Pastor: David Range
March 27, 2022
Miramar United Methodist Church
in the heart of Miramar, a place for gathering, healing, and sending out friends, helping to create a sense of family to find new life in Christ
Part of the United Methodist family where we make disciples for the
Transformation of the world.
Celebrating 61 years!
Order of Worship, Fourth Sunday in Lent, March 27, 2022
8:30 and 11:00 a.m. services
Please see the end of the bulletin for some additional important information
CALL TO WORSHIP
*HYMN 144 This is My Father’s World
This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
all nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; his hand the wonders wrought.
2. This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
the morning light, the lily white, declare their maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: he shines in all that’s fair;
in the rustling grass I hear him pass; he speaks to me everywhere.
3. This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring! God reigns; let the earth be glad!
WORDS: Maltbie B. Babcock, 1901 MUSIC Trad. English melody; adapt. by Franklin L. Sheppard
PRAYER
*PRAISE AND WORSHIP
I’m So Glad Jesus Lifted Me
I'm so glad, Jesus lifted me,
I'm so glad, Jesus lifted me,
I'm so glad, Jesus lifted me,
Singing glory, hallelujah, Jesus lifted me.
Satan had me bound, but Jesus lifted me,
Satan had me bound, but Jesus lifted me,
Satan had me bound, but Jesus lifted me,
Singing glory, hallelujah, Jesus lifted me.
When I was in trouble, Jesus lifted me,
when I was in trouble, Jesus lifted me,
when I was in trouble, Jesus lifted me,
Singing glory, hallelujah, Jesus lifted me.
In Christ Alone
In Christ alone…I place my trust
I find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory let it be said of me
My source of strength my source of hope is Christ alone
I Will Serve Thee
I will serve thee because I love thee, You have given life to me
I was nothing before you found me, You have given life to me
Heartaches, broken pieces, ruined lives are why you died on calvary
Your touch is what I longed for, You have given life to me
Come, Let Us Worship and Bow Down
Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord, our God, our Maker.
Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord, our God, our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture
And the sheep of His hand
Just the sheep of His hand
WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Birthdays and Anniversaries
TODAY: Sunday School at 5:00 a.m. online with Marvia Aitken and friends. Please contact Marvia for the link at marviaaitken@hotmail.com.
TODAY: Church Prayer meeting at 7:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY: Fast-breaking service at 12:00 noon. Wednesday mornings during Lent we will have the fast-breaking services at 12:00 noon. On March 30, April 6 and 13 you are invited to come to the sanctuary after fasting for as long or short a time as you like. We will share in a hymn, a prayer, a reading, a short message, and the breaking of bread in holy communion. The service should take no longer than 30 minutes. We strengthen each other in the community of the church in order to make the season of lent most impactful to our lives.
NO Bible Study online
THURSDAY: Food distribution starts between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. You are invited to bring packing boxes for volunteers to put food in.
SATURDAY: 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. Confirmation class.
NEXT SUNDAY: 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. services. Please prepare the Communion elements if you are sharing at home.
NEXT SUNDAY: United Methodist Men meet at 12:30 p.m.
NEXT MONDAY: Nehemiah Action 7:30 p.m., at Charles Dodge Center, 601 City Center Way, Pembroke Pines. If you need transport to the Charles Dodge Center, please let your Team Leader know.
Bold Justice date:
Justice Ministry Celebration Tuesday, June 14 at 7:30 p.m.
For Sharing of the Spirit, please wave at the YouTube camera and say, “the peace of the Lord be with you,” and then wave at your neighbor in the sanctuary and say, “and also with you”.
WOMEN’S HISTORY MOMENT
Responsive reading 766 (Psalm 32)
Blessed are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessed are those whom the Lord does not hold guilty, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
When I did not declare my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’,
then you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Therefore let those who are godly offer prayer to you;
at a time of distress, the rush of great waters
shall not reach them.
You are a hiding-place for me, you preserve me from trouble;
you encompass me with deliverance.
I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Do not be like an unruly horse or a mule, without understanding,
whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle
Many are the pangs of the wicked;
but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous;
shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen.
Please stand for the gospel according to: Luke 15:11-32
CHILDREN’S TIME
*HYMN 444 O Young and Fearless Prophet+
O young and fearless Prophet of ancient Galilee,
thy life is still a summons to serve humanity;
to make our thoughts and actions less prone to please the crowd,
to stand with humble courage for truth with hearts un-cowed.
2.We marvel at the purpose that held thee to thy course
while ever on the hilltop before thee loomed the cross;
thy steadfast face set forward where love and duty shone,
while we betray so quickly and leave thee there alone.
3.O help us stand unswerving against war's bloody way,
where hate and lust and falsehood hold back Christ's holy sway;
forbid false love of country that blinds us to his call,
who lifts above the nations the unity of all.
