Preparing for worship

Transcription

1 Baptism of the Lord Sunday January 7, 2018

2 Preparing for worship It is safe to say that no one in our church has been baptized more than me. And that s not just because I was baptized twice in my formative years once as a 9-year-old and once as a teenager after an evangelist came through our church sowing seeds of doubt about whether everyone had been truly saved. As a rulefollowing child, I wanted to make sure I had done it right. I ve been baptized dozens of times since then, not in response to an evangelist s fiery sermons but through training our pastoral residents in the techniques of the trade. Every fall, we schedule a baptism practicum for hands-on training. Most of our pastoral residents arrive with little to no experience in the baptistry, other than their own baptisms. We take turns baptizing each other so that each minister gains experience handling people of different heights and weights. There really is a difference, and there s a practical application from basic geometry. I don t remember most of those residentapplied baptisms because they are mainly motions without meaning; there s no profound spiritual commitment transpiring. But I do remember both of my childhood baptisms, although not with the heaven-came-down-and-glory-filled-my-soul kind of spiritual high you might imagine. In my own experience, appreciation for and understanding of baptism has grown over time. When we enter those sacred waters, we cannot fully imagine the meaning of the journey we are beginning. Only the passage of time allows us to measure the ways that one decision shapes our lives for good and for good. Today the church universal commemorates the Baptism of the Lord Sunday, calling us to remember both the example set by Jesus in the Jordan River and our own experience in the waters of baptism. While it may seem audacious to think of our baptism and the Lord s baptism in the same thought, we do well to remember that we have followed in Jesus footsteps. We have not been baptized simply because we thought it was a good idea or because the pastor needed practice developing technique. On this day, as you prepare for worship, remember your baptism and be thankful. If you have not yet been baptized, consider earnestly what hinders you from following the example of Jesus in public witness of your faith. As a point of meditation, look toward the tapestry in the baptistry. You ll notice there the watery waves that form the border of the tapestry, indicating that we enter the community of faith most fully through baptism and as a way of identifying ourselves with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Mark Wingfield Wilshire Baptist Church 4316 Abrams Road Dallas, Texas (214) Partnered with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Building a Community of Faith Shaped by the Spirit of Jesus Christ ON THE COVER: The Baptism of the Christ 2016, Daniel Bonnell 2

3 January 7, :30 & 11:00 a.m. Baptism of the Lord Sunday Chiming of the Hour The people of Wilshire gather this morning to worship God. In order for this service of worship to be focused upon that purpose, please turn off all cell phones, pagers and alarm watches. Prelude Come, Great God of All the Ages arr. Burkhardt Opening Sentences Jon-Erik Schoellhorn / Jessica Capps At the dawn of this new year, we gather to remember the newness of life that descended on the waters of baptism in the Jordan River long ago, as Jesus demonstrated for us that through him all things were being made new. We stand in awe of God s creation that is ever being renewed through the work of the Spirit. As we remember our baptism today, let us be thankful for all the ways God breathes newness of life into us. +Hymn 6 Creator God, Creating Still st. anne Greeting to Worshipers Sarah Stafford / Julie Girards Guests are invited to take a Response Card from the pew rack, complete it and place it in the offering plate later in the service. We would love to know you were here today. Prayer concerns will be received and prayed for this week when listed on an intercessory prayer card from the pew rack and placed in the offering plate. Prayers of the People Diana Early / Harper McKenzie 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 sins, As we forgive those who sin against us; And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. Hymn 455 Here, at Your Table, Lord bread of life *8:30 worship service / **11:00 worship service +All congregants who are able are invited to stand. Hearing devices are available in the Narthex and South Atrium. 3

