February 26, 2023
WORDS OF WELCOME
Pastor Amanda Miller Garber
NOMOFOMO
Just Be - For the 15-25ish crowd, Sunday afternoons, Ice House Library, 1-2:15 pm
Today’s Topic - ForgivenessBrunch Church Next Sunday — March 5
We are planning Brunch Church being the first Sunday of each month through the spring.A New Season at RISE
Those of you who are on the RISE E-mail list received an e-mail this week highlighting some of the transitions that are happening at RISE. (If you have not yet seen that letter you can view it HERE.) Leadership Team would like to know what questions and feedback you have after reading it. To submit your questions, thoughts, and comments, please complete this FEEDBACK FORM. Leadership team will be reviewing the submissions received, responding as necessary, and compiling a FAQ document as appropriate.Requests for care and/or prayer can always be sent via e-mail to cares@riseharrisonburg.org, texted to 833-803-0868, or submitted online via our RISE Cares form.
Connect:
If you would like to connect more deeply with RISE, you can start by submitting this short form to Get Connected!
Sign up for texting services:
Text “RISE” to 833-803-0868 to join the primary list and receive weekly community updates and alerts
Text “RISEcares” to receive prayer requests, care needs, and community concerns and celebrations
Please continue to check social media/the website for all updates and information!
WELCOMING STATEMENT
Caitlyn
RISE believes that God has open arms, and so should we. Our Creator wants us to love, accept and affirm every human being, including persons of every age, race, ethnic background, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, family or socioeconomic status, educational background, and physical or mental ability. We celebrate our diversity and recognize the sacred worth and dignity of all. Everyone is invited and encouraged to join us as we seek to follow Jesus with mutual respect, understanding, and love.
*Read more about “Why Pronouns Matter” HERE.
Lenten Moment
Abby Butler-Cefalo
OPENING SONG
Brent Holl
“SWEET, SWEET SPIRIT”
~Doris Akers
There's a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place,
And I know that it's the Spirit of the Lord;
There are sweet expressions on each face,
And I know they feel the presence of the Lord.
CHORUS:
Sweet Holy Spirit, Sweet heavenly Dove,
Stay right here with us, filling us with Your love.
And for these blessings we lift our hearts in praise;
Without a doubt we'll know that we have been revived,
When we shall leave this place.
There are blessings you cannot receive
Till you know Him in His fullness and believe;
You're the one to profit when you say,
"I am going to walk with Jesus all the way."
CHORUS
If you say He saved you from your sin,
Now you're weak, you're bound and cannot enter in,
You can make it right if you will yield,
You'll enjoy the Holy Spirit that we feel.
CHORUS
THEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION
Amanda Miller Garber
Chris Zepp
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND QUESTIONS OR TEXT THEM TO 833-803-0868!
This topic could easily fill a multi week series. We will only scratch the surface today. Next week, we will continue the conversation and focus on reconciliation.
How have you seen the idea of forgiveness used to cause harm? In what ways does it need to be reclaimed?
Let’s read one of the texts for this Lenten season…
MATTHEW 18:21-35 (CEB)
21 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Should I forgive as many as seven times?”
22 Jesus said, “Not just seven times, but rather as many as seventy-seven times. 23 Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle accounts, they brought to him a servant who owed him ten thousand bags of gold. 25 Because the servant didn’t have enough to pay it back, the master ordered that he should be sold, along with his wife and children and everything he had, and that the proceeds should be used as payment. 26 But the servant fell down, kneeled before him, and said, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I’ll pay you back.’ 27 The master had compassion on that servant, released him, and forgave the loan.
28 “When that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred coins. He grabbed him around the throat and said, ‘Pay me back what you owe me.’
29 “Then his fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I’ll pay you back.’ 30 But he refused. Instead, he threw him into prison until he paid back his debt.
31 “When his fellow servants saw what happened, they were deeply offended. They came and told their master all that happened. 32 His master called the first servant and said, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you appealed to me. 33 Shouldn’t you also have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 His master was furious and handed him over to the guard responsible for punishing prisoners, until he had paid the whole debt.
35 “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you if you don’t forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
What immediately strikes you upon hearing this? What questions do you have?
What are we supposed to learn from this- particularly about forgiveness?
When it comes to forgiveness, what can we reclaim?
SHARE YOUR QUESTIONS OR TEXT THEM TO 833-803-0868
COMMUNION
SONG
Brent Holl
“In Christ There is No East or West”
~Joel and Melissa Littlepage
(REFRAIN)
In Christ there is no East or West,
in him no North or South,
but one great fellow-ship of love
throughout the whole wide earth.
In Him shall true hearts ev'ry-where
their high communion find.
His service is the golden cord
close binding humankind.
REFRAIN
Join hands then children of the faith!
What er'e your race may be.
Whoever serves God as His child
is surely kin to me!
REFRAIN
In Christ we all are welcome
here, His gracious love to share,
We have a place here with our friends,
Who come from everywhere.
REFRAIN
FINAL BLESSING
JK Ancell
“A Friendship Blessing”
~John O’Donohue
May you be blessed with good friends.
May you learn to be a good friend to yourself.
May you be able to journey to that place in your soul where
there is great love, warmth, feeling, and forgiveness.
May this change you.
May it transfigure that which is negative, distant, or cold in you.
May you be brought in to the real passion, kinship, and affinity of belonging.
May you treasure your friends.
May you be good to them and may you be there for them;
may they bring you all the blessing, challenges, truth,
and light that you need for your journey.
May you never be isolated.
May you always be in the gentle nest of belonging with your anam ċara.