WELCOME TO GERMANTOWN MENNONITE CHURCH

Transcription

1 October 25, 2015

2 WELCOME TO GERMANTOWN MENNONITE CHURCH October 25, 2015 Chime Welcome Silence Prelude GATHERING John Linscheid David Himmer PRAISING *Call to Worship One: Sovereign One, in you dwell the souls of all generations. For the souls of ancient Israel, All: You have been a dwelling place. One: For the souls of the early church and our own Anabaptist martyrs, All: You have been a dwelling place. One: For the souls of slaves and native peoples, All: You have been a dwelling place. One: For the souls of immigrants, of people of all races, religions, and genders, and of those who are homeless or hungry, All: You are a dwelling place. One: For the souls of workers and peasants, merchants and entrepreneurs, the powerful and the humble, All: You are a dwelling place. One: And for the souls of all our own dear loved ones, who by your design, return to dust and to you, All: You are a dwelling place. One: Though you sweep us away, and we pass like a dream, All: You are our dwelling place. *Congregational Singing Charlie McGloughlin *Passing the Peace Please offer a sign of peace to your neighbors and welcome them to our time together. Welcome of Guests Confession Silence CONFESSING

3 Words of Assurance PROCLAIMING Offering Please come forward as you are able to offer your gifts to God. Our special offering this month is for POWER. Food offerings for Germantown Avenue Crisis Ministry may be placed in the baskets on the floor. Offertory David Himmer Prayer Children s Time Amy Yoder McGloughlin Children under the age of five are welcome to go downstairs for nursery. Children over five are welcome to play quietly upstairs or join others in worship. Congregational Singing Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 31:27-34 Sarah Brooner Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 2:4-10 Anna Hoover Sermon The Monasticism of All Believers Andrew Fairfield Buckwalter Congregational Singing SHARING A Time of Remembrance A time will be available for to light a candle to honor individuals important to you who has died who have died over the past year. Litany One: To these saints, whose labors are now done All: Grant eternal rest, O God One: To these who are left behind and who mourn All: Grant your comforting presence, O God. One: To us, who journey on, blessed by those who have gone before us All: Grant your empowering spirit, O God. Sharing All are welcome to reflect on the service and to bring joys, struggles, and other prayer concerns before God and our church community. Please wait until an usher brings you a microphone, state your name, joy or petition, and conclude with God of Grace and all may respond Hear our prayer. Prayer SENDING Announcements Congregational Singing Benediction

4 Following the worship service, all are welcome downstairs for a time of fellowship and light refreshments. *Please stand as you are able. Today s Hospitality Host is Michael Brix Today s Trustee is Steve Gerber Today s Greeters are Jeff Wicklund & Craig Stutman Today s Rug Supervisor is Rebecca Thut-Witmer Nursery is Provided by Karey Bacon & Will McGloughlin Jeremiah 31:27-34 The days are surely coming, says God when I will sow Israel and Judah with the seed of people and the seed of livestock. And just as I watched over them to uproot, to tear down, and to overthrow, to destroy and to bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build up and to plant, says God. In those days people will no longer say, the parents ate sour grapes, but it is the children s teeth that are set on edge. Rather, all will die for their own sins. And only the teeth of those who eat sour grapes will be set on edge. "Behold, the days are coming, says God, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them up out of the land of Egypt a covenant they broke, though I was their spouse, says God. But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says God: I will put my Law in their minds and on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they need to teach one another or remind one another to listen to God. All of them, high and low alike, will listen to me, says God, for I will forgive their misdeeds and will remember their sins no more. 1 Peter 2:4-10 Come to Christ a living stone, rejected by mortals but approved nonetheless, chosen and precious in God s eyes. And you are living stones as well: you are being built as an edifice of spirit, to become a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ. For scripture has it, See, I am laying a cornerstone in Zion; an approved stone, and precious. those who put their faith in it will not be shaken. The stone is precious for you who have faith. but for those without faith, the stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, And, at the same time, An obstacle and a stumbling block. Those who stumble and fall are the disbelievers in God s word; it is their destiny to do so. You, however, are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises of the one who called you out of the darkness into the wonderful, divine light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once there was no mercy for you, but now you have found mercy.

5 Prayers For Our City Someone in our city killed Layton Hagans. He was 22 years old. Soon after, someone killed Naasir Westbrook. He was 17 year old. All around our city today there are people in the pews of churches grieving for these and other victims of murder. Let us pray today as if these people or their families attended Germantown Mennonite Church. Let us also pray for those who committed these murders. The Candle Burning On The Stage Today we remember Licho Escamilla, child of God. Licho was executed last week in Texas for the murder of Christopher Kevin James, in We remember with our prayers and with the candle lit on the stage Licho, Christopher, and all who loved them. Prayers For Peacemakers Pray for the people of Palestine and Israel, especially for the truth-tellers, human rights defenders and peacemakers who are under assault by the forces of the Israeli military occupation.