4 Celebration of the Lord s Supper Matt Dodrill All followers of Christ are invited to partake of the Lord s Supper, whether you are a Wilshire member or not. The bread used this morning is gluten-free. Passing of the Bread Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart arr. Whitworth Passing of the Cup Meditation on a Communion Hymn arr. Martin +The Passing of the Peace The peace of the Lord be always with you. And also with you. +Hymn 467 We Are One in Christ thaxted Giving of Tithes and Offerings When you give to Wilshire s Unified Budget, your dollars take wing and multipy as they underwrite God s work around the globe. If you are not yet a tither, would you consider this year working toward the goal of giving 10 percent of your income to God s work? Start somewhere. Start giving regularly. Grow in generosity. Experience the joy of being a generous steward. *Solo Offertory The Lord Is My Light Allitsen David Nabors, bass **Choral Offertory Walk In the Light arr. Thomas Sanctuary Choir +Offertory Response gloria patri 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. +Gospel Reading Mark 1:4 11 Darren DeMent / Richard Luttrell John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, You are 4

5 my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Message And So It Begins, Again George Mason +Hymn of Commitment 570 Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus trust in jesus Sharing of Decisions Recognition of Timothy Peoples Litany of Blessing George Mason Carson Brown / Meredith Vachon Leader: People: Leader: People: Leader: People: Leader: People: Leader: People: All: As a church, we gather today to give thanks to God for the journey with us of Timothy Peoples. We are grateful for the family, friends, teachers, churches and mentors who shaped him on his way to us. We give thanks for the seeds of faith planted by others. Through two years of ministry, we have sought together to follow Christ and to be Christ s church in this place. You have walked among us as a brother, rejoiced with us, wept with us and sought God s truth with us. We give thanks for the seeds of hope you have nurtured among us. Now we prepare to let go, to send forth Timothy with our blessing, praying that he may be salt of the earth and light for the world as he plants new seeds of God s care in other places. We give thanks for the seeds of joy to be sown in the years ahead. It was God who made the seed grow. The planter and the waterer are nothing compared with him who gives life to the seed. For we are laborers together with God. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen. Prayer of Blessing Sending Forth and Presentation of Gifts Judy Yarbrough / Dorrell Brown Lay Support Team Benediction Postlude Toccata on St. Anne arr. Helman All guests are invited to a coffee reception in the James Gallery immediately after the service. The flowers on the chancel today are given in gratitude for the generous hearts of Wilshire s congregation in response to the All-In emphasis at year-end. 5

6 Meet today s worship leaders Carson Brown is a senior at Lake Highlands High School. He is the son of Allison and Chad Brown and grandson of Avonne and Stan Bullock. He is active in Wilshire s student ministry, Youth Choir and Shekinah, has been a missions volunteer and served on the lay support team for Pastoral Resident Timothy Peoples. of Discovery Class. He works as an Edward Jones representative and applies his professional skills as a member of Wilshire s Vision 20/20 Legacy Giving Team and Pathways to Ministry Committee. He and Shannon are the parents of Sloane, who is 16 months old, and Jordan, who was born in October. Dorrell Brown joined Wilshire in A native of Jamaica, she works for American Airlines. Dorrell is a deacon and Stephen Minister, has served on the Missions Committee, is a missions volunteer and member of Discovery Class. She served on the lay support team for Pastoral Resident Timothy Peoples. Diana Early has been a Wilshire member since She is a deacon, attends Foundations of Faith Class and teaches fifth grade missions on Wednesday evenings. She has been a frequent missions volunteer and serves on the Baptism Committee. She is a physical therapist at Children s Health Specialty Center-Cityville. Richard Luttrell came to Wilshire in He is an usher, serves on the Christian Advocacy Committee and attends Epiphany Class. After a long career with Blue Cross, he now volunteers as a mentor in Richardson ISD. Meredith Vachon grew up at Wilshire as Meredith Holmes. Her mother is Martha Holmes. She is married to Sam Vachon, and they are the parents of Max, a third grader, and Evelyn, a kindergartener. Meredith attends Avodah Class and served on the lay support team for Pastoral Resident Timothy Peoples. Meredith is president and cofounder of Bread and Butter Public Relations. Judy Yarbrough and her husband, Charles, joined Wilshire in They are the parents of four adult children. Judy is an ordained Baptist minister working to raise awareness of racial injustice. She operates Full Circle Bakery, which gives its proceeds to local charities. She is a deacon, member of Cord of Three Class and serves on the Worship and Music Committee and served on the lay support team for Pastoral Resident Timothy Peoples. Harper McKenzie grew up at Wilshire and is the daughter of Geri and Mark McKenzie. She is a freshman at Emerson College in Boston. Jon-Erik Schoellhorn came to Wilshire in He is married to Shannon, and they are directors 6

