SERMON May All Within Us Upward Tend

Transcription

1 An Order of Worship for the Lord s Day Stone Presbyterian Church A Welcoming and Affirming Congregation May 20, 2012 Ascension Sunday We Gather in Celebration of the Ascension PRELUDE Darwall s 148 th Betty Roe Lauralyn Kolb, Organist CHORAL INTROIT & POURING OF THE BAPTISMAL WATER CALL TO WORSHIP Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Let us worship God. Christ Opens the Scriptures to Us PRAYER FOR UNDERSTANDING LESSONS FROM THE SCRIPTURES Acts 1:1-11 Jesus ascension into heaven. TOLD BY SCOTT LEONARD The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Psalter Psalm 47 #194 Peoples, Clap Your Hands! +HYMN #150 Come, Christians Join to Sing MADRID (+Those who are able may stand.) +PRAYER OF THE DAY (together) Eternal God, by raising Jesus from the dead you proclaimed his victory, and by his ascension, you declared him Lord of all. Lift up our hearts to heaven. Clothe us with the power promised from on high, and prepare us to be sent to the ends of the earth as heralds of repentance and witnesses of Jesus Christ, who descended to the dead and ascended into heaven, who lives with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever and to ages of ages. Amen. +HYMN #154 Lord, Enthroned in Heavenly Splendor BRYN CALFARIA WELCOME, JOYS, CONCERNS & INVITATIONS OF THE CHURCH +THE PEACE OF CHRIST Ephesians 1:15-23 Paul prays that the Ephesians may have wisdom. (FROM THE MESSAGE) ANTHEM Rejoice, the Lord is King! arr. Derrien Symonds Luke 24: Jesus ascends into heaven. SERMON May All Within Us Upward Tend

2 We Respond in Faith with Thanksgiving +AFFIRMATION OF FAITH The Nicene Creed (Ecumenical Version, The Presbyterian Hymnal, p. 15) STONE CHURCH WELCOMES YOU TO WORSHIP May 20, 2012 ~ Ascension Sunday ~ 10:30 a.m. +HYMN #212 The Lord Ascendeth Up on High ASCENDIT DEUS (RED Hymnbook) PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD S PRAYER debts/debtors (Traditional, Hymnal, p. 16) OFFERTORY To Realms of Glory in the Skies Johann Herman Schein +A DOXOLOGY LASST UNS ERFREUEN From all that dwell below the skies Let the Creator s praise arise, Alleluia! Alleluia! Let the Redeemer s name be sung, And praise the Spirit every tongue, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! +PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING We Go Out to Serve and to Keep Looking Up +HYMN #151 Crown Him with Many Crowns DIADEMATA +CHARGE & BENEDICTION +CHORAL RESPONSE +POSTLUDE We are grateful for the services of Lauralyn Kolb as our organist and choir director this morning while Rob is at the College for its graduation ceremony The purpose of Stone Church is to be an inviting, spiritual community of Christ, engaging in worship that inspires and challenges us to learn and grow as we reach out in caring and service, trusting in the love of God. Stone Presbyterian Church Dennis Dewey, Pastor 8 South Park Row G. Roberts Kolb, Director of Music Clinton, New York Gerald G. Platz, Pastor Emeritus Peggy Weldon, Office Administrator stonepres@verizon.net Cros Harvey, Sexton All the People, Ministers

