St. Paul s United Church of Christ A welcoming Christ-centered community...
Third Sunday after Epiphany February 27 th, 2019 9:30 am Worship We re Glad You re Here! Welcome: No matter where you are on life s journey, you are welcome here! More than words, this statement is a reflection of the truth that we are all here because of God s love, grace, and mercy. This is a community held together by the honesty of our shared brokenness and the healing we receive through Christ. Get Connected: Use the Connection Card, signup online for the weekly E-news or monthly Newsletter, like us on Facebook, give us a call, or send an email. It is our joy to journey with you! Restrooms: These are located on the basement level of the church. Either go through the double doors in the front of the sanctuary and turn right to go downstairs, or use the stairwell in the back of the sanctuary and then walk through the fellowship hall. Children: Children of all ages are welcome within the worship service, so that may grow in God s love. (We readily expect to hear their presence and recognize their occasional need for a break from the worship space.) Children s activity bags, for use during worship, are available by both entrances to the sanctuary. A nursery, located beyond the double doors in the front of the sanctuary, is also available for children up to 5 years old. Please see an usher for assistance. Cell Phones: Remember to silence them (and watch chimes) as we enter into worship Hearing amplification devices: These personal devices are available for your use. Directly connected into our sound system, they make it possible to hear those leading worship without amplifying background noises. Please see our sound person for assistance. Your presence is a blessing: Let us know how we might better journey with you. Today s Scripture Readings Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10, 12 + Psalm 19:1-4, 7-11 + 1 Peter 1:13-16, 22-25 + Luke 4:14-21 Minister All Members Pastor Rev. Joseph Motz Worship Steward Janeen Adil Organist Grace Griffith Worship Leaders Acolyte Gage Fecera Ushers John Hunter Jr. & Doug Johnson Nursery Jamie McGee & TBD Counters Wanda Druzba & Lenette Wells 300 West First Street, Birdsboro PA 19508 610-582-8461 + office@stpaulsbirdsboro.org + www.stpaulsbirdsboro.org Pastor s e-mail: pastormotz@stpaulsbirdsboro.org
Order of Worship Welcome & Announcements Prelude (Prayer: To you I lift up my soul, O God. To you I give praise and thanks this day. Once I was lost, but now I am found. Once I was blind, but now I see. Glory be to you, O Lord, who has and continues to rescue even one as me.) (Please rise in body or in spirit) Call to Worship Leader: It is God who calls us here, to be a people made one through the living presence of Christ. People: We gather as a living testimony to the One who has come and the One who will come again. Leader: In God we are made fully alive, as our hearts and souls, strength and mind are brought to rejoice in the creator of heaven and earth. People: God calls us to be ever watchful for the revelation of the reign that is now and will be forever more. Leader: Let our hearts be still, for here we stand on holy ground. People: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, and evermore shall be, world without end. Amen. Hymn: The Lord s My Shepherd #359 Call to Confession (Please be seated) All: Corporate Confession Holy God, you have called us to be your people, to journey in your life, to follow in Jesus way. You have called us to be a part of this world, while you transform us in the renewing of our mind.
You have called us to a life of discipleship a life lived in service to the truth of your reign. Forgive us, O God, we pray, for the times in which we fail to live in your truth, for the times we long for the ways of this world, for the times in which we reject your call. In your mercy, lift us up when we are pinned down by our sin. In your grace, bring us close to you when we have wandered off. In your love, shine the light of Christ in our hearts when all seems dark inside. Lead us always into the way of your everlasting life, we pray. Silent Confession (A time of personal prayer for God s healing and redeeming peace.) (The response is sung at least two times thru Join in singing as you are moved.) Assurance of Grace Leader: Today, this truth has been fulfilled in your hearing. People: Thanks be to God! Amen. Passing of the Peace Leader: The peace of Christ be with you. People: And also with you. Songs and Prayers from Taizé #47, All rights reserved. OneLicense.net License #A-714498 (After sharing Christ s Peace with others, please be seated.)
