Covenant Church
an ecumenical liberal baptist congregation
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A Service of Worship for
The Fourth Sunday of Lent

March 14, 2021


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Courage is a heart word.
The root of the word courage is cor - the Latin word for heart.
In one of its earlier forms, the word courage meant
"To speak one's mind by telling all one's heart."
Over time, this definition has changed,
and today, we typically associate courage
with heroic and brave deeds. 
But in my opinion, this definition fails to recognize the inner strength and level of commitment required for us to actually speak honestly and openly about who we are and about our experiences --good and bad.
Speaking from our hearts is what I think of as "ordinary courage.

Brene Brown

Worship Order
Worship notes are included at the bottom of this page and in the Worship Order located at the link below.
With this link you can make a donation to Covenant through PayPal or a credit card. 
Adult Education - TODAY, 9AM
During Adult Education this Sunday, please join Laura Mayo to discuss substitutionary atonement. What is substitutionary atonement? Why is substitutionary atonement problematic? Where did the idea come from? If we don’t buy into substitutionary atonement then why did Jesus die on the cross? What theological meanings does Jesus’ death on the cross have?
​
​​Zoom link is available on the Online Gatherings page on our website: https://www.covenanthouston.org/covenant-gatherings.html

Full worship service video:

COFFEE TIME Gathering on Zoom
Today, 11AM

We will begin as a large group before we transition into “rooms" for coffee time. 
​Log in details on the Online Gatherings page. 



Prelude
"Our Father, Thou In Heaven Above" by J.S. Bach. Andrew Bowen, organ.

​Call to Worship

Opening Prayer
God of Justice, whenever we settle
for the way things are instead
of the way you would have them
to be, forgive us.
Whenever we are paralyzed by fear
or limited in vision,
increase our trust in you.
Whenever we offer charity,
but fail to work for justice,
show us the more excellent way
that your love requires.
Whenever we tire of the struggle
and tomorrow feels overwhelming,
restore our hope.
Whenever we forget those
who have gone before us or act as if
we were the first to follow in the way of peace,
​allow us to recognize our arrogance.
May the resources of our faith encourage us to dream again.
Amen. 


​Scripture Lesson: Ephesians 2:1-22
​
​Hymn

"Oh Christ, the Great Foundation" words by Timothy Tingfang Lew. The Covenant Singers. Patrick Parker, organ.

​Time for Children
COVID One-year Coloring Page
File Size: 173 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Confession
Unison Confession
O God, You have called us to peace, for You are Peace itself. 

May we have the vision to see that each of us, in some measure, can help to realize these aims:

Where there are ignorance and superstition,
​Let there be enlightenment and knowledge.

Where there are prejudice and hatred,
Let there be acceptance and love.

Where there are fear and suspicion, 
Let there be confidence and trust.

Where there are tyranny and oppression,
Let there be freedom and justice.

Where there are poverty and disease, 
​Let there be prosperity and health.

Where there are strife and discord,
Let there be harmony and peace. Amen. 

​
​Music

"A Hymn to God" by John Ness Beck. The Covenant Singers, directed by Fran Avera. 
Proclamation
​
​Prayer
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​Invitation
​
​Prayer of Dedication

Often we are found in our grief and comforted
     calmed by some kindness
​     brought alive again by beauty
     that catches us undefended. 

Even when the sun is most thin and far
even at the hour the storm is at its height
we can go through
     renewal nests within sorrow
     love abides, ever beyond anger, beyond death.

We are held in an embrace invisible but infinite
moving with all creation
between wholeness and fragmentation
moving always toward the one.

Small joys and great sorrows pass
and we, with steps uncertain, move on
to whatever is next

but continually seen, heard, held
by Life infinite and remote, intimate and abiding.

Love, do not let us go.      Amen. 

Doxology

Affirmation of Faith
It doesn't interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for,
and if you dare to dream of 
meeting your heart's longing. 

It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love, for your dream,
for the adventure of being alive.

​I want to know if you have touched
the center of your own sorrow,
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shriveled and closed
from fear of further pain.
I want to know if you can sit with pain, 
mine or your own,
without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy.
mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips
of your fingers and toes without cautioning us
to be careful, to be realistic.

​I want to know if you can live with failure, 
yours and mine, and still stand on the edge
of the lake and shout to the silver of the moon, "Yes!"

It doesn't interest me to know
where you live or
how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up,
after the night of grief and despair,
weary and bruised to the bone,
and do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know 
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the center of the fire with me
and not shrink back. 


Benediction

Postlude
"Menuet" from Partita No. 1 by J.S. Bach. Karen Kline, piano.

Worship Notes

The worship leader is Clinton Gambill.

The Lent banner was created by Nancy Henry.

The prelude is played by Andrew Bowen, organ.

The Call to Worship is from When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chödrön.

The Opening Prayer is adapted
from a prayer by J. Bennett Guess.

​
The Unison Confession is adapted from Gates of Prayer, The New Union Prayer Book, Central Conference of American Rabbis.

​
“A Hymn to God” is sung by The Covenant Singers, Fran Avera, directing, from March 25, 2016.

The Prayer of Dedication is
“Love Abides” by Barbara Pescan.


​The postlude is played by Karen Kline, piano.

Sunday schedule for today: 
9:00 - Adult Education with Zoom
10:00 - Worship via videos on the Worship Page
11:00 - Transition from worship to coffee time with Zoom

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Covenant Church
4949 Caroline St., Houston, TX 77004
office@covenanthouston.org
713-668-8830
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