Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church Asheville, North Carolina www.gcpcusa.org July 23, 2017 10:30 am Give us grace, O God, To dare to do the deed, Which we well know cries to be done. ~ W.E.B. Du Bois, Prayers for Dark People Prelude Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir J. Pachelbel * Call to Worship May the presence of our ever present God be known in this place. May the peace that God ever pursues be our invitation for this hour. May we recognize God as the opening that opens us to one another. Now may we be and become the body of Christ, in word and action, in this place and beyond. Let us worship God! * Hymn 385 All People That on Earth Do Dwell OLD HUNDREDTH
* Call to Reconciliation * Prayer of Confession * Assurance of Forgiveness * Response Our holy and merciful God, We confess that while you open us to one another, inviting us to live in welcome and fellowship across divisions and borders, we have chosen rather to turn inward. We exclude; we segregate; we oppress; we pity. We live in and perpetuate unjust systems of discrimination and prejudice. We turn away from grave inequalities playing out before our very eyes. Open us again to one another; open our eyes so that we may see and treat one another in justice and in truth. Amen. * Passing of the Peace The Peace of Christ be with you. And also with you. Faith Sharing with Children Our Life Together (Please sign the pad located in your pew)
Prayer for Illumination Old Testament Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24 The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God! New Testament 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God! Sermon We Who Are Called Tyrone Greenlee * Hymn 726 Will You Come and Follow Me KELVINGROVE * Affirmation of Faith (from A Brief Statement of Faith) We trust in God the Holy Spirit, In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace. In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God's new heaven and new earth, praying, Come, Lord Jesus! Offering (Please place prayer cards in the offering plate for the Prayers of the People) Offertory Anthem As Pants the Hart for Cooling Streams K. Lee Scott
* Doxology * Prayer of Dedication God of grace, giver of life itself, You empower and call us, each of us, by name every day. You gather us, in multiple ways, to be this community, a church gathered in your name. May these gifts, as a part of our joyful response to your call, serve to bring people together, to lift those in need, and to dismantle barriers visible and invisible in our lives together. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, who came not to be served but to serve. Amen. Prayers of the People Each section of the prayer will conclude: In God s Spirit Please respond: We are One
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. * Hymn 372 O for a World AZMON * Charge & Benediction * Postlude Old Hundredth Michael Burkhardt ------------------------------------------------- (For some, the Postlude serves as festive music to accompany their going back out into the world. Others prefer to remain seated and listen. Please be mindful of these different needs as you depart. Thank you!) * Please Stand in Body or Spirit. We gather to worship God who is larger than all our imaginations! We encourage all persons to sing the gender nouns and pronouns they prefer in referring to God. WORSHIP NOTES: We welcome Tyrone Greenlee this morning and thank him for his leadership during worship. Tyrone is a native of Asheville, North Carolina and currently works as director of Christians for a United Community, a non-profit coalition of churches which mobilizes people of faith around issues of social justice focusing on dismantling racism and the disparities caused by racism. Tyrone is a member of the New Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church where he serves on the Sanctuary Choir, the Men s Choir, the Youth Ministry, and where he was ordained as a Deacon in January of 2012. He is also a member of Circle of Mercy Congregation in Asheville. Our Life Together Thank You! Head Usher: Paul Tescione Liturgist: Liz Huesemann Deacon of the Week: Matt Stradley, email: stradley55@yahoo.com The flowers that decorate the sanctuary this morning are given in memory of Offutt Francis from his wife, Madge Francis, and his loving family. We are thankful to members of PART for leading our worship today and providing Courtyard Fellowship following the service. Please stop by the table for refreshments and fellowship. There will be copies of the graphic novel, March, available for sale.
