The Gathering Lyrics
Oh How I Need You
Lord I find You in the seeking
Lord I find You in the doubt
And to know You is to love You
And to know so little else
I need You
Oh how I need You
Oh how I need You
Oh how I need You
Lord I find You in the seeking
Lord I find You in the doubt
And to know You is to love you
And to know so little else
I need You
Oh how I need You
Oh how I need You
Oh how I need You
Lord I find You in the morning
Lord I seek You everyday
Let my life be for Your glory
Woven in Your threads of grace
I need You
Oh how I need You
Oh how I need You
Oh how I need You
Light, glorious light
I will go where You shine
Break the dawn, crack the skies
Make the way bright before me
In Your light I will find
All I need, all I need is You
Light, glorious light
I will go where You shine
Break the dawn, crack the skies
Make the way bright before me
In Your light I will find
All I need, all I need is You
Oh how I need You
Oh how I need You
Oh how I need You
Oh how I need You
Oh how I need You
Oh how I need You
Oh how I need You
Oh how I need You
Graves Into Gardens
I searched the world
But it couldn’t fill me
Man’s empty praise
And treasures that fade
Are never enough
Then You came along
And put me back together
And every desire
Is now satisfied
Here in Your love
Oh, there’s nothing better than You
There’s nothing better than You
Lord, there’s nothing
Nothing is better than You
I’m not afraid
To show You my weakness
My failures and flaws
Lord, You’ve seen ’em all
And You still call me friend
‘Cause the God of the mountain
Is the God of the valley
There’s not a place
Your mercy and grace
Won’t find me again
Oh, there’s nothing better than You
There’s nothing better than You
Lord, there’s nothing
Nothing is better than You
Oh, there’s nothing better than You
There’s nothing better than You
Lord, there’s nothing
Nothing is better than You
You turn mourning to dancing
You give beauty for ashes
You turn shame into glory
You’re the only one who can
You turn graves into garden
You turn bones into armies
You turn seas into highways
You’re the only one who can
You’re the only one who can
Oh, there’s nothing better than You
There’s nothing better than You
Lord, there’s nothing
Nothing is better than You
Oh, there’s nothing better than You
There’s nothing better than You
Lord, there’s nothing
Nothing is better than You
Raise Up
Bring me your weak and weary
Bring me your strange and cold
I come for hope and healing
That you won’t feel alone
So, raise up, raise up, raise up
So, raise up, raise up
So, raise up, raise up, raise up
I have told you that
I am the way and the truth and the life
I’m justice, I’m all that is right
Carry on now, carry on
Carry on now
And there’s a galaxy behind your eyelids
And there’s a war in your house
And there’s a meaning that is far beyond us
And there is courage in doubt
So, raise up, raise up, raise up
So, raise up, raise up
So, raise up, raise up, raise up
I have told you that
I am the way and the truth and the life
I’m justice, I’m all that is right
Carry on now, carry on
Carry on now
So, raise up, raise up, raise up
So, raise up, raise up
So, raise up, raise up, raise up
I have told you that
I am the way and the truth and the life
I’m justice, I’m all that is right
Carry on now, carry on
Carry on now
And I am the way and the truth and the life
I am mystery, the day, and the night
Carry on now, carry on
Carry on now
So, raise up, raise up, raise up
So, raise up, raise up
So, raise up, raise up, raise up
So, raise up, raise up
Reckless Love
Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so so kind to me
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the 99
And I couldn’t earn it
I don’t deserve it, still You give yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the 99
And I couldn’t earn it
I don’t deserve it, still You give yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God
There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the 99
I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still You give yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God
Traditional Worship Bulletin
Traditional Service
March 12, 2023 | 11:00 am
“Tough Love”
Matthew 22:1-14
Rev. Lance Marshall
Senior Pastor
Welcome and Announcements
Rev. Brenda Brooks Alexander, Associate Pastor
Prelude: “When He Offers His Hand”
Townes Van Zandt, composer
Crossroad Singers
*Call to Worship
Rev. Phyllis Barren, Associate Pastor
One: Come, the banquet of hope and praise is ready.
All: We come on your invitation, seeking to be fed.
One: Feed on the love of God in Jesus Christ.
All: We come on your invitation, needing healing.
One: Be healed by God’s gracious mercy.
All: We come on your invitation, longing for forgiveness.
One: In Jesus’ Name, you are loved, healed and forgiven.
All: Alleluia, Praise be to God. Amen.
*Hymn 117: “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”
1. O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home!
2. Under the shadow of thy throne,
still may we dwell secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone,
and our defense is sure.
3. Before the hills in order stood,
or earth received her frame,
from everlasting, thou art God,
to endless years the same.
4. A thousand ages, in thy sight,
are like an evening gone;
short as the watch that ends the night,
before the rising sun.
5. Time, like an ever rolling stream,
bears all who breathe away;
they fly forgotten, as a dream
dies at the opening day.
6. O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come;
be thou our guide while life shall last,
and our eternal home.
*Affirmation of Faith 881
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. 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. Amen.
*Gloria Patri: hymnal page 70
**Please be seated
Psalter Reading: Psalm 106
Sung Response: O how He loves you and me! O how He loves you and me! He gave His life. What more could He give? O how He loves you; O how He loves me; O how He loves you and me!
