Sunday Worship Service
March 6, 2022 – 10:30am
We are RECEIVED as the Beloved of God
The actual worship service begins 15 minutes into the recordings.
WELCOME
OPENING SONG – Lamb of God
OPENING PRAYER
SONG – Lord, I Want to Be a Christian UM Hymnal (blue book) # 402
CHILDREN’S TIME WITH MESSAGE FOR ALL AGES
ANTHEM – Be Thou My Vision
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart. Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night. Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word. I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord.
Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son. Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.
Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise. Thou mine inheritance, now and always.
Thou and Thou only first in my heart. High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.
High King of heaven, my victory won. May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s sun.
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall. Still be my vision, O ruler of all.
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall. Still be my vision, O ruler of all.
We are TRANSFORMED by the Word of God
Daniel 1:1-7
1 During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia and placed them in the treasure-house of his god. 3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives. 4 “Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.” 5 The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service. 6 Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. 7 The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names:
Daniel was called Belteshazzar.
Hananiah was called Shadrach.
Mishael was called Meshach.
Azariah was called Abednego.
Galatians 5:19-23
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
GOOD NEWS – Is the Name Christian What You Are?
In the Book of Daniel, we read that a Babylonian authority gave Daniel and his friends Babylonian names. But they refused those names. This Sunday, we are going to learn why it was so important for them to keep their Jewish names. We are also going to reflect on the following questions. Is the name Christian my identity? Is it important for me to keep my name Christian in my daily life? Why? Why not?
SONG – A Wilderness Wandering People Worship & Song (green book) # 3113
THE HOLY COMMUNION
RESPONSE TO GOD’S GRACE (OFFERING)
Pastor: God says, “I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know Me more than I want burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6).
All: God, we give what we have decided in our hearts to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for You love a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).
INTERCESSORY PRAYER
THE LORD’S PRAYER UM Hymnal (blue book) # 895
SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
We are SENT in the Power of God
LIFE OF ST. MATTHEW’S COMMUNITY
BLESSING AND SENDING
CLOSING SONG – Blessed be Your Name
Blessed Be Your Name. In the land that is plentiful. Where Your streams of abundance flow. Blessed be Your name.
Blessed Be Your name. When I’m found in the desert place. Though I walk through the wilderness. Blessed Be Your name.
Every blessing You pour out, I’ll turn back to praise. When the darkness closes in, Lord. Still I will say: Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be Your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be Your glorious name.
Blessed be Your name. When the sun’s shining down on me. When the world’s ‘all as it should be’. Blessed be Your name.
Blessed be Your name. On the road marked with suffering. Though there’s pain in the offering. Blessed be Your name.
Every blessing You pour out I’ll turn back to praise. When the darkness closes in, Lord.
Still I will say: Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be Your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be Your glorious name, oh.