February 23, 2025 Order of Worship
Meditation on Amazing Grace (setting by Margaret Sandresky) – Geoffrey Liu
Welcome – Terry Bolender
Opening Prayer – Morgan Walt
Leader: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me.
People: Bless God’s holy name!
Leader: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all that God has done for you!
People: Who forgives and heals, who redeems and crowns us with mercy?
Leader: Who satisfies us with good? Who works vindication and justice for the oppressed?
People: The Lord God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love.
Leader: As the heavens are high about the earth, so great is God’s steadfast love toward all.
People: As far as the east is from the west, that’s how far God goes to forgive our sin!
Leader: Like a loving mother with her children, God has mercy and forgiving love for us.
People: God knows our limits.
Leader: The Lord is ever patient.
People: Out of endless love, God always forgives!
Leader: Praise the Lord!
People: All people everywhere share God’s love and do God’s will.
All: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me!
Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above – UMH #126
Time with Young Disciples – Stephanie McIlwain Miller
The Twenty-Third Psalm (Jay Althouse) – Sanctuary Choir
Scripture Readings – Morgan Walt
Introduction to the First Scripture
The prophet Zephaniah is thought to have been of African dissent and speaks the word of God some 650 years before the birth of Jesus to a people who had wandered away from their covenantal promises to the Lord. The only path back to wholeness and justice-oriented, loving relationships is the forgiveness of sin. In Zephaniah 3, the prophet gives us hope saying…
Zephaniah 3:14-20
Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak.
The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.”
I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it.
I will deal with all your oppressors at that time.
And I will save the lame and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.
At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord.
Introduction to the Second Scripture
Matthew 18 begins with Jesus reminding us that the greatest in God’s eyes is the humble child. So, don’t do or say anything that would get in the way of someone else having a straight and short course to your love and God’s love. And, if you do mess things up, as we all do, Jesus says, the pathway home is forgiveness. Listen now to the words of Jesus…
Matthew 18:15-17 and 21-22 (The Message)
“If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell them—work it out between the two of you. If they listen, you’ve made a friend. If they won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and then try again. If they still won’t listen, tell the church. If they won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront them with the need for repentance and reconciliation, and offer again God’s forgiving love. Listen: if you can agree on forgiveness, God will make it happen!”
At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, “Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven times?” Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.
Message – Why Forgiveness Is So Very Important – Pastor Jim
Freely, Freely – UMH #389
Pastoral Prayer and The Lord’s Prayer
Offering Our Gifts to God — Handbells
Doxology – How Can We Name a Love – UMH #111, vs.1
Prayer of Dedication
Pastor: All that we have, we have from you, Creator and Preserver of all.
People: Accept these gifts which we now offer. Help us to make the whole of life an offering and every thought a prayer.
There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy – UMH #121
Blessing – Pastor Jim
How Firm a Foundation (setting by Dale Wood) – Geoffrey Liu
Resources for Worship
Opening Prayer is by Jim Head-Corliss for worship at Kent UMC, February 23, 2025 adapted from selected verses of Psalm 103.