113014-B (1st sun advent) - storage.cloversites.comstorage.cloversites.com... ·...
Transcript of 113014-B (1st sun advent) - storage.cloversites.comstorage.cloversites.com... ·...
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church Asheville, North Carolina
November 30, 2014 – 10:30 am
First Sunday of Advent Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes... and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened
from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent.
-‐ Dietrich Bonhoeffer Prelude Nun Komm, Der Heiden Heiland Andreas Nikolaus Vetter Introit Come Now, Savior of the Nations Michael Burkhardt * Advent Candle-‐Lighting -‐ Isaiah 2:5 Bill and Geneva Neeriemer * Call To Worship
We don't always know that time it is, but according to Jesus, it is time to watch. We're not always sure what we should wear, but according to the Spirit, we should wear garments of Light. We're not always sure what we should do, But according to God, we should always seek good for those around us.
* Hymn 348 Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending HELMSLEY * Call to Reconciliation * Prayer of Confession
God of the future, you are coming to bring your new world to us. We confess that we have not expected your reign, for we live casual lives, ignoring your judgment. Forgive us, we pray, and grant us wisdom to welcome your way and seek your truth. Amen.
* Assurance of Forgiveness
In all times and in all places: God is loving and faithful. Receive the gift that is yours for the taking: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
* Response
* Passing of the Peace The Peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
Prayer for Illumination
Old Testament Isaiah 64:1-‐9 The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God!
Gospel Mark 13:24-‐37 The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God!
Sermon The Generosity of God’s Judgment Mark Ramsey Silent Meditation * Hymn 82 Come, Thou Long-‐Expected Jesus HYFRYDOL Our Life Together (Please sign the Friendship Pad located in your pew) Offering (Please place prayer cards in the offering plate for the Prayers of the People) Prayer of Dedication Offertory Anthem Keep Your Lamps! Andre Thomas * Doxology
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Invitation to The Table Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give God thanks and praise!
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 The Bread And The Cup
Please come forward by the middle aisle, beginning with the front pews. Take a piece of bread, dip it in the cup. Return to your pew by the outside aisles. You may be served in your pew if you do not wish to come forward.
Prayer * Hymn “Sleepers, Wake!” A Voice Astounds Us WACHET AUF * Charge and Benediction Postlude Savior of the Nations, Come Paul Manz
(For some, the Voluntary serves as festive music to accompany their going back out into the world. Others prefer to remain seated and listen. Please be mindful of these different needs as you depart. Thank you!)
* Please Stand in Body or Spirit.
All musical pieces used with permission.
We gather to worship God who is larger than all our imagination! We encourage all persons to sing the gender nouns and pronouns
they prefer in referring to God.
Our Life Together…
Thank You! Head Usher: Susie Bleckley | Liturgist: Emily Hennessee The flowers for today’s services are lovingly given by the children and grandchildren of Nancy and Robert Miller, in celebration of their 80th birthdays, and their lifelong, continuing service to the global community in the name of love, justice and Christ.
Support Stewardship Update Thank you to everyone who has been able to turn in an estimate of giving for 2015. As of this week we have 140 commitments for $551,000. These pledges range from $5 per month to over $1000 per month and every single pledge makes a difference in the life of this congregation. The session believes that we need approximately $670,00 in pledges to fully fund the ministry and mission of the church next year. Again, these are just estimates, but the more of them that we can get, the better we are able to plan. It would be very helpful if we could receive as many as possible in the coming week.
Youth Group News [Contact Emily Bentley or Katie Smith with questions] Youth Group Dates to Mark on Your Calendars
November 30 NO Youth Group (Thanksgiving Break) December 6 NO Youth Group (just returning from retreat) December 14 Christmas Party | 2-‐4p (note the time change)
Choir News [Contact Jeff Jones with questions] Treble Choir Schedule Through Christmas
November 30 NO REHEARSAL (Thanksgiving weekend) December 7 Rehearsal | 5:00-‐6:00 PM December 14 Rehearsal | 3:30-‐4:30 PM (due to Real.Life.Stories) December 21 Worship | 9:45 AM (robe and rehearse) Rehearsal and Christmas Party | 5:00-‐6:00 PM December 24 Family Christmas Eve Service | 4:30 PM (robe & rehearse) December 28 NO REHEARSAL January 4 Regular Rehearsals Resume | 5:00-‐6:00 p.m.
Serve Collecting Gift Cards to Benefit the Homeless Kids of Trinity Place Now Through December 21 We are collecting $15 and $25 gifts cards for Wal-‐Mart or Target between now and December 21st for Trinity Place in Downtown Asheville, a shelter and safe space for runaway and homeless kids in our city. An average of 220 children seek emergency shelter with Trinity Place each year and these gift cards would give them the chance to shop with a social worker for their basic needs. You can put them in the offering plate, hand them to Kristy Farber on Sunday or drop them by the church office during office hours. Eblen Charities St Nicholas Project Three Ways to Help Over 4000 Children Have a Merry Christmas Email Mary Rhoads for More Information [email protected].
