First Presbyterian Church. Valatie, NY. Where friends are made, Faith is nurtured, Service begins and All are Welcome! First Presbyterian Church

Transcription

1 SESSION Class of 2018 Class of 2019 Class of 2020 Melissa Barton Nancy Pienta Steve Hohneker Bill Ring Chuck Shattenkirk Moderator: Rev. Kathi L. Jones Clerk of Session: Melissa Barton DEACONS Class of 2018 Class of 2019 Class of 2020 Alicia Albertson Rosalie Hemingway Laurae Hoffmann Tina Coons Hertha Matuszek Karen Leffingwell Moderator: Rev. Kathi L. Jones Church Treasurer: Sandra Hohneker Assistant Treasurer: Vieve Gay Financial Secretary: Bill Ring First Presbyterian Church Valatie, NY First Presbyterian Church 3212 Church Street P.O. Box 267, Valatie, NY Church Phone Pastor s Phone Church s ifirstpresbyter1@nycap.rr.com Pastor Rev. Kathi L. Jones Pastor s revkathiljones@yahoo.com Organist Ardelle Stewart Secretary Naomi Handley Sexton Ginny Becker Where friends are made, Faith is nurtured, Service begins and All are Welcome!

2 April 30, :00am. SERVICE FOR THE LORD S DAY Third Sunday of Easter * * * * * * TODAY THIS WEEK S CALENDAR Third Sunday of Easter 9:30am. Sunday School and Adult Education WELCOME Gathering in the Name of the Lord (In silence and meditation prepare yourself for worship) 11:00am. Worship MONDAY 10:30am. Christian Nurture Committee 12noon Food Pantry Open LIFE OF THE CONGREGATION MISSION STATEMENT We are a small congregation, part of God s larger family, teaching and living God s Word, and sharing God s love throughout the community. PRELUDE CALL TO WORSHIP (Responsively) Let us worship God, who has ransomed us from the power of sin. Let us worship God, who has raised Jesus from death. Let us worship God, who has taught us to love. Let us worship God, whose word lives and endures. *HYMN 118 CALL TO CONFESSION The Day of Resurrection PRAYER OF CONFESSION Merciful God, we confess our weaknesses before you. Too many times we have been so consumed with our own needs, we failed to see the needs of others or of you. Too many times TUESDAY 6:00pm. Cub Scouts 7:00pm. Congregation and Community Boy Scouts WEDNESDAY 6:00pm. Food Pantry Open 7:00pm. Boy Scout Committee THURSDAY 10:00am. Presbyterian Women Looking Ahead NEXT SUNDAY May 7, 2017 Fourth Sunday of Easter 9:30am. 11:00am. 1:30pm. 2:00pm. Birthdays this week 4/30 Nadean Behrens Sunday School and Adult Education Worship Registration for CROP Walk Step off for CROP Walk

3 Minute for Mission: National Gathering ends with the challenge to make America America again The 2017 gathering of NEXT Church concluded with worship and a sermon by the Rev. Paul Roberts Sr., president of Johnson C. Smith Seminary in Atlanta Preaching on John 4:19-26, the interaction between Jesus and the woman at the well, Roberts sermon reminded those gathered that worship liturgy is defined as the work of the people. We didn t come to NEXT to usher in what has already been and to sit on our laurels, he said. We came to NEXT to be active participants in what God is doing in the world. We are here to mount a massive redirect. We dishonor what we ve done here these last three days if we don t leave this place and mount up a redirect in our churches, in our cities, in our states and in our country. This obsession with possession will be the downfall of us all, he said of the tendencies to restrict access to God s gifts, including natural resources. We need a redirect where the people of God not only change the subject but reframe the discussion. Turning his attention to the current social and political situation into which he said the church must testify, Roberts urged the audience to remember Langston Hughes poem Let America Be America Again whenever they hear the refrain Make America Great Again. Reciting the poem that includes the stanza, Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed Let it be that great strong land of love, Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme, That any man be crushed by one above. (It never was America to me.), Roberts concluded his sermon by saying, Let us take up this charge. Let us mount a massive redirect. Let us make America America again. Do it! Rodger Nishioka, longtime professor of educational ministries at Columbia Theological Seminary and now director of adult educational ministries at Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, Kansas, also spoke. Using Jeremiah 31:31-34 as his text, Nishioka said experiences of faith are not complete without reflection and action. Jeremiah is talking about a shift from episodic [experiential] knowledge to semantic knowledge where meaning is derived from experience, he said of contemporary ways in which people are approaching faith. In my experience and research, there are a lot of people looking for something greater than themselves that s transcendence. Saying reflection on and relations within these shared experiences of faith call the church together to be the body of Jesus Christ, Nishioka said they are essential for the future of Christianity as a presence in society. Shared experience allows us to be adaptive and agile in the church. Gregg Brekke, reporter, Presbyterian News Service we have not believed, even though the truth was here among us. Open our eyes to see the suffering and opportunities around us. Open our hearts to receive the truth of your presence in the world. Forgive us, we pray, and strengthen us to live more faithfully. SILENT PRAYER OF PERSONAL CONFESSION ASSURANCE OF PARDON RESPONSE 122 (Response only 2x) Proclaiming the Word (Responsively) Thine Is the Glory PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION Lord, you opened the meaning of the Scriptures to the disciples on the road to Emmaus and set their hearts ablaze. By the power of your Spirit kindle our hearts as we hear your word proclaimed, that we may receive you with joy. In Jesus name. Amen. EPISTLE LESSON I Peter 1:17-23 (N.T. pg. 228) GOSPEL LESSON Luke 24:13-35 (N.T. pg. 88) NOT FOR CHILDREN ONLY HYMN 363 SERMON I Want Jesus to Walk with Me Jesus The Magnifying Effect in Life Responding to the Word SHARING OF JOYS AND CONCERNS

