November 2, 2014
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November 2, 2014 Our Mission In common with all churches we seek to: Worship God Proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to the scriptures Develop community Offer nurture through the pastoral care giving of our members and staff We call people to a life of: Discipleship Stewardship Spiritual development As a faith community we seek to be: An inviting church Offering hospitality and Encouragement to people in search of God. Our Vision We will organize our church as a center for: Spiritual development Music and the arts Urban mission Ecumenical cooperation Our Objectives We have some unique opportunities due to our Germantown location and congregational history. These include: Providing special programs for children and families in the local community Building a healthy, diverse congregation Developing an urban mission Developing a ministry of music and the arts Using our building and endowment creatively and responsibly The First Presbyterian Church in Germantown logo seen on the cover of this bulletin represents the mul- tifaceted life of our energized congregation. The cross on the left symbolizes our Living Lord – the foun- dation upon which we build our faith. The harp in the yellow square represents our rich musical heritage, for we enjoy celebrating the gift of music in worship, workshops, and concerts. It is important for us to share music with our community. The dove symbolizes serving – offering educational and mission oppor- tunities through our many outreach activities. People – active and joy-filled – are represented in the red square on the right. We welcome all people to this church. We are a diverse congregation of many racial, ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds. We are, indeed, alive, spirit-filled, and caring. The colors are reflective of the beautiful stained glass windows of the church. In fact, the colors of the logo were taken directly from The Christmas Window– “Thy light is come” made by Nicola D’Ascenzo and seen in the southwest corner of the nave. The First Presbyterian Church in Germantown – Alive, Celebrating & Serving the Living Lord! IN PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP PLEASE TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK SILENTLY TO GOD. AT THE CLOSE OF THE SERVICE LET US GREET ONE ANOTHER WITH CHEERFULNESS. PLEASE BE SURE YOUR CELL PHONE IS TURNED OFF DURING WORSHIP. November 2, 2014 Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost ORDER OF MORNING WORSHIP AT 10:00 AM GATHERING AS GOD’S FAMILY Prelude: Four Palette Sketches of Utrillo Robert Hebble Welcome and Announcements Minute for Stewardship Introit: The Lord Is A Mighty God Felix Mendelssohn The Lord is a mighty God and a mighty ruler over all false idols. From the 95 Psalm †*Call to Worship Psalm 107:1-7 Leader: O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. People: Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, those he redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. Leader: Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to an inhabited town; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. People: Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress; he led them by a straight way, until they reached an inhabited town. †*Hymn 276: Great Is Thy Faithfulness FAITHFULNESS CONFESSING OUR SINS TO GOD Call to Confession Prayer of Confession (unison) Almighty God, we confess how hard it is to be your people. You have called us to be the church, to continue the mission of Jesus Christ to our lonely and confused world. Yet we acknowledge we are more apathetic than xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx _____________________ *congregation standing † latecomers may be seated active, isolated than involved, callous than compassionate, obstinate than obedient, legalistic than loving. Gracious Lord, have mercy upon us and forgive our sins. Remove the obstacles preventing us from being your rep- resentatives to a broken world. Awaken our hearts to the promised gift of your indwelling Spirit. This we pray in Jesus’ powerful name. Amen. Silent Meditation Assurance of Pardon Isaiah 44:21-22 Leader: To all who turn from sin in sorrow, to all who turn to God in hope, xx this is God’s word of grace: We are accepted, we are forgiven, we xxx are loved. This is the gift we have from God. People: Thanks be to God. †*Congregational Response 2167: More Like You MORE LIKE YOU This Hymn is found in Sing the Faith More like you, Jesus, more like you. Fill my heart with your desire to make me more like you. More like you, Jesus, more like you. Touch my lips with holy fire and make me more like you. Lord, you are my mercy, Lord, you are my grace. All my deepest sins have forever been erased. Draw me in your presence. Lead me in your ways. I long to bring you glory in righteousness and praise. More like you, Jesus, more like you. Fill my heart with your desire to make me more like you. More like you, Jesus, more like you. Touch my lips with holy fire and make me more like you. Lord, you are my mercy, Lord, you are my grace. †* Sharing the Peace of Christ Leader: The peace of Christ be with you. People: And also with you. (As worshipers, we come from diverse experiences and points of view. We have different racial, educational, and economic backgrounds. Yet we are all one in Christ. We symbolize this as we exchange with one another, by words and gestures, signs of peace and reconciliation such as, “The peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.”) Children in grades five and younger may now leave for their classes PROCLAIMING GOD’S WORD Prayer for Illumination Irene Overton, reader The First Lesson Joshua 3:7-17 The Lord said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses. You are the one who shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” Joshua then said to the Israelites, “Draw near and hear the words of the Lord your God.” Joshua said, “By this you shall know that among you is the living God who without fail will drive out from before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites: the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is going to pass before you into the Jordan. So now select twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. When the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan flowing from above shall be cut off; they shall stand in a single heap.” When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant were in front of the people. Now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest. So when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the water, the waters flowing from above stood still, rising up in a single heap far off at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while those flowing toward the sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people crossed over opposite Jericho. While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan. Leader: God’s Word is a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path. People: Thanks be to God! Choir: Psalm 86 Carl J. Nygard, Jr. Hear my voice, O Lord, when I pray. Hear my prayer when I cry from the lowly place; In your mercy, Lord, let me stay; Hear my voice, O Lord, when I pray. Hear my voice, O Lord, when I cry. Hear my words when I cry from the lowly place; I will pray, O Lord, lest I die; Hear my voice, O Lord, when I cry. From the grave’s descent You have taken me, When the men of the world have forsaken me, In my day of need and my time of grief, Hear my prayer for my body and soul’s relief. In the morning, Lord, I will sing with a song that will rise from the holy place, And my praises, Lord I will bring: In the morning Lord, I will sing. Alleluia. Amen. The Second Lesson Matthew 23:1-12 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Phari- sees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes xxx long. They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi.