THE BELL TOLLS Welcoming us to worship God PRELUDE Sweet Hour of Prayer D. Wood WELCOME TO THE CHURCH

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1 MARY TAYLOR MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 168 South Broad Street Phone: Milford, Connecticut FAX: Order of Worship 10:00 a.m. (* Those who are able may stand. Late arrivals will be seated.) THE BELL TOLLS Welcoming us to worship God PRELUDE Sweet Hour of Prayer D. Wood WELCOME TO THE CHURCH INTROIT *CALL TO WORSHIP *HYMN #327 Days of Elijah Crown Him with Many Crowns PRAYER for CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY (unison) (UM Book of Worship, 421) Almighty God, who gave your Son Jesus Christ a realm where all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; make us loyal followers of our living Lord, that we may always hear his word, follow his teachings, and live in his Spirit; and hasten the day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord; to your eternal glory. Amen CALL TO CONFESSION (New Patterns for Worship, mod.) When the King returns, the Lord will bring to the light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Therefore, in the light of Christ, our King, let us confess our sins. UNISON PRAYER OF CONFESSION (UM Book of Worship, 476, mod.) O holy and merciful God, we confess that we have not always taken upon ourselves the yoke of obedience, nor been willing to seek and do your perfect will. We have not loved you with our heart and mind and soul and strength, neither have we loved our neighbors as ourselves. Break down the walls in our lives which distract us from loving you and serving our beloved siblings, we pray. Open our eyes and our hearts that we might be a beacon of light in a world searching for a way out of the darkness. We ask all this the name of our beloved King Jesus. Amen SILENT CONFESSION ASSURANCE OF PARDON Leader: May the almighty God, who caused light to shine out of darkness, shine in our hearts, cleansing us from all our sins, and restoring us to the light of the knowledge of God s glory, in the face of Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior, and our King. People: Thanks be to God! *THE PEACE L: May the peace of the Lord be always with you. People: And also with you (*Greet one another with signs of Christ s peace.) CHILDREN S TIME Pastor Levine THE EPISTLE Revelation 1:4b-8 (NRSV) 4.b Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. 8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. Reader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God! *THE GOSPEL John 18:33-37 (NRSV) 33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, Are you the King of the Jews? 34 Jesus answered, Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me? 35 Pilate replied, I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done? 36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here. 37 Pilate asked him, So you are a king? Jesus answered, You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice. Reader: The Gospel of the Lord. People: Praise to you, Lord Christ!

2 *HYMN #2246 Deep in the Shadows of the Past (insert) THE SERMON Lord of the Kings Pastor Levine PRAYERS OF PETITION AND INTERCESSION Leader: Lord, in your Mercy, 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 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, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. PRESENTATION OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS People: Hear our prayer Offertory Anthem: Glory to God In the Highest C. Scarborough Presentation: The Doxology Hymnal #94 *Prayer of Dedication HYMN #496 Sweet Hour of Prayer (Let the anointers come forward during the hymn.) A RITUAL OF PRAYER AND HEALING ANOINTING On the last Sunday of each month all are invited to come forward to receive prayer and optional healing anointing for oneself or on behalf of another. Please come by the center aisle and return by the side aisles. Stand or kneel (as able) at the Communion rail and speak name and need to the anointer. This ancient Church practice expresses God s love as a mysterious, caring expression of Christ s promise I will be with you always. Please remain in prayer until all have returned to their seats. *HYMN #370 THE BENEDICTION Victory in Jesus THE BELL TOLLS- Sending us to walk with and witness for Jesus POSTLUDE Voluntary on Diademata L. Smith (During the postlude you may leave following the pastor or remain seated) Mary Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church First Methodist Church in Milford: 1836 Current building dedicated: 1893 Merged with Myrtle Beach Community Church: 1969 Nested Ghana Emmanuel U.M. Church: Whoever you are, wherever you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome here THE REIGN OF CHRIST UNITED METHODIST STUDENT DAY November 25, 2018 THE WORSHIP HAS ENDED: THE SERVICE BEGINS

