Order of Worship
GATHERING MUSIC Come, Bring Your Burdens to God
Come, bring your burdens to God…
For Jesus will never say no
WELCOME
Submit your permission slip here.
* OPENING SONG Come, Ye Sinners
Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
full of pity, love, and power.
[Chorus]
I will arise and go to Jesus;
He will embrace me with his arms;
In the arms my dear Savior,
O there are ten thousand charms.
Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome,
God's free bounty glorify;
true belief and true repentance,
every grace that brings you nigh.
[Chorus]
Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
lost and ruined by the fall;
if you tarry till you're better,
you will never come at all.
[Chorus]
Let not conscience make you linger,
nor of fitness fondly dream;
all the fitness he requires
is to feel your need of him.
[Chorus]
OPENING PRAYER
PASSING OF THE PEACE
Peace be with you… ...and also with you
* SONG Glory Glory Hallelujah
Glory, glory hallelujah,
since I laid my burdens down.
Glory, glory hallelujah,
since I laid my burdens down.
I feel better, so much better,
since I laid my burdens down.
I feel better, so much better,
since I laid my burdens down.
Feel like shouting, “Hallelujah!”
since I laid my burdens down.
Feel like shouting, “Hallelujah!”
since I laid my burdens down.
I am dancing Miriam's dance now,
since I laid my burdens down.
I am dancing Miriam's dance now,
since I laid my burdens down.
I am climbing Jacob’s ladder,
since I laid my burdens down.
I am climbing Jacob’s ladder,
since I laid my burdens down.
Every round goes higher and higher,
since I laid my burdens down.
Every round goes higher and higher,
since I laid my burdens down.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 11: 28 - 30 reader, Johnny Buranosky
READING “Permission Granted” by David Allen Sullivan
SONG OF PREPARATION Down By the Riverside Bethany Pick Up Choir
SERMON Rev. Rebecca Anderson
MUSIC FOR REFLECTION Nick Photinos, cello
SHARING OF JOYS AND CONCERNS
When in the past week did you see God at work?
What concerns would you like to turn over to God’s care?
PASTORAL PRAYER & LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father/Creator/Parent, 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 sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen
GIVE, SERVE, SHARE: Announcements
OFFERTORY
* DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise God, all creatures here below.
Praise God above ye heavenly host,
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
* CLOSING SONG But For You Who Fear My Name
(Chorus)
But for you who fear my name
The Sun of righteousness will rise
With healing in its wings
And you shall go forth again
skip about like calves
coming from their stalls at last
You shall be my very own
On the day that I
Caused you to be my special home
I shall spare you as a man
Has compassion on his son
Who does the best he can
(Chorus)
But for you who fear my name
The Sun of righteousness will rise
With healing in its wings
And you shall go forth again
skip about like calves
coming from their stalls at last
You shall be my very own
on the day that I
call you to my special home.
I shall love you as a hen,
has compassion on her young,
gathered beneath her wings.
(Chorus)
* BENEDICTION
“We, gathered as Bethany UCC
on this 8th day of March in the year 2026,
do hereby freely and joyfully grant you the permission you seek.”
POSTLUDE Violin Concerto in A minor by Jean-Baptiste Accolay
Emi Photinos, violin
* * *
Announcements
Order Flowers For Easter - Deadline
Bethany is once again offering orders for Easter flowers! We have tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils available to order for $15 each. The flowers will be displayed on Easter and ready for you to take home after service. We will need orders no later than next Sunday, March 15th!
Fill out this google form to indicate what flowers you'd like, how many, and how you plan to donate. Donations can be made via Paypal or Vanco.
Kids’ Sunday School is In Session
Sunday school resumes for Bethany kids on March 1st! During worship, kids 4 & up are invited to go to Sunday school after we pass the peace. Our teachers are professional educators and parents, creating an inclusive experiential learning environment. On non-Sunday School weeks, there’s (often) Children’s Time and a kids’ bulletin — plus regular nursery care every week.
Our remaining Sunday School sessions for this school year will be:
Unit 5 with Kezia and Tristan (March 1st, 8th and 15th)
Unit 6 with Erin and Charlie (April 12th and 19th)
Unit 7 with Jen and Rachelle (May 3rd , May 10th and our year-end celebration on May 17th)
Pathways to Creativity Small Group - March 10th
If you were lucky enough to hear Rebecca’s Christmas reflection then you know that God is the ultimate creator. And if we’re all created in God’s image, we were all born to be creators. For the early part of our lives, if you were anything like me (hello – this is Ron), you probably did all sorts of creative things like finger paint, or play with puppets, or make friendship bracelets. Unfortunately, as we grow older, many of us stop being creators, convincing ourselves that creativity is the realm for other people, and certainly not for me.
