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, October 8, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Abraham replied, They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them. (Luke 16:29) ORGAN PRELUDE: Sweet Hour of Prayer Tune by William B. Bradbury (1816-1868) Arranged by Dale Wood (1934-2003) ANNOUNCEMENTS CALL TO WORSHIP (from Touch Holiness) We have been called to walk the faithful road and to choose the way of God s justice. We are here because we believe strongly that our God is good, and that we live in that goodness. We are here to proclaim our faith and to seek direction along this faith journey. Come together, then, to be God s people. Follow Christ and listen for the good things that God has done. Rise up in praise and thanksgiving! We will share with others the goodness that we have found in God. May our lives be an expression of that goodness. *HYMN: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty PH #15 blue PRAYER OF CONFESSION O Holy God, we come in confession for our lack of love. There are times when we have loved neither our neighbors nor ourselves. At times, we have passed by suffering and misfortune because of fear or busyness or preoccupation. At times, we have held prejudices against people whom you see as our brothers and sisters. At times, we are so critical of our own shortcomings that we are our own worst enemy. Heal our pains, amend our faults, and guide us in ways of danger and compassion, for we pray in the name of Jesus, our most beloved neighbor, who cared for us even to the cross
*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 SACRAMENT OF CHRISTIAN BAPTISM Introduction and Conversation with the Children Questions to the Parents and Godparents Question to the Congregation Baptism and Prayer Presentation by the Deacons *HYMN: I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry NCH #351 black SCRIPTURE READING: Luke 16:19-31 ANTHEM: How Firm a Foundation Text: Attributed to Robert Keen (c. 1787) Melody from The Sacred Harp (1844) Arranged by Martha Shaffer (b. 1946) How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in his excellent word! What more can he say than to you he hath said, to you that for refuge to Jesus have fled? Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed! For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; I ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand. When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow; For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress. When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace, all sufficient shall be thy supply; the flame shall not hurt thee, I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine. The soul that to Jesus hath fled for repose, I will not desert to its foes; That soul, though all hell shall endeavor to shake, I ll never, no never, no never forsake. MORNING PRAYER Congregation s Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer Silent Prayer SILENT PRAYER-PASTORAL PRAYER-CHORAL RESPONSE SERMON: The Rich Man and Lazarus This morning s Gospel Reading is the parable, The Rich Man and Lazarus. The sermon will be a modern re-telling of this parable (written by Rev. Marlayna), exploring the question of How might we respond if we were in the Rich Man s shoes? MOMENT OF MEDITATION OFFERTORY SENTENCE OFFERTORY ANTHEM: Christ is made the sure foundation, Christ the Head and Corner-stone, Chosen of the Lord, and precious, Binding all the Church in one, Holy Sion s help for ever, And her confidence alone. All that dedicated city, Dearly loved of God on high, In exultant jubilation Pour perpetual melody, God the One in Three adoring In glad hymns eternally. To this temple where we call thee, Christ Is Made The Sure Foundation Hymn tune: Westminister Abbey by Henry Purcell (1659-1695) Arranged by John Rutter (b.1945) Here vouchsafe to all thy servants What they ask of thee to gain, What they gain from thee for ever With the blesses retain, And hereafter in thy glory Evermore with thee to reign. Praise and honour to the Father, Praise and honour to the Son, Praise and honour to the Spirit, Ever Three and ever One, Consubstantial, co-eternal, While unending ages run. Amen.
Come, O Lord of Hosts, to-day; With thy wonted loving-kindness Hear thy servants as they pray, And thy fullest benediction Shed within its walls away. (6 th or 7 th century, tr. J.M. Neale) *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. *HYMN: Help Us Accept Each Other NCH #388 black *[The Removal of the Flame, which symbolizes the Spirit of God accompanying us out into the world] BENEDICTION CHORAL RESPONSE ORGAN POSTLUDE: Psalm 19 (The Heavens Declare) Benedetto Marcello (1686-1739) * * * * * After the service all are invited to join us outside for refreshments. As it is a holiday weekend, there is no Sunday School or Nursery coverage today. The greeter and lay reader is Sarah Campbell. The Deacons are Sarah Campbell and Mary Ellen Cook. Readers and Greeters are always needed, to volunteer speak to the Deacons or sign up online. 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 using them. Welcome to all who are new to our worship. To join our mailing list fill out a Welcome Card to place in the collection plate or contact office.fpchurch@verizon.net, 978-526-7661 ext 1.
