First Presbyterian Church KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - Founded 1792 - For Christ in the Heart of Knoxville, the First Presbyterian Church seeks! to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ! to nurture those within its influence! to serve spiritual and human needs Church School at 9:45 a.m. Sunday Worship Service 8:45 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Coffee Fellowship 9:30 a.m. & 10:40 a.m. Worshipful Wednesday Evening Meal and Programs begin at 5:30 p.m. Telephone (865) 546-2531! Fax (865) 546-2533 E-mail: church@fpcknox.org Web Site: www.fpcknox.org 620 State Street, Knoxville, TN 37902
A Word of Welcome To all who are weary and seek rest; to all who mourn and long for comfort; to all who struggle and desire victory; to all who sin and need a Savior; to all who are idle and look for service; to all who are strangers and want fellowship; to all who hunger and thirst after righteousness; and to whosoever will come; this church opens wide her doors and offers her welcome in the name of Jesus Christ her Lord. ORDER OF WORSHIP THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 11:00 a.m. January 26, 2014 dthe PREPARATION OF GOD'S PEOPLEd PRELUDE I Want to Walk As a Child of the Light Michael Burkhardt Stephanie Wayland, organ...the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him! Habakkuk 2:20 Worship begins with the Prelude. As we reverently enter the pews, please use this time for quiet reflection and prayer, so that we, individually and as a great crowd of witnesses, may prepare ourselves to reaffirm our devotion to Him who is the author and finisher of our faith. WELCOME AND CONCERNS OF THE CONGREGATION CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 103:1-5 Leader: Bless the LORD, O my soul, People: And all that is within me, bless his holy name. Leader: Bless the LORD, O my soul, People: And do not forget all his benefits Leader: Who forgives all your iniquity, People: Who heals all your diseases, Leader Who redeems your life from the Pit, People: Who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, Leader: Who satisfies you with good as long as you live People: So that your youth is renewed like the eagle s. Leader: People: Praise the Lord! The Lord s Name be praised! ^PROCESSIONAL HYMN 223 O My Soul, Bless Your Redeemer Stuttgart ^PRAYER OF CONFESSION (All) Almighty and merciful God, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare those who confess their faults. Restore those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to the world in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O merciful God, for his sake, that we may live a holy, just, and humble life to the glory of your holy name. (Silent personal confession) MUSICAL RESPONSE (All) 573 Kyrie (sung responsorially) Richard Proulx Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. ^ASSURANCE OF PARDON ^CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE (All) 576 Gloria, Gloria Jacques Berthier Gloria, gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, gloria, alleluia, alleluia! The children only will sing the first time. Congregation joining at the invitation of the cantors.
^PASSING OF THE PEACE Since God has forgiven us, we are free to forgive each other. Therefore the congregation are invited to turn to each other, saying: "The peace of Christ be with you," responding with And also with you. dthe PROCLAMATION OF GOD'S WORDd FIRST SCRIPTURE LESSON 1 Corinthians 3:1-15 Lanny Payne (Pew Bible, NT Page 167) SPECIAL TIME WITH CHILDREN (three-year-olds through first graders may leave for Children's Church.) Brianna Cook ANTHEM All Things Bright and Beautiful John Rutter Members of the Covenant Choirs, First Singers, Women s Youth Ensemble, and Chancel Choir women SECOND SCRIPTURE LESSON Psalm 127 Pastor: This is the Word of the Lord. (Pew Bible, OT Page 573) People: Thanks be to God. SERMON Seeing the Hand of the Builder and Watcher The Rev. Dr. William C. Pender dthe RESPONSE OF GOD'S PEOPLEd ^AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (All) from A Declaration of Faith God sends the church into the world. God has not taken his people out of the world, but has sent them into the world to worship him there and serve all humankind. We worship God in the world by standing before the Lord in behalf of all people. Our cries for help and our songs of praise are never for ourselves alone. Worship is no retreat from the world; it is part of our mission. We serve humankind by discerning what God is doing in the world and joining him in his work. We risk disagreement and error when we try to say what God is doing here and now. But we find guidance in God s deeds in the past and his promises for the future, as they are witnessed to in Scripture. We affirm that the Lord is at work, especially in events and movements that free people by the gospel and advance justice, compassion and peace. ^HYMN OF RESPONSE 339 Be Thou My Vision Slane MINUTE FOR MISSION ON HERITAGE, HEART, HOPE CAMPAIGN Peggy Hagler PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD'S PRAYER RECEPTION OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS OFFERTORY ANTHEM All Day, All Night Susan Geschke Handbell Ensemble ^DOXOLOGY AND PRAYER OF DEDICATION Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. ^HYMN 357 O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee Maryton COMMISSIONING TRAVELERS TO THE CONGO ^CHARGE AND BENEDICTION ^CHORAL RESPONSE Day By Day Martin How POSTLUDE Toccata in Seven John Rutter ^Those who are able may stand Ushers will seat those who are waiting