Volunteer in the St Nicholas Project Toy Store Morning, Afternoon, and Evening shifts on December 9-‐10, & 15-‐18
Donate Toys and Games Drop toys/games in the Eblen toy barrels in the narthex, Nov. 17-‐Dec. 13
Volunteer to Collect Toys Collect toys at the Ingles/Eblen Charities Toy Drive, December 4-‐6.
Healthy Living Pantry | Food Assistance Collection Ends TODAY | Information Station (narthex) The Beaverdam Rd YMCA has developed Healthy Living Hubs, available at the five Afterschool Programs they sponsor. Each site has 20 targeted students between fourth and sixth grades. GCPC is helping supply these hubs with canned goods. Items needed: Green beans; Corn; Hearty Soup; Kidney beans (low sodium); Black beans (low sodium); Peaches (in juice or water); Mixed fruit (in juice or water); Tuna (in water); Chicken (in water); Peanut butter Presbyterian Women's Annual Christmas Candlelight Dinner December 1 | RSVP in Narthex All women are invited to the Presbyterian Women's Annual Christmas Candlelight Dinner. Please reserve your seat in the narthex this Sunday, November 30. The cost is $15 and the mission is for the Micro Loan Program for Guatemala. Please do not forget to bring your donations to the Micro Loan Program. Place your donations (cash or check) into an envelope and mark the amount on the fornt of the envelope. Look for a large envelope at the end of the stairwell in which to deposit your donation. Please make the check out to “PW” and mark “Micro Loan” in the memo line of your check.Thank you in advance for your kind generosity. Reclaiming Christmas (reclaim: to recover; to claim back; to convert to a more usable form) Do the excess, stress, and expense of the Christmas holiday seem far removed from the simple, sacred birth of Jesus? ‘Reclaiming Christmas’ is a way to honor the Christ Child by directly supporting those for whom he showed special concern. Please look for our ‘Reclaiming Christmas Station’ in the narthex beginning today.
Grow real.life.stories | Sunday, December 14 | 5:00 PM | Avenue M Childcare at GCPC | Theme for the evening: "Beyond Repair” Listen to Katherine Blankenship, Joe Brumit, Terri Crosby, Chuck Fink, Cullen Hicks, Mike Senca, and Jonathan Tetzlaff tell a first-‐person story centered on the theme “Beyond Repair”. Please arrive by 4:30 to enjoy Avenue M’s hospitality before we get started promptly at 5 PM.
Dress rehearsal is on Friday, December 12. It begins at 5:30 and is open to GCPC members who'd prefer to listen in the comfort of the fellowship hall instead of Avenue M. Seating is limited to 50. Childcare is not provided this evening.
Family Advent Event | NEXT Sunday, December 7 | 9:15 AM | Fellowship Hall We welcome all children, youth and their families to join us on December 7th during Education Hour in the Fellowship Hall for our Family Advent Event. We will have a Godly Play story, various Advent crafts upcycling GCPC's blue hymnals, and a hot chocolate bar! The Hanging of the Greens | NEXT Sunday, December 7 Following Worship | RSVP for Lunch Join us as we hang the greens in our sanctuary on December 7, immediately following worship. This is a family friendly event, so please plan to stay, eat lunch and prepare our sanctuary for the coming holiday. Please RSVP to Heather Brown if you plan to attend/have lunch so that the appropriate amount of food can be provided: [email protected] or 828-‐551-‐1375. Our 6th Annual Spiritual Retreat for Women | We Are Enough…God Is Enough Thursday, February 26 – Sunday, March 1 | Folly Beach, SC Guest Leader: Erika Ashenbrenner $140 (Scholarships Available) | Registration Ends January 31, 2015 Early Registration Now through December 5 ($40 Non-‐Refundable Provides a $10 Discount for the Weekend) For more information contact Kristy Farber or Heather Gast or visit our web site under GROW. A Better Understanding of the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper We welcome all to God's Table to share in today's joyful feast. If you or your children have any questions about communion, Heather, Kristy, or Mark will be happy to talk with you right after the service. In addition, we have an annual workshop to help school aged children better understand the meaning and practice of communion. Our next workshop will be held on Sunday, April 26, 2015.
Care Celebrate the 80th Birthdays of Robert & Nancy Miller TODAY | 11:45 AM | Fellowship Hall The Miller Family invites you to celebrate Robert and Nancy’s 80th birthdays. Join us after worship for a reception and enjoy the reminiscing about the PCUSA. Robert served as pastor at four congregations, as a presbytery executive and a national staff director. Nancy served in the Worldwide Mission Division, and most recently on our own GCPC Guatemalan Partnership Committee. Please celebrate with us! Prayer List [We are happy to pray for anyone who is in need. Concerns will stay on this list for a month unless we hear otherwise. Please keep us updated.]
