Palm Sunday March 25, 2018 GREENWOOD FOREST BAPTIST CHURCH

Transcription

1 GREENWOOD FOREST BAPTIST CHURCH Palm Sunday March 25, 2018 There will be no Children s Time programming this Sunday. All children are invited to stay in Worship. However, there is nursery care available in the Children s Wing. Chiming of the Hour Processional Hymn 172 Welcome to Worship Hosanna, Loud Hosanna Rev. Lauren Efird Leader: The Lord be with you People: And also with you. Passing of the Peace Rev. Efird Preparation for Worship The Palms Faure Call to Worship (Psalm 118) Kadeisha Bonsu Leader: O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good; People: God s steadfast love endures forever! Leader: Let Israel say, People: God s steadfast love endures forever. Leader: Open to me the gates of righteousness, People: That I may enter through them and give thanks to God. Leader: This is the gate of the Lord; People: The righteous shall enter through it. Leader: I thank you that you have answered me People: And have become my salvation. Leader: The stone that the builders rejected People: Has become the chief cornerstone. Leader: This is the Lord s doing; People: It is marvelous in our eyes. Leader: This is the day that the Lord has made; People: Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

2 Leader: Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! People: O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! Leader: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. People: We bless you from the house of the Lord. Leader: The Lord is God and has given us light. People: Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar. Leader: O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good, People: God s steadfast love endures forever. Hymn My Song Is Love Unknown Invocation Hymn 173 Offertory Prayer Kadeisha Bonsu Lift Up Your Heads Annette King Offertory The Old Rugged Cross Carolyn Hamlin Presentation of the Offering OLD 100TH Praise God, who forms us from the dust. Praise Christ, who frees us through the cross. Praise Holy Ghost who drives us on To meet God in the wilderness. Amen. Prayers of the People and Lord s Prayer Rev. Wesley Spears-Newsome Leader: Lord, in your mercy... People: Hear our 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. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

3 Scripture Reading Mark 11:1-11 Matthew Greg We affirm the reading of Scripture with the following response: Reader: The word of God for us, the people of God. People: Thanks be to God. Cantata Beatitudes Patrick Hawes Hymn 180 Benediction Postlude Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Please stand as you are able. Go To Dark Gethsemane Rev. Efird Our Pastoral Intern is Matthew Greg. The Deacon of the Day is Annette King, Deacon At-Large. The pianist today is Addie Smith. Today s acolyte is Lucy Beal. Hearing assistance devices are available at the back of the sanctuary. Hawes Beatitudes Program Note This morning s presentation of Patrick Hawes s Beatitudes will begin our Holy Week observances here at GFBC on a contemplative and transcendent note. We will be transported by this beautiful music from a world where wealth, arrogance, greed, cruelty, apathy, and violence seem to reign, to God s kingdom, where the poor, the humble, those who mourn, the merciful, and the peacemakers are given pride of place. The Beatitudes are some of the most cherished sayings of Jesus in our scriptures; and yet, they are also some of the most misunderstood. Many believe the Beatitudes are a list of virtues to which we should aspire. To be moral people as this interpretation goes we should try our hardest to be humble, to be meek, to be peacemakers so that we can inherit the kingdom, which many assume to be somewhere we go after we die. While we should try to be these things, I don t believe this is what Jesus is trying to teach us in this treasured passage from Matthew s gospel. After all, you cannot make yourself mourn or will yourself to hunger for righteousness or try to be persecuted. Rather than laying out a list of virtues for his followers to emulate, Jesus is announcing that the kingdom of God that is drawing near in his ministry will turn what this world considers fortunate and successful on its head. Jesus is naming categories of people who appear to be forgotten by God and saying, these are the ones who will be satisfied in the coming reign of God. In the new order that God is bringing, the lowly are the fortunate ones; they will be comforted. As Jesus disciples, we must be constantly learning what it means to welcome, to draw near to, and to share good news with those who are blessed in God s new order. As you listen today, pray that God will open your heart and your eyes to the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who long for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted. Listen for the ways the composer depicts these states of being through music. Listen for the ways he explores the tension between each Beatitude and its implicit opposite, the categories that are held up in the present age. Remember that Christ not only (continued on next page)

