When I am this way, You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall

Quote for Reflection: so self-absorbed, so sure of my right, reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. You shall
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin I abandon your love and work against you. not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people,
Dance me through the panic til Im gathered safely in I become your enemy. but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove And yet you love me.
Dance me to the end of love PSALTER Psalm 119:33-40 842, R3
No being right, no winning,
Leonard Cohen just the cross, just your love.
GOSPEL Matthew 5:38-48
May your love absorb my pain and fear; You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a
-We Gather as Gods People- may your love become my love.
May I actually love my enemy,
tooth for a tooth. But I say to you: dont use violence to resist
evil! Instead, when someone hits you on the right cheek, turn
love them as your beloved,
HYMN Love Divine, All Loves Excelling 384 the other one toward him. And if anyone wants to sue you and
wounded and precious as I am.
take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces
CALL TO WORSHIP Lawrie Let me see myself in them, you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone
God, be lifting me- wounded and afraid and tangled in faults, who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to
and truly love them, borrow from you.
God be lifting up my head
give my heart to their well being You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor
there is more to be found in compassion for their souls,
than this trodden ground I stand upon and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and
for the wholeness of their lives, pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children
God be lifting up my eyes and love my enemy as myself. of your Father in heaven; for God makes the sun rise on the evil
for hope might arise,
By your love in me, let me love. and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the
like the tenderest surprise, even after defeat unrighteous.
God be lifting up my heart
not just to pump blood, For if you love those who love you, what reward do you
but swelled up by love make it wide open -We Listen for Gods Word- have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you
greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing
God be lifting up my feet than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You must
TORAH Leviticus 19, selections
For the steps I now take therefore set no bounds to your love, just as your heavenly
is the journey I make towards You The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to all the congregation Father sets none to his. (trad. translation: Be ye perfect, as
God be lifting up my hands of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I your heavenly Father is perfect.)
the Lord your God am holy.
for in their embrace
each small act of grace becomes Yours When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to
the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your
PRAISE He Came Down 2085
harvest. You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the -We Respond to Gods Word-
fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the
How Majestic Is Your Name 2023 poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God. REFLECTION Dance Me to the End of Love

PASSING THE PEACE You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not
lie to one another. And you shall not swear falsely by my name, HYMN The Gift of Love 408
profaning the name of your God: I am the Lord. You shall not
YOUNG PEOPLES MESSAGE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORDS PRAYER
defraud your neighbor; you shall not steal; and you shall not
keep for yourself the wages of a laborer until morning. You
OPENING TO GOD shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling block before the OFFERING & DOXOLOGY 94
Love your enemies blind; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
and pray for those who persecute you.Matthew 5:44
You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial
to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge
-We Scatter to Serve-
Heavenly Lover, I don't want to love.
I want to protect my fear, my hurt and anger. your neighbor. You shall not go around as a slanderer among ANNOUNCEMENTS
I want to fix, to control, to be right, your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your
to unload my pain onto another. neighbor: I am the Lord. BENEDICTION
 Birthdays & Anniversaries We take prayer seriously at Essex United Methodist Church.
February 24 - Bob McLane We dont pray because we think God is absent and needs cajoling.
We dont pray because we think God is a celestial Santa Claus.
We pray because that is how humans begin to discern Gods will.
Essex Eats Out Schedule We pray because prayer changes us; prayer opens us up
Feb 24 - EUMC March 3 - 1st Cong. Mar 10 - Holy Family more and more to Gods grace and the movement
Mar 17 - St. James Mar 24- EUMC Mar 31 - St. Pius of Gods Spirit in our hearts, our community, our world.
Below are people, places, & concerns that folk have lifted up.
Announcements Please keep them in your prayers at home.
The Essex/Jericho/Underhill Food Shelf is in need of Vegetables (no Please call or email the church office to add to the prayer list.
green beans please though!), Soup, Peanut Butter, Tuna, Mac &
Cheese, Baked Beans. Ongoing Prayers
Brooks Family
Lifted Up Last Sunday
Jan - safety for son, driving in storm
Dance Me to The End of Love
Jars Needed! A collection box for small, clean, label free baby jars is Michael Parker Emily - neighbor, missing mom
downstairs for recycling. We will refill them with fresh jam for our Jill & Doug Griffin Dawn - aging parents; communicating,
holiday baskets. Questions, call Vickie (879-7515).
Stan Komecki decision making & change
Nursery Help Needed! Our church is blessed with the presence of a Jenna Roy
number of toddlers and preschoolers. Our gallant nursery crew aim to Paul
provide the parents of these children with some spiritual time away Robin
from their little ones. Sally Jablonski, our nursery coordinator, is
looking for a couple more volunteers to help staff the nursery. If you Jaylene
would like to help with this ministry please contact Sally at D.J.
sallyjablonski317@gmail.com or (319)321-2118 and she will take it Chris
from there. (note: volunteers will need to have a background check.) Anne
John Bartlett
Judy & Diezela
Calendar
Mon, 20 Feb: Monday Companions at Eves 7:00 pm. Matthew C.
Finish Confessions of X by Suzanne Wolfe. Brenda
Tim
Tue, 21 Feb: Office Hours
Lenore
Phoenix Books: 10:00 to noon
Church: noon-1:30 pm Ralph & LeeAnn
Mansfield Bible Study 2:00 pm Arlitha
Trustees, 7:00 pm Donna Douglas
Callie photo by Moshe Nachumovich
Thu, 23 Feb: Thursday Companions in Parlor, 2:00 pm. Discuss
chapters 4&5 of Paul Was Not a Christian by Pamela Eisenbaum Keenan

Fri, 24 Feb: Essex Eats Out at EUMC 5:30 pm

Essex Center United Methodist Church
Tue, 28 Feb: Pastor-Parish Relations Committee at Donnas house, essex_umc@comcast.net tel. 878-8304
59 Weed Road, 7:00 pm www.essexumc.com
Ministers: the entire congregation Lay Leader: Joshua Knox
Wed, 1 Mar: Green Mountain Nursing Home,Worship 2:30 pm Equipping Pastor: Rev. V. Mitchell Hay
cell tel. 881-3268 (feel free to call) mitchellhay@comcast.net
Ash Wednesday Service, 7:00 pm Office Manager: Heidi Evans
Organ: Kathryn Parker
Guitar: Richard Randazzo
Piano: June Packard
Song Leader: Dana Thomas
Essex Center
Mon, 6 Mar: Monday Companions at Eves 7:00 pm.
Begin The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis Projection: Sam Evans United Methodist Church
Greeters -Gil & Barb Myers
Wed, 8 Mar: Lenten Movie Series Begins with The Way 6:30 pm. Ushers - Claire Noble & Barbara Audet, Kathy Dodge Seventh Sunday after Epiphany 2017