WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

PRELUDE “Ah, Holy Jesus” arr. Gary Davidson

JOURNEY TO THE CROSS

*HYMN “Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days” #81

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

I have deceived myself, dear Christ, I confess it; I have fallen from the heights to the depths. O lift me up again, for well I know delusion came because I wanted it. If I presume again, I’ll fall again and fall to my undoing. Forgive my arrogance and humble me by the grace of thy salvation. It cannot be that I alone shall find you hard and unresponsive… --St. Gregory of Nazianzus, d. 389

Silent Prayers of confession

WORDS OF ASSURANCE

Christ carries our sins on the wings of God’s love and grace. Once, for all, Christ has suffered, that our sins may be put to death and our lives may be given new birth. What God has put to death, let us now put to death. In the name of Christ, we are forgiven!

Thanks be to God!

*GLORIA PATRI

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

God, source of all light, by your Word you give light to the soul. Pour out on us the spirit of wisdom and understanding that our hearts and minds may be opened; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

SCRIPTURE LESSONS:

Isaiah 9:2-7, 60:19-20

² The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined. ³ You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. ⁴ For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. ⁵ For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. ⁶ For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

¹⁹ The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you by night; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. ²⁰ Your sun shall no more go down, or your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.

John 8:12-19

¹² Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” ¹³ Then the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.” ¹⁴ Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. ¹⁵ You judge by human standards; I judge no one. ¹⁶ Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. ¹⁷ In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. ¹⁸ I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.” ¹⁹ Then they said to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

SERMON “Light of the World” Rev. Barrett Ingram

HYMN “O Love, That Wilt Not Let Me Go” #384, vss. 1, 2 &4

PASTORAL PRAYER AND THE LORD’S PRAYER

BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE “Fugue in A Minor” J. S. Bach

Announcements

Sunday, February 28

11:00 AM – In-person Worship Service

12:00 PM –Session Meeting

Prayer List

Marguerite Hufham, Sarah Melvin, Louise Quick, Ronnie Rush, Juanita McGraw, Betty Johnson, Bill Jackson, Darrel Melvin, Happy Lashlee, Gerry Carey, Becky Regan, Mary Ward, Lucille Hood, Amy Johnson, Bill Marsh, Esther Collier, Madeline NcNeill Long, Shannon Wilcox, Clara Wooten Hunsucker, Ernest Ray Long, Jo Campbell, Linda Smith, Susan and David Butler, Doug Bergeron, Margaret Ingram, Bill Greene, Allison Ward, Jimmy Hickman, Holly Eppley, Betty Faircloth, Susan Deans, Sammy Hatcher, Carmen McQueen, Claudia Hester, Lin Weeks, Nellie Macon, Richard and Mary Jane Howell, Susan Priest, David Callihan, Ray Battle, Michael Ann Williamson, James Boswell, Rev. David McKirachan, Molly Cox, Bob Nelson, Ann Burney, Betty Ann McPherson, Alice Waugh, Wendy Marlowe Bowen, Patsy Grainger, Joey Elkins, family of Juanita McGraw