4 blessed the poor, the merciful, and the persecuted, he embodied these characteristics on the way to the cross. Allow the music today to transport you to a place where the downtrodden of this world are lifted up. May we make that world a reality here and now as we join in joyful kingdom work as a community of faith. Rev. Stephen Stacks ********************************************** The Greenwood Forest Baptist Church Sanctuary Choir is an all-volunteer chorus that exemplifies the strong musical tradition here at GFBC. The Sanctuary Choir provides leadership for congregational singing and an anthem for worship each Sunday as part of their role as the musical leaders of the congregation. Rev. Stephen Stacks received the Master of Sacred Music degree in Choral Conducting from Boston University s School of Theology, as well as the Bachelor of Music degree in Church music from Furman University. Along with his work as the Associate Pastor of Worship and Faith Formation at Greenwood Forest, he is working on a PhD in Musicology at UNC Chapel Hill and writing a dissertation on Civil Rights freedom songs. Helen Bishop is the Organist at GFBC. She is also a National Board Certified teacher and teaches band at Apex Middle School. Helen was named the Band Director of the Year (2010) for The Central District Bandmasters Association. Helen earned her Bachelor's of Music Education undergraduate degree at UNC in Chapel Hill and obtained a Master of Music in Flute Performance at the University of Texas at Austin. Prayer Concerns Emma Aeppli, Audrey Baldwin, Don Beal, Gilles Bikindou, Bill Blanton, Jo Brooks, Jim Davis, Jennifer Denning, Ed Floyd, Sara Martin (Jay and Doris Martin s daughter-in-law), Wayne McCay (Dan and Kathy Watkins friend), Iris Thomas, Bob Watson, and Lee Webb We extend our sympathy to the family of Wilma Caldwell and to Elizabeth Stacks at the death of her grandfather, Norman Mullis. Our partner church, Ebenezer Baptist, Cuba, and our brothers and sisters of the Oromo Evangelical Lutheran Mission GFBC by the Numbers Focus on Finance 2017/2018 Budget (MDP + MSP) $900,457 Amount of Budget supported through Stewardship Giving $825,216 (excludes cell tower lease, GFCC receipts, and outside groups) Week 29 of 52 (March 18) Stewardship Giving needed Week 29 YTD to fully subscribe budget $17,052 $481,105 Actual Stewardship Giving $14,249 $468,162 Over (Under) $(2,803) $(12,943) Attendance Last Week Faith Formation 122 Worship 184

5 Announcements and Upcoming Events Mission Assistance Fund Support for Gilles Bikindou If you would like to help with the costs surrounding Gilles Bikindou's resettlement in the Republic of Congo and outstanding legal fees, you may do so by making a special offering to the Missions Assistance Fund. Whether giving by cash or check or via online giving, just note Missions Assistance Fund. Contact Rev. Wesley Spears-Newsome if you have any questions. All Children in Worship on Palm Sunday and Easter Today, on Palm Sunday, March 25, there will be no Children s Time (nursery care still provided). There will also be no nursery care or Children s Time on Easter Sunday, April 1. All children are encouraged to remain in worship on Easter. We welcome you to stay in the sanctuary, however, should the need arise, you may find space in the parlor (located in the Narthex), where there is access to live audio of the worship service to accommodate your family. Next Family Promise Week April 29 to May 6 Evening Hosts Needed The evening host s role is to greet families as they arrive at church in the evening and share dinner with them. Hosts can help pack lunches for the following day, spend time watching television, reading books, helping with homework or playing games until overnight hosts arrive. The time commitment is 5:30-8 pm. Contact Meg Spears-Newsome at megenewsome@gmail.com to volunteer. GFBC Yard Signs If you would like to place a yard sign at your home to invite people to worship at GFBC, please see Wes. Welcome New Members! Please help us welcome those who have recently joined our church. Madeline Walden, the daughter of Alex and Sara Walden and the sister of Samuel, joined on March 11 and will be baptized on April 15. Leon and Martha Smith of Holly Springs also joined on March 11. Brooks Jarrell, the son of Andy and Megan Jarrell and the brother of Anna Claire, joined on March 18 and will be baptized on Easter Sunday. Welcome all to GFBC! Note of Thanks from the Efirds We are so grateful to our GFBC family for the beautiful baby shower for our baby girl! She will be well-stocked on diapers and cute baby clothes for a very long time. She will also have a loving community of faith to welcome her into the world and show her Christ's love. Isaac very much enjoyed all of his "big brother" gifts, too. We didn't know how important those were! We appreciate your love and your generosity. With gratitude, Lauren, Adam, & Isaac Efird "Unwelcome Home" Immigration Study For those interested in learning more about the Bible and immigration after our church's recent experiences, Rev. Spears-Newsome has designed a nine-week curriculum that engages a wide range of articles, videos, and Scripture on the subject. The primary way to engage the curriculum will be via a GFBC-only Facebook group with weekly discussion prompts. If you would like to be added to this discussion and/or receive a digital copy of the curriculum, visit gfbcimmigrationstudy. The online group will begin on April 2. Praise Assembly April 8 Because Easter is on April 1, the April Praise Assembly will be on Sunday, April 8 at 9 am in the Fellowship Hall.

