Keith and Kristyn Getty at the Sing! 2018 Conference in Nashville, this song features a guest appearance by guitarist and songwriter Phil Keaggy. Keaggy, one of the world’s top “finger-picking” guitarists, has been writing and performing Christian music since his own coming to faith in 1970. Many of us have grown up listening to Phil Keaggy’s music – sometimes without knowing the songs we sang were written by him. Today’s video postlude, “The Celtic Blessing” is a version of a traditional Scottish / Irish Celtic blessing written and performed by the group “Celtic Worship” combined with a Covid Pandemic distance choir of Scottish and Irish singers. This version of the blessing is sung in both Scottish Gaelic and English.

Today’s video postlude, “Whee,” is a Celtic an

Announcements and Notes

Current Worship Schedule at Christ (CPC) & Mulberry (MPC): Thursday, Feb. 11th: Worship taping at MPC – 6:30 PM Sunday, Feb. 14th: Outdoor worship at Christ – 11 AM Wednesday, Feb. 17th: Ash Wednesday Worship at MPC – 7 PM Thursday, Feb. 18th: Worship taping at CPC – 6:30 PM Sunday, Feb. 21st: Outdoor worship at Mulberry – 11 AM Tuesday, Feb. 23rd: Lenten Zoom Worship - Noon

ASH WEDNESDAY (Feb. 17th): Mulberry will be hosting an outdoor Ash Wednesday service on Feb. 17th at 7:00 PM. Designed for both cars and those wishing to sit outside. All will be given ashes to impose themselves as we all observe the call to Lent together.

LETNTED DEVOTIONALS: 2021 Lenten Devotionals shared from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary are now printed and available. Copies are available on the table at the Arty Ave. entrance at Christ, and in the office at Mulberry.

LISTEN TO WORSHIP ON THE RADIO: If it’s chilly at our outdoor worship, plan to remain in your car and listen to the service on FM 107.3 radio. Feel free to pull your vehicle as close as you safely can to see all of worship. (IF THE WEATHER CAUSES A COMPLETE CANCELATION OF WORSHIP, EMAIL AND TEXT NOTIFICATIONS WILL BE SENT AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. Call or text before you leave home if you are unsure.)

THURSDAY WORSHIP TAPING: Thursday night worship taping Sessions are open to a small number of attendees. We begin as close to 6:30 PM as possible and normally print 5 – 6 bulletins, so those attending can have a copy if you attend.

WHERE IS RODGER? He’ll be on a quick road trip from Sunday afternoon, Feb. 7th – Tuesday evening, Feb. 9th. He’s headed to northwest Georgia to tape a special Bonus Sermon for an upcoming virtual worship service.

LENTEN ZOOM PRAYER / WORSHIP? Beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 23rd, we will be holding mid-day virtual prayer services via Zoom. Each 30 minute service will begin at noon, and will be hosted alternating between Mulberry and Christ. Plan to spend part of your lunch hour in worship with as a part of this year’s Lenten journey! The alternating schedule will be:

Feb. 23rd: From Mulberry March 2nd: From Christ March 9th: From Mulberry March 16th: From Christ

March 23rd: From Mulberry March 30th: From Christ (Holy Week) Thursday, April 1st: Maundy Thursday

(Details TBA)

Christ and Mulberry Prayer Concerns – February 7, 2021 (Updated as of Friday, Feb. 5th)

Pray for: Bonnie Dejewski (friend of Jane Guy): Lost her daughter in an auto crash. Ruth Martin (Carol Wood’s aunt): Recovering from recent surgery. Jimmy Adams (friend of Arlene Stone at MPC): Awaiting a kidney transplant in Winston Debra Cullen: Recovering from recent fall w/injuries and TIA with CMC hosp. stay. Susan Thomason Durant: Recovering from Covid-19 since Dec. 31st. Jen Surber (Kevin Rules sister-in-law): Cancer diagnosis Jane Guy: Had an endoscopy this past Wednesday. Lisa Collins: Upcoming cancer treatments Shirley West: Recovering from surgery this past Thursday. Linda Carpenter: Eye surgery was postponed / cancelled, medication treatment Judy Sellers: Upcoming surgery on Feb. 12th. Shane Layel (Jane Gregg’s son-in-law): Re-admitted to hospital last week. Lisa Gregg (Jane and Gary’s daughter-in-law): Keith Bigham (Deborah Ray’s husband): Treated at V.A. ER this past week. Jonah Sutton (Jim Brown’s grandson): Awaiting eye surgery. Cookie Glines (Joyce Glines’ daughter-in law): Ongoing cancer treatment, upcoming scans. Lupe & Debbie Vidal: Debbie, back recovery; Lupe, still awaiting prognosis Pray for the distribution of Covid vaccines, and for everyone affected by the continued rise

rise in cases in every state here in the U.S. and all over the world. Pray for health care workers as continue to treat Covid patients. Our friends and family who are homebound or in assisted living or nursing homes who

can’t have visitors, like Maggie Thrower, Lillian Williamson, Louise Carter, Lorenzo Conyers, Melva Robinson, Sylvester Barbee, Fern Kisner, Lewis and Shirley West.

Happy Birthdays to: Bob Campbell, Monday, February 8th Myrtle Finch, Sunday, February 14th Carol Wood, Wednesday, February 17th Jack Guy, Gerell Campbell, Saturday, February 20th