First Parish Church, Congregational On the Village Green Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt, Interim Pastor Donald R. Dunn, Director of Music-Organist Jessica Skidmore, Christian Ministry Coordinator Tori Potter, Sexton Nancy Klebart, Office Manager 978-526-7661 office.fpchurch@verizon.net www.firstparishchurch.org
MORNING WORSHIP SERVICE Sunday, September 9, 2018, 10:00 a.m. ORGAN PRELUDE: Prelude based on hymn tune Seelenbräutigam Gordon Young (1919-1998) ANNOUNCEMENTS CALL TO WORSHIP: (from Whole People of God curriculum) Pastor: Come let us worship our God together. Parish: Let us sing praises to God our creator. Pastor: Come join the circle with all God s creation, Parish: and celebrate our relationship to all that is. Pastor: This is the day that God has made. All: Let us rejoice and be glad in it. A CONVERSATION WITH THE CHILDREN *SONG: My Lighthouse by Rend Collective (Link to YouTube video of this song: https://youtu.be/refguwdeeu8) REFRAIN: My lighthouse, my lighthouse, (Fist pump and jump; fist pump and jump) Shining in the darkness, I will follow you. (Sweep arms from above head down to sides; point to self, then up) My lighthouse, my lighthouse, (Fist pump and jump; fist pump and jump) I will trust the promise. (Hit fist onto palm of other hand) You will carry me safe to shore (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh), (Hands, palms up, in front of you, make swimming arms) Safe to shore (oh-oh-oh-oh-oh), (Jump, swimming arms) Safe to shore (oh-oh-oh-oh-oh), (Jump, swimming arms) Safe to shore (Jump, cross arms in front and move down and apart)
PRAYER OF APPROACH AND CONFESSION (from Whole People of God curriculum) As we journey from the relaxing warm days of summer into the excitement and bustle of back to work and back to school routines, we pause to seek your guidance and blessing, O God. We ask you to bless the work of our hands at home, in school, at work, in the church, and in the community. Help us to build your world of Peace through all that we do. Keep us open to new opportunities and new people coming into our lives, and to your voice speaking to us in the midst of it all. Fill us with the love and compassion of Jesus, we pray 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever. Amen. *GLORIA PATRI: 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 Following the Gloria Patri, the children may follow Miss Jessica outside MORNING PRAYER Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer Silent Prayer SCRIPTURE READING: Mark 7:24 37 24 From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, 25 but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children s food and throw it to the dogs. 28 But she answered him, Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children s crumbs. 29 Then he said to her, For saying that, you may go the demon has left your daughter. 30 So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. 31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 They brought to him a deaf
man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35 And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 They were astounded beyond measure, saying, He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak. ANTHEM: Welcome to the House of the Lord from A Sacred Place Gwyneth Walker (b. 1947) Welcome to the House of the Lord. Welcome light, welcome beauty, welcome wonder. Here there is glory. Here is wisdom. Here there is mystery, here is splendor. Welcome to the House of the Lord. Here there is comfort. Here there is healing. Here there is kindness, here is mercy and forgiveness. Here is Life Eternal! Come to the House of the Lord! Welcome God! *HYMN: We Are Your People NCH #309 black SERMON: Who Are God s Children? MOMENT OF MEDITATION CALL TO OFFERING OFFERTORY ANTHEM: Shout for Joy, Loud and Long Music based on the 16 th century tune Personent Hodie Arranged by Hal H. Hopson (b. 1933) Shout for joy, loud and long, God be praised with a song! to the Lord we belong children of the Father, God the great life-giver! Shout for joy, joy, joy; shout for joy, joy, joy! God is love, God is light,
God is everlasting! By God's word all was made, heaven and earth, light and shade, nature s wonders displayed, man to rule creation from its first foundation. Chorus Yet our pride makes us fall! so Christ came for us all not the righteous to call by his cross and passion, bringing us salvation! Chorus Now has Christ truly risen and his Spirit is given to all those under heaven who will walk beside him, though they once denied him! Chorus *DOXOLOGY: Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise God all creatures here below, Praise God above ye heavenly host, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. PRAYER OF DEDICATION *HYMN: There s a Wideness in God s Mercy PH #102 blue *[The Removal of the Flame, which symbolizes the Spirit of God accompanying us out into the world] *BENEDICTION *CHORAL RESPONSE ORGAN POSTLUDE: Paean Gordon Young (1919-1998) * * * * * After the service all are invited to join us for refreshments.