SAVE THE DATE GCPC Palooza! September 16-17 GCPC Saturday will include service opportunities, community fun, dinner with a pie contest, and a variety show. Sunday will be our Fall Kick-Off for all Sunday School classes. Stay tuned for details about registration which will begin in August. Summer Choir Want to try singing? Like to sing but just can't commit to every week during the year? Give Summer Choir a try! We meet in the sanctuary 9:30 AM each Sunday in July and August to learn anthems, hymns and responses. It's fun and convenient - we learn new music to sing in worship each Sunday. There's no homework and no long-term commitment required - just come when you can. Open to all ages. Please consider helping us make a joyful noise this summer! Childcare Position Open GCPC Nursery Do you know someone outside our church community who is great with children and looking to earn a little extra money? A college student? A retiree? Just someone looking for some extra hours of work? GCPC is in need of hiring more childcare staff. It is a great place to work with very competitive pay. Please encourage anyone interested to send a cover letter and resume to Sherrie at smeehan@gcpcusa.org. Grow Presbyterianism 101 - Brown bag lunch discussions August 3, 10, 17 12:15-1:30 PM Jerusalem Room What are Presbyterians? What do we believe? How are we different from other denominations like Baptists or Methodists? Where do we come from and what does it mean to be a Presbyterian in 2017? Though there are many lifelong Presbyterians in our midst, there are also many others (your new associate pastor included) who grew up outside of Presbyterian churches and are still learning about our denomination. And even those who have always been here may still be asking questions or need a refresher about our tradition and denomination. Richard and Marcia will be facilitating a series of brown-bag lunches on August 3, 10, and 17 to cover Presbyterianism 101. Please come with your questions as we delve into our rich, complex, and sometimes contentious tradition. Email Richard at rcoble@gcpcusa.org for questions. PART Book Discussion - March Sunday, August 27 9:15 AM PART (Power and Race Team) will host a book discussion on Sunday, August 25 at 9:15 am on the graphic novel "March." The book was written by Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis and coauthors Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell. It is a memoir of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's. Rep. Lewis hopes to inspire a new generation to take up this work. Many groups and schools in Asheville are reading the book this year as part of a city-wide program. We'll combine discussion of the book with raising money to buy copies of the book for teachers to use in Asheville middle schools. The discussion is open to adults and youth. Copies will be available for sale at the Courtyard Fellowship today, and you can also contribute there to buying books for the schools. Please note the book is a trilogy, and we'll be discussing only Part 1. If you have questions, please email Jean Veilleux at jeanwrightveilleux@gmail.com.
PART Opportunity: Hood Huggers Driving Tour Saturday, August 26 10:00 AM or 1:00 PM Join members of the Power and Race Team to learn about systems of inequality throughout Asheville's history with local activist and artist DeWayne Barton. Each tour is 90 minutes. The cost is $20. Please contact Amy Wiesner at 828-335-0543 or email her at amywiesner@charter.net, to reserve your seat on the van. Care J.O.Y. Group Gathering Tuesday, July 25 6 PM Habitat Tavern & Commons (Retired, empty nesters, qualifying for senior discounts) Our next event is Hymns and Beer! Habitat Brewing is located at 174 Broadway Street near Moog Music just north of I-240. The singing starts at 6 pm. Come even if you aren t planning to sing! For more information, contact Susie Wheelis at alpacasusie@gmail.com. GCPC 20s/30s Gathering: "Asheville Beer & Hymns" Tuesday, July 25 6pm Habitat Tavern & Commons (174 Broadway) Are you in your twenties or thirties and looking for a fun, unique fellowship opportunity? You are invited to an unforgettable evening of brewin and singin together (no vocal skills needed)! We will celebrate the summer and bid farewell to our GCPC Young Adult Volunteers. The cost is free. Contact Samantha (sgblock@gcpcusa.org) for questions or to RSVP. Prayer List [We are happy to pray for anyone who is in need. Concerns will stay on this list for a month unless we hear otherwise. Please keep us updated.] Jerusalem Church congregation; Linda Parker (Anna Jarvis sister-in-law); JoAnne Hewett and family (Allison McLamb s co-worker); The Dey Family (Esther Colton s friends); Bob Wilson (Martha & Ray Kisiah s brother-in-law); Joe and Beth Poe (Beth Kissling s brother & sister-in-law); Betsy Needle (Robin Gaiser s friend); Pam Morrell (Penny Ponder s daughter); Sherry Harcke (Les and Susan Stradley s friend); David Bartlett (Anna Louise Murchison s friend); Barrett & Ali Payne; Virginia Bradley; Hettie Lou Garland; Dot Holladay; Jerry Bleckley; Teresa Stern; Linda Stirk; Mary Berg; Cindy Egerer Our sympathy and support are extended to Virginia Bradley and Nancy and Bill Gettys following the death of Virginia s son (Nancy s brother), Sam Bradley. A service will be held today at 3 PM in Kernersville, NC. With joyful hearts we announce that Barrett Payne has received a call. His ordination will be at GCPC on Sunday, July 30 at 3 PM. Please keep Barrett, Ali and family in your prayers as they transition to a new home. Next Sunday, July 30, 2017 Worship services at 8:30 & 10:30 AM Courtyard Fellowship at 11:30 AM Sermon: Simple Acts by Samantha Gonzalez-Block Scriptures: Micah 6:3-8; Acts 8:26-40
CALENDAR Sunday 23 8:30 AM Worship 10:30 AM Worship 11:30 AM Courtyard Fellowship Tuesday 25 9:00 AM Prayer Group 6:00 PM 20s/30s Gathering 6:00 PM J.O.Y. Group Gathering Wednesday 26 11:45 AM Sanctuary open for prayer Thursday 27 8:30 AM Personnel Subcommittee Mtg. Sunday 30 8:30 AM Worship 10:30 AM Worship 11:30 AM Courtyard Fellowship 3:00 PM Barrett Payne s Ordination