March 8, 2020 • Second Sunday in Lent South Park Community Church is a congregation dedicated to proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel to all people: and witnessing by humble example, to our neighbor, both near and far, the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

— GATHERING —

*Indicates: as able, the congregation stands

Greetings, Announcements, and Introductions

Prelude

*Call to Worship • Adapted from Psalm 121 (The Message) One: I look up to the mountains;

does my strength come from mountains? All: No, my strength comes from God,

who made heaven, earth, and mountains. One: God guards you from every evil. God guards your very life.

God guards you when you leave and when you return, God guards you now, God guards you always.

All: Let us worship God, the one who made heaven, earth, and mountains, the one guarding us now and always!

*Hymn • 3033 (Green) God of Great and God of Small

*Responsive Prayer of Confession One: We cannot earn God’s grace or favor. It comes to us, not as

something owed, but as a gift freely given. Confident in God’s love, we confess our sins together.

All: Almighty God, you guard us from every evil, you guard our very lives. In our weakness we have failed to be your messengers of forgiveness and hope. Renew us by your Holy Spirit, that we may follow your way and proclaim your great love, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever…

*Silence for Personal Confession

*Assurance of Forgiveness • 1Timothy 1:15 and 1 Peter 2:24 One: The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Jesus Christ

came into the world to save sinners. All: He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we,

free from sins, might live for righteousness; by his wounds we have been healed. Amen!

*Gloria Patri • 579 (Blue) Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, World without end. Amen, Amen.

— SENDING —

*Hymn • 391 (Blue) Take My Life

*Benediction

*Congregational Response • Go in Peace And He said: “Go in peace and love one another, as I first loved you. Proclaim to all who’ll hear the good news of my coming; Keep faith in all you do. (Repeat) Keep faith in all you do.

Notes: __________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

• You are invited for refreshments across the street in Fellowship Hall. • A telephone and restrooms are also available in Fellowship Hall. • On the podium, just inside Fellowship Hall, there are materials for

making nametags. Please consider wearing one to help us know each other better.

* For a more detailed calendar go to https://tinyurl.com/SPCCCalendar

MARCH 3/8 • Sunday

9 am. – Choir Rehearsal, (Church) 10 am. – Worship (Church)

10:20 am. – Children’s Sunday School & Nursery (Fellowship Hall) 11:00 am. – Fellowship / Women’s Group (Fellowship Hall)

3/10 • 8:30 am. – Men’s Group (Dining Room)

3/11 • 6:15-7:15 pm. – Open AA (Dining Room)

3/13 • 11 am-2 pm. – South Park Food Bank (delivery @ 501 Main St.)

3/14 • 10 am-12 pm. – South Park Food Bank (distribution @ 501 Main St.)

3/15 • Sunday 9 am. – Choir Rehearsal (Church)

10 am. – Worship & Communion (Church) 10:20 am – Nursery (Fellowship Hall)

11:00 am. – Fellowship / Deacons (Fellowship Hall)

3/18 • 6:15-7:15 pm. - Open AA (Dining Room)

3/19 • 12 pm. – Women’s Group (Fellowship Hall) 4:15-6:00 pm – Middle School Youth Group (Fellowship Hall) 6:30-8:30 pm – SPYG / High School Youth Group (Fellowship Hall)

3/22 • Sunday 9 am. – Choir Rehearsal (Church)

10 am. – Worship (Church) 10:20 am – Children’s Sunday School & Nursery (Fellowship Hall)

11:00 am. – Fellowship / Pancakes (Fellowship Hall)

3/23 – 3/26 • Spring Break

3/ 25• 1:00 pm - Bunco (Fellowship Hall) 6:15-7:15 pm. - Open AA (Dining Room)

3/29 • Sunday 9 am. – Choir Rehearsal (Church)

10 am. – Worship (Church) 10:20 am – Children’s Sunday School & Nursery (Fellowship Hall)

11:00 am. – Fellowship / Men’s Group (Fellowship Hall)

