March 14, 2021.
Thank you for worshipping with us at Calvary Moravian Church. To support our ministries, you can mail the office a check (948 N. 21st St. Allentown 18104). An online giving portal is at: https://mmfa.info/calvary-moravian-church-pa-donation-form/.
Zoom (live starting at 10 a.m, Sunday school check-in and 10:45 a.m. Worship)
Youtube (Calvary Moravian Church Allentown channel) – either live at 10:45 a.m. or access later recorded on the Youtube channel.
Every Sunday morning, continue to use this Zoom address:
https://zoom.us/j/673028163, Meeting ID: 673 028 163
You can call this number and listen to the service on any telephone as well:
(929) 205-6099 (enter 673028163#).
Bulletins and Upper Room devotionals are available in the blue Tupperware box on the steps of the Livingston St. entrance.
Calvary’s OUTSIDE Easter Egg Hunt Welcomes All!
Invite friends and neighbors – all children 11 and under are welcome to our Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 27th at 1:30 p.m. There will be great prizes, snacks, and of course, a visit from the Easter Bunny! Please register all children (with their age) by emailing or calling the church office by March 21st.
The Egg Hunt will be entirely held outside, and we ask that everyone wears a mask and practices social distancing. If you would like to donate wrapped, candy/chocolate (no peanuts!) that fits inside a plastic egg, you can drop off your donation by Sunday, March 21st.
Easter Cookies and Palms will be available for pick-up on March 28th.
Get ready for Palm Sunday with our traditional palms, and pick up a bag of delicious sugar cookies (by Sue Dickinson) for Easter. She is asking for a free-will donation for each bag to benefit the Muhlenberg Elementary School playground fund. Pick up will be between 9 – 10 a.m. and 12 – 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 28th.
Calvary Moravian Church Mid-Week Lenten Program 2021:
“Hope with Flesh – Embodied Hope for our Lenten Journey”
We will use the same ZOOM address each Wednesday – March 24th.
Meeting ID: 964 4949 7731
March 17: Rt. Rev. Chris Giesler, Board of World Mission, Moravian Church. Learn about Hope in international mission as Rev. Giesler discusses a new program called “Seeds of Hope” in Nicaragua and Honduras following recent hurricanes there.
March 24: Hope can come through concrete actions like baking bread. Or the making of pretzels. Learn about the history of pretzel making and how its’ symbolic shape speaks of God’s hope for us. (A pretzel and pretzel recipe is included in this package).
“The Very Good Gospel and the Call to the Beloved Community” : Lehigh Conference of Churches’ Campbell Lecture – Go to the Lehigh Conference of Church’s website, lehighchurches.org to register now for the Campbell Lecture on March 18th at 7 p.m. It will be held via Zoom. Our speaker will be Lisa Sharon Harper, author, speaker and faith-based community advocate on the topic around her latest book “The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong Can Be Made Right.” What does the “Good News” have to say to our times and in particular issues of racial reconciliation and justice. There will also be the chance to register for the panel “talk-back” discussion the following day, March 19th at 10 a.m.
Holy Week and Easter plans!
We are in the midst of planning virtual Holy Week readings for each evening at 7 p.m. as well as a virtual Good Friday at 2 pm. Easter dawn will be held outside of the church at 6:15 a.m. Easter (10:45 a.m. Worship ) will be virtual and on our regular Zoom and Youtube.
March 14: Fourth Sunday in Lent
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship
Introit “Danny Boy”. Performed by Anne Ettinger.
Call to Worship “God’s Covenant of Love” Psalm 107:1-3
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures for ever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
those he redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
Song “I could sing of your love forever” performed by Gary Gipson
Over the mountains and the sea, Your river runs with love for me
And I will open up my heart, And let the Healer set me free
I’m happy to be in the truth, And I will daily lift my hands
For I will always sing
Of when Your love came down, yeah
I could sing, I could sing of Your love, Forever
A Liturgy for Lent. (Excerpts, by Rev. Rick Beck, used with permission)
Lord God, Holy Mystery, you have shown your great love toward us by sending your Son into the world to be a light where there is darkness. We thank you, Lord, because you have rescued us from darkness by your redeeming action and have made us welcome in your kingdom.
