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(Welcome to worship today. Bold responses are spoken by the congregation.
Note that an * indicates when all are invited to rise in body or in spirit.)
Prelude “French Suite No. 5 in G (selections)” J. S. Bach
- Allemande 2. Courante 3. Sarabande 4. Gavotte
Greetings and Announcements Rev. Gregg Neel
This is the day the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
An Act of Praise
Introit “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need”
Cantus Beatus; Gail Gillespie, flute
*Westminster Chimes
*Invitation to Worship Rev. Gregg Neel
Adapted from Liturgies for the Journey of Life by Dorothy McRae-McMahon
Let us remember who we are.
We are the people of dignity.
Down the ages we have been the people of God,
the people who know themselves to be called to
freedom, courage, and truth.
We are the people who weep for the suffering of the world.
We are the people who walk with the Christ towards all who grieve, who are oppressed and exploited.
We are the people of hope and faith.
In the Spirit we celebrate our energy and strength, our power to heal, and our calling to work with God in the recreating of the world.
We are not alone. Let us worship God.
*Hymn #3 “Womb of Life and Source of Being” in babilone
We will sing the WORDS to hymn # 3 (“Womb of Life and Source of Being”) using the TUNE of #435 (“There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy”).
Womb of life and source of being, home of every restless heart,
in your arms the worlds awakened, you have loved us from the start.
We, your children, gather ‘round you, at the table you prepare.
Sharing stories, tears, and laughter, we are nurtured by your care.
Word in flesh, our brother Jesus, born to bring us second birth,
you have come to stand beside us knowing weakness, knowing earth.
Priest who shares our human struggles, Life of Life and Death of Death,
risen Christ, come stand among us, send the Spirit by your breath.
Brooding Spirit, move among us, be our partner, be our friend.
When our memory fails, remind us, whose we are, what we intend.
Labor with us; aid the birthing of the new world yet to be,
free of servant, lord, and master, free for love and unity.
Mother, Brother, holy Partner; Father, Spirit, Only Son:
we would praise your name forever, one-in-three and three-in-one.
We would share your life, your passion, share your word of world made new,
ever singing, ever praising, one with all, and one with you.
*Invitation to Confession Rev. Junha Kim
Adapted from Liturgies for the Journey of Life by Dorothy McRae-McMahon
Siblings in the family of God, we are invited to see the world with the eyes of God, to see and hear and taste and smell all of the goodness and heartache of this creation. This is a daring endeavor. Know that, as we confess our frailty, it is a merciful God who hears us.
*Silent Prayer
*Unison Prayer of Confession
We are not heroic, O God; we are ordinary people. You travel with us in the shadows, and you know us for who we are. We long for life which is full and free, we long to know the truth, and we want to leave behind us all the things which hold us back. We want to move forward in faith, but the way seems so dangerous, and we stand in helpless fear before that which is hidden in our past and in our future. Stand with us, we pray. Walk with us, guide us, enable us to be fully your people.
*Assurance of Forgiveness
Hear the word to us in Jesus Christ: I will never leave you nor forsake you, even to the end of time.
The faithfulness of God is everlasting. Thanks be to God.
*The Passing of the Peace
The peace of Christ be with you all.
And also with you.
An Act of Proclamation
The Scripture Reading Exodus 1:8-2:10 Rev. Eileen Parfrey
The Israelites Are Oppressed
Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labour. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labour. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.
The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.” But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live.”
Birth and Youth of Moses
Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him for three months. When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.
The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,” she said. Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, “because”, she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Moments with Children
Anthem “It Is Well With My Soul”
Cantus Beatus
Sermon “The Best She Could” Rev. Eileen Parfrey
A Moment for Silent Reflection
An Act of Response
*Hymn #693 “Though I May Speak” gift of love
Though I may speak with bravest fire,
and have the gift to all inspire,
and have not love, my words are vain,
as sounding brass, and hopeless gain.
Though I may give all I possess,
and striving so my love profess,
but not be given by love within,
the profit soon turns strangely thin.
Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control;
our spirits long to be made whole.
Let inward love guide every deed;
by this we worship, and are freed.
Sharing Joys & Concerns Rev. Gregg Neel
(At the conclusion of spoken joys, let us pray together, “Thanks be to you, O God.”
For concerns, let us make them our own by praying, “Lord, hear our prayer.”)
Pastoral Prayer and The 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.
Community Moment World Communion Sunday Rev. Junha Kim
Offering Ourselves and Our Gifts
(Text 73256 the word WESTPRESPDX to give using your mobile device. This number will never send unsolicited texts to you. To cancel further messages, text STOP. If you need assistance with text giving, text HELP. Standard text message and data rates may apply.
If you’re new to Westminster, please let us know by filling out a pink visitor card and dropping it in the offering plate. Thank you.)
Offertory Anthem “For the Beauty of the Earth”
Cantus Beatus
*Doxology – Hymn #606
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.
-OR-
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, ye heavenly host;
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
*Hymn #754 “Help Us Accept Each Other” baronita
Help us accept each other as Christ accepted us;
teach us as sister, brother, each person to embrace.
Be present, Lord, among us and bring us to believe
We are ourselves accepted, and meant to love and live.
Teach us, O Lord, your lessons, as in our daily life
we struggle to be human and search for hope and faith.
Teach us to care for people, for all, not just for some,
to love them as we find them, or as they may become.
Let your acceptance change us, so that we may be moved
in living situations to do the truth in love;
to practice your acceptance until we know by heart
the table of forgiveness, and laughter’s healing art.
Lord, for today’s encounters with all who are in need,
who hunger for acceptance, for justice, and for bread,
we need new eyes for seeing, new hands for holding on;
renew us with your Spirit; Lord, free us, make us one!
*Benediction Rev. Eileen Parfrey
*Postlude “Fanfare” Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens
(You may be seated for the postlude or you may depart.)