Sunday, March 1, 2026 -- 10:30am Worship Service
In celebration of Women’s History Month, this week’s bulletin art is a linocut print by modernist artist, Sybil Andrews titled “Swans”, 1939.
Welcome to Maxwell Street! We hope you will consider wearing a nametag so that we might get to know one another better. They can be found in the lobbies outside the sanctuary. You can find more helpful information inside this bulletin.
INTROIT 411 - God Is Here Today (sing twice)
God is here today;
as certain as the air I breathe,
as certain as the morning sun that rises,
as certain when I sing you’ll hear my song.
GREETING & ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE - The Lord Is My Strength and My Song, Hal Hopson, Children’s Choir, Lydia Ruffin, director, Robin Morrill, piano
CALL TO WORSHIP
We gather today, aware of our weariness. We are wanderers and seekers, longing for a place where we are home.
We gather, moved by the stories of Ruth and Naomi and finding our own stories in their journeys of loss, diaspora and redemption.
We gather before the God of creation, whose love defies all human borders, limitations and biases.
We gather to worship in the promise of that redemption.
Let us lift our voices to the one who lifts us from the margins, emboldening us to be ambassadors of hope in this world; to the one who prepares a home and place for us at the table.
+ HYMN 301 - Let Us Build A House
+ CONFESSION & PARDON
Lord, notwithstanding your presence of hope in our lives, we acknowledge that we often ignore the cries of voices around us. We close our hearts and eyes to the pain of others. We feel exhausted and we disregard those who don’t feel welcomed in our midst. Forgive us. Help us to be like Ruth, open to bonds beyond blood; to be like Naomi, determined and wise; to be like Boaz, compassionate and just. May we
lean into our call to embrace the most vulnerable among us. We pray this in the name of the one whose life embodied this commitment, Jesus of Nazareth. Hear us now in our silent prayer.
• Response to Forgiveness: Hymn 581, (Gloria Patri)
PASSING OF THE PEACE
CHILDREN'S MESSAGE
OFFERING
• Offertory - Hallelujah, Amen!, G. F. Handel, Chancel Choir, Lydia Ruffin, director
• Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessing flow Praise Christ the Word in flesh born low; Praise Holy Spirit evermore; One God, Triune, whom we adore. Amen.
• Prayer of Dedication
PRAYER FOR OPENNESS
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 READING - Psalm 146 OT pg 581 (NRSVUE)
+ HYMN 806 -I’ll Praise My Maker (Psalm 146)
SCRIPTURE READING - Ruth 1.1-18 OT pg 241
SERMON - Rev. Krist Ehlert
STATEMENT OF FAITH - FromThe Belhar Confession
We believe that…unity of the people of God must be manifested and be active in a variety of ways: in that we love one another; that we experience, practice and pursue community with one another; that we are obligated to give ourselves willingly and joyfully to be of benefit and blessing to one another; that we share one faith, have one calling, are of one soul and one mind; have one God and Father, are filled with one Spirit, are baptized with one baptism, eat of one bread and drink of one cup, confess one name, are obedient to one Lord, work for one cause, and share one hope; together come to know the height and the breadth and the depth of the love of Christ; together are built up to the stature of Christ, to the new humanity; together know and bear one another’s burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of Christ that we need one another and upbuild one another, admonishing and comforting one another; that we suffer with one another for the sake of righteousness; pray together; together serve God in this world; and together fight against all which may threaten or hinder this unity.
+ HYMN 501 -Feed Us Lord
INVITATION
• PRAYER OF GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
• WORDS OF INSTITUTION
• THE COMMUNION OF THE PEOPLE
The congregation is invited to come forward to take a piece of bread and dip it in the cup. There is gluten-free bread on the table. If you would prefer to receive Communion in your pew, an elder or deacon will serve you. After consuming the bread and the cup and returning to your seat, turn your mind to what God is inviting you to consider in this moment of stillness.
• PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Thank you, gracious God, for giving us bread for the journey of these forty days. As we travel on through the wilderness help us to share your grace with others and draw us ever closer to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
+ HYMN 516 -For the Bread Which You Have Broken
CHARGE & BENEDICTION
Benediction Response - Hymn 702, Christ Be Beside Me
1 Christ be beside me;
Christ be before me;
Christ be behind me,
King of my heart.
Christ be within me;
Christ be below me;
Christ be above me,
never to part.
2 Christ on my right hand,
Christ on my left hand,
Christ all around me,
shield in the strife.
Christ in my sleeping,
Christ in my sitting,
Christ in my rising,
Light of my life.
