Oceanview UMC | May 3 2020

Prelude: Interlude by Benedetto Marcello

Benedetto Giacomo Marcello (1686 – 1739) was an Italian composer, writer, advocate, magistrate, and teacher. Born in Venice, Benedetto Marcello was a member of a noble family and his compositions are frequently referred to as Patrizio Veneto. Although he was a music student of Antonio Lotti and Francesco Gasparini, his father wanted Benedetto to devote himself to law. Benedetto managed to combine a life in law and public service with one in music. He composed a variety of music including considerable church music, oratorios, hundreds of solo cantatas, duets, sonatas, concertos and sinfonias. Marcello was a younger contemporary of Antonio Vivaldi in Venice and his instrumental music enjoys a Vivaldian flavor. Enjoy this beautiful piece.

Call to Worship: We Are Called to Love

Leader: Beloved, we are called to love one another, because love is from God.

People: God’s love is poured in us from our birth.

Leader: We are called to extend the love of God to all people.

People: God’s loved is taught to us through the witness of God’s faithful people.

Leader: We are called to proclaim God’s love in all that we say and do.

People: In all creation, in all our relationships, may God’s love be made known. AMEN.

Prayers of the People

Offer up your own prayer. Offer praise and thanksgiving to God. Share your worries and concerns with God. Pray for other people. Pray for people who are sick, lonely, and afraid. Pray for medical professionals, medical researchers, first responders, and community leaders who are working so hard to keep us well. Ask God to help you find creative ways to reach out to people and share God’s love via phone, card, email, or social media, etc.

A Thousand Years

Songwriters: David Hodges / Christina Perri. A Thousand Years lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Pastoral Prayer - Rev. Betty Kniss

Prayer of St Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen.

Scripture: Mark 2:1-12 CEB

Healing and forgiveness.

2 After a few days, Jesus went back to Capernaum, and people heard that he was at home. 2 So many gathered that there was no longer space, not even near the door. Jesus was speaking the word to them. 3 Some people arrived, and four of them were bringing to him a man who was paralyzed. 4 They couldn’t carry him through the crowd, so they tore off part of the roof above where Jesus was. When they had made an opening, they lowered the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven!”

6 Some legal experts were sitting there, muttering among themselves, 7 “Why does he speak this way? He’s insulting God. Only the one God can forgive sins.” 8 Jesus immediately recognized what they were discussing, and he said to them, “Why do you fill your minds with these questions? 9 Which is easier—to say to a paralyzed person, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take up your bed, and walk’? 10 But so you will know that the Human One has authority on the earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed, 11 “Get up, take your mat, and go home.” 12 Jesus raised him up, and right away he picked up his mat and walked out in front of everybody.

They were all amazed and praised God, saying, “We’ve never seen anything like this!”

Message: "Take a Number"

Jesus heals the paralytic because of the faith of his friends' they opened the roof and doing so they skipped the line.

SONG: Make Me a Channel of Your Peace
- Joseph Farrar

Make me a channel of your peace . Where there is hatred let me bring your love.

Where there is injury, your pardon Lord . And where there's doubt, true faith in you.

Make me a channel of your peace , Where there's despair in life let me bring hope.

Where there is darkness, only light , And where there's sadness ever joy.

Oh, master grant that I may never seek , So much to be consoled as to console

To be understood as to understand , To be loved as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace , It isn't pardoning that we are pardoned.

In giving to all men let we receive And in dying that we're born to turn around.

Oh, master grant that I may never seek . So much to be consoled as to console.

To be understood as to understand . To be loved as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace . Where there's despair in life let me bring hope.

Where there is darkness, only light , And where there's sadness ever joy.

An Ephesians 3 Blessing

May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. from Eph. 3:17-19.