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Ash Wednesday

Worship
Lectionary Worship Aids
Cycle B, Series IV
Call To Worship
Leader: Let all who have received God's mercy come in repentance this day.
People: For even as we have been forgiven we have sinned before the Lord.
Leader: God calls to the faithful to repent and come before the Cross.
People: For at the Cross we are again washed clean.
Leader: And at the Cross we were called into the family of Almighty God!
All: Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Collect

O God, even though we are sinners, in Your mercy You have called us to repent and become members in Christ of Your family. Lead us, O Lord, back into Your ways. In Christ we pray. Amen.

Prayer Of Confession

Lord, in the passing of the days we have each again fallen short of the glory and blessings You intended our lives to be. Forgive us, Lord, and help us to return our focus to the cross and to turn our ways back to Your ways that we might bring honor and blessings to Your Holy Name. Through Christ our blessed Lord and Redeemer we lift our prayers. Amen.

Hymns

"Blessed Assurance"

"Yield Not Temptation"

"I Need Thee Every Hour"





Ash Wednesday

Second Lesson: 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10
Theme: Faithful servants unto the Lord

Call To Worship
Leader: Let us come together, all who are brothers and sisters in Christ.
People: For Christ died that we might have eternal salvation.
Leader: Then let us live in the ways the Lord taught us to live.
People: And let us set our hearts to choose the ways of Christ each day.
Leader: For the true followers of Christ Judgment Day will bring glory.
All: Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Collect

O God, through the prophets You called the nations to repent. Through Christ You call us each one to repent and turn to follow Your will. Lord, sustain us and lead us home to You. In Christ we pray. Amen.

Prayer Of Confession

Lord, so often in the everyday matters of living we have allowed ourselves to slip little by little and day by day away from the paths You have called us to walk. Forgive us, God, and open our spiritual eyes that we might again see where we have fallen short, and help us to recommit all that we are to being the best servants we can be. In Christ our Lord we pray. Amen.

Hymns

"Rescue The Perishing"

"O Master, Let Me Walk"

"Take My Life"




Ash Wednesday

Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Theme: Personal repentance

Call To Worship
Leader: Come, let all who would follow Christ gather this day and repent.
People: Let us weigh the goals in our lives and know our innermost heart.
Leader: The Lord has called us to be true and in all things to be faithful.
People: Then let us set our hearts upon the ways of the Lord.
Leader: And let our hearts be filled with joy for God's redeeming grace.
All: Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Collect

O God, in Your love and wisdom You have called us to repentance not for punishment but that we should know eternal joy. By Your strong and gentle hand, Lord, lead us back to Your fold. In Christ we pray. Amen.

Prayer Of Confession

Lord, You have called each of us to be faithful and in Your mercy and grace granted us each Your eternal life. But we have each fallen and failed You, and we have each chosen to go our own ways. Forgive us, Lord, and once again open our hearts to Your divine guidance that You might draw us back to Your loving care. In Christ we pray. Amen.

Hymns

"He Leadeth Me"

"Pass Me Not"

"Just As I Am"

UPCOMING WEEKS
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New & Featured This Week

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: This message is a role play about Jesus and the fishermen. Use a fishing casting net if you can find one, but you can just use an old sheet if you can’t find an actual net.

Note: You can have some fun with this role play. Just follow the activities and expand on them as much as you choose. When the characters speak, you can either do it yourself or have the children repeat what the characters say after you.

* * *

The Immediate Word

Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Christopher Keating
Dean Feldmeyer
George Reed
Tom Willadsen
For February 9, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Frank Ramirez
I occasionally include short clips from a movie in order to illustrate a point. I always check and make sure our CCLI license covers films from that particular studio just to keep things fair and square. Either way, do not show the clip I’m about to reference — just quote it. Robert De Niro is credited not only with delivering the famous line, “Are you talking to me?” (Taxi Driver, 1976) but also inventing it on the spur of the moment.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13)

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
Henry peeked through the curtain and saw the crowd of people waiting. “Wow!”

“I know, right?” Liz closed the curtain. “Who would have ever thought that all these people would come to see us? I mean, I knew that the families would come and maybe that some other people might come too but I never expected that all those other folks would come too.”

“We did do a lot of advertising on social media and your posters were amazing,”

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to worship:

Jesus said, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." In our worship today let us pray for courage to venture out from the safety of our church into deep water so that we may put down our nets for a catch.

Invitation to confession:

Lord Jesus, sometimes we cling to the boat and are afraid of the deep.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, sometimes we are so concerned for ourselves that we fail to trust you.

Christ, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Stephen P. McCutchan
I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart ...
-- Psalm 138:1a

Harold C. Warlick, Jr.
The weather that Sunday was beautiful in Augusta, Georgia. The middle-aged minister and his wife, after being away eleven years, returned to their perch by the sixth tee at the Masters Golf Tournament on the Augusta National Golf Course. It was their spot. They'd sat there in former times, when they were younger, healthier, and, perhaps, less wise. Sitting beside them were two young college students. The young man was blonde and well-built. He was holding hands with a pretty coed. She was well-tanned, and had a ribbon in her long pony tail. They made a cute couple.
Ron Lavin
There are many wonderful passages in the book of Isaiah, but none lovelier than this gem - the call of Isaiah in the temple of God. This text is lovely and bright in spite of dark elements of sin and unworthiness, because the light of God calling is not overcome by the darkness into which it comes. The light overcomes the darkness. The mission of Isaiah is to represent God. The mission of the Church of Jesus Christ is the same. That mission begins with vision.


Vision
J. Ellsworth Kalas
It's funny what experiences and phrases will stay with you from childhood. I still remember a line from a song which apparently was popular, for at least a short period of time, in my early childhood. It was a half-funny, half-pathetic little lament from someone who felt rejected and unsuccessful. As I recall, each verse ended with the phrase, "I guess I'll go eat worms!"

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