--- title: "Worship Service – St. John's United Church of Christ – March 8, 2026" aliases: - "St. John's United Church of Christ" date: 2026-03-08 church: "St. John's United Church of Christ" location: "Chambersburg, PA" theme: "Holy Confrontation" pastor: "Rev. Caroline E. Saxton" type: sermon-notes liturgical_season: "Lent" liturgical_week: "Third Sunday in Lent" liturgical_year: "A" liturgical_color: "Purple – penitence, preparation, and royalty" christian_observances: - "Third Sunday in Lent" - "Daylight Saving Time begins" jewish_calendar_hebrew_date: "Adar 19, 5786" jewish_calendar_torah_portion: "Vayak'hel-Pekudei" jewish_calendar_holidays: "Shortly after Purim (Adar 14)" ecumenical_observances: - "International Women's Day (March 8)" narrative_lectionary: code: "NL433" title: "Peter's Denial" primary: "John 18:12-27" companion: "Psalm 17:1-7" note: "St. John's deviates from the Narrative Lectionary this week, using Numbers 27:1-11 and Matthew 15:21-28 as part of the Lenten series 'The Work of Imagination' ((c) 2026 Illustrated Ministry)" revised_common_lectionary: old_testament: "Exodus 17:1-7" psalm: "Psalm 95" epistle: "Romans 5:1-11" gospel: "John 4:5-42" scripture: - "Numbers 27:1-11" - "Matthew 15:21-28" - "Mark 7:24-30 (referenced)" - "Luke 6:27-36 (referenced, previous week)" - "Acts 16:16-24 (referenced)" hymns: - number: 0 title: "This is the Day (Gathering Song)" - number: 400 title: "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" - number: 704 title: "Glory Be to the Father" - number: 0 title: "Kyrie (Hymnal Companion C-4)" - number: 0 title: "Were You There (Choir Anthem)" - number: 0 title: "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (v. 4, Offertory Response)" - number: 388 title: "Help Us Accept Each Other" tags: - church - bulletin - worship - sermon-notes - lent - hymn-400 - hymn-388 - hymn-704 - UCC - StJohnsUCC - holy-confrontation - canaanite-woman - zelophehad-daughters - narrative-lectionary - work-of-imagination date created: 2026-03-08 10:00 date modified: 2026-03-08 12:00 --- # St. John's United Church of Christ — March 8, 2026 [YouTube Recording](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw) ## Liturgical Context ### Christian Liturgical Calendar - **Season:** Lent - **Week:** Third Sunday in Lent - **Liturgical Year:** Year A (Matthew) - **Liturgical Color:** Purple — penitence, preparation, and royalty - **Lenten Series:** "The Work of Imagination" ((c) 2026 Illustrated Ministry) - **Note:** Daylight Saving Time began today — the congregation lost one hour of sleep ### Jewish Calendar - **Hebrew Date:** Adar 19, 5786 - **Torah Portion:** Vayak'hel-Pekudei ([[Exodus 35#1]]–[[Exodus 40#38]]) - **Proximity:** Shortly after Purim (Adar 14, celebrated March 3, 2026) ### Ecumenical & Global Observances - International Women's Day (March 8) — particularly resonant with today's scriptures about women's voices and persistence ### Narrative Lectionary Readings (Year 4 – John) > [!info] St. John's follows the **Narrative Lectionary Year 4** (John focus, 2025–26), not the Revised Common Lectionary. - **NL433 — Peter's Denial:** John 18:12-27 (Companion: Psalm 17:1-7) - **Liturgical Color:** Purple - **NL Prayer of the Day:** "Holy God, we, like Peter, often turn our backs on you. Forgive us and show us a new way to live, walking boldly and passionately toward you. Amen." - **NL Suggested Hymns:** "What wondrous love is this" (ELW 666); "Guide me ever, great Redeemer" (ELW 618) - **NL Suggested Choral:** "Stay with us," Walter Pelz > [!info] This service deviates from both the NL and the RCL, using Numbers 27:1-11 and Matthew 15:21-28 as part of the Lenten series "The Work of Imagination" ((c) 2026 Illustrated Ministry). ### Revised Common Lectionary Readings (Lent 3A) - **Old Testament:** Exodus 17:1-7 — [[Exodus 17#1]] - **Psalm:** Psalm 95 — [[Psalm 95#1]] - **Epistle:** Romans 5:1-11 — [[Romans 5#1]] - **Gospel:** John 4:5-42 — [[John 4#5]] ### Connection to Today's Message Both the Narrative Lectionary text (Peter's denial) and today's chosen texts share a common thread: moments where people face confrontation and either grow or fail to grow from the encounter. Peter denies Jesus three times. The Canaanite woman confronts Jesus and he grows. Zelophehad's daughters confront the legal system and change it. International Women's Day underscores the theme of women's voices demanding justice. --- ## Service Information - **Church:** St. John's United Church of Christ - **Date:** Sunday, March 8, 2026 - **Time:** 10:00 AM - **Pastor:** Rev. Caroline E. Saxton - **Denomination:** United Church of Christ (UCC) - **Theme:** Holy Confrontation - **Bulletin Cover Art:** "Canaanite Woman" — Matthew 15:21-28, (c) 2026 Illustrated Ministry (illustratedministry.com) --- ## Order of Worship ### Gathering #### Gathering Song: "This is the Day" > [!warning] Lyrics not included — copyrighted (Les Garrett, 1967). Based on [[Psalm 118#24]]. #### Unison Welcome — [30:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=1830s) **No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.** > Pastor Saxton: "Welcome to worship at St. John's United Church of Christ. Whether you are joining us online or are here in our sanctuary, it is so good to be gathered together. And while I did not appreciate the loss of one hour of sleep, I can rejoice in the beautiful sunshine. It has been so long. We are indeed glad to be gathered together for worship this morning." #### Announcements — [30:57](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=1857s) - **Camp Sticky Bun Sale:** Orders taken after worship. $12/dozen, $7/half dozen. On sale March 8 & 15. Pickup March 22. - **Smith's Chicken Barbecue Fundraiser:** For St. John's Nursery School. Tickets available today. Sale held at St. John's (not Lowe's) on March 28. - **SJUCC Gathering at New Neighbors Food Hall:** Tuesday, March 10. RSVP to the office by Monday. Location: 102 S Main St, Chambersburg. - **Life Talk:** Offered every Sunday after worship — "a place to share, a place to express, sometimes to vent, and sometimes often just to be held." #### Lenten Offering Presentation: CONIPAC — [32:57](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=1977s) Presented by John (congregant): - **CONIPAC** is a nonprofit whose mission is to promote conservation of the rainforest in Peru through education of its community citizens, including children. - Education is free in Peru, but students must purchase their own notebooks, rulers, pens, and pencils — almost impossible financially for those in rural communities. - CONIPAC establishes long-term commitments to communities: one-room schoolhouses to high schools. - Programs include: workshops for teachers, building kitchens to feed students, educational workshops on stewardship of natural resources. - **Adopt a School Program** began in 1993, providing school supplies and encouraging intercultural exchange. - Brought to St. John's attention by members Glory and Gary Crum, Sue and Lee Powell, who visited Peru. #### Chiming of the Trinity / Prelude #### *Call to Worship (from The Work of Imagination) — [39:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=2344s) **Leader:** Come into God's presence. You who imagine and you who seek, you who disrupt and you who repair. **People:** By the Spirit we gather in hope. **Leader:** Come into God's presence. You of great faith and you who grasp at crumbs. You who resist and you who persist. **People:** In Christ we gather and are transformed. **Leader:** Come into God's presence singing for joy and for justice. Bringing prayer and worship your most faithful acts of resistance. **People:** To God be the glory. We gather to praise. #### *Hymn #400: "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" — [39:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=2396s) > [!warning] Lyrics not included — (c) 1938 Unichappell Music Inc. **Author:** Thomas A. Dorsey, 1932 **Music:** Folk melody (MAITLAND, George N. Allen) adapted by Thomas A. Dorsey, 1932 **Tune:** PRECIOUS LORD, Irregular **Background:** Dorsey wrote this hymn after the devastating deaths of his wife Nettie during childbirth and their newborn son within 24 hours. It became Martin Luther King Jr.'s favorite hymn; Mahalia Jackson sang it at King's funeral in 1968. Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, help me stand— I am tired, I am weak, I am worn; Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light— Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home. When my way grows drear, precious Lord, linger near— When my life is almost gone; Hear my cry, hear my call, hold my hand lest I fall— Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home. #### Call to Confession — [41:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=2507s) > Pastor Saxton: "Siblings in Christ, let us confess our sins to God. For God knows our temptation to be cruel to one another and yet imagines for us a life of mutual blessings." #### Prayer of Confession — [42:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=2523s) God of mercy and compassion, we confess that we have not always treated our neighbors, friends, or even family members with dignity. **We have used dehumanizing language or stereotypes. We have been critical when we should have been encouraging. We have told lies when we should have been honest with hard truths. We have excluded people when we should have widened the invitation.