South Church in Andover
United Church of Christ

THE WORSHIP OF GOD
ORDER FOR THE SERVICE

March 19, 2006
Third Sunday of Lent

Let the prelude be a curtain of music which brings us into the sanctuary to worship God.
 Let necessary conversation be gentle and the preparation we make together be prayerful.

PRELUDE              Mein Jesu, der du mich (My Jesus, who to me awardest)                                                Brahms

WELCOME       

Introduction of Visitors and Guests
Announcements:  Adult Ministries  Holly Benzenhafer Redford

         Book Fair Laura Rex

Exchange of Peace    

The peace of Jesus Christ be with you.

And also with you.

INTROIT A Lenten Prayer     Powell

                        Carol Choir

CALL TO WORSHIP

The heavens are telling the glory of God;

and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours out speech,

and night to night declares knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;

Yet their voice goes out through all the earth,

And their words to the end of the world.

*HYMN     O For A Thousand Tongues #466 Red

PRAYER OF INVOCATION AND THE LORD’S PRAYER

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

LET THE CHILDREN COME            Dr. Mutti

Children in grades K-High School may move to their church school classrooms.
Parents of children up to age 7, please go to your child’s classroom after worship.

ANTHEM  Ave Verum  Saint-Saëns

Word of God Incarnate, of the Virgin Mary born;

On the cross thy sacred body for us with nails was torn

Cleanse us by thy blood and water streaming from thy pierced side.

Feed us with thy body broken, now and in death’s agony. Amen.

SCRIPTURE     John 2:13-22     (see insert)

SERMON     Finding Limits of Love     Jonathan Drury

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE  

*HYMN  Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley  #80 Red

OFFERING OF OUR GIFTS IN THANKSGIVING

Invitation

Offertory Anthem               In the Cross of Christ I Glory  Conkey/Page

                         Handbell Choir

*Doxology

*Dedication Prayer             

*HYMN  What Wonderous Love Is This  #85 Red

*BENEDICTION           

  RESPONSE  Choral Amen  Saint-Saëns

POSTLUDE   From Sonata No. VI: Fugue     Mendelssohn

*Those who are able may stand.

Participating in Today's Service:

Greeters: Tracey, Greg, Nic, Gabrielle, Max, & Mia Galat

Acolytes: Samantha Sheppard and Teddy Sorota
Deacon: Kathi Levine

Youth: Jennifer Angell

The flowers this morning are given by the Memorial Flower Fund.

Scriptures For This Day                                               New Revised Standard Version

John 2: 13-22

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
Scriptures For This Day              New Revised Standard Version

Exodus 20: 1-17

Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.

Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.