THE FIRST LESSON Jonah 3:1-5, 10
THE PSALM LESSON Psalm 62:5-12
THE SECOND LESSON Mark 1:14-20
SERMON "The Call: Problems with Following a Graceful God"
Worship Notes
Today is the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, which consists of the of Sundays that are not part of the liturgical seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, or Easter. We continue to observe Ordinary Time until February 22, which is a Sunday set aside to remember the transfiguration of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The liturgical color for the season of Ordinary Time is green.
In worship last week, our proclamation of God's word helped us to understand how we can perceive God's call upon our hearts. In worship today, the scripture lessons offer an opportunity to reflect on how we respond to God's call both as individuals and as the body of faith gathered as Westminster Presbyterian Church.
Responding to God's call is the common theme in the hymns and service music through which we worship today. The African American Spiritual, "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus," articulates our commitment to answering the call of Christ. That same call is also explored in the choral prayer, "Christ Be With Me" and in the response hymn, "The Summons." The latter is a hymn composed by John Bell of the Iona Community in Scotland. The Iona Community, founded in 1938 by the Rev George MacLeod, is an ecumenical Christian community of men and women from different walks of life and different traditions in the Christian church that is committed to seeking new ways of living the gospel in today's world. The offertory is a setting of the Bach chorale "If You Would Trust in God To Guide You," the text of which is found at 281 in the Presbyterian Hymnal.
As a reminder that all we do together as Westminster Presbyterian Church is done in response to God's call and as an outgrowth of worship, our service ends today with our Annual Congregational Meeting. The Benediction will be offered before we sing "The Church of Christ in Every Age," which speaks to the call of the community gathered as the body of Christ to minister to the world. If you are a visitor, you are invited to remain in the sanctuary to observe the Annual Meeting or you may exit after singing the hymn. After completing the Annual Meeting, we will close by singing Hymn 210, "Our God, Our Help in Ages Past."
