OAK HILL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Transcription

1 OAK HILL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH March 18, th Sunday in Lent 10:30 a.m. TIME OF QUIET PREPARATION As you arrive in the sanctuary, please quiet and prepare yourself for worship. Relax your body; quiet the inner dialogue of your mind; be open and receptive to God s Spirit in our midst. *those who are comfortable, please stand THE WORD CALLS US TOGETHER PRELUDE Christ, Thou Are the Savior of the World 16 th Century Psalter *CALL TO WORSHIP God is our treasure, All: God is our blessing! God is our delight, All: God is our teacher. God calls us beloved ones, All: God shares the Good News with us. Let us bring God our joy and our lament, All: with our hopes and our fears, our dreams and our uncertainties, All: Let us worship our God our whole beings! *OPENING HYMN What Is This Place No. 404 PRAYER OF CONFESSION Let us pray. Unison: Have mercy on us, Lord. We want to go in your way. We want to follow you. We want to be the ones who speak up and share the good news of your love for your whole creation. But we fall short. We ignore our neighbors pain. We ignore our own pain and hurt others in the process. We pretend we do not need you, that we can do it all by ourselves, for ourselves. Have mercy on us, Lord. Let our hearts rejoice in you again. Let your steadfast love be enough to call us back to you. To call us back to knowing that we are loved as your children. To call us back to knowing your love for your whole creation. Have mercy on us, Lord. In Jesus s name we pray. Amen. Silent Prayer of Confession Assurance of Pardon RESPONSE OF PRAISE (Cantor sings responses through first, followed by the congregation) We will glorify the King of kings; we will glorify the Lamb. We will glorify the Lord of lords, Who is the great I AM. (repeat) *SHARING THE PEACE (Share the peace of Christ as you feel led, with a wave, a smile, a kind word, or a handshake.) TIME FOR GROWING DISCIPLES (At the conclusion of the Time for Growing Disciples, children ages birth to 3 rd grade may stay in worship or go to the nursery.) ANTHEM Holy Ground Gearon Quinn Colwell, Josh Smith and Valery Welch PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION FIRST SCRIPTURE READING Jeremiah 31:31-34 (see insert) SECOND SCRIPTURE READING John 12:20-33 (see insert) SERMON MEDITATION IN MUSIC *AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (unison) Korla Masters Selection from the Belhar Confession (see insert) *HYMN I Danced in the Morning No. 157 OFFERING OUR GIFTS (Please sign the Friendship Register found at the end of the pew. Complete information, including your , and pass pad along to those worshiping with you. ) *Prayer of Dedication Offertory I Hear a Voice A-Prayin Traditional Spiritual *Doxology Glory to God, Whose Goodness Shines on Me No. 582

2 CONGREGATIONAL JOYS AND CONCERNS AND PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE THE LORD S PRAYER (unison) 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. Oak Hill Presbyterian Church LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY (Not merely announcements, but the activities of our life together that reflect our day-to-day responses to God s call for faithfulness, and your invitation to join in!) *CLOSING HYMN Show Us, O Lord, Your Steadfast Love No. 449 *BENEDICTION POSTLUDE Thine Is the Glory Handel Oak Hill Presbyterian Church 4111 Connecticut St. Louis, MO (314) office@oakhillpcusa.org (office) Sunday, March 18, 2018