7 Hear Baldwin family s story next week Former Wilshire members John and Stephanie Baldwin and their daughter, Mackenzie, will speak at Wilshire next Sunday, Jan. 14, in both morning services and at a noon dialogue luncheon. They will highlight the story of their newly published book, Almost Gone, which tells the story of then 17-year-old Mackenzie s secret online relationship that nearly put her on a plane to another country and another faith. The book and their testimony highlight to teenagers and parents alike the dangers of secret online relationships that have the potential to unwittingly lead to sex trafficking and human trafficking. Without her parents knowing it, Mackenzie converted to Islam, became engaged to a man she had never met and made plans to secretly fly to Kosovo, where she planned to get married. Just 25 days before she was scheduled to fly, her father learned about the dangerous plan from a friend and contacted the FBI for help. In the book, father and daughter each tell the story from their vantage points. Copies of the book will be available for purchase Sunday morning and at the luncheon in Community Hall. No reservation is required for the luncheon, and all are welcome. Staff contacts George A. Mason Senior Pastor (214) Mark Wingfield Associate Pastor (214) Doug Haney Minister of Music (214) Sarah Stafford Associate Minister of Music (214) Jeff Brummel Music Associate/Organist (214) Tiffany Wright Minister for Care Ministries (214) Jessica Capps Minister to Senior Adults (214) Darren DeMent Minister to Students (214) Julie Girards Minister to Children (214) Joan Hammons Minister to Preschoolers (214) Heather Mustain Minister of Missions (214) Timothy Peoples McIver Fellow (214) Kevin Sinclair Pastoral Resident (214) Jakob Topper Pastoral Resident (214) Aaron Coyle-Carr Pastoral Resident (214) Matt Dodrill Pastoral Resident (214) David Nabors Director of Business Admin. (214) Dale Pride Facilities Manager (214) J. Preston Bright Associate Pastor Emeritus To any staff member, use the first letter of the first name combined with the full last name and 7