** Forgive us for the ways that we have failed our neighbors, friends, and family with unkind words. Amen. #### Kyrie (Hymnal Companion C-4) — [42:49](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=2569s) Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. #### Assurance of Pardon — [43:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=2608s) > Pastor Saxton: "Beloved in Christ, God knows how it feels to be frustrated with other people. Yet God promises the spirit to replenish our reserves of patience and love. When it feels like we cannot spare one more kind thought, receive the gifts of grace. Receive God's pardon for your sins and be at peace." --- ### Word #### *Glory Be to the Father (#704) — [44:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=2650s) **Copyright:** Public domain (traditional doxology) > Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen. #### *Passing of the Peace — [44:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=2678s) > Pastor Saxton: "As we walk through the wilderness of Lent, we imagine a world where all creation is at peace. We imagine a world without war where creation flourishes and children are safe. Let these dreams of peace begin here as we share the peace of Christ with one another. May the peace of Christ be with you." The peace of Christ be with you. **And also with you.** #### Scripture Reading: Numbers 27:1-11 — [46:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=2774s) Read by Connie Kaiser (Lector) ![[Numbers 27#1]] ![[Numbers 27#2]] ![[Numbers 27#3]] ![[Numbers 27#4]] ![[Numbers 27#5]] ![[Numbers 27#6]] ![[Numbers 27#7]] ![[Numbers 27#8]] ![[Numbers 27#9]] ![[Numbers 27#10]] ![[Numbers 27#11]] #### Responsive Reading: "Alone" by Maya Angelou — [48:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=2927s) > [!warning] "Alone" by Maya Angelou is under copyright (from _Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well_, Random House, 1975). The poem explores the theme that nobody can make it in this world alone — the refrain repeats that no one, regardless of wealth or status, can survive without human connection and community. Look up the full text from a licensed source. The transcript captures fragments of the responsive reading: **Leader:** "Lying, thinking last night how to find my soul a home..." **People:** "I came up with one thing and I don't believe I'm wrong..." **Leader:** "Alone, all alone..." #### Baptism Announcement — [49:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=2962s) > Pastor Saxton: "We had planned to baptize Michaela and Tommy this morning, and then I got a phone call from Dwight sharing that they came down with food poisoning. So we will reschedule the baptism of these precious children for another Sunday, and we will pivot and the choir will sing and lead us in song." **Candidates (rescheduled):** - Makayla Grace Sheele (originally listed as Michaela) - Thomas Joseph Sheele III (Tommy) **Parents:** Sabrina Sollenberger and Thomas J. Sheele II **Sponsors:** Dwight and Cheryl Sollenberger ##### Baptism Liturgy (as printed in bulletin, not used this week) **Welcome** There is one body and one Spirit. There is one hope in God's call to us. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Creator of us all. **Questions of Parents and Sponsors** Do you desire to have your children baptized into the faith and family of Jesus Christ? **We do.** Will you encourage them to renounce the powers of evil and to receive the freedom of new life in Christ? **We will, with the help of God.** Will you teach them that they may be led to profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? **We will, with the help of God.** Do you promise, by the grace of God, to be Christ's disciples, to follow in the way of our Savior, to resist oppression and evil, to show love and justice, and to witness to the work and word of Jesus Christ as best you are able? **We do, with the help of God.** **Congregational Assent** Do you, who witness and celebrate this sacrament, promise your love, support, and care to the ones about to be baptized, as they live and grow in Christ? **We promise our love, support, and care.** **Affirmation of Faith (Apostles' Creed)** Do you believe in God the Father? **I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.** Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God? **I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.** Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit? **I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.** **Prayer of Baptism** The Lord be with you. **And also with you.** **Act of Baptism** Makayla Grace, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. **Amen.** Thomas Joseph, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. **Amen.** **Benediction** Go in the peace of Christ. **Thanks be to God.** --- #### Anthem: "Were You There" (Choir) — [50:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=3052s) > [!warning] "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?" — Traditional African American spiritual. Public domain. Sung by the choir in place of the baptism. Verses sung included: 1. "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" 2. "Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?" 3. "Were you there when the sun refused to shine?" 4. "Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?" Each verse includes the refrain: "Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble." #### Children's Message: Roxanne Davenport — [53:49](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=3229s) Roxanne spoke with Penny (a child) about **remembering**: - We all forget sometimes — lists, sticky notes, phone reminders, even a string on the finger - Told the story of Jesus traveling to the region of the Canaanites — people who didn't get along with God's people - A Canaanite woman came begging for her daughter's healing - Jesus initially ignored her, then shushed her away, but she persisted - She told him: "Even people like me deserve help. Even outsiders deserve healing." - Jesus remembered that God's love wasn't just for the Israelites — God's people are all people - Key message: "God's love is for everyone and is to be shared with everyone" - "Even Jesus forgot. So we know we're forgiven because even Jesus forgot. But the important thing is that we change — that we remember and that we keep our eyes open to those around us." **Prayer:** [59:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=3593s) "Lord, forgive us when we forget and help us to remember. Open our hearts, open our eyes, and open our hands to see need and to serve everyone. In your son's name we pray. Amen." > Children's Corner led by Chani Wolfe after the message. #### Scripture Reading: Matthew 15:21-28 — [60:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=3635s) ![[Matthew 15#21]] ![[Matthew 15#22]] ![[Matthew 15#23]] ![[Matthew 15#24]] ![[Matthew 15#25]] ![[Matthew 15#26]] ![[Matthew 15#27]] ![[Matthew 15#28]] > "This is the word of God for the people of God." **Thanks be to God.** #### Sermon: "Holy Confrontation" — Rev. Caroline E. Saxton — [62:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=3729s) **Prayer before Sermon:** "Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable to you, oh God, for you are our rock and our redeemer. Amen." ##### Introduction — [62:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=3752s) Pastor Saxton opened by talking about comfort food — both the kind that nourishes bellies (ice cream from Windy Knoll) and the kind that nourishes spirits (a good book, a cozy blanket, the warmth of a cat on the lap). Some books are read over and over, like catching up with an old friend. Yet there are stories we can only handle reading or watching once — films like _Schindler's List_, _The Passion of the Christ_, _Precious_, or _12 Years a Slave_. Both lectionaries encourage us to encounter stories we might prefer not to read, yet other stories don't make the cut and we skip over them. She confessed it wasn't until seminary that she read the book of Numbers ("TLDR: it's full of stories of people complaining") or heard a sermon on Zelophehad's daughters (Numbers 27:1-11). She asked for a show of hands — no one in the congregation had heard a sermon on that text. ##### Main Points ###### Point 1: The Canaanite Woman's Holy Confrontation with Jesus — [64:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=3847s) The Matthew 15 text has been heard before, and it's disturbing to hear Jesus call a woman a dog. "We don't want to think of Jesus referring to people using stereotypes, treating someone as less than human. This is Jesus, not us." Yet the woman's witness endures — "in the face of insults and offense, she does not back down. **Nevertheless, she persisted.**" **Two miracles** in this story: 1. The healing of her daughter 2. She, this Canaanite woman, **changes Jesus' mind** — "She taught Jesus to care beyond borders, ethnicities, and gender." Key quote: "When faith dares to speak back, the table grows larger and the crumbs reveal the feast." Pastor Saxton recalled hearing **Rev. Alisha Gordon** preach on this text in **Cannon Chapel at Emory University** — "Her passion remains with me." — [65:57](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=3957s) > [!note] Rev. Alisha L. Gordon is a Candler School of Theology graduate (MDiv 2015), Spelman College alum, founder of The Current Project (a Harlem-based 501(c)(3) supporting Black single mothers), and recipient of the 2023 Candler Distinguished Alumni Award for Faithful and Creative Leadership. She preached a Service of Word at Candler in Spring 2024. Jesus is in unfamiliar territory — Tyre and Sidon, not Galilee or Nazareth or Jerusalem. A local woman hears about him and seeks him out. "She is desperate. She's got nothing to lose except she has everything to lose. The life of her daughter hangs in the balance. She is a mother motivated by love." — [66:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=3996s) His disciples urge him to send her away — she's a nuisance. And Jesus calls her a dog. "Our Jesus whom we love and listen to demeans her. It's jarring to hear him speak this way." — [67:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4020s) "Jesus' words wound her. Words indeed hurt. They can damage and demean and destroy. Yet she does not retreat." "She answers with fierce imagination, naming abundance where limitations are assumed, insisting that God's mercy has no boundaries." — [67:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4046s) "She uses Jesus' same metaphor to point out a blind spot in Jesus' mission — a mission that up to this point has been imagined too narrowly. Jesus thought that he was only sent to some people. From here on though, he realizes that he was sent to everybody." — [67:49](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4069s) "Jesus receives her words not as a defeat, but as a revelation." — [68:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4097s) "She gets what she was asking for — the healing of her daughter. Not because it was easy, but because she was willing to engage in holy confrontation and to change the story." — [68:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4105s) ###### Point 2: The Nature of God's Expanding Mission — [68:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4121s) "Contrary to ancient assumptions and modern misinterpretations, God's mercy is not static. And God's mission is not fragile. **Love does not run out when it's shared. It grows.