Sunday, May 10th, 2020

God Gathers Us

Call to Worship - Psalm 95:1-7

To be read aloud by someone in your home

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
    and extol him with music and song.

For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the flock under his care.

Opening Prayer

• Take a moment to think about/share together how God is described in these verses. What images are used to describe God? What aspects of God’s character are celebrated?

• Now take a moment to pray, thanking God for who He is.

God Saves Us

Penney Families - Question #4

Congregational Singing

• We encourage you to sing - make a joyful noise! If you play an instrument, play! If you have some favorite hymns or choruses, pick one or two and sing! Or make use of other technology to play some music, and listen and sing along.

• Below are some hymns you can make use of if these would be a help to you:

Congregational Prayer

• Take some time to pray giving thanks for your mother, praying for your mother and other mothers in the church that they would be strengthened and blessed, and for those who for whom this is a difficult day, that they would be comforted and encouraged in the love of Christ.

Offering

During this time when we can't gather on Sundays, we can still receive your offerings a couple of ways:

• You can drop your offering in the locked mailbox outside the church office entrance

• Or, you can mail them to the church at 393 Water Street, Augusta ME 04330.

Thank you for your continued support of Penney and its ministries!

Scripture Reading - Romans 13:1-10

This morning’s Scripture reader is Sue Robinson

Sermon: The Good of Government and the Christian Outlaw

Sunday, May 3rd, 2020

God Gathers Us

Call to Worship - Psalm 27:1-5

To be read aloud by someone in your home

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked advance against me
    to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
    who will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me,
    my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
    even then I will be confident.

One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble
    he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
    and set me high upon a rock.

Opening Prayer

• Take a moment to think about anything that may be troubling your heart or weighing on your mind - concerns you may have for yourself or for others that you know and love.

• Now take a moment to pray, bringing these concerns to the Lord, but also thanking God for the truth that He is our rock and our refuge, and asking Him to show you again this morning who He is that you might continue to grow in faith in Him.

God Saves Us

Penney Families - Question #3

Congregational Singing

• We encourage you to sing - make a joyful noise! If you play an instrument, play! If you have some favorite hymns or choruses, pick one or two and sing! Or make use of other technology to play some music, and listen and sing along.

• Below are some hymns you can make use of if these would be a help to you:

Congregational Prayer

• As we all know, these are difficult days, with many difficult decisions required. Take a few moments to list out some of the local and national leaders who have hard decisions to make in the coming days and weeks.

• These are also challenging days for churches across Maine and across the country and across the world. Take a few moments to think of some of the other church communities you know of in the Augusta area and beyond.

• And then think of your household as well, and the needs that you have, the decisions you have to make.

• Now, take some time to pray for these you have thought of, asking God for His wisdom for all of these leaders and situations, and for God to humble and strengthen leaders, to depend on the Lord and to stand strong in doing what is right.

Offering

During this time when we can't gather on Sundays, we can still receive your offerings a couple of ways:

• You can drop your offering in the locked mailbox outside the church office entrance

• Or, you can mail them to the church at 393 Water Street, Augusta ME 04330.

Thank you for your continued support of Penney and its ministries!

Scripture Reading - John 1:35-51

This morning’s Scripture reader is the Flanagan family

Sermon: “Come and See”

Sunday, April 26th, 2020

God Gathers Us

Call to Worship - Psalm 19:12-14

To be read aloud by someone in your home

Who can discern their own errors?
    Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
    may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
    innocent of great transgression.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
    be pleasing in your sight,
    Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Opening Prayer

• Take a moment of quiet, to ask God to search your heart and show you if there are things that you need forgiveness for; faults you haven’t seen, that you have been guilty of this past week, and for which you need God’s forgiveness.

• But remember - God is our rock, and our Redeemer. Pray asking for forgiveness, but also thanking God for His promise to forgive and cleanse us, and asking Him to show you again His love and grace.

God Saves Us

Penney Families - Question #2

Congregational Singing

• We encourage you to sing - make a joyful noise! If you play an instrument, play! If you have some favorite hymns or choruses, pick one or two and sing! Or make use of other technology to play some music, and listen and sing along.

• Below are some hymns you can make use of if these would be a help to you:

Congregational Prayer

• Take a few moments to think about/share together how God has shown his care for you this week.

