Leaders & Choir BulletinWe will robe for Communion Sunday

Sayville Congregational United Church of Christ

Meditation

“Even in the context of suffering—poverty, violence, human rights violations—not belonging in our families is still one of the most dangerous hurts. That’s because it has the power to break our heart, our spirit, and our sense of self-worth.”

From Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belongingand the Courage to Stand Alone by Casandra Brené Brown

Third Sunday of LentMarch 15, 2020

Usher The Bell is RungSean Prelude

Liturgist The Liturgist will lead the congregation into worship from the back of the sanctuary with the choir. Liturgist, choir and pastor will process on cue from the pastor or the liturgist, if the pastor is elsewhere.

“Please rise in body or spirit and join me in the reading of the Call to Worship this Third Sunday of Lent:”:”

* Call to Worship Prompted by Psalm 95

O Come, let us sing to God;let us make a joyful noise to the creator and rock

of our existence and future!Let us come into God’s presence today and every day

with thanksgiving, joy and songs of praise.

Come! Let us worship together.

*Opening Hymn O God, How We Have Wandered New Century Hymnal #202

Liturgist When the hymn is finished, the Liturgist waits for everyone to be seated.“Please remain seated, joining me in reading today’s Unison Prayer together:”

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Unison Prayer Prompted by Psalm 95

O that today you would listen to his voice! Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your ancestors tested me, and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. 

For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they do not regard my ways.” Therefore in my anger I swore, “They shall not enter my rest.”

Liturgist When the Unison Prayer is finished, the Liturgist is seated. A moment of silence will follow. When ready the pastor will continue with the “Assurance of God’s Love”; the “Youth Message” (if youth are present); and the “Passing of the Peace.”

Ray Assurance of God’s Love

Ray *Passing of the Peace

Liturgist When the “Passing of the Peace” is nearing completion, the Liturgist moves to the pulpit. The pastor will cue Sean to play some music for folks to return to their seats or invited them to do so. Once everyone is seated and settled, the Liturgist begins the reading:

Sean Musical Praise

Liturgist Gospel of John 4:5-42

So Jesus came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.

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A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.)  The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.”  The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’ for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship God neither on this mountain nor in JerusalemSoon, his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” They left the city and were on their way to him.Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more

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believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.”

Ray Provocation: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. –

Matt 4:16

Sean *Hymn You Are the One Sing! Prayer and Praise #67

Liturgist Prayer for Others and Ourselves Now, we invite you to continue our time together in prayer, sharing any joys or concerns you wish to share. Please write your petitions on a prayer cards in the pew, placing them in the collection basket during the offertory. Please wait for me to come to you with the microphone. Thank you.

Ray The Prayer of Jesus

Liturgist Invitation to GiveWe welcome your offerings at this time and invite you to place your prayer and information cards in the basket.

Sean Offertory

All *DoxologyWe praise thee, O God, our Redeemer, Creator;in grateful devotion, our tribute we bring.We lay it before thee, we come and adore thee, We bless thy holy name, glad praises we sing. Amen.

Sean Musical Praise

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We Share the Sacrament of Holy CommunionAll are invited to this table. How could we do otherwise?

Ray Communion PrayerGod be with you.And also with you.

Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to God.

Let us give thanks to God.It is right to give God thanks and praise.

Liturgist Invitation to the Table(Modified from “If We Break Bread” by Joseph H. Gilmore)

If we break bread, take bread and eat it,but do not become bread for others, for the world,

what have we done?

In the grateful hands of Jesus, on that night before he died,the fields of God – cultivated, seeded, tended and harvested

by a particular farmer – were not forgotten.

In the grateful hands of Jesus, the cup of winecalled up all the glorious things earth and light and watercan do.

And, on the night before he died, surrounded by those he loved and trusted,

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he surely remembered these things and more – yet to be known.

RayAs he took the bread for that meal and the world,Jesus blessed it, gave it to those gathered and said:

“This is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Then, after a while, seeing deeply into the cup he held, Jesus lifted the cup - the earth, its light, water and all creation

saying:

“This cup is the new covenant that courses through my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

In so doing, Jesus glorified God’s Love through his. As we come to this table – the same one, really – may we do the same.

All Amen.

Ray We invite our Communion Servers forward as we sing the Church Covenant

Church Covenant (Sung in Unison)

In response to God’s love, we covenant with each otherto be faithful to the demands and inspiration of the eternal spirit, revealed in the event of Jesus Christ;to accept and respect each other with love and concern in our worship and witness;to reach out with the courage of our convictions in the cause of justice, liberation and equality for all;

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In this, we covenant to keep the ultimate promise; “I care, I am with you.”

Liturgist and Ray:

Sharing of the Elements: These are the gifts of God for the people of God.

Servers’ Communion Responses: The Bread of Life ~ The Cup of Blessing

Ray Prayer of Thanksgiving (Unison)

We thank you for arms full of life, hearts full of hope, eyes full of wonder. We hold our hands open to receive those you send to us. Our feet are ready to dance with the world, teaching and learning as we go. With minds hungry for what you will reveal and knees willing to honor the mystery, we come to you – in these things and more – especially, in remembrance of you. Amen.

Sean *Hymn Sing Them Over Again to Me New Century Hymnal #319

Ray Benediction and Sending Forth

Sean Choral Blessing

Usher Ringing of the Bell

Sean Postlude

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For more than a century and a half, Sayville's Congregational Church has served families on the South Shore and been a voice for the progressive Protestant tradition. A member of the United Church of Christ since it was 9

established in 1957, today we continue to celebrate God's love, to speak for the oppressed, and to welcome those seeking a spiritual home. To learn about membership, please speak with any deacon.

Today’s Worship LeadershipSetting of the Communion Table

Communion Stewards Music Director – Sean Cameron

Liturgist – Greeter/Ushers –

Hospitality -- Building Close-up –

Projectionist --

Sayville Congregational United Church of ChristMiddle Road, Sayville, NY 11782churchadmin@sayvilleucc.org

www.sayvilleucc.org; www.facebook.com/sayvilleuccHeather Corcoran, Church Administrator; eChimes EditorRay Bagnuolo, Pastor ray@sayvilleucc.org -- (Cell/Text)

Thank you for being with us today.Peace. Shalom. Salaam. For the ways of peace are many.

“Namaste”

Please contact Heather if you have questions or need any additional help.

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