By your generous love we are forgiven.
Lord God, Jesus Christ, you did not consider equality with God something to cling to, but emptied yourself, taking the form of a humble servant. You became obedient to God to the point of death on a cross. Your love compels us to live for you through compassion for others and ourselves.
Lord Jesus, you have overpowered the consequence of sin so that we might know forgiveness. Your wounds are our wounds and by our wounds we participate in your healing love.
Lord God, Holy Spirit, You descended upon Jesus, anointing him to bring good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind; to set free those who are oppressed; and to proclaim the time of the Lord’s favor.
Fill our hearts with the love of God and make our bodies your holy temple.
MBW Hymn 330 Tune: CASSEL [167A]
Hail, O once despised Jesus! Hail, O Galilean King!
You have suffered to release us, hope, salvation, joy to bring.
Hail, O agonizing Savior, bearer of our sin and shame;
by your merits we find favor; life is given through your name.
Worship, honor, pow’r and blessing, you are worthy to receive;
loudest praises without ceasing, right it is for us to give.
Help, O bright angelic spirits, all your noblest anthems raise,
help us sing our Savior’s merits, help to chant Immanuel’s praise.
TEXT:John Bakewell (1757), alt.
TUNE: Herrnhut (c. 1735); John Thommen (1745); C. Gregor Choralbuch (1784)
Prayers of the People
Pastoral Prayer/Lord’s Prayer
Scripture Ephesians 2:1-10. John 3:14-21. Lay reader, Elissa Waldron.
Hymn 328 “What Wondrous Love is This” (performed by Grace Hochella).
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
to bear the dreadful curse for my soul?
To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing,
to God and to the Lamb I will sing!
To God and to the Lamb, who is the great “I Am,”
while millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;
while millions join the theme, I will sing!
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on!
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing God’s love for me,
and through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
and through eternity I’ll sing on!
TEXT: Appalachian folk hymn
TUNE: William Walker, Southern Harmony (1835)
Meditation “A Covenant of Wondrous Love?”
“Wondrous Love” (by Sarah Ares, used by permission, Sanctified Art)
What wondrous love is this?
Love that ate with sinners.
Love that welcomed children.
What wondrous love is this?
Love that healed the lame.
Love that listened to the silenced.
What wondrous love is this?
Love that died for us.
Love that rose for us.
Love that still forgives and knows us.
Musical Meditation “What Wondrous Love is This?” Grace Hochella, harp
Prayers of Confession “If you were the sun” (by Sarah Ares, used by permission, Sanctified Art)
God, if you were words, I’d pray—
Make me a book,
So that all of me is filled with you.
If you were the earth, I’d pray—
Make me a tree,
So that I could shower you with my flower petals.
If you were the sun, God, I’d pray—
Make me the sea,
So that I could constantly reflect your light while absorbing your warmth.
But you are not a book, or the earth, or the sun, God.
You are love. You are pure, unfiltered, unwavering,
Intoxicating, wildfire-spreading love;
Love that heals broken hearts and makes the night seem bearable.
So God, I pray—
Make me a love song—a melody for the lonely and the hurting.
Write the words on my heart,
Invite the trees and the wind to hum the tune,
And tell the sun to join me in singing.
For I know that you are love, so please, help me to be love too.
Amen.
Hymn. “Carry your Love” (by Rich Pirone, used with permission)
Even if everything else in this world should fade
I know there’s one thing that will always stay the same
Chorus : I will carry your love (Carry your love), All of my days
I will carry your love (Carry your love)
All of my days, All of my days
I will carry your love
Even when the dark times find my life falling apart
I can find the strength I need right here in my heart
Chorus
Sometimes it feels like I’ve been left on my own
I know I’ll never have to face this world all alone
Chorus
© 2007 R. Pirone (BMI)
Benediction
Calvary Moravian Church 