Sunday, February 28 | Lent II

Government Street Presbyterian Church Sunday, February 28, 2021 | 10am S e c o n d S u n d ay i n L e n t Sacrament of Baptism Wherever you are worshiping today, we pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to you through the scripture, prayers, music, and sermon. We are called to worship by the promises of God in whom we place our faith and trust.

Scripture and Hymn settings can be found on pages 4-9 of the bulletin.

We invite you to reflect on the hymn texts as they are sung, and the Scriptures as they are read.

Gathering Prelude

O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go

arr. C. Cooman

Chiming of the Hour

WESTMINSTER

Welcome

Rev. Rebekah Abel Lamar

Call to Worship God’s ways are not our ways, and God’s thoughts are not our thoughts.

We do not understand the ways of God, but we trust God’s promises.

Hymn 49—Shaped by its traditional Jewish tune, this selection of English stanzas conveys the essence of the Yigdal, a canticle based on a medieval Hebrew statement of faith about the nature of God and often used in synagogue worship, alternately chanted by cantor and congregation.

God is faith and just, abounding in steadfast love.

Trusting in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, let us worship God.

Hymn 49

The God of Abraham Praise

LEONI

Prayer of Confession unison God of compassion, we confess that we place our trust in the wrong things, praying to unworthy idols to save our lives.

You have shown us the way, but we keep looking for something better.

You have given us your Son, but we struggle to deny ourselves and follow him, —silence— Forgive us, we pray.

Direct our paths and give us courage to live our lives for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

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Hymn

435 — These stanzas,

excerpted from quite a few more, offer a reminder that the model for our dealings with others should be God’s generosity rather than limited human tolerance. The text is effectively set to a broad and sturdy Dutch folk melody, probably from the 17th century.

In the Prayer for Illumination, we ask the Holy Spirit to be present with us as we hear God’s word read and preached. We seek to better understand God’s will so that we can follow Christ more faithfully.

Assurance of Pardon Response | Hymn 435

There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy IN BABILONE

There's a wideness in God's mercy, like the wideness of the sea.

There's a kindness in God's justice, which is more than liberty.

There is no place where earth's sorrows are more felt than up in heaven.

There is no place where earth's failings have such kindly judgment given.

P roclaiming the Word Prayer for Illumination First Reading

Genesis 17:1-7, 15,16

Children’s Sermon The Children’s Worship Bulletin may be found on page 11 of this bulletin.

Charlotte Crockett

Rev. Alexandra Hutson

Sacrament of Baptism

Rev. Rebekah Abel Lamar

Dorothy Margaret Reeder Birth: April 3, 2020 Parents are Preston & Virginia Reeder

Hymn 486—This hymn addressed to a newly-baptized child begins each stanza with a fcet of the child’s identity, culminating in “child of God.” By being directed to one person rather than the whole congregation, this text occupies a special category among the “songs of encouragement.” It is a tradition at GSPC to sing this at children’s baptism services.

Grand-parents are Charles & Missy Jones Baptism Hymn 486

Child of Blessing, Child of Promise

KINGDOM

The Lord’s Prayer 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 debts,

Second Reading Sermon

“Saving Your Life”

as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.

Amen.

Mark 8:31-38 Rev. Rebekah Abel Lamar

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Thanksgiving Hymn 833—This intense hymn of commitment to God (addressed as Love, Light, and Joy) closes with an invocation of the ultimate testimony to those attributes (the Cross). The composer, a Scotsman, named this specially-composed tune for the 11th -century patroness of Scotland.

Confessions define what we as a community believe, affirming our beliefs about God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and about humanity, the church and the world. The Apostles’ Creed affirms the historical nature of Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ and confirms the Trinitarian nature of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

During Lent, we will use the Affirmation of Faith from The Brief Statement of Faith found in the PC (USA) Book of Order.

Hymn 833

O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go ST. MARGARET

Affirmation of Faith unison

Rev. Alexandra Hutson

In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,

and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel whom alone we worship and serve.

We trust in God, whom Jesus called Abba, Father.

But we rebel against God; we hide from our Creator.

Ignoring God’s commandments.

We violate the image of God in others and ourselves, accept lies as truth, exploit neighbor and nature, and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care.

We deserve God’s condemnation.

Yet God acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation.

With believers in every time and place, we rejoice that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Doxology | Hymn 607

Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow OLD HUNDREDTH

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise God all creatures here below.

