United Church of Christ

United Church of Christ

North Church of Portsmouth An Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ March 3, 2019 10:00 AM Transfiguration Sunday PRELUDE Air G. Giordani WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS You are welcome here no matter who you are and no matter where you are on life s journey, YOU ARE WELCOME HERE. INTROIT

CALL TO WORSHIP (responsive) Leader: We come together, a community of faith. We have gathered to talk and listen to our God. People: May our faces shine in anticipation. Our God has invited us to this moment of meeting. Leader: We share in a new covenant of promise and hope. Our spirits have been set free for worship and praise. People: We come with boldness to encounter our Creator. We assemble here, eager to be changed by God. Leader: Our fears melt into awe and wonder before God. Our failures become opportunities for learning. People: Let us praise God s holy name in chorus. Let us share in the glory of life. What a gift! *HYMN You, Lord #99 *OPENING PRAYER (unison) Holy are you, O God of all time and space. Before the vastness of your creation, the earth is as nothing. Yet you have lavished your energies upon it, shaping interdependent systems within systems. The mysterious gift of life is ours to handle with care. You have revealed yourself to us. You have created us for justice and equity. You have drawn us to the mountaintop to commune with you. O God, we are here, waiting for your further revelation. Come to enlighten and empower. Amen. CALL TO CONFESSION When we come before God, we can hold nothing back. God knows us better than we know ourselves. There is no hiding place. All our cunning and deceit are exposed. Our exploitation of others is known. Our misuse of God s gifts is evident. We can only repent and seek forgiveness. PRAYER OF CONFESSION (unison) We tremble before you, O God, for we have sinned. You already know what we have done and what we have failed to do. Hear us now as we recognize and admit our actions and inaction in violation of the trust you have placed in us. Enter into our excuses and pretensions, Holy One, that we may be saved for ministry and mission. Amen.

Silence kept *GLORIA PATRI #734 Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen. TIME WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH ANTHEM This is My Son P. Choplin THE READING OF SCRIPTURE Matthew 17: 1-9 and 14-21 SERMON Do We Ever Need a Mountaintop Experience? Rev. Frank Newsome THE MORNING OFFERING Call to Offering How much the church could accomplish with greater resources! How our shared ministry could blossom if our thanksgiving to God exceeded or fear, greed, and ambition. We have taken a small step toward faithfulness in coming to the mountaintop. Will we now be open to let God transform our giving? Offertory Melody J. Boalt *Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise God, all creatures here below; Praise God above, you heavenly host; Creator, Christ and Holy Ghost. Amen. *PRAYER OF DEDICATION (unison) Thank you, God, for choosing us to speak for you and to act on your behalf. It is an honor to share with others what you have entrusted to us. Our offerings represent our selves and the depth of our commitment. We rededicate to you the talents, abilities, and resources you have placed in our hands. May we be faithful in our mutual ministry. Amen. COMMUNION HYMN Help Us Accept Each Other #596

THE SACRAMENT OF COMMUNION Invitation to Communion As Christ is the host of this meal, there is no guest list, no engraved invitations, no formal dress required for it is given that all who desire communion with him, and community with each other, are welcome to this feast. We come to share in this meal together praying it will refresh us for the journey of faith. Words of Institution and Blessing Sharing the Bread and Cup PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND THE LORD S PRAYER (unison) God who makes all things new, we thank you for letting us come as we are and share in this meal. We know that we are what we eat, and having, taken into ourselves the body and blood of Jesus, we gain his power, his healing abilities, his commitment to justice for all people. Help all of us gathered here to work together as the different parts of the body of Christ---hands, eyes, voice, and conscience to carry on Christ s work and witness and worship. In the name of Emmanuel God with us. Amen. 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, forever. Amen. *HYMN Sing of God Made Manifest vs 2,3,4 #247 BENEDICTION *CONGREGATIONAL BENEDICTION RESPONSE Go Now in Peace Go now in peace: though friends must part, your presence lives in every heart. Your gifts to us no words can tell: go now in peace, in Christ go well. *POSTLUDE Trinity Blessed B. Price

Lectionary Readings for March 3, 2019 Matthew 17: 1-9 and 14-21 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him! When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, Get up and do not be afraid. And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead. When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, and said, Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him. Jesus answered, You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me. And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, Why could we not cast it out? He said to them, Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. ****************************************************************************************** We are seeking bake sale items and volunteers, to help North Church and the Portsmouth Scouts with their Pinewood Derby on Saturday, March 14th. Please contact Janet Cushing at janet.cushing@gmail.com or 603.770.2649 if you are interested in helping with the Derby.

