Calendar

Order of Worship

Service for the Lord’s Day

Gathering around the word

Prelude                                                               Prayer: An Offertory, George Walker

George Theophilus Walker (1922 –2018) was the first African American musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. He was admitted to the Oberlin Conservatory at age fourteen, continued studies at the Curtis Institute where he was the first African American graduate, and received his doctorate from the Eastman School of Music. His music reflects a wide variety of styles ranging from folk songs, popular music and jazz, to church hymns and classical music. This piece employs a four-note stepwise motive to offer a meditative and serene prayer.

† Call to Worship

Every time we gather in God’s name,
we learn something new.

What will be God’s gift of revelation to us today? 

We enter this time of worship joyfully,
assured of God’s new mercies.

Celebrating these blessings to come,
we bring our love and our praise to God.

Come, let us worship God!

† Hymn #49                                                                      “The God of Abraham Praise”

Prayer of Adoration

Call to Confession

Prayer of Confession

O God, you have made us your covenant people, 
marked us as your own and charged us for lives of service. 

Forgive us when we live as if success were the worthiest aim 
or independence the highest virtue. 

Call us once more to take up our crosses, 
and show us how to follow you.  

Forgive us, O God, and wash us in your mercy. 
Forgive us, O God, and free us to try again.  

Silent prayer of confession

Kyrie                                                                                                    James MacMillan

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Assurance of Pardon

Listen, the time has come at last.
Look, now is the day of salvation!
Hear the good news!
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!

Thanks be to God!

† Response of praise: Hymn #582                              “Glory to God, Whose Goodness Shines on Me”

Passing of the Peace

Life in Community

Upcoming events and recent announcements are available in the back of the bulletin and on our website at catonsvillepres.org.

Proclaiming the Word

Children’s Message

Prayer for Illumination

Gracious God, our way in the wilderness,
guide us by your Word through these forty days,
and minister to us with your Holy Spirit,
so that we may be reformed, restored, and renewed;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scripture                                                                                    Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

Scripture                                                                                                 Mark 8:31-38

Sermon                                                                                    “The Concerns of God” Ken Kovacs

Responding to the Word

† Hymn #718                                                      “Take Up Your Cross, the Savior Said”

Call to Offering

Offering of Tithes and Gifts

Offertory                                                        Getty/Townend, arr. John Ferguson

O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thy ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O Joy that seeks me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

† Doxology #607                              “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow”

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Christ, all people here below;
Praise Holy Spirit evermore;
Praise Triune God, whom we adore. Amen.

† Prayer of Dedication

You have shown us, O God,
the sacrifice that you desire.
Now use these gifts
and use our lives
to liberate the oppressed,
to break the bonds of injustice,
to feed the hungry,
welcome the poor,
and unite the human family;
all in the name and for the sake
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Prayers of the People

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.

† Hymn #838                                                                        “Standing on the Promises”

† Charge and Benediction

Remember the words of the Lord Jesus:
If any wish to be my disciples
let them take up the cross
and follow me. Amen.

May the steadfast love of God,
the abundant grace of Jesus Christ,
and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit
be with you this day and always. Amen.

Postlude                      I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me, Setting by Paul Taylor

“Spirituals are snapshots. They paint many-faceted pictures of an enslaved population… In this spiritual, the fervent desire of Christian slaves was to serve God. In spite of tremendous barriers to living holy lives, they wanted God to guide their feet while they ran this race.” (Eileen Guenther, In Their Own Words)

Sources

Storytelling the Season: Covenant. Karen Ware Jackson. “When we learn in God’s story together, we grow in God’s story together.” —Heather Ruth Johnson.

Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013).

Image: Pilgrim on the way to Santuario de Chimayo. Eddie Moore, Albuquerque Journal via Associated Press (2023)

Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-734388; CCLI Copyright License B 20481088 + Streaming License B 481071

Worship Participants

John Dittman
Liturgist

Keith and Kathy Glennan
A/V Production

Wendy Johnston
Organist and Assistant Director of Music

Greg Knauf
Director of Music

Ken Kovacs
Pastor

Vickie Lord
Social media support

Learning & Growing

Access the articles for Adult Education at catonsvillepres.org/belonging

The Practices of Lent: Prayer, Fasting, and Compassion

Sunday, March 3, 10, and 17 | Led by Ken Kovacs | 9:00 a.m. in the Library

The season of Lent is a time for growth in faith—through prayer, spiritual discipline, and self-examination in preparation for the annual commemoration of Jesus’ death and resurrection. In our journey through these forty days (minus Sundays), we are invited to reflect deeply on how to live out the meaning of our baptism as disciples. For three Sundays, we’ll explore three key practices associated with Lent: prayer, fasting, and works of love or compassion. We’ll give special attention to how we can nurture our inner life and cultivate loving habits of the heart. And we’ll offer ways to make these essential practices more meaningful and relevant in our walk with Christ.

Thursday Morning Bible Study: Toward A Theology of Death

Each week through March 21 | Led by Ken Kovacs | 10:30 a.m. in the Library

Thursday Morning Bible Study resumes in Lent for a special series that explores the Bible’s understanding of death. The Bible does not speak with one voice on this subject. What we find in Judaism is a gradual unfolding of insights into the nature of death, God’s relationship to death (and the dying), and speculations about life after death. Many of these ideas are present in the Old Testament but take on new and deeper meanings after the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection. Each week we’ll study a different passage of scripture, supported by additional articles and reflection pieces to inform our discussions.  We plan to look at the following texts: Genesis 3, Psalm 23 and Ecclesiastes, Ezekiel 37, John 11, and 1 Corinthians 15.

Announcements

Staff Schedules

Dorothy Boulton will be out of the office from February 19-28.

Souper Bowl of Caring

A great big “thank you” to all those who served and participated in Souper Bowl of Caring, especially Scout Troop 306, Cub Pack 306, and all the youth and families involved. A total of $1,479.00 was raised to tackle hunger locally!

Today After Worship: Youth Group

Middle and high school youth will meet today, Sunday, February 25 from noon to 2 p.m. We’ll enjoy pizza and snacks upstairs followed by games in the gymnasium.

Lent & Easter Messenger

Copies of the Lent & Easter Messenger are available in the front and rear of the sanctuary. It was also emailed out this past week and is available at catonsvillepres.org/messenger.

Dismantling Racism

The Presbytery of Baltimore is facilitating a presbytery-wide book study on The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein. From 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Mondays between April 8 and May 13, there will be weekly small group discussions. Special guests will provide insight on the book’s major themes. Online registration for these Zoom meetings is now open at baltimorepresbytery.org/dismantling-racism.

Envision Board Deadline

This is it! The Envision deadline is March 1 at 11:59 p.m. Don’t be that person who sends at 11:58pm only to experience a glitch! Today is the last day to visit the Envision Board table in Fellowship Hall to get those last-minute questions answered. We’ll be freely doling out encouragement.