**" "This Canaanite woman models a courage that does not dominate but persists. A faith that does not retreat when dismissed and an imagination that refuses to believe the table is small." "We don't know her name, but we know her story. Her impact is greater than just this one encounter. She isn't the only one who's changed. Jesus is too." — [69:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4150s) "I love this story. To be clear, I don't love that Jesus calls a foreign woman a dog. I don't love that the first impulse of our savior and his disciples was to dismiss the cries of a woman. What I love is the sacred witness of openness to change — of the woman's persistence and Jesus' humility." — [69:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4165s) "He pivots from here on out. The mission expands. It becomes more inclusive. There is the pain of dehumanization and there is the realized promise of transformation — not just the healing of her daughter, but of Jesus himself." — [69:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4193s) ###### Point 3: Contrast with Paul in Acts 16 — Holy Confrontation Without Transformation — [71:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4288s) Pastor Saxton referenced the summer Bible study on Acts and her favorite part of chapter 16 — not Timothy joining the mission, not Paul meeting Lydia, not the prison earthquake — but **verses 16-24**: Paul heals a slave woman who had a spirit enabling her to predict the future and earn her owners money. She follows Paul and Silas around the marketplace for several days, shouting out after them. "Paul heals her **out of annoyance**, not out of care for her well-being. She is no longer possessed, yet she remains a possession. Paul has diminished her value to her owners and put her life in a more precarious position. He ends up in jail. We have no idea what happens to her." — [72:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4342s) "That is a story of holy confrontation without true transformation. I'm not sure what Paul did or did not learn from it. The text doesn't tell us. But Paul doesn't have the same response that Jesus does. In some ways, it seems that Paul stays stuck whereas Jesus grows." — [72:49](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4369s) "When faced with new information, with a gentle rebuke, or even a blatant, brazen accusation, how do we respond? How do we incorporate new learning? Do we allow it to shape our perspective? Do we pretend that it never happened?" — [73:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4390s) ###### Point 4: Growth as a Posture — [73:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4413s) **Maya Angelou** quoted: "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." **Glennon Doyle** quoted from _Untamed_ ([Kindle](https://www.amazon.com/Untamed-Glennon-Doyle-ebook/dp/B07VSZTKJ8)): "Doing our best now is an active thing, and so is knowing better. We don't show up and then wait to magically know better. We show up and then when corrected, we keep working. We listen hard so that we can know better next time. We seek out teachers so we can know better next time. We will only know better if we continue unbecoming." — [73:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4423s) "This is a posture of growth. It is a posture that requires us to not be defensive. It's hard and it's worth it." — [74:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4455s) Personal reflection: "I think about the growth that I have experienced as a pastor over the last eight years. Most of my growth has been through encounters with people — with you — not just with ideas, but with experiences." — [74:27](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4467s) "Jesus shows us that it is okay to experience holy confrontation because it is an opportunity to grow." — [74:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4484s) Quoted from the musical _Wicked_, the song "For Good": "Because I knew you, I have been changed for good." — [74:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4494s) ###### Point 5: Zelophehad's Daughters — [75:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4507s) The daughters of Zelophehad had to vigorously demand their rights to gain the possessions of their family. It wasn't usual for women to inherit, even if they were their father's heirs and he had no sons. The law wasn't on their side. "Yet these women defend their case to the leaders. And ultimately Moses brought their case before the Lord. They were not deterred. They persisted and God listened." — [75:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4529s) "Women gain access to an inheritance that had previously been denied them because God is on their side. God blessed the daughters' bravery by establishing a new statute and ordinance for the Israelites. Their bravery allowed future women to inherit what rightfully belonged to them." — [75:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4544s) "But none of this would have been possible if they had stayed silent. Nothing would have changed if they had not confronted the leaders — Moses, Elazar the priest, the leaders, and all the congregation." — [76:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4566s) "There had to be a holy confrontation and an appeal to God for something to shift. The covenant expands. It's not fractured. The risk they take pays off in tangible ways." — [76:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4581s) "Perhaps these daughters gain strength because they were together. They didn't have to advocate for their rights alone. **Courage can be contagious.**" — [76:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4599s) ##### Conclusion — [76:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4613s) "Zelophehad's daughters change things from the inside out — not only for themselves, but for all who come after them. The Canaanite woman is an outsider whose voice widens Jesus' mission. She helps reveal what was already possible. Jesus' ministry is forever changed." "We speak up for ourselves and for others to deepen the covenant with God and to more fully and faithfully seek justice, mercy, and love." "May we look to the example of these women — to the ways in which we are invited and encouraged to engage in holy confrontation. May we restore dignity. May we lament the pain caused by harmful words and actions. May we generate blessings and embody healing. May the work we do and the witness we offer extend God's justice and love in the world. Amen." — [77:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4648s) ##### Key Quotes - "Nevertheless, she persisted." - "When faith dares to speak back, the table grows larger and the crumbs reveal the feast." - "Love does not run out when it's shared. It grows." - "She taught Jesus to care beyond borders, ethnicities, and gender." - "Her impact is greater than just this one encounter. She isn't the only one who's changed. Jesus is too." - "That is a story of holy confrontation without true transformation." (re: Paul in Acts 16) - "In some ways, it seems that Paul stays stuck whereas Jesus grows." - "This is a posture of growth. It is a posture that requires us to not be defensive. It's hard and it's worth it." - "Courage can be contagious." - "Use your voice even if it shakes in the service of love." - Maya Angelou: "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." - Glennon Doyle (_Untamed_): "We will only know better if we continue unbecoming." - _Wicked_ ("For Good"): "Because I knew you, I have been changed for good." ##### Books Referenced |Book|Author|Link| |---|---|---| |_Untamed_|Glennon Doyle|[Kindle Edition](https://www.amazon.com/Untamed-Glennon-Doyle-ebook/dp/B07VSZTKJ8)| ##### Illustrations and Stories - Comfort food metaphor — ice cream from Windy Knoll; books as old friends - Films too difficult to watch more than once — _Schindler's List_, _The Passion of the Christ_, _Precious_, _12 Years a Slave_ - Hearing Rev. Alisha Gordon preach this text at Cannon Chapel, Emory University - Personal growth as a pastor over eight years through encounters with people - Summer Bible study on Acts 16 — the slave woman Paul heals out of annoyance ##### Scripture Connections - [[Matthew 15#21]]–[[Matthew 15#28]] — The Canaanite woman (primary text) - [[Mark 7#24]]–[[Mark 7#30]] — Parallel account (Syrophoenician woman) - [[Numbers 27#1]]–[[Numbers 27#11]] — Zelophehad's daughters (companion text) - [[Acts 16#16]]–[[Acts 16#24]] — Paul and the slave woman at Philippi (sermon illustration) - Luke (previous week) — loving enemies (referenced as "as we read last week in Luke, this includes our enemies") - [[Psalm 118#24]] — basis for gathering song "This is the Day" #### Personal Reflections ##### What spoke to me: ##### Questions raised: ##### Challenges to my thinking: ##### Liturgical Context Reflections: How does International Women's Day intersect with these texts about women's voices? How does the Lenten theme of wilderness/preparation connect to holy confrontation as a growth practice? #### Applications ##### This week I will: - [ ] - [ ] - [ ] ##### People to pray for: <!