Welcome
Thank you so much for joining us! The following page will take you through the order of worship for this Sunday.
If you are new, welcome! We also want to invite you to learn more about us. You can do so by selecting the button below.
If you are new, welcome! We also want to invite you to learn more about us. You can do so by selecting the button below.
A few tips for parents:
- Plan for your time – read through the guide and prepare the room where you are gathering
- Make your time joyful – have fun!!!
- Remember, it’s primarily about a relationship, not a task to scratch off
- Have your kids participate in age and maturity appropriate ways – reading, singing, etc.
- You are welcome to print out this week's Children's Bulletin here.
Time of Reflection
In the Old Testament “the shekinah glory was nothing less than the visible manifestation of God…. The incarnate Word is the true shekinah, the ultimate manifestation of God amongst human beings, for this Word became a man.”
~D.A. Carson, on the Gospel of John (1:14)
“Nothing true can be said about God from a posture of defense.”
~Marilynne Robinson, Gilead
“And yet all loneliness, angers, hatreds, envies, and itchings that [Hell] contains, if rolled into one single experience and put into the scale against the least moment of the joy that is felt by the least in Heaven, would have no weight that could be registered at all. Bad cannot succeed even in being bad as truly as good is good.”
~C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), The Great Divorce
“Joy is to fun what the deep sea is to a puddle.”
~Terry Pratchett (1948-2015), A Hat Full of Sky
“People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.”
~Iris Murdoch (1919-1999), Irish novelist
“A flower blossoms for its own joy.”
~Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Irish poet and playwright
“There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.”
~John Calvin (1509-1564), French pastor and theologian
“She gives most who gives with joy.”
~Mother Teresa, In the Heart of the World: Thoughts, Stories and Prayers
“Among the tales of sorrow and of ruin that came down to us from the darkness of those days there are yet some in which amid weeping there is joy and under the shadow of death light that endures.”
~J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion
“When we are powerless to do a thing, it is a great joy that we can come and step inside the ability of Jesus.”
~Corrie Ten Boom (1892-1893), Dutch survivor of Nazi concentration camp
~D.A. Carson, on the Gospel of John (1:14)
“Nothing true can be said about God from a posture of defense.”
~Marilynne Robinson, Gilead
“And yet all loneliness, angers, hatreds, envies, and itchings that [Hell] contains, if rolled into one single experience and put into the scale against the least moment of the joy that is felt by the least in Heaven, would have no weight that could be registered at all. Bad cannot succeed even in being bad as truly as good is good.”
~C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), The Great Divorce
“Joy is to fun what the deep sea is to a puddle.”
~Terry Pratchett (1948-2015), A Hat Full of Sky
“People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.”
~Iris Murdoch (1919-1999), Irish novelist
“A flower blossoms for its own joy.”
~Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Irish poet and playwright
“There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.”
~John Calvin (1509-1564), French pastor and theologian
“She gives most who gives with joy.”
~Mother Teresa, In the Heart of the World: Thoughts, Stories and Prayers
“Among the tales of sorrow and of ruin that came down to us from the darkness of those days there are yet some in which amid weeping there is joy and under the shadow of death light that endures.”
~J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion
“When we are powerless to do a thing, it is a great joy that we can come and step inside the ability of Jesus.”
~Corrie Ten Boom (1892-1893), Dutch survivor of Nazi concentration camp
Opening Prayer
(select someone from your group to open your service in prayer)
Call to Worship
Psalm 118:1-4 (ESV)
LEADER: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
PEOPLE: For his steadfast love endures forever!
LEADER: Let Israel say,
PEOPLE: “His steadfast love endures forever.”
LEADER: Let the house of Aaron say,
PEOPLE: “His steadfast love endures forever.”
LEADER: Let those who fear the Lord say,
PEOPLE: “His steadfast love endures forever.”
LEADER: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
PEOPLE: For his steadfast love endures forever!
LEADER: Let Israel say,
PEOPLE: “His steadfast love endures forever.”
LEADER: Let the house of Aaron say,
PEOPLE: “His steadfast love endures forever.”
LEADER: Let those who fear the Lord say,
PEOPLE: “His steadfast love endures forever.”
Songs & Liturgy
(sing as a group and/or sing along to recorded versions)
MY HOPE IS BUILT
(Edward Mote & William B. Bradbury, 1863)
(Edward Mote & William B. Bradbury, 1863)
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
REFRAIN:
On Christ the solid rock I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil. (REFRAIN)
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay. (REFRAIN)
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne. (REFRAIN)
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Than Jesus blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
REFRAIN:
On Christ the solid rock I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil. (REFRAIN)
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay. (REFRAIN)
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne. (REFRAIN)
PUBLIC DOMAIN
PSALM MEDITATION – Psalm 118:5-24 (ESV)
LEADER: Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.
PEOPLE: The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
LEADER: The Lord is on my side as my helper;
PEOPLE: I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
LEADER: All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
PEOPLE: They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
LEADER: They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
PEOPLE: I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me.
LEADER: The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
PEOPLE: Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
LEADER: The right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”
PEOPLE: I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.
LEADER: The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death.
PEOPLE: Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.
LEADER: This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.
PEOPLE: I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
LEADER: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
ALL: This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
LEADER: Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.
PEOPLE: The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
LEADER: The Lord is on my side as my helper;
PEOPLE: I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
LEADER: All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
PEOPLE: They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
LEADER: They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
PEOPLE: I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me.