We are glad that you are worshiping here today. If you seek a church home in Portsmouth, we hope that you will return to worship with us again. The tear off form on this bulletin or a pew card, filled out and placed in the offering plate or handed to an usher or the pastor, will help us to know you better as we serve God together. On this day and all days we keep Marondera Church, our Ukama partner in Zimbabwe in our prayers. Holy Communion is usually celebrated on the first Sunday of each month. The Table is open to all. The cup contains grape juice and a gluten-free bread is available please speak to a Deacon. Children are welcome at the discretion of their parents. The Reader today is Nancy Layton. The Deacons of the church are: Brenda Delfino, Joanne Coleman Yeaton, Nancy Layton, Gail Darrow and Caroline McMullen. The Choir Members of the church are: Gail Darrow, Caroline McMullen, Liz Good, David Greer, June Lurvey, Judy Ringer, Jill Newsome, Marjorie Perkins, Betsy Murphy, Nichole Prince, Gay Adams and Joyce Silva The Bell Choir Members of the church are: June Parker, Brenda Delfino, Nancy Layton, Betsy Kinner, June Lurvey, Mark Shaw, Mark J. Shaw, Betsy Murphy and Joyce Silva Large print bulletins & Assistive listening devices are available from the ushers. We welcome all of God s children in worship. Should it be needed, there is a staffed nursery in the lower level. Please ask a Deacon for assistance.

This Weeks Calendar All Worship services begin at 10 am Sunday, March 3 Last Sunday after the Epiphany The Sacrament of Communion will be celebrated Worship at Parish House Sunday, March 10 First Sunday in Lent Worship at Parish House Sunday, March 17 Second Sunday in Lent Worship at Parish House Sunday, March 24 Third Sunday in Lent Worship at Parish House Sunday, March 31 Fourth Sunday in Lent Worship at Parish House Sun. 3/3 Mon. 3/4 Tues. 3/5 Wed. 3/6 Thurs. 3/7 PH Worship Troop 164 Mtg. Rehearsal Lion, Witch & Wardrobe Soul Café Music Series The Accidentals Seacoast Pathways Cabinet Meeting Shrove Tuesday Pancakes Pack Parent Meeting Seacoast Pathways Play Space & Little Artists Rehearsal Lion, Witch & Wardrobe Membership Meeting Rehearsal Lion, Witch & Wardrobe OA new OA/OA (Men) Choir Bell Choir Fri. 3/8 Seacoast Pathways AA Meeting Sat. 3/9 ACA Mentor (PH lounge) The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe 10am 6pm 3-6pm 7pm 9a-3:3-p 4pm 6pm 7:30 pm 9a-3:30p 10am 5pm 6pm 5pm 5:30pm 6pm 6pm 7pm 9a-3:30p 7:30pm 10am 2pm Sun. 3/10 PH Worship The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe Troop 164 Mtg. 10am 2pm 6pm

North Church Women Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, March 12th at 12:30pm at the Parish House on Spinney Road. Please bring a "bag lunch" and dessert and drinks will be provided. Following a short business meeting we will play Bingo and prizes will be awarded to the winners. A sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board. North Church Women includes all women of the church including all new members of the church. All are welcome. Come and enjoy the fun!! Priscilla Pettis, President PANCAKES, PANCAKES AND MORE PANCAKES! With magical entertainment Come to the annual SHROVE TUESDAY CELEBRATION Tuesday, March 5, 2019 6:00 p.m. at Parish House Donations accepted

Check out our Soul Café Music Series at: www.ncsoulcafemusicseries.com

I/We would like to know more about this church I/We are visitors this Sunday NAME: DATE: EMAIL: PHONE: ADDRESS: NORTH CHURCH STAFF: Senior Pastor Rev. Frank Newsome fnewsome@northchurchportsmouth.org Director of Music Ministry Mr. Nathan Amsden office@northchurchportsmouth.org Superintendent of Church School Ms. Brenda Delfino office@northchurchportsmouth.org Administrative Assistant Ms. Paula Schena office@northchurchportsmouth.org Custodian Mr. Paul Gobbi office@northchurchportsmouth.org OFFICE INFO: 355 Spinney Rd., Portsmouth, NH 03801 (603) 436-9109 Mon. - Fri./ 9am - 2pm office@northchurchportsmouth.org