3 The Council of Greater Bridgeport ~ leveraging hope, changing lives See Diana Cable after service or contact her at or rcable1@optonline.net for a brochure. MARY TAYLOR MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Telephone: Fax: Website: mtmumc@sbcglobal.net Ministers All the People of God Bishop The Rev. Dr. Thomas J. Bickerton Co-Lay Leader Shelly Lapadula Superintendent The Rev. Dr. Alpher Sylvester Co-Lay Leader Beth O Brien Pastor The Rev. Kristina Hansen Prayer Chain Stacy Meszaros Outreach Pastor Dani Levine Administrative Assistant Mary Lou Kampert Music Director Dr. Richard L. Riccardi Sexton Andy Thomas Pastor of Healing Ministries The Rev. Cynthia Dodd Child Care Coordinator Laura A. Brennan Theologian-in-Residence: The Rev. Harold V.W. Vink Theologian-in-Residence: The Rev. Dr. Judith F. Bennett Grace Notes November 25, 2018 Beloved Mary Taylor Memorial UMC Community, In addition to today being Christ the King Sunday, as United Methodists, we also recognize today as United Methodist Student Day. In 1940, the General Conference of the Methodist Church established Methodist Student day as a churchwide day of offering to support Methodist students seeking an education beyond high school. Today, all over the globe, as United Methodists gather, there is an invitation to give to support United Methodist Scholarships. Thousands of United Methodist Students apply for scholarships every year. Your generosity, through MTMUMC Scholarships and through this day of giving provides books, tuition, and/or housing assistance to students in need. May God bless our United Methodist Students and those whom they will be called to learn from, learn with, and serve. Blessings, Pastor Dani Levine

4 AT WORSHIP TODAY Head Usher: Dave Doyle Greeters: Brenda and Ed Pineau Liturgist: Joan Zauner Bible Bearer: Mariah Griffin Cross Bearer: Stefano Cono Acolytes: Matteo Cono and Selena Gonsalves Intercessor: Barbara Ann Griggs Healing Anointers: Pastor Cynthia Dodd, Pastor Hal Vink, Mary Lou Hastings, Beth O Brien, Mark Platt and Steve Wasco. THE ALTAR FLOWERS today are to the Glory of God and in loving memory of Myrtle Fields Hawkins, given by Ken and Elaine Hawkins. TO ASSIST YOU IN WORSHIP, see our ushers for: Large print Bibles, hymnals and bulletins Hearing Assist Devices Children s bulletins for ages 3 6 and 7 12 WELCOME VISITORS! May you experience God s presence today. Please complete a red visitor s card (in the pew racks) and wear the Visitor peel-and-stick name tag to help us greet you. Our Ambassadors will look for you! CHURCH INFORMATION is in the Narthex. PLEASE OFFER PRAYER CONCERNS using the "Blue Sheets" in the attendance pads in each pew; or obtain one from an usher. Please return them completed to an usher or to the center aisle where the ushers will collect them during the opening hymn. Our Lay Leaders speak them during the Prayer of Intercession and Petition. You are also invited to speak your concerns when we pray. Please obtain others permission to share their concerns. Prayers are included in our on-line prayer chain and Monday night Healing Service. Please also consider joining our Yahoo e-communication group (which was created for prayer concerns) to offer immediate posting of intercessory prayer requests. To sign up, contact the church office. CHILD CARE for children five years old and younger is provided in the Wesley Center, the building to your left. Please note that children over five are expected to remain in the sanctuary since our child care is not staffed to provide for older children. IF YOU NEED TO LEAVE THE SANCTUARY DURING WORSHIP, please exit by the east (left) side aisle. RESTROOMS are in Dodd Hall (behind the altar). PARENTS are respectfully urged to accompany their children as required by our Safe Sanctuary policy. PLEASE RE-ENTER the sanctuary by the east side aisle. TODAY S LITURGY is based on Holy Scripture, The United Methodist Hymnal (1989), and The Faith We Sing (2000), and as noted in the bulletin. SERMON COPIES from last week are in the rear of the church or at ITEMS OF INTEREST CHARGE CONFERENCE ANNUAL MEETING Sunday, December 9 th 4:00 p.m. at Monroe UMC. This is a must attend meeting for everyone who calls MTMUMC their church. This will be a cluster wide Charge Conference. The Rev. Dr. Alpher Sylvester, our district superintendent will be there to lead us. Details and directions to follow at a later date. Charge Conference is our annual meeting which tells us where we ve been this year and where we re going next year. It also gives everyone an understanding of how people have served, how people have been involved, and reminds us of the fun that we ve had and the ministry that we have offered to our congregation, community and the world. See you there! TRASH & TREASURES HELP WANTED: Someone with a paper cutter to cut cards for mounting jewelry. Someone to mount the jewelry, on pre-cut cards, at your own leisure. A replacement for Dolly: Ideally, Dolly would like a trainee to shadow her for a year. Dolly will continue to serve on the T&T team but wants to cut back on her responsibilities. Please prayerfully consider taking over the leadership of the Trash and Treasures team. Please continue to save donations of clean, working household items and clothing throughout the fall and winter. We will accept new donations in March POINSETTIA ORDER FORMS are enclosed for your order as we will be decorating the Sanctuary with poinsettias again this year. They are still $10 each. Please print legibly and please note the FIRM deadline of Wednesday December 12 th. You may take your plants home after the 11:00 pm Christmas Eve service, or if you do not want to take your plant, please let the office know and we will donate them to the home bound or to a care facility.

