02.11.24 PUMC Bulletin

WELCOME TO

Princeton United Methodist Church We are a diverse faith community, engaged in enlivening spiritually thirsty people to joyfully respond to God’s love and grow as disciples of Christ, so that together we may experience the fullness of life.

FEBRUARY 11, 2024

TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY

SCAN TO GIVE OR TEXT YOUR GIFT AMOUNT TO 609-554-1128

SCAN TO CONNECT WITH US OR TEXT 'PUMC' TO 609-542-2192

ANNOUNCEMENTS LENTEN DEVOTIONAL BOOK

This year for our Lenten devotional, we have decided to publish it on Amazon. The E-Book version can be bought for $1.99, or a paperback can be bought for $10.85. If you would prefer to buy a copy in person from the church, there will be limited quantities for sale in the office for $10, $4.50 of which will go towards our missions funds. Scan the QR code to find the link on Amazon!

ASH WEDNESDAY

Please join us this Wednesday, Feb 14, for Ash Wednesday. Service will be held at Kingston UMC at 7:30pm. Ashes will be administered by pastoral staff during the service. If you are unable to attend, please see information below for our prayer labyrinth.

PRAYER LABYRINTH

On Ash Wednesday, Feb 14, the Sanford-Davis room will be open from 9am to 5pm to participate in walking the Prayer Labyrinth, sitting to meditate before the stained glass windows, and self-imposed ashes. Please join us in contemplating the upcoming Lenten season.

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Mural of Faith, Hope, Love, and Peace | Unknown Artist Chicago, IL

THE CHURCH GATHERS Pre-Service Music

Impromptu

Call to Worship

Tailleferre

adapted from Steve Garnaas-Holmes

God of grace, you say, “Let there by light,’ and we come into being.

Christ, light of the world, you shine in us, and we glow with the radiance of your presence.

Holy Spirit, fire of God, you burn in us, and we bear the beams of your love into this world.

Christ, may we shine with the light of your grace.

Alleluia! Come, Spirit of Life, and transform us from within. Alleluia!

Hymn

God Made From One Blood

Prayer of Confession

FWS #2170 v 1,2,4,5

God comes to us, proclaiming love and grace.

God calls us beloved!

In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!

In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven! Thanks be to God! Alleluia!

Amen.

TO HEAR THE WORD AND REFLECT Children's Time

Where Children Belong

SHARING IN WORSHIP TODAY

Acolytes - Ethan Hamilton, Sequoah Hadley Liturgists - Vinette Jones, Ian Griffiths Reader - Lindsey Donaldson Musicians - Chancel choir, Julia Hanna Ushers - Jill Hendershot, Ida Cahill, Thomas Sandford, Bright Rajaratnam

TO RESPOND IN FAITH Jesu Jesu

UMH #432 v 2-5

Prayers of the People

silence for prayer

Fairest Lord Jesus

Rev. Jenny Smith Walz

Commissioning Elected Leaders

adapted from Steve Garnaas-Holmes

Music Ministry

Sermon

Hymn

Our glorious, mysterious, holy God comes to us in love, to redeem us, to reconcile us, to bring us to oneness with God, with others, within ourselves, and with all creation. Secure in this knowledge, let us confess our need for God. Gentle God, your light shines in all creation, but we have not looked for it.

Your light shines in us, but we have not shone fully with your grace. Forgive our dullness, cleanse all that obscures your light, and shine in us more perfectly, that we may be light for the world by the grace of Christ, with the radiance of your Holy Spirit.

Words of Assurance

Scripture Readings 2 Cor 4:3-6, Mark 9:2-9 This is the Word of Life. Thanks be to God.

arr. Jack Schrader TFWS #2233

TODAY'S FLOWERS ARE GIVEN IN MEMORY OF LOVED ONES

BY LAVERNA ALBURY

The Lord's Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen Offertory

Album Leaf in F Major

Hymn

Doxology

Suk

UMH #94

Prayer of Thanksgiving

AND SCATTERS TO BE IN THE WORLD Hymn

I Have a Dream

W&S #3127

Allegro assai e lusingando from Sonatina #1

Kabalevsky

Benediction Postlude

v 1,2,3,5

PRAYER CONCERNS Prayers for Barbara, Karen, and Nicholas, family of Dorothy Walker who died Jan 26, and for the Punnet family on the death of Wayne.

Prayers for Jaqueline and Martha, and for Anne, Nicole, Chris, and Greg.

Prayers for the lonely and depressed and all those facing prejudice and for those giving them aid.

Prayers for the people of Israel. Palestine, Lebanon, Ukraine, Russia and other countries experiencing the horrors of war. Prayers for their leaders to find peaceful solutions.