FLOWERS FOR THE ALTAR Please call Penny Lapham at 978-526- 7128, by Monday to be included in the following Sunday s bulletin. THE CARE TEAM MINISTRY, Have you shared the experience? We support FPC families with meals, rides, & visits through times of illness and loss. If you would like to become involved with this wonderful team contact; Sheila Kafer 978-525-3253, smkafer@comcast.net Janet Groth at 978-526-8408, janbythesea244@gmail.com SUNDAY SCHOOL We are grateful for the 4 people who have stepped up to teach periodically and are still in need of a few more teachers and volunteers in order to run our Sunday school properly so if you are available we would love to have you help! You do not have to be a member of the church to teach or trained in Godly play. Check out all the opportunities to help online. Contact Jessica 978-526-7661 ext. 3 BIBLE STUDY (for adults) Thursdays 4-5:30 PM at 37 Beach St (home of Vin Terrill). Join us for a weekly study of our scriptures led by Rev. Marlayna. This week s scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16 & 17. PRAYER TEAM For where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20 Would you like to request prayers? Email prayer.fpchurch@gmail.com. We will resume meetings on Thursday 9/21 from 6-7 and then meet the first and third Thursdays of each month. All are welcome to gather in the parlor of First Parish. We will start promptly at 6:00 PM and end at 7:00 PM. We will be praying in one accord, a form of conversational prayer. Bring your concerns to the Lord whether they are for Yourself, Family, Friends, our Country, and the World! You may pray along silently or pray aloud.
SEASIDE PARISH KNITTERS has begun again! We would love to have you join us on the 1 st and 3 rd Thursdays of the month (Oct. 6 & 19) in the Conference Room of the Chapel, 3-5 PM. Read more about us here. SILENT PRAYER/AWARENESS WALK Your Interim Pastor, Transition Team, [and Prayer Team], invite you to join them in a brief walk around the neighborhood today, October 8th, 11:30 to 12:15. In case you ve never been on a walk like this, here s what it entails: A small group of us silently walking around Manchester for half an hour or so, simply being aware of what we see. For example: Are there tricycles in the driveways? Trampolines in the yards? Moms/dads with strollers on the sidewalks? Elderly people sitting on porches? Houses with peeling paint? Handicap ramps? Halloween decorations? Shops with creative signs/displays in their windows? etc, etc. At the end of the walk, we gather in the sanctuary and report back what we noticed. Then, we pray for the well-being of the people we ve seen. Note: Prayer walks are not a means of evangelizing our neighbors; prayer walks are a means for God to open our eyes and hearts to the people around us. (Also note: We won t be conspicuously praying while we are walking, so anyone taking notice of us won t view us as religious zealots; to the average person, we will simply look like a small group of people out for a Sunday stroll :). BOOK GROUP We continue with a new selection, The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. A. J. Fikry s life is not at all what he expected it to be. He lives alone, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. But when a mysterious package appears at the bookstore, its unexpected arrival gives Fikry the chance to make his life over--and see everything anew. Next gathering, October 30th at 7 PM, at Bonnie Benincasa s home 25 Hickory Hill Road, Manchester.
INTERIM VISION PROCESS You are invited to the first (of four) Whole Church Congregational meetings taking place over the next several months (2 in the fall; 2 in the spring.) On October 22 nd, after worship in the sanctuary (from 11:20 to 1pm), we will be meeting on the topic of HISTORY, and we need your input! The input given in these meetings combined with prayerful reflection on Scripture and demographic material--will lead to: a Vision for Ministry, Goals for carrying out that Vision, and a Profile to help the church search for a Settled Pastor, whose gifts and skills match the Vision. The purpose for the HISTORY meeting is to share experiences and memories of where we ve been as a church-- noting highlights, struggles, key events in the community and the world that have shaped the church in some way in order to better plan where we are going. A light lunch will be served in lieu of our usual Sunday refreshment time. [Note: The goal of this meeting is not to rehash old hurts or conflicts, but rather to speak with a view of positively moving forward into the future for the glory of God. Also Note: Each person will be invited to speak only from his/her own personal experience, acknowledging and allowing that others may have experienced the same event(s) differently.] Your Transition Team (Paul Driscoll, Lauren Gudonis, Mary Lumsden, Jeff Parker, Jason Smith, Lelly Smith) VISION DEVOTIONAL To create a Biblical foundation for the Interim Vision Process, the Transition Team is spending a few minutes at their meeting each month prayerfully discussing a different Scripture reading that depicts God giving people a Vision.