8 This week at Wilshire Generosity report In 2017, the Unified Budget received $4,184,652 toward a goal of $4,200,000. Expenses for the year were $3,925,242, creating a positive balance of $259,410. The Finance Committee will meet today to consider how to apply these gifts into key priority areas such as Pathways to Ministry, Missions Plus, Building Reserve and Vision 20/20 projects. See the letter from George Mason on page 11. Unified Budget Gifts Gifts this week:... $370,313 December gifts to date:...$944,899 December budget projected:...$609,000 YTD budget gifts:...$4,184,652 YTD budget goal:... $4,200,000 Room in the Inn On Jan. 19, Feb. 16 and March 16, Wilshire will welcome back homeless women from Austin Street Center during the coldest months of the year. Volunteers are needed to provide dinner, breakfast, help set up and clean up, fellowship on Friday evening or provide transportation. Contact Room in the Inn ministry team leader Melissa Atkinson for more information: melissaatkinson@ rocketmail.org. Computer classes A new semester of Wilshire s free computer classes will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 23, with a group registration for PC and Mac classes and for ipads, iphones and Android devices. Attend a registration session either Tuesday morning or evening in Room The times are 10 to 11:30 a.m. and 6 to 7:30 p.m. During registration, instructors will demonstrate some of the new apps for ipads and iphones and discuss plans for workshops for areas of special interest. They also will offer tips on how to avoid computer scams and how to deal with malware and viruses. Classes will begin the following week and run for six weeks. For more information, contact Max Post at (214) Plan for VBS Vacation Bible School will take a different twist this year, with the intent of involving more children in homes with two working parents and single-parent families. VBS will be held on three evenings, beginning at 6 p.m. The dates are Sunday, June 10; Monday, June 11; and Tuesday, June 12. This year s theme will be Babylon: Daniel s Courage in Captivity and will be built around an interactive marketplace, much like One Starry Night. Many volunteers will be needed to staff the marketplace, in addition to VBS teachers. The three night VBS format will allow Wilshire staff and laity to fully participate in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly, to be held in Dallas beginning June 13. To volunteer for VBS or to learn more, contact Joan Hammons at jhammons@ wilshirebc.org. Timothy Peoples called to North Carolina Timothy Peoples, who has been a Wilshire pastoral resident and is currently a McIver Fellow, has been called as senior pastor of Emerywood Baptist Church in High Point, N.C. He will begin his duties there in mid-january. Wilshire bids farewell to Timothy today in both morning services and at a reception in James Gallery between services. Wednesday activities resume All normal Wednesday activities resume this week, including New Song and programs for preschoolers, children, youth and adults. If you ve not tried Wednesdays at Wilshire, this is a great time to begin. Both lunch and dinner are served in Koinonia Café in Community Hall, followed by a noon Bible study and an array of evening programs. Keep up with all the Wilshire news at wilshirebc.org or by using our Wilshire app or via social media. Worship is live streamed every Sunday at 11:00. 8

9 New Wednesday classes Two new adult classes will begin this Wednesday night, Jan. 10, and continue on Jan. 17 and 24 at 6 p.m. Faith and #MeToo will be led by Heather Mustain and Kevin Sinclair in Room 1205-L. Participants will discuss the current #MeToo trend, its corresponding cultural relevancy and how faith relates. Can These Bones Live? Unearthing the World of the New Testament will be led by Aaron Coyle-Carr in Room 1205-G. This course will explore the realities of life in the Roman Empire in the first and second centuries the period when the New Testament was written. Week one will explore Roman civic life; week two, Roman religion; and week three, slavery in the Roman world. Koinonia Café Jan. 10: Sun-dried tomato-herb pork loin, chicken pot pie, quinoa pilaf, grilled zucchini and squash, snap peas, cabbage with bacon. JazzStand This week s JazzStand on Abrams concert will feature the Booker T. Washington High School jazz ensemble. The free concert is Tuesday night, Jan. 9, in the Sanctuary at 7 p.m. and will be followed by a reception in Community Hall. New art exhibit Now on display in the South Lobby: For I Know the Plans I Have for You an exhibit of 30 color etchings based on the floor plans of Gothicstyle cathedrals. Woven through the images are biblical texts in English, Hebrew and Latin. These passages of text refer to foundations and plans. The art was created by Tyrus Clutter of Ocala, Fla. Annual church conference Hymns We Love In October, Wilshire undertook a recording project to create a CD of congregational singing in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The CD, titled Hymns We Love, is now available for free in the church office or in the South Atrium. Remember to stop by and pick up a copy for you and copies for friends who love congregational hymn singing or for someone you would like to invite to Wilshire. Branson trip Registration is open for a Wilshire Adventurers and New Song Choir trip to Branson, Mo., April This trip is a senior adult camp with activities and outings each day. Sites to visit include Silver Dollar City, College of the Ozarks, downtown Branson, Top of the Rock, and a performance of Samson at the Sight and Sound Theater. Sign up in the associate pastor s office with Kathi Lyle. Adventurers January outing On Thursday, Jan. 18, Wilshire Adventurers will sponsor a day trip to the Dallas World Aquarium and Dallas Holocaust Museum, with lunch together at Sonny Bryan s in the West End. Round-trip transportation will be provided by chartered motor coach. The all-inclusive cost is $30 per person. Sign up with Pat Tilley at the Adventurers table in the South Lobby today or in Community Hall on Wednesday at noon. Adventurers to hear Jeanne Robertson In keeping with recent revisions to Wilshire s bylaws, an annual church conference will be held on Sunday, Jan. 21, at noon in Community Hall. At the annual church conference, new committee members will be elected, a 2018 budget will be presented, and a report will be given on the state of the church. Members also will have opportunity to raise any new business they desire. Everyone is invited to stay for lunch and the annual church conference. No reservation is required, except for child care. 9 All interested senior adults are invited to join Wilshire Adventurers to hear comedienne Jeanne Robertson at the Winspear Opera House on Saturday, Feb. 10. Tickets are $35 apiece and include roundtrip motor coach transportation from the church. The bus will depart Wilshire at 6:30 p.m. and return around 9:30 p.m. Sign up with Mark Wingfield at mwingfield@wilshirebc. org or (214) Continued next page