3 Worship Notes: A word about the Belhar Confession: We used a selection from this confession as our Affirmation of Faith in worship today. The Dutch Reformed Churches in South Africa traditionally had Three Standards of Unity: The Belgic Confession (1561), the Heidelberg Catechism (1563) and The Canons of Dort ( ). In their original European context these documents asserted that Protestant Christians were not anarchists, but were good citizens, willing to obey the government of the land. These confessions from the 16th and 17th centuries were used in the 19th and 20th centuries in South Africa to justify obedience to a government that imposed strict separation of the races and domination by members of the white race. The system was called by its Afrikaans name, Apartheid. The Confession of Belhar was written as a protest against a heretical theological stance by the white Dutch Reformed Church that used the Bible and the Confessions to justify the harsh and unjust system of Apartheid. Apartheid is the human context for the Confession of Belhar, yet it is never mentioned in the confession. Rather, Belhar lifts up the heart of the Gospel as a bringer of hope for the human condition. Belhar presents a Christian view of racism, separation, and suffering by those who had experienced the realities of these evils. It demonstrates that confessional affirmations can arise from social ethics. Belhar has three central points: Unity, Reconciliation, and Justice. It is structured like the Theological Declaration of Barmen. There is a biblical affirmation followed by a rejection of false teaching. from (You can read a very thorough discussion of the history and writing of this confession at: onfession-rogers.pdf) A Note about the plants in the sanctuary: When reading the Ash Wednesday scripture passages, especial the Joel text, Oak Hill s Worship and Christian Education Committee was captivated by thoughts of what we might create and become and be if we were to rend our hearts and return to God, what might grow in us once we stripped all that other stuff away. So as one of our spiritual disciplines as a community, we decided to strip away the other ornamentation in the sanctuary, and watch these two plants grow throughout the season. As we pray together. As we practice together. As we worship and serve and refocus together this Lent. The plants will be with us all season long. And as we watch them growing, let us also watch for how God is growing new life in us, too. Oak Hill Presbyterian Church Rev. Erin Counihan, Pastor Rev. Dr. Alan Meyers, Parish Associate Mrs. Susan Brown, Minister of Music Ms. Carole Adams, Secretary Ms. Korla Masters, Student Pastor & Interim Director, AMEN St. Louis Bulletin Deadline: Wednesday, 12:00 noon in writing. ACTIVITIES THIS WEEK March 18, 2018 Sunday 9:00 a.m. Choir Rehearsal 9:30 a.m. Sunday School for All Ages 10:30 a.m. Service of Worship Following Worship Fellowship Luncheon Monday 7:45 8:00 a.m. Prayer Pause OAK HILL NEWS DEADLINE Wednesday 10:00 a.m. La Leche League in the Nursery 11:00 a.m. Bible Study in the Faith and Fellowship Room 6:30 p.m. Tower Grove South Neighborhood Association Meeting in the Large Assembly Room Thursday 6:30 p.m. Thursday Bible Study Class in the Theleos Room 6:30-8:30 p.m. 15 th Ward Democratic Meeting in the Large Assembly Room Saturday 7:00 p.m. Youth Confirmation Lock-In We welcome you to worship at Oak Hill. We greet everyone in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and celebrate the gift of God s incarnate love through our worship and service. For more information about what s happening at Oak Hill, don t forget to check out our website at

4 Today s Worship Leaders today are Korla Masters and Wendy Barrow. Greeters are Emily Bischoff and Toby Eckert. Ushers are Kevin Atkins, Heather Macarthur, Dena Roper, and Valery Welch. Nursery Caregivers are Jillian Embry and Doris Finley. The Stewardship and Property Committee is hosting the time of fellowship in March. As a regular practice of our faith, we pray for members of our church family. Today and throughout this week, we invite you to pray for these friends. You may wish to contact them to indicate your interest and ask if they have any special prayer concerns. Susan Brown and Bill Bandy Maureen and Ricardo Johanning Barbara Wideman If you have a specific prayer request to share with the congregation, please fill out the yellow prayer request form in the pew and place it in the offering plate. For prayers and congregational support during the week, call Pastor Erin or the church office. The Stewardship and Property Committee is hosting the fellowship luncheon today following worship. To celebrate St. Patrick s Day they will be serving corned beef and cabbage (a kids meal will also be provided). You don t have to bring anything, just come and enjoy. A free will offering will be received to help defray expenses. Easter Baskets for Extended Members! Please sign Easter Cards for our extended members and friends who can t make it to church right now and with whom we want to share a little love! The cards will be downstairs after worship. Then, you are invited to take a basket, sign the sign out sheet indicating which basket you ve taken, and visit the extended member or friend to chat, share a warm hello, and give the gift of the Easter Basket! Thank you for helping us love on our members. OAK HILL NEWS DEADLINE Articles for the April issue of the newsletter are due, in writing, by Monday, March 18, Our annual Pancake Breakfast will be on Palm Sunday, March 25 (next Sunday), from 9:00-10:00 a.m. We will be asking for a free will offering to help pay for our Winter Outreach Mission. Please join us for some yummy pancakes and helping others! Hosted by the Mission REMINDER: Session Members, we will have a called session meeting on Sunday, March 25, after worship for the purpose of meeting with our youth confirmation class. WE NEED CANDY! It s almost time to stuff those eggs. Please bring in your wrapped candy (small enough to fit into plastic Easter Eggs) donations THIS WEEK for our annual Easter Egg Hunt. Please put it in the boxes available in the Large Assembly Room or the church office. We ll be stuffing eggs after worship on March 25. Face painters are needed for Saturday, March 31, at the Easter Egg Hunt at 10 a.m. at the Turkish Pavilion in Tower Grove Park. Help us make friends with the children who join us for this fun event. Painting supplies will be provided. Please let Josh Smith or Joe Bradshaw know if you can help. SAVE THE DATES: HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE 3/25 Palms to Passion Sunday- Worship in the sanctuary at 10:30 a.m. Pancake Breakfast 9-10 a.m. 3/29 Ecumenical Maundy Thursday Worship at Compton Heights Christian Church at 7:00 p.m. 3/30 Ecumenical Good Friday Prayer Stations at Compton Heights Christian Church Self-Led available from 2-4 p.m. As a group at 7 p.m. 3/31 Easter Vigil- quiet space in the sanctuary at Oak Hill from 3-10 p.m. (Sign up for a 1hr shift) 4/1 Easter Sunrise Worship at 6:30 a.m. on the front steps Easter Sanctuary Worship at 10:30 a.m. with communion and youth confirmation Oak Hill will share its annual Easter Vigil, beginning from 3 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, March 31. Our goal is to have one person each hour hold vigil in the sanctuary as we wait for the resurrection of Jesus. We ll provide liturgy and music and prayers, or just quiet space to reflect, pray, and meditate, awaiting Christ s return. For many, this is a precious and meaningful time spent one-on-one with God, in preparation for Easter morning. If you are interested in holding vigil for an hour at church, a sign -up sheet will be available in the Large Assembly Room during coffee hour until all slots are filled. See Anne Stoltz if you have any questions. Scholarship Fund application forms for the Oak Hill Scholarship Fund are available from the church office. In order to be considered, completed applications should be received by the church office no later than May 1. Full-time students (e.g., High School Seniors intending to go to college full-time) should apply now for assistance for the full year. Part-time students should use this deadline for either the Summer or Fall semester. If you have any questions about the fund, please contact Heather Macarthur (314)