NOTES ABOUT TODAY'S SERVICES Leading music in worship are the Covenant Choirs, First Singers, Women s Youth Ensemble, and the women from the Chancel Choir and the Handbell Ensemble. The Friendship Book is passed each Sunday for guests and members to sign. Guests names and addresses are used to acknowledge your presence and welcome you to worship. In expressing what it means to be a family of faith, the church appreciates your willingness to share this information with us! Officer in Charge: Britton Leitch Deacon of the Week: Daniel Smith Phone Monitor: Bob Peppel Baker and Taker: Joan Regester and Phyllis and Ely Driver THOSE WHO SERVE TODAY Nursery Workers: Amy Gilbert and Jennifer and Rob Jones Children s Church: Vicki Bible, Sarah Cassell, Brianna Cook and Brent Trentham LEADERS IN WORSHIP Dr. William C. Pender....................................... Senior Pastor Dr. Paul P. Rader........................................ Associate Pastor Mr. J. Ashley Burell................................. Organist/Choirmaster Jehovah-jireh (The Lord will provide) The Hebrew words written across the chancel are taken from the twenty-second chapter of Genesis which tells the story of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. The words were first handwritten on the chancel wall in 1866 by one of the church members working to restore the war-ravaged and much-abused buildings after they were returned to the congregation by the government. SCROLL DOWN FOR BULLETIN INSERT
In the Footsteps... Many are the tales of explorers venturing into the heart of Africa the Congo. Unlike men in search of Congo s rubber and mineral treasures, the team from First Presbyterian Church Knoxville follows the footsteps of others, those who heeded the call of Jesus to go into all the world... Southern Presbyterian missionaries William Henry Sheppard and Samuel Lapsley, one black and one white, answered that call and established the American Presbyterian Congo Mission in the Kasai region in the 1890s. Fifty years later, FPC s own Dr. William Rule made the same trek. While there he met his future wife Effie Crane and together they served the people of the Congo for over 30 years. In 1954, Dr. Rule s dream of a medical training school for Congolese was realized in the Christian Medical Institute of the Kasai (IMCK). Today, FPC once again is sending its own to the Democratic Republic of Congo. A team of five goes on our behalf to visit sisters and brothers of the Presbyterian Community of Congo (CPC). On this exploratory trip to experience the work of the CPC in areas of evangelism, education, community development and health, the team visits Kananga, Tshikaji and Mbuyi Mayi. With CPC leaders, members and PCUSA mission co-workers, the FPC team explores the needs and priorities of the CPC in order to determine the best ways in which FPC can support and advocate for the people of the Congo. Landing first in Congo s capital Kinshasa, the group flies on to the Kasai region. In the West Kasai, Kananga is the center of the 2.5 million member CPC. The team visits the Presbyterian University, radio studio, protestant press, and schools as well as programs to address community health and the crisis of street children. Mission-co-workers Bob and Kristi Rice host the FPC group in Kananga. In the nearby village of Tshikaji, the group visits the IMCK medical programs including nursing school, dental program, clinics and the Good Shepherd Hospital where PCUSA surgeon Dr. John Fletcher serves. As it nears completion, the team sees the IMCK Founders Chapel to which FPC contributed in memory of the Rules. Leaving Kananga, the group embarks on a 90 mile, 12 hour trip by Land Rover to the East Kasai accompanied by mission co-worker Jeff Boyd. Along the way, the group stops at the CPC retreat center at Lake Munkambo and the PRODEK agricultural development program and women s micro-enterprise venture. In Mbuji Mayi the focus is on women s development, including protecting widows and advocating for marriage rights. In the footsteps of those early mission pioneers who proclaimed God s love through education, medical care and development, the FPC team listens, learns and worships with Congolese partners. Leaving their own foot steps for future FPC groups to follow, the team returns to share the joys, opportunities and challenges of a deepened partnership with sisters and brothers of the Presbyterian Community of Congo. Jehovah Jireh. Scroll Down for Map of Area