OAK HILL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH October 16, 2016 29 th Sunday in Ordinary Time 10:30 a.m. TIME OF QUIET PREPARATION As you arrive in the sanctuary, please quiet and prepare yourself for worship. Relax your body; quiet the inner dialogue of your mind; be open and receptive to God s Spirit in our midst. *those who are comfortable, please stand THE WORD CALLS US TOGETHER PRELUDE Christus, der is mein Leben Walther *CALL TO WORSHIP Adapted from Psalm 119: 41-104 One: Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord Many: I will follow your way and keep your law continually, One: Forever and ever, we say. Many: Your blessings have fallen upon us, so we hurry to live by your Word. One: The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love. Many: Teach us your law, O God. One: Teach us good judgment and knowledge, pour into our hearts your understanding. Many: For your words are sweet to our taste! One: Sweeter than honey on our lips! Many: Let your sweet, steadfast love come to us, O Lord. One: And let us always follow your way! *OPENING HYMN Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise No. 12 PRAYER OF CONFESSION Unison: Loving God, you are the one true judge. Yet we seem plenty comfortable judging one another. We make decisions on first glance. We determine worth and value without taking note of your divine presence in those we ve labeled as others. We write people, communities, and cultures off as unnecessary, or less than ourselves. We make bad decisions every day and fail to notice all the times we are forgiven. Have mercy on us, Lord. Judge us with your grace, and remind us to be graceful with others. In Christ s name we pray. Amen. Silent Prayer of Confession Assurance of Pardon RESPONSE OF PRAISE (Cantor sings responses through first, followed by the congregation) Praise God, from whom all blessings flow. Praise God, all creatures high and low. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. (repeat) *SHARING THE PEACE (Share the peace of Christ as you feel led, with a wave, a smile, a kind word, or a handshake.) TIME FOR GROWING DISCIPLES (At the conclusion of the Time for Growing Disciples, children ages birth to 3 rd grade may stay in worship or go to the nursery.) ANTHEM I Know Who Holds Tomorrow Stamphill Wendy Barrow, soloist PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION FIRST SCRIPTURE READING Jeremiah 31:27-34 (see insert) SECOND SCRIPTURE READING Luke 18:1-8 (see insert) SERMON MEDITATION IN MUSIC The Rev. Erin Counihan *AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (unison) excerpt from the Confession of 1967 (PCUSA) God s sovereign love is a mystery beyond the reach of the human mind. Human thought ascribes to God superlatives of power, wisdom, and goodness. But God reveals divine love in Jesus Christ by showing power in the form of a servant, wisdom in the folly of the cross, and goodness in receiving sinful people. The power of God s love in Christ to transform the world discloses that the Redeemer is the Lord and Creator who made all things to serve the purpose of God s love. *HYMN Heaven Shall Not Wait No. 773
OFFERING OUR GIFTS (Please sign the Friendship Register found at the end of the pew. Complete information, including your email, and pass pad along to those worshiping with you. ) *Prayer of Dedication Offertory My Jesus, I Love Thee Gordon *Doxology Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow No. 607 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise Christ, all people here below; praise Holy Spirit evermore; praise Triune God whom we adore. Amen. MOMENT FOR MISSION Brian Beckmann CONGREGATIONAL JOYS AND CONCERNS AND PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE THE LORD S PRAYER (unison) 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. LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY (Not merely announcements, but the activities of our life together that reflect our day-to-day responses to God s call for faithfulness, and your invitation to join in!) *CLOSING HYMN May the God of Hope Go with Us No. 765 *BENEDICTION POSTLUDE This Is the Day the Lord Hath Made Cruger Sunday, October 16, 2016 4111 Connecticut St. Louis, MO 63116 (314) 664-5525 office@oakhillpcusa.org (office) www.oakhillpcusa.org
Neighborhood Happenings Wednesday 10/18 @ 6:00 p.m. The Ethical Society of Police is holding a Community Safety Forum in the Large Assembly Room here at Oak Hill. Come and join your neighbors to discuss safety needs and solutions. Thursday 10/19 @ 6:30 p.m. The Tower Grove South Neighborhood Association gathers in the Large Assembly Room for their monthly meeting. Come hear about events and happenings, and learn how you can get involved. Saturday 10/22 @ 8:30 a.m. The Thread, a new local tv show, will be featuring our Human Foosball outreach ministry. Tune in to FOX 2 to see what we ve been up to! Around the Presbytery The Gateway Ringers will be performing a concert at Westminster Presbyterian Church (5300 Delmar Boulevard, St. Louis) on Sunday, October 30, at 4 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public. This St. Louis auditioned handbell choir will be performing music from the silver screen under the direction of Chuck Peery. For more information, call Rick Burk at 314-367-0900. Spiritual Values and the 2016 Election - As the final weeks of a heated political season quickly approach, the question of spirituality and its influence and role in politics, elections, voting and the lives of politicians and candidates continues to surface, causing introspection, if not debate. To further explore the topic before Election Day, this year s Contemporary Issues Forum welcomes prize-winning historian, acclaimed author, Emmy Award nominee and Dartmouth professor Dr. Randall Balmer as its featured speaker. A leading scholar and author on President Jimmy Carter, Dr. Balmer will speak on the legacy of President Carter in addition to the topic of the 2016 Election and spiritual values during the