4.Stir up in us a protest against our greed for wealth,
while others starve and hunger and plead for work and health;
where homes with little children cry out for lack of bread,
who live their years sore burdened beneath a gloomy dread.
5.O young and fearless Prophet, we need thy presence here,
amid our pride and glory to see thy face appear;
once more to hear thy challenge above our noisy day,
again to lead us forward along God's holy way.
WORDS: S. Ralph Harlow, 1931 MUSIC: John B. Dykes, 1872
RECEPTION OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS Please place your offering in the baskets at the 3 doors leading into the sanctuary on your way in or out.
The Mission Offering today is for Apportionments
Next Sunday our Mission Offering goes to Good Samaritan Fund
Prayer of Dedication
One minute musical interlude while worshipers prepare their offering. Instructions for giving online, by check or text are in the intro section before the Order of Service.
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
praise him all creatures here below,
praise him above, ye heavenly hosts,
praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen
TIME OF SHARING JOYS & CONCERNS
(please mailto:miramarpastor@gmail.com)
PRAYER HYMN 437 This Is My Song+
1 This is my song, O God of all the nations,
A song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine;
But other hearts in other lands are beating
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
2 My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine;
But other lands have sunlight too, and clover,
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
O hear my song, thou God of all the nations;
A song of peace for their land and for mine.
3 This is my prayer, O Lord of all earth's kingdoms:
Thy kingdom come; on earth thy will be done.
Let Christ be lifted up till all shall serve Him,
And hearts united learn to live as one.
O hear my prayer, thou God of all the nations;
Myself I give thee; let thy will be done.
WORDS: Sts. 1,2 Lloyd Stone, 1934; st. 3, Georgia Harkness, ca. 1939 MUSIC: Jean Sibelius, 1899; arr. from The Hymnal, 1933
PASTORAL PRAYER and 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, the power, and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen.
SERMON Avoiding rejection by a Loving Father and a loving county Pastor David Range
HYMN OF SENDING FORTH 354 I Surrender All+
1 All to Jesus I surrender; all to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live.
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all.
2 All to Jesus I surrender; humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken; take me Jesus, take me now.
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all.
3 All to Jesus I surrender; make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit, truly know that Thou art mine.
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all.
4 All to Jesus I surrender; Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power, let Thy blessing fall on me.
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all.
5 All to Jesus I surrender; now I feel the sacred flame.
O the joy of full salvation! Glory, glory, to His Name!
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all.
WORDS: J. W. Van Deventer, 1896 MUSIC: W. S. Weeden, 1896
ENEDICTION
+All music under ccli #24249
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As we move toward our BOLD Justice Nehemiah on April 4 at 7:30 p.m. people have asked: what are the history and accomplishments of BOLD Justice? You are invited to share these successes and our challenges for the coming meeting.
Our beginning as a group was in September 2007 when 800 people from diverse backgrounds throughout Broward County gathered together to form BOLD Justice, to provide congregations with a tool to do effective justice ministry in Broward County. In 2008, BOLD Justice gathered 1500 people to take action on community problems at our first Nehemiah Action Assembly. Here are some of the issues that have been addressed by BOLD Justice since then:
Affordable Housing
• We got the County Commission to fund the construction of 2,322 affordable rental housing units across Broward County for families earning less than 80% of average median income.
• We got the County Commission to host a home loan modification event where 3,544 families received on the spot modifications to the home loans.
Drugs and Crime
• We got the state legislature to enact legislation allowing 4,000 non-violent offenders to attend locally based drug treatment rather than go to prison. It is estimated that this saved the state or Florida $92 million in prison costs.
Jobs and Unemployment
• We got Work Force One (Career Source Broward) to streamline the process for registering for unemployment helping thousands receive their unemployment benefits more quickly.
• We won the passage of the Workforce Investment Act, which will give Broward County residents first opportunity to work on Broward County contracts and provides incentives to businesses who hire people who are considered “hard to hire.” The county estimates this impacts $290 million worth of contracts a year.
Seniors
• We got the State Attorney’s Office to commit to take leadership in coordinating a multi-agency unit to conduct unannounced inspections of nursing homes and assisted living facilities throughout Broward County at least once a month.
• We got the “Generator Rule” passed that required all facilities to have generators. As of July 2019, 116 of these facilities did not have a permanent generator and/or the fuel to run it for the required amount of time.
• We got the State Agencies to commit to all facilities having the required generators and fuel for the 2020 hurricane season. As a result of the work we did, 106 additional nursing homes and assisted living facilities now have generators. More than 4,000 additional people are now protected from a long-term power outage.
