March 14, 2021
“There comes an hour when begging stops,
When the long interceding lips
Perceive their prayer is in vain.
~ Emily Dickinson
“When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers.”
~ Oscar Wilde
“Just because he doesn’t answer doesn’t mean he don’t care.
Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.”
~ Garth Brooks
“We do not want to be beginners at prayer
But let us be convinced of the fact
that we will never be anything
but beginners, all of our life!”
~ Thomas Merton
Prelude
Joyce Rhodes, organ
“O Sacred Head” ~ Johann Pachelbel
“Prayer” ~ W. F. Ambrosia
“In Paradisum” ~ Theodore Dubois
Call to Worship
Come and worship, all you who love and serve the Lord—
outsiders and insiders,
old-timers and new-comers,
the young, old and the in-between.
Come as you are,
for this is God’s house—a house of prayer for all people,
and God welcomes each one who comes.
Hymn
John Palmer & Gareth Williams
“Precious Lord, Take My Hand” ~ UMH #474 vs. 1, 3
Time for Kids
Scripture
Romans 11:33-36
Message
Pastor Kate Conolly
“Prayer Dilemmas”
Offering Prayer
Ever-faithful God,
we long to be faithful givers,
modelling ourselves on you
who have given everything to us.
May your Spirit of abundance,
which gives more than we ask or imagine,
grace these gifts for your kingdom
in Jesus’ name, Amen.
written by Carol Penner
Offertory
Joyce Rhodes, organ
“Pie Jesu” from “Requiem” ~ Gabriel Faure
Sharing of Joys and Concerns
Pastoral Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn
John Palmer & Gareth Williams
“Stand By Me” ~ UMH #512 vs. 1, 3
Sending Forth
As you go from here, remember this:
God’s love and God’s compassion can never be taken away—
they can never be cancelled or rescinded.
They are irrevocably yours.
So go with confidence and joy to serve God and one another.
And may the blessing of God—
Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer—
be among you and within you
wherever you find yourselves this week.
Amen.
Postlude
Joyce Rhodes
“Scherzo” ~ John Duro
“Toccata” from “Partita on Heinlein for Organ” ~ Anita Graves