• Now take some time to think about/share together some of the needs that you have right now and the needs of others you know.

• Now, take some time to pray thanking God for His care and asking God to meet the needs that you have shared.

• Close by praying the Lord’s Prayer together:

  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 and ever, Amen.

Offering

During this time when we can't gather on Sundays, we can still receive your offerings a couple of ways:

• You can drop your offering in the locked mailbox outside the church office entrance

• Or, you can mail them to the church at 393 Water Street, Augusta ME 04330.

Thank you for your continued support of Penney and its ministries!

Scripture Reading - John 1:14-29

This morning’s Scripture reader is Kay Degon

Sermon: “We Have Seen His Glory”

Sunday, April 19th, 2020

God Gathers Us

Call to Worship - Psalm 63:1-5

To be read aloud by someone in your home

Psalm 63:1-5

1 You, God, are my God,
    earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
    my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
    where there is no water.

2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
    and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
    my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
    and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
    with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

Opening Prayer

• Take a moment to think or talk together about the power and glory of God. What stories from the Bible demonstrate God’s power and glory? What aspects of His character do you think of when you think of God’s power and glory?

• Pray a prayer of thanksgiving, praising God for His power, glory and love.

God Saves Us

Penney Families - First Question

Congregational Singing

• We encourage you to sing - make a joyful noise! If you play an instrument, play! If you have some favorite hymns or choruses, pick one or two and sing! Or make use of other technology to play some music, and listen and sing along.

• Below are some hymns you can make use of if these would be a help to you:

Congregational Prayer

• Take a few moments to think about some of the others in the church body who you worship with each week. List them by name, either writing them down or sharing the names with others. You may want to scroll through the church directory if you have one.

• Remember all those in our church and in our community who are working in the medical profession and their families. Again, if you think of particular names, write them down or share them with others.

• Remember those who may be particularly vulnerable at this time - either physically vulnerable, or vulnerable to loneliness, anxiety, or temptation.

• Now, take some time to pray for these you have thought of, and any others who the Holy Spirit brings to mind, thanking God for His care and for these precious brothers and sisters and lifting them up to the Lord.

Offering

During this time when we can't gather on Sundays, we can still receive your offerings a couple of ways:

• You can drop your offering in the locked mailbox outside the church office entrance

• Or, you can mail them to the church at 393 Water Street, Augusta ME 04330.

Thank you for your continued support of Penney and its ministries!

Scripture Reading - John 1:1-13

Read aloud this morning’s Scripture reading:

John 1:1-13

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Sermon: Introducing Jesus

Easter Sunday

God Gathers Us

Call to Worship

To be read aloud by someone in your home

John 20:1-9

¹ Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. ² So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

³ So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. ⁴ Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷ as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. ⁸ Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹ (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

Opening Prayer

• Pray a prayer of thanksgiving, thanking God for the saving work of Jesus on the cross, the triumphant hope of His resurrection where He triumphed over death, and the promise of eternal life that He gives to all who trust in Him.

God Saves Us

Congregational Singing

• We encourage you to sing – make a joyful noise! If you play an instrument, play! If you have some favorite hymns or choruses, pick one or two and sing! Or make use of other technology to play some music, and listen and sing along.

• Below is a video you can use, provided by the Mahar family and the Stevens family.

Easter testimony

This fall, Marissa Paquette was one of four people baptized at Penney, proclaiming her faith in Christ. We were planning on having Marissa share her testimony this Easter – and then social distancing efforts went into effect making everything … difficult.

But thanks to the technology of Zoom (and the efforts of John and Christine McEwan and Marissa!) Marissa was interviewed and her testimony edited and prepared, so we can share it with you.

Offering

During this time when we can't gather on Sundays, we can still receive your offerings a couple of ways:

• You can drop your offering in the locked mailbox outside the church office entrance

• Or, you can mail them to the church at 393 Water Street, Augusta ME 04330.

Thank you for your continued support of Penney and its ministries!

Scripture Reading - John 20:24-31

Read aloud this morning’s Scripture reading:

Jesus Appears to Thomas

²⁴ Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

²⁶ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” ²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The Purpose of John’s Gospel

³⁰ Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹ But these are written that you may believe] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Sermon: The Story of His Scars, the Challenge of His Life

Closing Song