February 19, 2017

THEME: A Foundation for Love in Tough Times

NOTES: Our Theme Hymn is
How Firm a Foundation is a Christian hymn, published in 1787 by John Rippon in A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, Intended to be an Appendix to Dr. Watts' Psalms and Hymns, known as "Rippon's Selection". It is attributed only to "K", which probably refers to Robert Keen(e), precentor at Rippon's church,^[1] though other names suggested include Richard or John Keene, Kirkham,John Keith or Words by G. Keith and Music by J. Reading as cited in the 1884 publication of Asa Hull's Jewels of Praise. ^[2] It is most often sung to the tune "Protection" (or "Foundation") by Joseph Funk from A Compilation of Genuine Church Music (1832), though the original tune may be Keen(e)'s "Geard".^[3]
This was the favorite hymn of General Robert E. Lee and has been played at the funerals of several US politicians. On Christmas Eve 1898, American units involved in the Spanish–American War joined together to sing the hymn. The units were from the North and the South.
Virgil Thomson incorporated the hymn into his score for the film The River, which in turn became the score for the film The Day After.
Don Gillis interspersed the hymn tune throughout his Symphony No. 7 "Saga of a Prairie School", written in honor of his alma mater, Texas Christian University.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Firm_a_Foundation_(hymn)


Scripture:  1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23 and Matthew 5:38-48

1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23
According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness," and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."

So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future--all belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

Matthew 5:38-48
"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.



8:30 AM Order of Service

The Gathering

Welcome                                                                             

Prelude

We Gather in The Light of Christ

Lighting the Christ Candles                                               

Children come forward to light the candles as we share the responsive reading.

Leader:  In the beginning, God said,
People: 'Let there be light' and there was light!
Leader: We light these candles today,
People: Because God is with us in this time and in this place!

Hymn of Praise: #618 How Firm a Foundation   sts. 1,2 and 3

Call to Worship          
Leader:     Let us come to God, as living stones, chosen and precious in God’s sight,
             and let ourselves be built into a spiritual house on the sure foundation of Jesus Christ.

People:       We are no longer foreigners, aliens, or strangers but fellow citizens with God’s people

            and members of God’s household, in whom the whole building is joined and holds together.

Leader: Let us worship God together.

People We will praise and trust God, our mighty rock and our salvation!

                                                  

Invocation                                                                     Unison   

Almighty God, through Christ Jesus you have taught us to love one another,

to love our neighbors as ourselves, and even to love our enemies.

Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, so that we may overcome evil with good.

Help us to see each person in light of the love and grace that you have shown us.

Establish among us a future where peace reigns,

justice is done with mercy, and all are reconciled.

We ask these things in the name

and for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

      

We Contemplate God’s Word

Scripture:                                              

Sermon/Meditation                    
                                       

We Pray Together

We Share Our Joys & Concern                                        

Prayer Hymn: CH#576 My Faith Looks Up to Thee                    sts. 1,2

Praying Together                                                                

We Gather at The Lord’s Table

Invitation to the Table                        

Communion Hymn: CH #404 A Hymn of Joy We Sing                        ALL

The Elder’s Prayer of Communion

Words of Institution

The Lord’s Supper

All are welcome to share at the Table.  Come forward using the center aisle.  As you partake of the bread and the cup you are welcome to place an offering in the wooden bowl in front of the table.  The offering you share supports the ministries and life of Christ’s church.

The Lord’s Prayer                  

We Go Forth into the World

Challenge for Discipleship                                              

Hymn of Discipleship:  #618 How Firm a Foundation   sts. 1,4 and 5

Blessing                                                                      

Children extinguish the candles as we share the responsive reading.  

Leader: The light that was in one place at one time, is now in all places and all times,
People: For God has placed the light in us!
Leader: We go in peace!
People: Amen!

10:40AM Service

Welcome    

Prelude                                                                     

We Gather in the Light of Christ

Call to Worship
Leader:     Let us come to God, as living stones, chosen and precious in God’s sight,
             and let ourselves be built into a spiritual house on the sure foundation of Jesus Christ.

People:       We are no longer foreigners, aliens, or strangers but fellow citizens with God’s people

            and members of God’s household, in whom the whole building is joined and holds together.

Leader: Let us worship God together.

People We will praise and trust God, our mighty rock and our salvation! 
                                                           
Hymn of Praise:

The Acolytes light the Christ candles.

 
Invocation                                                                     Unison  

Almighty God, through Christ Jesus you have taught us to love one another,

to love our neighbors as ourselves, and even to love our enemies.

Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, so that we may overcome evil with good.

Help us to see each person in light of the love and grace that you have shown us.

Establish among us a future where peace reigns,

justice is done with mercy, and all are reconciled.

We ask these things in the name

and for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Passing of the Peace

We return to our seats as the piano music begins.   
   

