First Presbyterian Church For Christ in the Heart of Charlotte Founded in 1821 Order of Worship November 19, 2017 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. You are invited to use the time before the service to prepare your heart and mind for worship. In consideration of others, please silence your cell phones. Preparation Prelude (9 a.m.) Now Thank We All Our God Georg Friedrich Kaufmann Max Reger (11 a.m.) I Will Sing Praise to God Nora B. Stucker Child s Intro to Music Words of Welcome Choral Call to Worship Adoration The Reverend Pen Peery G. Hamilton Smith He shall rule from sea to sea and from the river to ends of the earth. Alleluia! *Hymn No. 367 Come, Ye Thankful People, Come st. george s windsor
Large-print hymnals and Bibles are available. Please let an usher know if you would like one. Call to Confession Confession The Reverend Erika Funk Prayer of Confession The sanctuary flowers are given to the glory of God and in honor of the marriage of Mary (Molly) Nicholson McCrory and Douglas Scott Schultz, Jr. on November 18, 2017. The cornucopia display is given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Dowd Maye by his parents. The rosebuds in the sanctuary celebrate the births of Robert Harris (Hart) Pratt, son of Beau and Amanda Pratt, and Elizabeth Faye (Ellis) Potts, daughter of Will and Laura Potts. All: One: God of heaven and earth, we ask your forgiveness for the devotion we show to the things of this world. We seek to find comfort, healing, and wholeness through the marketplace. We lean on ideas and dreams to carry us through times of deep emotion. We do not seek out the holy, but expect to be able to purchase it and buy our way into the kingdom. Forgive us, O God and shine your light in our lives that the things of this world will be taken like a thief in the night. Our only true and present hope is in you, heal us and make us whole in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. In silent prayer, let us confess to God the things we choose not to speak aloud. A time of silence will be kept. *Response (Hymn No. 654) in the lord i ll ever be thankful Choir sings once, then congregation joins. In the Lord I ll ever be thankful; in the Lord I will rejoice! Look to God, do not be afraid. Lift up your voices, the Lord is near; Lift up your voices, the Lord is near. Assurance of Pardon One: Friends, believe the good news. All: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. *Response (Hymn No. 643, stanza 3) nun danket alle gott All praise and thanks to God, who reigns in highest heaven, to Father and to Son and Spirit now be given: the one eternal God, whom heaven and earth adore, the God who was, and is, and shall be evermore. Prayer for Illumination Proclamation Scripture Psalm 65 pew Bible pg. 527 One: This is the word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God. Anthem (11 a.m.) Make a Joyful Noise Jeremy Russell Carol and Kirk Choirs The 11 a.m. service is televised over WSOC-TV, Channel 9, this morning and streamed live at www.firstpres-charlotte.org. Time With Children Children in kindergarten through 2nd grade may leave for First Church. They will return to the sanctuary during the last hymn. Younger children may go to the nursery.
Scripture Matthew 25:14-30 pew Bible pg. 28 Sermon Rate on Return The Reverend Pen Peery Anthem Keep Your Lamps arr. Andre Thomas Keep your lamps trimmed and burning. The time is drawing nigh. Children don t get weary til your work is done. Christian journey soon be over. The time is drawing nigh. Keep your lamps trimmed and burning. The time is drawing nigh. Prayers of the People Stewardship of Life New Members Stewardship Celebration Presentation of Tithes and Offering Response The Reverend Katelyn Gordon Cooke Offertory Anthem Sing to the Lord of Harvest Healey Willan Sing to the Lord of harvest, sing songs of love and praise; with joyful hearts and voices your alleluias raise. By Him the rolling seasons in fruitful order move; sing to the Lord of harvest a joyous song of love. God makes the clouds drop fatness, the deserts bloom and spring, the hills leap up in gladness, the valleys laugh and sing. God fills them with His fullness, all things with large increase; he crowns the year with goodness, with plenty and with peace. *Doxology old hundredth 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. The sympathy of the congregation is expressed to Christina Cox and her family on the recent death of her father, Dennis Butler; and Mary Bennett Riddick and her family on the recent death of her father, Benjamin Baker. We are grateful to Trevor Cook for accompanying the anthem on the djembe. We welcome Steve, Anna, Caroline, and Kate Godwin; Sandi Anderson and Caroline Peters into the full life of First Presbyterian Church. We celebrate their commitment to membership and stewardship to God through this congregation. *Prayer of Dedication and 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, forever. Amen. Sending Forth *Hymn No. 37 Let All Things Now Living ash grove *Charge and Benediction *Benediction Response Amen danish Postlude Now Thank We All Our God arr. Paul Manz A time of personal prayer is offered following both services. If you would like to pray with a pastor and a member of our prayer team, please meet them in the sanctuary overflow area after the 9 a.m. service or in the chapel following the 11 a.m. service. * Please stand if you are able.
