No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey,
You are welcome here!
The Macklin Bible – Moses”: Benjamin West and John Hall; Nashville, TN
March 26, 2025 7:00 pm
Local United Church of Christ Lenten Series
- Pastor Brian Brosz – St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Plato
- Pastor Penny Entringer – Zoar United Church of Christ, Chaska
- Pastor Al Fiene – Friedens United Church of Christ, NYA
- Pastor Adam Thompson – First Congregational Church, Glencoe
- Pastor Scott Siefert – St. John’s United Church of Christ, NYA
- Organist: Penny Rolf
Welcome and Announcements – Pastor Scott
Greeting
Pastor Scott: No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey you are welcome here. In this Lenten season, we turn our hearts toward God. Come, all who seek healing and hope. Come, all who long for renewal and restoration. Come, all to worship the life-giving God of grace.
Call to Worship
Pastor Scott: The journey is long, and the way is hard.
All: But God walks with us.
Pastor Scott: We grow weary, impatient, and afraid.
All: But God does not turn away.
Pastor Scott: Lift up your eyes, for Chris is our healing and our hope.
All: We lift our hearts to worship and place our trust in God.
*Opening Hymn: “Just As I Am” (New Century Hymnal #207)
Prayer of Invocation
Pastor Brian: Holy and Loving God, as we gather in Your presence, we bring our weary spirits, our searching hearts, and our need for grace. In this sacred space, remind us that you are the source of life and healing. Open our eyes to see Your light, our ears to hear Your truth, and our hearts to receive Your love.
All: May Your Spirit move among us as we worship You this evening. AMEN.
Call to Confession
Pastor Brian: We, like the Israelites, complain and turn away. We, like Nicodemus, struggle to understand. But God, in mercy, calls us to repentance and transformation. Let us bring our burdens and struggles before the One who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Prayer of Confession and Transformation
Pastor Brian: Merciful God, we confess that we often lose our way. We grow impatient in the wilderness of our lives. We doubt Your goodness, question Your ways, and turn from Your truth. We fail to trust in Your provision. Forgive us, O God. Lift our eyes to Your saving grace
All: Transform our hearts, that we may walk in Your light and share Your love with the world. In Christ’s name we pray. AMEN.
Assurance of Grace:
Pastor Brian: Hear the good news! God’s love never fails. God sent Christ into the world not to condemn but to save. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven, renewed, and called to new life.
All: Thanks be to God! AMEN.
Passing of the Peace
Pastor Al
Scripture Readings and Pastoral Meditation
Numbers 21:4-9 Pastor Al – From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.
John 3:14-21 – Pastor Adam – And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”
Pastoral Meditation
Pastoral Meditation: Pastor Adam ”Snake Crisis”
Hymn of Response: “Lord, I Want to be a Christian” (New Century Hymnal #454)
Prayers and Concerns
Joys – Concerns – Blessings – Pastor Al
Please share any special concerns, joys, and blessings.
Silent Prayer – Pastoral Prayer – Lord’s Prayer
ALL: 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. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. AMEN.
Collection and Presentation of the Offering
Invitation to the Offering 
(Tonight’s Offering Will Be Given to the Bountiful Basket Food Shelves)
Pastor Penny: God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. In response to such abundant love, we are called to be generous in return. Tonight, our offering supports the local food shelf, extending care to those in need. Let us give joyfully, that others may know God’s love through our sharing.
*Hymn: “The Doxology”
*Prayer of Dedication
All: Generous God, bless these gifts, that they may bring nourishment to the hungry, hope to the weary, and love to the brokenhearted. May our offerings be a sign of Your grace at work in our community. Multiply what we give, that all may know the abundance of Your mercy. AMEN.
*Closing Hymn: “Lord, Dismiss Us With Your Blessing” (New Century Hymnal #77)
*Benediction and Blessing – Pastor Penny
*Ringing of the Church Bell
*Please to stand if able
Upcoming Events & Announcements
TONIGHT – Fellowship and refreshments following the service in Fellowship Hall
Wed April 2nd – UCC Community Lenten Service at St. Paul’s UCC in Plato at 7pm. Pastor Scott Siefert giving the meditation.
Wed April 9th – UCC Community Lenten Service at St. John’s UCC at 7pm. Pastor Al Fiene giving the meditation.
Sat April 12th – “Feed My Starving Children” mission opportunity in Chanhassen at 9:30 am. https://www.fmsc.org
Thu April 18th – Maundy Thursday Soup Supper at St.John’s at 530pm followed by Worship Service with Communion at 630pm.
Fri April 19th – Good Friday Worship Service at St. Paul’s UCC in Plato at 7pm.
Fri-Sat June 13-14 – UCC Minnesota Conference Meeting with Rev Karen Georgia Thompson, Minister and President of the UCC, as keynote speaker – https://www.uccmn.org/2025/03/10/together-is-theme-of-annual-meeting/
July 11-15 – UCC General Synod in Kansas City, MO with Rev Jennifer Butler as the keynote speaker. https://generalsynod.org
Sun. July 20th – UCC Regional Picnic at Lion’s Park in NYA – time TBD.
St. John's United Church of Christ 
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