The Team invites the congregation (and its various boards, committees, and groups) to join them in this practice, reflecting on the following questions for each reading: 1) How does God give vision in this Scripture to God s people? 2) How might God give our church vision for the future? The reading for October is: Genesis 15: 1-6 (Abram count the stars ) WOMEN S FELLOWSHIP is having a potluck dinner on Thursday October 12 th @ 6:30pm in the chapel. Please join us and bring something to share with the other ladies. Come spend time with the other ladies of our church and bring some yummy to share with the group. 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 Columbus Day Office Closed 7:00 PM BOT 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 6:30 PM Women s Fellowship Friday 8:00 AM Yoga Sunday 10:00 AM Worship
Saturday, November 11, 2017 We will try and inform everyone about our Christmas Fair through the monthly newsletter, updates on the web, weekly emails and worship bulletins. Please pass on the good news that the Fair is coming! Coffee Cans needed for the cookie table! Please leave in the box at the Chapel. White Elephants Wanted! Please no large furniture, stuffed animals or electronics not specified on other side. Drop off ONLY during the times below. Let us use these drop-off days so that fair volunteers may help move these items to the downstairs area. October 1st 11am-12pm October 18 6:30pm - 7pm November 2 6:30-7pm November 5th 11am - 12 (Daylight Savings Day) There will be volunteers available at times during the days the week prior to the fair. Please volunteer to help with these times if you can. Please contact Sarah Campbell at sarah.campbell50@gmail.com or at 617.930.0575, should you need to drop off at a different time.
White Elephants Wanted! Small household goods including kitchen items, china, glassware, home decor items (decorative objects, mirrors, framed art/posters), tablecloths, fabrics sporting goods, purses, Christmas decorations Kids toys, games, craft supplies, sporting equipment, bikes, small furniture. Books -- kids and adults. Jewelry -- contact Martha Elder 978-526-7036 Items Accepted: Working and bootable NOTEBOOK computers running Windows 8 or 10 Only. (Desktops are not accepted) Working stereos including portable units Working DVD and BluRay players Books, excluding text books and test guides CDs DVDs LP Records in original sleeves Items NOT accepted: Magazines Text Books VHS tapes VHS players Cassettes Cassette Player Test Guides Technical books not of general interest PLEASE NO LARGE FURNITURE, STUFFED ANIMALS OR ELECTRONICS NOT SPECIFIED ABOVE
Harvest Food Drive, October 2017 In 2016 we gathered 96 pounds for Beverly Bootstraps and 99 pounds for The Open Door. The annual First Parish Church Harvest Food Drive helps our neighbors who are struggling to feed their families. Every year our congregation responds generously to the call for food donations to stock the pantries at Beverly Bootstraps and The Open Door. The canned goods and non-perishables that are collected during our Harvest Food Drive assist families and individuals in Beverly, Manchester, Essex, Gloucester, Essex, Ipswich, and Rockport. Many people live in a state of food insecurity and continually worry about having enough groceries to make it through the week or even the next day. Beverly Bootstraps and the Open Door stock their shelves with healthful foods to help clients stretch their food budgets. The pantries provide a dignified shopping experience at no cost. The Missions Committee, FPC Youth Groups, and the Sunday School are all cooperating in this important effort. All through the month of October we will be collecting non-perishable food items. Items can be dropped off at the Chapel or in the Narthex. MISSIONS You can support hurricane relief through the wider church by emailing ucc.org and following prompts. Mention First Parish Church in Manchester by the Sea so our church gets credit for donations. Rev. Marlayna will be away this coming week for her step-son s wedding (Oct. 9-Oct. 16). There are two ordained UCC ministers on call in case of major emergencies (such as severe illness, death, or funeral.) Both Office Manager (Nancy Klebart) and Sarah Campbell (deacon) have that contact information. (And Sarah s phone number will be on the church answering machine if emergency calls come in after normal office hours.)