THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH of THE COVENANT
Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2024 10:30 A.M.
WELCOME:
PRELUDE: Sarabande A. Corelli Dr. Danny Zirpoli
THE GATHERING Worship Leader: Clark Niepert
One: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
MANY: He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
One He restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
MANY: Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff - they comfort me.
ALL: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
NRSV Psalm 23
* HYMN #376 Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
PRAYER OF ADORATION:
PRAYER OF CONFESSION: Heavenly Father, even though we know that you are a gracious and merciful and loving God, we are often reluctant to remember and confess our sins. It seems that the sins we remember are those sins that are caused by someone else. Help us to be more realistic and more truthful with ourselves and with you. Help us come to you as your humble children, admitting our sins and asking your forgiveness. Amen.
(A MOMENT FOR SILENT CONFESSION)
ASSURANCE OF PARDON:
THE WORD
OLD TESTAMENT READING: Zechariah 10:1-12 NRSV
Ask rain from the Lord in the season of the spring rain, from the Lord who makes the storm clouds, who gives showers of rain to you, the vegetation in the field to everyone. 2For the teraphim utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; the dreamers tell false dreams, and give empty consolation. Therefore the people wander like sheep; they suffer for lack of a shepherd. 3My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like his proud war horse. 4Out of them shall come the cornerstone, out of them the tent peg, out of them the battle bow, out of them every commander.
5Together they shall be like warriors in battle, trampling the foe in the mud of the streets; they shall fight, for the Lord is with them, and they shall put to shame the riders on horses. 6I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them; for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them. 7Then the people of Ephraim shall become like warriors, and their hearts shall be glad as with wine. Their children shall see it and rejoice, their hearts shall exult in the Lord. 8I will signal for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as numerous as they were before. 9Though I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me, and they shall rear their children and return. 10I will bring them home from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria; I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon, until there is no room for them. 11They shall pass through the sea of distress, and the waves of the sea shall be struck down, and all the depths of the Nile dried up. The pride of Assyria shall be laid low, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart. 12I will make them strong in the Lord, and they shall walk in his name, says the Lord.
EPISTLE READING: Acts 4:5-12 NRSV
5The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. 11This Jesus is ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.’ 12There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”
GOSPEL LESSON: 1 John 4:7-21 NRSV 7Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
14And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. 16So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. 19We love because he first loved us. 20Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 21The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.
ANTHEM: Psalm of Praise R. Siebert
SERMON: Is It Love or Obsession Dana Trimble
*Hymn #403 What A Friend We Have In Jesus
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE:
OFFERING: O Sing To The Lord Dr. Danny Zirpoli
*Doxology: Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow, Praise Him All Creatures Here Below; Praise Him Above Ye Heavenly Host; Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
THE SENDING
*HYMN: #276 Great Is Thy Faithfulness
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE: He Keeps Me Singing Dr. Danny Zirpoli
Please remain seated for the postlude.
Prayers: Wilma & Ray McCray, Tom Cunningham, Mark Richmond, Hood’s daughter Susan, Carol Hartz, James Pratt, Anna Fox, Norma Lewis, Marilyn Gabriel, Clark and Barbara Niepert, Barbara Pratt’s sister Faye, Binnie Trimble, Bob Harrod, David and Mary Owen, Curt and Nancy Hood, Eddie Ruby, Ron and Jean Cota, Linda Page and her son Ryan, Fred and Ellen Hummel and their daughter Cynthia, Muriel Maxwell. Our nation and its leaders, Roots Nature Leadership Academy; Pam our mission coworker, A.A., Mision Peniel and Miguel and Marifranz Estrada
Flowers: from Jim and Barbara Pratt in celebrating 64 years of marriage. Congratulations!
April Birthdays: Marilyn Gabriel 6th (100th), James Diefenderfer 8th (100th), Wilma McCray 15th, Ellen Hummel 17th.
Knit & Sew: Tuesday mornings from 9:00-11:00 am. Come join the fun making lap quilts, tote bags, pillows, and other items.
Coffee Hour: There will be some goodies in Fellowship Hall
Choir Practice: Wednesday at 1:00 pm, Bells at 2:00 pm
presbyteriancc.org is the home of our church’s website.
Coffee Hour and Flower hosts are needed this year. If you are able to host a refreshment time after worship or provide funds for flowers some Sunday, please sign up this morning. Coffee Hour can be as simple as two dozen doughnuts. Thank you. Otherize there will be no coffee hour.
Please consider helping in the Clothes Closet Boutique on a Friday or Saturday morning. Sign up today at the bulletin board outside the church office. Thank you!
We are enthused that you have chosen to worship here this morning! Please be so kind as to fill in a “Connection Card” from the pew rack before you and place it in the offering plate on your way out of the sanctuary. Thank you
Presbyterian Church of the Covenant
7950 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231
Phone (941) 922-5509; FAX (941) 925-4040
Website: presbyteriancc.org
Email: pcc@presbyteriancc.org