This is a story so powerful, it is recounted six times across the four gospels. Jesus seeks a time of solitude and prayer, but is followed by a crowd of people in need—in need of teaching, in need of healing, and eventually, in need of food. And so he feeds them—miraculously, it seems.

Join us for Sunday morning worship in our beautiful Sanctuary at 200 East Main Street, Endicott, NY. Or, you can join us online here for our livestream (by clicking on the Youtube video), throughout both the Wednesdays (6:15) and Sundays (10:30 AM) of Lent. UPC: always joyful, always welcoming.

Second Sunday in Lent

Where Your Treasure Is: On the Grass

1 Kings 17:8-16; Matthew 14:13-21

Union Presbyterian Church 

March 1, 2026 

Sharing the Light of Christ, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow 

Liturgist: Laura Keibel Preacher: Rev. Pat Raube 

Welcome  

Announcements          Laura Keibel

Prelude Chris Bartlette

“Let Us Break Bread Together,” John Carter

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

* Call to Worship
With nature in its power and beauty,

with snow and rain and sunshine,

with the ancient rocks and the new green getting ready to bud,

we gather in praise of God.

With believers and seekers the whole world wide,

with people in every land,

and speakers in every language,

we gather in praise of God.

With God who created it all,

and Jesus who promises his presence,

and the Spirit who showers her blessings,

we gather in praise of God.

Here, let heaven and earth embrace;

here may God’s people find a home.

* Hymn # 305

“Come Sing, O Church, in Joy!” Brian Dill

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Come sing, O church, in joy!

Come join, O church, in song!

For Christ the Lord has led us

Through the ages long!

In bold accord,

Come celebrate the journey now

And praise the Lord!

Long years have come and gone,

And still God reigns supreme,

Empowering us to catch the vision,

Dream the dream!

In bold accord,

Come celebrate the journey now

And praise the Lord!

Let courage be our friend;

Let wisdom be our guide,

As we in mission magnify

The Crucified!

In bold accord,

Come celebrate the journey now

And praise the Lord!

Come sing, O church, in joy!

Come join, O church, in song!

For Christ the Lord has triumphed

O’er the ages long!

In bold accord,

Come celebrate the journey now

And praise the Lord!

* Call to New Life

Our God, Creator, Christ, and Comforter, you are present with us now. As bearers of your image we come to be reshaped. Trusting in your mercy, we ask to be made new.

* Prayer for Wholeness and Peace (unison)

For the right roads we avoided traveling,

and the kindly words we refused to share;

for the false gods who received our worship,

and the true selves we have starved of love,

God, by your grace, forgive us.

For the hidden hurts we held too tightly,

and the promises which we never kept;

for the careless use of our time and money,

and the lame excuses we should never have made,

God, by your grace, forgive us.

~ Silent Prayer~

And we pray,

For all we should be,

and all we can amend,

God, in your love, renew us.

For all you have in store for us,

and all you may demand of us,

God, in your love, prepare us.

For the life of the world,

and the love of its people,

God, in your love, commit us. Amen.

* Words of Assurance

Hear and believe these words of Jesus:

Your sins are forgiven.

Go in peace.

Come and follow me.

Thanks be to the Creator who gives us life.

Thanks be to Jesus whose love remakes us.

Thanks be to the Spirit, companion on our journey.

Thanks be to God! Amen.

* Sharing of the Peace

Our God who is Love remakes us:

let us find peace in that knowledge.

May the peace of God be with you.

And also with you.

Let us share with one another a sign of God’s peace.

Scripture 1 Kings 17:8-16

The word of the Holy One to Elijah was, “Get up, go to Zarephath, which is part of Sidon, and settle there; watch now, I have commanded a widow woman there to provide for you.” And Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. Then he came to the gate of the town, and look! a widow woman was there gathering sticks; so he called to her and said, “Bring me, please, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” She went to bring it, and he called to her and said, “Bring me, please, a bit of bread in your hand.” Then she said, “As the Holy One your God lives, if I had a cake. There is only a handful of flour in a jar, and a little oil in a jug. Now look, I am gathering two sticks, then I will go home and prepare the oil and flour for myself and for my son; we will eat it, and we will die.” Then Elijah said to her, “Fear not; go and do as you have said, only make me a little cake of it and bring it to me first, then make something for yourself and your son afterwards. For thus says the Holy One the God of Israel: The jar of flour will not empty and the jug of oil will not decrease until the day that the Holy One grants rain upon the earth.” She went and she did as Elijah said, and she and he, and her household, ate for many days. The jar of flour did not empty and the jug of oil did not decrease according to the word of the Holy One that God spoke through Elijah.

