[Please be in a spirit of worship while you are on the phone call. Your phone microphone is very sensitive; what seems quiet in the sanctuary sounds more like a like a thunderstorm or police siren on the phone. Your phone or computer microphone can pick up a whisper or paper shuffling from five feet away.]
Prelude
Announcements
Minute for Mission
Call to Worship
Opening Prayer
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. AMEN
Opening Hymn Arise, Your Light Is Come!
Call to Confession
Prayer of Confession (unison)
God of transformation, you make new life where there was old, dazzling light where there were shadows, peace where there was violence, and friends where there were enemies. Forgive us, O God, when we stand in the way of your transformative love. Forgive us when we do not live as people who have been changed by your grace. Call us to the mountain once more, and send us out to be witnesses of your transformative grace.
Assurance of Pardon
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen.
Passing the Peace of Christ
Prayer for Illumination
Epistle Reading 2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Special Music Precious Lord, Take My Hand Covenant Choir
Gospel Lesson Mark 9:2-9
Message Listen to Him!
Hymn of Response Jesus, Take Us to the Mountain
Installation of Church Officers
Constitutional Questions
Congregational Questions
Prayer and Declaration of Installation
Affirmation of Faith Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand Of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayers of the People
Musical Response
Stewardship Moment
Prayer of Thanksgiving for our Blessings
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise Him, all creatures here below; praise Him above, ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen
Closing Hymn Lord, the Light of Your Love Is Shining
Benediction
Announcements
Habitat for Humanity In the fall of 2019, Church of the Covenant made a commitment to join with other area faith communities in the Habitat for Humanity Faith Build. As part of our commitment, we agreed to contribute $5000 for the building program.
Shortly after this commitment was made, Mission Committee began developing ideas for fundraising projects. Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic hit soon after these efforts began necessitating the postponement of any in-person fundraising projects. The Committee, however, did sponsor a successful t-shirt sale and on February 24 will be receiving a portion of proceeds from take-out sales at Applebee’s (see the February newsletter for more details). Yet, we remain far short of our goal of $5000 to help provide housing for those in need.
Mission Committee asks you to prayerfully consider making a special contribution to this effort, and as you consider, remember Jesus’ words: “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me” (Matthew 25:45).
Contributions of any amount are appreciated. They may be sent or delivered to the church office; please note Habitat for Humanity.
Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent—with its emphasis on self-examination, renewal, entering the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
For Church of the Covenant, Ash Wednesday in 2020 was our last in-person worship before the realities of Covid 19 slammed the nation. Since we are still worshiping by phone in 2021, Worship Committee has considered how to approach Ash Wednesday, while taking into account the constraints of the pandemic.
The Committee members have decided to have an Uberconference call service at 7 p.m. on Wednesday February 17. The major difference from typical Ash Wednesday services, is how to be marked with ashes.
As Presbyterians, we are familiar with having someone else trace a cross on our forehead while reminding us that we come from dust and will return to dust. During this pandemic, we don’t necessarily need to be reminded of mortality and the unpredictability of the future, what we need to be reminded of this year is that God can do something with dust and ashes.
So, at a time when we are advised to keep our distance from one another, how do we impose ashes? Church leaders are advising that people might sign themselves with ashes to indicate their willing commitment to enter into the disciplines of Lent, rather than having that “imposed.”
- Some possibilities for obtaining ashes for our virtual service include:
- Ash from a used candle wick
- Powder black eye shadow
- Burnt corks (the one who made this suggestion said they leave a good smudge).
- An alternative to palm ashes is “local dust” – soil from the yard, a potted plant, or nearby green-space
