Oceanview UMC | March 6 2022

Home Worship for

Sunday, March 6, 2022

Our Home Worship service is much like our in-person service. As you prayerfully journey through Home Worship, we hope it is meaningful for you.

Staying home is a form of loving your neighbor. You may be staying home for your own health but in reality you then become less of a carrier to others that you might come in contact with.

If you are not comfortable attending socially distanced activities, please stay home and stay in touch! We hope you will feel close to God who is near even if we are far apart. May God Bless you and keep you.

Prelude: "Praise and Worship"

arranged by Ruth Elaine Schram

Responsive Call to Worship

Leader: Can you hear the voice of God?

People: We hear God calling us by name.

Leader: Are you troubled or distressed?

People: We come here to find a place to rest for awhile.

Leader: Come and find a guide who knows these lands.

Everyone: We come to praise our Shepherding God,

whose pathways and doors lead to life.

Hymn: I Come with Joy #617

1 I come with joy to meet my Lord, forgiven, loved and free, in awe and wonder to recall his life laid down for me, his life laid down for me.

2 I come with Christians far and near to find, as all are fed, the new community of love in Christ's communion bread, in Christ's communion bread.

3 As Christ breaks bread and bids us share, each proud division ends. The love that made us makes us one, and strangers now are friends, and strangers now are friends.

4 And thus with joy we meet our Lord. His presence, always near, is in such friendship better known; we see and praise him here, we see and praise him here.

Prayer of Confession and Pardon

Merciful God,

we confess that we do not want to be challenged by the cross.

We set our minds on human things—

we long for the security from our possessions;

we prefer our own comfort;

Forgive us, we pray.

May our sense of self preservation

be disturbed by your Son's example;

that we might take up his cross in service to the world;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Silence

Hear the good news:

Christ died for us while we were yet sinners.

The Mighty One has sent his deliverance for all people;

even the generations yet unborn.

In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

Glory to God! Amen.

Matthew 5:17-48 (CEB)

Jesus and the Law
17 “Don’t even begin to think that I have come to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I haven’t come to do away with them but to fulfill them. 18 I say to you very seriously that as long as heaven and earth exist, neither the smallest letter nor even the smallest stroke of a pen will be erased from the Law until everything there becomes a reality. 19 Therefore, whoever ignores one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called the lowest in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps these commands and teaches people to keep them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 I say to you that unless your righteousness is greater than the righteousness of the legal experts and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Law of murder
21 “You have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago, Don’t commit murder,[a] and all who commit murder will be in danger of judgment. 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with their brother or sister will be in danger of judgment. If they say to their brother or sister, ‘You idiot,’ they will be in danger of being condemned by the governing council. And if they say, ‘You fool,’ they will be in danger of fiery hell. 23 Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift at the altar and go. First make things right with your brother or sister and then come back and offer your gift. 25 Be sure to make friends quickly with your opponents while you are with them on the way to court. Otherwise, they will haul you before the judge, the judge will turn you over to the officer of the court, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 I say to you in all seriousness that you won’t get out of there until you’ve paid the very last penny.

Law of adultery
27 “You have heard that it was said, Don’t commit adultery.[b] 28 But I say to you that every man who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart. 29 And if your right eye causes you to fall into sin, tear it out and throw it away. It’s better that you lose a part of your body than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to fall into sin, chop it off and throw it away. It’s better that you lose a part of your body than that your whole body go into hell.

Law of divorce
31 “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a divorce certificate.’[c] 32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife except for sexual unfaithfulness forces her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Law of solemn pledges
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago: Don’t make a false solemn pledge, but you should follow through on what you have pledged to the Lord.[d] 34 But I say to you that you must not pledge at all. You must not pledge by heaven, because it’s God’s throne. 35 You must not pledge by the earth, because it’s God’s footstool. You must not pledge by Jerusalem, because it’s the city of the great king. 36 And you must not pledge by your head, because you can’t turn one hair white or black. 37 Let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no. Anything more than this comes from the evil one.

Law of retaliation
38 “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.[e] 39 But I say to you that you must not oppose those who want to hurt you. If people slap you on your right cheek, you must turn the left cheek to them as well. 40 When they wish to haul you to court and take your shirt, let them have your coat too. 41 When they force you to go one mile, go with them two. 42 Give to those who ask, and don’t refuse those who wish to borrow from you.

Law of love
43 “You have heard that it was said, You must love your neighbor[f] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who harass you 45 so that you will be acting as children of your Father who is in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both the evil and the good and sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore, just as your heavenly Father is complete in showing love to everyone, so also you must be complete.

Sermon: A New Path to Aliveness

Rev. Emily Denmark McGee

Jesus taught us a third way, when faced with an aggressor we have always thought we have two choices fight back or flee, Jesus teaches us a third choice stand up to aggressors with love. Sounds weird but it might just work.

Worship Dance: "How Great Thou Art"

Artist: Chris Rice

Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore #344

1. Lord, you have come to the lakeshore looking neither for wealthy nor wise ones;

you only asked me to follow humbly.

Chorus: O Lord, with your eyes you have searched me,

and while smiling have spoken my name;

now my boat’s left on the shoreline behind me;

by your side I will seek other seas.

2. You know so well my possessions. My boat carries no gold and no weapons.

You will find there, my nets and labor. (back to chorus)

3. You need my hands full of caring, through my labors to give others rest,

and constant love that keeps on loving. (chorus)

4. You, who have fished other oceans, ever longed for by souls who are waiting,

my loving friend, as thus you call me. (chorus)

Blessing

And now, may God our deliverer, who led God's people of old through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land; guide the people of God's Church during these 40 days. As we follow our Savior, may we walk through the wilderness of this world - toward the glory of the world to come, knowing that God will sustain us in all things. Amen.