The greeters and lay readers are Ken, Lynn, Max, Ella, and Sam Warnock. The Deacons are Lynda Griffiths and Sue Parker. Readers and Greeters are always needed, to volunteer speak to the Deacons, or you can also sign up online. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0c4caba822a1f49-diaconate Listening devices are available for those in need; they are at the back of the Sanctuary. Feel free to address a Deacon should you need help. Welcome to all who are new to our worship. To join our mailing list please fill out a Welcome Card to place in the collection plate or contact office.fpchurch@gmail.com, 978-526-7661 ext 1. Would you like to be more involved with our Sunday school program? You can sign up to help on Sunday mornings by going herehttps://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0c4caba822a1f49- sunday1 or by clicking this link if you are reading this online. Contact Jessica at cedirector.fpchurch@gmail.com or 978-526-7661 ext. 3 with questions. We would love to have you join us on the 1 st and 3 rd Thursdays, of the month in the Conference Room of the Chapel, 3-5 PM. We begin again on Thursday, Sept. 20th To donate flowers for the altar or cut flowers from your garden contact Penny 978-526-7128. FPCC CARE TEAM Have you shared the experience? We support FPC families with meals, rides, & visits through times of illness and loss. Please contact Sue Pick (suepick1@me.com or 978-548-0145) if you would like to share your ideas, time, and talents with the FPC Care Team.
CHURCH FAIR Ladies, gentlemen, teenagers and children, Jewelry needed for the Church Fair coming in November! Please leave in a bag labeled for me on the piano in the Chapel Conference Room or call 978-526- 7036 for pick up at your house, thank you, Martha Elder MISSIONS Weekly Food Donations When you go to church or Sunday School Sunday mornings remember to take one item that can be donated to Open Door through the food basket placed in the Narthex. It is easy to forget, but you can think ahead and bring one food item that will be much appreciated by folks who really need our help. Maybe you are attending a meeting or event at the Chapel- we have a basket there too! Serve Dinner at The Open Door, Weds. Sept. 19th Prep & Servers needed: please contact Jim Brennan after worship or at 978-879-4595 or sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0c4caba822a1f49- open7 Brown Bag Lunch Fri. Sept. 28th. First Parish Church runs an ongoing monthly Brown Bag Lunch Mission for Action, Inc. an Emergency Homeless Shelter in Gloucester. Volunteers are welcome to participate in making, donating ingredients for and delivering the lunches on the last Friday of each month. Go to https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0c4caba822a1f49-brown6 to see what is needed. Action, Inc. s mission is to improve the lives of disadvantaged individuals and families by minimizing the effects of poverty, promoting economic security, and advocating for social change. In our Green Church on the Green to SAVE PAPER we will: digitalize records read on line cancel catalogues buy recycled copy paper. Grace Center needs volunteer help! Our friend Rev. Rona Tyndall has put out the word that folks are needed to help with preparing and serving meals, cleaning up, extending hospitality with the guests. You could commit to volunteer Monday Friday once a week from 8 a.m. to Noon
or Noon to 4:00 pm. Contact RonaTyndall@aol.com or 978-857-9305. Let s support this great organization! Lelly Smith Please notice the wonderful display in our Narthex. You will see many important organizations we are helping. South Down Church in Zimbabwe has been a partner for several years and we continue to share photographs, news and our children have pen pals there. We are sad to let you know that we are not sending a shipment this year as the new Zimbabwe government has prevented containers from being delivered. Dan DeOreo says we hope to resume that support in the future. Thanks to everyone who keeps them in prayer. And thanks to all who support our Missions. Lelly Smith BOOK GROUP Monday, Sept. 24, 6:30 pm at 23 Harold St. Manchester, home of Mary Ellen Cook. We will be discussing our summer read Leaving Before The Rain Comes by Alexandra Fuller. Please RSVP to Maryellen Cook 978-526-7178 so she can plan accordingly. Book group is open to everyone! This is a time for church members as well as non-church goers to come together and engage with one another, build relationships, and share in discussion of books that are of interest to people of various backgrounds. Come and check it out! Please RSVP to Mary Ellen at 978-526-7178 so she can plan accordingly. MY STORY We each have unique journeys of faith. One way to deepen our understanding of them is to share our stories with each other. Once per month, the Vitality Committee welcomes one of you to share your faith journey during Sunday service in brief 2 to 3 minute remarks. We hope you will consider sharing yours. A simple way to organize your thoughts is to answer these 3 questions: 1. What is your early faith history? (1 minute) 2. How did you come to First Parish Church? What is meaningful to you about your participation? (1 minute)