This year, on April 4 at 7:30 p.m. we are advocating for change to take place with three issues:
~ Mental Health ~
The first current issue we are working on is getting Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) for the mentally ill currently living on the streets. Broward country has to second largest homeless population in Florida. In 2021 this was 2,529 on our streets, an increase of 300 over the previous year. At least 611 of the total number have a mental health condition. Broward jail system has 1,600 people in it who are a part of the mental health caseload. At least some of them would have better services in another setting. It can cost up to $65,000 per person per year to have someone on the streets without permanent supportive housing. We think we can do better and our goal is a housing model that provides rental assistance and supportive services to people with mental health issues who have experienced long-term or repeated homelessness. Services include mental health treatment, physical health care, education, employment opportunities and peer coaching. It is proven that PSH reduces incarceration and hospitalizations among this population.
1.A large majority of PSH participants remain stably housed, ending their cycle of chronic homelessness
2.At a local PSH provider, it cost approximately $48.62 a day to house someone compared to $160 per night for incarcerations and anywhere between $350 to nearly $700/day for emergency room stays.
• At our 2021 Nehemiah Action in March Commissioner Dale Holness (proposal sponsor) , Commissioner Dr. Sharief (proposal co-sponsor), and Commissioner Furr committed to support funding to increase Permanent Supportive housing (PSH) by 65 units in this upcoming budget cycle.
• In September at a County Commission budget workshop the county approved $1,575,000 of additional funding to expand PSH. This expansion will produce at least an additional 40 units of PSH.
• In January 2022 the county put out a request for proposals in order to begin the process of opening these additional PSH units.
This is good news but we must continue to support the provision of Permanent Supportive Housing, this is why we need you at the Nehemiah Action on April 4 at 7:30 p.m.
~ Care For Creation ~
The Problem
Broward County is getting hotter, which is leading to people being hospitalized and an increase in energy bills in order to cool homes
Research
The Temperature in Broward County has been steadily rising. One of the effects of the increased temperature is that Broward County is having more and more days with the heat index over 90 degrees or even in the triple digits. The increases in heat are having two devastating effects on the lives of people living here. 1) Increased risk of heat related health problems and 2) increased cost of cooling homes.
Tree Canopy
Tree Canopy is one of the most effective ways to reduce the heat in a community. Tree Canopy shade reduces the heat by 3-7 degrees. This temperature difference can save people’s lives by providing cool areas for rest. And tree canopy in your yard can reduce your air conditioning costs by up to 30%
Broward County set a goal to get the county to 40% tree canopy coverage, but since 2010 there has been virtually no progress made on this goal.
No matter what the solution, Broward County must begin to take heat mitigation seriously. Please attend the Nehemiah Action on April 4 at 7:30 to speak loud and clear to decision makers that they must take this problem more seriously and come up with solutions that meet the challenge.
~ Criminal Justice ~
The Problem:
• Broward County arrests too many kids and adults for minor offenses. These minor arrests follow people for the rest of their lives making it difficult to find jobs, get housing, enter college, and serve in the military.
• Many of these arrests are the result of unpaid fines and fees – essentially leading to the criminalization of poverty.
Background
• Florida’s incarceration rate is 23% higher than the national average. If Florida were its own country, we would arrest more people than any other country in the world.
• Florida currently spends $2.3 billion annually on corrections
Juvenile Civil Citation
• Florida’s Civil Citation program (FL Statute 985) diverts juveniles from an arrest record toward a community based diversion program. Offered initially for first time misdemeanors (non-serious offenses), this program allows juveniles to make restitution to victims and complete interventions to change their behavior without obtaining a criminal record.
• The counties with the best juvenile civil citation programs get nearly all eligible children into civil citation programs: Pinellas: 98%, Miami-Dade: 93%, Polk County 85%
• At the 2021 Nehemiah Action, BOLD Justice pushed the State Attorney to start a second screening in order to catch all eligible children.
• That screening went into effect in August of 2021, and now Broward County has 87% of eligible children getting civil citation. Your participation in the past has made a difference in how young people are being treated so that they are less likely to offend again. This is a major victory that would not have been possible if not for BOLD Justice.
Domestic Disturbances
• The one area of juvenile civil citations that continues to be a problem is around domestic disturbances
• Broward County does not allow domestic disturbances to be included in civil citation despite the state saying they are eligible.
• The State Attorney says that he needs to be able to remove children from the home so that things can cool down, and in order to do that he has to arrest people.
• But Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Miami-Dade all remove the children without arresting them.
• Broward County can do the same! We need your presence to encourage the State Attorney to make this change.
Adult Civil Citation
• Broward County passed a local Adult Civil Citation ordinance in October 2018.
• In 2019 Broward County arrested 41,000 adults for minor offenses, but in the last year Broward only issued 87 adult civil citations.
• This is compared to Pinellas County and Hillsborough County who both issued more than 1,500 adult civil citations.
• These arrests are for minor things… like driving without a license, unpaid fees and fines, having small amounts of marijuana, littering, trespassing, etc. These are problems.