Jerusalem Church elders | deacons | congregation; Valentina Cardona & Otilia de los Rios (Jerusalem congregation); The Perez Family (Jerusalem congregation);Betty Huesemann (Liz Huesemann’s mother); The Nagy Family (Dr. Barbara, Melia, Anna and Happy); Frank Wilson (Martha Kisiah’s nephew); Jamie Blackburn (Laura Tompkins’ friend); Ralph Smialowicz (Amy Fowler's dad); Brian & Benjamin (Walt & Anne Justice’s grandsons); Linda Albin (Les & Susan Stradley’s friend); Anna, Chris and Britt Schmidt (Marilyn Schmidt’s granddaughter and her parents); Jeff Riedesel (Steve Riedesel’s brother);Heath & Peggy Rada (Moderator of the PCUSA General Assembly); Barrett & Ali Payne (Commissioned to Columbia Seminary); Richard Simons (George and Gerry Simons’ son); Ruth Cannon (Steve & Florence Riedesel’s son’s mother-‐n-‐law); Stephen Billings (Anna Thomas' uncle); Patricia Griset's friend, Stephen ParkerNaomi Cole (Anthony Cole’s mother); Stephen Parker (Pat Griset's friend);Sarah Harwell; Al Williams; Sandy Jividen; Janet Bondurant; Jack & Betty Smith; Lorraine Formato; Dana Victor Little; George Simons; Mimi Aldridge; Bettie Pritchard; Jane Vann.
Next Sunday’s Education For All Ages | 9:15 AM
ADULT EDUCATION [Contact Rebecca Gurney with questions] Special Adult Education Offering Advent Art – Spiritual Growth Through Creative Expression December 7, 14, 21 | 9:15 AM | Clay Pot Room (Upstairs Education Hall) "Noli Timere" (Be not afraid) is the theme of a three-‐week-‐long adult education class exploring the relationship between art and faith. Please join us as we approach Advent and the scriptures through an arts-‐focused lens. Join Cathy Clevenger and Legare Hartbarger for hands-‐on artistic projects for adults (18 years of age and older). Pressure Points (Library) Explore thorny 21st century church issues in a safe, interactive, non-‐judgmental environment, where differing viewpoints and life experiences enhance our spirited conversations! We utilize books and videos to challenge us at the intersection of faith and the world. This year Pressure Points is reading Barbara Brown Taylor's book An Altar In the World. The Bertha Lewis Class (Sun Room – Note the Room Change) This class explores the biblical texts used in worship each Sunday with lively discussion and warm friendship. Each week we email [non-‐required] reading materials that help to open up a particular Bible passage. Then on Sunday morning we discuss the passage and its implications for our lives. These discussions prepare us for worship, where the same text guides the content of prayers, selection of hymns, and the sermon. The Journeys Class (Jerusalem Room) THIS Sunday, November 30 and next Sunday, December 7, Kristy Farber and Mark Ramsey will be leading the Journey’s class. The Journeys class is an open study/discussion forum geared toward parents of all ages where we try to make sense of the tradition we have inherited in order to understand the tradition we will pass along. Topics/leadership change periodically. CHILDREN & YOUTH EDUCATION [Contact Heather Gast with questions] Preschool | K -‐ 5th Grade (TPZ) | Middle School | High School Family Advent Event | NEXT Sunday, December 7 | 9:15 AM | Fellowship Hall We welcome all children, youth and their families to join us on December 7th during Education Hour in the Fellowship Hall for our Family Advent Event. We will have a Godly Play story, various Advent crafts upcycling GCPC's blue hymnals, and a hot chocolate bar!
Next Sunday, December 7, 2014 Second Sunday of Advent Education Hour 9:15 AM [Special Education Offerings]
Worship at 10:30 AM
Sermon: “A World Good and Beautiful and Kind” by Mark Ramsey Scripture: Mark 1:1-‐8; Isaiah 40:1-‐1
CALENDAR Sunday 30 9:15 AM Education Hour (Special Adult Education offering)
9:15 AM TPZ Cooking 10:30 AM Worship 12:00 PM Miller Reception 4:00 PM Worship @ Westminster Pres. (15 Overbrook Pl.)
DECEMBER Monday 1 6:00 PM PW dinner Tuesday 2 9:00 AM Prayer Group 5:15 PM Capacity Campaign – Leadership Team 6:00 PM VRQ dinner 7:00 PM Capacity Campaign – Communications Team Wednesday 3 11:00 AM Wed. Bible Study
7:00 PM Chancel choir Fri-‐Sun Raleigh Youth Mission Sunday 7 9:15 AM Education Hour
9:15 AM Family Advent Event 10:30 AM Worship 12:00 PM Hanging of the Greens 4:00 PM Worship @ Westminster Pres. (15 Overbrook Pl.) 5:00 PM Cherub/Treble choirs