begins the Lenten journey to Jerusalem. The way is often desert, but the destination holds most meaning for those who make the trip. And since the way is often desert, it is best not to journey alone. Fred Craddock

ASH WEDNESDAY Round Hill Community Church ASH WEDNESDAY March 5, 2014 7:30 p.m.

WE CENTER OURSELVES IN GOD

PRELUDE

WORDS OF WELCOME

*A HYMN OF THE SEASON No. 179 Forty Days and Forty Nights

*PRAYER OF CONFESSION Gentle and holy God, we acknowledge to you, to one another, and to ourselves that we are not what you have called us to be. We have sinned against you and have done what is evil in your sight. We have tried to cover up our wrongdoing and have exag- gerated our role in accomplishing good things. We seek to lay up treasure on earth, while neglecting permanent values and selfless commitment to causes greater than ourselves. Forgive us, we pray, and restore us. Amen.

*DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS

THE USE OF ASHES

IMPOSITION OF ASHES Anyone who would like to receive the ashes is invited to come forward at this time.

SPECIAL MUSIC Give Me Jesus Spiritual, arr. Moses Hogan Risa Renae Harman, Soprano

*The congregation is invited to stand. WE LISTEN FOR THE WISDOM OF GOD

GOSPEL Matthew 6:1-6 “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their re- ward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:16-21 “And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

MESSAGE The Rev. Dr. Ed Horstmann *A STATEMENT OF FAITH Leader: We are not alone, we live in God’s world. All: We believe in God: who has created and is creating, who has come in Jesus, the word made flesh, to reconcile and make new, who works in us and others by the Spirit. We trust in God. We are called to be the church: to celebrate God’s presence, to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope. In life, in death, in life beyond death, God wi with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God!

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE Leader: Lord, in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer.

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION

*A HYMN OF COMMUNION No. 425 Let Us Break Bread Together

WORDS OF REMEMBRANCE

PRAYER OF CONSECRATION

SHARING OF THE BREAD AND CUP Please come forward at the direction of the ushers.

SPECIAL MUSIC How Beautiful Are the Feet Handel from Messiah Risa Renae Harman, Soprano PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING Bountiful God, we give you thanks that you have refreshed us at your table by granting us the presence of Christ. Strengthen our faith, increase our love for one another, and send us forth into the world in courage and peace, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

*HYMN No. 432 O Christ, the Way, the Truth, the Life

*BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH

POSTLUDE

We thank Tim Wright for ushering this evening.

ROUND HILL COMMUNITY CHURCH CREED I believe in God, the one universal Father of all mankind, revealed su- premely in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and present with us to guide, com- fort and inspire in the Holy Spirit. I believe in the Kingdom of God; and in the mission of the Christian Church to proclaim the Gospel to all the world, exalting the worship of the Lord our God, and labor- ing for the progress of knowledge, the promotion of righteousness, the reign of peace, and the realization of human brotherhood. Unit- ed in Christian love, we pray and labor for the coming of the King- dom, the triumph of righteousness and the life everlasting. Amen. ROUND HILL COMMUNITY CHURCH MISSION STATEMENT We, the members of the Round Hill Community Church, a self-gov- erning, non-denominational body, seek to foster a community of faith where people of all ages and backgrounds pursue spiritual growth; where God is worshiped in Word and praised in music; where friends are made and hurts are healed. We seek to be a community where individuals commit their time and resources to education, fellowship, and to helping those in need among our Church family and in the broader world. We are a church where faith, hope, justice and love are valued, and above all, Jesus is Lord.

OUR LENTEN JOURNEY The season of is an invitation to face, in a deeper sense, the Gospel story of death and resurrection - Jesus’, and our own. Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of . It is a time of self-examina- tion and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new con- verts for baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or volunteering and giving of themselves for others. The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, endur- ing the temptation of Satan. Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a “mini-Easter” celebration of Jesus’ victory over sin and death. Churches will mark the sobering climate of Lent by omit- ting “Alleluias” from prayers and removing colorful objects. Subversive Stories: An Introduction to the Parables of Jesus The parables of Jesus were essential to his ministry. Over the centuries people of Christian faith have found them to be illuminating, baffling, subversive and inspirational, always calling for deep engagement on the part of those who would learn their wisdom. I invite you to explore with me a number of parables through Sunday morning sermons, discussions following worship, and by reading a book by John Dominic Crossan, The Power of Parable: How Fiction by Jesus became Fiction about Jesus. We will gather after worship on the following dates and focus on se- lected chapters in The Power of Parable: February 16: Chapters 1-2 March 2: Chapters 3-4 March 16: Chapters 5-6 and Interlude March 30: Chapters 7-8 April 6: Chapters 9-10 You are encouraged to attend as many study sessions that you can. Throughout the season of Lent we will focus on the following parables for worship: March 2: The Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4: 26-29) March 9: The Parable of the Great Dinner (Luke 14:15-24) March 16: The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) March 23: The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard (Matt. 20: 1-16) March 30: The Parable of the Dishonest Manager (Luke 16:1-13) April 6: The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)

March 5, 7:30 p.m. Ash Wednesday Worship Service Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lent and Easter cycle. This cycle includes forty days of reflection (not counting Sundays) and culminates in the days of , and . April 13, 10:00 a.m. Worship Service Palm Sunday marks the beginning of . as early as the fourth century, the church in Jerusalem began the custom of reenacting the entry of Jesus into the city. At the Mount of Olives, people gathered to hear the gospel passages about the triumphal entry. A then followed into the city. People held palm branches and sang, “Hosanna!” The tradition spread and has taken on many different expressions throughout the Christian church.

April 17, 7:30 p.m. Maundy Thursday Service with Communion Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter. Christians remember it as the day of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and estab- lished the ceremony known as the Eucharist.

April 20, 9:30 a.m. Easter Sunday Worship Service For many, Easter is not only a day of resurrection joy but also a day to re- member that Jesus offered his life on the cross - suffering for all, so we might all live more abundantly in right relationship with God.

Senior Minister: The Rev. Dr. Edward G. Horstmann Pastoral Associate: The Rev. Lynne S. Kramer Minister Emeritus: The Rev. Dr. Ralph Ahlberg Interim Music Director: Eugene Sirotkine Church School Coordinator: Connie Blunden Round Hill Community Church 395 Round Hill Road, Greenwich, CT 06831 203.869.1091 roundhillcommunitychurch.org