Hymn of Faith: CH#530 "I've Got Peace Like a River"                    ALL

We Offer Our Hearts to God

Call to Offering

The offering you share supports the ministries and life of Christ’s church.

Offertory

Doxology CH #46

Prayer of Dedication

We Contemplate God’s Word

Scripture                                                                     

  

Anthem

Children’s Sermon                                                       

Sermon/Meditation                                                           

We Prayer Together

We Share Our Joys & Concerns                                        

Prayer Hymn: CH#576 My Faith Looks Up to Thee                    sts. 1,2

Praying Together                                                               

We Gather at The Lord’s Table

Invitation to Communion

Christians of all denominations and backgrounds are welcome to share in communion. Please hold each element as we partake in unison.

Communion Hymn: CH #404 A Hymn of Joy We Sing                        ALL

Prayers for Bread & Cup and Words of Institution

The Lord’s Prayer                                                          

We Go Forth into the World

Challenge for Discipleship                                                    

Hymn of Discipleship: #618 How Firm a Foundation   sts. 1,4 and 5

Acolytes come forward.

Blessing                                                                          

Acolytes extinguish the candles as we share the responsive reading. 
 

Leader: The light that was in one place at one time, is now in all places and all times,

People: For God has placed the light in us!
Leader: We go in peace!
People: Amen!
 

Parting Song:  CH #357 We Call Ourselves Disciples    1, 4 

June 25, 2017

THEME: Living the Life...in the Spirit

NOTES: An inspiring poem to ponder as we think about life as the Spirit-Gifted Body of Christ.

Blessing That Does Not End

From the moment it first laid eyes
on you,
this blessing loved you.

This blessing
knew you
from the start.

It cannot explain how.

It just knows
that the first time
it sat down beside you,
it entered into a conversation
that had already been going on
forever.

Believe this conversation
has not stopped.

Believe this love
still lives—
the love that crossed
an impossible distance
to reach you,
to find you,
to take your face
into its hands
and bless you.

Believe this
does not end—
that the gesture,
once enacted,
endures.

Believe this love
goes on—
that it still
takes your face
into its hands,
that it presses
its forehead to yours
as it speaks to you
in undying words,
that it has never ceased
to gather your heart
into its heart.

Believe this blessing
abides.
Believe it goes with you
always.
Believe it knows you
still.

—Jan Richardson, http://paintedprayerbook.com/
from The Cure for Sorrow: A Book of Blessings for Times of Grief


SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 4:1-16
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. ² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³ Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
⁷ But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. ⁸ This is why it^[a] says:

“When he ascended on high,
    he took many captives
    and gave gifts to his people.”^[b]

⁹ (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions^[c]? ¹⁰ He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) ¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

8:30 AM Order of Service

The Gathering

Welcome                                                                             

Prelude

We Gather in The Light of Christ

Lighting the Christ Candles                                               

Children come forward to light the candles as we share the responsive reading.

Leader:  In the beginning, God said,
People: 'Let there be light' and there was light!
Leader: We light these candles today,
People: Because God is with us in this time and in this place!

Hymn of Praise: CH#276 "We Gather Together"   ALL

Call to Worship    

Leader: To lead the life worthy of the calling
to which we are called:
People: We gather as God's people.
Leader: To lead a life filled with service and meekness:
People: We build up Christ's Body with patience and love. 

Leader: To lead a life of peace grounded in the Spirit:
We share the grace offered to us. 

Leader: To live a life worthy of the calling
to which we are called:
People: We gather as God's family
at the Table prepared for us,
waiting to be fed by the Bread of life.

~ Adapted from a piece written by Thom Shuman     


                                                  

Invocation                                                                     Unison         
O God, Creator, Savior and Spirit of Life,

take this patchwork collection of persons

and quilt together your church.

Like pieces of cloth,

take our words and songs and prayers,

take our thoughts and inner hungers,

and join them all together into a new and living fabric—

the purpose of which is to cover and color our corner of your world

with grace and love. In Christ. Amen.

~ posted on the Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren

 

We Contemplate God’s Word

Scripture:                                              

Sermon/Meditation                    
                                       

We Pray Together

We Share Our Joys & Concern                                        

Prayer Hymn: CH#602   "O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee"            sts. 1,3 & 4

Praying Together       
Here's a sample themed prayer:

O Holy God, as we draw near you in prayer, and nearer to each other in this circle of grace, let the same mind be in us that was in Christ Jesus. He knew his value in Your eyes. He did not make too much, or too little of himself. He approached you humbly and boldly, knowing that you loved him and through him, loved us all. Draw us still closer as we pray in his name...

