Dear HBIC Church Family,

 

During this season of social-distancing in order to curb the spread of Covid-19, our church staff have been working to find ways to help us stay connected to God and to one another. Below you will find several ways to participate in worship and prayer with others from HBIC! We invite you to join us in these unique ways as we weather this storm that has so disrupted our daily lives. And we pray that you will experience the riches of the Lord’s presence during this time that we are not able to be present with one another.

 

Our pastoral staff will be coming together each week to record a worship service in our sanctuary. The service will be live on the HBIC YouTube Channel on Sunday mornings by 9 am, as well as anytime thereafter.

 

Here is the link to the service on the HBIC YouTube Channel for Sunday, March 29.

 

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our HBIC YouTube Channel

 

These resources are designed to help you and your family follow along and participate with the online-worship video for this Sunday. Then when the service is over, you’ll have a chance to both reflect on and discuss the message with the questions provided, either individually or with those in your home.

 

…By the way, if you have more than one device (computer, tablet, or smartphone), you can have the video playing on one while you follow along with this email on the other!

 

Call to Worship (Pastor Lynda):

The chorus from a song by Steve Green, Rest, says,

Rest,

The Lord is near,

Refuse to fear,

Enjoy his love.

The psalmist, in Psalm 63:7-8 (RSV) has a similar sense:

for thou hast been my help,

and in the shadow of thy wings I sing for joy.

My soul clings to thee;

thy right hand upholds me.

Our loving, kind, good God enfolds us under his wings and protects us there. And as we’re protected, sheltered by the Almighty, we can rest, and we can sing for joy!

Let’s tune our hearts to God as we think together about his enveloping, protecting, sustaining love, and let’s sing together for joy!

 

Song (Pastor Esteban): All Who Are Thirsty

All who are thirsty
All who are weak
Come to the fountain
Dip your heart in the stream of life
Let the pain and the sorrow
Be washed away
In the waves of His mercy
As deep cries out to deep
(We sing)

Come Lord Jesus come
Come Lord Jesus come 

All who are thirsty
All who are weak
Come to the fountain
Dip your heart in the stream of life
Let the pain and the sorrow
Be washed away
In the waves of His mercy
As deep cries out to deep
(We sing)

Holy Spirit come
Holy Spirit come

As deep cries out to deep
As deep cries out to deep
As deep cries out to deep
(We sing)

Come Lord Jesus come

 

Prayer (Pastor Esteban):

Lift your heart(s) before God in prayer.

 

Greeting One Another (Pastor Woody):

Usually at this time, we greet one another face to face with handshakes and hugs and conversation. However, as you all know, that is not possible right now. Instead we would like to encourage you to reach out by phone, email, or social media …to someone in your small group, someone you normally sit near in church, someone on your ministry team, someone you may have a concern about, someone in your neighborhood, or someone you haven’t contacted in a while. Our goal during this time is for the Body of Christ to minister to the Body of Christ. Our hope is for our relationships to expand and grow, not wither during this time of crisis. …As always, continue to pray for one another.

 

Children’s Story (Pastor Patty):

 

Offering Invitation (Pastor Brie):

Good morning! I miss being together in worship! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed though getting to see and interact with many of you through our online meetings we’ve had lately. We’re made for community and it’s a delight when we can connect!

Normally at this point in our service, we’d pass around our offering plates as we joyously give to the work of the Lord being done within the many ministries of our church. Unfortunately, we’re not together physically today, but we want to encourage you to continue supporting these ministries whether you’re able to give a small amount or a large amount! We are amidst an unpredictable time. Praise the Lord, our ministries are continuing and will continue past this time. We invite you today to honor and worship the Lord through your tithes and offerings. He is ahead of us in all of this, and he does delight in our continued faithfulness.

Before we pray, I’ll remind you of some ways to give. You can start at our church website harrisburgbic.org. 

• If you’re on a mobile device, click on the menu icon in the top right corner and then click ways to give.
• If you’re on your computer, there’s a white banner towards the top. Ways to Give is the tab to click on the far right.  Once you’ve followed the “ways to give” tab, you can then scroll down and various ways to give are listed.
• One listing is giving by electronic funds transfer. Click that tab and it will take you to directions and it also has a link to the form and details of who to send it to. 
• Another option is titled online giving. After you click on that, it details directions there; you can use it for one-time or recurring gifts.
• Another listing says mobile giving. Under that it describes how to give using easytithe from your mobile device. 
• And you can also always use the traditional method of writing a check and then mail it in to the church to 2217 Derry St., Harrisburg, 17104.

Now, I invite you to join in prayer…

Father, we thank you for opportunities to worship together even when we are physically apart. We thank you that we also have the opportunity to give of our tithes and offerings amidst our separation, and we praise you that we can join together in joyful giving. We ask your blessings on the gifts given, that they would be towards the furthering of your gospel. Bless the givers, and continue to show us how to give of ourselves to you in service. Praise you Lord that your Spirit is at work in amazing ways amidst your body of believers the world over now, as we all join in your continued kingdom work and that work specific to our time. We praise you for your goodness and the confidence in knowing your hand is over all things. In Jesus’ name we pray.