(During the following hymn, children nursery/pre-k to 9 th grade are dismissed to participate in age specific Christian Education classes for the rest of worship. Parents/guardians of first time students are invited to follow children to their classroom in order to complete registration information before returning to worship. Following worship please pick-up children, 3 rd grade and younger.) Hymn: Children of the Heavenly Father #419 (verses 1&2) Old Testament Lesson: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10, 12 (p. #761) After having lost their identity as a people of God, the people of Jerusalem are overwhelmed in the hearing God s holy law and the story of who God has claimed them to be. Psalm: Psalm 19:1-4, 7-11 (p. #858) (Read Responsively Congregation reads the even verses) Epistle Lesson: 1 Peter 1:13-16, 22-25 (p. #1887) We are reminded to live in and through the truth to which we have been won a people set free through the saving power of Jesus Christ. Gospel Lesson: Luke 4:14-21 (p. #1596) As Jesus returns to his home town following forty days of fasting in the wilderness, he declares that the prophetic word of Isaiah, of the year of the Lord s favor, is now fulfilled. Leader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God! Sermon Changing Perspectives (Please rise in body or in spirit) All: Statement of Faith Apostle s Creed I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
Hymn: Leaning on the Everlasting Arms #452 (Please be seated) Receiving of Tithes and Offerings (We give as an act of worship, tangibly offering ourselves to God s service.) Offertory (Please rise in body or in spirit to sing glory to God) Prayers of the People (Believing in God s truth, we open ourselves as God s servants through prayer.) All: The Lord s 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Commissioning Benediction
Sending Hymn: Christ is Made the Sure Foundation Postlude (As the acolyte carries the Light of Christ out into the world, so too are we to carry Christ s light from this sanctuary into the world, our communities, and our homes. May the presence of the Spirit go with you until we gather again in the shared joy of God s worship.) + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Announcements Scout Sunday, Feb. 3 rd Celebrate with us as our Scout Troop 595 joins with us in worship giving highlights to their program while they serve as ushers, liturgists, and acolyte. Additionally plan to stay afterwards for a time of refreshments and conversation they will be providing for the entire congregation. St. Paul s is Sponsoring the Community Dinner on February 26 and your help is needed - St. Paul's UCC Birdsboro will sponsor the Community Dinner at Birdsboro Fire Co. on 2/26/19 at 6:00 pm. We are looking for volunteers to make up two teams. We are asking for any Helping Hands who can prepare the meal during the day in our church kitchen. We are also looking for a second team of individuals to come around 4:00pm or so to transport the meal to the fire hall, set it up and serve, as well as tear down and clean up. Please contact Eloise Stevens ASAP if you can help with any part. Many hands make light work FUN! Thank You. Mission Birdsboro 5K Race Mark your calendars now for the April 27 th - 5K and 1 mile fun run/walk hosted by St. Paul s to benefit the work of Mission Trip Birdsboro and the ministry of St. Paul s. The 1 mile fun run begins at 8:30am and the 5k starts at 9am, with the course running through the heart of Birdsboro. Registration information is available at stpaulsbirdsboro.org/mission5k.html. Mission Trip Birdsboro (updated info) Applications for assistance will be available Feb. 8 th, with participant registrations opening March 17 th.if your background checks are more than 5 years old, or if you don t have any, now is a great time to apply for them. If you have any questions contact Dawn Fear or Pastor Joe. Mission week will be July 17 th -21 st. Congregational Meeting - Sunday, February 10 th (Snow Date Feb. 24 th ) - Continuing in our new structure of providing shorter and more regular congregational meetings, our next official meeting is scheduled to follow worship on February 10 th. The meeting topics are currently slated to include: Congregational Coaching Update, Capital Improvement Team Kickoff (with various draft proposals shared for an accessible bathroom), the 2018 End of Year Financial Report, and a new 100 days of congregational prayer initiative. Proxy voting forms are available online and at the church entrances. **Meeting packets are now available on the table at the side door entrance of the church, through a link on the weekly E-News, or by visiting http://stpaulsbirdsboro.org/congregationalmeeting-resources.html Free Folk Music Concert - Folk Music Duo, Simple Gifts will be performing on Sunday, February 10 th at St. Mark s Lutheran Church, Birdsdoro beginning at 6:30pm. This award winning band presents a wide variety of ethnic folk music and performs with 12 different instruments! Throughout their performances, they put their own distinctive stamp on traditional tunes, blending styles from diverse cultures with their American roots. This concert is free to all who would like to attend. For more information on the duo, you can visit simplegiftsmusic.com.