3. Can you share a specific moment of faith, an experience of divine intervention or God's or Jesus' presence in your life? (1 minute) We are eager to hear your faith stories! Please talk with Mary Ellen Cook 978-526-7178 or Allison Moir-Smith 978-526-1904 to learn more. Weekly Bible Study resumes Thursday, September 13 th, 4:00 to 5:30 at the home of Vin Terrill, 37 Beach Street. For September, we will be studying the lectionary texts for the following Sunday s worship. Text for September 13 th will be Mark 8:27-38. Format of the study is as follows: we begin with sharing joys and concerns, we have a time of prayer (where people are free to pray silently or out loud), and then 2 volunteers read the text out loud, while we all notice which words the Spirit draws our attention to. (This way of reading Scripture is called Lectio Divina. ) We each have the opportunity to share with others the words speak to us, as well as ask questions about the text. We also discuss how the text might apply to our lives today. The study is led by Rev. Marlayna. All are welcome to join us! No prior knowledge of the Bible is necessary. Email or call Rev. Marlayna for more information. Save the Date! October 14 th, after worship. Soup and Conversation: Reaching New People, led by Manchester s own Rev. Paul Nickerson. Come and hear Paul explain why church attendance is declining across America and how that trend can be reversed by God s Spirit and our conscious choices. (Note: Paul will also be giving the sermon in worship on October 14 th ; Rev. Marlayna will be the liturgist.) JAZZ SUNDAY September 30 th, 10 AM worship. Join soloist, Rebecca Shrimpton and band leader, Willie Sordillo, plus other amazing musicians for an uplifting service of worship in jazz/gospel-music style. Rev. Marlayna will give a short homily reflecting on the power of music to connect us to God. If you have friends who are spiritual, but not religious, who like lively music, this is a good service to invite and bring them to!
FIRST PARISH CHURCH CONGREGATIONAL United Church of Christ Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts WARRANT FOR SPECIAL MEETING September 16, 2018 TO: Active Members of the First Parish Church, Congregational, United Church of Christ, Manchester-By-The-Sea, Massachusetts. You are hereby notified to meet in the Church on Sunday, September 16, 2018, immediately following Worship Service for the following purpose: To wit: ARTICLE I: To take action on the recommendation of the Church Council to amend the by-laws of the Church. These amendments will replace the entire language of Article VII, Section E, E3, and Section F, F3 with the following new language. Section E, E3 PASTOR ABSENCE OR VACANCY Upon the imminence or occurrence of a vacancy in the office of PASTOR, the CHURCH COUNCIL shall be responsible for appointing a PASTORAL SEARCH COMMITTEE. This committee shall be comprised of either seven or nine (7 or 9) active members of the Church. The PASTORAL SEARCH COMMITTEE will be formed when a list of seven or nine candidates, selected by the Executive Committee from a list of all active Church members who have volunteered to serve, is approved by vote of the CHURCH COUNCIL. Section F, F3 ASSOCIATE PASTOR ABSENCE OR VACANCY Upon the imminence or occurrence of a vacancy in the office of ASSOCIATE PASTOR, the CHURCH COUNCIL will present a recommendation as to whether or not to fill the vacancy before an Annual or Special meeting of the Church. Upon decision by the Church to fill the vacancy, the CHURCH COUNCIL shall be responsible for appointing an
ASSOCIATE PASTOR SEARCH COMMITTEE. The ASSOCIATE PASTORAL SEARCH COMMITTEE will be formed when a list of five (5) candidates, selected by the Executive Committee from a list of all active Church members who have volunteered to serve, is approved by vote of the CHURCH COUNCIL. In accordance with Article VIII (Amendments), all by-law amendments shall become effective immediately upon acceptance by threefourths vote of the members present and voting. George A Nickless, Clerk
Upcoming events can be found on our website (www.firstparishchurch.org ) under News and Calendar and on our Facebook page (First Parish Manchester-by-the-Sea) under Events THIS WEEK: Monday 7:30 PM Manchester Singers Tuesday 10:00 AM COA Zumba Wednesday 10:00 AM COA Yoga 6:00 PM Missions Committee 7:30 PM Choir Rehearsal Thursday 4:00 PM Bible Study Friday 8:00 AM Yoga 4:00 PM Youth Event Apple Picking Sunday 10:00 AM Worship Nursery, Sunday School, Youth Group 11:30 AM Church Meeting