Fourth Sunday in Lent
Today’s service will be held indoors in the sanctuary as an in-person service and also live streamed at this link. Click on “live” for the live stream. Join us!
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Gathering Music Polly Dunford
Welcome and Announcements Nancy Fox
Call to Worship
Leader: God for us,
People: We call you Father.
Leader: God alongside us,
People: We call you Jesus.
Leader: God within us,
People: We call you Holy Spirit
Leader: You are the eternal mystery
People: That enables, enfolds, and enlivens all things,
Leader: Even us and
People: Even me.
Opening Hymn “God We Praise You for the Morning” Handout
Words by Jim and Jean Strathdee; Music by Jim Strathdee
1985. Desert Flower Music. All Rights Reserved.
1) God we praise you for the morning, Hope springs forth with each new day,
New beginnings, prayer and promise, Joy in work and in play.
2) God we praise you for creation, Mountains, seas, and desert land.
Waking souls find joy and healing, In your bountiful hand.
3) God we praise you for compassion, All the loving that you show.
Human touching, tears and laughter help your children to grow.
4) God we praise you for your Spirit, Comforter and daily friend,
Restless searcher, gentle teacher, Strength and courage you send.
5) God we praise you for the Savior, Come that we may know your ways.
In his loving, dying, rising Christ is Lord of our days.
6) Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia Alleluia. Alleluia, Alleluia! Christ is Lord of our days.
Scripture Reading Old Testament—Genesis 18:1-10
New Testament—Matthew 28:18-20
II Corinthians 13:14
Sermon “The Trinitarian Life: A Radical Idea for Today” Rev. Dr. Shelley Chapman
Anthem “Inscription of Hope” By Z. Randall Stroope
1994. Heritage Music Press, a div. of The Lorenz Corp. All rights reserved.
The following words were inscribed on the walls of a cellar in Cologne, Germany,
where Jews were hiding from the Nazis during World War II.
I believe in the sun even when it is not shining,
And I believe in love even when there’s no one there.
And I believe in God even when God is silent,
I believe through any trial there is always a way.
But sometimes in this suff’ring and hopeless despair,
My heart cries for shelter, to know someone’s there.
But a voice rises within me saying hold on my child,
I’ll give you strength, I’ll give you hope, Just stay a little while.
I believe in the sun even when it is not shining,
And I believe in love even when there’s no one there.
But I believe in God even when God is silent,
I believe through any trial there is always a way.
May there someday be sunshine, May there someday be happiness,
May there someday be love, May there someday be peace.
Prayers of Intercession
We give you thanks, O God, for our world, which you made and renewed
In the power of Jesus’s resurrection.
Make us wise and careful of your gifts as we live on Earth.
God of all goodness,
Congregation: Hear our Prayer.
We pray that the love which passes ceaselessly
Between the Father and the Son in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
May renew and deepen the life of each Christian
And draw us all into your unending love.
God of all goodness,
Congregation: Hear our Prayer.
For our families, our households, and our communities,
That your life together—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
May show us the importance of each of us,
And so strengthen us in your grace and truth.
God of all goodness,
Congregation: Hear our Prayer
Into your hands we entrust all that is of concern this day,
Sure that you hear our pleas,
Grateful that your will be done on earth as in heaven.
We pray this in the name of the Savior, Jesus Christ,
Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
Congregation: One God, now and forever, Amen
Joys and Concerns
Prayers of the People
Closing Hymn and Offertory “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty” Hymnal #1
1) Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
2) Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
3) Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye of sinfulness thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
perfect in power, in love and purity.
4) Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
Good in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Benediction
Discussion
Shalom (meaning - “May you be well and whole and in communion with all creation.”)
Shalom, my friends, Shalom, my friends, Shalom, Shalom.
Till we meet again, Till we meet again, Shalom, Shalom. *****************************
Reprinted with permission under One License #A-625711. All rights reserved.