-- From joys and concerns — see below --> ##### Follow-up study: - [ ] Read Numbers 27 in full context (Numbers 26–27) - [ ] Compare Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30 — differences in the two accounts - [ ] Revisit Acts 16:16-24 — what happens to the slave woman? - [ ] Read Glennon Doyle, _Untamed_ — [Kindle](https://www.amazon.com/Untamed-Glennon-Doyle-ebook/dp/B07VSZTKJ8) #### Connections ##### Related Notes <!-- Links to other notes in your vault --> ##### Related Bible Studies - [[Acts 16]] — Summer Bible study reference <!-- Links to bible studies of passages referenced --> ##### Previous Sermon Notes - [[2026-03-01]] — Second Sunday in Lent (Luke — loving enemies) --- ### Comprehensive Sermon Analysis (13-Category Scoring Rubric) **Total Score: 52/65** |Category|Score| |---|---| |Sermon Summary|5/5| |Preaching Style|5/5| |Storytelling & Illustration|4/5| |Intonation & Delivery|4/5| |Content Structure|5/5| |Engagement & Application|4/5| |Scripture Handling|4/5| |Logical Reasoning|4/5| |References|4/5| |Quotes & Illustrative Stories|4/5| |Calls to Action|3/5| |Style Effectiveness|4/5| |Side-by-Side Comparison|2/5| #### 🗒 Sermon Summary — 5/5 **Central Message:** Holy confrontation — when people speak truth to power with courage and persistence — is a catalyst for transformation. The sermon argues that growth requires being challenged, not just affirmed, and that God's mercy and mission expand when marginalized voices insist on being heard. The central theological claim is that Jesus himself was changed by the Canaanite woman's confrontation, and this models how we too should receive correction as revelation rather than defeat. The sermon emphasizes both personal transformation (willingness to be corrected, posture of humility) and communal responsibility (speaking up for justice, widening the table, changing systems). It holds these in productive tension rather than privileging one over the other. **Liturgical/Thematic Focus:** The sermon is tightly integrated with the Lenten series "The Work of Imagination" — the liturgical materials (call to worship, prayers, affirmation of faith, benediction) all come from this series and reinforce the theme of holy imagination. The Lenten season's emphasis on repentance and self-examination maps directly onto the sermon's call to be open to correction and growth. The choice to deviate from both the Narrative Lectionary (NL433: Peter's Denial) and the RCL (Lent 3A: Woman at the Well) is intentional — though an interesting missed connection is that Peter's denial is itself a story of failed confrontation, which could have been woven in. International Women's Day (March 8) is not explicitly mentioned but resonates powerfully with the sermon's focus on women's voices — the Canaanite woman, Zelophehad's daughters, and the unnamed slave woman in Acts 16. #### 🎙 Preaching Style Assessment — 5/5 **Primary Style(s):** - **Narrative** — The sermon is fundamentally story-driven, moving through the Matthew text as a dramatic narrative with emotional arc (desperation → dismissal → persistence → revelation → transformation). - **Prophetic** — Strong justice orientation: the sermon names dehumanization, insists on the expansion of mercy, and centers the voices of women and outsiders. - **Biographical** — The Canaanite woman and Zelophehad's daughters are treated as characters whose agency and courage drive the theological argument. - **Inductive** — The sermon builds tension before arriving at its conclusions. It doesn't announce the thesis upfront but lets the stories accumulate toward the claim that confrontation produces growth. - **Conversational** — Pastor Saxton's tone is warm and personal, punctuated by self-disclosure ("I think about the growth that I have experienced as a pastor over the last eight years") and direct address ("with you"). **Blend of Styles:** The blend is highly effective. The narrative backbone carries the prophetic edge without becoming preachy. The biographical focus on women's agency serves the justice orientation. The inductive structure creates genuine engagement — the listener arrives at the conclusion alongside the preacher rather than being told what to think. The conversational register keeps the prophetic content from feeling distant or abstract. **Appropriateness:** For a progressive UCC congregation in Lent, this style is exceptionally well-suited. The narrative approach honors the congregation's likely comfort with story-based preaching, while the prophetic edge pushes toward discomfort in ways appropriate to the Lenten season. The conversational tone builds trust that makes the challenging content (Jesus called a woman a dog; Paul healed someone out of annoyance) receivable. #### 🧵 Storytelling and Illustration — 4/5 **Stories and analogies used:** 1. **Comfort food metaphor** ([62:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=3752s)) — Ice cream from Windy Knoll, cozy blankets, cats on laps. Functions as an accessible on-ramp that establishes warmth before the sermon moves into difficult territory. 2. **Films too difficult to watch twice** ([63:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=3790s)) — _Schindler's List_, _The Passion of the Christ_, _Precious_, _12 Years a Slave_. Effective bridge between comfort and discomfort — some stories we'd rather not encounter, and this text is one of them. 3. **Rev. Alisha Gordon at Cannon Chapel** ([65:57](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=3957s)) — Personal memory of hearing this text preached passionately. Grounds the sermon in the preacher's own formation and models that preachers are also shaped by other preachers. 4. **Acts 16 — The slave woman Paul heals out of annoyance** ([71:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4288s)) — This is the strongest illustration in the sermon. It provides a devastating counterexample: holy confrontation _without_ transformation. The contrast between Jesus (who grows) and Paul (who stays stuck) is theologically generative and homiletically powerful. 5. **Personal pastoral growth** ([74:27](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4467s)) — "Most of my growth has been through encounters with people — with you." Brief but effective self-disclosure that models vulnerability and connects the sermon's thesis to lived experience. 6. **"For Good" from _Wicked_** ([74:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4494s)) — A pop-culture touchpoint that lands well for a broad audience and encapsulates the sermon's thesis in a single line. **Inclusivity:** The sermon centers women's voices across both testaments and includes a Black preacher (Rev. Gordon) as a formative influence. The Acts 16 reference highlights a slave woman at the intersection of gender, class, and captivity. The films referenced span multiple cultural contexts. The illustrations are reasonably diverse, though no contemporary global or non-Western examples are included. **Balance with Scripture:** The stories serve the scripture rather than overshadowing it. Each illustration is tethered to a specific biblical text and deepens the exegetical point rather than replacing it. The comfort food opening is the lightest illustration and could arguably be trimmed, but it functions as necessary emotional scaffolding for the difficult content that follows. **Areas for growth:** - The comfort food metaphor, while effective as an on-ramp, takes about 90 seconds of sermon time and could be more tightly edited. - A contemporary example of holy confrontation (social justice, congregational life, current events) would have strengthened the application — the sermon stays largely in the biblical and literary world. #### 🗣 Intonation and Delivery — 4/5 **Note:** Analysis based on the YouTube recording. **Vocal Delivery:** Pastor Saxton's delivery is warm, measured, and pastoral. She varies her pace effectively — slowing for emphasis on key lines ("Love does not run out when it's shared. It grows.") and building energy during the narrative sections. The tone shifts appropriately between pastoral warmth (introduction), prophetic urgency (the Canaanite woman's confrontation), scholarly reflection (the Acts 16 comparison), and invitational tenderness (the conclusion). **Inclusive Tone:** The sermon's language is consistently inclusive. "Siblings in Christ" rather than "brothers and sisters." "All people" language throughout. The affirmation of faith names dignity across "every age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, language, accent, appearance, ability, documentation status, refugee status, possessions, wealth or poverty, religion or mental health." **Engagement of Learning Styles:** - **Auditory:** Well-served by the narrative approach and vocal variation. - **Visual:** The children's message used a physical prop (string on finger); the sermon itself does not include visual aids, though the bulletin cover art ("Canaanite Woman" by Illustrated Ministry) provides a visual anchor. - **Kinesthetic:** Limited — no physical participation beyond the passing of the peace (earlier in worship). The call to "use your voice even if it shakes" is bodily language but not a kinesthetic activity. **Areas for growth:** - A moment of silence or guided reflection within the sermon could have honored contemplative and intrapersonal learners. - The opening pre-sermon prayer is well-placed but brief; a more sustained centering practice could deepen the contemplative dimension. #### 📝 Content Structure — 5/5 **Introduction** ([62:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=3752s)): Comfort food metaphor → difficult stories → "some stories we skip" → introduces both texts. The introduction does double duty: it establishes emotional tone _and_ frames the hermeneutical issue (why we avoid certain texts). **Body — Five-Movement Structure:** 1. **The Canaanite Woman's Confrontation** ([64:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=3847s)) — Retells the Matthew 15 narrative with theological commentary. Two miracles: healing and mind-changing. "Nevertheless, she persisted." 