March 1, 2026
Prelude: All Men Are Mortal
J.S. Bach
Welcome & Call to Worship
[Psalm 95]
The Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
Come, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture.
Let us worship the LORD!
Gather Us In
Haugen
Here in this place the new light is streaming;
now is the darkness vanished away;
See in this space our fears and our dreamings
brought here to you in the light of this day.
Gather us in, the lost and forsaken;
gather us in, the blind and the lame;
Call to us now, and we shall awaken;
we shall arise at the sound of our name.
We are the young, our lives are a mystery.
We are the old who yearn for your face.
We have been sung throughout all of history,
called to be light to the whole human race.
Gather us in, the rich and the haughty;
gather us in, the proud and the strong;
Give us a heart, so meek and so lowly;
give us the courage to enter the song.
Here we will take the wine and the water;
here we will take the bread of new birth.
Here you shall call your sons and your daughters,
call us anew to be salt for the earth.
Give us to drink the wine of compassion;
give us to eat the bread that is you;
Nourish us well, and teach us to fashion
lives that are holy and hearts that are true.
Not in the dark of buildings confining,
not in some heaven, light years away;
Here in this place the new light is shining;
now is the kingdom, and now is the day.
Gather us in and hold us forever;
gather us in and make us your own;
Gather us in, all peoples together,
fire of love in our flesh and our bone.
Confession
Life-giving God, you call us to do your work in a world full of uncertainty, confusion, and pain. When the risks feel like too much, we question the path or your presence among us. Forgive us for doubting your care. Forgive us when we have become too individualistic and neglect the communities that surround us. Together, we are your dwelling. Give us courage and patience to stay engaged with one another, and strengthen us in your love. Amen.
Silence
Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer (Hymn 281)
Williams/Hughes
Open now the crystal fountain, whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through;
Strong deliverer, strong deliverer, be Thou still my strength and shield,
Be Thou still my strength and shield.
Forgiveness in Jesus Christ
Peace
The peace of Christ be with you.
And also with you.
Doxology (Hymn 592)
Ken/Genevan Psalter
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Prayer for Illumination
Scripture Readings
Jay Stafstrom
Old Testament: Exodus 17:1–7
New Testament: 1 Corinthians 3:16–23
Where Charity and Love Prevail
18th cent. Latin/Chapin
Where charity and love prevail, there God is ever found;
Brought here together by Christ’s love, by love we thus are bound.
Let us recall that in our midst dwells Christ, God’s holy Son.
As members of each body joined, in him we are made one.
Let us forgive each other’s faults as we our own confess,
That we may love each other well in Christian gentleness.
Love can exclude no race or creed if honored be God’s name;
Our common life embraces all whose Maker is the same.
Homily: A Dwelling Made of People
Scott Starbuck
Focus: Because God dwells among us, how we treat the community becomes a matter of holiness.
Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
Communion Music: What Is This Place
Oosterhuis/Neder-landtsch Gedenck-Clanck
Communion Prayer
Call to Stewardship
Rev. Pamela Starbuck
Sending: We Are God’s People
Leech/Brahms
We are God’s people, the chosen of the Lord,
Born of the Spirit, established by God’s Word;
Our cornerstone is Christ alone, and strong in him we stand:
O let us live transparently, and walk heart to heart and hand in hand.
We are the Body of which the Lord is Head,
Called to obey him, now risen from the dead;
God wills us be a family, diverse yet truly one:
O let us give our gifts to God, and so shall the work on earth be done.
We are a temple, the Spirit’s dwelling place,
Formed in great weakness, a cup to hold God’s grace;
We die alone, for on its own each ember loses fire:
Yet joined in one the flame burns on to give warmth and light, and to inspire.
Charge & Benediction
Postlude: Trio on “Let All Things Now Living”
Freudenburg
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