10 This week at Wilshire Spring break mission team A spring break mission trip to Shaw, Miss., is open to all ages for service with Wilshire mission partner Delta Hands for Hope. The group will travel by carpool, leaving Wilshire the morning of Saturday, March 10 and returning Thursday, March 15. Volunteers will host a camp for kids and youth who also will be off for spring break. Contact Heather Mustain for more information. will forever hold a sacred place in our life together as our first home and community of faith. Wedding shower A church-wide wedding shower for Nora Gardner and Kevin Sinclair will be held on Saturday, Jan. 20, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Parlor. Shower selections are available at Bed Bath & Beyond and at Crate & Barrel. Gardner-Sinclair wedding Together with their families, Nora Gardner and Kevin Sinclair invite Wilshire to their wedding celebration at South Main Baptist Church in Houston on Saturday, Feb. 3. The service also will be live-streamed at smbc.org. Please visit kevinandnora.com for information on lodging and directions. From Kevin and Nora: Thank you, Wilshire, for being our church family during this unforgettable season, not only in our engagement but as a pastoral resident and partner. Wilshire Homeless count coming Once again, Wilshire will serve as a deployment site for the annual Dallas Point in Time Homeless Count. The date is Thursday, Jan. 25, and the times are from 7 p.m. to midnight. Register now to help with this important effort to document the extent of homelessness, changing trends and the measure of success in making homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring in Dallas. Sign up by contacting Heather Mustain at hmustain@ wilshirebc.org. Wilshire calendar Sunday, January 7 Morning worship 8:30 a.m. Reception for Timothy Peoples 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 9:40 a.m. Morning worship 11:00 a.m. Deacon officers noon Women s retreat planning noon Finance Committee noon Nova 2:30 p.m. Carillon Ringers 4:00 p.m. Youth Choir 4:00 p.m. Companions in Christ Paradiso 5:00 p.m. Shekinah 5:30 p.m. Monday, January 8 Game of 42 10:00 a.m. Wilshire Winds 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 9 Yoga 12:15 p.m. Stephen Ministry training 6:00 p.m. JazzStand on Abrams with Booker T. Washington jazz ensemble 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 10 New Song 9:30 a.m. Koinonia Café 11:00 a.m. Bible study noon Companions in Christ Wilshire Adventurers Committee 1:15 p.m. Beginning bells 5:00 p.m. Children s bells 5:00 p.m. Koinonia Café 5:00 p.m. Faith and #MeToo 6:00 p.m. New Testament background 6:00 p.m. Music & Missions 6:00 p.m. 10 Companions in Christ Yoga 6:15 p.m. Watershed 6:30 p.m. Sanctuary Choir 7:00 p.m. Thursday, January 11 Women s Ministry Brown Bag Book Club noon Companions in Christ Friday, January 12 Temple Emanu-El Shabbat service 6:15 p.m. Adoption and Foster Care event 6:30 p.m. Marriage Connections and Single Parents Night Out - 6:30 p.m. Saturday, January 13 A King Teach-In at Friendship-West 9:00 a.m.

