GREENWOOD FOREST BAPTIST CHURCH The Worship of God The Third Sunday of Lent March 24, 2019 Chiming of the Hour Processional Hymn 33 Welcome to Worship Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah Rev. Stephen Stacks Leader: The Lord be with you People: And also with you. Passing of the Peace Rev. Stacks Preparation for Worship Give Us Clean Hands Charlie Hall We cannot make it on our own, O God; We need the cross and our Savior's blood. We bow our hearts; we bend our knees; O Spirit come make us humble. We turn our eyes from evil things; O Lord, we cast down our idols. Give us clean hands; give us pure hearts; Let us not lift our souls to another. Give us clean hands; give us pure hearts; Let us not lift our souls to another. O God, let us be a generation that seeks, That seeks your face, O God of Jacob. O God, let us be a generation that seeks, That seeks your face, O God of Jacob.
Call to Worship (Psalm 63) Rev. Kadeisha Bonsu Prayers of the People and Lord s Prayer Rev. Wesley Spears-Newsome Leader: O God, you are my God. People: I seek you; my soul thirsts for you. Leader: My flesh faints for you, People: As in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Leader: So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, People: Beholding your power and glory. Leader: Because your steadfast love is better than life, People: My lips will praise you as long as I live. Leader: I will lift up my hands and call on your name. People: My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, Leader: And my mouth praises you with joyful lips People: When I think of you in the watches of the night. Leader: For you have been my help, People: And in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy. Invocation Hymn 637 Offertory Prayer Rev. Bonsu Guide My Feet Annette King Offertory Auf meinen lieben Gott Buxtehude Presentation of the Offering LASST UNS ERFREUEN As our offering is presented back to God, we will sing the following doxology: We affirm each prayer with the following response: Leader: Lord, in your mercy... People: Hear our 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. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Scripture Reading Isaiah 55:1-9 Rev. Al Whitehouse We affirm the reading of Scripture with the following response: Reader: The word of God for us, the people of God. People: Thanks be to God. During the following hymn, children (ages first grade and younger) are invited to go to Children s Time. Parents may pick up their children in the Children s Wing after worship. Praise God, who forms us from the dust. Praise Christ, who frees us through the cross. Praise Holy Ghost who drives us on To meet God in the wilderness. Amen.
Hymn Come Down, O Love Divine Scripture Reading Luke 13:1-9 Rev. Bonsu We affirm the reading of Scripture with the following response: Reader: The word of God for us, the people of God. People: Thanks be to God. Anthem Kyrie from Gospel Mass Robert Ray Rick Chappell, Soloist In the name of Father, in the name of the Son, In the name of the Holy Spirit, the blessed Three in One. Oh Lord have mercy. Kyrie eleison. Oh Lord have mercy. Oh Lord have mercy on me; send us a Savior, set my soul free. Give us your word and teach us to pray; I want to praise and serve you always. Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob look down, Have mercy upon us. Oh Christ have mercy. Christe eleison. Oh Christ have mercy. Oh Christ have mercy on me; send us your comfort, grant us your peace. You are the way, the truth, and the light; I love you more each day and each night. Jesus the rock of salvation, the light of the world, Have mercy upon us. Oh Lord have mercy. Kyrie eleison. Oh Christ have mercy. Christe eleison.
Sermon Barren Fig Trees Rev. Stacks Hymn 648 (v. 1, 3 & 4) Benediction Postlude Please stand as you are able. Stir Your Church, O God, Our Father Rev. Stacks The Deacon of the Day is Annette King, Deacon At-Large. Today s acolyte is Anna Claire Jarrell. Hearing assistance devices are available at the back of the sanctuary. Prayer Concerns Gilles Bikindou, Luther Brewer, Marjorie Floyd, Evelyn George (Randy Palmer s sister), Mike Markatos (Bonnie Rogers son s father-in-law), Sara Martin (Jay and Doris Martin s daughter-in-law), Linda McAbee (Nell Allen s sister), Ann Robinson, Iris Thomas, and Jim Webster (Emma Webster s son) Our partner church, Ebenezer Baptist, Cuba, and our brothers and sisters of the Oromo Evangelical Lutheran Mission GFBC by the Numbers Focus on Finance 2018/2019 Budget (MDP + MSP) $913,634 Amount of Budget supported through Stewardship Giving $830,186 (excludes cell tower and GFCC receipts) Week 29 of 52 (March 17) Week 29 YTD Total Giving $16,779 $485,067 Less Designated Giving $ 5,035 $ 28,270 Actual Stewardship Giving $11,744 $456,797 Stewardship Giving needed to fully subscribe budget $14,569 $475,059 Over (Under) $(2,825) $(18,262) Current Sermon Series Wild(erness) Faith March 10 40 Days of Temptation Luke 4:1-13 March 17 A Clever Fox Luke 13:31-35 March 24 Barren Fig Trees Luke 13:1-9 March 31 Pig Slop Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 April 7 Spilled Perfume John 12:1-8