2. **God's Expanding Mission** ([68:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4121s)) — Draws out theological implications. "Love does not run out when it's shared. It grows." Names what the woman models: courage, persistence, imagination. 3. **Contrast: Paul in Acts 16** ([71:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4288s)) — The dialectical turn. Holy confrontation without transformation. "Paul stays stuck whereas Jesus grows." 4. **Growth as a Posture** ([73:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4413s)) — Maya Angelou, Glennon Doyle, personal pastoral reflection. "This is a posture of growth. It requires us to not be defensive." 5. **Zelophehad's Daughters** ([75:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4507s)) — Returns to Numbers to reinforce the thesis from a different angle: insiders changing the system. "Courage can be contagious." **Conclusion** ([76:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4613s)): A "may we" litany that functions as both summary and benediction. **Assessment:** The five-movement structure is strong and well-paced. The Acts 16 counterexample in the middle provides necessary complexity — the sermon doesn't just say "confrontation is good" but shows what happens when confrontation fails to produce growth. The return to Numbers after the Doyle/Angelou section gives the sermon a chiastic feel (Old Testament → Gospel → Acts → Contemporary → Old Testament) that provides satisfying closure. Transitions are smooth — each section flows naturally from the previous one. #### 👥 Engagement and Application — 4/5 **Congregation as Participants:** The sermon addresses the congregation directly — "with you," "we speak up," "use your voice even if it shakes." The Lenten liturgy is participatory (responsive call to worship, unison confession, congregational affirmation of faith). The children's message engages Penny directly. **Inclusion of Marginalized Groups:** The sermon centers women's voices across both texts and includes a reference to a Black preacher (Rev. Gordon). The affirmation of faith explicitly names a comprehensive list of identity categories. The Acts 16 reference highlights a slave woman at the intersection of gender and captivity. **Practical Applications:** The sermon's applications are more dispositional than specific: be open to correction, don't be defensive, "use your voice even if it shakes in the service of love," look to the example of these women. These are meaningful but somewhat abstract. The sermon does not offer a concrete "this week" action step. **Interactive Elements:** - The show-of-hands question about Zelophehad's daughters ([64:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=3841s)) is a small but effective moment of interactivity. - No reflection pause, dialogue, or physical action is embedded in the sermon itself. **Areas for growth:** - A specific, concrete call to action tied to the congregation's context would strengthen application significantly. - A moment of guided reflection ("Where in your life are you being confronted? Where might God be asking you to confront?") would deepen engagement. #### 📖 Scripture Handling — 4/5 **Scriptures Referenced:** |Scripture|Role|Depth| |---|---|---| |Matthew 15:21-28|Primary text|Deep narrative retelling with theological commentary| |Numbers 27:1-11|Companion text|Substantive treatment as parallel story| |Mark 7:24-30|Cross-reference|Mentioned as parallel; not exegeted| |Acts 16:16-24|Illustration|Substantive counterexample| |Luke (previous week)|Reference|Brief mention connecting to series| **Depth of Exegesis:** _Historical/Cultural Context:_ - Geographic detail noted (Tyre and Sidon, outside typical territory) but could be deepened — the significance of the Phoenician region, the history of Israelite-Canaanite conflict, and the colonial dynamics of a Jewish healer in Gentile territory are not explored. - The word "dog" (κυνάριον, kunárion — diminutive, "little dog" or "household dog") is not distinguished from the harsher term (κύων, kuōn). This is a significant exegetical detail some scholars argue the diminutive softens the insult while others disagree. Naming the Greek would have deepened the treatment. - Numbers 27 is set in its immediate context (inheritance law) but the broader Numbers context (census, land allocation before entering Canaan) is not explored. _Original Language Insights:_ None offered. The sermon works entirely from English translation. A word study on "dog" (kunárion vs. kuōn), on "mercy" (ἐλέησόν, eleēson — same root as the Kyrie sung earlier in worship), or on "great faith" (μεγάλη πίστις) would have enriched the sermon. _Cross-References:_ - The Mark 7 parallel is mentioned but not compared. Key differences (Mark calls her "Syrophoenician" and "Greek"; Matthew calls her "Canaanite" — a loaded, archaic ethnic label) are not explored. - The Acts 16 cross-reference is the sermon's strongest exegetical move. The structural parallel between the two women (both unnamed, both shouting after the apostles/Jesus, both desperate) is deeply insightful and well-executed. - No connection is drawn to other "boundary-crossing" encounters in Jesus' ministry (the Samaritan woman in John 4, the centurion in Matthew 8, the Gerasene demoniac in Mark 5). _Text-Driven or Theme-Driven:_ Theme-driven with strong textual grounding. The theme ("holy confrontation") organizes the texts rather than the texts generating the theme. This is appropriate for a topical/narrative approach but means the texts are read through a lens rather than on their own terms. _Justice Lens:_ Strong. The sermon explicitly names dehumanization, the expansion of mercy, the centering of women's voices, and the critique of Paul's failure to fully liberate the slave woman. **Areas for growth:** - Greek word study on "dog" (kunárion) would add significant depth. - Connecting the Kyrie sung in worship to the Canaanite woman's cry for mercy (same root: ἐλέησόν) would be a beautiful liturgical-exegetical bridge. - Exploring the significance of Matthew's choice to call her "Canaanite" (an archaic ethnic label evoking centuries of conflict) rather than Mark's "Syrophoenician" (a contemporary geographic designation) would deepen the analysis. #### Logical Reasoning — 4/5 **Strong Reasoning Identified:** 1. **Inductive logic building to thesis:** The sermon accumulates evidence (Canaanite woman, Paul's failure, Zelophehad's daughters) before arriving at the general principle that holy confrontation produces growth. Sound inductive reasoning — multiple particular cases supporting a general claim. 2. **Contrastive reasoning (Jesus vs. Paul):** The comparison between Jesus' response to confrontation (growth) and Paul's response (stagnation) strengthens the thesis by showing what happens when confrontation is _not_ received. 3. **Ethical reasoning:** The sermon grounds its ethical claims in theological principles (God's mercy has no boundaries; love expands when shared) rather than in sentiment alone. The move from "Jesus changed" to "we should be open to change" is valid moral reasoning grounded in imitatio Christi. 4. **Cause-and-effect clarity:** "Nothing would have changed if they had not confronted the leaders" — clear causal claim about the necessity of confrontation for systemic change. **Potential Fallacies:** 1. **Possible Hasty Generalization — "Most of us will not grow or change if we are only affirmed and never challenged."** ([70:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4214s)) - _Assessment:_ This is a strong generalization reflecting a widely accepted insight from developmental psychology and spiritual formation. However, it could be nuanced: some people have been so over-criticized that affirmation is itself transformative. In a congregation with trauma survivors, this claim should be held carefully. - _Impact:_ Moderate. The claim is broadly true but risks minimizing those for whom affirmation is the needed confrontation. - _Suggestion:_ A qualifying phrase ("For many of us..." or "When we are in positions of power...") would preserve the point while honoring complexity. 2. **Possible Appeal to Emotion without grounding — The comfort food opening** ([62:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=3752s)) - _Assessment:_ The emotional warmth of the opening creates receptivity but doesn't directly connect to the theological argument. Functions more as rhetorical strategy than logical foundation. - _Impact:_ Low. Standard homiletical practice; doesn't distort the argument. - _Suggestion:_ The transition from comfort to discomfort could be more explicitly theological — e.g., "Lent invites us out of comfort and into the wilderness." 3. **Potential Theological Claim Requiring More Support — "She taught Jesus to care beyond borders, ethnicities, and gender."