We are glad you are with us today! We welcome all to First Presbyterian Church as we worship together, knowing that each of us is a beloved part of the body of Christ. Our Pastors Pendleton B. Peery Senior Pastor ppeery@firstpres-charlotte.org Katelyn Gordon Cooke Associate Pastor for Christian Formation kgordon@firstpres-charlotte.org Erika Funk Associate Pastor for Mission efunk@firstpres-charlotte.org Katherine C. Kerr Senior Associate Pastor for Congregational Ministry and Care kkerr@firstpres-charlotte.org Charles C. Williamson Parish Associate cwilliamson@firstpres-charlotte.org William P. Young, III Director of Music Ministries wyoung@firstpres-charlotte.org News and Announcements worship We worship in ways that speak of God s majesty, mystery and love. Advent Poinsettias and Wreaths You can honor or memorialize a loved one with a poinsettia ($10) or a wreath ($35). Place your order by November 27 using the order form on the Now@FPC page or in the Historical Lobby on Sunday mornings. Advent Communion Service & Lunch This annual service, hosted by Presbyterian Women, will be held on Thursday, December 7, at 11 a.m. with The Reverend Lindsey Peery preaching. Register for lunch on the Now@FPC page or in the Historical Lobby on Sunday mornings. Singing in the Season Join us on December 3rd at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Tickets can be reserved on the Now@FPC page or in the Historical Lobby on November 19 and 26. Childcare available by reservation only. serve We go into the world to seek and serve and walk alongside our family in faith. learn Through study at every age and stage, we aim to become more Christlike and deepen our relationship with our Lord. Greenery Sale Today is the last day to order greenery and support FPC Schools scholarship fund. Place your order online using the order form on the Now@FPC page. Advent Bible Study Tuesday Morning Bible Study cultivates a new perspective on Advent using the lens of art and music. Contact Garrell Keesler gkeesler@firstpres-charlotte.org for more info. Tuesdays, November 7 December 12, 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m., S203. Book and Table: Men s Ministry at FPC Join us on Tuesday, November 28 in the Frances Browne Dining Room at 11:30 a.m. Chuck will lead a men s Bible study followed by lunch at a nearby restaurant. All are welcome. RSVP to Brent Torstrick (btorstrick@robinsonbradshaw.com) for lunch. Youth Ski Trip Join us for the annual Middle School and High School Ski Retreat, February 2-4, 2018. Registration is now open and will end Sunday, December 3rd. Visit tinyurl. com/fpcskiretreat18 for more information and to register. Are you interested in joining our church? Contact Lucy Caldwell Membership Coordinator lcaldwell@firstpres-charlotte.org Pastor on call If you have a pastoral emergency outside of regular church hours, dial 704.927.0256 for the on-call voicemail. Your call will be returned promptly. 200 West Trade Street Charlotte, NC 28202 www.firstpres-charlotte.org 704.332.5123 Room in the Inn The 2017-18 season for Room in the Inn will begin December 1. During these coldest months of winter, FPC opens its doors to our neighbors in need on Monday and Tuesday nights to offer hospitality, warm beds, and food. Sign up online on the Now@FPC page. Alternative Gift Market Look for the Alternative Gift Market in the Historical Lobby on Sunday mornings from November 19 - December 17 and during the PW Advent Luncheon on December 7. You can find gifts for loved ones while supporting our local and regional partners. care We aim to provide support, prayer, love and acts of compassion as we seek to draw closer to one another in community. New PW Circle in North Mecklenburg PW (Presbyterian Women) will offer a new women s Circle forming in the northern part of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. An organizational meeting is set for Tuesday, November 28, 2017, at 2 p.m., at the home of Barb Neidinger. Contact Barb at 704-892-8499 or barbneidinger@gmail. com for more information.
*Hymn No. 367 1 Come, ye thankful people, come; raise the song of harvest home. All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin. God, our Maker, doth provide for our wants to be supplied. Come to God s own temple, come; raise the song of harvest home. 2 All the world is God s own field, fruit in thankful praise to yield, wheat and tares together sown, unto joy or sorrow grown. First the blade, and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear. Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be. Come, Ye Thankful People, Come 3 For the Lord our God shall come, and shall take the harvest home; from each field shall in that day all offenses purge away; give the angels charge at last in the fire the tares to cast, but the fruitful ears to store in God s garner evermore. 4 Even so, Lord, quickly come to thy final harvest home. Gather thou thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin, there forever purified, in thy presence to abide: come, with all thine angels, come; raise the glorious harvest home! *Hymn No. 37 Let All Things Now Living 1 Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving to God our Creator triumphantly raise; who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us, by guiding us on to the end of our days. God s banners are o er us; pure light goes before us, a pillar of fire shining forth in the night: till shadows have vanished, all fearfulness banished, as forward we travel from light into light. 2 By law God enforces, the stars in their courses, the sun in its orbit obediently shine; the hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains, the depths of the ocean proclaim God divine. We too should be voicing our love and rejoicing; with glad adoration, a song let us raise, till all things now living unite in thanksgiving: to God in the highest, hosanna and praise!