Announcements and Upcoming Events Family Promise Week March 24-31 Family Promise Week is this week, March 24-31, and we need help today setting up. Meet by the office doors today after worship to roll the cots from the Family Promise trailer into classrooms; make beds; and distribute towels, alarm clocks, and lights to make the space feel a little more like a home. Next Sunday, March 31, we need help tearing down at 7:00 am! If you are able to help, please contact Andy Jarrell at andyjarrell@gmail.com. Visioning Session 2 April 1 Mark your calendars for Part 2 of our visioning process with Bill Wilson from the Center for Healthy Churches. See the flyer on the next page in today s Worship Bulletin for details. Also, if you are planning to attend, please fill out the RSVP card in the bulletin and drop it in the offering plate. Spring Work Day April 6 The Properties Ministry invites everyone to mark your calendars for a Spring Work Day scheduled from 9am-12pm on Saturday, April 6. Please bring work gloves and typical garden tools! Everyone s help is needed and appreciated! Community Sunday April 7 The Outreach Ministry is sponsoring our first ever Community Sunday. We're setting aside a few Sundays out of the year to make GFBC especially welcome to visitors and friends. Plan on inviting a friend to worship on Sunday, April 7! Blood Drive June 7 The 2019 Summer Blood Drive is Friday, June 7 from 2pm-6:30pm in the Fellowship Hall. Appointments may be scheduled now through redcrossblood.org. Search by sponsor code Greenwood. All who make an appointment will receive free ice cream courtesy of the Outreach Ministry. Be Cool. Give Blood. Egg Hunt Candy Request The Children s Ministry Team needs candy donations for the Egg Hunt on Palm Sunday, April 14. Please drop off your pre-packaged, non-chocolate, nut-free candy in the church office between now and next Sunday, March 31st. Thank you! Inhospitable Podcast Episode 3, which details the time Gilles spent in detention, is available now. Learn more at inhospitableusa.org.
The Discipleship Ministry is preparing to launch several small groups which will offer points of connection with others and encounter with God at venues in the community and times other than Sunday morning. If you are hoping to build relationships with others in the congregation and go deeper in your faith journey, sign up for one of the groups below today! Common Prayer Meets Monthly at the Upchurch Home Rick Chappell, Facilitator This small group will be centered around the book entitled Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals co-authored by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson- Hartgrove, and Enuma Okoro. In the Introduction the book is described this way: This is a different kind of book. It s not a book you pick up and read straight through. In fact, this book is not designed to be read alone. It is a book filled with songs, prayers, ideas, and memories that are meant to be spoken aloud and shared together in some form of community. This group will combine the benefits of a daily devotion and group small group time. Using the book and its accompanying app, we will pray daily prayer as individuals and then come together monthly to eat, sing, pray, and talk together. [1 spot available] Hearth Meets Monthly at the Jones Home Gail and Virgil Jones, Hosts Everyday Extraordinary Meets Monthly at Whitehouse Home Al Whitehouse, Facilitator Have you ever wanted to hear God? I mean REALLY hear God like the way you read in the Bible? As people of faith, we want to experience more of who God is and what God is about today because we've seen and heard what God has done in the past. We want to know what God is about and where we fit in. What if there was a simple and repeatable way to hear God on an almost daily basis? God speaks every day because God is working every day in everybody's life. If you're ready to hear God and change your life one step at a time, then you're ready to see the extraordinary in the everyday that God has to show you. Join this group and let s journey together. [1 spot available] Sunday Debrief Meets Weekly in GFBC Parlor Diane Smith, Facilitator This small group is for people who want a weekly bible study session but for whom the time before worship is difficult for whatever reason! We will meet directly following worship on Sundays and explore the topics raised by the biblical texts of the day and the sermon. [4 spots available] Blend Meets Monthly at La Farm on a Weeknight Leta Huntsinger, Facilitator At Blend we bring our varied lives and experiences together to have deep spiritual and relational conversations over a great cup of coffee. [Blend is FULL right now] Hearth is an intimate dinner group that develops authentic relationships over good food and drink. Hearth creates a warm environment where we can dive deep into our faith journeys and each other s lives. [Hearth is FULL right now]
Easter Lilies You are invited to order Easter lilies in memory or in honor of a loved one. The lilies will be used to decorate the sanctuary on Easter Sunday, April 21. A list of memorials and honors will be printed in the Worship Bulletin on Easter Sunday, and you may pick up your lilies after the Easter morning service. The cost is $15 each. Please turn in your payment along with this order form by Sunday, April 7. Checks are made payable to GFBC and should note Easter lily in the memo line. Easter Lily Order Form Please turn in this form with payment to the church office or place this form in the offering plate by Sunday, April 7. Please write clearly. Number of lilies at $15 each Amount attached Name of Donor(s) Given in memory of Given in honor of