 

Doxology (Pastor Esteban):

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Praise Him all creatures here below

Praise Him above ye heavenly host

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

 

The Word (Pastor Hank):

 

Matthew 12:1-14 NIV

¹At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. ² When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

³ He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? ⁴ He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. ⁵ Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? ⁶ I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. ⁷ If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent. ⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

⁹ Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, ¹⁰ and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

¹¹ He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? ¹² How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

¹³ Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

 

Matthew 12:1-14 The Message

¹ One Sabbath, Jesus was strolling with his disciples through a field of ripe grain. Hungry, the disciples were pulling off the heads of grain and munching on them.

² Some Pharisees reported them to Jesus: “Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath rules!”

³ Jesus said, “Really? Didn’t you ever read what David and his companions did when they were hungry,

⁴ how they entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat?

⁵ And didn’t you ever read in God’s Law that priests carrying out their Temple duties break Sabbath rules all the time and it’s not held against them?

⁶ “There is far more at stake here than religion.

⁷ If you had any idea what this Scripture meant – ‘I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual’ – you wouldn’t be nitpicking like this.

⁸ The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath; he’s in charge.”

⁹ When Jesus left the field, he entered their meeting place.

¹⁰ There was a man there with a crippled hand. They said to Jesus, “Is it legal to heal on the Sabbath?” They were baiting him.

¹¹ He replied, “Is there a person here who, finding one of your lambs fallen into a ravine, wouldn’t, even though it was a Sabbath, pull it out?

¹² Surely kindness to people is as legal as kindness to animals!”

¹³ Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held it out and it was healed.

¹⁴ The Pharisees walked out furious, sputtering about how they were going to ruin Jesus.               

 

Questions for Reflection and/or Discussion:

• What is one thing that has brought you hope these last few weeks?
• What can you do this week to care for your mind, body, and soul?
• How can you use this current season to connect more deeply with God?
• How can you use this current season to connect or reconnect more deeply with others?
• How can you use your gifts to serve others today?
• What is one big thing you may have been putting off, to learn or create, that you will work on now?

 

Song (Pastor Esteban): Mvini (Rest in You)

We will abide in You Lord
Hide in You Lord
Rest in You Lord
Rest in You Lord 

Teach us to wait on You
Draw strength from You Lord
Rest in You Lord
Rest in You (Lord) 

 

Mvini owonawona
Mvini owonawona
(True vine) 

 

Announcements (Pastor Carmen):

• Thank you for joining us this morning on the HBIC YouTube Channel. We hope to “see” you again next week! (The link for each week’s service will be live on Sunday morning by 9 am.)
• Welcome to those who are viewing or visiting us for the first time.
• Wednesday nights – Each week, we will continue to offer an opportunity to connect for prayer together, followed by a brief Q&A on the Sunday am message in our Zoom Virtual Prayer Meeting, 7 to 8 pm. If you need help to download Zoom, send an email to office@harrisburgbic.org.
• We are in the process of forming Virtual Life Groups. If you have interest in being part of a Life Group that will connect with one another via Zoom, be sure to contact Pastor Woody, by email or by phone (717-558-9678) by April 4.
• If your group would like to schedule a time to make use of the church’s Zoom account for a group meeting, please contact Pastor Brie with the details.
• We will be using our Harrisburg BIC website (Church) for updates, and we will be sending out emails as well. If you know someone in our church who does not have any access to any of these means of communication, please help them to stay updated.
• Connect – in this time of isolation and separation, please remember our call to be the Body of Christ. We want to encourage you to keep looking for creative ways to keep connected to people in your circles and neighborhoods, people that come to mind, or anyone you know that may be in need. If you can help, please help. If we can help, please let us know. God bless you. 

 

Song (Pastor Esteban): Yes And Amen

Father of kindness,
You have poured out of grace
You brought me out of darkness,
You have filled me with peace
Giver of mercy,
You’re my help in time of need
Lord, I can’t help but sing

 

Faithful you are
Faithful forever you will be
Faithful you are
All your promises are yes and Amen
All your promises are yes and Amen

 

Beautiful Savior,
You have brought me near
You pulled me from the ashes,
You have broken every curse
Blessed redeemer,
You have set this captive free
Lord, I can’t help but sing

 

Faithful you are
Faithful forever you will be
Faithful yes you are
All your promises are yes and Amen
All your promises are yes and Amen

 

I will rest in your promises
My confidence is your faithfulness
(repeat)
Faithful you are
Faithful forever you will be
Faithful yes you are
All your promises are yes and Amen
All your promises are yes and Amen
All your promises are yes and Amen
All your promises are yes and Amen

 

Closing Prayer (Pastor Hank):

Lift your heart(s) before God in prayer.

May God bless you all!

Pastor Hank, for all of the pastors
P: (717) 561-2170, ext. 104
E: pastorhank@harrisburgbic.org