11 A message from George: Thank you! In this season of Epiphany, we continue to be surprised and amazed by the revelation of Jesus Christ in our world today. Speaking for myself and I suspect for many of you, the most astounding and unexpected gift our church has received in this season is that we against all odds have come within a few thousand dollars of meeting our ambitious Unified Budget goal for I am thrilled to report that our Finance Committee, when they meet this Sunday, will have the joyful task of allocating toward our mission and ministries funds that exceeded our expenses for the year. Let me say that another way, because I hope you are stunned by the reality of this good news: We not only more than covered our expenses for 2017, we also came within a breath of meeting our full budget goal. The details are that we gave through the Unified Budget $4,184,652 in 2017 (toward a goal of $4,200,000) and we spent $3,925,242, creating an overflow of $259,410. By that I do not mean to imply that we have money we don t know what to do with. To the contrary, the fact that we underspent our budget (let me express gratitude to our staff) while also giving almost fully toward the budget goal means we have funds to overflow into key priority areas such as Pathways to Ministry, Missions Plus, Building Reserve and Vision 20/20 projects. This was the original vision of our Unified Budget plan. More than that, it means our full staff and ministry plans can be supported with confidence going forward. Many thank yous are in order with this news. Thank you to everyone who has stayed at Wilshire in a year of transition and proved that we still have an important mission and voice in our community and world. Thank you to everyone who has come among us in the past year and joined in with sweet accord to help us be the kind of church that is needed today. Thank you to the angel from the Dallas community who provided the $100,000 challenge gift that motivated significant giving in the last days of the year. Thank you to everyone who responded to that matching grant opportunity. Your response was overwhelming. Thank you to everyone who has determined to be all in as we head toward Time and again, Wilshire has accomplished things that seem normal to us but actually are extraordinary in the world of the church today. I am not aware of any other Christian church in America that has taken the step toward full inclusion that Wilshire has taken and has not paid a heavy price financially. By your giving and your presence, you have proved Wilshire to be the exception, and that is an encouragement that will be heard from east to west and from north to south. From a spiritual perspective, I am awestruck that the Lord has given us the opportunity we have been given to continue to shine a light of hope and welcome to a weary world. I have to admit that I never dreamed I would be writing a year-end report with such good news. What the Lord has done among us is exceedingly beyond anything we could have hoped for or imagined. I am convinced that we as the body of Christ, located in this place at this time, have an important mission that must be continued for the glory of God. I pray that we will join together, celebrating the victories of the year just past, and emboldened to take on the year just dawning with all the passion and commitment worthy of our Lord Jesus Christ. The urgency of our vision is clearer now than ever: to be a bold witness to the way of Christ in our time. I count it all joy to serve alongside you in this momentous time. And I pray that the Lord will continue to add to our number this year as people from all walks of life and all types of religious backgrounds find Wilshire to be a safe place to wrestle with life s questions and to build a community of faith shaped by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. George P.S.: After the Finance Committee meets this Sunday, we will have more details and more good news to share about the overflow of your generosity both through the Unified Budget and designated giving. 11

12 MLK weekend events Shabbat Service at Temple Emanu-El Friday, January 12 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. Wilshire and Temple Emanu-El will co-host a Shabbat service on Friday, Jan. 12, featuring guest preacher William Barber II, president of Repairers of the Breach and leader of the Moral Monday movement. This will be a service of reflection on God s concern for the vulnerable and how as a people of faith we can move toward seeking justice. A King Teach-In at Friendship-West Baptist Church Saturday, January 13 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join us at Friendship-West as their senior pastor, minister of justice, George Mason and other invited guests provide important advocacy training and information on upcoming legislative priorities around economic justice, public education, voter engagement and more while celebrating the legacy of Dr. King. Rise Against Hunger Meal Packing Event in Community Hall Monday, January a.m. to noon Forty to 50 volunteers are needed to help package 10,000 meals. All ages are welcome, but advanced registration is required. Find the sign-up link at wilshirebc.org/registration. 12