Sunday March 1, 2026 Worship Service
Livestream at 11:10 a.m.

Gathering in God’s Name

Prelude — I Want Jesus to Walk with Me — Lynn Petersen
As the prelude begins, you are invited to begin your personal preparation for worship.

Silent Meditation                                                                                                         
Dis­turb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with our­selves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too lit­tle,
When we arrived safe­ly
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

   -attributed to Sir Francis Drake    

Call to Worship — based on Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills — from where will my help come?
       My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
       The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.
        Let us worship God.

Praise and Adoration

*Opening Hymn #187 — Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us — BRADBURY TUNE   
(*Please stand, if you are able)

Confession and Pardon

Call to Confession

Prayer of Confession
Generous God, we confess that sometimes we can stand in your way. You wish for us to walk down a certain path, and we choose another. You wish for us to speak certain words of healing or hope to another person, and we stay silent. You wish for us to look at a challenging issue through your eyes, and we adamantly stay focused with our own gaze.  Forgive us, O Lord, and change our hearts. Transform us into the people that you desire for us to be, in the name of Christ, our Lord.

Silent Prayers of Confession and Petition

Kyrie Eleison #575 — Lord, Have Mercy upon Us — KYRIE ELEISON (Pardini)

Assurance of Pardon

*Hymn #702 — Christ Be Beside Me — BUNESSAN                                            

*Welcome                            

Announcements

Fellowship of Prayer

Joys and Concerns

Prayers of the People
The Lord’s 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 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.

Anthem — Depth of Mercy — David Rasbach        

Proclamation of God’s Word

Scripture Lesson — John 3: 1-17 — page 863 of the pew Bible

Sermon — “Don’t Miss the Ocean” — Dr. Zieman

Our Response to God’s Word

*Affirmation of Faith — from The Confession of Belhar, South Africa, 1986
We believe in one holy, universal Christian church, the communion of saints called from the entire human family. We believe … that this unity of the people of God must be manifested and be active in a variety of ways;
in that we love one another;
that we experience, practice and pursue community with one another;
that we are obligated to give ourselves willingly and joyfully to be of benefit and blessing to one another.

*Sanctus (#569) — Holy, Holy, Holy — SANCTUS (Oliver)

Presentation of Tithes and Offerings

Offertory — Resignation — Charles Callahan

*Doxology (#608) — Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow — PRAISE GOD (Hopson)

*Prayer of Dedication        
We return these gifts to you and relinquish our control over them, O God, that you may use them beyond us, beyond this place, and beyond self-interest – that your love may abound in the flourishing of every living thing you have entrusted to us.  Amen.

*Hymn of Dedication #264 — At the Name of Jesus — KING’S WESTON

*Charge and Benediction

Postlude — Postlude on an Original Antiphon — Christopher Uehlein