5 FIRST SCRIPTURE READING Jeremiah 31: The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, Know the LORD, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. SECOND SCRIPTURE READING John 12: Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, Sir, we wish to see Jesus. 22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus answered them, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. 27 Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say Father, save me from this hour? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven, I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again. 29 The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, An angel has spoken to him. 30 Jesus answered, This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. 33 He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. *AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (unison) All: Selection from the Belhar Confession Let us together share our faith. We believe in the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who gathers, protects and cares for the church through Word and Spirit. This, God has done since the beginning of the world and will do to the end. We believe in one holy, universal Christian church, the communion of saints called from the entire human family. We believe that God has revealed himself as the one who wishes to bring about justice and true peace among people; that God, in a world full of injustice and enmity, is in a special way the God of the destitute, the poor and the wronged; that God calls the church to follow him in this; for God brings justice to the oppressed and gives bread to the hungry; that God frees the prisoner and restores sight to the blind; that God supports the downtrodden, protects the stranger, helps orphans and widows and blocks the path of the ungodly; continued on next page that for God pure and undefiled religion is to visit the orphans and the widows in their suffering; that God wishes to teach the church to do what is good and to seek the right; that the church must therefore stand by people in any form of suffering and need, which implies, among other things, that the church must witness against and strive against any form of injustice, so that justice may roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream; that the church as the possession of God must stand where the Lord stands, namely against injustice and with the wronged; that in following Christ the church must witness against all the powerful and privileged who selfishly seek their own interests and thus control and harm others. We believe that, in obedience to Jesus Christ, its only head, the church is called to confess and to do all these things, even though the authorities and human laws might forbid them and punishment and suffering be the consequence. To the one and only God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be the honor and the glory for ever and ever.

6 FIRST SCRIPTURE READING Jeremiah 31: The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, Know the LORD, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. SECOND SCRIPTURE READING John 12: Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, Sir, we wish to see Jesus. 22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus answered them, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. 27 Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say Father, save me from this hour? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven, I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again. 29 The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, An angel has spoken to him. 30 Jesus answered, This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. 33 He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. *AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (unison) All: Selection from the Belhar Confession Let us together share our faith. We believe in the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who gathers, protects and cares for the church through Word and Spirit. This, God has done since the beginning of the world and will do to the end. We believe in one holy, universal Christian church, the communion of saints called from the entire human family. We believe that God has revealed himself as the one who wishes to bring about justice and true peace among people; that God, in a world full of injustice and enmity, is in a special way the God of the destitute, the poor and the wronged; that God calls the church to follow him in this; for God brings justice to the oppressed and gives bread to the hungry; that God frees the prisoner and restores sight to the blind; that God supports the downtrodden, protects the stranger, helps orphans and widows and blocks the path of the ungodly; continued on next page that for God pure and undefiled religion is to visit the orphans and the widows in their suffering; that God wishes to teach the church to do what is good and to seek the right; that the church must therefore stand by people in any form of suffering and need, which implies, among other things, that the church must witness against and strive against any form of injustice, so that justice may roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream; that the church as the possession of God must stand where the Lord stands, namely against injustice and with the wronged; that in following Christ the church must witness against all the powerful and privileged who selfishly seek their own interests and thus control and harm others. We believe that, in obedience to Jesus Christ, its only head, the church is called to confess and to do all these things, even though the authorities and human laws might forbid them and punishment and suffering be the consequence. To the one and only God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be the honor and the glory for ever and ever.