two-day lecture event on October 17-18 at Second Presbyterian Church in the CWE. For more information call 314-367-0366 or visit http://secondchurch.net. Nicaragua Community Partnership Annual Scholarship Benefit Dinner will be held on Monday, October 24, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., at LoRusso s, 3121 Watson Road, St. Louis. Reservations can be made by mailing checks made to GLPBY or Presbytery of Giddings Lovejoy to 411 Tregaron Place, St. Louis, MO 63131. Rev. Erin Counihan, Pastor Rev. Dr. Alan Meyers, Parish Associate Ms. Korla Masters, Student Pastor Mrs. Susan Brown, Minister of Music Ms. Carole Adams, Secretary Bulletin Deadline: Wednesday, 12:00 noon in writing. ACTIVITIES THIS WEEK October 16, 2016 Sunday 9:00 a.m. Chancel Choir Rehearsal 9:30 a.m. Sunday School for All Ages 10:30 a.m. Service of Worship Monday 7:45 8:00 a.m. Prayer Pause OAK HILL NEWS DEADLINE Tuesday 6:00 p.m. Ethical Society of Police Community Forum in the Large Assembly Room Wednesday 10:00 a.m. La Leche League in the Nursery 11:00 a.m. Wednesday Bible Study Class in the Faith and Fellowship Room 6:30 p.m. Tower Grove South Neighborhood Association Meeting in the Large Assembly Room Sunday After Worship Congregational Meeting We welcome you to worship at Oak Hill. We greet everyone in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and celebrate the gift of God s incarnate love through our worship and service. All visitors, guests and members are invited to join us in the Large Assembly Room (downstairs) following worship for a time of fellowship.
Today s Worship Leaders are Toby Eckert and Korla Masters. Greeters are Lisa Thompson and Deb Wiethop. Ushers are Quinn Colwell, Brent Crittenden, Paige Eckert, and Rick Soles. Acolytes are Millie Crittenden and Ja nyia Finley. Nursery Caregivers are Kim and Josh Smith. The Evangelism and Membership Committee is hosting the time of fellowship in October. As a church family, we shall be praying this morning and all week for the following members and friends. You may wish to contact them to indicate your interest and ask if they have any special prayer concerns. Carole Adams Eva, Eric, Emily, Elizabeth, and Oliver Bischoff Barbara Wideman If you have a specific prayer request to share with the congregation, please fill out the yellow prayer request form in the pew and place it in the offering plate. For prayers and congregational support during the week, call Pastor Erin or the church office. OAK HILL NEWS DEADLINE Articles for the November newsletter are due, in writing, by Monday, October 17, 2016. Halloween is coming, and the Evangelism and Membership Committee needs your help. Please donate candy to wish the children in our church neighborhood a Happy Halloween. Bags of individually wrapped candy can be placed in the boxes marked for them in the Large Assembly Room and the church office. On October 30, the Sunday before Halloween, we invite you to help fill the treat bags in the Large Assembly Room after the worship service. Plan to join us on the church steps Halloween at 5:30 p.m. to give out treats and join in the fun. Every year we have over 100 children stop by. You can even wear your own costume if you want to do that! Save the Date- BREAK THE PIPELINE ACTION WEEKEND- November 11-13 We will join Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU) on Nov. 11-13 th for Break the Pipeline Action Weekend, featuring speakers and opportunities to engage in the work of ending the school to prison pipeline. If you are interested, please talk with Lisa Thompson or Heather Beckmann. Congregational Meeting Sunday, October 23 A Congregational Meeting will be held on October 23, following worship, to approve the Pastor s Terms of Call for 2017, to present the 2017 Asking Budget, and to receive a 2016 Nominating Committee Report, nominating for election the following persons to fill positions of leadership in the church Elder Carolyn Ream Kevin Atkins Joe Bradshaw Dena Roper Anne Stoltz Class of 2018 (1-year term) In addition, the following are nominated to serve in the following positions: 2017 Nominating Committee Congregational Members-at-Large Jeff Dahl (2 nd year) Lisa Thompson Deb Wiethop (2 nd year) 2017 Personnel Committee Richard Wiethop (2 nd year) Our current bylaws state the following: Public notice of the names of nominees shall ordinarily be given at least one week prior to election. Additional nominations may be made from the floor by any eligible voter. Any person nominated shall have given advance consent to be nominated. (A quorum for a congregational meeting at Oak Hill consists of the Moderator, Secretary and 20 percent [23 active members] of eligible voters. If we do not have a quorum, the meeting will have to be rescheduled. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that all members of Oak Hill attend the meeting. Coffee and donuts will be served.)
FIRST SCRIPTURE READING Jeremiah 31:27-34 27 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of humans and the seed of animals. 28 And just as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the LORD. 29 In those days they shall no longer say: The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children s teeth are set on edge. 30 But all shall die for their own sins; the teeth of everyone who eats sour grapes shall be set on edge. 31 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, Know the LORD, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. Leader: This is the Word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God. SECOND SCRIPTURE READING Luke 18:1-8 18Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2 He said, In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, Grant me justice against my opponent. 4 For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming. 6 And the Lord said, Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8 I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? Leader: This is the Word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God.