4/1 • 6:15-7:15 pm. – Open AA (Dining Room)

4/2 • 4:15-6:00 pm – Middle School Youth Group (Fellowship Hall) 6:30-8:30 pm – SPYG / High School Youth Group (Fellowship Hall)

4/4 • 6:00-9:00 pm – Daddy/Daughter Dance (PC RE2 Multi-purpose Room)

If you will be bringing food for Women's Group or Deacons Fellowship, please notify the contact listed for that Sunday, by the Friday prior. Pam Jurgemeyer is the contact for Women's Group 836-0734 and Stephanie Carpenter is Deacons contact 836-2905. Thank you!

Sunday School for kids in kindergarten through fourth grade meets just after the Time for Young Disciples during our worship service, except for communion Sundays. In March we will be learning that God promises to always be with us.

3/1 – Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 121:1-9; 15:1-6; 18:1-5; 21:1-7 Psalm 46) “God is always with us.”

3/8 – Jacob’s Ladder (Genesis 28:10-22; Psalm 46) “God is with us, no matter where we are or what we are doing.”

3/22 – Joseph Goes to Egypt (Genesis 37; Psalm 46) “Even when we don’t do as we should, God continues to be with us.”

3/29 – Psalm 23 “God cares for us, like a shepherd cares for the sheep. We can trust God to be with us and to love us forever.

PLEASE JOIN US AS WE PRAY THROUGH OUR CHURCH DIRECTORY: Bonnie & Tom Barnes; Mark, Judy, Kylie, Kiana & Jacob Benson; Ann Blakeslee; Rick & Cathy Bremer; Ericka, Calvin, & Lila Brissey; Steve & Jan Buchanan; Jackson Bullock; Daisy Busch Ray & Susan Butler; Chris & Jacky Cacace;

OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE: Sign-up on the clipboard by the main door of Fellowship Hall for Sunday Morning usher/greeter, worship leader, music leader, choir or fellowship hosting. Or sign up electronically at https://tinyurl.com/SPCC2019worship.

Contact Pam Jurgemeyer or Kenny Shaw to volunteer for Children & Youth (Sunday School, Nursery, Extra Fun, Middle School Youth Group, Senior High Youth Group and VBS). Please note: If this is your first time volunteering with SPCC children and youth, Kenny or Pam will contact you regarding a background check and training.

Contact South Park Food Bank director, Jane Newman, (janenewman26@gmail.com) to assist with moving, sorting, and distributing food.

Contact David Kintz (djkintz@gmail.com) to serve in providing rides, bell ringing, or firewood cutting through the South Park Salvation Army.

THOSE WHO ENABLE OUR CONGREGATIONAL MINISTRY: Our pastor: Rev. Kenny Shaw, 836-2770, (office) or 719-644-9422 (cell)

Our Session: Dicky Carpenter (Grounds), 970-485-0698; Pam Jurgemeyer (Christian Education), 836-0734; Steve Buchanan (Buildings), 836-2915; Jackie Pike (Clerk), 836-4892; Dave Sykes (Worship), 574-315-3581; Pam Tucker (Stewardship), 836-4630; Susie Kasper, Treasurer, 836-2398

Our Deacons: Stephanie Carpenter, 836-2905; Paula Morgan, 836-8865; Sarah Shaw, 720-366-5254

CONGREGATIONAL CARE: Our Pastor, Deacons, and Elders are available for hospital and pastoral visitation. If you, or someone you know, would like a call or a visit, please contact Rev. Kenny at 719-644-9422, or one of the Elders or Deacons. If you have an immediate need for prayer, such as surgery, hospitalization, accident, or death in the family, please contact Kenny to share your prayer request.

— WORD —

Anthem • Our Choir

Time for Young Disciples

Scripture Reading • Isaiah 58:1-8 & Luke 5:27-38

Sermon • Creating Space / Spiritual Disciplines: Fasting

“The word discipline means ‘the effort to create some space in which God can act.’ Discipline means to prevent everything in your life from being filled up.