LEADER: The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
PEOPLE: Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
LEADER: The right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”
PEOPLE: I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.
LEADER: The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death.
PEOPLE: Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.
LEADER: This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.
PEOPLE: I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
LEADER: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
ALL: This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Sharing
(as a lead into the Prayer Time, as a group share how you are feeling and what you are learning)
Prayer Time
(You may have an open time of prayer or select someone to pray)
- Pray for our church’s short and long-term meeting place needs, that God would give us favor in the eyes of those in authority and that He would give us provision that would go far beyond all that we could ask or imagine.
- Pray for our world – that the good news of Jesus Christ would flourish and that many would come to know God genuinely and personally.
- Pray for those experiencing injustices; specifically, that God would bring hope, reconciliation, and restoration through the good news of His Son, and that we would be agents of this reconciliation.
- Pray for those in authority at every level in our country, that they would govern wisely and justly.
Listen to Sermon
“Jesus: The Life of the Party”
John 2:1-12
preached by Pastor Don Willeman
We hope to have a recording of the sermon available by 11:30 am.
John 2:1-12
preached by Pastor Don Willeman
We hope to have a recording of the sermon available by 11:30 am.
Scripture Passage
John 2:1-12 (ESV)
1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.
John 2:1-12 (ESV)
1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.
Song of Response
(sing as a group and/or sing along to recorded versions)
HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD
(Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Jesse Reeves)
(Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Jesse Reeves)
The splendor of the King,
Clothed in majesty.
Let all the earth rejoice,
All the earth rejoice.
He wraps Himself in light,
And darkness tries to hide,
And trembles at His voice,
And trembles at His voice.
CHORUS:
How great is our God!
Sing with me,
How great is our God!
And all will see how great,
How great is our God!
Age to age He stands,
And time is in His hands,
Beginning and the End,
Beginning and the End,
The Godhead three in one:
Father, Spirit, Son,
The Lion and the Lamb,
The Lion and the Lamb.
(CHORUS)
BRIDGE:
Name above all names,
Worthy of all praise,
My heart will sing
How great is our God!
©2004 worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) CCLI License #1791178
Clothed in majesty.
Let all the earth rejoice,
All the earth rejoice.
He wraps Himself in light,
And darkness tries to hide,
And trembles at His voice,
And trembles at His voice.
CHORUS:
How great is our God!
Sing with me,
How great is our God!
And all will see how great,
How great is our God!
Age to age He stands,
And time is in His hands,
Beginning and the End,
Beginning and the End,
The Godhead three in one:
Father, Spirit, Son,
The Lion and the Lamb,
The Lion and the Lamb.
(CHORUS)
BRIDGE:
Name above all names,
Worthy of all praise,
My heart will sing
How great is our God!
©2004 worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) CCLI License #1791178
Confession of Faith
1 John 4:9-11
LEADER: By this the love of God was manifested among us, that God has sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
CONGREGATION: In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
LEADER: Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
LEADER: By this the love of God was manifested among us, that God has sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
CONGREGATION: In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
LEADER: Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Sharing Time
(have everyone share one thing that struck them from the sermon)
Closing Meditation
Psalm 118:25-29 (ESV)
LEADER: Save us, we pray, O Lord!
PEOPLE: O Lord, we pray, give us success!
LEADER: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
PEOPLE: The Lord is God,
and he has made his light to shine upon us.
LEADER: Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
up to the horns of the altar!
PEOPLE: You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God; I will extol you.
ALL: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
LEADER: Save us, we pray, O Lord!
PEOPLE: O Lord, we pray, give us success!
LEADER: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
PEOPLE: The Lord is God,
and he has made his light to shine upon us.
LEADER: Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
up to the horns of the altar!
PEOPLE: You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God; I will extol you.
ALL: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Benediction
(The leader or individual should read this aloud relishing in the confident assertion that Christ has conquered.)
Luke 12:29-32
LEADER: Do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
PEOPLE: Amen!
Luke 12:29-32
LEADER: Do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
PEOPLE: Amen!
Worshipping God through Giving
God has called us to be generous. He has entrusted this earth and all that is in it to us, but it is, ultimately, His! The Father gave what was most precious to Him, His own Son, in order to die for our sins. He has given to us abundantly beyond all that we could possibly ask or imagine! He is a benevolent and generous Giver! So, we give.
First, we want to remind you to continue your regular giving to CRC. This supports the ongoing work and ministry here in the Upper Valley and around the world through our missions support. Second, please consider giving to our Benevolence Fund, which supports local community care, both inside and outside the church. This is vitally important right now! As we see needs sprouting up around the community, we want to be positioned to extend a loving hand of support to those in need.
Giving Numbers
2020 Budgeted Giving EOY: $121,140
2020 Actual Giving to Date: $97,408
Difference: (-$23,732)
Missions Giving YTD: $18,466
updated as of 2/28/21
First, we want to remind you to continue your regular giving to CRC. This supports the ongoing work and ministry here in the Upper Valley and around the world through our missions support. Second, please consider giving to our Benevolence Fund, which supports local community care, both inside and outside the church. This is vitally important right now! As we see needs sprouting up around the community, we want to be positioned to extend a loving hand of support to those in need.
Giving Numbers
2020 Budgeted Giving EOY: $121,140
2020 Actual Giving to Date: $97,408
Difference: (-$23,732)
Missions Giving YTD: $18,466
updated as of 2/28/21