** ([65:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=3908s)) - _Assessment:_ This is a significant Christological claim — that Jesus _learned_ and _was changed_ by a human being. Consistent with a progressive/liberal Christology emphasizing Jesus' full humanity, but it's a claim that many Christians would want to see defended more robustly. The sermon presents it as self-evident rather than argued. - _Impact:_ Moderate to high. This is the sermon's central theological claim and deserves more scaffolding. - _Suggestion:_ A brief acknowledgment of the theological stakes ("Some of us may be uncomfortable with the idea that Jesus needed to grow — but if we take his humanity seriously...") would strengthen the argument and honor those who might resist it. 4. **Mild Strawman — Implied contrast between "only affirmed" and "challenged"** ([70:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4217s)) - _Assessment:_ The binary between affirmation and challenge is somewhat simplified. The most transformative encounters often involve both — being seen _and_ being pushed. The sermon leans toward valorizing confrontation without equally valorizing the conditions that make confrontation receivable (safety, trust, relationship). - _Impact:_ Low. The overall argument is sound; this is more a matter of nuance than fallacy. - _Suggestion:_ Noting that Jesus could receive the Canaanite woman's challenge because of his relationship with God (security that enabled openness) would add depth. #### 📚 References — 4/5 **Theologians/Scholars Cited:** None by name. The sermon references Rev. Alisha Gordon as a preacher but not as a theological authority. No systematic theologians, biblical scholars, or historical church figures are cited. **Literary/Cultural Voices Cited:** |Source|Type|Context| |---|---|---| |Maya Angelou|Poet/memoirist (Black woman)|"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."| |Glennon Doyle, _Untamed_|Memoirist/activist (queer woman)|Extended quote on "continuing unbecoming." [Kindle](https://www.amazon.com/Untamed-Glennon-Doyle-ebook/dp/B07VSZTKJ8)| |Rev. Alisha Gordon|Preacher (Black woman, Candler MDiv)|Personal memory of hearing her preach this text at Cannon Chapel, Emory| |_Wicked_ (musical)|Broadway/pop culture|"For Good" — "Because I knew you, I have been changed for good."| |_Schindler's List_, _The Passion of the Christ_, _Precious_, _12 Years a Slave_|Film|Examples of stories too difficult to encounter more than once| **Marginalized Voices:** Of the named references, three of four are women, and two of four are Black women. Glennon Doyle identifies as queer. This is a meaningfully diverse set of references for a mainline Protestant sermon. **Missing:** - No biblical scholars cited (e.g., Wilda Gafney on Numbers, Mitzi Smith or Musa Dube on Matthew 15, Clarice Martin on the slave woman in Acts 16). - No systematic or liberation theologians (e.g., Delores Williams on surrogate suffering, Kwok Pui-lan on postcolonial reading of this text). - Norman Wirzba (_Love's Braided Dance_, [Kindle](https://www.amazon.com/Loves-Braided-Dance-Hope-Crisis-ebook/dp/B0DJCF3STM)) is being read in the Monday book study but is not referenced in the sermon — a missed opportunity to connect congregational reading to worship. **Areas for growth:** The sermon would benefit from citing at least one biblical scholar on the Matthew 15 text. Womanist and postcolonial readings of this passage are extensive and would deepen the prophetic edge. Even a single sentence — "Biblical scholar Wilda Gafney notes that..." — would signal scholarly engagement. #### 🗨 Quotes and Illustrative Stories — 4/5 **Most Impactful Quotes:** 1. **"When faith dares to speak back, the table grows larger and the crumbs reveal the feast."** — Pastor Saxton's own formulation. The sermon's most memorable line — poetic, theological, and tightly connected to the text's bread/crumbs metaphor. It reframes scarcity as abundance. 2. **"Love does not run out when it's shared. It grows."** — Simple, direct, theological. Functions as a thesis statement for the sermon's view of God's mission. 3. **"She isn't the only one who's changed. Jesus is too."** — The sermon's Christological hinge. Powerful in its simplicity. 4. **"In some ways, it seems that Paul stays stuck whereas Jesus grows."** — The most theologically provocative claim. Comparing Jesus favorably to Paul on the criterion of growth is an unusual and bold move. 5. **"Courage can be contagious."** — Brief but resonant. Connects Zelophehad's daughters acting together to communal action. 6. **Maya Angelou:** "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." — Well-known but well-placed. 7. **Glennon Doyle:** "We will only know better if we continue unbecoming." — The word "unbecoming" carries significant theological weight in a Lenten context (kenosis, stripping away, dying to self). **Connection to Theology:** The quotes are well-integrated. The Angelou quote grounds the ethical argument. The Doyle quote deepens it with the concept of "unbecoming." The _Wicked_ lyric provides emotional resolution. The original quotes ("the table grows larger," "love does not run out") are the strongest because they emerge directly from the biblical text. **Connection to Congregation:** The Windy Knoll ice cream reference, the _Wicked_ quotation, and the pastoral self-disclosure ("my growth over eight years... with you") all connect to the congregation's lived experience. The show of hands about Zelophehad's daughters creates a shared moment of recognition. #### 🔄 Calls to Action — 3/5 **Steps Listeners Were Invited to Take:** |Call|Type|Specificity| |---|---|---| |"Be open to holy confrontation"|Personal/dispositional|Abstract| |"Use your voice even if it shakes in the service of love"|Personal/communal|Moderate — vivid language but no specific context| |"May we restore dignity"|Communal|Abstract| |"May we lament the pain caused by harmful words and actions"|Personal/communal|Abstract| |"May we generate blessings and embody healing"|Communal|Abstract| |"Keep our eyes open to those around us" (children's message)|Personal|Moderate| **Assessment:** The calls to action are poetic and dispositional rather than concrete and specific. They invite a posture — openness, courage, humility — but do not name a specific practice, commitment, or action step. There is no "this week" challenge, no invitation to a specific justice engagement, and no connection to a concrete congregational initiative. The phrase "use your voice even if it shakes" is the most actionable call — it names a bodily experience (shaking voice) and a context (service of love). But it remains unspecified: speak up about what? To whom? In what setting? **Areas for growth:** - A single, specific, concrete action step would dramatically strengthen the conclusion. Examples: "This Lent, I invite you to have one conversation you've been avoiding." "This week, notice one moment where someone is asking to be heard, and listen." "Consider writing a letter to someone you've wronged." - Connecting the call to action to the church's Lenten practices (Life Talk, mutual aid, the CONIPAC offering) would ground the theological vision in congregational life. - A written reflection prompt in the bulletin or on-screen would serve visual and intrapersonal learners. #### 🧠 Style Effectiveness Analysis — 4/5 **Did the chosen style effectively communicate the text's intent and the sermon's purpose?** Yes. The narrative-prophetic-inductive blend is well-suited to both texts and to the Lenten season. **How would the message shift if delivered as:** |Alternative Style|What Would Change| |---|---| |**Fully expository**|Verse-by-verse through Matthew 15:21-28 would allow deeper exegesis (kunárion, Tyre/Sidon significance, "Canaanite" vs. "Syrophoenician") but would sacrifice the Acts 16 contrast and the Numbers connection. Would gain textual depth but lose structural creativity.| |**Prophetic**|A fully prophetic version would name contemporary systems of exclusion more directly — immigration policy, healthcare access, whose cries are dismissed today. Would gain urgency but might lose the pastoral warmth.| |**Inductive/contemplative**|Beginning with silence, then asking "What do you do when someone you love says something that wounds you?" could create a more participatory, reflective experience. The conclusion (Jesus was changed) would land with more surprise.| |**Narrative first-person**|Telling the story from the Canaanite woman's perspective would be emotionally powerful but would risk centering imagination over text. Could be combined with the current approach as an opening vignette.| **Learning Styles Served:** |Learning Style|Level|How| |---|---|---| |Auditory|High|Strong narrative delivery, vocal variation, quotations| |Visual|Low-Moderate|Bulletin cover art; no sermon-specific visuals| |Kinesthetic|Low|No physical participation during sermon| |Interpersonal|Moderate|Direct address, show of hands, passing of the peace| |Intrapersonal|Moderate|Self-reflective content but no guided reflection time| |Read/Write|Moderate|Printed bulletin; no sermon study guide| **Recommended Style-Blend for This Congregation:** The current narrative-prophetic-inductive blend is strong. To strengthen: (1) add a brief contemplative pause for intrapersonal reflection, (2) include one contemporary justice example for prophetic grounding, and (3) close with a single concrete action step. #### 📊 Side-by-Side Comparison: Narrative/Prophetic vs. Fully Exegetical — 2/5 ##### 🎙 Preaching Style |Aspect|This Sermon (Narrative/Prophetic)|Fully Exegetical Version| |---|---|---| |**Primary Style**|Narrative-prophetic-inductive with biographical and conversational elements|Verse-by-verse exegesis with historical-critical depth| |**Stories**|Comfort food, films, Rev. Gordon, Acts 16, _Wicked_, personal growth|Minimal outside stories; text drives the entire sermon| |**Scripture Depth**|Two texts treated as parallel narratives of holy confrontation|Single text (Matthew 15:21-28) explored with full historical, linguistic, and theological depth| |**Application**|Dispositional — posture of growth, openness to change|Begins with original meaning, then moves to communal/systemic application with concrete examples| ##### 📖 Scripture Handling |Aspect|This Sermon (Narrative/Prophetic)|Fully Exegetical Version| |---|---|---| |**Historical Context**|Geographic note (Tyre/Sidon); "Canaanite" label noted but not explored|Would explore Israelite-Canaanite