- Henri J. M. Nouwen

Hymn • 3040 (Green) You Are My All in All

*Affirmation of Faith • We Belong to God (Steve Garnaas-Holmes) We belong to God, eternal and infinite, Creator of all things and all that is to come. We follow Christ, who comes to us from God, and reveals God to us. He heals people and transforms lives, and calls us to join in his ministry. He was crucified, died, and was raised by God, and reigns over all creation; and he bids us to die and rise with him in the service of the healing of the world. We live by the Spirit, together with the communion of saints, as members of the Body of Christ, God’s holy universal church. We are confident in the forgiveness of sin, the power of the resurrection and the reality of eternal life. In all things it is our desire to follow Christ, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, for God’s glory. Amen.

Gathering Prayers for World, Church, & Selves One: … Lord, in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer.

Congregational 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 sins, as we forgive those who sin 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.

A Call to Offer Ourselves • Psalm 24:1 One: The earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it,

the world, and all who live in it. All: Let us return to God the offerings of our life

and the gifts of the earth.

Tithes and Offering

*Doxology • 592 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. Amen.

*Prayer of Dedication Generous God, we dedicate to you not only these gifts, but also ourselves, in deep gratitude–for your call on our lives, your guidance throughout our lives, and for blessing us that we may be a blessing to others. Accept what we bring for your own good purposes. In Christ we pray. Amen.

The church is equipped with a “listening loop” (often called an “Audio Induction Loop”) hearing assistance system. If you have hearing aids equipped with a T-Coil, use the “T” setting to connect to the loop. If you do not have hearing aids but need hearing assistance, ask an usher for the “loop listener” pack and you will be able to use a set of headphones to better hear the service.

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN Through our capital campaign we hope to celebrate an incredible heritage (including a Sanctuary built 145 years ago and a Fellowship Hall built over 95 years ago) and prepare for the church’s future ministry in South Park. To date we've received commitments for $224,343, or 115% of our $195,000 goal! Thanks again to everyone who has contributed to the campaign through your prayers, your time, your talents, and your treasure!

(If you would like more information or to participate in this project, brochures and more information are available in the back of the church or on our website https://soparkcc.wordpress.com/capital-campaign/), along with information about online giving.)

THE SEASON OF LENT The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are at the heart of the Christian gospel, and Good Friday and Easter are two of the most significant celebrations of the Christian year. Lent is a season of preparation and repentance during which we anticipate Good Friday and Easter. Just as we carefully prepare for big events in our personal lives, such as a wedding or commencement, Lent invites us to make our hearts ready for remembering Jesus’ passion and celebrating Jesus’ resurrection.

The practice of a forty-day preparation period began in the Christian church during the third and fourth centuries. The number forty carries biblical significance based on the forty years Israel spent in the wilderness and Jesus’ forty-day fast in the wilderness. The forty days of Lent begin on Ash Wednesday and continue through holy week, not counting Sundays (which are reserved for celebratory worship). In practice, many congregations choose to focus Sunday worship on the themes of repentance and renewal.

- The Worship Sourcebook, pp. 557-558

Fasting: A Practical Guide (From the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Calhoun) https://renovare.org/articles/fasting-a-practical-guide

Fasting has been part and parcel of the Judeo-Christian tradition for millennia. Scripture is replete with examples of people who fast for a variety of reasons.

Old Testament saints fasted at times of mourning and national repentance. They fasted when they needed strength or mercy to persevere and when they wanted a word from God (see 1 Samuel 7:6; Nehemiah 1:4; Esther 4:16). However, fasting was no magical guarantee that God would answer as the intercessor wanted. King David fasted when he wanted God to spare the life of Bathsheba’s child, but the child died (2 Samuel 12:16-20).