6 Easter Lilies You are invited to order Easter lilies in memory or in honor of a loved one. The lilies will be used to decorate the sanctuary on Easter Sunday, April 1. A list of memorials and honors will be printed in the Worship Bulletin on Easter Sunday, and you may pick up your lilies after the Easter morning service. Good Friday Service of Tenebrae Friday, March 30, 7 pm The word tenebrae is Latin for shadows or darkness. The purpose of the Tenebrae service, practiced in the church since medieval times, is to recreate the emotional aspects of the passion story: Christ s betrayal, abandonment, death, and burial. The readings will trace the story of Christ s passion, the music will portray his pathos, and the power of silence and darkness will remind us of the drama of that momentous day. It is impossible to fully experience the joy of Easter without experiencing the darkness of Good Friday. We invite you to attend this service as we join Christians throughout the world in journeying with Christ to the cross. The cost is $12 each. Please turn in your payment along with this order form by today, Sunday, March 25. Checks are made payable to GFBC and should note Easter lily in the memo line. Easter Lily Order Form Please turn in this form with payment to the church office or place this form in the offering plate by today, Sunday, March 25. Please write clearly. Number of lilies at $12 each Amount attached Name of Donor(s) Given in memory of Given in honor of

7 Second Wednesday Community Meal April 11, 2018 at 5:30 pm GFBC Fellowship Hall Remember to sign-up for the April Second Wednesday community meal! We encourage you to both sign-up and prepay online at the following address: If you are unable to sign-up online, please complete this form and either place it in the offering plate or turn it in at the church office or call All reservations whether on paper, online or by phone must be made by noon, Friday, April 6. Name # of Adult Servings ($10) # of Vegetarian ($10) # of Children Servings ($5) # of Vegetarian ($5) Menu for April 11, 2018 Spaghetti with Meat Sauce Buttered Corn Garden Salad Bread Vegetarian Option: Meatless Spaghetti Dessert: Brownie and Cookie Tray This Week at GFBC Sunday, March 25 Palm Sunday 9:30 am Children, Youth, and Adult Faith Formation 10:30 am Coffee in the Narthex 11:00 am Worship/Lenten Cantata 12:15 pm Egg Hunt 3:00 pm Youth Alpha and Omega 4:30 pm Youth Choir Wednesday, March 28 7:00 pm Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal Friday, March 30 7:00 pm Good Friday Service of Tenebrae Sunday, April 1 Easter Sunday 9:30 am Children, Youth, and Adult Faith Formation 10:30 am Coffee in the Narthex 11:00 am Worship Monday, April 2 Church Office Closed

8 Welcome to Our Church Community! Our Vision Our vision is to be a welcoming and diverse community of faith united in Christ. Our purpose is to worship God and to form and equip disciples who selflessly share their resources and provide loving service to all. Our Core Values Centrality of Christ and Scripture Inclusivity and Diversity in Community Women in All Areas of Leadership Ministries for People of All Ages Liturgy and Innovation in Worship Spiritual and Intellectual Formation Showing God s Love through Missional Service Sharing Our Resources with Others Unity in Fellowship and Family Life Historic Baptist Beliefs and Practices For more information about our church, please visit our website at gfbccary.org or contact us at