3 T H E C A L E N D A R T H I S W E E K Today: 11:30 a.m. Deacons meeting Monday: 7:00 p.m. Stone Storytellers Tuesday: 5:00 p.m. Presbytery meeting Little Falls Thursday: 10:00 a.m. Building Stones Fair Trade Shoppe 12:00 p.m. Bible Study on Revelation Next Sunday: 9:00 a.m. Choir rehearsal 10:30 a.m. Worship 11:30 a.m. What Do Our Neighbors Believe? WELCOME to the worship of God at Stone Presbyterian Church, a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in the Presbytery of Utica. Please make use of the pew cards to indicate any prayer concerns, pastoral needs or suggestions for improvement. PRAYER CHAIN: If you would like to add someone to our prayer list, please visit and click on Prayer Request or call the church office at USHERS/HOSTS: Hal and Linda Rance LITURGIST: Sherry Robinson STORYTELLER: Scott Leonard NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: Tuesday, May 22 is the deadline for submitting articles for the June issue of The Corner Stone. BUILDING STONES MISSION SHOPPE: You are invited to visit our Building Stones Mission Shoppe, located in the Norton Room, to see our wonderful selection of Fair Trade teas, coffees, chocolates, soups, and clothes which are all for sale. HOPE HOUSE WISH LIST: Coffee, spices, granulated garlic, feminine hygiene products, shampoo, body wash, and razors. Please leave items in the Norton Room, but if you have perishable food, please call Ceil Gilbert, Eleanor Palmer Steve Zuchowski, Sr. and family Buzz and Carol Sterling Barrows Family of Audrey Kaiser Jim Royce Dane Britcher Lauralyn Kolb s mother and family Pat Coe (Ken s mother) and family Danette Rosenberg Buffie Brothers Members/Friends of the Week: the Medina family Forest Presbyterian Church, Lyons Falls Sarah Ziegler Doris Locke Joseph Pavlot Gidget Royce-Pavlot Nancy Zelles (Grace Whittemore s sister) Dan LeMonnier Rosemary Crawford WHAT DO OUR NEIGHBORS BELIEVE? In the fall we looked at what Roman Catholics, Lutherans and Methodists believe. The series continues after worship with more and different perspectives. A light lunch will be served each Sunday as the sessions are led by Stone Church elders: May 27 The Mormons ( led by Grace Whittemore); June 3 Judaism (led by Mary Ann Stiefvater). Join us for lunch and interesting discussion. HOPE HOUSE VOLUNTEER DINNER will be held on May 23 at 5:30 p.m. at the New Hartford United Methodist Church, 105 Genesee Street, New Hartford. RSVP by May 21st by phone or at Utica.hopehouse@gmail.com. Anyone who has volunteered at Hope House is cordially invited to attend. Please contact Ceil Gilbert if you are interested. NAME TAGS: If yours is missing or your name is wrong, please let an usher know, and we will supply you with a temporary tag until a replacement is made. If you re visiting, an usher will be glad to make you a name tag. A REST ROOM (wheelchair accessible) is located off the narthex to your left as you enter the church. More restrooms may be found downstairs in the hall that parallels Williams Street. THE NURSERY is located off the narthex to your right as you enter the church. A diaper-changing table is there for your convenience.

4 WHAT IS REVEALED IN REVELATION? The last book of the Bible is perhaps the most inscrutable, controversial and most-misinterpreted. Join us for a simple lunch each Thursday at noon in May for a closer look at this fascinating book. We will offer this opportunity if three or more people are interested. Please let Dennis know if you are! If you have a KEY TO THE OFFICE MANAGER S OFFICE, it may not work! New keys (ones that work!) are available this morning from Dennis. HELPING HANDS is a service of LutheranCare. We provide services such as light housekeeping, cooking, laundry, pet care, run errands and grocery shop for those who cannot or do not want to leave home. Our Home Companions are approved to provide transportation as part of our service to those who might need a ride to the grocery store, medical appointments, hairdresser, for a meal out, or just for a ride. We provide respite services for those caring for a loved one. All of our staff are background checked, insured and bonded. We serve Oneida and Herkimer counties. For more information, contact Kathleen Leslie at HOPE HOUSE 20 TH ANNIVERSARY GALA: A celebration will be held in honor of the founders Rev. Dr. Kirk A. Hudson and Father Frederick Daley at Hart's Hill Inn in Whitesboro on June 1. A reception will start at 6:00 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30. Dinner cost is $50...$25 is tax deductible as a donation. Reservation deadline: May 25. Please contact Ceil Gilbert if interested. NOTRE DAME ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GOLF TOURNAMENT: Sunday, June 10 at Twin Ponds, New York Mills. Check in and lunch at noon, 1 p.m. shot gun start, dinner 6ish. For tickets ($85) and questions, contact John Snyder at or It is almost time for the Village Storytelling Festival on the Village Green. Many of your fellow Stone Church members have been working diligently for the past year, along with others in the community, to produce another exceptional day in Clinton. We have scheduled quality, professional storytellers such as Odds Bodkin, Tracy Radosevic, Beauty and the Beast and several others to perform. You can learn about them at our website We now need your help to finish this gift to the community. To volunteer and help on the day of the event: talk with Nikki or Shelly or Donna. To become a patron and donate financially: talk with Pat or send your donation directly to the church marked as a donation to VSF. I thank you in advance for your help. We are really close to being able to fund the event at no charge

5 to all who attend. Your donation would help to complete funding of our community project. Please support and thank our sponsors ACCESS Federal Credit Union, NBT Bank, Wade Tours, Hale s Landscaping, Nice n Easy and please patronize all of our advertisers in the program book. These community supporters enable an event like this to happen. Questions? See Dave Forbes.