The fourth century word “Doxology” is comprised of the Greek words doxa and logos. Doxa means splendor, or grandeur while the word logos means word or speaking.

Doxologies are short hymns of expression of praise to God and are often sung or chanted. Since the early church, doxologies have been a way for Christians to express their love and thankfulness for what God has done in their lives.

Praise God above ye Heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen!

Offertory Prayer of Intercession & Thanksgiving

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Sending Hymn 39 Hymn 39—Written as a meditation on Lamentations 3:22–23, this text is one of the few hymns among the 1200 poems by this Methodist writer and pastor that has gained much currency. The tune that appears here was composed especially for these words, and the pairing has proved enduring.

Benediction Postlude

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

TRADITIONAL

Rev. Rebekah Abel Lamar Fantasia on Ode to Joy

arr. Watts

At the conclusion of the service, please leave in a distanced fashion without standing in or blocking the aisles.

Celebrating in Worship Sami Anselmo Jacob Mohr

Copyright© Certificate Hymn settings, scripture, and other materials used by permission.

Government Street Presbyterian Church CCLI# 11115660 Valid thru 10/31/2021 4

Genesis 17:1-7, 15,16

Mark 8:31-38

When Abram was ninety-nine years old,

31 Then he began to teach them that the

the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to

Son

him, “I am God Almighty; walk before

suffering, and be rejected by the elders,

me, and be blameless. 2 And I will make

the chief priests, and the scribes, and be

my covenant between me and you, and

killed,

will

exceedingly

again. 32 He said all this quite openly.

numerous.” 3 Then Abram fell on his

And Peter took him aside and began to

face; and God said to him, 4 “As for me,

rebuke him. 33 But turning and looking at

this is my covenant with you: You shall be

his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said,

the

of

“Get behind me, Satan! For you are

nations. 5 No longer shall your name be

setting your mind not on divine things but

Abram,

on human things.”

make

you

ancestor but

of

a

your

multitude

name

shall

be

of

Man

and

must

after

undergo

three

days

great

rise

Abraham; for I have made you the

34 He called the crowd with his disciples,

ancestor of a multitude of nations. 6 I will

and said to them, “If any want to become

make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will

my followers, let them deny themselves

make nations of you, and kings shall

and take up their cross and follow

come from you. 7 I will establish my

me. 35 For those who want to save their

covenant between me and you, and your

life will lose it, and those who lose their

offspring after you throughout their

life for my sake, and for the sake of the

generations, for an everlasting covenant,

gospel, will save it. 36 For what will it

to

profit them to gain the whole world and

be

God

to

you

and

to

your

offspring after you.

forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they

15 God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai

give in return for their life? 38 Those who

your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but

are ashamed of me and of my words in

Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless

this adulterous and sinful generation, of

her, and moreover I will give you a son by

them the Son of Man will also be

her. I will bless her, and she shall give

ashamed when he comes in the glory of

rise to nations; kings of peoples shall

his Father with the holy angels.”

come from her.”

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6

7

8

9

10

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The Sanctuary Flowers are given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Dr. & Mrs. C.E. Fontaine, Charles Fontaine, Jr., and Margaret Fontaine

by Mr. & Mrs. J.T. Watson and family.

300 Government Street Mobile, Alabama 36602 251.432.1749 | gspcmobile.org Member PC(USA)

 Staff REV. REBEKAH ABEL LAMAR Pastor & Head of Staff rebekah@gspcmobile.org REV. ALEXANDRA HUTSON Associate Pastor alexandra@gspcmobile.org TOMMY WATTS Director of Music & Organist Communications tommy@gspcmobile.org SAMANTHA ANSELMO Children’s Choir Director

KATY PARTRIDGE Office & Property Manager katy@gspcmobile.org

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Women’s Bible Study Tuesdays at 10AM via Zoom Contact: Laurie Shorter or Mary Elizabeth Perry Sunday Book Study Group Sundays at 12PM via Zoom Contact: Laurie Shorter Monday Book Study Group Mondays 2:30 p.m.– 3:30 (February 8—April 12) Contact: Laurie Shorter Presbyterian Women P.W. Circle & Bible Study Second Monday night of each month via Zoom (3/8, 4/12, 5/10) Contact: Bligh Jones

DAWN HEARN Bookkeeper dawn@gspcmobile.org BARBARA WILLIAMS Hostess barbara@gspcmobile.org SHELIA SMITH Director of Food Services MARILYN MILLS Sexton ARTHUR LEWIS Sexton 

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