Time for Young Disciples Rev. Pat Raube

Music: “Take Us As We Are, O God” (Hymn #312)

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Anthem Choir

“The Table,” Cliff Duren

Used by Permission. CCLI License #CSPL068847

(Sung twice:)

I will feast at the table of the Lord.

I won't hunger anymore at His table.

Come all you weary; come and find

His yoke is easy, His burden is light.

He is able; He will restore

At the table of the Lord.

There is peace at the table of the Lord.

I won't worry anymore at His table.

There is healing at the table of the Lord.

I won't suffer anymore at His table.

Come all you weary; come and find

His yoke is easy, His burden is light.

He is able; He will restore

At the table of the Lord.

I know He has a place for me.

Oh what joy will fill my heart,

With the saints around the mercy seat of God.

(Sung twice:)

Come all you weary; come and find

His yoke is easy, His burden is light.

He is able; He will restore

At the table of the Lord.

I'm invited to the table of the Lord.

He said, “Come just as you are,” to His table.

Scripture Matthew 14:13-21

Now when Jesus heard [about the death of John the Baptizer], he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. And when the crowds heard, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he arrived, he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion for them, and healed their sick. Now by evening, the disciples came to him and said, “The place is deserted, and the time has gone; send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy themselves food.” Instead, Jesus said to them, “They do not need to leave; you all give them something to eat.” They replied to him, “We do not have anything here but five loaves and two fish.” Then Jesus said, “Bring them here to me.” And he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; he took the five loaves and the two fish, looked towards heaven, and blessed and broke them. He gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up the abundance of fragments, twelve baskets full. Now those who ate were women and children, besides about five thousand men.

Response Holy Wisdom, Holy Word.

Thanks be to God.

Sermon “On the Grass”

Affirmation of Faith for Lent

We believe in a God who so loves the world,

he came among us in Jesus:

Emmanuel, God-With-Us.

Deeply human and fully God,

Jesus was born of a woman.

He was called by God into a ministry

of teaching, feeding, and healing,

but first, he underwent a time of testing.

In the wilderness for forty days,

Jesus embraced the treasure

of his unwavering faith in God

and resisted the temptation

to use godly powers in self-service.

Jesus called a gathering of faithful individuals

to follow him and learn from him.

Understood fully by people on the margins

as a loving preacher, prophet, and healer,

Jesus was seen by those in power as a threat.

He was betrayed by one of his own,

was tried as a traitor to Rome,

and was nailed to a tree, where he died.

With his last breath

he commended his spirit into God’s hands.

Death could not hold back his power or his goodness;

on the third day he was raised to life by God almighty.

When at last he entered the heavenly realm,

he sent his Holy Spirit to be with us forever:

Emmanuel: God-With-Us.

* Hymn # 507

“Come to the Table of Grace,” Barbara Hamm

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Come to the table of grace.
Come to the table of grace.
This is God's table; it's not yours or mine.
Come to the table of grace.

Come to the table of peace.
Come to the table of peace.
This is God's table; it's not yours or mine.
Come to the table of peace.

Come to the table of love.
Come to the table of love.
This is God's table; it's not yours or mine.
Come to the table of love.

Come to the table of hope.
Come to the table of hope.
This is God's table; it's not yours or mine.
Come to the table of hope.

Come to the table of joy.
Come to the table of joy.
This is God's table; it's not yours or mine.
Come to the table of joy.

Minute for Mission One Great Hour of Sharing Becky Conklin

Prayers of the People 

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. 

Prayer Response see insert

“Eternal Spirit of the Living Christ,” Frank von Christierson  (verse 1)

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Eternal Spirit of the living Christ,

I know not how to ask or what to say;

I only know my need, as deep as life,

And only you can teach me how to pray.

Call for Offering     

* Doxology # 582

“Glory to God, Whose Goodness Shines on Me,” Paul M. Vasile (verse 1)

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Glory to God, whose goodness shines on me,

And to the Son, whose grace has pardoned me,

And to the Spirit, whose love has set me free.

As it was in the beginning,

Is now, and ever shall be. Amen.

* Dedication of Offering 

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

Invitation

Jesus, grieving,

hoping for solitude,

was followed by the crowds,

and he had compassion for them.

Later, looking out over those he had healed and comforted,

even in his grief,

he took loaves of bread and fish

and fed them, and all were satisfied.

