February 19, 2006

to Worship
Leader: O God, your son Jesus shared out life and knows what it is to be human. He made his home in a poor corner of the world and must have known hunger from time to time. He has made himself one with all people everywhere so we can truly say hje hungers now wherever people do.
People: Make us one with him. Help us feel the poor of the world.
Leader: O God, who starves on the riverbanks of the Ganges, who waits numbly by a jungle airfield searching the sky for a relief plane, who scavenges to find scraps in a garbage heap;
People: Help us to see you.
Leader: O God, who watches them dump surplus food in oceans, who sees food rot for want of a pitcher, who see crops destroyed to keep prices high,
People: Open our hearts to the starving.
Leader: O God, who works for a dollar a day picking beets, who can't get a job because of caste, who is crippled and can't work and has no food.
People: Open our eyes to the poor.
Leader: O God, who can't get a job because you're black or yellow, who won't be hired again because you once complained about working conditions, who is replaced by a youth because your hands become gnarled and your back bent.
People: Help us to work for justice.
Commission for Evangelization, Justice and Development, New Zealand
Prayer of Invocation
Hymns Christ whose glory fills the skies HWB 216
As Rain from the clouds SJ 40
Children's Story
Hymn For the healing of the nations HWB 367

Hearing

Scripture Matthew 12:46-50; Philippians 1:3-11
Sermon God's Spirit alive in Asia
Hymn Lord of Light HWB 410

Responding

Sharing of Joys and Concerns
Pastoral Prayer
Offering/Hymn Praise God from Whom HWB 119
Announcements
Hymn You are salt of the earth HWB 226
Benediction

Today

Sermon: Earl Martin
Worship Leader(s): Maren Tyedmers Hange
Music: Dottie Scott, Andy Orban
Nursery: Eubanks Family

Announcements

Please have all bulletin information to Jeannine by noon on Thursday. Thanks!

Highland Retreat will be holding it's Annual Auction at Shady Oaks next to Weavers Mennonite Church, Saturday, March 4, 2006. The auction benefits the youth camp summer program at Highland Retreat. An up-to-date, growing list of items can be seen on Highland's web site. www.highlandretreat.org

The Student Lecture Series at EMU presents Jim Wallis, February 21, at 7 p.m. in Lehman Auditorium. Wallis, noted Christian advocate for social change, is a widely-traveled speaker and commentator on ethics and public life and founder and editor of "Sojourners" magazine; more information: www.emu.edu/sga; email: studentlectureseries@emu.edu; admission free.

VMRC Auxiliary is sponsoring a Spring Auction on March 17, 2006 at Detweiler Auditorium. Do you have anything- handmade wooden items, gift baskets, good antiques, baked goods, plants, etc., you are willing to donate? Please contact Evie Leichty at 433-4956 or Phyllis Ramer at 896-3971. Your support is appreciated.

2006 MCC Turkey Canning is scheduled for Feb 27-Mar 3 at the Mennonite Relief Center, Hinton, VA. Help is needed from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m. each day. Friday, March 3 is scheduled as a community day and help is needed especially in the early morning. If you have any questions pertaining to this project you can contact Leon Rhodes at 540-867-9751 or Gerald Knicely at 540-879-2077.

Prayers and Praises

VMBM: Phil and Marcia Lehman, Bari, Italy, find that God is present in a variety of contacts they make each day. The Gospel is "work shoes" is descriptive of them. May Christ's love empower them daily.

Mennonite Mission Network: Mennonite Mission Network worker Neal Blough in France requests prayer for a first-time meeting of Free Church evangelicals, including Mennonites, who work closely with Catholics. The meeting, held Feb. 25 at Paris Mennonite Centre, is a way to share experiences and find mutual support.

Pray for the local services for people in need: Love Inc., Shelter for Help in Emergency, Food Bank, Salvation Army, IMPACT--a justice ministry and PACEM-- the initiative for the homeless.

~ The four hostages in Iraq who are from Christian Peacemaker Team, their families, their support teams (Tom Fox has informal connections to Northern Virginia Mennonite Church), CPT leadership Carol Rose and Doug Pritchard, the hostage takers, the negotiators and everyone who is involved and affected by this.

Gathering in Christ's name

Hearing

Responding

Today

Announcements

Prayers and Praises