Wilbraham United Church A Congregation of the United Church of Christ

and the United Methodist Church

500 Main Street Wilbraham MA 01095

Phone: (413)596-2511 Fax: (413)596-2512

Email: admin@wilbrahamunitedchurch.org

Website: www.wilbrahamunitedchurch.org

Facebook: facebook.com/WilbrahamUnitedChurch _____________________________________________________________________________________

March 21, 2021 FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT 10:00A.M

WORDS OF WELCOME Rev. Paul

GATHERING HYMN At the Name of Jesus vs. 1 & 4

PRAYER OF CONFESSION AND THE LORD’S PRAYER (unison) Pastor Chip

Love that knows no boundaries: we crowd our lives with so much activity, that it is hard to find time for you. We become so focused on ourselves, we can overlook those around us who are searching for hope. We fill our spiritual emptiness with nonsense, rather than feasting on your Word.

Abundant Mercy, forgive us. Open our eyes, that we may see your new covenant written in plain sight on our hearts. Open our hearts, that we may join you in serving the broken of the world. Open our love, so we may pour it out as abundantly and graciously as your love is given to us in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who taught us all to pray:

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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

PSALTER Psalm 51: 1-12

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.

SONG OF PRAISE Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison

ANNOUNCEMENTS

PROPHECY Jeremiah 31:31-34

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

CHRISTIAN LETTER Hebrews 5:5-10

So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

GOSPEL John 12:20-33

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

One: Our God is still speaking. All: Thanks be to God!

SERMON Rev. Paul

SPECIAL MUSIC

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE Pastor Chip

OFFERING OF OUR GIFTS AND OURSELVES

PARTING HYMN Lord, Dismiss Us With Thy Blessing

BENEDICTION Rev. Paul

MUSIC FOR SENDING FORTH

Shalom to you now, shalom, my friends. May God’s full mercies bless you, my friends.

In all your living and through you loving Christ be your shalom, Christ be your shalom.

MINISTERING TO YOU TODAY

Senior Pastor: The Rev. Wallace A Hurd IV Associate Pastor: The Rev. Paul Nesbit Director of Music Ministries: Mark Jacobson Technical and Artistic Director: Deb Trimble

Please Pray For: Family of Nancy Schenk, Bill and the Gatchell family, Theresa Munn, Herb Vieira, Judy

Hoffman, Kathy, Betty Sallade, Daniel, Catherine, Lynne, Emily, Terry, Denise, Ray, Theresa, Ann, Jane Godfrey, Shey McAbee, Sharon McAbee, Pam Burch, Patti Keiser,

Sue Pereira, Natalie True, Bev Sawyer, Kathie Birkhaeuser.

The victims of violence and their families in our country. Our troops, our country and our world

“News for the Pews” for the Week of March 21, 2021

To contact the church, please email:

Aimee Walat, Administrative Assistant (admin@wilbrahamunitedchurch.org) Pastor Chip (pastor@wilbrahamunitedchurch.org) Rev. Paul (christianed@wilbrahamunitedchurch.org)

This Week at Wilbraham United Church

Tuesday, March 23rd 3:30-5:00 p.m. Office Hour with Rev. Paul in the Zeckhausen Room

7:15 p.m. Bedtime Bible Stories (Facebook Live)

7:30 p.m. Bible Study Happy Hour (Zoom)

Wednesday, March 24th 10 a.m-2 p.m. Office Hours with Pastor Chip in the Zeckhausen Room

7:15 p.m. Prayer Service (Facebook Live)

Thursday, March 25th 10 a.m-2 p.m. Office Hours with Pastor Chip in the Zeckhausen Room 5:30-7:00 p.m. Office Hours with Rev. Paul in the Zeckhausen Room

Saturday, March 27th 9:30 a.m. – Noon Easter Basket Drive for Christina’s House

10 a.m.-12 p.m. Knit, Stitch, Pray (Zoom) 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Office Hours with Rev. Paul in the Zeckhausen Room

Sunday, March 28th 8:45-9:45 a.m. Church School Classes (Zoom)

10:00 a.m. Sunday Worship (Facebook Live)

Copyright Info:

Song Title: At the Name of Jesus Author: Caroline M. Noel, Ralp Vaughn Williams Copyright Year: ©1925 Publisher: Oxford University Press Song Title: Lord, Have Mercy Author: James A. Kriewald Copyright Year: ©1985 Publisher: The United Methodist Publishing House Song Title: Shalom to You Author: Elise S. Eslinger Copyright Year: ©1983 Publisher: The United Methodist Publishing House copyright License # 11534588