Friends, this is the joyful feast of the people of God!

This is the table of Jesus.

He invites those who trust, those who hope, those who long for God

to share the feast he has prepared.

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to God.

Let us give thanks to God our Maker.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

The Great Thanksgiving

We give you thanks and praise,

God, our Maker,

for fashioning us in your image;

for calling us to be your people;

for sending your prophets to guide us;

for welcoming us home to your heart.

With the great cloud of witnesses of every age, we sing your praises:

Sanctus

“Holy, Holy, Holy Lord,” Marty Haugen

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Holy, holy, holy Lord, 

God of power, God of might, 

Heaven and earth are filled with Your glory. 

Hosanna in the highest. 

Blessed is He who comes  

In the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest, 

Hosanna in the highest. 

We give you thanks and praise,

God our Redeemer,

for coming among us in Jesus;

who spoke truth,

healed bodies and souls,

fed multitudes,

and breathed your Spirit upon us.

We thank you for his life,

cut short by an empire who feared the truth;

and for his rising again,

healing on his wings,

breathing forgiveness,

and inviting us, still,

to follow him.

Story of the Supper

We give thanks for that night,

his last supper with his friends,

he took bread,

blessed it,

broke it,

and shared it, saying,

Take. Eat.

This is my body, broken for you.

Do this in remembrance of me.

And we give thanks that,

after the meal,

he took the cup,

the fruit of the vine, saying,

Take. Drink.

This is my blood, poured out for you.

Do this in remembrance of me.

The Hovering Spirit

Because you, gracious God, have been faithful to us,

we will be faithful to Jesus.

He promised to be with those who met in his name.

This we believe.

He promised to hear the prayers of faithful people.

This we believe.

He said that, in the communion of bread and the fruit of the vine,

he would be present to us,

as we remembered him.

This we celebrate.

So, now, send your Spirit among us,

among this bread and fruit of the vine,

that we may taste and see your goodness,

be embraced by your love,

and be engaged in your service.

As Jesus did, so we do.

We break this bread.

We share this cup.

We believe that he who lived, died, and rose for us

will meet us here.

Graciously nourish us, O Christ,

so that we who try to follow you

may receive food for the journey

and be bound in solidarity

with all who walk in your way.

Amen.

Take this bread. Share this cup.

In these Christ comes to us, in love, from God.

The gifts of God are for the people of God.

The Communion

Music During Communion: “This is the Feast of Victory” (Hymn #513)

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Prayer of Thanksgiving After Communion

Generous and faithful God, you have fed us at your table. May the nourishment we have received enable us to enrich the lives of others wherever we may go from here. Whether the future be dark or bright, the road be smooth or rough, whether our cares be light or heavy, our song be strong or weak, keep our hearts warm and our hands open, our lives embracing, and ever embraced by, your love. Amen.

* Hymn # 803

“My Shepherd Will Supply My Need,” Dale Grotenhuis

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

My shepherd will supply my need;

Jehovah is his name.

In pastures fresh he makes me feed,

Beside the living stream.

He brings my wandering spirit back

When I forsake his ways,

And leads me, for his mercy’s sake,

Through paths of truth and grace.

When I walk through the shades of death

Your presence is my stay;

One word of your supporting breath

Drives all my fears away.

Your hand, in sight of all my foes,

Does still my table spread;

My cup with blessings overflows;

Your oil anoints my head.

The sure provisions of my God

Attend me all my days;

O may your house be my abode,

And all my work be praise.

There would I find a settled rest,

While others go and come;

No more a stranger, or a guest,

But like a child at home.

* Benediction

May the everlasting God shield you, wherever you go.

And the blessing of God be upon us:

the blessing of the Giver of life.

The blessing of God be upon us:

the blessing of the Christ of love.

The blessing of God be upon you:

the blessing of the Spirit of peace.

The blessing of the Trinity be upon you, now and forevermore.

Amen.

Postlude Chris Bartlette

“Blessed Assurance,” Joel Raney

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Where an * is indicated, please rise in body and/or in spirit.     

Scripture Translations are from A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church, Year A, by Wilda C. Gafney, unless otherwise noted.

Liturgy, The Hovering Spirit, Prayer of Thanksgiving After Communion, and Benediction taken and/ or adapted from The Iona Abbey Worship Book, Wild Goose Publications, 2017. Statement of Faith for Lent, The Invitation, the Great Thanksgiving, and the Story of the Supper, Rev. Patricia J. Raube.

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Lent 2: Where Your Treasure Is: On the Grass