Third Sunday of Easter May 4, 2014 A Meditation Before Worship You have rescued my soul from Death, my eyes from Tears, my feet from stumbling. - Psalm 116: 8. Fort Street Presbyterian Church 631 W. Fort Street Detroit, MI 48226 Phone (313) 961-4533 www.fortstreet.org www.facebook.com/fortstreet
Gathering the Community Our focus in these days between Easter and Pentecost: Living Between the Times PRELUDE I've Come To Serve - Ray Boltzmann WELCOME Dr. Sharon L. Mook INTROIT Thy Word Is a Lamp Unto My Feet - Michael W. Smith *CALL TO WORSHIP (from Psalm 116) All: You, O God, are gracious and just. You are full of compassion. You hear our cries to you. You listen when we are overcome with trouble and with sorrow. Let your soul rest in God s care. We believe--even when we are crushed, even when we struggle to trust. Walk with God in the land of the living. God s power will make us strong. Call on your God all of your days. We will keep our promises to our God and lift our voices in songs of praise. *HYMN # 411 Arise, Your Light Is Come! COMMUNITY PRAYER OF CONFESSION Living Christ, we remember our first excitement of responding to your call. We made it through confusion, and reluctance, when the path was uncertain and unclear. We celebrated triumphs with you, sunk into despair when all seemed lost, and found resurrection hope yet again. Now what do we do? When we feel abandoned and alone, we struggle to understand the meaning of your presence with us. We want to follow you, but now we need to discover new ways for walking faithfully with you. We know you count on us to do your work in the world, but sometimes we don t know how, and our passion is dying, and our hearts are breaking, and we feel stuck. Come to us, Living Christ, with yet one more surprise. INDIVIDUAL PRAYERS (in silence) RESPONSE IN SONG # 426 Lord, Speak to Me, That I May Speak (v. 1) RESPONSIVE ASSURANCE Even when we cannot see you, or hear you, or feel you-- Living Christ, we live into your promise: You are with us. You are with us, always. You are with us, always, until the end of the world. 2
All: In this time in between, surprise us with holy, new discoveries. We are here, seeking to become transformed and transforming people-- truly your people of the resurrection. RESPONSE IN SONG # 426 Lord, Speak to Me, That I May Speak (vv. 3 and 4) *SHARING THE PEACE The Peace of the Living Christ be with you. And also with you. THE WORD THE FIRST READING Matthew 28: 8-10, 16-20; Mark 16: 1-8 (selected- -pp. 32 and 51 in pew Bible) SPECIAL TIME WITH THE CHILDREN THE SECOND READING Luke 24: 49b-53 (p. 85 in pew Bible) ANTHEM I'm in You - Ken Bible THIRD READING John 21: 15-23 (selected- -pp.109-110 in pew Bible) PIANO MEDITATION Ray Staroscik SERMON What Do We Do Between the Times? Dr. Sharon L. Mook *HYMN # 421 The Church of Christ in Every Age (vv. 1, 3, and 5) THE RESPONSE *AN AFFIRMATION (from A Brief Statement of Faith) We trust in Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God. Jesus proclaimed the reign of God: preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives, teaching by word and deed and blessing the children, healing the sick and binding up the brokenhearted, eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners, and calling all to repent and believe the gospel. 3
Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition, Jesus was crucified, suffering the depths of human pain and giving his life for the sins of the world. God raised this Jesus from the dead, vindicating his sinless life, breaking the power of sin and evil, delivering us from death to life eternal. *RESPONSE IN SONG # 426 Lord, Speak to Me, That I May Speak (v. 5) PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE PRAYER JESUS TAUGHT (Feel free to use the language and words closest to your heart) OUR OFFERING TO GOD (Loose offering will be used by the Deacons for their work) OFFERTORY We Are Many Parts But All One Body - Weston Priory *DOXOLOGY Praise God, the Giver and the Gift -Brian Wren (hymn tune # 455 Lasst uns Erfreuen) Praise God, the Giver and the Gift. Hearts, minds and voices now uplift: Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise, praise the Breath of glad surprise, Freeing, uplifting, opening eyes, Three-in-Oneness, Love communing, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! *PRAYER OF DEDICATION *HYMN # 432 Song of Hope (English, Spanish, English) *CHARGE AND BENEDICTION (Please sit quietly enjoying the postlude as part of your worship experience) Dr. Mook POSTLUDE The Great Gate Of Kiev - M. Mussorgsky + + + *You are invited to rise in body or spirit at your discretion The Community Prayer of Confession and the Responsive Assurance are copyrighted by Sharon L. Mook and may be used only by permission. Pastoral Visitation Team Would you like to be part of a Pastoral Visitation Team, helping Fort Street to provide more care to our members and friends? Several of our deacons and session members have signed up, but more are always needed. If you want to become part of this team, please contact the pastor right away. Initial and ongoing training will be provided, you will be given a name of someone to visit, and you may be surprised how your own life will be transformed. 4
You Won t Want to Miss The Opening Worship Service at General Assembly June 14, 2014, 11:00 a.m., Cobo Center Everyone is invited to attend Opening Worship on Saturday, June 14, 11:00 a.m., at the Cobo Center. Join with thousands of other Presbyterians as we convene the assembly, giving praise to God! This worship service will include the Alma College Pipe Band; the Metropolitan Youth Symphony; liturgical dancers; a mass choir of youth and adults; a renewal of baptism; Holy Communion; and plenty of singing from the new hymnal, Glory to God. The Rev. Neal Presa, Moderator of the 220th General Assembly will preach. Following the service, you will be welcome to visit the Exhibit Hall and to enjoy fellowship with Presbyterians from near and far. Liturgist Sound Technician Officers On Duty Videographer Worship Coordinator Reception Coordinator Nancy Jackson Joan Poole Jim Woods Randy Commissaris Craig McLean Jesse Uduma Mary Webster Prayers for Military loved ones. Lt. Harrison L Coleman USN, Taylor Hansen USMC, Jonathan Heyler, SSGT Shanell Howard AFB, Sgt. Christopher King, Capt. Michael Kurtti, Lt. Theo Moran USAF, Alta Morrison, Lt. Jon Palmer USA, Lt. Marty Palmer USA, Charles Andrew Parsons II USN, USMC Captain Katy Spicer Hess, Alexander Szelestey, USMC, Lt. Mark Webster. Prayer List for the month of May 2014 Don/Lois Bardwell, Lynne Bieniek, Ulysses/Donna Bryant, Yvonne Cameron, Coleman family, Beth Baker Gignac, Rose Grosscup, Shannon Howard, Geraldine Adams Jones, Nettie Jones, Don/Virginia Lorimer, Lemus family, Karen Marcil, Cheryl Myers, Sarah Morgan, Jerry Naragon, Derrick Parker/family, Richard Petrie, Easter Ponder, Price family, Lisa Sakkab, Richard/Suellen Sale family, Benjamin Solomons/family, Wanda Sumner, Patricia Walsh. Pastor: The Rev. Dr. Sharon L. Mook, Ph.D., revdrmook@fortstreet.org www.facebook.com/fortstreet FORT STREET STAFF: Judith Sheldon, Director of Christian Education; Ben Ogden, Director of Open Door; Edward Kingins, Music Director; LaMonica Harris, Finance Office; Lola JF Davidson, Secretary; Kenneth McCoy, Building Engineer; Donna Bryant, Bob Haynes, Parking Security; Marilyn Moore, Karen Wright, Donlin Center Staff; Stacey Kershaw, Johnnie Hester, Cheryl Glidden, Open Door Staff. Pastor Emeritus: The Rev. Dr. Robert H. Crilley Web Page: www.fortstreet.org 5