March 23, 2025
Second Chances
Life’s second chances are like a blank canvas, offering us the freedom to paint a new picture of our future.
They allow us to break free from the past and embark on a journey of self-discovery.
~Harsh Grover
Words of greeting and GATHERING
Alexis Owens
WELCOMING STATEMENT
RISE believes that God has open arms, and so should we. Our Creator wants us to love, accept and affirm every human being, including persons of every age, race, ethnic background, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, family or socioeconomic status, educational background, religion or creed, and physical or mental ability. We celebrate our diversity and recognize the sacred worth and dignity of all. Everyone is invited and encouraged to join us as we seek to follow Jesus with mutual respect, understanding, and love.
*Read more about “Why Pronouns Matter” HERE.
OPENING PSalm
Ps. 63:1-8 (NRSV)
1 O God, you are my God; I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands and call on your name.5 My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
6 when I think of you on my bed
and meditate on you in the watches of the night,
7 for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.
Opening Songs
Songs Will Happen!
Brent Holl and Company
“Seek ye first”
~Karen Lafferty
Seek ye first the kingdom of God
And His righteousness;
And all these things shall be added unto you.
Allelu, Alleluia!
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia
Allelu, Alleluia!
Ask, and it shall be given unto you;
Seek, and ye shall find.
Knock, and the door shall be opened unto you.
Allelu, Alleluia!
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia
Allelu, Alleluia!
“Count Well the Cost”
~Michael Stern
Count well the cost of building some-thing right from the start
A new congregation or a work of art
There may be trials that seem to tear all your work apart
Count well the cost of patience, of heart
Count when you’re making a start
Count and then follow your heart
Count well the cost of following the one crucified
The river Jordan is deep and wide
And it’s not easy crossing to the other side
To love and to serve, to swallow your pride
Count well before you decide
Count well the cost of waging peace for often we fail.
In some situations may end up in jail.
To find a joy born of suffering, a freedom born of pain
count well the cost then wage peace again.
Wage peace all over again.
Count well the cost of following the one who would forgive
seven times seventy, so shall we live.
To find a joy born of suffering, a freedom born of pain,
count well the cost then forgive again.
For-give again and again.
Count well the cost of building some-thing right from the start
A new congregation or a work of art
There may be trials that seem to tear all your work apart
Count well the cost of patience, of heart
Count when you’re making a start
Count and then follow your heart
Scripture Readings
Isaiah 55:1-9 (The Message)
1-5 “Hey there! All who are thirsty,
come to the water!
Are you penniless?
Come anyway—buy and eat!
Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk.
Buy without money—everything’s free!
Why do you spend your money on junk food,
your hard-earned cash on cotton candy?
Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best,
fill yourself with only the finest.
Pay attention, come close now,
listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words.
I’m making a lasting covenant commitment with you,
the same that I made with David: sure, solid, enduring love.
I set him up as a witness to the nations,
made him a prince and leader of the nations,
And now I’m doing it to you:
You’ll summon nations you’ve never heard of,
and nations who’ve never heard of you
will come running to you
Because of me, your God,
because The Holy of Israel has honored you.”6-7 Seek God while he’s here to be found,
pray to him while he’s close at hand.
Let the wicked abandon their way of life
and the evil their way of thinking.
Let them come back to God, who is merciful,
come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness.8-9 “I don’t think the way you think.
The way you work isn’t the way I work.”
God’s Decree.
“For as the sky soars high above earth,
so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
Luke 13:1-9 (CEB)
1 Some who were present on that occasion told Jesus about the Galileans whom Pilate had killed while they were offering sacrifices. 2 He replied, “Do you think the suffering of these Galileans proves that they were more sinful than all the other Galileans? 3 No, I tell you, but unless you change your hearts and lives, you will die just as they did. 4 What about those eighteen people who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them? Do you think that they were more guilty of wrongdoing than everyone else who lives in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you, but unless you change your hearts and lives, you will die just as they did.”
6 Jesus told this parable: “A man owned a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7 He said to his gardener, ‘Look, I’ve come looking for fruit on this fig tree for the past three years, and I’ve never found any. Cut it down! Why should it continue depleting the soil’s nutrients?’ 8 The gardener responded, ‘Lord, give it one more year, and I will dig around it and give it fertilizer. 9 Maybe it will produce fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.’”
THEOLOGICAL Reflection
Chris Zepp
“Second Chances and Starting Assumptions”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What would it mean if we took as our starting assumption that we ourselves and everyone we meet has the potential to be the Christ among us? How would this change our interactions with others? How would it change the way we view ourselves?
What does repentance mean to you? Is it a helpful reminder to center yourself on what is really important in life? A second chance at life? Or is it a turn-off or a stumbling block in your life of faith? What do you make of Jesus’ calls to repentance?
How many chances are enough for people? Is there ever a time when it just isn’t worth it to give someone a second (or another) chance? Does there come a time when it is right to “cut down the tree?”
SONG
“O Healing River”
~Anonymous/American Folk Hymn
O healing river, send down your waters,
Send down your waters, on this barren ground
O healing river, send down your waters,
and wash the blood from off the sand.
This land is parching, this land is burning,
no seed is growing in the barren ground.
O healing river, send down your waters,
O healing river, send your waters down.
Let the seed of freedom awake and flourish,
let the deep roots nourish, let the tall stalks rise.
O healing river, send down your waters,
O healing river, from out of the skies.
PRAYER
~Feasting on the Word Worship Companion, Year C, Vol.1, adapted
Offering and NOMOFOMO
One of our core values is, "God gives to us, so we give back." We're called to give as a joy-filled response to what we've been given. Your financial gifts make a tremendous difference in the lives of God's beloved in Harrisonburg and beyond. Whether it's helping to make sure children in our community have enough to eat, helping to respond to the mental health crisis in our community, or providing much needed backing for the operating costs of our spaces and staff — your gift is a part of God's dream and we are grateful for everyone who partners with us on this journey!
WTF?
Wednesday’s at exactly dinner-ish! (6pm EST)
Downstairs at John Wesley UMC
Join us for a midweek check in to fuel your body, mind and soul. RISE will provide the meal and a topic for conversation. All you have to do it show up!
THIS WEEK - Loaded Jacket Potatoes (Potato Bar)
We welcome people from all walks of life and all walks of faith to join us on our journey. And we mean it. Everyone is welcome at RISE. Everyone. We seek to be a place free of judgment and full of love.
CLOSING SONG
“What a Wonderful World”
~Bob Thiele, George Douglas, George Weiss
I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom, for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They’re really saying I love you
I hear babies cry, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Parting Blessing
~Feasting on the Word Worship Companion, Year C, Vol.1, adapted
May the mercy of God ground us,
The love of Christ take root in us,
And the power of the Holy Spirit grow in us,
That we might bear fruit for the coming of the kingdom
into this already wonderful world.
REMEMBER - YOU ARE A GIFT!
If you would like to connect more deeply with RISE, you can start by submitting this short form to Get Connected!
You might also consider:
Sign up for texting services:
Text “RISE” to 833-803-0868 to join the primary list and receive weekly community updates and alerts
Text “RISEcares” to receive prayer requests, care needs, and community concerns and celebrations
Requests for care and/or prayer can be sent via e-mail to cares@riseharrisonburg.org, texted to 833-803-0868, or submitted online via our RISE Cares form.