If you’ve always wanted to be creative (painter, writer, poet, singer) but unsure how to proceed, I invite you to discover and recover your creative self. Over 6 weeks we’ll go through Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. We’ll explore why you may have stopped being creative and through weekly discussions and exercises I hope to re-ignite your creative self. We’ll do this primarily through process-oriented art, emphasizing materials exploration (all materials included) and mark-making (no technical skills needed - I can’t draw to save my life). For the last three weeks we’ll try our hand at making palimpsests as a way to explore our very many layered selves. Don’t know what a palimpsest is? Take a listen to Vince’s sermon from 07/25/2023 and how God gives us all the second chances we need!
Join me for one, any, or all of the remaining sessions:
Tuesday, March 10th
Thursday, March 19th
Tuesday, March 24th
Sign up here if you plan on joining!
Monday Morning Prayer - March 9th - 30th
Pray with silence, candles, and the morning liturgy from the daily office. Join Rebecca in the sanctuary on the way to work (or on your school or coffee run before working from home). We’ll remember prayers raised in worship the day before and the ones we bring to one another. Gather in quiet starting at 7:15am and begin the liturgy around 7:35am. Arrive when you can, on the weeks that work for you. Share a prayer request here.
Refugee One Interest Meeting - March 11th, 7 pm on Zoom
After a year-long pause, Bethany wants to jump back into our refugee resettlement work. This will involve working closely with RefugeeOne, taking a recently arrived refugee family under our wing, and helping them acclimate to Chicago, practice their English and, most importantly, have some friends they can turn too. We need a team of 8-10 to do this properly.
Join a zoom meeting at 7 pm this Wednesday, March 11 to discuss what’s involved — learn more and find out how truly rewarding this work can be.
Sign up to let us know you’re interested or just show up! The link is already in your weekly email and we’ll be sending it out again.
Other questions? Contact Judy Beaupre (jhbeaupre@yahoo.com)
Chili Cook-Off - March 14th
It’s chili cookoff time again! This is how we raise money to support refugees and immigrants in our area. So dust off your crockpots, fine tune your best chili recipe and get ready for some good belly- filling competition. Our annual cookoff and bake-off (yummy desserts of all kinds) is scheduled for Saturday, March 14. Sign up here to make a chili, bake a dessert or help with the event!
Spanish Charla - March 18th
Charla: a chat, a conversation, a talk.
¿Habla español? ¿Mucho o un poquito? Interested in having a regular place to practice? All levels of Spanish speaking are welcomg.
We plan to meet the third Wednesday of each month. Each month, we’ll suggest a theme (only to start; once we’re warmed up, we can charla about whatever!). Join us for our next meeting on March 18th at 7 pm.
¡Hagamos la comunidad juntos! Let’s make community together!
Jesus Christ Super Star - March 20th
We invite you to come Rock Out with us to the songs of Jesus Christ Superstar LIVE on March 20th at 7:30pm Bethany United Church of Christ.
ONE NIGHT ONLY Come see local performers and Bethany members stage a FREE LIVE CONCERT featuring the music of the famous rock opera and 1970 concept album written by Andrew Loyd Webber and Tim Rice, right here in Bethany’s sanctuary.
**Please be advised this performance will include some scenes of staged violence.
Bethany will provide soft drinks, but please feel free to BYOWhateverBeverage you would like to sip on as you listen and rock out!
Doors open at 7:00pm
Show starts at 7:30pm
Come to Maundy Thursday - April 2nd
Observe Holy Week and remember the Last Supper with a meal, stories from the last week of Jesus’ life, communion, and leaning into, finally, solemn quiet between Thursday and Sunday. RSVP not necessary but helpful.
Volunteer For Easter - April 5th
Celebrating Easter takes lots of hands. From greeting to hiding eggs, from decorating the fellowship hall to doing the dishes afterward. Let us know you’re in!
Faith & Politics Small Group, begins April 12th
Join Dublin-based Susan Burgess on-line for the second round of “Faith and Politics,” a small group that addresses injustice in relation to our concepts of faith (broadly understood). Bond with other Bethany members as we try to make sense of the current state of the world and our place in it. We’ll explore how others such as Harvey Milk (LGBT activist), Fred Hampton (Black Panther activist), and Judi Bari (environmental activist) have tried to make political change in a way that aligns with their visions of a just world. Group members will view documentaries on their own, which we will then discuss together as a group in weekly meetings on Zoom on Sunday, April 12, 19, and 26 from 2-3 pm central time. Sign up here.
Help Make Worship Happen
For the next couple months, our pastors will be flying solo, which means we could use your help now more than ever! Please sign up here if you’re able to help.
Give and Get Help
Throughout the holiday season, we will continue to collect canned goods and other non-perishable food items to be delivered to Nourishing Hope. Contact us anytime at bethany.ucc.assistance@gmail.com if you, your family or those close to you have needs that are not being met. We will try to help, or at least point you in the direction of help.
Subscribe to Bethany’s Google Calendar (a work in progress!)