This world we live in,
this town we live in,
this street we live on,
this house we live in,
hear us as we focus the prayers of our hearts

(moment of silence, count to 10)

Those we live with,
those we rub shoulders with,
those we work with,
those we don't get along with,hear us as we voice the prayers of our hearts

(moment of silence, count to 10)

Those who laugh,
those who cry,
those who hurt ,
those who hide,hear us as we see the prayers of our hearts

(moment of silence, count to 10)

Prayers centered less on ourselves
and more on others,
less on our circumstances and
more on the needs of others.
May our life together be centered
more on You,
and through You to the world
in which we live and move.

—Copyright © John Birch, posted on Faith and Worship - Prayers and Resources

We Gather at The Lord’s Table

Invitation to the Table                        

Communion Hymn:CH#420 "I Come with Joy"                               1,2, & 4

The Elder’s Prayer of Communion

Words of Institution

The Lord’s Supper

All are welcome to share at the Table.  Come forward using the center aisle.  As you partake of the bread and the cup you are welcome to place an offering in the wooden bowl in front of the table.  The offering you share supports the ministries and life of Christ’s church.

The Lord’s Prayer                  

We Go Forth into the World

Challenge for Discipleship                                              

Hymn of Discipleship: CH#453 "Called as Partners in Christ's Service"  sts. 1 & 2

Blessing                                                                      

Children extinguish the candles as we share the responsive reading.  

Leader: The light that was in one place at one time, is now in all places and all times,
People: For God has placed the light in us!
Leader: We go in peace!
People: Amen!

10:40AM Service

Welcome    

Prelude                                                                     

We Gather in the Light of Christ

Call to Worship

Leader: To lead the life worthy of the calling
to which we are called:
People: We gather as God's people.
Leader: To lead a life filled with service and meekness:
People: We build up Christ's Body with patience and love. 

Leader: To lead a life of peace grounded in the Spirit:
We share the grace offered to us. 

Leader: To live a life worthy of the calling
to which we are called:
People: We gather as God's family
at the Table prepared for us,
waiting to be fed by the Bread of life.

~ Adapted from a piece written by Thom Shuman 
                                                           
Hymn of Praise: CH#276 "We Gather Together"   ALL

The Acolytes light the Christ candles.

 
Invocation                                                                     Unison  
O God, Creator, Savior and Spirit of Life,

take this patchwork collection of persons

and quilt together your church.

Like pieces of cloth,

take our words and songs and prayers,

take our thoughts and inner hungers,

and join them all together into a new and living fabric—

the purpose of which is to cover and color our corner of your world

with grace and love. In Christ. Amen.

~ posted on the Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren

Passing of the Peace

We return to our seats as the piano music begins.   
   

Hymn of Faith: CH # 495 "Weave"                            Sing Twice

We Offer Our Hearts to God

Call to Offering

The offering you share supports the ministries and life of Christ’s church.

Offertory

Doxology CH #46

Prayer of Dedication

We Contemplate God’s Word

Scripture                                                                     

  

Anthem

Children’s Sermon                                                       

Sermon/Meditation                                                           

We Prayer Together

We Share Our Joys & Concerns                                        

Prayer Hymn: CH#602   "O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee"            sts. 1,3 & 4

Praying Together   
Here's a sample themed prayer:

O Holy God, as we draw near you in prayer, and nearer to each other in this circle of grace, let the same mind be in us that was in Christ Jesus. He knew his value in Your eyes. He did not make too much, or too little of himself. He approached you humbly and boldly, knowing that you loved him and through him, loved us all. Draw us still closer as we pray in his name...

This world we live in,
this town we live in,
this street we live on,
this house we live in,
hear us as we focus the prayers of our hearts

(moment of silence, count to 10)

Those we live with,
those we rub shoulders with,
those we work with,
those we don't get along with,hear us as we voice the prayers of our hearts

(moment of silence, count to 10)

Those who laugh,
those who cry,
those who hurt ,
those who hide,hear us as we see the prayers of our hearts

(moment of silence, count to 10)

Prayers centered less on ourselves
and more on others,
less on our circumstances and
more on the needs of others.
May our life together be centered
more on You,
and through You to the world
in which we live and move.

—Copyright © John Birch, posted on Faith and Worship - Prayers and Resources

                                                            

We Gather at The Lord’s Table

Invitation to Communion

Christians of all denominations and backgrounds are welcome to share in communion. Please hold each element as we partake in unison.

Communion Hymn:CH#420 "I Come with Joy"                               1,2, & 4

Prayers for Bread & Cup and Words of Institution

The Lord’s Prayer                                                          

We Go Forth into the World

Challenge for Discipleship                                                    

Hymn of Discipleship: CH#453 "Called as Partners in Christ's Service"  sts. 1 & 2

Acolytes come forward.

Blessing                                                                          

Acolytes extinguish the candles as we share the responsive reading. 
 

Leader: The light that was in one place at one time, is now in all places and all times,

People: For God has placed the light in us!
Leader: We go in peace!
People: Amen!
 

Parting Song:  CH#494 "They'll Know We Are Christians"      st. 1