Fasting was a normal practice for the Jews of Jesus’ day. Jesus began his ministry with a forty-day fast. He also practiced fasting before healings and to overcome temptation. But he did not hold his followers to a strict regime of fasting (Matthew 4:2; Mark 2:18-19; Luke 5:33).The New Testament church sometimes fasted when it sought God’s will and needed the grace and strength to remain faithful to God’s work. There were also fast times linked to times of worship (Acts 13:2-3).

In many Christian traditions fasting is an important part of preparing to embrace a particular liturgical season. During Lent, fasting reminds the church of how Jesus gave up everything—even his life—for us.

Scripture also gives a variety of warnings about fasting for the wrong reasons or with the wrong attitude:

(1) When people do not live as God desires they should be prepared for fasting to accomplish nothing (Isaiah 58:3-7).

(2) Fasting is not for appearances. It does not make anyone pious or holy, and it does not earn points with God (Matthew 6: 16; Luke 18:9-14).

Fasting is not a magical way to manipulate God into doing our will; it’s not a way to get God to be an accomplice to our plans. Neither is fasting a spiritual way to lose weight or control others.

Fasting clears us out and opens us up to intentionally seeking God’s will and grace in a way that goes beyond normal habits of worship and prayer. While fasting, we are one on one with God, offering him the time and attentiveness we might otherwise be giving to eating, shopping or watching television. Fasting is an opportunity to lay down an appetite—an appetite for food, for media, for shopping. This act of self-denial may not seem huge—it’s just a meal or a trip to the mall—but it brings us face to face with the hunger at the core of our being. Fasting exposes how we try to keep empty hunger at bay and gain a sense of well-being by devouring creature comforts. Through self-denial we begin to recognize what controls us. Our small denials of the self show us just how little taste we actually have for sacrifice or time with God.

This truth is not meant to discourage us. It’s simply the first step in realizing that we have to lay down our life in order to find it again in God. Brian Taylor puts it like this in Becoming Christ: “Self-denial is profoundly contemplative for it works by the process of human subtraction and divine addition.” Deny yourself a meal, and when your stomach growls “I’m hungry,” take a moment to turn from your emptiness to the nourishment of “every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Feed on Jesus, the bread of life. Skip the radio or TV for a day and become aware of how fidgety you are when you aren’t being amused or diverted. Then dodge the remote, and embrace Jesus and his words: “my food… is to do the will of him who sent me” (John 4:34). Taste the difference between what truly nourishes the soul—the living bread and the life-giving water—and what is simply junk food.

Fasting reminds us that we care about “soul” things. We care about the church. We care about the world. We care about doing God’s will. Thus, we willingly set aside a little comfort so we can listen and attend to the voice and nourishment of God alone. For God can give us grace and comfort and nurture we cannot get on our own. Guidelines for Fasting from Food • Don’t fast when you are sick, traveling, pregnant or nursing. People with diabetes, gout, liver

disease, kidney disease, ulcers, hypoglycemia, cancer and blood diseases should not fast. • Don’t fast if you are in a hurry and are fasting for immediate results regarding some decision. • Fasting is not magic. • Stay hydrated. Always drink plenty of water and fluids. • If you are new to fasting, begin by fasting for one meal. Spend the time with God that you

would normally be eating. • Work up to longer fasts. Don’t attempt prolonged fasts without guidance. Check with your

doctor before attempting long periods of fasting. • If you decide to fast regularly, give your body time to adjust to new rhythms of eating. You

may feel more tired on days you fast. • Begin after supper. Fast until supper the next day. This way you miss 2, rather than 3, meals. • Don’t break your fast with a huge meal. Eat small portions of food. The longer the fast, the

more you need to break the fast gently.

What to Do in the Time Set Apart for Fasting • Bring your Bible and a glass of water during your fast. • Spend some time worshiping God for his faithfulness. Thank God for where he has come

through for you. Psalm 103:1-5 also provides a starting point for praise. • Bring your desires to God. Ask God if this desire is in line with his will and his word for you

and the church. Be still and listen. Offer your desires and prayers to God.