February 20, 2005

Epiphanies:
The Light of God Has Come

February 20, 2005
(communion service rescheduled from Jan 30)

Gathering in Christ's name

Preservice Music
Call to worship Here in the place HWB 6
Prayer of Invocation
Psalm 23 HWB 814

Hymns of Invocation
Great is the Lord HWB 87
Jesus Stand Among Us HWB 25
Holy Spirit Come with Power HWB 26

Litany of Confession (All read with brief pause after each line)

Gracious God send your transforming Spirit in our midst
Call to our hearts those who have wronged us
Call to our heart those we have wronged
Call to our imagination your grace in a difficult situation we face
Call to our spirits any resentment we have of you
Call to our hearts your greater wisdom in a situation we resent
Calm the restlessness of our hearts, minds or spirits if they have turned from you
Call to our awareness the sin we have wondered into as a result of that restlessness
Call us to rest in your faithfulness alone
May your Spirit rebuild our lives
By your grace and through your body the church, Amen.

Hymn of Transformation Come, thou fount HWB 521
Ritual of Transformation
Anointing HWB 799(introduction only)

Reading - Revelation 21:1-4 HWB 860
(Women-light print /Men-dark print)

Hymns for a time of anointing
Jesus Rock of Ages HWB 515
What Wondrous Love Is This HWB 530

Reflecting on God's Grace and Peace
Ritual of Thanksgiving - Introduction

Call to Communion
"Come to the Table" by Michael Card or HWB 472

Communion litany

Men: God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of Jesus Christ. From his fullness we have all received grace in place of sin.
Women: We are a people who share in God's kingdom at this time. For all of us, being here is a part of a plan. Our past and future are embodied in this moment. God welcomes and celebrates us in love. We are being brought to see our oneness with the death and resurrection of Jesus. The realm of Christ's triumph in love, healing and power is among us and within us.

ALL: By Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection You, Lord, gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit. Once we were no people, but now we are your people, receiving your wonderful deeds in Christ, who called us out of darkness in to his marvelous light.

Lord, as we now prepare our hearts to receive these symbols of your grace, grant that we be filled anew with the gifts of your creative Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

In remembrance of your mighty acts in Jesus Christ we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory.

Hymn - Christ We Do All Adore Thee HWB 105

Men: On the night in which Jesus gave himself up for us he took a loaf of bread, gave thanks, and broke the bread, He gave it to his disciples saying: "Take, eat; This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
Women: Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to his disciples, saying: "Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

Hearing

Post Communion Hymn
I Bind My Heart This Tide HWB 411
Prayer for the Church - Ephesians 3:14-21

Responding

Sharing of Joys and Concerns
Pastoral Prayer
Announcements
Offering
Hymn of Sending Praise God From Whom HWB 118
Benediction

Today

Worship Leader: Roy and Maren Hange
Music: Jon Nafziger
Sermon: Roy Hange
Nursery: Miriam Nissley

Announcements

RESCHEDULED! CMC 20s and 30s will meet for nachos, salsa, and bean soup, Saturday, February 26th. Questions, contact Anne Dickey or Becky Scott.

Charlottesville Friends Meeting will be holding a potluck lunch and workshop. On Sunday, Feb. 20, David Radcliff, a dynamic speaker and director of the New Community Project, will lead a discussion of the place of Christian witness in a powerful nation. The potluck begins at 12:30 and the workshop will be from 1:15-3:00.

31st annual MCC Turkey Canning Project, February 28- March 4, at the Mennonite Relief Center in Hinton, Va. The MRC hours of operation are 5 a.m.-11 p.m., and anyone is welcome to help on any day with the canning. Contributions can be mailed to Mennonite Relief Center, PO Box 519, Dayton, VA 22821. For more information, contact Leon Rhodes at (540) 867-9751 or Gerald Knicely at (540) 879-2077.

Prayers and Praises

Mennonite Mission Network: Pray for the RAD (Reaching and Discipling) team, working with Mission Network associates Disa and Tom Rutschman in Jokkmokk, Sweden. Pray for their ministry through the English camp for junior high students the entire month of February.

VMBM: The Student Mission Interest Group at Eastern Mennonite University meets often and shares their interest in both local and foreign missions. Rachel Smith, former VMBM staff member, and Carol Tobin give leadership to this group. Their commitment to energizing persons for outreach is contagious. Thank God!

Pray for the local services for people in need: Love Inc., Shelter for Help in Emergency, Food Bank, Salvation Army, and the initiative for the homeless in Charlottesville.

Pray for those within our CMC family:
~ Matt Nissley and his YES team in Peru.
~ Jeff Myers' father as he is battling cancer.
~ Those devastated by the Tsunami in Asia and Africa.
~ Ben and Julia Nalle's mission trip to Belize, Jan. 29 - Feb. 6.