history, the Phoenician region as economically dominant, colonial dynamics of a Jewish healer in Gentile territory, first-century ethnic boundary construction| |**Word Study**|None|Greek κυνάριον (kunárion, "little dog") vs. κύων (kuōn, "dog"); ἐλέησόν (eleēson, "have mercy" — same root as the Kyrie); Χαναναία (Chananaia, "Canaanite" — archaic, ideologically loaded label unique to Matthew)| |**Justice Lens**|Strong: names dehumanization, centers women's voices, critiques Paul|Would highlight economic dimensions of the bread/crumbs metaphor (who has access to resources?), the intersection of gender and ethnicity, systemic implications of boundary-expansion| |**Cross-References**|Mark 7:24-30 mentioned; Acts 16:16-24 at length; Numbers 27:1-11|Would integrate Matthew 8:5-13 (centurion), John 4 (Samaritan woman), Genesis 12:3 (blessing of nations), Isaiah 56:3-7 (foreigners included), Romans 11 (grafted branches)| ##### 🔍 Logical Reasoning |Aspect|This Sermon (Narrative/Prophetic)|Fully Exegetical Version| |---|---|---| |**Strengths**|Inductive accumulation of evidence, strong contrastive reasoning (Jesus vs. Paul), ethical reasoning grounded in imitatio Christi|Strong deductive reasoning from textual evidence, consistent theological logic, Christological argument grounded in incarnational theology| |**Potential Weaknesses**|Central Christological claim (Jesus was changed) presented without defense; minor hasty generalization|Could become overly academic and lose congregational engagement; risk of information overload| |**Balance**|Emotion and narrative carry the argument, grounded in scripture|Scripture drives the argument; emotion flows from the text itself| ##### Key Takeaway - **This Sermon (Narrative/Prophetic):** Accessible, story-driven, multi-textual, strong personal and communal application, prophetically oriented, light on textual depth but rich in structural creativity (especially the Acts 16 contrast). - **Fully Exegetical:** Text-driven, historically grounded, linguistically attentive, theologically more robust on the Christological question, but would sacrifice the multi-text architecture and the powerful Paul/Jesus contrast. The current sermon's greatest strength is its structural creativity — the five-movement architecture and the Acts 16 counterexample are homiletically exceptional. A fully exegetical version's greatest strength would be its depth on the kunárion word study and the "Canaanite" label. The ideal sermon would combine this sermon's structure with the exegetical version's linguistic and historical depth. This score (2/5) reflects the rubric's "comparison" dimension — the sermon does not itself perform the comparison; the analysis provides it. The sermon's narrative/prophetic approach is effective but would be enriched by greater exegetical depth. #### Summary Assessment ##### Strengths 1. **Exceptional structural creativity** — The five-movement architecture with a dialectical turn (Acts 16) is homiletically sophisticated and keeps the congregation engaged. 2. **Strong multi-text integration** — Numbers 27 and Matthew 15 are woven together as parallel stories of holy confrontation rather than being treated as disconnected readings. 3. **Bold Christological claim** — "Jesus was changed" is theologically generative and pastorally important, even if it could be more robustly defended. 4. **Prophetic without being preachy** — The justice orientation is woven into the narrative rather than imposed on it. 5. **Diverse voices** — Angelou, Doyle, Gordon represent a range of perspectives, with strong representation of women and Black women. 6. **Memorable language** — "The table grows larger and the crumbs reveal the feast" is sermon poetry. ##### Areas for Growth 1. **Concrete action step** — The sermon's most significant weakness. Dispositional calls are valuable but insufficient without at least one specific, this-week invitation. 2. **Exegetical depth** — Greek word study (kunárion, eleēson, Chananaia) and historical context (Tyre/Sidon, "Canaanite" as ideological label) would deepen the treatment without requiring a fully expository approach. 3. **Defend the central claim** — "Jesus was changed" is the sermon's theological center and deserves 2-3 sentences of incarnational argument. 4. **Contemporary example** — A lived-experience example of holy confrontation from current events or congregational life would ground the biblical examples in the present. 5. **Contemplative element** — A guided reflection pause would serve intrapersonal learners and honor the Lenten season's contemplative character. 6. **Scholarly citation** — Even one biblical scholar (Gafney, Dube, M. Smith) would signal intellectual rigor and provide an additional voice. --- ### Response #### Sharing of Joys and Concerns — [78:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4693s) **Alan** — [79:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4742s): David had a successful open heart surgery on Tuesday. They were able to repair the aneurysm and replace the aortic valve — everything natural, no mechanical valve. Doing well, hoping to be out of ICU today and possibly discharged Wednesday or Thursday. Lisa texted that he's feeling good and going in the right direction. > Pastor: "We rejoice in this wonderful news of a successful surgery and a recovery that is progressing as planned. We continue to surround David and those who love him with our prayers. God, by your grace, hear our prayer." **Virginia** — [80:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4807s): Praise — through mutual aid, they gathered over $2,000 in three days to purchase needed medical equipment for her client. (Last Sunday during joys and concerns, Virginia had lifted up this need.) > Pastor: "We rejoice that he will be able to continue in sustained and abundant life. God, by your grace, hear our prayer." **Susan** — [81:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4863s): Joy — birth of Maeve Adeline Kane, born Friday, March 6. Parents: Ryan and Adrienne Kane. Big sister: June Kane. "They've had a struggle for this baby for many, many years. So, it's a great joy." > Pastor: "We rejoice in the arrival of little Maeve Kane — a baby who has been waited for and longed for and is now here. We give thanks for her arrival and we bless her parents and big sister June. God, by your grace, hear our prayer." **Jen** — [82:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4920s): Back problems for a number of years, but a couple of weeks ago something turned and she's been struggling with significant discomfort since. Made an MRI appointment but the soonest available is mid-April. "I'm basically shifting position every 30 seconds and spending the majority of my time reclining to try and keep the pain levels manageable." Prayers for earlier appointments and pain management. > Pastor: "We pray that as Jen struggles with back pain that she's able to find comfort and relief and that an appointment will open up sooner than mid-April. God, by your grace, hear our prayer." **Jenny Karens** — [83:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4980s): (announced by pastor) Jenny spent a few days in the hospital this past week. She is home and things are improving. Continue to remember her in prayer. (Husband: Scott Karens) **Harold St. Clair** — [83:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=4997s): Back in the hospital with breathing problems at age 97. Give thanks for medical treatment. Pray for his wife Dory during their time apart. **Dwight Sollenberger and family** — [83:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=5017s): Food poisoning — "from the little ones to the big ones, it's no fun." Pray for a quick recovery. #### Prayers of the People / The Lord's Prayer — [84:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=5047s) **Pastor's Prayer:** [84:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=5073s) > "Gracious God, thank you for your love for us. For the community of care in which we exist. For the ways that we show up for one another and our world. We give thanks for babies born, for successful surgeries. We give thanks for medical interventions and the care of community. > > In the midst of grief and doubt and despair, we are not alone. We draw on your strength and the strength of others, and we encourage one another. We celebrate with one another. We show up. We speak up. We stand in solidarity. And always, always, always, we love. > > And we do this because of how you first loved us. A love that has no limits, a love that has no end. > > Continue to keep our eyes fixed on you. Grant us what we need — wisdom and courage and persistence for the living of these days. > > All this and so much more we ask in Jesus' name." **The Lord's Prayer:** 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. #### Invitation to Giving — [86:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=5197s) > "We offer our gifts and our lives in service to God and God's people. May the work and witness we share extend the love and light of Christ in the world. Our morning offering will now be received." #### Offertory #### *Offertory Response: "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" (v. 4) — [89:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=5360s) **Author:** Isaac Watts, 1707 **Copyright:** Public domain > Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all. #### *Prayer of Dedication (from The Work of Imagination) — [89:24](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=5364s) > "Generous God, we bring our gifts before you and your church like tiny seeds from a dandelion. Send out these gifts on the mighty wind of your spirit, bringing growth, bearing fruit, and nourishing both our faith community and our neighbors. May each gift of every size bloom with your holy imagination. Amen." --- ### Sending #### *Hymn #388: "Help Us Accept Each