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The Baptist Church in Warren

February 14, 2010                                                                                       10:00 am

Rev. Esther Irish, Minister

Tonia Petty, Intern

*Let those who are able, please stand

Ushers will collect Prayer cards during the first hymn.

Prelude /Chiming of the Hour

 Welcome

 Announcements

Call to Worship           

“Turn to me now, while there is time.

Give me your hearts.                                                             Joel 2:12 (NLT)

*Adoration of God                                                                       # 388

 “God Who Touches Earth with Beauty”

*Invocation (Lord’s Prayer)        Lord today we thank you for your promise to rescue those who love you. You will protect those who trust in your name. When they call on you, you will answer; you will be with them in trouble.  You will rescue and honor them. You will reward them with a long life and give them your salvation.”[1]

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, 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

Psalm for Today                                                                        Psalm 99 (NLT)

The Lord is king! Let the nations tremble! He sits on his throne between the cherubim. Let the whole earth quake!

The Lord sits in majesty in Jerusalem, exalted above all the nations.

Let them praise your great and awesome name. Your name is holy!

Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established fairness. You have acted with justice and righteousness throughout Israel.

Exalt the Lord our God! Bow low before his feet, for he is holy!

Moses and Aaron were among his priests; Samuel also called on his name. They cried to the Lord for help, and he answered them.

He spoke to Israel from the pillar of cloud, and they followed the laws and decrees he gave them.

O Lord our God, you answered them. You were a forgiving God to them,

but you punished them when they went wrong.

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Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain in Jerusalem, for the Lord our God is holy!

Our Offering to God               As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”  12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[2]

*Doxology                                                                                             #572

Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise him all creatures here below:

Praise him above ye heavn’ ly host: Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  

*Prayer of Dedication   Gracious Father, out of the riches of your love which we have received, may we share with others by our life, our witness and our giving.

Scripture Reading                                                   2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 (NLT)

12 Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. 14 But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. 15 Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.

16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

4 Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. 2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

*Hymn of Worship                                                                          # 333

“O to be Like Thee!”

Pastoral Prayer   On this Valentines day we celebrate Love, O Lord, Love that we know comes from you because you are Love. We pray for all sorts and conditions of people our Lord noticed: we pray for the anxious, we pray for the ill, we pray for the emotionally disturbed, we pray for the poor, we pray for outsiders, we pray for children, we pray for women, we pray for persons at spiritual crisis points, that they may have a friend, that they may be healed, that they may be made welcome, that they may be treated as equal, that they may overcome temptation, that they may trust God and their fellow human beings and not be disappointed.

We pray for people who take care of other people, accepting their confine­ment, adjusting to their schedule, bearing with their demands, sharing their lot, grieving their passing.          We pray for parents, that they may cen­ter down in truth, that they may know what to say to their children, that they may speak boldly, that they may know what is best for their children's hearts; that they may say who they are, clearly and with trust in you. We pray for the churches of this town: deliver US from our several sorts of smallness, our differing ways of calling the part the whole; grant that the churches may meet human needs, may witness to the power of the Resurrec­tion, may not promote religion but equip saints for the work of ministry.         We give you thanks, 0 God, for people full of energy, for people of quiet strength, for people whose warmth can make your day, for people who have time to notice  what we have done, who we are, that we are, for people enjoy­ing some needed win, for people always doing things for others, for older people who minister in quiet ways, for cut-ups who tickle our long faces into laughter, for couples whom time has tested only to find they mean the world to one another, and for abrasive souls who can speak the truth, no less true for all its edge.        We give you thanks for routine, the rou­tine of the seasons, and the week's sevenfold cycle, work and play, weekdays and weekends, visits, pastimes, and for the routine of the day, waking and sleeping, showers and clean clothes, toast and coffee, the paper, walks, and all things good and wonderful.-Peter Fribley

*Hymn of Petition    (UMH # 393)                                                     insert “Spirit of the Living God” x 3

Scripture Text                                                       Ezekiel 36:22-28, 31-32 (NLT)      22 “Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. 23 I will show how holy my great name is—the

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name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord. 24 For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.

25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

28 “And you will live in Israel, the land I gave your ancestors long ago. You will be my people, and I will be your God. 31 Then you will remember your past sins and despise yourselves for all the detestable things you did. 32 But remember, says the Sovereign Lord, I am not doing this because you deserve it. O my people of Israel, you should be utterly ashamed of all you have done!

Message                                                                                     Rev. Irish

“Have a Heart“

* Hymn of Benediction                                                                                 # 338 “Lord, I Want to be a Christian, In-a My Heart”

*Sending forth                                                                 Numbers 6:24-26

‘May the Lord bless you and protect you.

May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.

May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’

*Gloria Patri (Sung together)                                                            #575

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.

*Postlude

Date     Attendance       Offering   Fire Code   Pennies    Total Pennies  RMMO

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COMING EVENTS:

            Next adult class will be March 7, 2010

            No  Covenant Group with Tonia today

FELLOWSHIP:  Everyone is invited to a time of refreshments and fellowship  after worship.

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[1] (Ps 91:14-16).

[2](Ro 10:11-13).