4 PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE THE LORD S PRAYER OFFERING OF TITHES AND GIFTS *RESPONSE 106 (v. 4) (sins, sin) Alleluia, Alleluia! Give Thanks Our local crop walk is Sunday may 7. See nancy pienta or Rosalie hemingway, for sign-up information and donation collection packets *PRAYER OF DEDICATION Generous God, who gives so freely the gifts of love and grace that we may have new life, accept the gifts of our resources and of our lives this day. We dedicate our lives to you and offer these gifts of thanksgiving for your work here and in the world. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. *HYMN 543 Abide with Me *CHARGE AND BENEDICTION *PASSING THE PEACE The peace of Christ be with you. And also with you. Go in peace. Amen. (Responsively) * * * * * * - Indicates that all who are able, may stand. Wally Brough is lay reader today. Greeting at the doors this morning is Marc Petrie. Gale Bury is head usher for April.

5 It s Time! Plants and flowers are starting to poke their heads out of the soil. That means our Plant and Bake Sale is just around the corner! Saturday May 13 9:00am 1:00pm. On our front lawn weather permitting Think Mother s Day! Please look in your garden for transplants and clippings that we may use. All donations are greatly appreciated. Questions? Call Marge Donations to the Bake Table are also needed. Get out those recipes for bread, cakes, brownies and other goodies. The more the better! OUR CHURCH FAMILY Katelyn Armstrong Lucy Haemmerlein Mary and Charles Heermance Hertha Johnson Laura Kinnicutt Geraldine and Bruce McCrum EXTENDED FAMILY AND FRIENDS Caren Stewart Iran Iraq Syria Refugees and Immigrants around the world Our government and its leaders

6 ANNOUNCEMENTS NURSERY CARE DURING WORSHIP is provided for infants and children through the second grade. Parents are asked to take their child(ren) to the nursery during the hymn just before the sermon. The nursery is found through the door to the left, down the hall on the left. Children who are in the third grade and older should remain with their families during the worship service. THE ECUMENICAL FOOD PANTRY continues to meet a growing need in the Ichabod Crane School district. They are grateful for all donations of non-perishable foods (that have a future expiration date) and are asking particularly at this time for cold cereal, spaghetti sauce, canned peaches and pears. If you have any questions about the Food Pantry or how you might get involved, speak with Dorothy Johnson or Carol Matthews, our representatives on the Food Pantry Committee. Have you considered giving flowers for a Sunday worship service? A sign-up sheet is on the table for you to give the information necessary for the bulletin and a form to fill out and put in the Secretary s box. You may bring any flowers you want from the garden or store arranged. We all appreciate the beauty of creation! Gently used clothing is being collected for the Albany Rescue Mission. Clothing of all sizes and for both male and female is needed for the residents of the many programs there. From children and women in the Domestic violence programs and men who go through the programs, much is needed and used each year. If you have anything you would like to donate, please leave it in the box in the hall, outside the pastor s office. We will make sure it is delivered to the Mission for you. Saturday May 6 at 2:00pm. the Columbia County Historical Society and the Kinderhook Preservation Committee will be co-hosting a program that will bring in a wonderful public building preserver from the Historic Albany Foundation to speak about funding and process including fundraising for the repair of public buildings and churches that are in need of special repairs. The program will be held at the Town Hall across the street. Anyone interested in this is welcome to attend. Habitat for Humanity is hosting a fundraiser on Thursday May 11 from 6 9 pm at The Hudson Lodge, 601 Union At. Hudson. Tickets are $ each and include entertainment and refreshments. RSVP at rootedincommunity.eventbrite.com. Call The Church Street Preschool is sponsoring The 5K Run For Hope on Saturday, May 13. The run begins at 9:00am There is a children s run also. Registration is on Friday, May 12, in the pre-school space at 6:00pm. and is $ LOST AND (hopefully) FOUND! There are items that have been left in the kitchen over the past few months. We want to find their rightful owners so they can go home. If you might have left anything there, please check the basket and area around it to find your possessions. The May Epistle is available on the table in the narthex. Please take yours and maybe one other that you can deliver to someone. If you would like to receive the monthly Epistle via instead of a hard copy, please Naomi at ifirstpresbyter1@nycap.rr.com so she can forward a PDF copy to your . You can also see the Epistle on the church website,