5 TWO-WEEK CALENDAR AT MARY TAYLOR MEMORIAL Sunday, November 25 8:45 a.m. Sunday School Jamboree Chapel 9:00 a.m. Sunday School Wesley Center 9:00 a.m. Java for the Journey (Adult Class with Coffee!) Wesley Center 10:00 a.m. Worship- Sanctuary 11:15 a.m. Fellowship Time Dodd Hall Monday, November 26 9:00 a.m. Beacon Volunteers Wesley Center, Egan Room 7:00 p.m. Healing and Wholeness Worship Chapel 7:00 p.m. Nominating Committee meeting Dodd Hall Tuesday, November 27 7:00 p.m. Bible Study with Don Hastings & Sandy Morgan Egan Room Wednesday, Nov. 28 5:00/6:40/7:45 p.m. Choir Dinner/Bell & Adult Choir rehearsals Dodd Hall Thursday, November 29 7:00 p.m. Gay/Straight Alliance meeting Gunn Library Friday, November 30 10:00 a.m. UMW Cookie Walk set-up Dodd Hall 10am noon 10:00 a.m. Office Volunteers Gunn Library Saturday, Dec.1 st 9:00 a.m. Men s Tres Dias reunion group-chapel 9:30 a.m. UMW Cookie Walk Dodd Hall Sunday, December 2 8:45 a.m. Sunday School Jamboree Chapel 9:00 a.m. Sunday School Wesley Center 9:00 a.m. Java for the Journey (Adult Class with Coffee!) Wesley Center 10:00 a.m. Worship- Sanctuary 11:15 a.m. Fellowship Time Dodd Hall Equal exchange Fair Trade Coffee, tea, chocolate on sale 4:00 p.m. Quest meeting Youth Lounge Reel to Real 5:00 p.m. Adult Fellowship & Yankee Swap Dodd Hall Monday, December 3 9:00 a.m. Beacon Volunteers Wesley Center, Egan Room 7:00 p.m. Healing and Wholeness Worship Chapel Tuesday, December 4 6:00 p.m. Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport meeting on Youth and Homelessness (location to be determined) 6:30 p.m. Men s Club meeting Dodd Hall coffee & dessert provided 7:00 p.m. Bible Study with Don Hastings & Sandy Morgan Egan Room Wednesday, December 5 6:30p.m. Pastor s Lay Leaders meeting Pastor s Study 5:00/6:40/7:45 p.m. Choir Dinner/Bell & Adult Choir rehearsals Dodd Hall Thursday, December 6 7:00 p.m. Board of Trustees meeting Wesley Center Friday, December 7 10:00 a.m. Office Volunteers Gunn Library 6:30 p.m. Mindfulness Meditation Dodd Hall Saturday, December 8 9:00 a.m. Men s Tres Dias reunion group-chapel 3:30 p.m. Christmas Pageant dress rehearsal Sanctuary 5:00 p.m. Christmas Pageant Sanctuary 6:30 p.m. Christmas Pageant dinner & dessert auction Dodd Hall TODAY FELLOWSHIP TIME IS HOSTED by the Education Committee. Next week s hosts will be the United Methodist Women - Cookie Walk Sunday! BOYS & GIRLS VILLAGE CHRISTMAS GIFTS It s almost that time of year! We are again sponsoring children from Boys and Girls Village this Christmas. Gift tag selections are available - just in time for black Friday shopping! Sponsor a child by providing a gift of clothing, pajamas, or a wish list item. This is a fantastic idea for an alternative gift for those on your list that just have everything. Please stop by the Missions table during Fellowship Hour to make a selection from the available gift tags for one of the children. Let s brighten Christmas day for the children of Boys and Girls Village. OUR GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE (GSA), in its on-going work of education and advocacy, has produced a brochure designed to help educate our congregation on current terms used in discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity. The brochure is available in the spinner racks and from any GSA member wearing a rainbow-colored lanyard. These members also welcome conversation with you about this part of our ministry. Feel free to speak with them. SEE THE WEEKLY CALENDAR for regular meetings and activities. THIS WEEK PLEASE NOTE: BEACON Volunteers will meet on MONDAY, November 26 th at 9:00 am in the Egan Room. MARY LOU KAMPERT will be on vacation November 26 th through November 30 th. Becky Virgalla will be filling in for her in the church office. It's that time of year again. YOUR FINANCE COMMITTEE WILL BE WORKING ON OUR 2019 BUDGET and we need your input. Work area and committee chairs, please submit your budget requests to Nancy Bennett either by putting it in her church mailbox, via to Nancy516@aol.com, mail to 26 High Street, Milford, CT or you can even easier, you can hand it to her in church! Thanks. THE UNITED METHODIST WOMEN will have their annual Cookie Walk on Saturday, December 1 st at 9:30am in Dodd Hall. Cookies may be dropped off on Friday November 30 th between 10am and noon, or between 8:30 and 9:30am Saturday morning. UMCOR EQUAL EXCHANGE coffee, tea, cocoa and chocolate bar orders will be taken Sunday, December 2 nd in Dodd Hall. See Christine McGregor for more information.