6 Congregational Announcements Treasurer's report for September 2015 Total regular offering last month: $9,308 Total special offering in September (for POWER): $243 Year-to-date income: $117,929 / Year-to-date budgeted income: $126,585 Year-to-date expenses $126,368 Average attendance in September: 71 The photos currently on display in the museum of art and peace were taken by three members of the recent Christian Peacemaker Teams Interfaith Delegation to Palestine Harvey Finkle, Matthew Feldman, and Lowell Brown. The excerpts that accompany each section of the show were written by Lowell Brown. Last year, we started a mentor program. It was a slow start, but by the end of the year it was up and running. We now have five kids with adult mentors that check in with them regularly, and do activities with them from time to time. Twice a year we have a group mentor/ mentee activity. This has been a good experience for our youth (and--i daresay--our mentors too!). It's one of the ways we fulfill our commitment to our kids to journey with them as they develop in faith and life. If your child is in 7th-12th grade, and would be interested in having a GMC mentor, please let Pastor Amy know. And, when you let me know of your interest, please let her know three potential adults that your child would enjoy as a mentor. Our Special Offering for October will go to support the work of POWER (Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower and Rebuild. Many folks from GMC already support the work of POWER, and as we embark on our fall giving and learning theme of Race and Privilege, POWER will be an important partner in our work. In the organization s own words: We are congregations from all across the city, intentionally bringing people together across the lines of race, faith, income level and neighborhood--lines which have historically kept Philadelphians divided. We are people of faith committed to the work of bringing about justice here and now, in our city and our region. By strengthening and mobilizing our networks of relationships, we seek to exercise power in the public arena so that the needs and priorities of all Philadelphians are reflected in the systems and policies that shape our city. Caring and Sharing Fund: Our caring and sharing fund is designed to assist members in any short term or long term financial needs they may have. Should you have a need, please contact the caring fund committee--tina Burkholder, Dan Thut, Carolyn Bergey or Amy Yoder McGloughlin--or ask for a Needs Request Form from the church office. We use Google Groups as a way to share announcements. If you would like an invitation to join this group, please Michelle at office@germantownmennonite.org. Like us on Facebook, to get updates and pictures of what's going on in the congregation. For information and schedules, visit the website at and sign up as a member ( to view additional content.

7 COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS You are invited to an Anniversary Hymn Sing at Plains Mennonite Church on Sunday, October 25 at 6:30 p.m. Following the Hymn Sing there will be a book signing for Meetinghouse on the Plain by Richard J. Lichty, the story of Plains' 250 years. The book will be available for purchase at the event for $30. There will also be light refreshments. For more information: plainsmc@verizon.net, and All are invited to the Annual Conference of Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light, (PA IPL), Hope in the Age of the Climate Crisis: Finding our Moral Compass, at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, 7301 Germantown Ave., from 1:30 5:00 on Sunday, October 25th. Theologian Dr. Arthur Green and Keya Chatterjee of the US Climate Action Network will speak, followed by a wide array of workshops. Connect with other people of faith, learn about the work of PA IPL, and enjoy vegan snacks! The Conference is cosponsored by the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Registration is $20 ($25 at door), $10 limited income and scholarships are available. Go to for more information, or contact Cheryl Pyrch at cpyrch@summitpres.net Prepared & Empowered: A Community Forum on Aging. The end of life often imposes radical lifestyle changes and difficult choices. How can we make this time a little easier and smoother, for ourselves and for our loved ones? As individuals and as neighbors and community-members, what can we do to preserve and protect quality-of-life as we age? This Forum, inspired by the work of best-selling author Atul Gawande, will address concerns about the complexity of end of life issues, and offer support to family members, caretakers and independent elders alike as they prepare for decisions and conversations. Sunday, November 8, 1:30-3:30 PM at the Unitarian Society of Germantown, 6511 Lincoln Drive, Philadelphia, PA (parking lot entrance at 359 W. Johnson St.) Come and Learn the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) Basics at Unitarian Society of Germantown, Saturday, November 14, 2015, 9am to 4pm. The Goals of the CRM Basic orientation training will be to teach community members the philosophy of CRM and the basic skills in a one-day course. Upon completion of the training the participant: 1. will be able to identify the six basic skills of the Community Resiliency Model. 2. will create self-care plan with regard to how they could incorporate the basic skills into the tasks of daily living. 3. will identify two or more ways CRM skills can help stabilize the human nervous system. 4. will identify the autonomic nervous system and its relevance to trauma. 5. will identify one or more methods of how to bring CRM skills into the community. 6. will identify the three organizing principles of the brain. Trainer will be Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, Director and co-founder of the Trauma Resource Institute and one of the creators of the CRM Model. Cost is $20 payable the day of the Orientation (light lunch included). To registration, visit

8 Germantown Mennonite Church 21 West Washington Lane Philadelphia, PA (215) Congregational Leadership Amy Yoder McGloughlin, Pastor (215) Tina Burkholder, Vision Team Chair (215) Duane Hershberger, Vision Team Member (484) Rebecca Thut-Witmer, Vision Team Member (215) Douglas Brunk, Congregational Chair (215) Michelle Bruhn, Facilities Administrator (215) Andrew Buckwalter Fairfield, Seminary Intern (540) WORSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES November 1, 2015 Worship Leader: Ruth Sutter Speaker: Rev. Steven Lawrence Song Leader: Douglas Witmer Prelude/Offertory: Rain Stutman & Juan Witmer Children s Time: Jonathan Kemmerer-Scovner Trustee: Charlie McGloughlin Hospitality: Doug Alderfer Nursery: Grace Burkholder Rug Supervisor: Jonathan Kemmerer-Scovner Greeters: Becky Kreider and Katie & Sam Gingerich November 8, 2015 Worship Leader: Charlie Miller Speaker: Amy Yoder McGloughlin Song Leader: John Linscheid Prelude/Offertory: Duane Hershberger Children s Time: Andrew Fairfield Buckwalter Trustee: Phil Baumgarten Hospitality: Sarah Brooner Nursery: Karey Bacon Rug Supervisor: Christa Aikins-Hill Greeters: The Kauffman Family LOOKING AHEAD Nov 8: Nov 14: Nov 8-29: Nov 18: Nov 26: Dec 6: 6-week Baptism Course Begins Church Workday, 8:30am-3:30am IHN at Germantown Mennonite IHN Empty Bowl Supper, Lutheran Theological Seminary Thanksgiving Dinner at Germantown Mennonite Holiday Bazaar, following worship Today s Bulletin Cover: Kerzes (Candles) by Gerhard Richter