Pastoral Letter #19
Dear Members and Friends,
We worship tomorrow, Palm/Passion Sunday, at 9 a.m. via Facebook Live. Worship leaders are Chayse, Frances, and Cara Lausen.
We will celebrate the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper tomorrow. Detailed instructions for preparing at home can be found in this newsletter just before the beginning of order of worship.
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I’m currently reading this book. I enjoy it because he’s a terrific writer. He could write about anything and I’d read it. He has an inspiring commitment to research and writing. Even though he’s spent most of his career writing about only two (yes, that’s only two people) he illustrates how what a calling looks like and the courage it takes to confront power. And, at age 81 he still has several years of writing projects to complete!
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I am including the Zoom invitation to Coffee Chats here. This one invitation works for each day, Monday through Friday. Coffee Chats are a good way to practice connecting for Zoom so that when we have a congregational meeting you will be prepared to connect.
All you need to do is copy the link found at “Join Zoom Meeting,” paste it in your browser, click enter and you should be connected to Coffee Chats. There is now one additional step. You will see the invitation has a “Password.” You now need to enter the password to get access.
I know all the information below can look intimidating, but it is easy enough that I figured it out by myself my first time connecting.
Terry Purvis-Smith is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Coffee Chats
Time: Apr 6, 2020 09:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)
Apr 6, 2020 09:00 AM
Apr 7, 2020 09:00 AM
Apr 8, 2020 09:00 AM
Apr 9, 2020 09:00 AM
Apr 10, 2020 09:00 AM
Apr 13, 2020 09:00 AM
Apr 14, 2020 09:00 AM
Apr 15, 2020 09:00 AM
Apr 16, 2020 09:00 AM
Apr 17, 2020 09:00 AM
Apr 20, 2020 09:00 AM
Apr 21, 2020 09:00 AM
Apr 22, 2020 09:00 AM
Apr 23, 2020 09:00 AM
Apr 24, 2020 09:00 AM
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 563 873 511
Password: 016394
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As we anticipating a meeting of the congregation before we are allowed to assembly in public, we need Tech Advisors who will help others learn how to connect to Zoom. Write me if you’re will to be a Tech Advisor.
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When we reach the celebration of The Lord’s Supper tomorrow, follow what you see me doing. If you’re in living quarters with others, serve them, too.
Here is how you prepare for communion at home this Sunday, communion you will be taking together with others from First Presbyterian Church and, of course, with others around the world. We all gather around the Lord’s table. When you participate, perhaps you can imagine yourself with Jesus and his disciples at the table, or with people from another period in the church’s history, or this Sunday with people from FPCM.
1.Have bread on hand. Bread is anything you may have, such as a slice from a loaf, a loaf that you bake, a tortilla, a cracker.
2.Have wine or juice on hand. This may be more challenging in some circumstances than obtaining bread. What kind of wine or juice? Use something that reminds you of what we use at church. You don’t have anything like that on hand? We can trust that whatever drinking liquid you have available can be used by the Holy Spirit to represent the new covenant in Jesus Christ. You’ll need a small glass, cup or something else to receive this liquid during worship.
3.When you get up Sunday morning, prepare a place – the table of the Lord in your living quarters – to place the bread and cup (at this point the cup is probably empty).
4.Watch our worship on Facebook Live Sunday morning. When we come to communion, I will ask you to do as I do and repeat some of the words I say as we break the bread, receive the cup, and pray after communion. It will help to have the bulletin on the table beside you. Remember, we are all gathered around the Lord’s table, together.
As always, I welcome your notes and feedback, which you can send by answering this mailing or from your own email program. Know that Veda Moore has a birthday Monday.
With gratitude,
I’ve discovered that this program cannot handle the calendar in the form we are using. We’ll work on the calendar and send it early next week.
Terry
WORSHIP
PALM/PASSION SUNDAY
April 5, 2020
9 a.m.
First Presbyterian Church
Marion, Iowa
LIFE IN THE CHURCH
PRELUDE
CALL TO WORSHIP
Have mercy on me, Lord, because I am depressed.
MY VISION FAILS BECAUSE OF MY GRIEF,
AS DO MY SPIRIT AND MY BODY.
My life is consumed with sadness;
My years are consumed with groaning.
BUT ME? I TRUST YOU, LORD!
I affirm, “You are my God.”
MY FUTURE IS IN YOUR HANDS. From Psalm 31
INVITATION TO CONFESSION
God’s faithful love for us
is revealed in God’s willingness
to hear us when we feel under siege,
to accept our request for mercy
when we cry out for help. Based on Psalm 31
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
SUFFERING GOD, FORGIVE US
FOR HIDING OUR FEAR
AND HELPLESSNESS FROM YOU
BY PUTTING ON A FALSE EXTERIOR
AS IF EVERYTHING IS FINE.
FORGIVE US FOR FAILING TO
APPRECIATE THAT OUR FEELINGS,
ALL OF THEM,
ARE ESSENTIAL IN SURVIVING THE
CHALLENGES AND TRAGEDIES OF LIVING.
FORGIVE US FOR RUNNING FROM
OUR SUFFERING IN THE SAME MANNER
THAT JESUS’ FOLLOWERS RAN
FROM HIS SUFFERING.
BY THE POWER OF YOUR HOLY SPIRIT,
STRENGTHEN US TO SPEAK CLEARLY
ABOUT THE CALVARY IN OUR LIVES.
BY YOUR REDEEMING SPIRIT, CARRY
US FROM PAIN IN THE WILDERNESS
INTO MEADOWS OF HEALING,
THROUGH YOUR LOVE THAT
REDEEMS AND RENEWS US
IN WAYS WE CANNOT IMAGINE.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
(Sung) Be still and know that I am God.
Jesus’ suffering was bounded and
overcome by God’s more powerful love.
Nothing in all creation will separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
We are forgiven.
PASSING OF THE PEACE
The peace of God be with you.
AND ALSO WITH YOU.
SCRIPTURE Isaiah 50:4-9a and Matthew 26:36-44
SERMON It Hurts Too Much To Talk About
MUSIC AND MEDITATION Frances Lausen
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH – from a Brief Statement of Faith, 1991
IN LIFE AND IN DEATH WE BELONG TO GOD.
THROUGH THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST,
THE LOVE OF GOD,
AND THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,
WE TRUST IN THE ONE TRIUNE GOD,
THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL,
WHOM ALONE WE WORSHIP AND SERVE.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
OFFERETORY
THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
INVITATION TO THE TABLE
GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you.
AND ALSO WITH YOU.
Lift up your hearts.
WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
Let us give thanks to the lord our God.
AND ALSO WITH YOU.
Lift up your hearts.
WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
Let us give thanks to the lord our God.
IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE OUR THANKS AND PRAISE.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
PRAYER
BLESSING
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