6 December 2 NEXT SUNDAY SUNDAY ADVENT 1: Advent Sermon Series: The Vocabulary of Faith Sacrament of Holy Communion will be served Rev. Kristina Hansen will offer the message REIMAGINING HOPE based on Psalm 25:1-10, Jeremiah 33:14-16, and Luke 21:25-36 FAIR TRADE COFFEE, TEA & CHOCOLATE SALE 5:00 PM: ADULT FELLOWSHIP & YANKEE SWAP MARK YOUR CALENDAR OUR LIFE IN PRAYER, MINISTRY AND MISSION BULLETIN NOTICES are due by noon Wednesday for the weekly bulletin. DONATE ALTAR FLOWERS OR A MISSION CROSS. Beth O Brien ( or bgobrien11@optonline.net). Flowers are $20. Donations, in lieu of flowers, to support missions are honored with a cross and miniature mission scarf on the altar. Checks for both are payable to MTMUMC, mailed to Beth O Brien, 7 Breakneck Court, December 9th, is open for altar flower orders. FOOD BASKET: Please place non-perishable food items in the basket located in the back of the church and monetary donations in the Beth-El envelope. Christmas Pageant followed by Family Spaghetti Supper and Dessert Auction Saturday December 8 th at 5:00pm The nativity story is brought to life by our Sunday School children accompanied by favorite Christmas carols. This half hour service in the sanctuary is followed by a delicious family-style pasta dinner in our fellowship hall hosted by our youth group. The evening ends with a fun dessert auction where attendees bid on an array of homemade holiday sweets and treats. There is no charge for the supper, but donations are accepted. All proceeds support Mission projects chosen by our youth. If your son or daughter would be interested in a "walk-on" role in the pageant, we'd welcome their participation! We have costumes and accessories for angels, lambs, donkeys, cows, and other animals. Our Sunday School teachers will act as stage directors and parents are welcome to assist as desired. We will rehearse in the sanctuary from 3:30-4:45 the day of the pageant. If you are interested in a walk-on role, please arrive at 4:15 to allow time to dress in costume and review your part. ANIMAL SHELTER DONATIONS: Wet and dry cat food is needed for seniors with pets and for the canine facility. Towels and blankets are needed. Animal Control will not take peoples' released pets but will spay and neuter feral cats. Please leave your donations in the designated basket in the back of the Sanctuary. Bless you for caring for God's children with fur. If you and your animals are in need, please help yourself to the available donations. CONTACT THE PASTORS directly or through the church office ( , mtmumc@sbcglobal.net) with pastoral care needs and hospitalizations: Pastor Kristina Hansen: revkristina@yahoo.com; , ext. 111 or cell, or Pastor Dani Levine: dani.m.levine@gmail.com; , ext. 115 or cell FIX IT BOX is in Dodd Hall. See a need? Drop a completed form in the box. WE HOST Alcoholics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, Gam-Anon, and Recovery from Co-dependency (CODA) WEEKLY. Please call the church office at for the schedule or see it posted on the bulletin boards, our Yahoo Groups and on PLEASE NOTE: During a medical or other emergency the Head Usher or a designee will call #911. Please do not call or text #911 on your cell phone as multiple calls may delay response. VITAL CONGREGATION WEEKLY REPORT FOR November 18th Total worship attendance all services: 175; Nov.181 th 167; Nov.19th Healing and Wholeness:8; Total Offerings for Nov. 18th: $5,892.45; Amount given to Charities and Benevolence: $175.00; Engaged in Small Groups: 68; Sunday School: 33; Adult Sunday School: 13; Quest Food Drive: 14; Jesus Bible Study: 6; No Bell Choir:; No Adult Choir:; Office Volunteers: 2; Total persons received on profession of faith: 0; Total Persons involved in local, national, and international missions: 0. *Small Groups please contact the church office mtmumc@sbcglobal.net or ) with your attendance.