HAVE PRAYER CONCERNS? For our Prayer Chain, call Yvonne Macdonald at 609-577-8369 or email her at yvonnee.mac@verizon.net. Email Pastor Tayler Necoechea at tayler@princetonumc.org when you or a family member is in the hospital or in need of a pastoral call.

During our season of Epiphany, our sermon series is called “Rooted.” During this time, we will be studying how life-giving and revitalizing going back to our roots can be, even when life around us and community seem to be withering or dying.

This week we focus on learning to reintegrate life together and letting go of individuality. With all of the divisiveness in the world today, it is incredibly hard to reject individualism. But Wesley, amongst many other theologians, argues that in order to become holy and live like Christ, we must first learn to live together.

While studying our roots, we easily can understand the metaphor of a tree. This tree in particular is a hearty tree from the desert called a Mesquite. The roots of a mesquite tree run deep beneath the surface to reach the water table far below. Even if a tree has withered and died, it is nearly impossible to kill off. The roots will send new shoots, and life will begin to blossom once again.

As we remember the hardships of the last few years, we can envision our roots, like a mesquite’s. Despite having what feels like a spiritual drought, we are reaching for the living waters of the Holy Spirit and revitalizing our communities through finding our roots again.

Commissioning of Church Leaders Liturgy adapted from John Leach and others

We are God's church; We come together to worship.

God has give us God's Word: We come together to learn.

God has filled us with God's power.

We go out to speak truth to power, to seek justice, peace, and reconciliation.

God has called us into this particular beloved community.

We come together to share our lives.

God has put God's words on our lips: We go out to proclaim the good news to the world.

God has give us God's Spirit.

We come together to celebrate in joy.

God has showered us with God's riches: We share joyfully and generously with one another.

God has freed us from our past: So that we might liberate others.

Leader: God has planned for us a glorious future: To be a source of spiritual and communal healing and transformation.

Let us pray: We thank you God for this congregation, the people called Princeton United Methodist Church, and the ways you've organized us to be your people. We thank you for the Leadership Board, the Discipleship Board, and the Nominations and Lay Leadership Team, and for the ministry they offer in leading our church into your Vision, Mission, Values, and Goals for PUMC. Thank you God for these leaders who care for the thousands of organizational details, big and small.

Thank you God for these leaders who provide the means grow in our discipleship and care for one another and the community beyond these walls.

Thank you God for these leaders who will engage many of us as partner leaders and ministers who will bear fruit in the day to day, and in the seasons of ministry through the year.

God, you have called these leaders and they have been chosen by your people here at PUMC for leadership in this church. This ministry is a blessing and a serious responsibility. It recognizes their special gifts, given by you, and calls them to work among us and for us and with us.

In love we thank them for accepting this calling and challenge them to offer their best ministry to you, to the people of PUMC, and to our community and world. Guide and equip them to live their life in Christ and make Christ known in their witness, their service, and their work. Bless them that they may: Claim once again today their journey of discipleship of Jesus Christ.

Devote themselves to the service of God in the world.

Live so that they enable this church to be a beloved community of love, of peace, of grace, of healing.

Do all in their power to be responsible to the task for which they've been chosen.

Lead us to more fully become a diverse congregation, joyfully responding to your love, and growing as disciples of Jesus Christ, by nurturing, teaching, reaching, and serving, all people.

Fill your servants with grace and truth, with wisdom and strength, with courage and compassion, with love and authority, with every spiritual gift, as our elected leaders for 2024 to engage their ministry in your power.

Fill us as a congregation with your love for these persons before us today, that we may support them in these ministries of leadership with our prayers, counsel, encouragement, and all things needed that your will be done in them and through us. Give them all that is needed to lead us to be the church you've called us to be. Amen.

PUMC Leadership Board

Iona Harding (co-chair), Chip Carstensen (co-chair), Raphael Aryeetey, Pearl Assan, Charles Bass, Ian Griffiths, Ed Sproles, Emelia Timpo, Michele Tuck-Ponder, Pastor Jenny Smith Walz

KUMC Leadership Board

Sonja Arevalo (chair), Edwin Arevalo, Kevin Dean, Herb Mertz, Cheryl Siddell, Sara Wegman, Pastor Skitch Matson

P/KUMC Leadership Board Members from both KUMC and PUMC

LaVerna Albury (chair), Jazlyn Cruz, Rick Engel, David Dreibelbis, Michael May, Donna Robinson, Kathryn Siddell, Priya Sridhar, Jiseob Yoon, Pastor Tayler Necoechea

Nominations and Lay Leadership Ministry Team Lindsey Donaldson, Barbara Fox, Eileen Francisco-Cabus, Doug Fullman, Yvonne Macdonald, Theresa Cann, Pastor Jenny Smith Walz