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Calendar of Service -
March 22 - PFLAG Speakers
March 29 - (Palm Sunday) Dave Johnson
April 5 - (Easter) Rev. Laura Beth Buchleiter
April 12 - Worship and Lunch at South Main Chapel and Mercy Center
April 19 - Rev. Josh Hunt
April 26 - David Gillespie
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PFLAG has a Sit & Shop event coming up on Saturday, March 14, at 11:00 am. Meet at eCity Java for a coffee, and then enjoy some antiquing and thrifting downtown.
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Our next Adopt-A-Highway (AAH) Day will be Saturday, March 14, at 9:00 AM. We will collect trash along a one-mile stretch of Liberty Highway on each side of our church. The more AAH “pickers” we have, the more trash we collect! Unfortunately we have not collected for quite a while, so there will probably be plenty to get our attention.
You do not need to bring anything but yourself. We have supplies for all who come.
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Come out to Andi’s farm, Rabbit Hill Farm, and visit with the 9 (or 10?) new baby lambs on Sunday, March 15, after church. The address is 424 Sargent Road, Pendleton.
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Sarah Junkins Woodard will be in town for a gathering at Karen Manley’s home (1011 Lady’s Lane, Anderson) on Saturday, March 21, at 2:00 pm. Come and hear about her current news of Nicaragua.
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Church committees will gather on March 22 after worship service to discuss action plans.
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The next Campus Edge Concert (CEC) at Saint Andrew Catholic Church will take place on Sunday, March 22, at 3:00. The FREE concert will be presented by Petrie Winds, a faculty quintet in residence at Converse College in Spartanburg. This woodwind quintet plays both classical and contemporary arrangements. Saint Andrew's Church in Clemson is located at 209 Sloan St. in downtown Clemson and has plenty of free parking.
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Our own marimba player, Kyle Bruenning, invited all to a percussion concert at Anderson University on March 25 at 7:30 pm in Daniel Recital Hall. While it will be a short concert, Kyle says there will be time for audience members to take a try playing some of their percussion instruments.
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The next Meet & Eat gathering will be at McGee’s Irish Pub on Wed., April 1, at 5:30 pm.
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Palm Sunday (March 29) and Easter (April 5) Preparations:
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A Free Shred Day event in Anderson is scheduled for April 25, 2026, from 8 am to 12 pm. It is hosted by Anderson County Solid Waste & Recycling at 1428 Pearman Dairy Road (this is the old Ryobi plant, and currently Anderson County Admin Offices) and allows residents to securely dispose of sensitive documents with a limit of 5 boxes or bags.
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Volunteers needed: Consider giving a small amount of time to one of our groups using our church building. 1) Every Saturday morning, Al-Anon meets at 9:30-10:30. They need someone to unlock and lock the building. You’re welcome to sit in with the group too.
2) PFLAG meets on the 2nd Thursday every month at 7:00 pm. They need the same unlocking service, and you’re welcome to sit in with their meeting too.
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$488.00 was collected on Souper Bowl Sunday, and this amount will be sent to Anderson Emergency Kitchen.
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One Great Hour of Sharing is currently taking contributions which support individuals and communities around the world. Read more about the recipients of this effort’s collections here.
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Keep up with the latest news from Foothills Presbytery here.
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Bible Study meets on Mondays at 6:30 pm through Zoom. The topic is The Origins of Christianity as a historical and theological study. If you’d like to be added to the Zoom invite list, contact Cynthia at cynthiakwarner@mac.com.
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Please remember to donate non-perishable food items to AIM (Anderson Interfaith Ministries). An extra item when you shop is a great help to others in our community.
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Remember in prayer: Family and Friends of Bud Flier; Jay Lyn Martin and Jerry Meehan; Mary Alice Mundy; Latha Semones; Immigrant families; Victims of all violence, oppression, and injustice; People of the World in ALL walks of life and strife.
Special Prayer for the NACCP Search Committee as they are working to find our next minister.
Questions for Discussion after the Sermon in groups of three as we contemplate the Trinity
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