Other" — [89:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=5392s) > [!warning] Lyrics not included — copyrighted (Fred Kaan, 1974). Words displayed on screen during worship. **Author:** Fred Kaan, 1974 **Tune:** Sung to AURELIA (Samuel S. Wesley, 1864) — "The Church's One Foundation" melody **NCH listing (#388):** Typically set to BARONITA (Doreen Potter, 1975) **Note:** Both BARONITA and AURELIA share the 7.6.7.6 D meter. Pastor Saxton noted it is "to the tune of The Church's One Foundation," so AURELIA was used in this service. Organist Barbara Motichka played it through once before the congregation sang. Help us accept each other as Christ accepted us; teach us as sister, brother, each person to embrace. Be present, Lord, among us and bring us to believe we are ourselves accepted, and meant to love and live. Teach us, O Lord, your lessons, as in our daily life we struggle to be human and search for hope and faith. Teach us to care for people, for all, not just for some, to love them as we find them, or as they may become. Let your acceptance change us, so that we may be moved in living situations to do the truth in love; to practice your acceptance until we know by heart the table of forgiveness, and laughter's healing art. Lord, for today's encounters with all who are in need, who hunger for acceptance, for justice and for bread, we need new eyes for seeing, new hands for holding on: renew us with your Spirit; Lord, free us; make us one! #### *Affirmation of Faith (adapted from The Work of Imagination) — [93:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=5632s) > "We believe in the dignity of human beings as imagebearers and dearly beloved children of God. We believe all people carry God-given dignity across every age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, language, accent, appearance, ability, documentation status, refugee status, possessions, wealth or poverty, religion or mental health. **We believe human dignity is inescapable and irrevocable.**" #### *Charge and Benediction (from The Work of Imagination) — [94:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODuXrQOL3pw&t=5683s) > "Beloved children of God, as you return to the wilderness of everyday life, may you treat every person you encounter with compassion and dignity. And may you see the image of God all around you. Go out into the world reflecting God's glory as you serve our neighbors with joy and gladness." **Sung Benediction Response:** > "Abide with us that through this life of doubts and hope and pain, an Easter of unending joy, we may at last attain." #### Postlude _Please remain seated_ --- ## Hymns ### Hymn: "This is the Day" (Gathering Song) > [!warning] Copyrighted (Les Garrett, 1967). Based on [[Psalm 118#24]]. ### Hymn: "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" (No. 400) **Author:** Thomas A. Dorsey, 1932 **Tune:** PRECIOUS LORD, Irregular (adapted from MAITLAND by George N. Allen) **Copyright:** (c) 1938 Unichappell Music Inc. **Background:** Written in 1932 after the deaths of Dorsey's wife and newborn son. Martin Luther King Jr.'s favorite hymn. Translated into 32+ languages. > [!warning] Lyrics not included — (c) 1938 Unichappell Music Inc. Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, help me stand— I am tired, I am weak, I am worn; Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light— Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home. When my way grows drear, precious Lord, linger near— When my life is almost gone; Hear my cry, hear my call, hold my hand lest I fall— Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home. ### Hymn: Kyrie (Hymnal Companion C-4) Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. ### Hymn: "Glory Be to the Father" (No. 704) **Copyright:** Public domain (traditional doxology) Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen. ### Anthem: "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?" **Copyright:** Public domain (Traditional African American spiritual) ### Hymn: "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" (v. 4, Offertory Response) **Author:** Isaac Watts, 1707 **Copyright:** Public domain Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all. ### Hymn: "Help Us Accept Each Other" (No. 388) **Author:** Fred Kaan, 1974 **Tune used in worship:** AURELIA (Samuel S. Wesley, 1864) — same tune as "The Church's One Foundation" **NCH standard tune:** BARONITA (Doreen Potter, 1975) **Meter:** 7.6.7.6 D **Copyright:** Copyrighted (Fred Kaan) > [!warning] Lyrics not included — copyrighted (Fred Kaan). Words displayed on screen during worship. Help us accept each other as Christ accepted us; teach us as sister, brother, each person to embrace. Be present, Lord, among us and bring us to believe we are ourselves accepted, and meant to love and live. Teach us, O Lord, your lessons, as in our daily life we struggle to be human and search for hope and faith. Teach us to care for people, for all, not just for some, to love them as we find them, or as they may become. Let your acceptance change us, so that we may be moved in living situations to do the truth in love; to practice your acceptance until we know by heart the table of forgiveness, and laughter's healing art. Lord, for today's encounters with all who are in need, who hunger for acceptance, for justice and for bread, we need new eyes for seeing, new hands for holding on: renew us with your Spirit; Lord, free us; make us one! --- ## Worship Leadership |Role|Name| |---|---| |Pastor|Rev. Caroline E. Saxton| |Organist|Barbara Motichka| |Choir Director|Gary Crum| |Deacon|Susan Collier| |Lector|Connie Kaiser| |Children's Corner|Chani Wolfe| |Children's Message|Roxanne Davenport| |Media|Calvin Frantz and Neath Ham| ### Worship Resources - "Alone" — Maya Angelou (from _Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well_, Random House, 1975) - "The Work of Imagination" — (c) 2026 Illustrated Ministry - Bulletin cover: "Canaanite Woman" — (c) 2026 Illustrated Ministry (illustratedministry.com) --- ## Church News & Announcements ### Lenten Series: The Work of Imagination (c) 2026 Illustrated Ministry. Bulletin cover art: "Canaanite Woman" — Matthew 15:21-28. ### Monday Book Study Norman Wirzba, _Love's Braided Dance: Hope in a Time of Crisis_ ([Kindle](https://www.amazon.com/Loves-Braided-Dance-Hope-Crisis-ebook/dp/B0DJCF3STM)), Chapter 4. March 9, 1:30 PM, Conference Room 111. ### Camp Sticky Bun Sale $12/dozen, $7/half dozen. On sale March 8 & 15. Pickup March 22. ### Bible and a Beer Third Monday at Trojan Diner, 6:30 PM. Next gathering: March 16. ### Nursery School Smith's Chicken Sale March 28 — held at St. John's (not Lowe's). ### Craft Night March 30, 6:00 PM, Room 202. $15 — Gourd birdhouse. Sign up by March 23. ### Blueberry Bliss Spring Tea April 25, 1:30 PM, Fellowship Hall. $35. Tickets on sale March 18. ### CVAS Collection Youth animal displays. Delivery April 11. ### Silent Auction / Talent Showcase March 15–29, lobby. ### Little Free Pantry Nonperishable food donations accepted in the back lobby. ### March/April Upper Room $1 regular, $2 large print. ### March First Fruits - African Mission Healthcare - Peru School Project (CONIPAC) - UCC Disaster Emergency Fund --- ## Vision & Mission > To grow in love of God and neighbor. --- ## Calendar & Upcoming Events |Date|Event|Details| |---|---|---| |TODAY 8:00 PM|Bible Study|Esther Ch 3, Zoom| |Mon 3/9 10:00 AM|Chi Gong/Zazen|Parlor 104| |Mon 3/9 1:30 PM|Book Study|Conf Room 111, Ch 4 — Wirzba, _Love's Braided Dance_| |Mon 3/9 7:00 PM|Boy Scouts|Fellowship Hall| |Tue 3/10 5:00 PM|SJUCC Gathering|Neighbors Food Hall, 102 S Main St| |Tue 3/10 5:30 PM|Yoga|Room 202| |Tue 3/10 6:00 PM|Ladies Bible Study|Zoom| |Tue 3/10 6:30 PM|Cub Scouts|Fellowship Hall| |Wed 3/11 11:30 AM|Ladies Luncheon|Hoss's, 20 Falling Spring Rd 17202| |Wed 3/11 6:30 PM|Children & Youth|Parlor 104| |Wed 3/11 7:00 PM|CMC Lenten Service|Fayetteville Otterbein, 61 W Main St| |Thu 3/12 6:00 PM|Girl Scouts|Room 116| |Thu 3/12 6:00 PM|Bell Choir|Room 117| |Thu 3/12 7:15 PM|Choir Rehearsal|Room 103| |Sun 3/15 8:45 AM|Godly Play|Room 119| |Sun 3/15 8:45 AM|SPARK Elementary|Room 115| |Sun 3/15 8:45 AM|Teen Discussion|Room 206| |Sun 3/15 8:45 AM|Upper Room Church School|Conf Room 111| |Sun 3/15 8:45 AM|Wired Word|Room 116| |Sun 3/15 8:45 AM|Sunday Morning Caffeine|Parlor 104| |Sun 3/15 10:00 AM|Worship|Sanctuary| |Sun 3/15 8:00 PM|Bible Study|Acts, Zoom| ### Birthdays This Week - 03/10 — Carol Rockwell - 03/12 — Holli Burton and Deborah Dilling - 03/14 — Margaret (Peg) Marotte and Lee Powell ### Flowers In memory of William L. and Mary L. Powell, given by sons Lee and Bob. ### Prayer Requests - **David** — successful open heart surgery Tuesday; aneurysm repaired, aortic valve replaced (natural); recovering, may discharge Wed/Thu - **Virginia's client** — medical equipment funded through mutual aid ($2,000+ in 3 days) - **Maeve Adeline Kane** — born March 6 to Ryan and Adrienne Kane; big sister June (joy!) - **Jen** — back pain, MRI not until mid-April; prayers for earlier appointment and pain relief - **Jenny Karens** — hospitalized briefly this week, now home and improving (husband Scott) - **Harold St. Clair** — in hospital with breathing problems, age 97; prayers for him and wife Dory - **Dwight Sollenberger and family** — food poisoning (reason baptism was rescheduled) --- ## Church Information - **Church:** St. John's United Church of Christ - **Address:** Chambersburg, PA - **Phone:** 717-263-8593 - **Website:** sjucc1811.org - **Email:** [email protected] - **Pastor:** Rev. Caroline E. Saxton ([email protected], 641-260-1868) - **Office Manager:** Tonya Schwartz ([email protected], 717-263-8593) - **Music Director:** Gary Crum - **Organist:** Barbara Motichka - **Director of Children & Youth:** Roxanne Davenport - **Pastor Emeritus:** Rev. Stephen W. Hoffman ### Nursery Nook Available during worship. ### Mission Statement > To grow in love of God and neighbor.