• But sending people to jail doesn’t put people in a better position to pay their fines. Instead it traumatizes the family and puts families into greater poverty.
The Solution
• At our 2021 Nehemiah Action the State Attorney committed to implement a second screening for adults similar to the one he implemented for juveniles
• As of now, he has not started that implementation.
• We need the second screening in order to ensure our loved ones are not locked out of this important program.
• Additionally, it is essential that the civil citation program be expanded to include misdemeanor driving offenses (like driving on an expired tag, driving on a suspended license for failure to pay a fine or fee)
• We need to end the criminalization of poverty.
At Nehemiah Action
• State Attorney Harold Pryor has been invited to attend the Nehemiah Action
• We will be looking for him to take leadership on expanding the civil citation program for both juveniles and adults.
This is the third reason that we need you at the Nehemiah Action on April 4 at 7:30 p.m. at the Charles Dodge Center, 601 City Center Way, Pembroke Pines, 33025!
Speak to Pastor David Range for more details or to be put in touch with our Team Leaders: Donna Simms, Roland Abel, Joyce Hemmans, Ina McNeil, Vinessa Edwards or Grace Lee. Each of them are knowledgeable about these issues and how you can become involved in BOLD Justice in order to make a difference for many people in Broward County.
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We give God thanks for this opportunity to worship together in-person in our sanctuary as well as online. Please wear your mask and greet each with a wave, an elbow or fist bump. Please maintain social distance and sit at either end or the middle of the pew. In the pews we ask you to sit, in every other pew, spaced out as best you can. Seats are also available in the foyer and the fellowship hall if needed. Both have been set up with screens for the PowerPoint presentation and live video stream from the pulpit. We will continue to live stream the services on Twitter and YouTube for those who would like to continue to participate from home.
The offering will be received in the baskets at the three entry points of the sanctuary. No bulletins will be handed out, everything you need will be on the screens. No need to call or email ahead for a place to worship, you are invited to the sanctuary any time for in-person worship. Come as you are!
Remember there are two ways you can watch our services. One is on youtube.com by typing in the search bar: Miramar UMC and then you should see the service live streamed. If you subscribe to our service through youtube.com you can set up reminders for the day before or 15 minutes before, whatever you like.
The other way to “gather” in virtual worship is through the Twitter service available by going to our www.MiramarUMC.org website. Pass around the information so that others may join in worship by clicking on the Twitter bird icon on the home page. We will continue our 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. services (except when we have a fifth Sunday of the month 10:00 a.m. service.) If you lose the service for a few seconds do not worry it will probably come back, but if it is longer than a few seconds you might try clicking the refresh button in your browser window.
Please email your prayer requests for uplifting on Sundays by sending them to miramarpastor@gmail.com. It is best if you send them by Saturday NOON if possible.
Our prayer meeting is online on Sundays at 7:30 p.m. and you may contact Marvia Aitken or Vinessa Edwards mamaness@bellsouth.net for the link.
This week, Monday through Thursday there will be someone in the church office from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. each day, and you may make an appointment to see the pastor at these or other times. Please remember to enter from the south entrance near the Pastor’s office. No other doors will be open for church business. The preschool is open but you should still come in by the south entrance because the north entrance from the parking lot must be dedicated for the little children of the preschool. Please let friends with preschool aged children know that they can enroll the children in our preschool.
WAYS to give:
1. Online giving is available through our website www.MiramarUMC.org. On the home page the ‘Donate’ icon (a hand with a dollar sign above it) is located at the top left corner and on the right under “Contact Us” you will see the same icon along with “Donate Online.” Click on either location for instructions. If you need help call the church office at 954-989-4711. Thanks to all who have signed up for this. The regular tithes and offerings of the church are a great source of blessing.
2. You can also mail a check to Miramar United Methodist Church. If you have your offering envelopes you will see that the address of the church is printed for mailing purposes and your offering can be mailed in this envelope when you apply a stamp. You may also use a regular envelope and address it to: MUMC, 2507 Utopia Drive, Miramar FL 33023.
Just put your check inside, mark which funds you would like to support, put a stamp on and let the United States Postal Service do the rest! Or bring it by after the Sunday services, someone will be in the church for one hour after the worship finishes as well as Mon-Thurs 1-5 pm. We trust God will keep us strong.
3. Also, we have the option of giving by text! Use 833-931-1791 to GivePlusText and when you text any amount, by putting that number in the message, you will be prompted to register, then fill out the details of your name, address and means of payment, and the contribution will go in! If you enter an email address you will get an immediate receipt. It is easy! If you have an Apple phone you may also get Vanco’s GivePlusMobile by downloading the app from the App Store. You may also look up YouTube videos to show how all this is done.
Thank you for your prayers! Grace and peace, Pastor David