One: Praise the Lord!
All: O give thanks to the Lord who is good; whose steadfast love endures for ever!
One: Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord, or show forth all God’s praise?
All: Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!
One: Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people; help me when you deliver them,
All: that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your heritage.
Sung response
One: Our forebears made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a molten image.
All: They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.
One: They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,
All: wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red Sea.
One: Therefore the Lord intended to destroy them had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach, to turn away God’s wrath from destroying them.
All: Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.
One: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!
All: And let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the Lord!
Sung Response
Faith Like a Child
“Mister Mark” Burrows, Director of Children’s Ministries
*Hymn 540: “I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord”
1. I love thy kingdom, Lord,
the house of thine abode,
the church our blest Redeemer saved
with his own precious blood.
2. I love thy church, O God!
Her walls before thee stand
dear as the apple of thine eye,
and graven on thy hand.
3. For her my tears shall fall,
for her my prayers ascend,
to her my cares and toils be given,
till toils and cares shall end.
4. Beyond my highest joy
I prize her heavenly ways,
her sweet communion, solemn vows,
her hymns of love and praise.
5. Sure as thy truth shall last,
to Zion shall be given
the brightest glories earth can yield,
and brighter bliss of heaven.
Scripture: Matthew 22:1-14
Ashley Boswell, lay reader
Sermon Series: Tough Love
Rev. Lance Marshall, Senior Pastor
Pastoral Prayer
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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13)
Offertory: “Nearer, My God, to Thee”
D. Grant, arranger
*Doxology: hymnal page 95
*Benediction
One: Our gathering will soon be ended. Where will we go, and what will we do?
All: We will go out to be God’s people in the world.
One: May grace, peace, hope, love, and joy forever accompany you. Amen.
*Congregational Benediction: “I Surrender All” refrain
I surrender all, (I surrender all,) I surrender all, (I surrender all,)
All to thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.
*Postlude: “Rigaudon”
André Campra, composer
Download The Traditional Worship Bulletin PDF
Notes from First Church
Welcome to First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth – we are glad you’re here to worship with us today!
Please let us know you are here by filling out the attendance pad as it comes by.
Asterisks (*) indicate times when you are invited to stand as you are able.
In addition to your regular contribution, every one dollar ($1) bill placed in the offering plate during the month of March will support the Methodist Justice Ministries.
The Sanctuary Flowers are in loving memory of Mr. & Mrs. Thomas L. Uhr, Mrs. Sheila Uhr, Mr. Jack Morris, Mr. & Mrs. E.R. Morris, and Mr. & Mrs. W.S. Hutchison by Mr. Bill Uhr and family.
Lent Banners
The season of Lent provides a blessed opportunity for reflection as we approach the altar of our Lord’s sacrifice with hope in His mercy.
The seasonal wall hangings (paraments) reflect the themes and color of this liturgical season. The purple of Lent represents sorrow and repentance. Grey, the color of ashes, calls us back to Ash Wednesday, when we received this symbol of mourning and humility on our foreheads. The tan fabric suggests desert sands and the arid nature of sin.
The coarse ropes suspended between the fabric panels also carry symbolic meaning. The five groupings of ropes remind us of the five wounds Christ bore on the cross. The rope itself is a symbol of the betrayal of Christ as the soldiers bound him after the kiss of Judas. The stones, woven into the ropes, represent the sin that weighs down our souls. The knots in the ropes suggest the discord in our families, the hurts between married couples, and the absence of peace and joy caused by our pride and failure to depend on God.
These paraments provide a visual reminder of the mercy God offers us not only in the Lenten Season but also throughout the entire year.
Thank you Dianne Fisher for helping make our banners happen.
Stay Connected
News
Read First Church news and sign up for emails at fumcfw.org/news.
Events
Browse programs and events or search by ministry or keyword at fumcfw.org/events.
Worship with us Online
Sunday Mornings
9:30 am | The Gathering | fumcfw.org/gathering-live
11:00 am | Traditional Worship | fumcfw.org/traditional-live
11:11 am | eleven:eleven | fumfw.org/1111-live
WRR Radio
Listen to each previous week’s service and music on Sunday mornings at 7:30 am on WRR 101.1 FM.
Media Playlists
Watch past services or sermons or listen to podcasts of services and special music offerings at fumcfw.org/media.
For more information visit us online at fumcfw.org, “Like” us on Facebook, and “Follow” us on Twitter and Instagram!
Discipleship is the process of being shaped by the Holy Spirit through spiritual practices to become more like Jesus. Healthy Plate Discipleship uses a variety of practices to help you more faithfully follow Jesus Christ. Try all six areas to grow strong in faithful discipleship. Learn more at fumcfw.org/healthyplate.
Are you new?
If you would like to find your Worship Plus One, we would love to visit with you and help you explore the First Church groups or ministries of special interest to you! Finding your Worship Plus One will help you meet others, build relationships, and grow stronger in your faith.
For details, please email Lisa Helm (lhelm@myfumc.org), Director of Welcoming Ministries or Dr. Mike Marshall (mmarshall@myfumc.org), Associate Pastor of Leadership Development — and be sure to include your phone number in your email!