POSTLUDE - How Firm a Foundation, Anna Laura Page, Dr. Kate Covington, organ
Welcome to Maxwell Street! We hope you will consider wearing a nametag so that we might get to know one another better. They can be found in the lobbies outside the sanctuary. You can find more helpful information inside this bulletin.
INTROIT 411 - God Is Here Today (sing twice)
God is here today;
as certain as the air I breathe,
as certain as the morning sun that rises,
as certain when I sing you’ll hear my song.
GREETING & ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE - The Lord Is My Strength and My Song, Hal Hopson, Children’s Choir, Lydia Ruffin, director, Robin Morrill, piano
CALL TO WORSHIP
We gather today, aware of our weariness. We are wanderers and seekers, longing for a place where we are home.
We gather, moved by the stories of Ruth and Naomi and finding our own stories in their journeys of loss, diaspora and redemption.
We gather before the God of creation, whose love defies all human borders, limitations and biases.
We gather to worship in the promise of that redemption.
Let us lift our voices to the one who lifts us from the margins, emboldening us to be ambassadors of hope in this world; to the one who prepares a home and place for us at the table.
+ HYMN 301 - Let Us Build A House
+ CONFESSION & PARDON
Lord, notwithstanding your presence of hope in our lives, we acknowledge that we often ignore the cries of voices around us. We close our hearts and eyes to the pain of others. We feel exhausted and we disregard those who don’t feel welcomed in our midst. Forgive us. Help us to be like Ruth, open to bonds beyond blood; to be like Naomi, determined and wise; to be like Boaz, compassionate and just. May we
lean into our call to embrace the most vulnerable among us. We pray this in the name of the one whose life embodied this commitment, Jesus of Nazareth. Hear us now in our silent prayer.
• Response to Forgiveness: Hymn 581, (Gloria Patri)
PASSING OF THE PEACE
CHILDREN'S MESSAGE
OFFERING
• Offertory - Hallelujah, Amen!, G. F. Handel, Chancel Choir, Lydia Ruffin, director
• Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessing flow Praise Christ the Word in flesh born low; Praise Holy Spirit evermore; One God, Triune, whom we adore. Amen.
• Prayer of Dedication
PRAYER FOR OPENNESS
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 READING - Psalm 146 OT pg 581 (NRSVUE)
+ HYMN 806 -I’ll Praise My Maker (Psalm 146)
SCRIPTURE READING - Ruth 1.1-18 OT pg 241
SERMON - Rev. Krist Ehlert
STATEMENT OF FAITH - FromThe Belhar Confession
We believe that…unity of the people of God must be manifested and be active in a variety of ways: in that we love one another; that we experience, practice and pursue community with one another; that we are obligated to give ourselves willingly and joyfully to be of benefit and blessing to one another; that we share one faith, have one calling, are of one soul and one mind; have one God and Father, are filled with one Spirit, are baptized with one baptism, eat of one bread and drink of one cup, confess one name, are obedient to one Lord, work for one cause, and share one hope; together come to know the height and the breadth and the depth of the love of Christ; together are built up to the stature of Christ, to the new humanity; together know and bear one another’s burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of Christ that we need one another and upbuild one another, admonishing and comforting one another; that we suffer with one another for the sake of righteousness; pray together; together serve God in this world; and together fight against all which may threaten or hinder this unity.
+ HYMN 501 -Feed Us Lord
INVITATION
• PRAYER OF GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
• WORDS OF INSTITUTION
• THE COMMUNION OF THE PEOPLE
The congregation is invited to come forward to take a piece of bread and dip it in the cup. There is gluten-free bread on the table. If you would prefer to receive Communion in your pew, an elder or deacon will serve you. After consuming the bread and the cup and returning to your seat, turn your mind to what God is inviting you to consider in this moment of stillness.
• PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Thank you, gracious God, for giving us bread for the journey of these forty days. As we travel on through the wilderness help us to share your grace with others and draw us ever closer to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
+ HYMN 516 -For the Bread Which You Have Broken
CHARGE & BENEDICTION
Benediction Response - Hymn 702, Christ Be Beside Me
1 Christ be beside me;
Christ be before me;
Christ be behind me,
King of my heart.
Christ be within me;
Christ be below me;
Christ be above me,
never to part.
2 Christ on my right hand,
Christ on my left hand,
Christ all around me,
shield in the strife.
Christ in my sleeping,
Christ in my sitting,
Christ in my rising,
Light of my life.
POSTLUDE - How Firm a Foundation, Anna Laura Page, Dr. Kate Covington, organ